Jeyna Grace · Author · added over 10 years ago
May 17, 115 years ago, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published. It has been a while, hasn't it? Yet Dorothy is still a wide-eyed teenager in The Battle For Oz. Time is almost non-existent in the realm of fiction.

In reality though, it has been a few months since I last left you an update. Being that today is Oz's 115th anniversary, I believe it is my duty to fill you in on what's going on.

So, let's start with the editing. The Battle for Oz has finally gone through all stages of peeling and dicing. The professional chefs in the editorial department has helped me spice up the novel with lots of red ink. As scary as that sounds, it did the novel good. Now all it needs is a plate to be served on. Which brings me to the design. 

The current cover you see will not be used for the final book. That's because it only features one main character. Characters have feelings too and I don't want to give Dorothy all the limelight. Hence, a new cover is being designed. I'll have a cover reveal once the design is final.

For now, everything is running smoothly and the book is due in September. I cannot wait to share it with you and I'm looking forward to the day where I can hold it in my hands. It's a dream come true. So thank you for investing in me and this book. I really appreciate it :)

By the way, I'm currently discussing with a few of my contacts about coming up with a t-shirt for the book! The artist who did the Dorothy cover will be doing the design(s). So those who love this current cover will get to see similar art on cloth instead of paper. More on this later as it is still in the discussion phase.  

Anyway, that's all for now. I'll be back with more updates as the book moves forward. Exciting times ahead! Till then, happy Sunday.
Jeyna Grace · Author · added over 10 years ago

It has been a while since I last said 'hello'. So, hello! 

For those who celebrated the Chinese New Year, I hope you had a wonderful time :) Hopefully, you weren't also blessed with a few extra kilos under your belt. Haha!

Anyway, I'm just here to give a quick update.

Firstly, if your friends used your referral link during the crowd-funding period, you will find a special email from Inkshares giving you store credit to buy other books. The email is self-explanatory, but I thought I should give you a heads up. You can order another copy of my book as a gift to someone, or you can check out the other titles, such as Abomination by the writer of The Book of Eli, The Cat's Pajamas by the author of Big Fish, The Dawn of Algorithm if you like poetry, and many, many more.

Secondly, during the Chinese New Year week, I got the chance to touch base with my developmental editor. She is currently working on The Battle For Oz and will get back to me this week. I'm excited to read her feedback as it will definitely help improve the novel. 

Though a little delayed, the novel is definitely on its way. As per the production schedule, The Battle For Oz is to be released in September. If there are any more updates, I'll be sure to let you know. So until then, happy shopping with your credits and have a good week ahead!

Jeyna Grace · Author · added over 10 years ago · 2 likes
Hello, hello, hello!

I'm pretty sure you've gotten an email by now, stating that the project is a success, BUT I'm here to inform you once again, that it is! 

Yes, The Battle For Oz is going to happen and it's all thanks to you! Thank you so much for the support you've given throughout the crowd-funding period. Whether it's by funding, sharing, or double funding, all that you have done helped make the book possible. Thank you :)

Aside from you, I would also like to thank my parents. They were the biggest supporters in this project, reaching out to every potential backer they could find (you might be one as well). It's safe to say, most of the funds were raised through their persistence. So thanks mum and dad! 

Currently, I do not have much info on the entire production process, but I'm setting up a chat with the editorial assistant this week. I should have something to share with you after that. More news will be coming your way!

Anyway, thank you once again for your support. I do not know where this book will take me, but I do know I could not have done it without the faith I've gotten from you. AND I'm really grateful for that :) 
Jeyna Grace · Author · added over 10 years ago · 1 like

Merry Christmas!

Wherever you are, I hope you are having a blessed Christmas. I'm having a great day remembering the sacrifice of a particular best friend in my life. Above the gifts, food, and carols, Christmas holds a special meaning in my heart. I hope it's the same for you too :)

This year's Christmas is a little different for me though, because... today is the start of the 10 days countdown to the end of the crowd-funding project. January 5th will be the day we find out if the book will be in bookstores. That's pretty soon! 

Currently, the project is still lacking $1,810. That's a lot to raise in the next 10 days, but I'm hoping it can be done. I might need an extra hand from you though. So please share this project for the last time with any friends who would like to support an indie author in going global.

Trying to break into the publishing industry as an independent author is not easy, but I'm hoping this would be the perfect stepping stone for me to do it. 2015 could be the year where my career as an author starts to roll, as this project could really help me push out the other 3 books I have just waiting to be released! It's a pretty big deal.

BUT success or failure aside, I'm amazed at the amount of funds we have raised so far. $5,890 is a lot of money! Being that the majority of you are from Malaysia, we have actually raised roughly RM20,600! Wow! I'm just really blessed and grateful that we've managed to come this far. Thank you so much for your support! The best Christmas gift this year is knowing that people believe in me and my dream. All the more reason to believe that dreams can come true, am I right?

Keeping it short and sweet; once again, a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! Thank you for your faith in me and thank you for believing with me. You'll definitely be hearing from me again soon. And I hope I would be delivering good news the next time :)

*I've added more chapters to the project. So if you are staying in this Christmas, you can give it a read! 

**I will also be adding 6 more chapters in the next 6 days, which will complete the first part of the entire novel. The novel was written in three parts, each part focusing on a different character.

***Chapter 10 will reveal the second protagonist. Ok, I'll stop with the asterisks now, I don't think I'm using it right. Haha!
Jeyna Grace · Author · added over 10 years ago · 1 like

Hey there!

