Greetings my wonderful followers, 

With the current state of things lately, alot of you have been forced to self isolate in order to help flatten the curve of COVID-19. Filling the long hours can be difficult but, you know what helps, entertainment. So I’m doing my part to help you all fill those hours. I am now offering the ebook of Beyond the Code for free on Amazon! Follow the links before for Amazon.ca and Amazon.com and pick up Beyond the Code for absolutely nothing. And remember in the trying times to stay calm, stay informed, and stay kind. We are all in this together. 

 https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Code-Kelsey-Rae-Barthel-ebook/dp/B078V4LC48/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.amazon.ca/Beyond-Code-Kelsey-Rae-Barthel-ebook/dp/B078V4LC48/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XM7CDRKXPV82SK8QQXQA

“Where’s my book?”

I still hear the question frequently, though less than last year, which was less than the year before. Will own the fact that I held a mistaken belief that my earlier drafts had more potential for publishing than they did. Also, I can write copious amounts but figuring that minimum 75% of that is drivel, it’s going to take a lot more copious drivel to get the job done. The good news is as an amateur writer, I can see my writing muscle getting…wait for it…stronger. Ha! what did you think I was going to say?

Saw a comment on FB from a friend, another writer, which I found interesting. We seem to have the opposite challenge about writing. I need to write everyday, obsessively, even just a little if possible, but have a demanding day job and other obligations that get in my way. I’ve been writing and rewriting this one project for close to 20 years now (along with a few others) and believe I’m finally learning how to tell the story. We’ll see how that works out for me—and for you my patient supporters—but I don’t think I’ll stop writing until I’m dead. It’s my drug.

I admit the quiet isolation of sheltering in place and social distancing is heavenly for an introverted extrovert who’s re-writing a novel for the umpteenth time. Good news is a solid draft for the 1st Act has been written and compiled. Now engaged in outlining Act 2. The end is a moving target which makes it fun. The process feels like yoga. Surrender, breath and wherever you are is where you are. I promise there will be a book at the end of this process, death be damned.

Here’s some more good news: Ozark Season 3 starts next Friday, March 27th. Stay safe and mind your manners. Coronageddon is upon us. If you’re a writer, make the most of it. Just effing write. And remember to always cough into your elbow. *hack, hack*

It’s almost March! I’ve been busy with lots of different projects and events. Yesterday I spoke to a group of women writers at a retreat and had a wonderful time. Next week, I’ll be part of a choral reading at a launch event for Gayle Brandeis’s new book, Many Restless Concerns.

My big exciting news right now, though, is that I’ve received a report back from the peer review of my book for WVU Press-- a look at the punk scene of North Central West Virginia in the 2000s! The feedback is great, and I feel good about the suggestions. I’ll be sending my response back shortly!

I’m now on my second draft of my new novel, and am hoping to hear back from my editor soon about my Inkshares book. I will be sure to keep you updated on all of it!

Please remember to VOTE!
Thank you for your support!

Becca

Greetings wonderful followers!

Today is a very special day. Two years ago today, my first novel, Beyond the Code, was released out into the world. Alot has happened in that time. I’ve met tons of like-minded writers from all around the world, Beyond the Code has been praised by several professional book reviewers, got it made into an audiobook, got Beyond the Code on bookshelves of major bookstores along with doing signings at said stores, and spoke as an author at a couple panels at a writers convention.  It’s been a crazy couple of years and, even though I’m not at where i wished I would be, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. It isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but those small victories are earned and I am grateful for them.

I’ll admit, these last two years have had there share of bumps. I’ve had to take a hard look at what I truly wanted, both professionally and personally, and it made me re-evaluate my stances of things. I’m still figuring out the kinks in my future plans but I think I’m getting to a good place, slowly but surely.

Sorry for digging deep on you but I was feeling nostalgic, due to the date, and I wanted to mark the occasion with something. Not with links or pleas to check out my work, but with a heart felt thank you. Most of you are the ones who decided to follow and support my work in the campaign stage and I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for all of you. So again, THANK YOU!!

The sequel is coming along and I am super excited about where it’s going. Once I get my footing on it, expect some teasers in the future and I may be reaching out to some of you in the beta readers stage. Wish me luck.

Kelsey Rae Barthel

Hi, backers!

I’m not going to lie - I’ve been in a rut with this book over the past several months. I’ve completed several other projects since then, and I haven’t felt the same connection to it that I have in the past. I spoke with my editors at Inkshares, and we’re taking another approach to the new draft. It feels weird to revisit my old words, but I’m looking at them with a fresh eye, which is good.

