Cxh300 Christopher Huang liked an update for Tantalus Depths
Hello my wonderful friends and supporters. We are officially down to just one month until Tantalus Depths’ launch day, which feels absolutely insane to say. It seriously felt like we’d never get here, but now it’s cresting over the horizon and finally feels like a real thing that’s actually happening to me. 
There’s still a lot that needs done before launch day in order to make this as successful as possible. I’ve been spending the last few weeks gathering together materials for the display table I plan to use at events, reaching out to reviewers and media sources, and putting together marketing strategies. All of this is way outside my comfort zone and normal skillset, but I’m doing it anyway. It’s not enough for me to just have Tantalus Depths exist; I want it to thrive. I want to do everything in my power to put my book in front of as many people as possible. 
It’s more than one person can do alone, though, even with my publisher bolstering me. My hands are as full as they can get right now, so I’m going to need more hands. Your hands. 
 
I’m putting together a street team for this final stretch of the marathon, and I could really use your help one more time. If you’re not familiar with publishing jargon, a “street team” is a group of an author’s closest friends, family, and most dedicated supporters who gather together to amplify the author’s voice to a bigger audience. You can do that in many ways: anything from leaving a review on Amazon to asking your local library to order the book can help an author’s book launch become more successful. There are no specific obligations: you can participate as much or as little as you like. Every contribution you make is one thing off my shoulders and one step closer to a successful launch. 
There are perks to joining my street team for you as well. Everyone who joins will have exclusive early access to the Tantalus Depths ebook: you can read it right now! I also want to make participation fun for you guys too, so I’m turning it into a bit of a game with a nice prize at the end! Participating actively in the street team will earn you points, which will be worth entries in a raffle. On Saturday, October 1st, I will pick the winner of the raffle and the recipient of the grand prize: a brand new Kindle Fire HD 10 tablet! I have one of these and I love it: I actually use it as my main portable computer now, so I’m really excited to give this new one away to a loyal supporter. 
If you’re interested in joining my street team, you can either email me at authorevangraham@gmail.com or, better still, you can join the dedicated Facebook group for it here and we can all collaborate together! 
This is an exciting process and I’m really eager to see what we can all do together. Launch day is coming up fast, and it’s going to be a day to remember.
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    Cxh300 Christopher Huang liked an update for The Man from Mittelwerk

    More good news: Books have been printed! The audiobook is recorded! 
    Finally, after much longer than I ever expected, The Man from Mittelwerk is on its way. The book will become available September 6 in time for the Bouchercon mystery & crime writer conference I’ll be attending in Minneapolis that week. (If you’re there, hit me up for a beer.)

    The audiobook has been a lot of fun. We hired professional voice-over actor Jonathan Strait who handles the various accents and voices and really brought the story to life. He also found a number of typos, most of which (ahem) were corrected before the first print run. 

    If you’ve moved since originally sponsoring on Inkshares, please be sure to login at www.inkshares.com, go to your Profile page, and click the Account button in the top right corner. Select Address from the dropdown menu, and verify or update the information. If you have any questions, please email hello@Inkshares.com.

    Thank you again for all your support for this project. It was pretty fun to find a box of books on my porch and hold the finished work in my hands. Thank you to my co-author and brother Mike for making the book so much better than it would have been otherwise. And thank you to my wife for keeping the champagne on ice. 

    In other news, I managed to run the Bayshore Half Marathon way back in May despite being injured and under-trained. I have since switched to cycling for the summer. How about you? Don’t hit reply, instead send email to ZUrlocker@hotmail.com. 
    Cheers!
    --Zack
    PS. News updates will be provided at the author website https:www.mzurlocker.com.   

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      Cxh300 Christopher Huang liked an update for Tantalus Depths

      Hello my wonderful friends and supporters! It’s been a while since my last update; in fact, I don’t think I’ve sent an update since we found out our launch was being pushed back from May to September. But I have been working hard behind the scenes for the past few months to try making the most of that extra time to make the Tantalus Depths launch as amazing as possible, and let me tell you, it is going to blow all your expectations out of the water. 

      Without further ado, lets get to the updates, because we have some huge ones today. 

      If you follow me on social media (which you should, check out my Twitter and Facebook) you may have already seen this news: I now have in my possession some of the first physical copies of Tantalus Depths! They’re real! They’re beautiful! I can hold them in my hands and flip through their pages. It’s one of the most surreal and amazing experiences I’ve ever had, to be able to touch a professionally printed copy of a book I wrote, and I cannot wait to share the experience with you. They look and feel amazing in my hands. I truly can’t wrap my head around the idea that something so beautiful now exists in the real world after originating in my imagination. 

      I could gush forever about it, but you could also just see me lose my mind in real time in this unboxing video I made about it. Check that out here: 

      Next on the agenda is something I am, believe it or not, just as excited about: the audiobook! It’s now in production with Audible, and I’ve had the tremendous pleasure of chatting several times with my narrator, who I’d love to finally introduce you all to. 

      This is Andi Arndt: an absolute rock star of a narrator who will be the official voice of Tantalus Depths. She’s a truly phenomenal narrator with the recognition to show for it: Andi is a three-time Audie Award winner and one of only 21 voices chosen for the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. She’s had quite a prolific career across multiple genres, but two particular stories came to mind when I asked her about projects she’s especially proud of: Come Fly the World by Julia Cooke, and Unbound by Steph Jagger. Both are true stories about brave women overcoming challenges as they venture far and abroad, and, in Andi’s words, “Mary is a brave adventurer in that vein, and I’m honored to tell her story.” 

      I could not be more deeply honored to have Andi narrating Tantalus Depths. Her work is truly outstanding, and she goes to incredible lengths to treat the stories she reads with the utmost care and dedication. She doesn’t simply read the book; she takes the time and care to ensure that she understands every nuance of every scene, and she reflects it expertly in her voice. Her voice has an amazing range, and she’s adept at inflecting multiple layers of emotional complexity in a hundred discrete ways. She has a gift all narrators covet: the ability to make you forget you’re not there in the scene as it happens. I have the utmost confidence that she will treat Tantalus Depths with all the care and respect I could ask for, and to give you all an audiobook experience that you will want to listen to over and over again. 

      The Tantalus Depths audiobook is an Audible Original production and will be available exclusively on Audible. No release date has yet been confirmed, but it should hopefully be landing close to the same time as our official book launch on September 27th. 

      Speaking of launch dates, that brings me to my final piece of news for this update. Yes, believe it or not, we are still on track for the September 27th launch date! After all the delays and setbacks in our six-year development process, I’m sure a lot of you are still skeptical that it’s ever coming. But as I showed you earlier, the physical books do really exist now, and there are plenty more just waiting for distribution to bookstores and everyone who preordered them. 

      But not only is our launch date for the physical book still on track, I can happily announce that the e-book is coming early to backers! Two whole weeks early! That means if you participated in the Tantalus Depths pre-order campaign waaaaaay back in 2016, you’ll finally be able to read the ebook two whole weeks before the official release date! Everyone who preordered the book directly from Inkshares will be able to get the ebook; even if you pre-ordered a physical copy, you will also get an ebook copy. That’ll be coming your way on September 13th, so keep an eye on your inboxes for that! 

      That’s probably way too much news for one update, so I’ll wrap it up here, but you can expect way more exciting announcements in the next couple of weeks. I’ll be getting back to more regular updates, including more lore articles for the website, interviews, and announcements for book signings and other events. Stay tuned for a lot of exciting news, and as always, thanks so much for all of your support! 

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        Cxh300 Christopher Huang commented on Unnatural Ends
        There was some discussion a while back, when production delays began to be an issue, about pushing the release back to September 2022. I believe the January 2023 date was finally settled upon as being a more conservative  estimate, with very little risk of having to be pushed back yet again. So yes, January 2023 is basically correct ... though I do live in hope of it turning out to be earlier!
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          Cxh300 Christopher Huang liked an update for Lost in the Fog
          I’m excited to share a profile of me that was recently written by the amazingly talented Andrea Moran of Kirkus! 


