It’s Alive!!!! The Walls are Closing In pre-order campaign is here! You can now read chapter two and three and pre-order your copy today!

I am overwhelmed by the reception that I have received for this book so far. I guess that many of us, myself included, are feeling the drive to support artistic reactions to the political turbulence that is spreading the globe. I began this book over a year ago (when the reality we are currently experiencing didn’t yet seem probable), and it started as a clearly fictional story exploring an alternative history. As the election cycle wore on, the plot continued to shift. Now, it’s poignancy becomes more apparent each day, and it is with bitter sweetness that I fine tune the words. This book simply represents my imagination’s answer to some of the many "what ifs."

Only about ten percent of my followers so far are people that I know out in the real world, and the rest are strangers who have not hesitated to provide support with open arms. This, in itself, has solidified my decision to use the reader-driven publisher, Inkshares, to get this book off the ground. The sense of community is unrivaled in the publishing world and the ability to garner feedback by those who resonate with the story is priceless. In the coming weeks, the book will be highlighted on various YouTube shows and blogs. I will be sharing those links as they become live.

The goal is to presell 750 copies before April 13th, which will get The Walls are Closing In full publishing and marketing rights, ensuring that it will appear in bookstores, receive full developmental and line editing, undergo professional book cover design, and be represented for television and movie rights. Ebooks are $10, and print copies are $20. Keep in mind that this is a campaign for a publishing contract, and the book will still need to go through the full publishing process, which you can read more about here.

I will be offering a few milestone perks as the campaign wears on! Below are the first three:

100 - Be one of the first 100 unique readers to order The Walls are Closing In, and you will be entered for the chance to have a minor character named after you! Or, alternately you can select the name of the character. Two winners will be chosen!

200- I will upload Chapter 3.

300 - I will share a new novel trailer, complete with mild teasers.

Thank you again for your incredible support. It is appreciated more than you know.

If, by chance, you want to do more to help, read on...

For those that are willing, there are numerous ways to help me reach my pre-order goal. Every little bit helps a great deal!

1) The greatest way to help, the method that has been shown to produce the best results, would be to select five to ten people that you know who would like this book (I think we all know those who would, and would not, like this book), and personally tell them about the book via email. Invite them to read the material that is up, and personally invite them to offer their support if they like what they read.

2) Share the information for my novel on any of your social networks (there are share buttons on my book’s page), tagging those who you think would be interested. Share updates, reviews the book has received, the link to my novel trailer, and/or share interviews and youtube links as they become available.

3) Become a backer for the book (pre-order 3 or more print copies, and receive your name in the back of the book).

4) Leave a recommendation on Inkshares if you notice that the novel has slipped off the front page of the site. Providing a recommendation places The Walls are Closing In under the "Recommended by Inkshares Readers" section on the front page of the website, thereby increasing exposure.

5) Nominate The Walls are Closing In if you happen to be a member of an Inkshares Syndicate. Syndicates members all pool together to support one book a month.

6)Send me any and all ideas that you have for getting this book 750 preorders!

Hey it’s that anniversary update I was talking about!

It’s now a year (more or less) since Ghosts of War successfully finished it’s funding campaign. Now I know you’re all probably wondering the same thing...

’Dude...it’s been a year....where’s the book?’

A valid question. No doubt. But the last year has been good to Ghosts. It’s a rather different book to where it was at this time last year. For one: it’s finished. At just over 106,000 words, 32 chapters and maybe north of 400 pages, it’s boiled itself down to a story that I’m really rather proud of. Now I say that as it’s author, and the only one who knows how it ends, but I’m quietly confident you’ll like it too (please like it...O_O).

’Yeah, no but for reals...how much longer?’

Not long. I’ve come to realise you can only revise things so much, and at some point you just have to leave it be. As such, I’m currently going through the final polish and tidy up on the current draft and that will be done by the end of January. At that point, I will hand it off to a few beta readers to get their thoughts and then it will be onto the final, final edits.

From there I’ll hand it over to Inkshares (tentatively by the start of March), and it’s generally then around 16 weeks until Pub Day. So, all going well, it should be in your hands by the middle of the year.

’Got anything for us now though?’

I do actually. If you head over here ---->;;;;;;;;;;; CLICK ME

But wait...there’s more...

Chapter 2 has been updated too! Nowhere near as extensively though, I think I only added about 30 words. Most of it was just grammar/punctuation fixes. But it’s still new...kinda.

Chapters 3-8 will be updated over the next week too, so keep an eye out.

