Up and Running Again

My computer guy came through for me and I’ve got my PC working again. Although the monetary cost was something I could have done without, the upside was that nothing was lost or damaged in the conflagration. Go me.

The big news of the week was not the temporary nullification of my computer capabilities, however. Yesterday saw the arrival of the Stonehell compilation proof and I’ve finally been able to heft in my hands the end result of ten months of inadvertent labor. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a tactile sort of guy, so having an actual book that I could page through was the highlight of an otherwise frustrating week.

“So what’s the deal with the book now?” you might ask. “When can I, the person who has been patiently waiting since you promised to have this darned thing out by ‘end of August/beginning of September’, get my hands on a copy?”

The upswing is that the book proofed as good as I had hoped. Any nagging doubts about the legibility of maps or the quality of the illustrations in the final print have been put to rest. The downswing is that, having a chance to pour over the book in physical form, I’ve caught a handful of minor errors and typos that desperately need correction before I’d even dream of asking for a single cent for the book. This weekend will see me finishing up my last proofread and final edit of the manuscript. I hope to have the new PDF distilled and posted by Monday or Tuesday, with a new proof ordered immediately thereafter. After I see the final proof, I’ll be making the book and the PDF available to you. I want to make sure you get the best I can possibly give you with the tools I have available.

In short, I beg your patience for one more week. I’m as anxious to be finished with this book and pass it on to everyone else as you are to read it. After such time, I intend to take three months off from doing anything Stonehell related. Then I’ll get cracking on Book Two.

Thank you all for your enthusiasm and your patience. I hope you’ll find them both to be well rewarded.