A Nervous Man's Announcement

[Johnny Hess]

My friends, enemies, apathetic readers, peers and fellow authors,

I know my antics here have been annoying to some and amusing to others. I ask all of you to overlook my sometimes overbearing presence.

I want to announce that my Civil War "nonficition novel" will be released to brick & mortar and online bookstores this month or in April. Advance review copies are in the mail and the books are in the warehouse. I'm scared to death.

The book is "The Hogs of Cold Harbor: The Civil War Saga of Johnny Hess", endorsed by Norman Mailer and the "Sons of Confederate Veterans" organization.

For now, please forget what a pest I can be and wish me luck -- as I have and will wish each of you luck as your books come out. My real name is Richard Lee Fulgham. I've been part of WN for about four years now and know most of you by your posts. I can honestly say I like each and every one of you. My games were meant to be brain teasers to amuse you. I decided to be a pro writer at the age of 17. I am now 57 and this is my first real novel. I am so nervous that I can only say God bless each of you for keeping me sane and helping me write the book.

[Billy B]

Good luck to you.

[Carol O]

Best of luck, Richard.

[tippy carver]

Best of luck Richard! You deserve it.

[Eric George]

Keeping my fingers crossed for you...

[Joanie Woods]

Richard, join the club! My 7th book is due to come out in April (non-fiction, memoirs) and I am as scared to death as you are. I am not in the USA, but believe me, our book critics can be scathing and kill a book before it's properly hit the stores. The price of the book (determined by the publisher) is too high, to my mind.

I am with you: I am terrified. We all have a thin skin, writing is so personal; you open yourself up so much to criticism and ridicule. I've been lucky so far (mostly) with the fiction, but this time it's different ...

We'll hold thumbs together, for ourselves!! LOL! Good luck to you and me!

[Johnny Hess]

Thanks guys and especially you Joanie.
Like you, I think my book is way over priced, though its offset. It's a niche book, though, so maybe my publisher knows what its doing. The niche is the million or so people in the USA who study the Civil War. I'm glad you're terrfied, like me. At least I'm not alone in fearing the beating-up some critics are bound to give us.

[jolene siana]

Good luck to you Richard!
I'm a newbie...and soon to be on book shelves as well (hopefully only long enough to be picked up by an interested someone & not collecting dust!)
Good energy to you!
~jolene

[Johnny Hess]

Hey Jolene, I checked out your website. Great! If I wasn't an old married guy . . . .

[Brittie .]

What's with the Hess thing?