"Roundheads and Ramblings"

launch dates

Finally! We Have a Launch!

Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 4:24 PM

The folks who have had to listen to me complain about Amazon, Kindle, CreateSpace, and everyone involved in trying to publish the second edition of "Beyond All Price" will understand why this is a day for celebration. It has taken almost a full month to get the earlier version removed from availability, the book reviews transferred to this new edition, and the two versions--Kindle and trade paper--linked to each other and to the audio edition. When I first hit that "publish" button, I had no idea that Amazon was about to announce a major corporate move. I self-published the electronic version on the old Amazon KDP site and submitted the print files to CreateSpace for the paperback versions. Two days later, Amazon announced that CreateSpace would now be known as Kindle Direct Publishing, and all my books would have to be transferred to the new site. What resulted was absolute CHAOS.

I'll spare you the painful details of the ensuing discussions. I would send an email off to ask for a correction, and KDP would wait until the middle of the night to respond. That meant that I spent several mornings fulminating over my breakfast. I guess I'm happy I started the process in August. My absolute deadline for having the book available was September 22nd--and I have made it with just two days to spare.

Why September 22nd? That's the day of the Roundhead Family Reunion being held in Darlington, Pennsylvania--a celebration devoted to all things "Civil War" and particularly honoring the descendants of the Roundhead Regiment (the 100th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment). Why there? It's the hometown of Col. Daniel Leasure, the first commander of the Roundheads. And why do I care? I'm a lateral descendant of Sgt. James McCaskey, Company C of the Roundheads. My first book, "A Scratch with the Rebels" told the story of Great-Uncle James, from the time he joined the newly-recruited regiment until his death at the Battle of Secessionville in 1862. And my latest publication, "Beyond All Price," is the story of the Roundhead's regimental nurse, who knew Uncle James and his comrades.

I'm unable to attend the reunion, but my books will be there to represent me, and a few attendees will win signed copies of those books. For those who don't win, there will be order forms so they can claim their own copies with the only known picture of Nurse Nellie Chase on the cover. But here's why I've been sweating thumbtacks over the publication. I designed the order form showing the listing I WANTED to book to have. It took until today to get that listing corrected! WHEW!

So tonight I celebrate a long-awaited book launch.If you care to join in the celebration, go to

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999396930 to order aa paperback copy, or
https://amazon.com/dp/B07GVRBWBW for the Kindle edition.

Progress Report on “Yankee Daughters"

Posted on Friday, October 28, 2016 10:04 AM

We’re moving right along toward release day on December 7, 2016.

1. Here’s a quick peek at the final cover design, all ready to send off to the printer.

2. I’m holding in my hands the second (and final) printed proof of the new book's interior layout. I just need to read it one more time to make sure we haven’t missed a typo or two.

3. Watch for the official trailer early next month.

4. For those of you who have read “Damned Yankee,” but not the second book in the trilogy, Amazon will offer a free day for “Yankee Reconstructed” next week. The Kindle edition will be available at no cost from midnight on Wednesday to midnight on Thursday, November 3.

5. If you’ve already read books one and two, it’s not too late to get in on this deal. I will be happy to send you a free PDF copy of “Yankee Daughters” if you agree to write a short review and post it on Amazon on release day, December 7. Here’s what’s required:

a. A star rating (one through five). And I’m not asking for all five-star reviews, either. They are nice, but not everyone believes them. Readers and purchasers want to hear your honest opinion. The perfect book has not yet been written, and this is not it. Even the Bible does not get all fives, and most critics have learned to look at those perfect reviews with suspicion.

b. A title. You don’t need to be creative here. “Good read” or “Fun” or “Liked it” will do.

c. At least twenty additional words about your reaction to the book. And that’s not many. This explanation has twenty words.

d. The important thing to remember is that you can’t post your review until the book goes on sale on December 7. But it won’t help me as much to have your review posted on Dec. 8 or 9. For the greatest impact on the book’s rating and sales, your review needs to appear on that first day.

e. You will also need to include this statement. "I received a free ARC of this book." (ARC stands for "Advance Review Copy" and you can state it that way if you prefer.)

f. So . . . read the book, write your comment down somewhere, and try not to lose it until Launch Day! And I’ll remind you.

