Ratha's Courage E-Released on Baen!

This version is an electronic book, which means you purchase it, then download it into your laptop, Sony reader or other device. On sale now for $6.00.

To buy it from Baen Books, you need to get an account, which is free and easy.

Here's the link:

http://www.webscription.net/p-822-rathas-courage.aspx

Baen's homepage is:

http://www.baen.com

Baen will have an exclusive on the book during April, then Amazon and Fictionwise http://www.fictionwise.com will be carrying it.

If Courage does well as an E-book, the next step is print publication.

Eeeeyarooo!

The other books in the series are Firebird re-issues and are available through the net and at bookstores.

My deepest thanks to everyone who made this happen, including E-Reads, Baen, and my agent, Richard Curtis.

CB

What inspired me to write the Ratha series

The wonder, majesty, and terror of Earth's life, as embodied in cats, both large and small. The flashing beauty of the cheetah in the chase, the arch of the mountain lion's spring, and the quivering of flesh as two huge male lions rebound from each other in a fight. The fossils that speak of cats and cat-like creatures millions of years dead, yet alive and stalking in human minds. The small cats in my life who bring the jungle into the living room, who stalk and pounce on my emotions and deliver an alien but deep love.

The human minds who have created and recreated cats in words and between pages, fiction and non-fiction. Joy Adamson's Elsa and Pippa recline beside Bagheera, Kipling's great black panther. I wanted so badly to be Mowgli, who was privileged to rest against that velvet side and hear the deep rumbling voice, so fierce and so wise.

Even more, I wanted to be Bagheera, to escape the Bandar-log taint of the human world. To swipe it away with the stroke of a paw, to yawn at it with curled tongue and white shining teeth, and then pad away like a mystery, leaving awe behind.

That was a child's dream, with a child's anger. That child grew up to become part of the human world and the anger became an energy directed at changing the bad things about it, such as war, starvation, hate, greed, cruelty, despoiling and destruction. Perhaps some of that energy did actually cause some small changes.

I can't say exactly what created Ratha and her world. I walk inside her skin, look out through her eyes, feel the muscles that retract and extend her claws. I live her struggles with the tyrant Shongshar and she lives with mine against an unfair and unjust Iraq war and those who grow fat on it. She tries to befriend Thistle-chaser and I try to do the same with an uncertain and equally prickly young stepchild. I stroke my kitty Athena and she nuzzles Ratharee, her treeling.

And if readers can experience Ratha as I have, it is a great joy.

Stay on this trail -- there will be more.

CB

Count-down

I'm both excited and nervous today, since the first two novels in the Ratha series will be released on July 19, 2007, which is only two days away. Ratha first saw print in hardcover in 1983, and Clan in 1984. That is more than a decade, which boggles my mind. I really don't feel 20-odd years older than the eager 29-year old who saw her book in print for the first time (and had to be peeled off the ceiling!)

Ratha is back because she survived in the hearts of readers. She wasn't more successful the first time out because the world wasn't ready for her ("A book about a talking big cat? Who wants to read something like that?"). When she and the clan faded from view in the 90's, I mourned them, but gathered up my life and went on to other things.

Now because of movies such as The Lion King and series such as Warriors, the world is ready. Ratha has survived because she inspired love and loyalty in her readers. Now she is ready to run again and be recognized for the pioneer that she was and still is.

She was created out of love and passion and that is the reason she and the clan still survive.
Long may they flourish!

Thank you, Ratha fans, thank you Firebird Books, Sharyn November and her Internet teen readers, endless thank-you's to all whose devotion got these books back in print. Yes, I did write another Ratha, (Ratha's Courage), but you gave me the opportunity.

Yes, I'm nervous, a bit scared, rejoicing, impatient, and more. Ideally I would have done much more preparation and publicity, but for various reasons it didn't happen, although I have done quite a bit and learned a terrific amount.


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