The Uncial Letter
Volume 1, Number 9
April 2007

First of all, we want to thank all of you who came by during our sale, especially those of you who went away with some ebooks. We do appreciate your custom, and we hope we're choosing ebooks you'll love. That's how we choose them, you know. We look for stories we can't put down, stories that keep us on the edges of our chairs, that bring more than a few sentimental tears to our eyes, that make us laugh out loud as we read, and most important of all, stories we love. So stay tuned. There's good stuff coming...

This month we'd like to introduce our Publisher, Star Conrad. She mostly stays behind the scenes, but we just recently dragged her out to meet you all.


Q: What motivated you to start your own eBook publishing house?
A: I have spent most of my working life around books. My first job was at the library; managing bookstores came later. Publishing seemed a natural extension of my interest in books in general.

Q: Has it lived up to y our expectations, so far?
A: Yes. I am particularly pleased with the fact I can help produce, market and sell thousands of books without picking up anything heavier than my laptop. I remember my teenage years lugging huge volumes up and down the stacks for the students doing research. eBooks are much lighter, available at any time and don't give me those nasty paper cuts.

Q: Wouldn't it have been easier to get a day job, like driving a school bus, or working in the monkey house at the Zoo?
A: The monkey house at the zoo didn't have any openings. Seriously, I have three kids and the monkey house has nothing on my home. Being a mom is a "day job" that I enjoy, but this is an outlet for some of my creative energies.

Q: What are the three best things about being a publisher?
A: I really like reading the books, #2 is reading the books and #3...well, you know. I enjoy watching the books grow from manuscript to final eBook, and take a great deal of vicarious joy in reading some of the wonderful reviews that our books have received. The eBook industry is growing and maturing. Being a part of the development of this field is very exciting.

Q: And the three worst things?
A: Paperwork has to be at the top of the list, why can't everything be electronic? I really can't think of two more bad things. I guess that means that means I have found the perfect profession.

Q: What other hats do you wear, besides the Publisher's?
A: My husband says my job description should be: Publisher, Editor, Janitor. Add webmaster to that list and you have a fairly accurate summary of what I do.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: I am not sure I understand the question. "Spare Time?" What is that? Actually I enjoy a number of hobbies, not all at once, but one after the other. Right now, I am binding books. Yes, real paper, real thread and glue. I have developed a great respect for hand bookbinders; it is not actually as easy as it looks. Oh, yes, I also found out why leather-bound books sometimes have those horizontal ridges on the spine.

The obvious question is, "Why the ridges?" But we'll leave that for another day. One should never tell all her secrets, right, Star?

Besides, we're eager to talk about this months new titles, two Novel Bytes and a full-length Regency romance, all at http://www.uncialpress.com.

Have you ever wondered what might have been if you'd chosen a different path at some pivotal point in your life? It's difficult not to wonder sometimes, and perhaps that's why Anna C. Bowling's story, "Never Too Late" is so appealing. Amelia gets an opportunity that doesn't come to everyone--a second chance to take a different path, before it's too late. Don't miss it.

What about the challenges that face a time traveler? Just think how the world has changed since you were born, and then consider what changes a century or more might mean. When Annabelle follows a mysterious light into the past, she discovers far more than a different world in Rob Shelsky's "Miss Annabelle's Yankee".

In case you haven't guessed, Regency romances are very popular with us here at Uncial Press. This month we're delighted to offer you a brand new one that's not just one love story, but two. Sisters Chloe and Phaedra are off to London for their first Season, and what a Season it will be. Of course they attract the usual bevy of suitors, but it's the unusual ones who complicate their lives. Follow the girls as they learn that finding one's heart's desire can be both complicated and risky. A SISTERLY REGARD, by Judith B. Glad.

Don't forget to take a peek at our upcoming titles (http://www.uncialpress.com/lists/soon.html). In May we're going back to England, this time with Lynne Martin. In LAURA, we meet a young widow who is ready to start living--and perhaps loving--again. If her sister will let her, that is. And C.S Fuqua shares his thoughts on being a parent in THE SWING: POEMS OF FATHERHOOD. It will warm your heart, trigger some smiles, and probably provoke a thought or two about the joys and concerns of raising a child.

Next time you're wandering the Web, stop by our authors' websites. You'll find their home URLs on our pages. And while you're out there in cyber-land, drop us a line. We love to hear from you: soundoff@uncialpress.com.

Be happy and keep well.
Star & Jude

Uncial Press is an imprint of GCT, Inc.
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