It’s away!
So, as most everyone was probably expecting, I did not manage to finish my second development draft of Tantalus Depths within one week, as I had hoped. BUT fortunately it didn’t take anywhere near as long as the first draft did. I have just finished my second development draft of Tantalus Depths and turned it into my editor. Only took two and a half weeks!
So once again, we’re all going to have to wait a little while before he’s able to read through it and give me feedback on this latest draft. Unless there are any significant problems left over after two thorough rounds of development edits, though, we should be able to move right from here to the copy editing stage. We’re really making headway!
Once we do officially enter the copy editing stage, the ball’s really going to start rolling. Shortly after that is when the interior page design and the new cover art will be approved (which I can’t wait for). We’ll also get an official release date around that time too, hopefully. We are well on our way to reaping the benefits of all this hard work and finally holding a real-life, fully-published print copy of Tantalus Depths!
One thing at a time, though. As you’ve undoubtedly noticed by now, no stage in this process moves quickly. I’d say we’re closer to the end than the beginning, but any number of things could happen to set us back, so I’m not going to jinx it. For now, we’re back to the waiting game, as my editor pours over this new draft. That means I’m going to be shifting my attention back to campaigning Proteus once again, and boy, I gotta tell you, missing that extra week and a half of campaign time really did not do my campaign any favors.
Proteus hasn’t had any new pre-orders in two weeks, so we have to make a lot of headway in not a lot of time. We can absolutely do it, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work. As always, please tell all your friends about Proteus and try and get as many of them to pre-order copies as you can. We still need to sell more than 400 copies to get that publishing deal, and we only have until the end of next month to get there. If you have it in your heart to order multiple copies and can afford to do so, that would be absolutely invaluable to the success of the campaign. I already owe you all a tremendous debt for the help you’ve offered in getting Tantalus Depths a publication deal, and for getting Proteus almost halfway to one of its own. I can never express my gratitude to you all for what you’ve done to get us this far.
As soon as I have news about this second draft, you’ll all be the first to know. Meanwhile, back to Proteus I go, and I hope to see you all there!
THE MOST IMPORTANT UPDATE....IN THE WORLD.
Want some news? Here’s some news...
To the best of my knowledge, very shortly (if not right now) Ghosts of War: Retribution will be off to the printers.
That right, it’s D-O-N-E, done.
Edits have been done, copy edits have been done, covers have been done and finalised, the interior has been designed and finalised. Done.
So what now? Well, there is one thing that is rather important:
Shipping Addresses!
Since Ghosts had its backing period so long ago, undoubtedly some of you have changed address in the meantime. If you want to receive your physical copy of Ghosts of War: Retribution, it’s very important to update your address on the Inkshares site (or just confirm it to be super safe). Just follow this simple guide to fix everything up:
With that squared away, you should safely receive your print copy (provided you bought one) some time before the general release date of the 17th of July. If things stick to the current schedule, I believe that backer print copies (and ebooks) are set to go out around the 15th of June.
And now onto some pretty things.
Like the final full cover spread (the final book is 416 pages, and should be just under an inch thick):
and the blurbs pages and title page:
That’s all for now. I’ll be doing a couple more updates in the run up to release, and I’ll make sure to keep reminding you all about confirming your shipping addresses. I want make sure everyone gets their books.
Until then...
I know what you’re thinking: Another update so soon? Well, this one has been a long time coming. Even the animals are talking about it...

That’s right! The team at Inkshares has informed me that production has really started ramping up for The Animal in Man I: Violent Heart, and the book will be hitting bookstore shelves on September 25th of this year! Granted I’ll need to keep my s**t together well enough to meet all the deadlines on my end, but I owe YOU - my supporters, my greatest strength through all this, the thing that’s kept me going - and I’ll get it done.
Friend me on facebook, look me up on Twitter, stay tuned to your email for more upcoming updates on book signing events in and around Chicago as that wonderful date draws near! And if you haven’t already, check out my new and improved promotional video for “The Animal in Man.”
Hi! I’m finishing off the semester at SF State this week (20 units, and I expect all A’s except for one B), so I should be a bit more "present" in the coming months. One more semester like this (only 19 units :D) and I’ll be out!
