Dear Fine and Very Patient Readers!!

Books are coming, but so sorry to have to report another slight delay in the shipment of some of them. 

Here’s what happened -- I received 6 cartons of books to be signed and returned to Inkshares so they could then send them out to all who pre-ordered. I signed the books, boxed them up and sent them back. But in the process, not one, but two SNAFUS occurred!! 

SNAFU 1 - two boxes of books got lost in transition. Yep, just vanished!  Thanks USPS! Good work!!

SNAFU 2 - Some signed books did make it to Inkshares offices but there was a label mix-up and they were sent to the backers of another book! (The very fine The Knight Proper, by Adam Greven and Matt Deller -- check it out if you get a chance). 

So...here’s where we are -- the signed books that made it are being shipped tomorrow -- Tuesday July 9th. Unfortunately this is only half the amount, the other half being either lost or sent to the wrong place. But...good news: replacement books are on their way to Inkshares. They want to just ship them ASAP so they won’t, unfortunately, be signed by yours truly (if you are in the LA area and want a signed book, I’m happy to oblige -- or if you want to send me a copy, I could do that and send it back!!). 

So sorry for this delay. Physical books will be in your hands soon. If you’re still waiting after about a week, please feel free to email Elena at hello@inkshares.com 

Don’t forget eBooks are readily available to read now but I understand many of you prefer physical books (as do I) so sit tight...They are coming!  

Hi all,

A while ago I have made a campaign pledge to Norwood UK Charity: 2£ or 3.5$ (that equation was right before Brexit which resulted in the pound dropping in value -lol) from every order using a special referral account I have opened for them. 
I have kept the pledge for every order I got on the course of July (once the campaign was over).

Norwood UK is a leading Jewish charity supporting vulnerable children, families and people with learning disabilities. It costs £35 million a year for Norwood to provide their community services and it must raise £12 million from voluntary donations.
Norwood strives to ensure that everyone can live the life they choose, irrespective of their ability. They  provide professional help in a warm and caring environment, supporting people to be as independent as possible.
Their Family Services include children and family support, social work, an inclusive nursery, and special educational needs, while their Learning Disability Services include education, after school clubs & holiday schemes, transition, supported living, residential care, lifelong learning and health and well-being.
I wanted to thank Simon Walton, my close friend, for introducing me to this wonderful charity.

So here’s the math: 27 orders have been made using Norwood’s special referral, on top of that I got 5 orders after the campaign was over. 32 order * 3.5$ (let’s keep the dollar amount, it’s better for them) = 112$...
I expected more , so decided it is fair to double this amount to 224$, which is in today’s exchange = 140£ donation to Norwood (which is worth 175£ as I let them keep the giftaid tax relief).

That was done thank to you and your help - but if you want to learn or donate more - please please visit Norwood here.

As for "the Wolf" - I have submitted the manuscript nearly a month ago, after frivolous help from my wife and friend Micha Knopf to make sure all is proofread... I have submitted a creative brief on the same occasion and I am waiting to hear back from Angela our talented Marketing Manager & Girl Friday Production as to the editorial progress. Will keep you posted!

-Jonathan

  Hey, rebels.

  I really needed that break yesterday. Now, I feel 120%! So, as I said yesterday, Forgotten Stories(Aria) would be coming today! Expect it sometime today--my schedule always switch-up and stuff, so best not to set a predetermined time. I’ll speak a bit about Aria, and what to expect out of her before going on to other things.

  Aria is that character who isn’t easy to please, antisocial, but can be the most loyal friend you could ever have. She opens up to those she is comfortable with, and she’s not a daredevil like Noctis, but she carries out the role of being a scout by being in danger to reassure the numbers her comrades would go up against. From just the way she was in combat in the first chapter, you can tell that she has some experience. The main storyline will explain that experience, but in this chapter, you’ll see her through a different lens.

  I want to give a big thanks to Andrew Wood because of the review he wrote for Scarlet. I apologize that I’m late on this Andrew--I kept saying I would do it yesterday but it slipped my mind when my allergies kicked in. Anyways, big thanks to him, and the review will be below!

  A fascinating premise leads into a promising story. Scarlet is a thrilling, post-apocalyptic adventure that you can’t afford to miss! I’m looking forward to seeing more from this author.

  Also, I want to welcome the new rebels that are following Scarlet. You all have my thanks! I’m sure soon I will be emailing you guys that haven’t ordered to get you on board, including old followers as a reminder. Please, make sure to recommend, share, or mention my book to others so that more support could come pouring in. I’d really appreciate it! That will be all for this update, and remember...stay rebellious!

  From yours truly, A.J.III.

Oh! And every last one of you inspires me. Your dreams are worth chasing and I know you can make it!

Dear friends and followers,

Over the past little while, I’ve introduced a few of the characters from the novel. You may have noticed that all of them are male. This is perhaps to be expected, given the setting: there aren’t many female members in a gentlemen’s club, I think. Today, however, I’m pleased to introduce one of the women in the novel: Martha Garrett, wife of Edward Garrett.

Ladies’ clubs did exist, incidentally: just like gentlemen’s clubs, offering the same sort of services, but for women only. The University Women’s Club, founded in 1886 as the University Club for Ladies, is still "women only" today.

In the novel, Martha Garrett mentions having lunch at the Cavendish: that would be what is today the New Cavendish Club, founded in 1920 expressly for the ladies of the Voluntary Aid Detachment, or VAD. VAD nurses were not the same as military nurses: the latter were career women with stringent medical training, while the VADs were volunteers who might have had no prior experience. There was apparently some friction between the two at the beginning of the first World War, lessening as the war dragged on.

If the Cavendish was supposed to be for the VADs, would Martha Garrett, as a former military nurse, have been a member? I don’t know, but I’m sure she wouldn’t have let a trivial detail like that stop her.