Cover Job

Goodness, time has slipped past a bit there ... ! Apart from trying to catch up with my long-neglected other work (oh yeah, that's right, I have other commitments ...!!) I've been busy with getting my 50 'extra' cryptograms ready for the Wiley web site. I've had several long phone conversations with Wiley's eContent Associate Director (the lovely Joyce) in the States. And very early this morning there was a conference call with 6 of us - Marketing, Promotions, Editors, and Mark (all in the USA) and myself (the lone Aussie). Dummies books aren't usually individually promoted, so our book is breaking ground on many levels!

This is the final cover design - it will be in bookshops across America and Canada in the first week of November. And it'll be the first 'loosely affiliated with The Lost Symbol' book to hit the shelves.

If you're in the States, keep an eye out for Hunting the Lost Symbol, on Discovery Channel Sunday 18th October at 8 pm. My co-author Mark is in this show :) If we're lucky, they'll leave in the mention of our book too (but we're not holding our breath on this one!).

I had a rather exciting moment last week - I was at my local Dymocks bookstore browsing, and came across a copy of Word Searches For Dummies - the first time I've seen it on the shelves in Australia! Dymocks do have American suppliers, so they occasionally get a few copies of overseas books in.

I was so thrilled by this that, I admit, I took it to the counter to tell the serving girl it was my book, and offered to sign copies, LOL. She said I should speak with the owner, who was there at the time - which I did. She was especially interested in the new Cryptograms book, and asked if I'd like to do an in-store appearance for their Booklovers' Club! Wiley (USA) will send me promotional goodies to hand out at the event too, and posters of the cover, and suchlike, too!

Australian bookstores don't stock a lot of the American Dummies book in general, but if it's a local author they do seem prepared to get stock in. So I might get a book signing or two after all, which would be pretty utterly awesome! I'll approach Borders in Civic as well ...

Stay tuned! :D

In news just in - both my sister and brother are in our local hospital today : my sister gave birth around 1am to her second child, a healthy little boy, mother and bub both doing well - HURRAH! And my brother was admitted with appendicitis, and is in theatre now - NOT HURRAH! Our family doesn't do things by halves!