UPDATE: THE TATTOOED QUEEN plus REVIEWS on THE TATTOOED SEER

YUP, THAT'S RIGHT. It's official. I am switching the working title for my third book, The Tattooed Rose, to a more appropriate title, The Tattooed Queen.

Why? Because the more I thought about it, the more 'Queen' fits with what happens to Miriam on Xaymaca, especially considering the voodoo and magic that occur in the book. (For those of you who find such things interesting, Xaymaca is actually the old Taino term for Jamaica). I discussed this change with Lorina, my publisher at Five Rivers, yesterday.

I also broke 100,000 words on the novel, today. I'm about 4/5's of the way through, and am trying to have the first draft ready by March 1, 2015. According to Lorina, the book may not be released until February, 2016. This depends on the edits, of course, but Five Rivers is also doing very well and taking on more projects. According to Lorina's latest blog post, in 2014, Five Rivers expanded from 34 titles to 46. I share that expansion with Dave Duncan, Matt Hughes, fellow editor Ann Marston, and others. (Check out this link, to see what other fantastic writers, Five Rivers carries.)

As for The Tattooed Seer, it's received some great reviews, lately. This is the most recent one I found on Amazon.com by Amanda Neufeld:

"Why Don't People Know More About This Series? Excellent Second Book After an Excellent First.

This is one of my favorite new series! I read the first book last year and was very eager for the second one to come out to see what happens to these fascinating characters. Susan MacGregor is a skilled story teller who has managed to weave fantasy with elements of historical Spanish Inquisition into a compelling and inventive world full of intrigue, peril, and magic. I was a particular fan of the first book for how MacGregor sets up the complexity and intricacies of her well-developed societal milieu. I got lost in this multifaceted world with characters facing danger and adventure. The second book hits the ground running and keeps the momentum up throughout. I often had chills and my only disappointment in the series so far is that I have to wait for the 3rd book to see what happens! This is a very mature read and very rewarding for fans of fantasy who still like to have roots in reality and believability. I definitely recommend this little known gem!"

 And here's another good one from Chipompompom:

"I read the first book in the series last year and loved it. Could not wait for this one to ...

I found this book very fast paced compared to the first in the series. Less introducing of characters and background and more plot and character development. I read the first book in the series last year and loved it. Could not wait for this one to come out. After reading this second book I found myself re-reading both books again so I could re-experience the story in full. I'm sure I will do the same after the third book. The author has a wonderful way of setting a scene and presenting a character so that they stick in your memory. I found myself wanting to go back and re-live how these characters were first introduced, how they first met and also to marvel at the writing which has somehow managed to succinctly implant the setting quite fully developed in my mind. I can't comment on having to read the 1st in order to enjoy the 2nd but I think both are really worth a read."

 Thanks, Amanda and Chipompompom. Both reviewers gave the book Five Stars.

- Susan.