Your friend DT is now a published author! Well, actually, not yet, as I've uploaded "Lachlan's Quest" to the Kindle Direct Publishing programme, and they said it takes around 12 hours for the book to be available for purchase. I've also signed up for this promotion where Amazon will offer the book for free for five days out of 90. So I'll let you know when this will be, and if you have a Kindle, you'll be able to download it for free. To do this, I had to take it down from FictionPress and Chaos, but, hey, it was there for a long time A big thank you once again to those who read it, either on FictionPress or on Chaos (special thanks to TJ and Amethyst!) If anyone if veeeeery curious and would like to look me up on Amazon *cringe*, I go by as "Jessica Anderson". And now I have to prepare for the horrible reviews I'll receive, but, I guess, you have to start somewhere.

Congrats, and good luck!

Wow, DT, that's fantastic news, wishing you every success with it, and hope it's the first of many more!

Wow! Congrats, DT! Be sure to tell us how things go! I'm sure you will get great reviews!!

Congratulations DT. I am sorry I never got around to reading your story (this year has been a real pain on my reading), but I am really happy to hear you have been published. Maybe one day I will get a Kindle and be able to read you story.

Fantastic, DT! Congrats! That's so exciting!

That's awesome, DT! Congratulations and good luck!

Congrats and good luck!

Thank you guys! The book should be free on the 5th of July, give it a try. You don't necessarily need a Kindle, it's possible to download the Kindle for PC/Mac.

Daniella that's awesome! I'm so glad you've put all of your hard work to a good end. I really enjoye reading your story. I'm now curious to see if you made any changes for publication!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun Daniella that's awesome! I'm so glad you've put all of your hard work to a good end. I really enjoye reading your story. I'm now curious to see if you made any changes for publication!

Not many, to be honest. But definitely making sure that all the right people escape! ETA: Otherwise, I could turn it into a comedy, by starting the second book like this: Lachlan (while riding away from the prison): Where are the women? Rory: I thought you were getting the women. *embarrassed silence*

LOLOL DT, that would be awesome.

LOL, I love it, Daniella!

Congrats, DT. I'll have to get it.

Originally posted by Becky Rock Congrats, DT. I'll have to get it.

It should be free tomorrow!

Can I ask you a technical question? Maybe those of you who have published in the past can help. While chatting in a discussion group on Amazon, I was told by another writer that one of the names I used in my book (Bridgestone) is actually the name of a company, and he/she suggested I may have copyright issues with the company. Is this possible? It's a name, which could be used by anyone -- I thought.

Names cannot be copyrighted. They can be trademarked, but that is a different law. Unless your character with this name bears a striking resemblance to this company there should be no issues. However, I'm not a lawyer and my knowledge of copyright laws pertains mostly to fair use and how it relates to fanfiction and classroom use. I know next to nothing about trademark law.

Good thing I didn't describe him as "looking like a truck"!

What's the name, Daniella? Actually, thinking on it again, you should be perfectly safe. After all, there's a famous intergalactic hitchhiker somewhere in the universe named Ford Prefect.

Bridgestone is a tire brand here in Canada - maybe the US as well. But I would not think of it as a problem with it being a name, so I think you are safe. And there are only a certain number of names so I could see it being easy to repeat or 'copy" a popular or famous name especially when you are writing in one country and submitting your stories for "world wide" consumption.

As long as you're not claiming it's areal person or a representative of a real company, you are fine.

Look at it this way: if having the same name as a product brand or a company were a copyright (or trademark) issue, can you imagine how many thousands upon thousands of people with the name "McDonald", "Ford", "Dodge", or "Hilton" would be dragged into court? While I'd appreciate the concern (if I were in your place), I believe that person might be a wee bit paranoid.

Ooof! Thanks guys! It's not only that person who was a bit paranoid, I was getting a bit paranoid also (late at night, first novel, tired, etc.).