Hello everyone!

It has been a while since my last update, but today marks a special anniversary for me – exactly one year ago, The Bones of the Past won a publishing contract. This is going to be a long update, so bear with me!

There has been far more work involved in getting the book into shape for publishing than I ever expected – I’m just now working on my review of the last proofread – but it has been an amazing experience and the book has evolved into something I am extremely proud of.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you once again for your continued support and interest. I would never have made it this far without you!

Now, I do believe I owe you some news about the book including when and where you’ll finally be able to get your hands on it!

First of all, you’ll see in the attached picture that we have the back cover and spine of the book finalised and we’re just missing the “placeholder attributions”. These mini reviews are from authors who read the book in a raw form (still full of typos) and who had some positive things to say about it!

I’m very proud to say that I received some “cover blurbs” from three really amazing authors and I am truly humbled that people as talented as they are would have such positive things to say about my book.

Joseph Asphahani’s excellent SciFi/Fantasy novel - The Animal in Man - secured publishing through the same contest that I was in. His book isn’t out yet, but I’ve had the privilege of reading an early copy of it and I can’t recommend it highly enough. So, keep an eye out for it!

Rick Heinz’s The Seventh Age: Dawn is an incredibly exciting take on urban fantasy vampires and demons. It kept me up late on more than one occasion and is a book that anyone with even a passing interest in the genre should run out and buy right now!

Alan Campbell is the author of a number of bestselling novels. Most notable is his Deepgate Codex series. He does fantasy differently than any other author I’ve read and the result is something you won’t soon forget. I’ve been reading his books for at least ten years, so having him read mine (and like it!) is more than a little surreal. The Deepgate Codex is a trilogy that’s available in its entirety right now and should be on any fantasy fan’s ‘to read’ list.

So… what did they have to say about The Bones of the Past? I’ll share that closer to publication date or let you read the blurbs on the book for yourselves!

And so, we come to the publication date. The process is still on track for a May 30, 2017 publication. That means that you should get your copies a little bit before that if you ordered through Inkshares. If you haven’t or if you’d like to pick up a hardcopy, please go ahead and pre-order it through your local bookstore! That will make one store that’s more likely to keep my book in stock and on its shelves! All the major chains have it listed already, and most independent bookstores can get their hands on it easily enough :)

Book sales, and more specifically launches, are all about creating buzz. So more pre-orders and more attendees to the launch event go a long way toward making a book stand out and succeed (second only to reviews!).  The launch event will be held in Ottawa at a date somewhere around May 30th. Work has already started on nailing down exactly where and when. I’ll let you know as soon as I have something solid.

Thank you all yet again!!!

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!

Chapter Two - The Crooked House - is now posted. I hope you all enjoy and if so take the time to recommend it to your friends. After testing the waters with Inkshares and seeing the positive community thus far, I am considering with greater likelihood opening the Irretrievable Ones for preorders some point in February. 

Exciting update - Prophecy has been picked by the Write Out Loud Syndicate as their book for January! (Link here for more about Inkshares syndicates and what they do.)

This is wonderful for both more orders and for visibility and promotion, and I am so honored to be a choice - it means they thought this story was worth supporting, and that’s...well, that’s just really cool, is what that is. Thank you, on behalf of me and Oliver and Tir and everyone.  :-)

Here’s the little note I got: "Here’s why the syndicate lead chose your book: a great read and a creative and interesting premise. I also love the author’s sense of humor. I’m happy to support Prophecy for Two in January and I’m looking forward to read it."

I’m so excited - thank you again to the Write Out Loud members and everyone who’s supported Prophecy this far!