          Kirkus Reviews Magazine
          An Interview With Michael Ostrowski
          BY Andrea Moran
          A Disgraced Journalist Finds Himself Involved in an Epic Art Heist

          Writer Michael Ostrowski’s latest novel, Lost in the Fog, is a love letter to San Francisco—one full of shootouts, art thieves, and lots of booze. “I really wanted to make San Francisco its own character,” explains Ostrowski. “I lived there for eight years and just fell in love with the place. Every weekend, I would explore a new section of the city, like Strawberry Hill, and so many of those places are featured in my story.”

          Alongside the Golden City, readers are introduced to a host of other colorful characters in this twisty thriller. Camden Swanson is a former journalist who can’t quite seem to pull himself together after being fired, much to the chagrin of his long-suffering artist girlfriend: 

          “The official reason listed for his termination was “misconduct by egregious disregard for facts.” His superiors claimed he maliciously fabricated a story to create an Orson Welles–type War of the Worlds hoax. But at the time of the incident, Camden believed the city was being attacked by half-monkey, half-snakelike creatures. Dropping acid can do that to you.”

          While working as a gallery attendant, Camden becomes unexpectedly mired in an art heist that couldn’t possibly go more wrong. Also roped into the plan is Veronica Zarcarsky, a hotel worker who has big dreams of becoming a journalist. 

          Camden’s personal demons are at once painful to read and completely relatable—given the turmoil of recent years—as he continues to self-destruct: “With each chicken wing and beer, his tenuous grasp on morality began to fade away. He was committed to being the thieves’ hostage tomorrow and had taken the leap of faith in believing they would keep their word and not kill him.” 

          Even as he and Veronica are forced to ultimately work together to save their own lives, Veronica’s eagerness to investigate and establish herself as a journalist is a compelling contrast to Camden’s hardened, defeatist attitude at having had it all and lost it. Yet as Camden’s situation spirals further out of control, becoming bigger than himself, Camden does something remarkable: He pulls himself together.

          And that’s a message that Ostrowski hopes resonates with audiences of all backgrounds. “The character of Camden really came from that place in my life where I just didn’t know what to do next….So it’s ultimately a story of redemption, of learning how to go out and live your dreams,” explains the author. 

          The novel may have grown out of Ostrowski’s experience of getting to know San Francisco, but that’s not where the similarities end. Prior to moving there, he worked as a museum gallery attendant and would often spend his time while on duty scribbling poems and other snippets in his notebook. “[The job] was a bit boring,” he says, “but I kind of viewed it as an art history class. I read so many books about artists, particularly Henri Matisse, that the ideas just started bubbling. But it wasn’t until I actually moved to San Francisco that the story elements really came together.”

          Writing came early and naturally to Ostrowski, who first remembers dashing off a story about a trip he took with his parents when he was about 8 years old. Currently residing in Miami Beach, where he writes and works in human resources for a hotel management company, he previously pursued a career as a journalist while dabbling in screenplays and short stories. Heavily influenced by detective writers like Robert B. Parker and Dashiell Hammett, Ostrowski pivoted from literary fiction in his first novel (A Model Community, 2003) to the mystery/thriller genre for his current release.

          And it’s safe to say he nailed it. Kirkus Reviews praises Lost in the Fog, noting, “thriller enthusiasts will want to add this well-sculpted heist drama to their collections.”

          When Ostrowski began writing Lost in the Fog, he was initially unsure of what form it would take. Novella? Short story? Something else entirely? Partway through writing what would turn out to be a novel, and after spending so many years with the now-beloved characters, he realized that he had enough material for not just one or two books, but at least three. The next book in the series, which is partially written and (mostly) planned out, will find Camden and Veronica in Hawaii. The third novel will take place on Spain’s famed Camino de Santiago. “I feel like there is a lot more to explore with these two characters,” says Ostrowski. “Not only in terms of their journalistic exploits, but also their relationship to and with each other.”

          Alongside the adrenaline-fueled chases, hails of bullets, and nail-biting interrogations, readers will also find a healthy dose of humor to ease the tension. Whether it’s Camden describing the taste of expensive wine as “light but complex…with a hint of clowns on a bright summer day” or two heist accomplices who have been sworn to secrecy spilling their guts to a pair of indifferent strippers, the characters somehow make trying to stay alive inherently humorous. 

          There is much to be said for keeping a sense of humor and viewing life itself as an adventure. And that lightness, often found within dark moments in the novel, is something Ostrowski hopes audiences will appreciate. “Life isn’t always what you want,” he explains. “But if you have that positive attitude, you can still laugh about it.”

          Andrea Moran is a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books.

          https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/an-interview-with-michael-ostrowski/
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            Cxh300 Christopher Huang liked an update for The Man from Mittelwerk

            Good news, we have the final artwork for the cover the The Man from Mittelwerk designed by Tim Barber of DissectDesigns and it looks great. (See below.) 

            Bad news, logistical issues in the publishing industry are going to delay the book until Fall 2022. Apparently supply chain issues, trucking strikes and the demand for shipping materials is causing pretty much every book out there to be delayed several months. 

            Nonetheless, we are moving ahead on all fronts. We have two short stories: a prequel that Mike wrote (The Perfect Setup) set before WWII and a bonus chapter I wrote (Leaving Detroit) set in 1950. We’ll post these on the www.mzurlocker.com web site in the coming weeks. We’ll be using these and other short stories in order to generate awareness and a mailing list for marketing. 

             We also had a couple of additional nice quotes from other authors including James R. Benn author of the highly acclaimed Billy Boyle WWII series and from James Kestrel (who may or may not be Lee Child*) author of my favorite book of 2021 Five Decembers. 

             “A fast-paced, smart debut novel that blends noir and Lovecraftian elements. If you like J.J. Abram’s alternate history Overlord, this book is for you.”
             —James Kestrel, author of Five Decembers 

             “From the dark caves of a Nazi slave labor complex to sunny southern California, The Man from Mittelwerk delivers on all fronts. Snappy dialog, a fast-paced narrative, and complex moral questions all combine to make this hard-boiled thriller a winner. Think Chinatown meets The Boys from Brazil - superb!”
            —James R Benn, author of the Billy Boyle WWII mysteries 

             If you aren’t familiar with James R. Benn’s Billy Boyle series, I encourage you to take a look. A couple of my personal favorites are The Rest is Silence and A Blind Goddess. Benn’s books are extremely well-researched and wonderfully told. He’s also a super nice guy.

            Let me know what you think of the cover and how you’re doing with all the insanity in the world these days. In addition to my day job, I’m doing my best to keep up with running and learning the piano. How about you? Don’t hit reply, instead send email to ZUrlocker@hotmail.com
             --Zack
            (*) But probably isn’t. I think.  
                 

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              Cxh300 Christopher Huang liked an update for The Man from Mittelwerk

              I wanted to keep everyone up-to-date with the latest on The Man from Mittelwerk. Good news, the book is still finished and slated for publication in April next year. We have received the final proofs from the publisher and are correcting some minor grammatical errors while also sneaking in a few other fixes. Hopefully we will get the cover artwork in the new year. 

               While not ruminating over the final edits Mike and I are working on a couple of short stories to provide more background on the main character, private detective Jack Waters. Eventually we’ll post those on the web site. 

               We also had a couple of nice quotes from other authors:

               “A compelling page-turner with a chilling what-if scenario drawn from the truth.” — Rick Mofina, USA Today bestselling author of Her Last Goodbye 

               “A thrilling, at times devastating, sci-fi noir adventure that juxtaposes Nazi human experimentation against modern pursuits of power.” — Tal M. Klein, The Punch Escrow

              For fans of WWII historical fiction with a noir angle, you must pick up James Kestrel’s Five Decembers. It’s been widely reviewed by the New York Times, LA Review of Books and more. It’s the best book I’ve read this year. He’s received well-earned praise from no less than Stephen King called it “One hell of a good story.” 

              Finally, let me wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I’d love to hear from you and what books you’ve enjoyed this year. But don’t hit Reply. Instead email me at ZUrlocker@hotmail.com. 
               Cheers! 
              --Zack    

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