June 21, 2018

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the delay sending an update but my Inkshares account has not been playing nicely with my Twitter account and we’re still figuring out what’s up with that. (thank you Elena @ Inkshares for the help!)

So, the good and excellent news is that "Shadow King" is moving through production. I just finished going through all of the copy edits from Jessica and have returned them to Inkshares. Next step -- Shadow King goes to typesetting and starts to look like a "real" book!

Assuming we stay on track with production, everyone who has pre-ordered and backed Shadow King, should get their copies prior to the October 2 release date. 

I’ll send another update in July!

Best,

Susan

Ready to have some fun? 

You’re looking at some initial Animal in Man cover designs!!! Somebody pinch me - - This is really happening, isn’t it?!? There are elements from all three of these that I really, really like. While #1 definitely captures the proportions of the animal-creatures I see in my head, Inkshares has wisely advised me against endorsing a cover that potentially forms images for readers. I couldn’t agree more. #2 is probably the closest runner-up. I really like the minimalist design, how the cover managed to take my story and form an icon from it. Pretty cool! But what’s it really saying? There’s a fox… Some swords… Hmm… Exactly. Not much. #3 is solid too, since it really accentuates a defining characteristic of the story’s hero, Maxan, a fox with mismatched gold and green eyes. (That’s important, I swear.) BUT… again, his eyes aren’t what the story’s all about.

Now this… This is what the story’s all about. 

May I present to you the desired direction, ladies and gentlemen, for The Animal in Man’s cover!! This one truly captures the sense of violence, danger, brutality, and darkness that Book I: Violent Mind is going for. It captures it so well, in fact, that I’m already dreaming of the cover variations for the rest of the series, Book II: Ferocious Heart and Book III: Undying Soul. Remember, my dear animals, this is not the final cover. Believe me when I say that you’ll be the first to know once that comes in. Thank you all, as always, for all the patience and support.

It’s been a long time coming, friends, but these little ladies have arrived. By now those of you who ordered physical copies should have received shipping notifications. When your books arrive, I’d love it if you posted a photo of them. I can’t wait to see how far the mech crew has spread.  

This is a book that was driven entirely by you, the readers. Without the interest in this book, it wouldn’t exist. It would still be a jumble of graphic novel pages, barely a whisper of what it would become. 

So today I celebrate you. Thank you for this gift of a book. 

May the Code replicate eternal.

Hello there wonderful followers!

Beyond the Code has been climbing in both orders and reviews. Things are going great and i have some news I want to share. My author website is up and running. Check it out to find links on where to buy Beyond the Code, reviews, podcast appearances and more. It will be a one stop shop for any news regarding my life as an author. Take a look and let me know what you think. 

http://www.kelseybarthel.ca/

Kelsey Barthel

Hello Adventure lovers!

Yes!  May 29th was the official release date for "Wings of the Pirate".  I have heard from many of you that have received copies and have already read the book.  It’s a fun read for the beach, in the jungle, remote island or to take with you on your travels this summer.  It would be great for all of you who have already been on the adventure to spread the word to others and leave a star ranking and a few words on Goodreads or Amazon.  It really makes a difference and is much appreciated.

Thank you for being on this novel journey with me!

Sincerely,

Eric H. Heisner

www.leandogproductions.com

Dear friends and followers,

Things are really progressing! We have:

• Galleys! And a new cover!
  
• Reviews! Blurbs!
• Interviews! (You’ll want to check this out.)

So, first off, the galleys. LOOK! Inkshares posted this to Twitter a few days ago:

Yes, there’s a blurb there from Andy Lewis of The Hollywood Reporter. It says, "A mystery that recalls the best of Golden Age detective fiction. With fresh characters and unique twists, Huang has created a whodunit with just the right mix of old and new."

If you head over to one of the online retail outlets like Amazon, you’ll see a few other blurbs too: 

• "Dorothy Sayers is alive and well and writing under the name of Christopher Huang. A Gentleman’s Murder echoes the traditional mysteries in the best sense: no car chases or explosions, just great characters and a feel for time and place." - Rhys Bowen, author
• "Settings and atmosphere captured perfectly from nearly a century ago, complex characters, and a compelling mystery―Christopher Huang’s A Gentleman’s Murder is a must read for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Charles Todd, and Anne Perry." - Daryl Maxwell, Los Angeles Public Library
• "A dazzlingly atmospheric debut that transports you to 1920s London. A Gentleman’s Murder is a meticulous mystery that will keep you guessing until the end and please fans of both Agatha Christie and Gillian Flynn." - Sarah Nivala, Book Soup

Over on Goodreads, Advance Reader reviews are already coming in.

And interviews. Well, interview, singular ... for now. I exchanged a few friendly words with Jacqui Castle, author of The Seclusion, on her blog. Here’s the link. (While you’re at it, why not also check out The Seclusion? It’s quite the disturbing little dystopian epic.)

And we’re on track for the official publication date of 31 July 2018. TALLY HO!

Let me get to the point: There’s a sequel to A God in the Shed being published an it’s titled Song of the Sandman.

“Oh great another campaign.”

Nope.

We’re just going to go ahead and publish Song of the Sandman. There’s still a pre-order page however and I’d love for you to pre-order your copy today.

Well, obviously it helps the publisher with the initial publishing costs, but more importantly, it allows me to offer some exclusive perks to my readers.

Pre-Orders get you:

• For digital pre-orders you get the book early. I’ve seen readers get their e-copies up to two weeks ahead of the official release date.
• For physical copies, you get a signed book in the mail
• Physical copies also come with the e-book through the Inkshares website
• If you pre-order 3 physical copies or more, your name will appear in the book’s acknowledgements. NOTE: This one is subject to extremely tight timing as the book is already in the middle stages of production. You want you name in this book? Don’t delay.
• I’m going to be putting together a few art pieces and getting prints to slip into the signed copies. 

Pre-orders also allow me to put together project page with information about the book which, let’s face it, is pretty exciting.

Check out Song of the Sandman now and consider putting in a pre-order. Show Inkshares the raw power of A God in the Shed readers.

Thanks!

JF Dubeau

Temporary cover

Good morning everyone!

I’m so excited to tell you that we have a release date of September 4th, 2018 for Inkshares backers and a public release date of September 25th, 2018, right before my birthday! 

I know you all have waited a long time, but we are finally in the home stretch. I’ll give you more updates along the way. I’ll also finally be reaching out to those of you owed a promotional item. I’ve been holding off on them, because for a while there I grew concerned over whether the book would stay with Inkshares or not.

To be honest, there wasn’t a lot of communication from the staff once I turned the manuscript over, and I began to ponder other publishing options do to fear that the book may not see the light of day without another avenue. So, I held off on spending money on the promotional items when backers could inevitably be refunded their money. However, now that publication is secured and I’m receiving more communication from Inkshares, the concern of having to find a new publisher has been alleviated and I can now begin filling those promotional items promised.