I sent my manuscript to Vern Firestone, owner of Triad Publishing Group in Sarasota Fl. last Feb 2008. He called me a couple of days later and stated that he absolutely loved my book and wanted to publish it. He told me that he would charge me $800.00 to publish, market and distribute my book. I agreed and sent him 1/2 down ($400.00) He kept promising me that the book would be "ready for release soon" I had numerous people that wanted to order my book. (this was my second book published, the first one was published by another company that did not charge me anything) anyway, Aug 2008 I started hearing complaints from other authors that Vern Firestone had "ripped off" people who's books he published but he never paid them their royalties (to the tune of thousands of dollars per author) I contacted him and he told me "your book will be ready soon." Then he disappeared, never to be heard from by any of us authors again. He left with our money, our dreams, and our manuscripts! I have filed complaints with the florida BBB, and Fl. Attorney Generals office, and the Fl. District attorneys office, all to no avail. One of them did find Vern and he told them that my book was "ready to be released but that I had changed my mind" This peon is the biggest scammer I have ever met. He's made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars of his authors money (not to mention the $400 of mine) I truely wish someone would find him and use him as a book marker (sorry) My $400 was a lot of money for me to send, but the other authors involved lost out on thousands and thousands of dollars in royalties and unfulfilled hopes. It's been a year since this happened to me, I'm just now getting the courage up to submit my manuscript to other publishers again, but never again will I pay a publisher to print my story. I've learned a hard and expensive lesson.