Thank you all very much for the support during the Inkshares Contest.  Sadly (for me), my book didn’t make the cut, but happily for many others, their book’s did.  A huge congratulations to all the winners!  

There’s still a chance that Inkshares may be interested in publishing my book.  Over this next year, they will choose several more to publish without set pre-orders, so my fingers are still crossed.  Through this process, though, I’ve been very lucky to have met a great Facebook Group - the Virtual Travel Writing Group - a group of people who support each others’ writing through kind critiques.  To that end, I’ve revised my 1st two chapters on this site and would love to hear what you think of the new versions.  

Thank you all again so much for your support as I go through this writing journey.  

To all my dear friends,

I have brief news regarding Curio Citizen. A few months ago, my developmental editor decided that my manuscript was ready to be sent to the CEO of Inkshares for his assessment and news on next steps. I spoke with him this week, and he is hoping to read it soon. Unfortunately, what has already been a slow process has slowed down even more due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Books that were supposed to be released in 2020 have been pushed to 2021, which means Curio Citizen will be delayed further. I hope that Inkshares and I can work together this year to make sure Curio is all set to go for a 2022 release, but I have no confirmation yet for whether that will be the case.

So, here’s the thing. As I mentioned in my last update, a different novel of mine, Lodestone, has been acquired by a separate publishing company and will be released this April 21, 2021. In addition, a second novel, The Hand-me-down Maiden, is now under contract with that same publisher and is slated for a 2022 release. I am beyond excited for these novels, but to be honest, I feel rather awkward that Lodestone will be released before Curio Citizen when you all so generously pre-ordered Curio over three years ago. There is also a distinct possibility that The Hand-me-down Maiden will also be published before Curio Citizen will be released.

I want to again assure you that Curio Citizen is still in production and will eventually be in your hands. I have been working very hard with Inkshares on and off for the past three years to ensure it will be its best self prior to release, and though the long waiting periods have been frustrating, I believe the novel will be worth it in the end.

In the next three months, I will seriously be ramping up marketing for Lodestone on all of my author social media accounts, especially since pre-orders have now opened in preparation for its April release. That being the case, I wanted to use this update to reassure you that Curio Citizen is still happening, despite the fact that it will likely be my third published novel by the time it is out in the world. I apologize for what I feel is an awkward situation, and I again want to thank you all with my utmost sincerity, truly from the bottom of my heart, for your support and patience during this process. I would not have made it this far in my career without your generosity.

If you are interested in following news regarding my other books and projects, I invite you to join my new email newsletter! I’m so excited to share my author-ly pursuits with you, and I promise I won’t flood your inbox! Sign up here! 

Thank you again, everyone. I will update about Curio Citizen here as soon as I have more news. In the meantime, I wish you all the best health and happiness!

Sincerely,

Katherine

Happy New Years Everyone!!

New year, new campaign. That’s right. I’m going into this campaign full tilt. We have a new, super cool book cover up on the page right now, made by my good friend, Shawna Ray. It’s beautiful and you should check it out.

And over the holiday, we reached 25 orders. As promised, I’ve posted Chapter Three to note the milestone. Give it a read if you’re eager for more adventures with the Knights.

Now time for the BIG announcement. I’m starting a CAMPAIGN RAFFLE CONTEST!! The prizes will be broken up into three tiers.

Tier One: Followers Prize : Beyond the Masquerade Tote Bag  - Draw will be made for every 50 followers.

Tier Two: Share and Recommendation Prize : Beyond the Masquerade Coffee Mug - Draw will be made for every 50 shares or recommendation. 

Tier Three: Pre-Order Prize : Beyond the Masquerade Blanket  - Draw will be made for every 50 pre-orders.

Pictures of the prizes and new cover will be posted on the Beyond the Code Facebook page and the winner of the first Followers prize will be posted later today. Cross your fingers.

Thank you all for following and good luck in the hopefully many contest draws to come.

Kelsey Rae Barthel

Good morning! (Or afternoon, as the case may be). I hope this finds you well and you are enjoying the Holiday Season, however you chose to observe it.

If you are receiving this update, it means that you kindly came and followed The Crucible Tree in recent weeks as part of the new contest by my publisher, Inkshares. Thank you very much for doing so.

As we look to the release next summer of my first book, Bane of All Things, doing well in this contest is an excellent way to drive some vital publicity. The contest currently has 200+ entries, drawing thousands of new visitors to Inkshares’ website. These are all potential buyers for Bane of All Things. For Inkshares to agree to publish a second book, sales of the first must of course be strong. 

So, if you haven’t already and have a little time during this holiday season, it would be awesome if you could read my sample chapters for The Crucible Tree and post a short review or recommendation. This activity also helps to boost me up the contest standings. And if you could muster anyone else in your household to join the cause, too, that would be fantastic!

Best wishes and a Happy New Year!

Hello everyone!

I have some fantastic news! Beyond the Masquerade has been named Decembers pick with the Break the Bechdel with Strong Female Characters Syndicate. It’s such an honor to be recognized by this syndicate and the awesome women who run it.

But even though this was a big step up, we still have a long way to go, and in the new year, I’ll be making some changes to the campaign. Make sure to follow, share, and pre-order if you like what you see. Thank you all for your support. 

Kelsey Rae Barthel

Hey all you wonderful followers of my book!   I hope you enjoyed the last chapter of Mama’s Goin’ Backpacking I posted (Boys, Beans & Bad Beds) - it was fun to remember, reminisce, and (w)rite about that little adventure.  Thank you for your comments on it and on the first 3 chapters - your reviews and ’likes’ (etc.) are what will be counted toward this Writing Contest, so, again, THANK YOU.  

As part of this travel writing journey, I’ve been inspired to build my very own website that will focus on inspiring travel and providing travel-related tips.  I’ve posted a new travel blog about me and my new FIANCE’s  (yes, I’m engaged!!!) trip to northern British Columbia.   I’d love you to check it out at www.cometravelwithme.ca.  If you enjoy what you see, you can subscribe to receive a monthly newsletter that will tell you about new blogs, travel tips, update you on the progress of ’Mama’s Goin’ Backpacking,’ and much more.  Thanks very much - I so look forward to connecting with you there!

Caryn