More titles uploaded to Smashwords

After a brief delay caused by computer problems and the unmannerly intrusion of the outside world, we have now uploaded a further four titles to Smashwords.  These are currently 'in review' but should be available to buy through Smashwords and their various outlets in a few days' time.  The titles in question are:

SEA CHANGE by Chris Quinton
SOLEMN CONTRACT by Morgan Cheshire
STAGE WHISPERS by Adam Fitzroy
THE DEFINITIVE ALBERT J. STERNE by Julie Bozza

We are hoping to upload the final batch of titles at the beginning of September (fingers crossed!) and from then onwards our books will be uploaded to Smashwords whenever they are also uploaded to our other distribution partners.  In other words, we've almost caught up with ourselves and we hope things will be a little bit smoother in future.

(Well, there's nothing the matter with optimism, is there???)

New review of BETWEEN NOW AND THEN

Elisa Rolle - bless her! - is clearly powering through her 'to be read' pile, and has now turned her attention to Adam Fitzroy's BETWEEN NOW AND THEN and posted her review of it. We especially liked her last paragraph:

I would like to highlight that it’s not mandatory that every story involving two gay characters has to be a romance, I prefer that, but it’s not mandatory; in a way, this is the ending of a past romance and the beginning of a future one. The strength of Fitzroy, and this novel, lies in the characters and setting, both of them very English-style, both of them carefully crafted.

Probably quite unnecessary at this stage to say that we feel exactly the same way; in fact, 'romance is preferable but not necessary' sums up the Manifold Press ethos rather nicely, and it's very rewarding to know that some of our readers agree with us about that. Thank you again, Elisa, we're very glad you enjoyed it!

New review of FOX HUNT

We think Chris Quinton's FOX HUNT - which was released in February 2012 - may only recently have found its way to the top of Elisa Rolle's 'to be read' pile, as she's just published her opinion of it on her blog!

Only with an English setting and probably only an English author, or at least one that knows very well the customs of that country, can write a story about tea, crumpets and supernatural being.

Sounds as if she enjoyed it, too - thank you, Elisa!

New review of MONTANA RED

Hot on the heels of the first, another review of Jane's MONTANA RED has appeared already. This time it's Cat at MM Good Book Reviews who delivers a most encouraging verdict:

This story is very complicated but in a good way. None of these characters are your average character and this is far from a sweet storybook romance, but I found it fabulous. I couldn’t put it down once I started.

We'd have to agree that this is nothing like an 'average' book (if there actually is such a thing!) and we're very glad that it's finding such an appreciative readership.

New review of MONTANA RED

Hooray! The first review of Jane Elliot's MONTANA RED has reached us here at Megaheadquarters; it's by Raine at Jessewave, and the overall impression is a highly positive one:

The novel is wonderfully successful at creating the relentless graft of farming and restrictive small town life in the Montana of the mid 1860′s. This is not a pretty fictional western. The everyday details of blood, sweat and tears were managed with skill and without me feeling like a turkey overwhelmed by historical stuffing.

The review's summary also praises the book's '[h]ard edged historical realism with a warm hearted centre and some determinedly creative kinkiness', which is pretty much our own assessment of MONTANA RED - so congratulations to Jane for making such a good impression on the reviewer!

We didn't think this needed saying ...

... but we operate a zero tolerance policy towards rude and aggressive customers. We expect a certain level of straightforward politeness on both sides of any transaction, and if we discover that a particular customer is incapable of behaving civilly to Manifold Press staff that customer will be blacklisted and any future orders they try to place will be rejected. Small we may be, but we don't need the money that much.

New titles now available!

As some of you already know, because the orders have been coming in since early morning, our two new books are now available to buy.

In case anyone's missed the advance brouhaha (unlikely, we know!) Cimorene Ross's THE EAGLE’S WING, set in Northern Europe during the second century CE, tells the entertaining story of Decurion Lucius Valerius Carus and the heathen slave, Keret, whom he buys on a whim. If you’re looking for a restrained, easy-going romance with a solidly-researched historical background, this could well be the book for you!

By contrast Jane Elliot's MONTANA RED is set against the background of the Old West; it details the adventures of the hapless Henry, when he accidentally falls into the hands of Red and his friends in the fascinating and secretive gay sub-culture of the nineteenth century. It's a little spicier than most of our titles, and we're certain it will be a great hit!

Anyone who collects statistics will be interested (but surely not surprised) to know that Julie's THE APOTHECARY'S GARDEN is still selling in phenomenal numbers and was our overall best-seller for July. The picture for sales on the website was far more diffuse, with no overall top seller and Julie and Adam Fitzroy coming in equal as best-selling authors; it's been a very odd month like that!

However, now we at Megaheadquarters can take a deep breath, gird up our loins (we might even stiffen the sinews and summon up the blood, if we can find the energy!), and start thinking in slightly more detail about our two 1 November publications. No rest for the wicked, you know ... and we're pretty sure that includes us!