Colonel Ebeya

In Perfect Circle I mention the relationship between towns an villages on the banks of the Zaire River. In the novel I write about Shawaiti, a village and the Colonel Ebeya. Shawaiti is fictional, but the Colonel Ebeya isn't.

From Kinshasa to Kisangani there’s 800 miles of Zaire river. The Colonel Ebeya is a barge train that runs between both cities, a trip that can take anywhere from 20 to 40 days. The Ebeya stops at many places in between. Villagers paddle their canoes to the Ebeya to trade city goods and medicines for "jungle meat" (monkeys, pangolins, etc).

The DRC. Is a difficult country to visit. Besides shufta (bandits) there are lots of soldiers and policemen out on the prowl. They get paid very little and infrequently, therefore, tourists provide a second income.

Unless you speak good French, Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba, Mongo, Lunda or any other of the DRC languages, be ready to dole out backsheesh (bribes) regularly.

Sales figures update

Just heard from my agent that Perfect Circle sales figures will be out soon. She sent me a photograph of the Bantam's strong room where accountants are sorting out my cut.

I'm dissappointed. It doesn't look like much, does it?

Advice from Norristown

Chuck, a reader, posted this priceless piece of advice in Amazon:

I thought this book sounded good when I read a short synopsis. It didn't disappoint. Great story and good character development. I hope the author does NOT sell to Hollywood because they will massacre this fine story. I recommend highly.

http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Circle-Carlos-J-Cortes/dp/0553591622

Thank you, Chuck, but I would sell to Hollywood without blinking an eye. An old adage comes to mind: "We are hookers, but demand payment in different kind."

Back to the gridnstone

I’ve been buried under tons of work. After a working stint in Kuwait, I’ve prepared a proposal for my next novel “Light Bondage,” read my partner’s work and generally cleared the decks for another writing season.

The publisher hasn’t released sales figures for Perfect Circle, so I have no idea how it’s faring, but I suspect sales fall short of the million mark.

A newsletter will follow soon to keep you updated.