Converting a Word File to EPub -

For All Eternity (and other short stories)
is an introduction to the acclaimed Mike Newman Mysteries which I hoped to give away on Apple, Sony and Nook.

A few days ago, I loaded the Word document onto the Smashwords site, but shock horror - I had a message saying it had failed the EPub check. Apple will not list an EBook unless it is 100% compliant. I followed all the advice from Smashwords and elsewhere, and concluded that the problem lay with the chapter headings for the different books. To get around this, I decided to try converting my Word.doc to EPub before loading onto Smashwords.

A Google search returned a plethora of "Free" Word to Epub converters and I tried several, but non was returning that vital 100% compliance when I loaded the EPub to Smashwords

- but then I found the Trial version of EPub Maker 1.7 from EpingSoft.
http://epingsoft.com/epub/   Now this isn't a free program, and the trial version throws an occasional asterisk into the output document, but it was the first, and so far ONLY Word to EPub converter that has scored 100% for EPub compliance.

It also gives you the opportunity to easily change chapter headings and make other adjustments. I haven't used the facility for converting graphs and tables, but it's there.

What else can I say? Other Epub converters may be free and have a colourful interface, but what good is free if it doesn't work? I didn't find any of the Free programs easy to use and couldn't get any of them to return a 100% EPub compatible document, 

EPub Maker costs a few dollars, but it is straight forward to use and returns 100% EPub compliance. I think I'll have the full version of EPub Maker anytime.  EPub Maker 1.7 from EpingSoft.
http://epingsoft.com/epub/ 

Thank you AHA.

I wrote a little article for the Authors helping Authors blog, and received this award.

Please read the article by clicking here:
 Does this sound familiar?

Following the success of "Who Else is There?" and "Suffer Little Children" I have been persuaded to re-launch the third novel in the Mike Newman Mysteries, "Penalty for Murder."
The great news is that a couple of FIVE STAR reviews were waiting from its brief appearance last year!

This is my public "Thank you" for great reviews to Karen on Amazon.com and to Gloria on Amazon UK!


Penalty for Murder on Amazon.com
Penalty for Murder on Amazon UK

... I went into hospital the other day
For tests they said,
And maybe an operation.
They gave me a shot in the arm.
Which made me feel a bit woozy
So I reached for my iPad
To play solitaire...
But I was filled with inspiration.
In an hour I'd written a thousand words,
A thousand more in two.
By the end of my stay
I had a novella.
and emailed it to an agent.
"Brilliant" was her one word reply
"Random House have bought it.
Fox Media want the serial rights...
... Would you like a cup of tea?"
"What?" I answered drowsily.
"You're in hospital Mr Catshill...
And have had an operation...."

New Website

A few days ago, I built a website for a friend, and looked carefully at my own tired old pages. I've spend a bit of time revising them, and I'd be interested in getting some feed back. http://www.philipcatshill.com
I've added Website builder as a skill on LinkedIn.

The main character in my novels, Mike Newman, received a blow on the head when he was 30, which left him half paralysed with a stroke. I'm trying to keep the character realistic. I had a stroke myself at the same age, so I have first hand experience, but everyone's stroke experience is different. My own is described in C.V.A. A hard way back. Please feel free to comment about the characters in my books, but please.... as you will see if you read C.V.A. A hard way back, you will realise why I can't discuss your stroke. If you want to describe your own stroke experience, please write your own book!

On Tuesday, Rosalind Kim Nazilli  issued a challenge to the Facebook group, Beta Readers Writers Club:  Fifty words ending with the line.... 'With that - She shot him!'
Here is my answer to the challenge.

The dreaded moment had finally arrived. She knew it had to happen one day. Years of training had prepared her for it. Looking once more into those soulful, deep brown eyes, she guessed that his broken leg no longer caused pain. He whinnied once again. With that - she shot him.

Click here to visit the group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/thebrwc/: