Awake

[House of Mustard]

Also: the story takes place in the winter, with many many references to snow.  Not sand.

When I talked to the designer, she said they did 40 or so designs, but they all seemed to be emphasizing the 'suspense' part of the book, neglecting the comedy.  Personally, I would rather they had gone that route.

Still, since I can't change it, I'm trying really hard to like the cover.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

He's got his head in the sand. It's a metaphor people!

[House of Mustard]

So: I finished the audio edit last night.  Cut from a previous total of 76,891 words down to 47,957.  It was one of the most painful things I've ever done.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

wow. 33% less audio calories than the original. It'd like, Diet Awake.

[House of Mustard]

33% less calories, but 66% more infodumping, and 100% more Deus Ex Machina.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

so it leaves a bad taste in your mouth? like all diet food?

[House of Mustard]

And the aspartame can cause Multiple Sclerosis.

Actually, it's not as bad as I thought it would be.  I was really expecting the worst, but I managed to simplify the plot a little, and leave in everything major.

Still, I can't refer to it without using the word "bastardized." (Though that might just be because I like that word.)

[stacer]

I like "bowdlerized."

[House of Mustard]

That's a neat word -- I've never heard it before.  I'll have to start using it.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

Bowdlerize \Bowd"ler*ize\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bowdlerized; p. pr. & vb. n. Bowdlerizing.] [After Dr. Thomas Bowdler, an English physician, who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare in 1818.] To expurgate, as a book, by omitting or modifying the parts considered offensive.

Yes. I think I shall as well.

[House of Mustard]

Alright kids, the book is out.  I saw it on the shelves of a Seagull last night.  I'm sure that any Seagull on the Wasatch Front should have it by now.

I'm very pleased.  I did a rough count last night, and it looks like the Redwood Road Seagull has around 150 copies.  That's three times what the stocked when On Second Thought came out.  I'm all giddy.

So -- this is the first week -- buy buy buy!

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

time for me to send you another check then, huh?

[House of Mustard]

Sure.  I actually have to raise my prices, though, because I'm running low on my author copies, so I'll have to start getting them from the stores.  It'll be 12.50 instead of 11.  Email me your address at robisonwells @  yahoo or hotmail or msn or gmail.  They all go to me, whichever you like.

[MsFish]

So if I go buy a copy...how can I get you to sign it?  

[House of Mustard]

I'm in Provo regularly.  Give it to EUOL, who can give it to Fell, who can give it to me.  Or, you could go to a book signing -- I'll have several in Utah county.  Or, you could buy it now, and bring it to a signing later (which is what MoD did last time).