This morning, I sat on my front porch in Asheville, North Carolina, to finish proofing my new book, the Ultimate River Cruising Handbook. Red pen poised and sticky notes on the table (and with a pot of coffee within arm’s reach), I was pleased to sit with the printed pages pinched between my fingers.

I couldn’t help but think that I was holding in my hands the result of hundreds of hours of work, not just by me but by me and my small team of editors, researchers and designers. We should all be proud. With this book, we’re providing a service by having produced a valuable resource for anyone contemplating a river cruise as well as for travel sellers who advise their clients about river cruising.

Spanning more than 270 pages, the Ultimate River Cruising Handbook is a digital tome meant to be viewed on a digital device. The book is optimized for laptop and desktop computers, tablets and smartphones. Because of the rich media (photos, videos and charts), I opted against a Kindle version for the moment, but for those who asked for a print edition, I am making available a print edition.  However, I’ll be releasing the digital edition first, late next week. The print edition will follow a few weeks later.

I’ll have more details about the book in my next newsletter. Again, thanks for your interest and support. — Ralph Grizzle