May I ask if anyone has read my novel?

[Michael N. Ryan]

I know Authors shouldn't be blowing their own horns, and; I really don't want to come across as if I'm using this sight for advertising. But I published my novel Sealion's Byte last year and I am eager to hear from anyone who has read it. A lady in Havre de Grace told me she thought it was over punctuated but she thought it a good novel. She liked that I wacked Hitler and that the Protagonist is a Jewish time traveller. Other than the price of twenty nine dollars ninety five cents a copy, it's a good novel. She also liked the cover.

So might I post the question has anyone read my novel?

[Tom Houlihan]

Sorry, but I've not heard of it before. Could you post a synopsis? A link to view something about it?

[Michael N. Ryan]

The Uchronia Alternate History sight describes it as "An Israil goe s back in time to prevent the holocost..." But it's a bit more comlicated then that.

Basicly the Professor (the Israili) goes back in time, hooks up with the Wolf's Lair Bomb Plotters and helps them, and; in exchange for saving the Gypsies and the Jews, he helps them save their counry.

http://www.publishamerica.com/shopping/ ... Search=Yes

Everyone who has read it tells me that their only problems with the novel is that other than being Over Priced and Over Punctuated, they thought it was a good read.

[M.H.]

Could you give maybe another link? Because whenever I click on it I get an error message:

"An error occurred on your computer- please reenter shopping search. Search pages cannot be bookmarked.
Email [email protected] for further assistance in resetting your temporary internet files."

[Michael N. Ryan]

Hit Search. Fill in the title Sealion's Byte, and hit search.
That should take you to the title. This is the publisher's sight.

[Beershark]

Never heard of it,me old matey ! But as a published author myself, you don't want to be asking if people have read your novel, but have they bought the freaking thing. In my case, since my book retails for over sixty quid, too many people are ordering the sodding thing from their local bleeding libraries, or so my publisher tells me !
Beershark

[Michael N. Ryan]

Can you think of any other way to get out the word?

Right now I would be happy to have them write out some good reviews of my work to get things going. Not to mention I want the Big Boys' Attention. I must confess it pains me to walk into a Bookstore and peruse the the shelves and find Not One Book worth reading. To read through the authors they have picked over me and who're getting rave reviews and find mediocre work. I am talking authors who hardly know anything of the History they're writing about. Which is painful for somebody who knows the history. More politically correct stereotypes and American Bashing. Politically correct and poorly written. And to make matters even worse, their plots (if they have any) are predictable and they're boring.

Hollywood is producing turkeys. So are the publishers.

It is time to say HEY, we have better.

[Rolf Steiner]

I don't have the impression people who work in that industry read books. See also: the appalling/non existent musical tastes of those who work for record companies.

Can you think of any other way to get out the word?

Right now I would be happy to have them write out some good reviews of my work to get things going. Not to mention I want the Big Boys' Attention. I must confess it pains me to walk into a Bookstore and peruse the the shelves and find Not One Book worth reading. To read through the authors they have picked over me and who're getting rave reviews and find mediocre work. I am talking authors who hardly know anything of the History they're writing about. Which is painful for somebody who knows the history. More politically correct stereotypes and American Bashing. Politically correct and poorly written. And to make matters even worse, their plots (if they have any) are predictable and they're boring.

Hollywood is producing turkeys. So are the publishers.

It is time to say HEY, we have better.

[Michael N. Ryan]

I am told on good authority that the big publishers hire their readers out of Collage, Bau Mau and others. Most of them are women with degrees in literature. Which goes to show that a collage education is not what it is supposed to be cracked up to be unless their degrees are in Bad Taste and awful reading.

Oddly enough most of the people I have met who like my novel are women. They tell me that other than it being over priced and over punctuated, they loved my attention to detail and my knowledge of the period and the characters are very likable.

Unfortunately, they're not the ones who pick books for the big publishers.

[Beershark]

Whilst we're all knocking publishers, I inserted a clause into my contract with my publisher that my book was only to be retailed via small specialist military bookshops for the first year of sale, and that on no account were the big boys to be used, let alone Amazon. My reason for so doing was to support the little guys, who have over the years been very helpful to me with research material. Did they comply with my requirement ? Did they, f**k !!!, since six months after launch, there it was on the Amazon website ! Mind you, since my royalties for that month permitted me to go buy a new Porsche 911, and those of the second month enabled me to put a significant downpayment on a new Aston Martin DB9 convertible ( I have to wait 3 years for it to be built ! ), you could say that I was crying all the way to the bank ! And at least the little guys did get 6 months exclusivety, anyway !
Beershark.

