Cazy week at work, as everyone temporarily transitions from the standard curriculum to the project-based experiential learning program for the next three weeks. Being my fifth time around the block, by Monday afternoon nearly everything will be humming and very little of the day will be spent putting out fires–freeing me up for the bigger picture strategy planning this summer.

Speaking of the day job, last week a colleague heard about the upcoming book release and let a number of people know about it. Definitely a nice surprise and show of support. Not that I hid writing explicitly, just followed the charter that my only priority during the day was addressing the community’s technical needs. Very few people even knew I wrote. Others in my life did know, but that only partially accounts for the outpouring of good tidings as of late.

Been very surprised at how many longstanding but infrequently seen acquaintances sent texts or email of congratulations in the past week; these missives arrived out of virtual air. Guess a lot more lurkers are out there checking the site than anticipated.

Anyway, The Last Track was nominated for the Best Read of 2010 on GoodReads. To vote, all it takes a is a quick and free registration on GoodReads.com–a really great site for a whole lot of reasons.

So please vote for The Last Track on GoodReads.com. Currently ( as of 11:19 PM EST ), it’s tied for fifth place. My thanks in advance.

If there was anything that could make a birthday better, this four star, verified name and purchase Amazon.com review sure did:

The Last Track: A captivating and fast paced thriller

Over the course of the project, the manuscript evolved a great deal from the first draft to final PDF. My writing, whether intended or not, changed by virtue of the near religious adherence to schedule. While the genesis of a few characters were there from the earliest drafts, the story was definitely not. Feedback, I’ve learned, is almost always valuable, rarely ever critical. Routine check ins with readers after each draft made a huge difference to the finished product, forced me to try harder, and proved the single biggest determinant in the book finding a publisher that got the story.

Because while the manuscript changed over its journey from gestation to slush piles, my intention never did. There was always one clear and irrefutable aim. Write a book that hit hard, early, and never let up. To me, the most important thing is the reader’s attention. The ability to hold that interst is the real currency of an author. Without a real reason to continue, there may be a great idea, but there very little point sharing it with the nightstand a reader placed the book upon, unfinished–unlikely ever to bother finding their place.

And the neatest thing about the review, is that it sounds as if my intentions were actually realized; what I wanted to do, I actually got on the page.

Now back to writing number next . . .

So after a long journey, The Last Track ( originally titled Velocity, but Dean Koontz had the same idea for a title at the same time and a fat publishing contract and thirty bestsellers behind him ) officially launches. Excuse my hawking, but after this many years, it feels good link to a respected marketplace that offers my work for sale.

I want The Last Track now. How can I get it?
Buy The Last Track at  Amazon.com
Kindle me, baby. Kindle me!
Try to order The Last Track on B&N.com ( should work in about 72 hours )

Hey, Writer guy, I want an autographed copy of The Last Track. Where do I go to buy one?

Under the Amazon.com listing, the third party seller Bookzeverywhere has signed copies on hand. Bookzeverywhere has a 100 percent positive rating for the last year and more than 1014 buyer lifetime ratings. Absolutely trustworthy vendor. Their price is list price of the book.

Bookzeverywhere listing for autographed copies of the Last Track

More about Bookzeverywhere on Amazon.com

The publisher will also have signed copies available via their website in about ten days. I’ll post that link when it’s available.

I prefer hardcover to paperback or Kindle. When, Writer guy, when?

A hardcover edition will be available in another month or so. Some reviews came in very late and the publisher wants to incorporate them into the jacket flap. More info on that later.

Anything else?

Oh yeah. It’s also my birthday!