I should be lounging by the pool  – a romance novel in one hand and a sangria in the other – whiling away these precious summer days. But I’m not.

I’m on my laptop. Everyday. All day. In addition to my day job as a journalist, I’m working on the second draft of my third novel – A Year in the Company of Freaks  – and thinking of ways to bless and engage you, my readers. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Which brings me to the free book giveaway.

First, an explanation. As an Indie author, it is my responsibility to find – and pay — professionals to do the covers of my books, developmental editing, copy-editing and formatting for print and digital publication. It’s extremely expensive, time-consuming and a leap-of-faith in terms of trusting those you hire to do a good job.

In general, I’ve been thrilled with everyone I’ve worked with, with one exception and a proviso: copy-editors. They are the folks who do line editing on the final draft of the manuscript, correcting any spelling and grammar errors.

When I discovered errors in Bianca’s Vineyard after publication, I decided to use a different copy editor for Domenico’s Table, thinking that would solve the problem. You can imagine my discouragement when I discovered even more typos and errors in Domenico’s than in my first book.

To be fair, both editors were actually quite good. Knowing what I know now, I would work with either of them again in a heartbeat. The problem was my assumption as a new author that a copy editor could produce a perfectly corrected manuscript. That, and it’s possible that in using a new computerized editing system with the second editor I inadvertently missed corrections.

The lesson learned? Even after paying a professional copy editor to make corrections, for my next book I will take the edited manuscript and have it proofed by several readers with “fresh eyes” to catch the inevitable errant mistakes.

I was told by several professionals in the industry not to lose sleep over the errors in Domenico’s Table. That even traditional publishers produce books that are less than perfect. Indeed, Domenico’s Table has garnished great reviews, so on that count I can’t complain.

Still, the perfectionist in me was so distressed by the spelling errors in Domenico’s Table, I bit the proverbial bullet and decided to print a re-edited 2^nd edition. After spending several weeks pouring over it word-by-word, it will be as close to perfect as I can get it.

NOTE: The decision to reprint was not only extremely expensive, but it also came after I had begun re-pricing my print and digital books on Amazon to make them more competitive. Did I say authors aren’t in the business for the money? 😉

So, how can I best give my readers an incentive to order the remaining 1^st editions of Domenico’s Table in paperback that I’ve already purchased?

For the first 10 people who receive this and reply with a name and mailing address at neumanntd@gmail.com I will send a free copy of Domenico’s Table, first edition. It’s the same highly-acclaimed and engaging story of love and restoration. Just remember that there are typos throughout.

If you love the story, which I hope and think you will, the 2^nd edition – great as birthday, Christmas, or thank-you gifts – should be available by August 1. And at new, more competitive prices at that!

Now that that’s behind me, it’s back to A Year in the Company of Freaks!  More on that later …

Well, I DID find time to eat at Bistro 13 in Camarillo, Ca., recently. My favorite restaurant there. With owner Giovanni. Mille grazie for the vino fantastico!