April 3, 2017

Hi everyone,

I know it has been a bit since my last update, but we all get so much email, I didn’t want to send anything unless I actually had something to say.

The good news--the Shadow King manuscript and author questionnaire that Inkshares asked me to fill out have both been turned in to the Inkshares team. So, that is one step closer to getting production rolling. The "bad" news is that I’m still in the queue so production has not officially kicked-off yet (and I don’t have an anticipated kick-off date yet). I am keen to get going and as soon as I have any news on that front, I’ll be sure to let you know!

In the meantime, I’ve been trying to figure out some of this whole marketing thing which--I confess--is a bit alien to me. I have been invited to contribute to a couple blogs, and I’ll send those links when my posts are live. I’m also looking into starting my own. And my author pages on Amazon and Goodreads are set up, and I’ll share those links with all of you in an upcoming update.

My cover is nearly complete and I’m very happy with how it has turned out. Once we get the last few adjustments taken care of, I’ll be updating my Inkshares page and sharing it with all of you.

From a sales perspective I’ve leveled off a little, and I need to refocus on that. I’m within striking distance of 300 orders, and I’d love to hit that milestone in the near future and move on up from there!

That’s it for this update. I’ll send another soon when I have information on my author pages and new cover!

Have a great rest of the week!

Best,

Susan

Editing update!

I was thrilled to begin the editing portion of production, but I had no idea it would be this amazing. (I mean, I guess I did a little, because Inkshares posted their production process here.) I’m in the "story architecture" portion of the developmental edit. What this means is that my editor (the incredible Matt Harry, author of "Sorcery for Beginners," which you can check out here) started challenging me right off the bat. He threw great questions at me regarding what I want to say with my book and how I can make each character more meaningful in the story. 

Long story short, I’m restructuring the story. 

This is a GREAT thing, believe me. It does not offset the current release date aim of February/March of 2018, as long as I put in the work. And so far, I certainly have. In the two weeks since production has started, I redesigned the story into a four-page structure, and my editor, my beta readers, and I all see this becoming a story that is vastly improved and will be a fun read. 

Personally, I’m over the moon. 

At first, I’ll admit, being challenged on my own story and being presented with difficult questions was frustrating. Then I realized that pulling together a new and improved version is better for everything all around. This is a process I would not have gotten at a traditional publisher. Any other publisher would have simply helped me clean up the story I submitted. Working with Matt Harry makes me feel like I’m in a writer’s room and I’m the lead writer. It’s been an amazing couple of weeks working on the new and improved Mr. Butler, and I am sure that you all will enjoy the final product all the more. 

What’s next? I’m expanding my story structure into individual chapters with summaries describing what will occur in each chapter. Then Matt will go over everything with me and help me tighten the story up. 

After that, it’s rewriting time! I am excited to write this story. It’s going to flow quickly. 

With the detailed treatment my little book is getting already, I truly feel like a contest winner. And I won thanks to all of your support. Thank you. 

I will let you know when the chapter summaries are finished and I’m moving on to getting this adventure down onto pages. Until then, just know that I love you all. 

And if you haven’t preordered, you can here. Thank you for your support everyone.

-Michael.

Hello my Knightmares!

As promised on my Facebook page and in my last update, I have a few things I want to share with you all. It has been quite an eventful month of March, which I have found myself as busy as I have ever been. Why is that, you ask? Let me count the ways!

1) GAFino.com - I just launched a new Author’s website. Please check it out when you get a chance, as I will be adding more and more content over the course of the next year leading up to The Knightmares publication. AND WHILE YOU’RE THERE...

2) ...check out SCALES - One of the many things I have been pondering was how to keep my backers, and potential backers, engaged during this time as I wait my turn to start working on the publication process.

What I came up with is SCALES - MYTHOLOGY. What is that, you ask? As I’ve mentioned before, my books will all take place in a shared universe. That universe has a unique beginning that sets the stage for the events that take place in THE KNIGHTMARES and others.

With my love of mythology, I decided to write my own. 

So I present to you, SCALES - GENESIS, part one of a monthly series of installments that will tell the tale of the world, how it came to be, and the many creatures and realms that exist there. Please read and let me know what you think. 

"SCALES has a deep mythology spanning from the beginning of the Third Dimension, to present day. Readers familiar with Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Norse, and Christian mythologies will all see something familiar, as well as a generous helping of Lovecraftian mythos."

The Mythology will be broken down into eight parts, each with multiple installments.

1. Genesis
2. The Fall
3. Balance
4. Omens
5. Aftermath
6. Slumber
7. The Object
8. Lost

Stay with me! More to come!

3) MUM - A few weeks ago I was asked to join a collective of other authors interested in publishing a short story anthology. Luckily, I have had an idea for a short story for quite some time and have been searching for an opportunity to use it. Though I wasn’t necessarily prepared to start writing something other than VEXED, my next novel, I decided this was an opportunity too good to pass up.

Coming this fall, my 10,000 word short story will be called "Mum"

MUM is story somewhere between Stephen King’s famous short story, "The Body" and the movie "Kiss The Girls." It takes place in the fictional town of Grace Falls, where three teenage boys find themselves in the path of a serial killer in the summer of 1986. 

3) VEXED - My second novel is still in the works, and has obviously taken a back burner to the previously mentioned projects, but that doesn’t mean it is not actively on my mind. I have 5 pages of notes for changes and ideas on how to improve the manuscript.

Stay tuned on updates for Vexed in the months to come!

That’s all for now! Check out SCALES - GENESIS, and keep an eye out for MUM sometime this fall with updates coming soon!

Want to read unreleased chapters from I Am Waltz? If so, this is the email you want to read. As the editors work their way through the book I am putting up unedited versions of chapters. Links to new chapters are in the email below.

Over the next few weeks, I will put on Inkshares chapters up to the end of Part I. You’ll have to wait for your personal copies of I Am Waltz to see what happens in Parts II and III. 

Have you bought yourself a copy? What about your family, friends, enemies?

If you haven’t secured a copy yet for yourself or a loved one, please do. An ebook is $9.99 and a paperback is $14.99. It will help immensely if you pick up copies.

Here are links to all existing chapters including the new ones!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2 (Previously Unreleased)

Chapter 3 (Previously Unreleased)

If you’ve not already shared I Am Waltz with friends and family on social media please do! 

Click Here to share on Facebook! 

Every single order of "I Am Waltz" helps me make the sequel and trilog possible!

Thank you all for your support!

-Matthew D. Dho

Campers!

Hello everyone!

My debut novel, Transilience, is now available for pre-order on Amazon! Release date is 14 April!

 Here’s the blurb: 

Daniel Helmqvist is a private investigator in New London, the only city on Mars. He’s good at what he does, but people aren’t exactly lining up to hire his services. When two big cases land in his lap at once, he makes the mistake of believing his fortunes are about to change.

As the two cases unfold, he quickly discovers that success comes at a hefty cost and unseen forces conspire against him at every turn. What began as a chance to earn some easy money becomes a series of lies, cat-and-mouse games, and a chase that leads him out on to the surface of Mars itself.

Inkshares was the first place I really took a leap of faith in trying to get Transilience published. I learned so much about funding a project during the Sword and Laser contest and met a great group of people. Thank you one and all.

The link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XY7SBTC