Happy Reading, Everyone. And since today is National Chocolate Day, have a piece of Halloween candy while you read.

A Quick Announcement (Details to Follow)

Posted on Friday, September 23, 2016 4:00 PM

The Grenville Trilogy

First came Damned Yankee, published in 2014. It told the story of Jonathan Grenville, a Northerner, and his wife, Susan, a Southern cotton heiress, following them as they tried to hold their marriage and family together while the world around them exploded into Civil War. It covered the years 1861 to 1867,

In January, 2016, came Yankee Reconstructed, set amid the turmoil of the post-war years of Reconstruction, from 1867 to 1877. In the second volume, however, our focus turned to the Grenville children who were now grown up and establishing lives and families of their own within a framework of racial tensions and government corruption.

And now, waiting just off-stage is the third generation of Grenvilles--eight girls, the daughters of Jamey Grenville, the youngest son of Jonathan and Susan. In Yankee Daughters, the time frame is 1886 to 1920. Historians might refer to it as "The Progressive Age," but for the Grenville daughters, it is a time of clashing values. They are being raised as 19th-century girls, but they will have to learn how to live in a 20th-century world.

The new book is due out in December, so check back here frequently to check on its progress.

Eighteen Days to Launch of "Yankee Reconstructed"

Posted on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 10:15 AM

I finished reading #15 today, without once wanting to throw the book across the room. I spotted no errors and discovered that a couple of places near the end brought tears to my eyes. That's good, I think. I'm pleased with this story.

I have submitted this version as final and also downloaded the cover design. Provided that there is no awful sizing error in the cover, all is now ready for publication. I'll be holding my breath for a day or so, until they send me the final OK, but I have great faith in my cover designer. All should be perfect.

What happens next? Well, I'll get one more proof copy, this time with cover in place. And when I accept it, we'll finish the final set of instructions -- which sales channels will handle the book, what the price breakdown will be, and other formalities. Then comes the final ACCEPT button, and copies will start to flow from the presses.

With luck, I see the proof acceptance happening during Christmas week, and the flow of books to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Ingram, and other outlets, including those overseas markets, happening in the week between Christmas and New Years Day -- right on schedule!

QUICK UPDATE: Cover approved; final proof copy ordered. All is well.

July Is for Jugglers

Posted on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 9:07 AM

This month has proven itself to be unexpectedly complicated, thanks to the number of projects I have been working on. Around Katzenhaus, summer is NOT vacation time. Here's the run-down:

1. We're dealing with a 19-year-old-cat who has been feeling "puny." Turns out he has had an upper respiratory infection that has involved his teeth and made it hard for him to eat. A month of antibiotics has him perky again, but he's rail-thin and needs nourishment. So he's getting special soft foods, not the kibble that all the other cats eat. His mealtimes involve feeding him in a closed room, so the 20-pound bully of the family can't take his dinner away, And it also involves several varieties of special food. Yesterday, for example, his meals were based on Alaskan king crab. I should have it so good.!

2. We're about to get very busy with the major fundraiser for the non-profit [Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service] on whose board both of us serve. We have a dinner/dance/auction coming up early in August, so the pressure is building.

3. We're also in the midst of scheduling and planning two major trips: first, to Phoenix in late September -early October; and then to South Carolina in mid-December.

4. Our latest book, Damned Yankee, has been out for about 6 weeks now and is selling quite well, but it needs pretty constant monitoring and various marketing efforts.

5. Week before last, our first audio book was released, and I'm still working on ways to promote it. This is the recorded version of Beyond All Price, which was a Kindle best-seller back in 2011. I've been seeking reviewers and encouraging listeners, but the whole audio book thing is still quite new to me. This morning I stumbled across an old video, which was produced by a Pittsburgh TV station back in 2011. I was attending a "Military Writers Society of America" conference, and Beyond all Price had been nominated for one of their book awards. (It won a bronze medal for biography at that meeting.) The interview is a bit awkward, because the interviewer had not read the book, and she had pulled me out of another session to film this spot without any preparation. But here it is. Perhaps it will encourage some fans of audio books to give it a try.

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Positively Pittsburgh Interview with Carolyn Schriber

This interview took place during the 2011 Military Writers Society of America Conference.

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