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Hello all! Quick update. Production on Under The Rug begins April 2019...finally. It’s been a long road, and I’m grateful that you’ve been patient enough to stay on for the ride. Many thanks.
Oh My Darlings, Happy New Year!
Sent version three of MINE back to the Inkshares Dev Editor today.
That Dev Letter document was a powerful learning vehicle for me. I’ve read it many, many times, and the guidance it provided should translate into an improved story for your enjoyment. (Not to mention my other secret weapon...)
Also, took time to work up another cover comp for the project entry. Can’t go back to the original title. Although nothing is for certain, the current title, MINE, is working well for me.
Check it out: https://www.inkshares.com/books/murder-happens
A lot of excitement around the recent contest winners here on Inkshares. Looks like a lot of original work and promising premises from talented authors. Looking forward to seeing those projects in print.
Also, picked up ESCAPE! Writers Bloc Anthology, available here: https://www.amazon.com/ESCAPE-Writing-Bloc-Anthology-Cooperative-ebook/dp/B07KPZRP39/ and savored a couple delicious stories already.
So, things are progressing. Thank you for your support, and your patience.
Dean Fearce
Good day, everyone. One last note before we all enjoy our holiday time with friends and family.
Some great news – the editor of my local community newspapers (shout-out to Laurie Weir!) has picked up an article on this whole venture. You can read it online here.
Just this morning, Laurie confirmed she has found room to also run the story in the print editions of both our local papers, the Perth Courier and the Smiths Falls Record News, coming out Dec. 27. I couldn’t be happier.
Bane of All Things has also enjoyed in recent weeks some great social media push from Startup Canada and others. Despite this excellent support, direct one-on-one outreach remains the biggest driver of pre-orders to date. We will see what kind of impact media coverage has through New Year’s.
For those of you who are new to Inkshares, I can’t emphasize enough how important friends, family and community support is to make this work. While there are thousands of users on Inkshares who self-identify as fantasy fans (and I’m following as many as I can find), they tend to wait for a new book to prove itself with hundreds of pre-orders and followers before they start jumping on board as supporters, too.
That means I can’t do this without you. No matter the media coverage we get, or what amplification through social media, word of mouth to friends and family is profoundly important to bring the volume of pre-orders and followers we need for success.
That’s all for now. Have a great holiday season and a happy new year!
Seasons Greetings Supporters,
Before anything else I want to give you the link for a quick holiday gift. The link below will lead you to a short story set in the Crow’s Gambit universe. Enjoy! And let me know what you think.
’Twas the Night Before Sylph-Mas
The editing is still progressing on Crow’s Gambit. I am expecting the line edit back from the editor in a couple days. I know you are all waiting to receive your book (that some of your ordered a long time ago). We are moving as fast as we can while still working hard to give you the best story possible. More updates to come.
Best wishes for the new year,
PT
Seasons Greetings Everyone!!
I know it’s been a while since I’ve sent an update through this medium but a very important date is coming up and I wanted to touch base with all my Inkshares followers. In a little more than a month, Beyond the Code will be one year old. It’s been a crazy, eventful year and I’ve learnt so much about the industry and about myself. I look forward to the next year and the next step on my journey.
CONTEST TIME!
In celebration of Beyond the Code’s upcoming anniversary, I’m going to kick off a little contest. Between now and Jan 31/18, anyone who gives Beyond the Code a review on Amazon or Goodreads will be entered to help design and name a character in Beyond the Code’s sequel, Beyond the Masquerade.
So let me know what you think of Beyond the Code and get a chance to help me being a new character to life.
So to all my fantastic followers, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Kelsey Rae Barthel
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We had fresh snow this morning and it’s starting to feel like Christmas. Since we’re in Michigan, it’ll probably feel that way until May.
I hope that you have a great holiday and time with family & friends. I’m grateful for all that happened in 2018 especially for your help in publishing my novel Gumshoe Rules. Best wishes, stay warm and here’s to an even better 2019.
--Zack, Gregg & Roxie
The 14th has come and gone, and the Inkshares Mystery & Thriller Contest is over. Unfortunately for us, both "Richly Drawn" and "Ripe for Execution" put on a last-minute spurt and forged ahead, leaving us in fourth place and off the winners’ podium.
HOWEVER
While we don’t have a guaranteed publishing deal, we still have a chance. Inkshares is currently evaluating each of the entrants for inclusion as an "additional winner". A number of contest entries have been counting on this "additional winner" spot, I believe; but I also believe that fighting for a top three spot (even if we failed!) has put us in a much better position to get it.
We should know by January whether we’re going to get the go-ahead after all.
In the meantime, pre-orders remain open on "Cat’s Paw" until the end of January, and Christmas is almost upon us. I don’t know about you, but I refuse to let any of this get me down. May the new year bring all the best we could hope for!
Just a quick post to thank all of you for the support you have given in the past. I hope my American friends had a Happy Thanksgiving and my other followers are looking forwards to Christmas and Holiday celebrations over the next few weeks. I would like to send you all the first chapter of the second in the series following on from Louisiana Blood...BRUGES BLOOD. It’s a few minutes to read and I love first impressions if any of you have the time to give it a quick read. Enjoy!
