At 06:51 PM 4/11/96 EDT, you wrote:

Hi

The following was addressed to you and copiedd to the FFML.  I missed any

follow

up, my mailbox was stuffed!!!  I am very keen MaCafffrey fan and would
appreciate any information going as well!!!!

Thanks very much!

To: Ewan, Shannon and Tim, and to all of the others who expressed an
interest in Anne's new book:

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I sincerely apoligize to one and all for taking so long to answer the
various requests for information.  My only excuse is that I've had five
bouts with pneumonia this spring (from minor to Major - I have a terminal
lung condition called Interstial Fiberiod Disease which was triggered by an
improperly treated case of bronchial pneumonia six years ago - btw, the real
bitch is that I smoke like a chimney and that has had nothing to do with the
course of the illness; in fact, my pneumonologist told me it would only make
a 3% difference in my overall health if I did stop smoking, and that the
trauma of quitting would just make things worse! go figure...). As a result
of the foregoing, I just haven't had the energy to be an active partipant in
the ML.  Hopefully, the new medicines that I've been given will finally stop
this viscious cycle I've been on.  To make matters worse, when I wasn't
sick, I was trying, desparately, to perserve my remaining software
consulting clients.  Sorry that this is so personal, but I figured that an
honest explanation for the delay in replying was best.
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Title: Red Star Rising

Current length: 334 pages (The copy I saw seems to be be the next to last
Beta, at this point)

Publishing Date: ??? - first it was to be December of 1996, then August of
1996, and, currently, March of 1997... The book will come out in England
first, then, several months later, it will finally be published here in the
states.  If the date should change again, I'll let interested parties know.

Price: DIIK (Damned If I Know!)

Very Brief Synopsis:  "Red Star Rising" takes place after the events of the
original landing and basically tells about what happened to the colonists
and why they lost so much technology, so fast.  It's written a lot more like
her early Dragon books than it is like some of her latest ones.  Much more
fun/fascinating to read than we've seen for a while, IMHO. And, IT IS NOT a
co-authored book, Thank God!!!

More later, if anyone is interested, although further discussion should be
by private email.

Konnicha wa

johnd

johnd@neosoft.com

ps A sad rumor that, due to ill health, this MAY be the last true McCaffery
Pern book.