Multi-tasking away a beautiful Maine summer

Loyal followers....my apologies for less frequent posts, but real life has had me going in about thirty different ways this summer. While I'm having fun, and I am still reading, there has been less time to do reviews.  I keep dreaming of a lazy Maine summer with nothing to do but read.  Hah!

I'm frantically packing, organizing and preparing to depart the gorgeous Maine summer for a few weeks of family in the DC/MD/VA area and then for a huge family reunion in Modesto CA. We haven't gotten hubbie's side of the family all together in over 20 years. While we're there, we'll be celebrating several birthdays, an engagement, a wedding (day after the reunion party) and just spreading lots of hugs and kisses among aunts, uncles, godparents and tons of cousins and in-laws.

Here in the Tutu household, we've been spending some serious time going through galley proofs and marketing plans for the launch of Mr. Tutu's (better known as Bob Branco)first book, to be published by Maine Authors Publishing by the end of the summer. Of course Tutu is having a very hard time being objective about this one, so I'll be letting others of you do the reviewing, but I can guarantee that

STRIKE FROM THE DEEP  

 is a good rip-snorting at-sea thriller for any of you who like modern day high seas adventures. We'll have the official Facebook page and web page by the end of August in time for the launch, and the book will be available direct order, at some Indies and through normal on-line book channels in both print and e-format.

The piece de resistance is that my laptop is dying and I decided to get a new one this week so I could get important files transferred (I've got a total external backup every night) and not have to suffer the agony of a crash.  But the new one has WINDOWS 8 and ----sorry Microsoft--- but this OS stinks big time.  I pride myself on being very computer adept, but I am practically in tears trying to acclimate to this new system.  I'm so tempted to take the old computer with me and pray.....

All I can say is that I have an even greater admiration for writers -- and editors!!-- than I ever had before. Reading galley proofs is tedious, eye and brain straining, but absolutely necessary, and it takes time. The author can't do it, because he's seen it too much to be able to pick up little nit-noids, and the folks at Maine Authors Publishing have done a wicked good job (that's Maine talk for fabulous) getting this to print. So STAND BY.

Now I'm off to write up instructions for our house sitter, finish the last load of laundry, get the suitcases out of the attic, work on a 200 slide show for the reunion, check with the caterer and venue manager, and make sure all the bills are paid.  I have six reviews in various stages of done-ness, so I'll be posting over the next couple weeks. In the meantime, I hope you are all staying cool and enjoying your summer.