Officer Ward Johansson slowly made his way down the dank stone stairs that led into the dusty catacombs beneath the police station. The large box of files in his arms threatening to slip free with every cautious step. The Kartuizerinnenstraat station was based in what had once been a convent back in the 16th century. Ward flicked the light on with his elbow and dumped the box onto an old steel table in the middle of the first room.
There had been a lot of rain as they headed towards Christmas, and the grey waters of the canal that ran past the convent lapped less than a meter below the dirt encrusted windows. The suns pale light filtered through the dust motes that swirled up as he dropped the files onto the table. Ward looked around the dank space and whirled his arms around to work up some heat and drive the chill from his bones. He had made the move from Brussels in the hope of becoming a big fish in the smaller pool afforded by the City of Bruges.
Newly married, and with the recent news that his wife Mari was pregnant, he needed to get on the promotion ladder to cover all the baby and school expenses headed his way. He looked at his watch. He’d promised Mari they would have an evening in, just the two of them while they still could. She’d promised to cook Stoofvlees, his favourite dish. A traditional Flemish stew made with beef broth and beer. He studied the watch. It was a big fat G-shock. Mari had bought it for him when he joined the force. She’d seen some Special forces guys wearing them when they were on duty at Brussels railway station shortly after the terrorist attacks. She told him he needed to look tough out on the streets, and fumbling for his mobile to tell the time wasn’t a good look. Mari was a sweet girl and he was looking forwards to getting home to be with her that evening.
He moved the files around, arranging them in chronological order along the surface of the table. During the Procession of the Holy blood extra officers had been drafted in and space in the main office had been at a premium. But that was months ago and now they were headed towards Christmas and there was more space available in the station. He’d been involved in the Holy Blood procession once when he was a child, and remembered his excitement at seeing the trumpets, the men waving fronds and the sight of a donkey.
He’d enjoyed the carnival atmosphere but had no idea of the significance of the parade until many years later. The belief that a reliquary containing a sample of Christs Blood became liquid on Ascension Day pulled in thousands of tourists each year. He could remember how annoyed his parents had got when, as a small child, he demanded proof of the miracle. Looking back, it was probably the first signs of what was to become his journey into the police force.
He heard a distant thumping from further down in the catacombs. His boss, Detective Inspector Jochum Hoog was practising on his drums. It seemed that anything with a rhythm was of interest to him. If he wasn’t out learning a new dance, he was banging away on his battered old drum kit.
He looked at the pile of files spread out in front of him. Chief Pieters had given him what he called ‘an opportunity’ that turned out to be a massive pile of old cases that had remained unsolved over the years.
The implication was that if he could clear up some of the backlog it would serve him in good stead when the next Detective attachment came up. Looking at the amount of cases Ward had a suspicion that the chief had given him the task just to keep him occupied. He went over to one of the leaded windows and wiped a circle of dust clear from one of the glass panes. Outside the streets were busy with tourists and queues for the canal boat tours. Ducks and swans bobbed along the water of the canal and the tour guides patter was audible across the water. He went back to the files on the table and began flicking through them.
They were mostly petty thefts, assaults, house burglaries, pickpocketing and the odd car-jacking. Ward sighed. None of the cases would produce a big enough splash to raise his profile and improve his chances of promotion, even if he could solve them.
He moved to the next row of files. Outside he could hear the low throb of an approaching canal boat. The boatman’s tourist patter barely audible above the water slapping against the ancient stone walls of the station. He flicked through another file, and something caught his eye. A tourist had reported that his son had been offered drugs in the Market at the skating rink. He skimmed through some more files and found three other reports, all logged during the Christmas season. There was no real evidence, other than the dealer wore a scarf and bobble hat and had long blonde hair. Ward smiled. This ticked the boxes. Drugs, children at risk and more than one complaint.
He moved the four files into a neat pile and rubbed his eyes. The flickering fluorescent combined with the deep throb of the approaching boat’s engine was giving him a headache.
He heard a dull thud and a woman’s scream. Seconds later something smashed through the window, sending bricks tumbling into the room. He just had time to register the prow of a canal boat before the water enveloped him, sweeping him across the floor, and slamming him into the stone wall. He lay there stunned as the water poured in. Heard the roar of the boat’s engine as the driver threw it into reverse… tearing free from the gaping hole. With the obstruction removed another surge of water slammed into him and he was swept under the surface. The lights went out and now he was pinned under something heavy, holding his breath as he fought to free himself. His air started to run out and his vision began to dim. As he began to black out he saw something that resembled a body drift past. Sodden sheets of paper swirled around past his face, clutching at him in a mocking embrace.And then it all went dark.
Aloha All,
As Tom Petty once said, the waiting is the hardest part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KJPP7GkuPU
A huge thank you to everyone for waiting along with me for Lost in the Fog to get published. I figured by now I would be able to provide a date when you’ll receive your copies of my book, but as they say here in Hawaii, “no can”. I reached out to Inkshares just before Thanksgiving and still no news.
However they reiterated my book was next to go into the queue for publication. It’s going to happen, but more patience is needed. I’m so excited to share Lost in the Fog with you, and as soon as I have more information on the timeline, I will let you know.
In the meantime, I wish everyone Happy Holidays! I also have a new blog post to share, which you can read by clicking the link below. It’s the story of my misadventures trying to get home for the holidays eighteen years ago. Traveling in December 2000 was a lot different than it is now ....
https://underdiamondhead.com/2018/12/17/if-only-in-my-dreams/