If you followed along last year with my updates on the publication of These Are My Friends on Politics, you’ll recall that the real stars of those updates were the pictures of my 16-year-old dog Nina.

Last month, she passed away. I haven’t brought it up much because (a) I didn’t feel like it and (b) I didn’t have anything valuable to say about losing a beloved pet beyond the fact that I do not recommend the experience. For those who didn’t know Nina firsthand, I’d rather leave you with something uplifting that characterized her life than simply share some sad news amid the endless bad news that keeps hitting us these days. 

 So I did the reasonable thing and wrote and illustrated and published a book about her instead. It’s nothing extraordinary — look, *you* try making a book in a month in your spare time during one of your busiest work periods of the year — but it conveys much of what made Nina such a big deal in this little corner of the world. And it has some pretty pictures in it. And it’s more funny than sad. And perhaps it’s a nice distraction and reminder that the world isn’t all bad even if we’re threatening to end it with simultaneous nuclear and civil wars. 

 Anyway, it’s available now if you’re interested in taking a look. Thanks for reading, and enjoy. If you have any dog-loving friends whom you think would enjoy this, please pass it on. 

Amazon (paperback and Kindle): dog.billyok.com/amazon 

iBooks: dog.billyok.com/ibooks

Kobo: dog.billyok.com/kobo

Barnes & Noble: dog.billyok.com/bn

Indiebound: dog.billyok.com/indiebound

Dear Sweethearts,

I hope that you are doing well and that you’re having a wonderful Tuesday, and that your summer has been nothing short of glorious! I wanted to write you a quick note to tell you a few really exciting things about How to Get Run Over by a Truck! (I know, it’s the little book that just.wont.quit.)

Last week the team at Audible reached out to me to let me know that my the audiobook of How to Get Run Over by a Truck is going to go on sale today for the gloriously low price of $2.95! So, if you have ever wanted to hear what my sweet, sweet voice sounds like - this is your chance! This is a great gift to get for someone who is about to go on a long road trip, or someone who is ill and reading isn’t a tangible possibility because the pain from their illness is too distracting (I was in that camp, and I know I would have loved an audiobook!) or for the older people in your life (who don’t mind a couple of well placed curse words…) If you do get one, please let me know! I would LOVE to hear what you thought about it!

In some other amazing news, How to Get Run Over by a Truck was featured in 3 different news magazines this past week!  Including, Shape Magazine, Reader’s Digest, and (most surprisingly!!) The Daily Mail in the UK! To see that almost a year after the book was published that there is still a such a huge interest in the story is SO incredibly moving!  

I hope that when you see these articles you are reminded of what a huge gift that you gave to me and to these reader by being an early supporter of this work! The messages from perfect strangers about how much they needed this story of hope, amazingly, continue to roll in, and they have you to thank for that!

I am so grateful to you for believing in this story, for believing in me and for your support in bringing this story to thousands of people around the world!! You are amazing 

Heart,

Katie

Greetings Followers,

The Dark Mountain has broken into double-digits in the Horror Novel contest! Thanks to all who have placed pre-orders and to all those who said they would but haven’t yet but I’m sure will get to it real soon because you are awesome!

To celebrate, I’m doing a raffle!

$40 Amazon Gift Card @ 25 Readers

Everyone who has already ordered is eligible. All readers’ names will be placed into a randomizer online and one person will win the gift card. But the drawing won’t begin until The Dark Mountain reaches 25 readers. That’s only 15 more!

Promo Trailer

I’ve uploaded a cool, corny trailer to my project page. I figured I licensed the stock footage and music a while back so why not get some use out of it. Check it out!

A Brand-New Chapter 1

I’ve struggled for a while how to make my opening more mature and in line with the rest of the book. I finally figured out a compromise between Chapters 1 and 2, and combined them into a new opening. I deleted the awesome action-figure franchise I created, which was going to spin-off as a Saturday Morning cartoon, but oh, well. Must stay true to the story.

Beta-Reads

I’ve completed only 1 so far.

Battle Flag: The Road to Hell: Great world-building, and lots of imagination at work. Give it a try…

The offer still stands for other Inkshares writers: Post your first 3 chapters, give approval, and I’ll read/review them, and send you feedback via email, but only after you pre-order The Dark Mountain.

Nauselbaum,

M.R.R.

I have a tendency to disappear sometimes. Actually, to escape. And at times escape so thoroughly that it’s like I can feel the whole Earth turning beneath me, forgetting it’s left me behind. ...but then I snap out of it, and I realize it’s really just my fault. I’ve been quiet a little too long. This reader update is long, long overdue.

As of this writing, The Animal in Man has sold 495 copies. As of months and months ago, that number was practically the same. I realized today I would very much like to see 500, and I’m asking all of those who have followed the novel recently to make a pre-order and help me achieve that goal. Of course, I’ve also been working on my sales pitch:

The Animal in Man is like Lord of the Flies, but instead of asking whether young men beguiled by the beast inside can ever be human again, the story asks if there’s something human already in every beast. Instead of stumbling, terrified, through a jungle of fear, they are born in a world of constant violence, perhaps designed that way by its creator. Are we so very different, I wonder. 

The original description I typed years ago when I first launched the inkshares page are still true, perhaps more than ever before: The Animal in Man “is our story. The story of mankind." But if words alone aren’t enough to earn your pre-order, then consider these images.

When you read The Animal in Man, what you’ll see first is this:

But it’s really all about this:

It’s about why anyone would ever think violence could be the answer. It’s about my belief that all of us at some point in our life have heard that whisper inside our hearts that says this it might just be. 

Is it?

Friends, Readers, and Sorcerers All,

Much has happened in the last month. We’re about six weeks away from publication, and the momentum is increasing. First, we’ve booked several more signing events in October. You can click on the links below to attend. It would be great to see as many of you in person as possible!

13 October, 2017 - Westlake, OH

14 October, 2017 - Oak Park, IL

18 October, 2017 - Redlands, CA

21 October, 2017 - Burbank, CA

30 October, 2017 - Pasadena, CA 

We will let you know as more events are added. If anyone knows people who work at bookstores, libraries, or middle schools, especially on the West Coast, please let us know. We’d love to set up as many events as possible to build buzz, and personal connections are incredibly helpful in such a crowded marketplace. 

Secondly, reviews have been coming in from early readers on Goodreads and NetGalley. Some highlights:

“Absolutely amazing! After reading this book, I didn’t want to put it down, even when I reached the last word.” (5 out of 5 stars)

“I could not put this book down … hopefully the author will expand on the universe.” (5 out of 5 stars)

“I loved the way the story was peppered with spells and footnotes…I can see this quickly becoming a cult classic and I hope this becomes a series with more volumes to follow!” (4 out of 5 stars)

“JK Rowling meets VE Schwab. Highly recommend!” (4 out of 5 stars)

It’s really humbling and awesome to see people we don’t know enjoying the book, especially since everyone involved worked so hard on it. And speaking of hard work…the final cover is FINISHED. I will be able to reveal that in about a week or so, but it looks really amazing and unique. My first thought when I saw it was, “If I found this in a bookstore when I was 10, it would have blown my mind.” 

And honestly, that’s my real hope with this book—that some kid I don’t know will pick it up and be as excited as I was to discover the Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Dark is Rising, or Harry Potter. (Not that I expect to sell anywhere near that many copies, I just want kids to enjoy it.) 

If you haven’t yet, please put Sorcery for Beginners on your wish lists at Amazon, Goodreads, Powell’s, Walmart, or wherever you buy books. It really helps us in terms of bookstore preorders. Thanks again for all the support, and we’ll have another update soon!

mh