STRIKE FROM THE DEEP by Bob Branco

This could be sub-titled THE WORLD OF SELF-PUBLISHING. My prior prejudices against self-published books are being turned upside down.  We all know because we read all the time, about the turmoil in the publishing industry caused by the introduction of Print on Demand, ebooks, e-readers, and availability of various online self-publishing programs.. For the past year, I've watched the self-pub process unfold up close and personal.  Last week Bob Branco (aka Mr. Tutu) signed the contract and sent his baby to be published.  The book, STRIKE FROM THE DEEP,  will be available by the end of the month and like most authors, he is excited, exhausted and anxious.  (As is his wife!)

I'm not going to be doing a review on this one. I've read, re-read, commented, re-commented, and no way can I be seen as an objective person, but I will, once we get them in our hands, be doing a giveaway here on the blog - probably sometime the first week in September. The official launch will be at the "big" library downtown on September 26th.

This experience has been a learning one for both of us.  I've certainly gotten an insight into the writing and publishing world, and I will give a huge SHOUT OUT for the wonderful staff at Maine Authors Publishing (MAP) right here in Rockland Maine. I have reviewed a couple of their books in the past year, and find they do a quality job helping unknown authors produce readable material. Not only are they responsible for putting out some quality books, but I suspect they've probably saved a few marriages along the way.  Their insistence on professional editing and composition helps the self-publisher from the get go.  Bob had a marvelous editor who worked with him to make this so much better than it might have been had it been left on its own, or simply thrown into an automated online producer. Somehow the MAP folks always found a nice way of saying "maybe you should consider x or y instead of z."

And another big SHOUT OUT to our wonderful friend Pete Mansel, webmaster extraordinaire.  He's  been a humongous help with the book's web page here at bobbrancoauthor.com.

If you're a fan of current political thrillers, you're going to enjoy this one, if I say so myself.  I'm very proud of the hard work Bob's done to make this IMHO a better than average page-turner.  I might even get my own autographed copy.