But my personal life aside, I’m happy to report that Amazon is up to 10 reviews, sales have been good, and copies are available at most SF bookstores, and even at Pegasus Books in Berkeley! I’ll be driving about and getting copies on shelves in the coming weeks, so if you’re local to the Bay Area, keep your eyes peeled!
On a similar note, I want to thank everyone who has read Borehole Bazaar, but I also want to encourage folks to keep the book moving. Much like a penny, the value increases with circulation, not just with initial sales. If you know someone who would LOVE this story, even if it wasn’t quite your cup of tea, then please feel welcomed and encouraged to LEND THEM YOUR COPY.
That’s right. If those I wasn’t able to reach aren’t of a mind to buy a book, but they would enjoy reading the story, it’s to my net benefit that they have access, and that is where you come in: Please share your copies. What this does, first and foremost, is allows for the words to become more than just ink and glue and paper and and some pretty images. It allows the book to take a step toward becoming real. What it also does, and I kill the magic by stating this, is it potentially increases visibility among populations outside the mainstream, which in turn could drive future sales with recommendations or "cult classic" status in ten years or even encourage folks to keep their eyes peeled for Book Two, Three, ecetera all the way to Twelve.
Now, don’t get me wrong here: I’d love a proffitable sale as much as the next author. But I can never forget when I was literally starving because I couldn’t afford food, when I wore three to six layers inside my house because my roommate and I couldn’t afford heating, when we left the TV off and read by daylight or one bulb on our rescue couch in the living room together. Those days were made for free books lent by friends and acquaintances. That’s when I developed my love of well-worn pages and discovering "mystery crumbs" in the binding. I used to try and guess what they were, back then. So, if you’ve got a copy and you’re not going to read it again for a month, keep the book in motion. Don’t let it gather dust. It’s not a statue or shelf decoration. It’s a book, made all the more precious for each time its spine risks creasing.
Check out the new Promotional Video I’m launching for The Animal in Man Saga! 
At this point, I realized the old one was severely outdated. At this stage of the game it just wasn’t good enough. After all the writing, cutting, rewriting, recutting, and of course the finagling, mangling, and beautifying I’ve done to the story, I know I got something special here for you. It’s time to get this project out to a broader audience. Please hit that Share button and help me get the word out!
Ultra-special thanks to Kyle Probst for shooting and compiling all this footage (and somehow making me appear presentable). And as ever, an outlandish heap of thanks to all you Animals out there, my greatest supporters. Some exciting news is forthcoming… (Perhaps with an ACTUAL DATE…?)
Oh hi, how you doing? Feeling good? Having a good spring? Do you even have spring where you live?
Here in Alabama the flowers are in bloom, the trees are green again, and the pollen plague is in full effect. I’ve been nose down in writing projects, but none of them have been the Circuit sequel because alas they’re for my day job. But hey, we got our first game launched, so that feels good.
This week I negotiated terms for the Sister of the Circuit audiobook. I’m happy to announce that the amazing Jill Crenshaw will be narrating for Isidore, Dax, and CRI-LUX. I could NOT be more excited. I can’t wait to hear this story with her incredible acting ability. All is lined up to have the audiobook launched the same time as the other formats, so July is going to be a BIG month.
Have I mentioned the launch team to ya’ll? I’m pre-building the book launch team now, you know, reviews and such, but I am giving away mugs, bookmarks, shirts, and a huge prize at the end for one lucky member. Want to be part of this? Head on over and sign up!

May the 4th be with you!
Yes, it’s that day. So why in the world is Solo being released later this month? Brilliant Disney. I’m sure you have your reasons.
In other news, lots going on! The Richter scale of life has gone super seismic. In the last several months: I’ve started a new job, had another baby, moved. You know, your average year. That said, Kingdom of Dreams is back in our court! My editor at Reedsy has released her final edits and it’s my turn to put the final polish on the manuscript.
So what next? Well, two roads diverged into the woods...
There is news, but I can’t say until it’s official. How about that? Teased enough? I can say this book will be coming out this year, realistically with a Fall release. Again, I can’t say enough what it means to have your support.
Next update will bring big news one way or another. Until then...
Keep Dreaming,
Kevin