The Walls are Closing In has reached the Quill light publishing goal!

This means that The Walls are Closing In will be published through Inkshares!!! Once the campaign ends, the book will be assigned a production timeline. This is a dream come true, and I am grateful to each and every one of you for helping me get to this point. Thank you.

There are still almost two months left of the campaign, and I will continue to strive for the full contract (which adds perks such as advanced marketing to bookstores, developmental editing, professional cover design, and representation for TV/movie rights).

455 orders to go!

In the past week, the book was chosen for two syndicates on Inkshares (bringing the total to five). Thank you to all members of Break the Bechdel with Strong Female Characters syndicate and Rite of Passage syndicate for the support.

Syndicates are groups of Inkshares members that pool together to support one book per month. To say that it is a tremendous honor to be selected would be an understatement, as there are currently 320 books funding on Inkshares.

Writer John Robin recently interviewed me on his epic fantasy blog! You can check out the interview here. 

We are only 5 orders away from 300. Once 300 is reached, I will post a new novel trailer, with teasers! I am also trying to come up with some other clever ideas for future milestones. Tossing around an audio chapter, giveaways, etc. Let me know if you have any ideas!

Below this I will be pasting a copy of the steps that can be taken to help with the campaign for the new followers who are joining. Feel free to either continue reading or just get on with your day!

Thank you all again for your support. Until next week.

-Jacqui

For those that are willing, there are numerous ways to help me reach my preorder goal. Every little bit helps a great deal!

1) The greatest way to help, the method that has been shown to produce the best results, would be to select people you know who might like this book (I think we all know those who would, and would not, like this book), and personally tell them about the book via email. Invite them to read the material that is up, and ask them to offer their support if they like what they read. Remind them that if they are one of the first 750 to order, they will be a backer, and will receive a signed, first-edition copy if they select a physical copy over an ebook.

2)If you are on this list and have not ordered the book, then order it, or two, or three, or ten (who am I to judge?)

3) Share the information for my novel on any of your social networks (there are share buttons on my book’s page), tagging those who you think would be interested. Share updates, reviews the book has received, the link to my novel trailer, and/or interview and YouTube links as they become available.

4) Preorder three or more print copies and receive your name in the back of the book.

5) Leave a recommendation on Inkshares if you notice that the novel has slipped off the front page of the site. Providing a recommendation places The Walls are Closing In under the "Recommended by Inkshares Readers" section on the front page of the website, thereby increasing exposure.

6)Send me any and all ideas that you have for spreading the word and getting this book out there!

Thank you again!

-Jacqui

Well, after a few minor technical issues, Ghosts of War is done and in the hands of a small group of beta readers. 

This is an important step and a terrifying one. This will be the first time anyone outside of my head knows how the story ends, which has been a closely guarded secret for, oh, about 6 years now. So yeah, this will be me for the next few weeks:

Though it also means I can have a little bit of a break for a week or 2 while I wait, which will be nice. I need a break.

Until next time.

Dear Fans of the Assassin, 

Today is the official publication date for Tears of the Assassin. As many are already aware, the book has been emerging on the scene with stealth and impact.  Immediate reactions from readers reveal that this book took them by surprise and hit them hard, with its gripping story. 

If you have not yet received your pre-ordered copy, be vigilante of your mail box for the assassin is able to arrive unexpectedly with a forceful entry into your reading life.   

I wish to thank all my supporters and the early backers who, with only faith and belief, took a chance on this project, allowing it to succeed. Now that the assassin is loose, the game changes from one of publication to that of popularity.  If you like the story, please assist me by telling your friends and posting about it on social media. You can also place a review on the bookselling sites of Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Your enthusiasm for the story is a powerfully convincing factor in the spread of the word about Tears of the Assassin.  Thank you, and with the assassin now on mission assignment, to look over your shoulder is not an unwarranted act of paranoia.  

William Schiele 

b

Book stuff ~

Another thrilling week has passed and it is time for an update! The Walls are Closing In is sitting at 229 orders, a mere 21 orders from the first milestone of Quill light-publication (250 orders), and above the ideal rate of funding for the full Inkshares contract (750 orders). Chug chug chug.

The book received a bit of spotlight on the Inkshares blog in a post by Elena Stofle, Operations Manager at Inkshares. Thank you, Elena!

"Castle’s tale about a walled United States is exciting, maddening, and full of hope. Two walls have been constructed at the northern and southern borders of the United States—with no way in or out. Patricia is a brave and intelligent heroine living between the border walls with a thirst for the truth about life before the Seclusion, and the future that could be had if the walls were to come down.

I have only read the chapters posted on Inkshares, but I am so excited to read more about this epic, futuristic tale that is so different and fresh in the sea of modern dystopian stories that are out there. "

The full post can be read here

Next weekend, February 16th through 20th, I will be attending the San Francisco Writer’s Conference. I am eager to dive into classes for both journalism and fiction writing, and network with other authors. There is one session that I am particularly looking forward to - Writing the Resistance: Authors as Activists and Agents of Change.

The Walls are Closing In has been nominated for three syndicates this month!

If you happen to be a member of Staff Syndicate, Break the Bechdel with Strong Female Characters Syndicate, or Rite of Passage Syndicate, and deem that The Walls are Closing In fits the bill, I would be eternally grateful for your vote. 

That is it for now. Thank you again for your support. Until next week!