Indigo Roth: December 2013

Sunday, December 15, 2013

The Really Hard Work Starts Here

I like Sunday mornings.

I'm sitting in my front room with a pot of tea and some quiet music. Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, an old favourite. It weaves a wonderful tale of the sea as I pour the tea carefully into the room-temperature milk in my cup. The aroma is wonderful.

Outside, it's cold and grey, but the fire is on, and I'm browning some toast in the grate.

My sigh is deep, heartfelt, and well-deserved.

It's been a busy week. I've been publishing a book, both as a paperback and an electronic book. The preparation has taken months, but things have intensified in the final stages.

But finally, I got to click the button and my first book was out there.

A quiet knock at the door is unexpected, and I half-mumble, half-shout a welcome, more in surprise than anything.

The door glides in, and a short black-and-white figure smiles around it. It's Dantoo, Yavin the badger's young niece. She steps into the room with a grin, looking very pretty in a warm-looking orange corduroy dress with blue frills. A matching blue bow sits on the line between a black and a white stripe on the top of her head.

She's holding something behind her back, and seems pleased about it, excited even.

Hello Dantoo, I say, smiling, what's that you've got there?

The young girlcub steps forward and produces a book from behind her back. She hands it to me shyly. I turn it round, and laugh as I see the title.

It's called Testament: Funny Badgers, by Indigo Roth.

It's my book.

I'm surprised, as my own copies haven't arrived yet. These badgers, they're very well connected.

Dantoo beams and points at a tiny picture of herself on the cover; she's clearly a little giddy to be one of the funny badgers. Her brother Hoth is also on the front, and his twin Sollust is on the back. They all look pretty adorable.

Hey, this is the very first copy! I say.

Before I can say another word, the pen is in her hand, and she is offering it to me; she wants her book signed. I notice the felt-tipped pen is pink.

This is unfamiliar territory for me. Book signings? Perhaps there's more of these to come. I'd like to get used to it, certainly.

I open the book and think for a moment. And then I write.

For Dantoo. This is the very first book I've ever signed. I hope you'll treasure it as much as I do this moment. And I hope you enjoy the book! Love, Indigo x

I hand it back. She regards the inscription and rushes forward for a hug.

I like Sunday mornings.

They're full of surprises.

You may have noticed that I've been absent for a while.

The good news is my book is out there, both on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle as an eBook. Go to any of the regional Amazon sites and look up Testament Funny Badgers and out it will pop.

And there's good news for Kindle owners and owners of Amazon Kindle applications on various platforms: Until Thursday 19th December, the full book is available FOR FREE on Kindle.

Go there, download it, it's yours forever.

I'd be giddy if you give it a go, and positively delirious if you'd rate, review and share the good news with friends. To be honest, as a self-publisher looking to get a literary agent, my book won’t exist without these.

I'm a surprisingly shy guy, and loathed to ask for help, but today I will; your input might make a short-lived oddity into a well-loved oddity.

I think you might have a lot of fun into the bargain.

And I never forget a kindness =)

There's more information over here on the website for Red Angel Publishing, the imprint I've created to handle this book, and others.