March 1st, 2006

Hi, everyone. I know, it's been a long time since I last wrote any update onthe writing world. Sorry about that. A lot has been going on, with the writing, but nothing I could report as official until recently. Big news, too, just a little different than I'd imagined it would happen. Still, good news is something the world needs, especially these days, so without further ado:

My novel SOLOMON'S GRAVE will soon be published. Over the past few months, I've gotten an agent - located in Milan, Italy, and two offers from publishers (both contracts signed, just waiting for some final paper-moving between the publisher and agent). There is one catch - you'll still have to wait a while before you can actually read it. The reason: one publisher - Alpharet Publishing, out of St. Petersburg, Russia, will be publishing the novel in their country sometime this year, possibly by summer, translated into Russian. The second, Edizioni Il Punto d'Incontro out of Vicenza, Italy, will be publishing Solomon's Grave in Italy, again translated but this time into Italian, later this year or early 2007. My agent netted this latter deal and negotiated the contract for me with Alpharet, and has done an incredible job with both. So, the good news that I'm soon to be an international author. :-) The catch is unless you read Russian or Italian, you won't be able to curl up at night with the puppy and actually read it. Not yet.... Still, it's very cool that the book will be finding an audience.We're now working with a co-agent in the United States who is marketing the book to US publishers. If things happen on that front (the "home front," I guess you could call it), I'll let you know. Still, two countries down, quite a few to go!

A special hello to everyone I saw, or missed, at Boskone a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to Priscilla Olsen and company for extending an invitation to me to be a guest.

And a special (belated) thanks to Gard Goldsmith who had me back on his radio program "Against the Grain" at his new station WNTK (99.7 FM / 1020 AM) out of New Hampshire at the end of 2005. It was a last minute visit so I missed the chance to get a quick bullet out to you on this. Sorry about that.

We've also been working full steam ahead on finishing the basement. Most of the framing is done, and now we're trying to track down an electrician. I've been slowly posting photos on the website (www.dankeohane.com) - click on "Basement".

On a personal note, so many close friends and family have been struggling with illness, lately. If you have any extra prayers you could send out for Jim Kokernak, Gale Torgersen, Roger Blain, Jeanette Gunn, Pat Gilbert, Barbara Jones and Matthew Passarella, it would be greatly appreciated, and for anyone else I might have missed.

Thanks. I promise I'll try to stay in touch more often.
Dan Keohane