This just in...

I told everyone that I asked my friend about how satisfied/unsatisfied she was working with PA. Here's that response (apparently, she thought she was talking to my father):

How satisfied was I? Very dissatisfied to be honest. They cheated me out of many royalties and gave me no help at all as far as promoting the book. I told Andrew to beware when I told him about the company. I also told him that I used it as a stepping stone only to other publications where I would go elsewhere. If you go online and put in their name, you will find different websites for complaints, which are many. They have suits against them and all that good stuff. If Andrew wants his book sold, he's got to do all the work. He has to get on radio shows, call and get them interested enough to have him on, go to book stores with his own books that he gets from the company and arrange for book signings in the area, etc. Get hold of the newspapers in the area and have an article about local author. I have done all of this, but the book didn't do a whole lot because it isn't put out there like most are with other publishers. They are a POD (print on demand) company so they only print a book if it's ordered. Therefore book stores and companies don't want to work with them. I was going to write a sequel, but have yet to do so as I've gotten tied up writing a non fiction book on medical issues and do have an agent for that one, so I'm never going near PA again. They are really something, but if Andrew can find something in the contract, which he should have read carefully, that is against what they are actually doing, have him go after them. There are Yahoo groups out there that are just for this purpose regarding this company.

I don't recall my friend telling me to "beware," but she DID tell me everything else I already knew (or thought I knew): you publicize yourself, etc. That she was also cheated out of royalties (as mentioned in the below links) is additionally troubling.

This is gonna sound really, REALLY wierd coming from me, but DON'T BUY MY BOOK. Not until I get all the facts.

More news in a bit as I decide what course of action I will take.