Ratha's Courage - Hope Burns Brighter

Author interview webcast with webjay Steve Sikes-Nova premiers tomorrow (Friday)!
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Feedback: ratha13@earthlink.net


Dear patient and devoted Ratha fans,

I am pleased to announce that Ratha's Courage will be released, both as an E-book and a physically published print book. I got some projected dates from my agent, Richard Curtis, in an email this morning.

Courage will be available for download on www.fictionwise.com and other retail sites by the end of the year. The print edition is scheduled to appear by or before February. Amazon will be carrying both. I will be posting more details as I get them.

Viking-Penguin decided to cancel their hardcover and apparently didn't tell Amazon. They also did not respond to my queries about what was happening with the book. The only notification I got was a series of short emails. For that reason, my agent and I decided to move the book to another publisher.

It has taken a bit of time to make all the arrangements, but things are sufficiently in place so that I can now make this announcement.

This has been a difficult interval for me, as you can probably imagine. Instead of crawling into a black hole after I got the cancellation email, I decided to continue publicizing the reprints and working with Richard Curtis to get Courage published. I was determined, and still am, to make sure that everyone who wants a copy of Ratha's Courage can get one.

Firebird Books is still handling the reprints and they have plenty in their warehouse. E-Reads will be doing a promotion that will launch Courage. I know it was hard to wait, but E-Reads has acted very rapidly to get everything set up.

I deeply appreciate your loyalty, patience and understanding during this time.
Because of you, hope burns brighter, both for me and the Named.



May you get your heart's desire and find delight.

Clare

Count-down

I'm both excited and nervous today, since the first two novels in the Ratha series will be released on July 19, 2007, which is only two days away. Ratha first saw print in hardcover in 1983, and Clan in 1984. That is more than a decade, which boggles my mind. I really don't feel 20-odd years older than the eager 29-year old who saw her book in print for the first time (and had to be peeled off the ceiling!)

Ratha is back because she survived in the hearts of readers. She wasn't more successful the first time out because the world wasn't ready for her ("A book about a talking big cat? Who wants to read something like that?"). When she and the clan faded from view in the 90's, I mourned them, but gathered up my life and went on to other things.

Now because of movies such as The Lion King and series such as Warriors, the world is ready. Ratha has survived because she inspired love and loyalty in her readers. Now she is ready to run again and be recognized for the pioneer that she was and still is.

She was created out of love and passion and that is the reason she and the clan still survive.
Long may they flourish!

Thank you, Ratha fans, thank you Firebird Books, Sharyn November and her Internet teen readers, endless thank-you's to all whose devotion got these books back in print. Yes, I did write another Ratha, (Ratha's Courage), but you gave me the opportunity.

Yes, I'm nervous, a bit scared, rejoicing, impatient, and more. Ideally I would have done much more preparation and publicity, but for various reasons it didn't happen, although I have done quite a bit and learned a terrific amount.


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