I’ve updated my Inkshares page with the first four new chapters, if you’d like to take a look here. Please feel free to send me your thoughts! I’d love to get this thing in fully polished shape for you to read in its entirety soon.

Thanks for your support over these past two years.

Cari

It’s been a while since the last update, and I’m happy to report that a new draft of the novel is complete. I put it aside for a couple of weeks, while I was busy with a work project and finished re-reading it yesterday. The story has come together much better than the earlier drafts. On the advice of my publisher, I stripped out quite a few complications that were cluttering things up. 

That said, there’s still work to be done. It’s possible that things were pared back a bit too much. I need to spend some time beefing up the opening chapters to give them more breathing room and adding more depth to the main character, detective Jack Waters. But it’s the first time I’ve re-read a new draft and not been embarrassed. So definitely good progress.

I don’t when the next round of edits will be completed, it’s likely going to take a few months. I will also likely tap into a couple of beta readers to provide an objective perspective. The publisher has set a very high bar for this book and I want to make sure it is as good as it can be.

In the meanwhile, thank you for all your support and encouragement. This has been a tougher project than I ever expected, so thank you also for your patience.
--Zack
PS. I attended BoucherCon, a mystery writers conference in October and met a many authors including fellow Canadian David Morrell, who wrote the book First Blood, which became the basis for the Rambo series.     

Greetings wonderful followers!!

We have gone through another holiday season and rampaged into a new year. I hope you have all had a fun and eventful time. Speaking of eventful, things have been happening with Beyond the Code and I want to share the news.

First off, for my Edmontonian followers, Beyond the Code has been included in the Capital City Press Collection. This is a program within the city of Edmonton to include works from local authors into the city’s many Libraries. This year, the books chosen will be featured in the brand new Stanley A Milner Library in the downtown core. See the link below

https://epl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2044774005

Secondly, the Beyond the Code audio book has received several reviews through Audible.com and now is standing at a 4.7 rating. Check out what they have to say and if you sign up with Audible, you can get an audio book for FREE! See the link below and give it a shot.

https://www.audible.ca/pd/Beyond-the-Code-Audiobook/B07XVNFSDS

Next thing, Beyond the Code has been reviewed on Onlinebookclub.org. 3 out of 4 stars!! Follow the link and see what they have to say.

https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=129849

And last but not least. This is something I am very excited about. Sometime ago, I entered Beyond the Code into the 2019 Screencraft Cinematic Book Competition and, I am happy to tell you, that Beyond the Code has made it through the first hurdle and is in the Quarter Finals!! Follow the link below if you want to know about the contest and the other Quarter Finalist and wish me luck. They will be announcing the Semi Finalist on Feb 12th.

https://screencraft.org/2020/01/08/2019-screencraft-cinematic-book-competition-quarterfinalists-announced/?utm_source=drip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2019+Stage+Play%2C+Book+%26+Short+Story+Quarterfinalists+Announced

Thank you all for your continuing support and feedback. If you haven’t already, make sure to give Beyond the Code a review on Goodreads or Amazon. Reviews are the lifeblood of every Indie author plus, I love to hear what you all thought of my work. 

Thanks again for all your continuing support and I hope to bring you good news in the future.

 Happy holidays! I hope you are having a peaceful season full of time with family, friends, self-care, and creative fulfillment. I am still waiting for feedback from my editor on my most recent draft, and I will let you know as soon as I receive it!

In the meantime, here’s what I’ve been working on!
On Halloween, Writing Bloc released its second annual short story anthology, Deception. I was the project manager for this anthology and my own story, "Rachel Rose, Semite" appears in it! Check it out and support cooperative indie publishing!

I am also excited to be a part of the latest issue of Inlandia: A Literary Journey. You can read my story, "Neighborhood Alert" here and my editor interview here.

Another project I helped edit, Jason Pomerance’s Celia at 39, was published yesterday! It’s Writing Bloc’s first standalone novel and I’m so happy to be a part of it!

November was National Novel Writing Month and I drafted a brand new novel in 30 days! Its working title is The Book of Great and Tiny Things and it follows two characters-- Avril, a West Virginia woman who in spite of being a happily married mother of two finds herself swept up in opioid usage and must turn to her dead granny witch grandmother to save her from addiction, and Jose, a Mexican drug lord who began his career at the age of 8 and is known for brutally murdering his challengers with the bone of the beloved dog that his mother forced him to kill. There’s lots of magic and some big feelings. I’m looking forward to editing it!

Finally, if you’re a local woman interested in a winter writing retreat, I’ll be a guest speaker at this one. It should be fun!

Thank you for your support!