Now it wouldn’t be a Ghosts update if I didn’t close with a gif. So...

Until next time.

Hello, readers! 

I hope that by now, you will have had a notification in your inbox of something exciting: Witherfist has officially gone into ’production’. What does this mean? It doesn’t mean that the book will start printing and shipping immediately, but it does mean that Inkshares have committed to producing and distributing the books to you all. You can read more about the Quill imprint, which Witherfist has joined, on Inkshares blog.

So what’s happening now? Well, currently, I’m working on writing the book! In May, I’ll be giving the manuscript to my editor for evaluation. Some time after that, I’ll hand it over to Inkshares - who will, in their own time, deliver the book to you. I can’t be any more specific with when at this stage because I haven’t even begun to have that discussion with Inkshares, but I will certainly keep you updated as and when I have more to share. 

Barring any unusual happenings, I’ll send you all an update on a monthly basis. In the meanwhile, if you have any questions, please do get in touch.

~ Jenny

Dear Sweethearts,

Happy Wednesday! 365 short days ago, I stared at my Inkshares project page. It was full of the first chapter of the book I had written , why I wanted for this book to become a reality support, and an ask. I asked you all, many of you perfect strangers, to take the worst thing that had ever happened to me, and to help me make it into something beautiful, into something helpful.  I exhaled deeply, I closed my eyes and then clicked submit.

Now, here we are 1 year later. And because of your support, kindness, and willingness to share this story we have sold over 3,400 copies of "How to Get Run Over by a Truck"!!! That has happened in the 3 short months since it has been published! It is being sold online, and in bookstores across the country!!  Not only helped me to break Inkshares sale records, but to help others laugh in the face of tragedy, to feel less alone - you have made my dream come true! 

Isn’t it amazing that you did that! You, beautiful, stunning, generous human being! I hope that you feel proud of creating a miracle - because I am VERY proud of you! 

In the last year, your support has changed my life dramatically.  For the first time I felt like I was actually a good writer, that my story had worth, and that it was a sotry that others might be interested in it. I had the confidence to use my experience and my voice to help others - which is the greatest gift I have ever been given.

I have been invited to speak at colleges, medical schools, financial firms, hospitals, elementary schools, high schools bookstores and bars!  I have been overwhelmed by the response that I have gotten from strangers after these talks. I have been approached by men and women weeping for their own traumas, strangers grabbing my hands telling me that my little story has given them hope, doctors with 20 years of medical experience letting me know that I have changed the way that they see their patients. It has given me more clarity around what I would like to do with my life, a purpose,  and for that I am forever grateful. 

Your support of this effort has been so meaningful to me, and to all of the people who have read this book. I wish that I could send you all of the emails, tweets, posts and whispered thank you’s that I have heard over the last three months (but that would be a lot, and you guys are busy people!) So, instead, I just wanted to reiterate to you that your love and support has had a serious impact on my life, and on the lives of others! 

I have been blown away by the fact that more people need this story than I had ever imagined. I spoke at New York University Hospital’s Grand Rounds a few weeks ago, and I was so moved by their feedback, and how grateful they were for a patients take on how small kindnesses can change their interactions with their patients. I am going to St. Barnubus Hospital in a few weeks to speak to all of the doctors, nurses and EMT’s in their trauma center, to give them insight into their patients experience, so that they can empathize more deeply with the people who come into their care. I have LOVED giving these talks.  Incredibly, the connections to these hospitals have been made by all of you! You saw worth in this book, and shared it with the medical professionals in your life! I cannot tell you how meaningful that has been to me, and I hope that you will keep sharing! 

I have another book event coming up at one of my favorite bookstores, Northshire Bookstore in Manchester VT! It is going to be on January 20, at 7:00. If you are in the area I would love to see you there and give you a BIG hug! If you’re able to join us, please RSVP here! Bonus: my amazing parents, Art and Margo will be there, and they are even better in person than they are on paper :) 

Also, you all have been SO amazing about leaving Amazon reviews! We are at 77 reviews as of this morning, and apparently, if the book get to 100 reviews it shifts the way that Amazon markets the book online! We are only 23 reviews away from that goal! So, if you have 5 minutes and haven’t reviewed it yet, I would be so grateful for your feedback

Finally, I wanted to offer up something special to you all - recently, some friends who have chosen How to Get Run Over by a Truck as their book club pick, have invited me to join a portion of their book club meeting to answer questions, or to chat about the book, or to just allow me to step into a small beautiful sliver of their worlds as they talk about their own challenges and trauma’s. If that is something that you would be interested in having me Skype, or FaceTime into - please feel free to contact me via Inkshares or the Facebook page for How to Get Run Over by a Truck! 

