It's done! Sultana paperback available in less than two weeks

I feel just as exhausted as this guy

Seems like forever since I've been working on this book, formatting and getting it posted on Kindle, Smashwords and Barnes&Noble, through their Pubit program. I also did a fresh edit and update, thanks to suggestions from the brilliant Jeanne Kalogridis, who is one of the sweetest, most generous best-selling authors on the planet. If you're on Twitter, follow her. So grateful for her advice, as she's one of two authors who inspired me to write historical fiction in the first place.

There had to be one obstacle in my editing process. My update added six pages to the original file. It also screwed up my paperback file and cover settings. Took all day yesterday and I probably added a few gray hairs, but managed to format everything correctly. I'm now awaiting the proof, which should arrive April 1. That had better not be CreateSpace's version of an April Fool's joke.

To celebrate Sultana's official release, I'll be giving away two paperback copies to US and Canadian residents. The postage costs are just too high elsewhere. Lest other internationals think they're being left out, I'll also give away five Kindle copies internationally. Now Kindle books can be sent as gifts anywhere; I successfully gave a copy of On Falcon's Wings as a gift for a reader in the UK last month. Guess that "read anywhere, anytime" slogan is true. If you'd like to get in on the giveaways, starting April 1, email me at lyarde11751 at Verizon dot net and tell me why you want to read the book. I'll choose winners and send the books out at the end of April. I'll ask that anyone who receives a copy posts a review on Amazon.

It has been an incredibly long journey since I started researching this book in college. It'll be exciting to see it and the sequel in print. I've learned there are no off days for self-published authors - I'm editing the next book each day. I'll have to get back to Lance Ganey on cover concepts soon and line up another round of beta readers. Look for Sultana's Legacy in the fall.