Hey Everyone!!

Beyond the Masquerade has been up and competing in the 2020 All-Genre Manuscript contest for a couple days now and it’s doing great. Because of you, we have climbed up to 2nd place but this is only the beginning. We have to keep climbing to try and take the top. I know that might seem like a hearty endeavor but I think, with your support, we can make it. And if we don’t take first, at least we’ll put a sizable dent in the campaign goal. So if you’re as passionate about the continuation of this epic adventure, follow the link below and show your support. 

https://www.inkshares.com/books/beyond-the-masquerade

And if you haven’t experienced the story that started it all, you can get a digital copy of Beyond the Code for FREE through Amazon.com and .ca. Follow the links below. 

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Code-Kelsey-Rae-Barthel/dp/1947848097

Let’s make this sequel a reality!!!

  Well folks, I am way overdue for an update, and I can’t really put off making one any longer. I was hoping the next update I’d send would be an announcement that Tantalus Depths has finally finished its edits and is moving on in its production, but unfortunately we’ve seen some delays to that end. Originally, this was supposed to be the year it was going to be released, but it shouldn’t really come as much surprise that covid-19 did a number on that idea. Releasing a major novel during a pandemic is a surefire way to make it a financial flop, considering the state of the economy, the fact that many bookstores were closed entirely for several months, and the fact that my publisher’s ability to physically print and distribute the books was crippled as well for much of this year. On top of that, I work in a hospital, so not only did quarantines, stay-at-home orders and social distancing not give me any extra time at home to work on side projects, but my stress levels have been through the roof on a constant basis since March, which is far from conducive to creative writing and editing efforts. Due to all of the above factors, development on Tantalus Depths really slowed to a crawl this year, but it is picking up again. I am on my absolute final set of development edits now (for real this time. I’ve told my publisher I have exactly one round of edits left in me, and that’s it). I’ve been getting back into a consistent writing regimen, and I’m currently on track to be 100% finished by the end of the year.
We have other things to look forward to soon for Tantalus Depths as well. I’ve been told that after we wrap up these development edits, I’ll finally be able to start working with my cover designer on Tantalus Depths’ official cover art. I’ve seen some of this artist’s work already, and it is extremely impressive professional work. In addition to that, between the end of my development edit and the beginning of my copy edit, we are planning to have a special round of edits with a professional physicist to check the scientific accuracy of Tantalus Depths, which I could not be more excited for.
I have many other things in the works right now, but most of them are still too up-in-the-air to talk about at this stage. I know the long delays between updates makes it seem like I’ve forgotten about my writing, but that’s far from the case. A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes, there just haven’t been many new exciting benchmarks in my progress worth making announcements about. I don’t like making promises I can’t keep, so I’ve been trying to avoid predicting what will happen when during this process. The world of professional publishing is still mostly unexplored for me, and everything I’m doing is a first. I certainly never thought it would take this long to publish my first book, and I’d like to think it won’t always be that way, but I am learning as I go. Thank you all for your patience during this process. I know most of you are as eager as I am to see what the end of this process looks like, and I’m really looking forward to celebrating with you all on the other side.
Because there’s still no definite release date planned for Tantalus Depths, and because I need to keep my writing skills sharp while developing my editing ones, I do have one special side project I’ve been working on since the summer that you will be able to read very soon. I’ll give a bigger update specifically for that later with more details, but for now here’s just a quick rundown of what to expect.
My new short story, "Reliquary," will be appearing in the upcoming "Passageways" anthology. This is my third published short story after "Breach" and "Countermeasures," and like them it is set in the same universe as Tantalus Depths (that universe has a name now, by the way, so look forward to a series title drop soon as well). Passageways is a special anthology that features nine short stories from different authors who each have their own literary universe of stories. Think of this anthology as a dimensional crossroads: a place where vast worlds filled with fascinating characters, complex storytelling, and carefully crafted settings can be easily accessed from one another. If you read this anthology and find a story you really like, good news! There are more stories where that came from, and you’ll like them too.
I couldn’t be more excited for people to read Reliquary, and I’m deeply honored to have it collected with the works of so many other brilliant authors who I respect so much. Check it out! It’s available for pre-order now, and will be released on December 11.  

Greetings wonderful followers, 

The Pre-Order campaign for Beyond the Masquerade is LIVE!! RIGHT NOW!! So if you loved the action packed adventures of Luna and Ranger as they struggled to change their world as they know it, get yourself a pre-order today and help me make this sequel a reality!! Follow the link below or look up my author page here on Inkshares. Thanks a bunch and wish me luck! 

https://www.inkshares.com/books/beyond-the-masquerade

Hello Fae Child supporters!

Howdy! I hope this finds you well. 

I have entered The Crucible Tree, the sequel to Bane of All Things, into a new contest that my publisher, Inkshares, has just launched.

To help me win the contest, all you need to do is visit The Crucible Tree’s page and click Follow at https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-crucible-tree.

That’s it. Just follow. This contest is about community engagement, not pre-orders. 

What else can you do to help boost The Crucible Tree in the contest standings?

·      Post a Review or Recommend: I have posted sample chapters for your reading pleasure.

·      Share: Through Facebook, Twitter or by email to a friend.

If you already have followed The Crucible Tree, thank you very much. You are helping me to realize a dream I have been chasing since high school, to not just publish one novel, but to become a career author.

How does this contest work?

Inkshares will shortlist books for publication based on their level of community engagement. This is all about total number of Follows, Likes, Reviews and Shares.

Inkshares’ editorial board will then make final choices on which books to accept in the spring. (You can learn more about the contest and see the other entries here.)

So, why am I in this contest if Inkshares is already my publisher?

Bane of All Things is already pending publication next summer – it was entirely thanks to you that Inkshares agreed to publish it. (As noted in prior updates, we have the pandemic to thank for the delayed release.)

But … landing one deal for one book is no guarantee that your next book will be picked up, too. Book publishing is a business – publishers need to see a return on their investment. The great thing about Inkshares is that it doesn’t only look at dollars and cents – grass roots support is important, too.

This contest helps build buzz!!!

This contest gives me the opportunity to attract more attention to Bane of All Things ahead of its launch and earn The Crucible Tree some advance interest and attention, too. All of this will help Bane of All Things be a success when it hits store shelves and pave the way for the whole series to continue (it will be four books, BTW).

All you have to do to help make this happen is go and follow The Crucible Tree. And if you could get a couple of friends and family on board, too, that would be awesome.

Thank you again for all your patience and support. I truly hope you will find the same pleasurable escape in reading this story that I have found in writing it.

Cheers

Leo

Hello there my wonderful followers,

I’m back and I’m doing something crazy...well not that crazy. Those of you who frequent this site know that Inkshares is holding another contest. The 2020 All Genre Manuscript Contest and I have decided to throw the Beyond the Code sequel into the mix. It’s called Beyond the Masquerade and I just built a page for it here on Inkshares. I’m still working with the tiny details but it has a synopsis and the two first chapters for all of you to see. Follow the link below or just follow the links on my Inkshares author profile.

https://www.inkshares.com/books/beyond-the-masquerade#

This contest is a little different than the previous contests on Inkshares. Victory isn’t just a pro-order factor, they will also be judging the story itself, as well as reader engagement. So give it a follow, share it around and give your feedback on the sample chapters (this is for me as well. I love hearing what you all think of my work)

Thank you all for your continuing support. I couldn’t of gotten this far without all of you. Wish me luck!