I sincerely cannot thank you enough for your love, kindness, and support of this book over this last year. I am unsure of what I did to deserve so much love, but I promise that I will keep doing it.  Thank you for everything that you have done for me in the last 365 days, it has meant more to me than you know! 

Sending you love, hope and gratitude on this rainy Brooklyn morning! 

Heart,

Katie 

Greetings.

This morning Facebook reminded me that it is 1 year today since Ghosts of War successfully finished it’s funding campaign. This is actually mildly awkward because I thought it was the 13th...not the 11th...

So, while I don’t have anything for you today, on Friday (the 13th....oooOOOooo...spoopy) I will have a nice, proper, full of info update. 

So yes, today may be the anniversary, but the party is on Friday.

Happy New Year everyone!

If you haven’t had a chance to read it, here is a really great post by Inkshares’ CEO that really resonated with me: 

http://blog.inkshares.com/post/155632230065/the-coal-car

When I started working on "To Live and Die in Avalon", it was a spur of the moment decision so I could get into the Nerdist space opera contest. I had one chapter, a rough outline and not much else. Although I managed to hover around 20th place in the contest out of about 100 submissions, I really had a hard time marketing a book that was not done, that was barely realized. When the campaign ended I stepped away from everything having to do with the novel so that I could refocus and come back with fresh eyes and a fresher mind toward finishing and refining a novel worth reading. It has been nearly a year since I entered the space opera contest and the book is miles away from where it was. First of all, it’s a more or less finished novel of nearly 100k words with a lot of big ideas, some personal themes that transcend the sci-fi setting, more fully defined protagonists and villains and the framework to create more stories in a world I’ve spent a lot of time building, breaking down and rebuilding. 

I want my story to be told and the chance to write more stories. I realize now, through this entire experience with Inkshares that this is what I most want to do. I have always believed that the story comes first and my name on the book or even my picture in the back a far distant second. I want people to read this crazy sci-fi story and get something out of it, some thrills, some laughs, maybe some tears and then be ready to see these characters and their world progress into new and exciting directions.  That’s why, no matter what happens, whether I relaunch a successful campaign on Inkshares or not, this story will be told and I will find the tools, the feedback and the support I need to make sure it is the best version of the story possible. Because I’m not in a rush to have a book out there just so I can brag about the fact that I wrote a book. Anybody can write a book, but I want to tell stories, and I’m happy to be among a plethora of authors who want the same.

Thank you,

J

P.S. The current draft has been sent to beta readers for feedback, I will let you know how that goes in a future update!

It is a new year! I hope 2017 finds you happy and healthy. Fae Child is sitting at 152 copies sold, which blows my mind (in a good way), but there’s still a long way to go. 98 copies to pre-sell before the end of February, which, I don’t need to tell you, is only a month away, and the shortest month of the year.

I am doing a Twitter takeover for Young Entertainment Magazine ( @youngentmag ) tomorrow about my experiences as a first time author, which should be entertaining at the very least. If you don’t follow me on Twitter, my handle is @hanejolly - I look forward to seeing you there!

Progress on the first draft is continuing on pace. I’m very happy with how things are turning out, and I think you will be too.

Lastly, I have a favor to ask of you. Can you send one friend an email about Fae Child? Here’s a sample email you can copy/customize for your own use:

Hi (insert name)!

I just pre-ordered a new YA fantasy book called Fae Child. It’s a sweet, exciting book about a girl who accidentally falls into the land of the Fae, and her father who will stop at nothing to find her. You can read some sample chapters, view a book trailer, and order a copy at https://www.inkshares.com/books/fae-child

I really think you’ll like it!

Cheers,
(your name)

Happy New Year!

I hope this update finds you all well and relaxed after the holidays. Now the competition / campaign has finished, I’ll be sending out reader updates for Human Resources less frequently. The competition was intense, but the publication process should be a more measured journey. I’ll aim to update you all roughly every month. If you would like to chat, or get some questions answered, I’m happy for you to reach out. You can get hold of me on Inkshares, on Facebook, or Twitter.

Before Inkshares can commence the publication process, there is some remaining work I need to do to tidy up the manuscript. To make sure I don’t hold this process up, I’ve taken the leap and will be writing full-time through January. I’m one week into this and it has been amazing — something I never thought I’d be able to do, and wouldn’t if it wasn’t for the support I’ve received from my wife.