Great news for Amazon customers who pre-order J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. At no additional charge, the powers-that-be at Amazon, the United Parcel Service (UPS) and the U.S. Postal Service are ensuring that our copy of Harry Potter VI, at least for those who live in forty-eight of the United States, will arrive at our doorstep on July 16th, 2005.

This is the day that J.K. Rowling's publishers plan to release Rowling's sixth, and second to last book, in her magical adventure series for children and adults-alike.

Here is the letter that landed in my email box this morning from Amazon.

Subject: You Will Receive Harry Potter on the Day of Release!

Greetings from Amazon.com.

As someone who has pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, you are probably itching to get your hands on the first copy off the press. Great news--we are going to make sure you receive your copy(s) on the day of release, July 16, 2005, guaranteed, at no additional charge to you!*

You don't have to do a thing--just sit back and wait for the book to arrive on your doorstep on July 16.

Please be sure that the shipping address selected for this order is a location where you will be on that Saturday, as this guarantee does not apply if no one is available to accept delivery.

For this special guaranteed Saturday delivery the following restrictions apply:

1. Applies only to orders placed before July 11, 2005 for which Standard, Two-Day, or One-Day Shipping is selected. Does not apply to FREE Super Saver Shipping orders (Super Saver Shipping orders will arrive after July 16).

2. Applies only to orders shipped to addresses within the lower 48 United States. Orders shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, and international destinations will be delivered after July 16.

3. Does not apply to APO/FPO addresses.

4. Does not apply to commercial addresses where no one is present to accept delivery.

5. Does not apply to orders with more than eight copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

6. Applies to both the standard and deluxe editions of the book. Does not apply to the audio version.

7. In the event of a missed delivery, we will refund the cost of the book, but will not refund any shipping costs that were charged.

8. Does not apply in the event of service interruptions or failures (including, for example, interruptions of our transportation systems or the services provided by our carriers) caused by events beyond Amazon.com's control.

Thank you for shopping at Amazon.com.

Sincerely,

Customer Service
Amazon.com

Currently, Amazon is offering 40% off the retail price of $29.99.

Amazon.com's Price: $17.99
You Save: $12.00 (40%)

Meanwhile, the author is busy putting the finishing touches on what has become one of her favorite books in the entire series.

J.K. Rowling said:

I like it better than I liked Goblet, Phoenix or Chamber when I finished them.

Even if nobody else likes it - and some won't - I know it will remain one of my favorites in the series.

Ultimately you have to please yourself before you please anyone else.

Pleasing herself and her fans is J.K. Rowling's forte in life.

Preparing for The Biggest Delivery Event in E-commerce History

As reported in Forbes today:

When the last book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, came out in June 2003, Potter's American publisher Scholastic printed 6.8 million copies and sold 5 million on the first day.

Amazon's American orders totaled 789,000.

To handle that, Amazon's five American warehouses processed as many as 250 Potter orders per minute, and, in each, there was a team dedicated to doing nothing but processing Harry Potter orders. These teams worked in secure areas blocked off with an 8-foot high mesh barrier, which could be accessed only by warehouse workers with a special badge. It also posted security guards at the entrance--keeping the books under tight surveillance around the clock.

This time round, the challenge is even greater: Scholastic is printing 10.8 million copies of the new book, and Amazon is getting ready to grab a larger share. The company has teamed up with United Parcel Service and the U.S. Postal Service for what it says will be "the biggest delivery event in e-commerce history.

For the entire Forbes article go to:

Here in Hong Kong, even the local museum bookstore is pre-selling the upcoming Harry Potter book. Regularly priced at $225 H.K. dollars, it is on sale for $180 (approximately $23 U.S.). When I asked if they had sold many copies, the man behind the counter said, "3 or 4 copies."

We look forward to receiving our book on the 16th. However, we are unlikely to be home on that day.

So, for the third or fourth time, Tim, our two daughters and I plan to get dressed up in costume at midnight on the 15th.

No matter where we are in the world, we will find a bookstore that has its doors open at 12:01 am, July 16th, with intentions of beginning sell or deliver all of their previously pre-ordered copies of Harry Potter VI.

After all, it's tradition.

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "being one of the first to find out who is the Half-Blood Prince" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC, reporting from Hong Kong

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