December is finally here! Time really flies. I remember starting the year, and now I'm already close to the end. Hopefully, I can end this year with a bang :)

Anyway, I just want to share more about The Battle For Oz with you. As a backer, I believe you deserve to know what I've done to your possibly favourite literary works. I briefly made mention about the changes I did in the project descriptions, but I'll go into detail in this update.

#1 Characters & Weapons
If The Battle For Oz was not a novel, it would be a game. Why? Because I gave my characters weapons from the get-go. Both protagonists (yes, there are two of them) have special weapons that they use throughout the story. It is the battle for Oz after all, and a war cannot be won without a fight.

-SPOILER AHEAD-

The weapons I gave the characters were based on their personalities. Dorothy has a strong whip, a bag of sweets, and Toto. I see Dorothy as a versatile and kind girl, who simply cannot be underestimated. As for the other protagonist, well... I won't go there. It's a major spoiler to reveal that identity. 

#2 East Meets West
The great thing about fiction is that the universe is truly borderless. Walk through the Stargate, get in a Tardis, spin a Time Turner, climb through a Wardrobe, use a Transporter and you can go anywhere anytime. 

With that in mind, I decided to bring together two different cultures. This did require me to change the setting of a literary world, but with the change, it gave me a chance to build the characters based on their culture and upbringing. Don't worry, Oz is pretty much the same... but the other world isn't. 

#3 History?
The fun kind of history. Throughout the book, I've scattered Easter eggs of the ending and how those magical worlds are related to ours. Where's the fun if fiction does not cross over to reality? 

I believe the reason behind the success of TV series' such as Grimm and Once Upon A Time is because they challenge the relationship of reality and fiction. Is fiction really fiction, or is it actually reality? I incorporated history into The Battle For Oz for that very reason and I hope as you give it a read, you'll be able to put together the pieces for the big reveal at the end.

Well... I guess now you know what to expect?

Funding update: 35 days left and $3,200 short on completion. Any extra help from you would be greatly appreciated. I'm more than halfway there and a little boost on your end would kick the project in the right direction. Thank you once again for your support and have a good week ahead! 

*Media coverage:http://www.malaysiandigest.com/features/527237-help-bring-the-battle-of-oz-to-life.html

**Book Review:http://number1bestsellers.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/we-are-definitely-not-in-kansas-anymore/ 
Jeyna Grace · Author · added almost 11 years ago · 2 likes

Happy November!

I just thought of taking this opportunity to tell you a bit about The Battle For Oz and how it actually came about. It's not the typical 'I was inspired' tale, but it can be quite a long read. Proceed at your own risk?

It first started last year, when I was approached by an artist who suggested a collaboration. He had this idea of marrying two classics and he pitched the basic concept to me. 

As someone who has been writing books for almost 4 years, I have never once been approached by an artist. Most of the time, I'm the one asking my friends for help. So feeling extremely flattered, I thought, 'why not?'.

Writing a spin-off was something I had never done before, especially a spin-off of famous literary works. And to be honest, I have never read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz or the other literature in the book (not mentioning because SPOILER). So, I had to do a lot of research, having Google on standby constantly. I studied these two worlds as best as I could, until I was able to capture the essence of them. It was not easy, but I managed to do it and I could not be happier with the end result.

Initially, The Battle For Oz was supposed to be a novelette trilogy; three short books with illustrations done by the collaborating artist. All three books were already completed last year, and this year in May, I released the first one. The reception I got for the first book was great, comparing with the books I released before.

However, my partner in crime told me that it was no longer a project he wanted to take on. We talked about it and I decided that if it was really what he wanted to do, I'll just accept his decision and move on. So with two novelettes left, I knew I had to change my game plan; it was time to combine the novelettes and turn them into a novel.

At first I thought of just releasing an e-book novel of The Battle For Oz, but then I stumbled upon Inkshares. Suddenly, I knew I could take The Battle For Oz to a whole new level! Hence, you are receiving this backer update today.

The whole process of getting this book done was a new experience for me. I have never written a spin-off of books I have never read, and I did not have a clear timeline on how the story would flow. But when I was writing, everything fell into place! Honestly, I cannot wait for you to read it.

If you have made it this far, I hope my 'behind-the-scenes' has not been boring you. I wish it was a simple story, but I'm kinda glad it was a more complicated journey than that. To end, I just want to say another big thank you for your support. It means a lot to me that you found me worth investing in.

There are 60 days left to the end of the project, but I have faith it would be fully funded :) Dreams can come true, am I right?

Commonly Asked Questions Answered:
#1 The book is completed.
#2 That picture on the project page will not be the final cover.
#3 There won't be any in-book illustrations. 
Jeyna Grace · Author · added almost 11 years ago · 2 likes

Dear all, I've just hit the 50% funding milestone! Thank you for backing this project and supporting me as I chase my dreams. I still have another 50% to go, but I'm confident it can be reached :)

Anyway, if it's not too much to ask, I would really appreciate it if you could share my project with your friends again. Some of them might have overlooked it the last time. When you do so, please visit your funding receipt email and click on either 'Facebook', 'Twitter' or 'Email'. These options would share your referral code attached to the project link. The publisher would top up 5USD whenever someone funds my project using your referral code. That would be a huge boost for each new funding! Thanks in advance! 

I'm certainly looking forward to the day this project is a success. And, I do hope you would enjoy my book when you finally get your hands on it! Thanks once again and have a good week :)