Greetings dear readers,

It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I try not to use this platform or my newsletter to bother you too often, keeping these missives to when I have a thing to announce. Well, today I have two.

First, you’ll be happy to know that the third and final book of the A God in the Shed trilogy is written. Sure, it’s a first draft and it’s been sitting on my hard drive since December. But as I’m jumping back in to edit and rewrite the manuscript, I can see the finish line more clearly. In two or three months I should be able to hand the book to Inkshares and from there we’ll be able to build a timeline for when that book gets into your hands.

Writing this third book has been a challenge. Sticking the landing on a story that has far outgrown the audience I expected demands that I pay extra attention to the characters, the plot, and all the details readers come to expect. All while remaining true to the vision I’ve had for all these years.

But it’s coming.

So, what else have I been doing between writing these books? Apart from a few other manuscripts I’m still polishing, I’ve been writing for a podcast called Achewillow. If you’re not familiar with it, Achewillow is like a ‘lighter’ version of A God in the Shed. A story about baking, demons, coffee, and witchcraft. It’s narrated by the talented Amy Frost and has been going on for seven seasons. You can find out more about it at achewillow.com and listen to all the episodes on whatever podcatcher you enjoy.

Which leads us to the second announcement.

With its growing audience, rich background and captivating characters, it’s been long suggested that Achewillow be turned into a book, or series of books. That the story should leap from earphones and onto the page. That’s why we’re going to be running an Inkshares for Achewillow: Book 1 (we’ll figure out a better title along the way), a re-edited and polished version of the first season of Achewillow.

Destined for listeners who want to own a tangible version of the story, or for those who prefer their tales be told on paper, this book would be the first in a series that follows the entire run of Achewillow.

Check out the campaign page we’ve put together on Inkshares and follow for more announcements. The campaign will go live on August 1st and run until Halloween. There’s a lot happening over the next four months and I hope that many of you will be there to follow along.

Click here to view the campaign page and pre-announcement video.

Cheers,

J-F. Dubeau

Note: I apologize if you’re receiving this twice. I’m sending the same update to followers of both A God in the Shed and Song of the Sandman. I’m not trying to spam you. I promise.

Hello, everyone!

Did you know that the typical time it takes for a writer to go from book contract to publication is between nine months and two years? Given that my contract really didn’t begin until September, we are on trend.

There are many steps in the publishing process. I am holding steady in the revision stage, which is both exciting and fatiguing. This stage, the most tedious to me, is the most important, because it means that the team and I are working diligently to deliver House of the Broken Promise in its best form. The point isn’t just to get published, but to publish something special. We don’t want my book to be average. We want it to be great, and to be great takes meticulous work and loads of time. It is so hard to be patient after Anna’s story has been with me for so many years; but I am so excited by what is coming out of this process.

I’ll be sure to update again when we move to the next step.

Thanks for sticking with me!

Sonja