[Michael N. Ryan]

I wish Amazon could sell that many copies of my novel Sealion's Byte.

I'm talking about the publishers who keep publishing such trash and brainless drivel and the Critics who fawn and drule all over them. I'm talking about the people who have taken Science out of Science Fiction and replaced it with Fantasy and Sci-Fi and made Alternate History into politically correct Sci-Fis set in the past written by writers who hardly know anything of what they're writing about beyond stereotypes from the comic books. Awful writers like harry Harrison whose Stars and Stripes Forever defies common sence, logic as well as History and Human nature. It is not even a good story. There is another, an australian, who has a twenty first century UN battle fleet fall back in time to the second world war to promote Political Correctness. It's not even an original piece. Anyone remember Final Countdown starring Kirk Douglas? Only difference is the aircraft carrier is named Hillary Clinton. (Who is described as 'the best president america ever had'.) It's part if a trilogy. I couldn't get into it. Bad stoies don't appeal to me. It comes across as a politically correct judgemental shoot 'em up. Awful.

Has anyone read Memoirs of a Geisha?

I tried. It is boring. I regret buying a copy.

These pathetic books are the ones published by the Big Boys in cheap mass production. My novel is more expensive because of its limited production. I would love to submit my novel to a fair contest and let them be evaluated and have the results published on the web for all to review. I feel I would do quite well. But the critics don't read any novel if it's not from the big boys let alone write and publish reviews of them.

[Michael N. Ryan]

My Novel Sealion's Byte is a work of alternate history, an Israili goes back in time to prevent the Holocaust, striking a deal with the Generals. Its set during Operation Sealion, since after assasinating Hitler the allies aren't interested in a negotiated peace. It's published by PublishAmerica.

What's your book and whose your publisher?

[Beershark]

My book is "The History of the 370th.Fighter Group in World War II" and it is published by Schiffer Military History. For a variety of reasons, mainly fiscal and tax avoidance, my name ( I am English) does not appear on the cover of the book but only inside, and I wrote it jointly with a pal who is an American citizen, this being the only way we could ever get it funded by the US Department of Defense. Even this was still a major problem, until I went on a research trip to New York to see Elenor Guggenheim of the Guggenheim Museum Trust. Whilst with Elenor she kindly introduced me to Hillary Clinton, who opened doors for me like nobody else had ever had ! The book has been out now for nearly two years and has sold like hotcakes. It retails in the UK for around £60.00 being nearly 500 pages long. I have now been offered honorary US citizenship, would should at least make the publication of my next three book ( each done devoted to 1 of the 3 component squadrons of the group ) a bloody sight easier to get off the ground !
Beershark.

[Michael N. Ryan]

That is way outside my league.

I spent ten years tracking down books and other sources researching the various componants of the Holocaust and the nazis to figure out what happened and then to figure out how to rip it apart, developing the characters and figuring out complications not to mention researching Operation Sea Lion. Then writing and rewriting, and still collecting information to make sure I have all the facts right. Then trying to find a publisher. (Unfortunately for me, the readers who select books for the big publishers are recruited out of collage rather than picked for their interest in a good story.)

My novel is hardly going anywhere. At $29.95 and being a new author, it is rather difficult to get people interested. I did a book signing in Havre De Grace. I got a nice review in the Lockhouse to Lighthouse. I'm listed in Uchronia's sight for Alternate History. I made the reading list of Sidawaise for 2003 but none of the judges have ever published their reviews of my work. Nor do they return my e-mails. I'm eager to hear what people think of my work so that when I get another novel together I can avoid any mistakes and improve my work. I'm still in the red with it.

Good luck on your next book.

[Beershark]

I have been very lucky in my sources of material for my books; let me explain.

a. Having had two family members both involved in unusual shark attacks, these attacks will be the subject matter of one book.

b. My old man served in the Royal Navy during WWII. He was present on a merchant marine ship that was the target in the most colossal sea/air battle fought off shore from Middlesborough early in the War; this will be the source of another book ( as it will a screenplay since I have had a Hollywood studio express interest in filming the book ).

c. Both my parents (then unmarried) were in a Hampshire hotel in 1944 when two Lightning fighters from "my" fighter group crashed onto the hotel; this is the source of the four books I have already referred to.

Mind you, I have had one or two setbacks, principally with the shark attack book, but even they led to other opportunities arising ! I'll tell you more if you are interested.

Had I not have had such a colouful family I'd have been screwed and would still be a s**t eating lawyer !
Beershark.