Bane of All Things is away!

Launch day on Tuesday, Dec. 7 went well. Those of you who pre-ordered e-books would have received emails that day from Inkshares to download in the file format of your choice. For print copies, these are on their way. Being the busy holiday season for mail and parcel delivery, it could be another week or so before print copies arrive.

As a supporter of my original pre-order campaign more than two years ago, thank you again for taking that leap of faith then and for your patience in the long months since. I also owe huge debts of gratitude to everyone who further supported BoAT’s launch by spreading the word on social media in recent days, by reading advance reader copies to provide advance reviews and blurbs, and by graciously taking the time to contribute in other ways. All efforts are deeply and sincerely appreciated. 

That first time seeing your novel on a bookstore shelf

While in town on Wednesday for my next round of immunotherapy treatment, we had to of course stop in at the local Chapters-Indigo to see BoAT on an actual bookstore shelf. (For my American and overseas friends, Chapters is Canada’s big national bookstore chain.)

A member of the store staff saw me posing this photo with my wife. When this lady learned I was in fact the author, she had me sign the store’s copies. And a gentleman promptly bought one to add to his collection of signed first editions!

My first in-store experience as an author, and it came about by chance. Which was awesome, considering no local bookstores that I am aware of are currently doing any formal in-store author events because of the pandemic.

A family friend later visited that same store and took this shot of my signed copies – thank you, Gwen C.!

l

What’s next? Bring on the reviews!

The release of a debut novel is a huge milestone. But it’s also just the first step from the starting line of a marathon. Now comes the grind of working to stand out from the crowd. It’s tough for any debut author to rise above with so many other titles competing for readers’ attention. 

A vital part of gaining the attention of the book-buying public is getting a critical mass of reviews on Amazon and any other review sites you may frequent such as Goodreads.com. The more reviews a book has, the more prominence it gets on these sites to draw the attention of readers. 

Stay safe, enjoy the holidays, and keep reading!

Cheers

Leo

P.S.: There is a Glossary at the back of the book you may find handy.

Today is the day! Bane of All Things has at last left the nest!

It’s a rather surreal feeling, to say the least, considering this tale first began as a short story idea some 22 years ago. I have of course worked on other, unrelated stories during that time, which may eventually see the light of day. BoAT itself went through two full reboots to become the novel it is today, comparable to how the Planet of the Apes film franchise has been reinvented.

But here we are. Don’t forget tonight’s launch event at 7 pm EST – here again is the Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3nZuswz 

If you have any issues or questions with receiving your pre-ordered copies of BoAT from Inkshares, please contact hello@inkshares.com

Help spread the word!

Word of mouth is vital to an author’s success. Any promotion today and in the coming days through your social media channels would be greatly appreciated. Reviews posted to Amazon and Goodreads are also critical to help a new novel stand out and get noticed.

Thank you again for your support and your patience. This day could not have come without you. I am eternally grateful.

Stay safe and keep reading!

Cheers

Leo

Happy Sunday!

Here we are, just two days away from the official release of Bane of All Things! Though my local Chapters Indigo locations (that’s our big bookstore chain here in Canada, for my American and overseas friends) may in fact be putting the book out on the shelf as early as today. 

THE UNBOXING

Yesterday was the Big Event at my house -- the official unboxing of my copies of the book from my publisher, Inkshares. I have posted that video to social media and you can view it here on Facebook, or on LinkedIn. This was my first time seeing, and holding, an actual print copy myself!

GETTING YOUR PRE-ORDERED COPIES

Over the past week or so, you should have received an email from Inkshares to confirm your mailing address ... if you have pre-ordered print copies coming your way. For ebook copies, you will soon receive an email notification that your download is ready and you can choose the ebook format you prefer to receive. 

If you have any other questions or concerns about your account and ensuring Inkshares has the correct contact details for you, please reach out to hello@inkshares.com 

TUESDAY LAUNCH EVENT: Submit your answers for the prize draws!

Don’t forget, the virtual launch event I am hosting on Zoom, at 7 pm EST, on Tuesday.  Here is the link: https://bit.ly/3nZuswz 

As I said last time, this is a fun event that will include prize draws with Jeopardy-style questions. It only takes one correct answer to be in the draw. Please submit your answers to me in advance:

• >;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;; This European castle stands in for Dragon’s Claw Abbey – the “fictional” locale that is featured on the cover of Bane of All Things. 
• >;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;; This recessed cupboard for storing sacred vessels in a Christian church inspired the last name of my heroine, Josalind Aumbrae.
• >;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;; This is the title of Book 2 in the series.

Cheers

Leo

BANE OF ALL THINGS, DEBUT NOVEL LAUNCH

Tuesday, Dec. 7 is launch day for Bane of All Things! I will be hosting a launch event on Zoom at 7 pm EST. Here is the link: https://bit.ly/3nZuswz So, mark your calendar!

Join me for a relaxed and casual hour (or more), in which this humble author will sport stylish new headwear and wield his pointy sword (within the constraints of his living room ceiling, of course).

