Greetings followers,

I’ve been told by some that these emails are annoying. Then, on other occasions, I get actual positive feedback from others who I never would have thought bothered reading it. I am all for the philosophy that people want to be bugged the least, but then again you did back a project and deserve to know where we stand. So here goes:

We are just shy of 400 pre-orders - an amazing figure, with each and every one of you to thank immensely for it! 

The contest in which I’m raffling a new character bearing one of your names, is still up for grabs!! I have enough time to integrate YOU in the novel. Each order up to 450 = one entry. And don’t worry, the novel has British, Americans, Israelis and Arabs in it, so unless we have a Klingon winner (see below) - I will cope with anyone! 

Most important - I have pledged 3.5$ (2£) for every order placed using this link https://www.inkshares.com/books/and-the-wolf-shall-dwell?referral_code=e5706435 towards Norwood UK charity. Norwood is an amazing charity that is helping vulnerable children, children with learning and educational disabilities, as well as their families. If we reach the next 400 orders for Norwood I would gladly top up the donation so it will be a round 1,000£.

Whether you already ordered or not, you can help Norwood by placing another order, or by donating to them directly. Some children/families aren’t as lucky as you and I - and they need our help. Also if you think someone will enjoy my book and wants his order to count towards what Norwood does - don’t hesitate to email him/her the above link.

Thanks for your time and invaluable support!!

Joni D

Illustration’s source: Donal Casey

I’m currently in the middle of a staycation here in the Orneck household. Movies, minimal cooking, discovering old restaurants made new...it’s heaven.  It’s been great to get my creative juices flowing, so I am sitting down to sneak some planning in for Chapter 8, the big set piece.  

I bought a book. Now what? 

This is the first update I’ve dispatched since These Are My Friends on Politics reached its full funding goal and became a real published book that a real publishing house is putting into real bookstores instead of the unprofitable ones I see in daydreams. So a thank you — to everyone who bought in, followed along, shared it with others and otherwise showed support for this little ray of light in this insatiable nightmare of an election year — is overdue. 

But it’s overdue for a reason, because rather than thank and leave you with a vague "you’ll get it someday!," I wanted to show my gratitude by letting you know exactly what’s happening with your support. (And I wanted to know what I was talking about before I started talking.) 

So here’s what’s happened. I sent in the manuscript and the initial cover design. Inkshares’ production partners at Girl Friday sent both back with some notes and some ideas about modestly bumping up the page count to hit the magic 64-page printing number (long story having to do with printers and multiples of four) and very possibly give the book the hardcover treatment (at no extra cost to you, of course) instead of the softcover treatment. (No promises yet on that, because I don’t know if it will happen, but it could happen.) I made a batch of new pages, lightly touched up a few existing pages, and handed in version 2. They sent back a few more notes, I did a last round of small touchups, and then I cropped and sized the pages so that they’re printer-perfect before handing in version 3.

And here’s what happens next. While the production wizards take those pages and assemble them into a sharp-looking book with all the interior and exterior necessities it needs, the marketing wizards at Inkshares are ramping up an extensive (word not used lightly — it’s extensive) plan to put the book inside national and independent bookstores and in front of media large and small that cover not just books, but politics and current events too. All of these wizards and plans are joining forces to coordinate a far-and-wide-reaching release in October, and if you’re a backer, you’ll have your signed and numbered copies of the book most likely a month before that October release date. (Again, that’s not ironclad, but based on what I’m told and on my own experiences as a backer of other authors’ books, backers getting their copies a month early seems to be the norm.)

So that’s the roadmap. It’s lengthy (even though it’s hyperloop-fast by book publishing standards — these things almost never happen inside of a year, never mind six months), but it’s that way because a lot of talented people are using really impressive resources to give this book the best possible chance it could ask for. When I said back in the campaigning stage that fully funding this thing is a (to borrow a phrase from the great Eddie Olczyk) tremendously tremendous deal, this is what I had in mind. So thank you for helping make that a reality.

5+2+1+1+6 = 15 

As is customary with these updates, I’ll close it out with the best thank you gift of all: some new pictures of Nina, who turned 15 on May 21 but whose face and table mannerisms remain indistinguishable from those of a puppy. Enjoy, and thank you again.