We will have readings! You can quiz me about the book, about being an author and about what’s next. There will be refreshments of your choice … because it’s a virtual event, so drink’em if you’ve got’em.

AND … we will have prize draws for those who have correctly answered, IN ADVANCE, any or all the following questions:

LET’S PLAY JEOPARDY!

Please submit your answers to me BEFORE Dec. 7. I will then draw winners during the event.

Your questions in the form of an answer are:

·      >;;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;;; This European castle stands in for Dragon’s Claw Abbey – the “fictional” locale that is featured on the cover of Bane of All Things. 

·      >;;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;;; This recessed cupboard for storing sacred vessels in a Christian church inspired the last name of my heroine, Josalind Aumbrae.

·      >;;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;;;>;;;;;;;;; This is the title of Book 2 in the series (the answer is out there!)

Becoming a bona fide published author has been a looong time in coming, and I really look forward to celebrating it together with you on Dec. 7.

Cheers

Leo

Good day! Here we are—less than three weeks from Bane of All Things’ release on Dec. 7.

It’s been a heck of a ride to get here. The pandemic delayed BoAT’s publication date by about eight months, while my ongoing contest with cancer has added fresh twists since August.

Despite all these speed bumps, it’s onward and upward!

None of it would have been possible without your patience and support. Thank you again for going on this adventure with me.

Unboxing pending 

Before Dec. 7, I will receive a box of books from my publisher, Inkshares. It will be my first time seeing the final product in its physical form. My wife, Natalie, is intent on filming this “unboxing” so that I can share it on social media. So, stay tuned for that. 

Save the date! Virtual launch event on Dec. 7

I had hoped to have a live launch event at a local bookstore or a pub. But given the continued concerns with the pandemic (and my own health), I will be foregoing that. Instead, I will host an hour-long virtual event on YouTube, at 7 p.m. EST on Dec. 7.

This event will feature me reading from BoAT, drawing for some prizes, and taking comments and questions from attendees. Details will soon follow.

Book giveaways

If you are reading this, odds are you already pre-ordered BoAT many moons ago and will have a copy or copies soon coming your way. But just so you know, my publisher is currently running a Book Giveaway on Goodreads.com with AmazonKindle.

This Giveaway runs until Nov. 29 and is open only to U.S. residents. I will, however, be doing other giveaways for my  Canadian (and overseas) supporters (also as part of the Virtual Launch Event on Dec. 7). Please stand by for more details.

Making sure you receive your print copies

Again, if you did pre-order print copies of BoAT, it was many moons ago. If you have had any change of address in the past couple of years, please log into your Inkshares account to verify the mailing address you provided with your original pre-order is still current. This may require a password reset.

If you have any issues with account access or a password reset, please contact hello@inkshares.com. And if you aren’t sure what email address you have associated with your Inkshares account, let me know and I can quickly look it up for you.

My health

Just yesterday, I had the first of my tri-weekly immunotherapy treatments, which are intended to bolster my body’s ability to target and destroy cancer cells on its own. This comes after my radiation therapy three weeks ago and follows the surgery for tumor removal that took place at the beginning of October.

Other than experiencing the same kind of fever response you may get following a flu or COVID shot, I am so far handling the immunotherapy meds well. My recovery overall continues to move along.  

That’s all for now. Stay safe and keep reading!

Cheers

Leo

Dear Supporters, Readers and Followers of Wild Conviction,

Great news! 

The Inkshares Publishing Operations Manager notified me today that the editorial team has finished reading the other two winners of the 2020 All-Genre Manuscript Contest and will begin reading Wild Conviction soon, most likely this week, and hope to have editorial notes to me by mid December.

                As you know — 

because many of you have read and commented on passages from Wild Conviction on the novel’s Inkshares page, or you have heard me read passages at my pre-order campaign launches, invitations to your events or classes, open mics, and my writing group, and a few of you have been beta readers — 

               I have worked long and hard crafting this story so that it is engaging,                     well-written, sensitive and significant to historical and current issues                   of human rights, equality and freedom.

I look forward to the editorial comments and am so excited that we are on the path to having the novel published and in your hands.

Thank you for all of your ongoing support and well-wishes! Wild Conviction being published by Inkshares could not have happened without you!

Best wishes to you!!
Mary

Dear Henderson House Supporters,

The team at Inkshares asked for another week before delivering my Editorial Letter. Noah assured me that the extra week is in no way a reflection on the manuscript, they are just super busy. So, what is there to do but wait and keep writing. 

In sadder news, we had to say goodbye to our amazing rescue dog, Lola, over the weekend. We had thirteen incredible years with her and I’m not sure I ever would have finished Henderson House without her. We called her "Coach Lola" because once she learned a workout routine, she was brutal about making you stick to it. The same held true in her later years when I began my writing routine. Any morning I was puttering in the kitchen instead of heading up to my office to write, Coach Lola would start up the stairs and give me a little growl. "Let’s get going!" she would grumble. I can only hope she had time to instill the same work ethic in little June Bug. Rest in peace, Coach Lola.

B