No particular news for Tantalus Depths itself right now. I’ve not heard anything from Inkshares about the next step in the production process, but it’s still early and I hadn’t expected to yet.
I am currently working on the promised prologue chapter, but I’m toying with the idea of making two smaller ones instead of one larger one, as I have two interesting ideas that can’t be easily combined. We’ll see how that goes.
My main purpose for this update is not for me, or even for Tantalus Depths. I wanted to take an opportunity to show my heartfelt appreciation for a good friend. 
I met Tahani Nelson through Inkshares during our mutual pre-order campaigning period. Her book, The Last Faoii, caught my attention quickly. Kaiya, her resolute protagonist, has a knack for overcoming impossible hardships without giving up even in the bleakest of circumstances, and is exactly the sort of character I strove to depict with Mary Ketch. I kind of see the two characters as cross-genre sisters.
As I’ve gotten to know Tahani better as a person, I’ve learned the true extent that the character imitates the author. She’s overcome no small number of impossible obstacles, and though they continue coming her way, she resolutely pushes through them without giving an inch of ground. She’s a real-life Kaiya, and so, in many ways, a real life Mary.
I felt a person like Tahani deserves to be immortalized in writing. The universe of Tantalus Depths is an unforgiving, dark place. Human civilization is a constantly imperiled thing; a child swimming obliviously among sharks. Yet, one of the core tenants of Tantalus Depths and any associated stories, is the notion that, in spite of these dangers, humanity endures. We may always be at the brink of destruction, but through determination and sheer force of will, we survive against the odds.
Tahani represents this to me, in life. To properly show what that means to me, I’ve named a planet for her, which I will include some capacity into the Tantalus Depths universe. If I can sneak it into Tantalus Depths somewhere during the revision phases to come, I will. If I can’t find anywhere to slip it in where it feels natural, it will be referenced at some point in the upcoming sequel. Either way, the presence of this planet in the Colonial Hegemony is now and forever canon.
Shields up, Faoii.  

 

The finish line is in sight! As of right now, The Walls are Closing In has received 619 PREORDERS, leaving 131 TO GO!

I want to take a breath to express the appreciation that I am feeling for all of you, for rallying behind me and this book. Some of you are family members and close friends who sprang in without hesitation when I asked. Some of you are friends from my past with whom I had lost touch, but you still supported me when I reached out or when you happened to see the book circulating on social media. And, most of you, were complete strangers before this campaign began, but who nevertheless clicked the preorder button to support an unknown author.

I started writing this story over a year ago when our current political reality didn’t yet seem probable. The idea for The Walls are Closing In came to me during the primary election campaign. It began as a short story, and it snowballed from there. The first draft was complete by mid-summer 2016. At the time, I sincerely thought that the story would forever reside in the ‘alternative future’ category, but as events unfolded, the story evolved.

The themes explored in The Walls are Closing In cut a bit deeper with each passing day. In fact, I am currently making notes to rewrite certain backstory sections because, well, they have more or less happened over recent weeks and months.

Though it does walk the line between fact and fiction, more than anything The Walls are Closing In, like other fictional stories, is about the characters. There is a splash of romance and a healthy dose of perseverance as the main characters explore what makes life worth living by rooting out the joy in unlikely places. It is about digging deep, figuring out how to tap your own truth, regardless of what society throws at you.

On an unrelated-to-storyline note, I have noticed that as the campaign approaches the end, several people have gone back and placed additional orders. Thank you! Also, I received confirmation from Inkshares that if multiple e-books are purchased, that you will have the ability to share the additional files with friends and family. Each person can order a maximum of 10 total books (ebooks or paperback).

This is also the last chance to receive your name in the back of the book by ordering a ’super reader’ package of 3 paperbacks. Once 750 order mark is passed, the window will close on this opportunity. Again, for those just joining, this is that would look like (from another Inkshares book).

Again, thank you for the support. Hopefully, only one or two more campaign updates, before we move on to the fun of "in production" updates.

Until next time,

Jacqui

P.S. - Running a bit behind on the chapter 2 recording, but check the site at the beginning of next week and it should be up.

It is update time! Thank you to everyone that has followed and ordered so far. To the new followers and readers - welcome to the show!

The Walls are Closing In has presold 448 copies as of this morning, leaving just 302 to go, and 89 days left of the campaign. My calculator informs me that this leaves 3-4 copies per day. Considering that we are only 2 1/2 months in from the original start date, I am optimistic! But, the work is far from over and spreading the word is still greatly appreciated.

Now that the book is taking off, if you would like to reconsider ordering a few more copies and getting your name(or the name of your organization/business) displayed in the back of the book, far be it from me to try and stop you! The following is the acknowledgment page from a recently published Inkshares book (Tears of the Assassin by William Schiele) so that you can see what that would look like:

Currently, I am spending about 3 hours per day spreading the word. I will be beyond thankful to take a much-needed break from twitter and facebook come June, before jumping back in and keeping everyone updated with the production process.

As promised, I have added an audio version of Chapter 1 to the book’s main page. Check it out if you want, or you know, just go back to what you were doing before I interrupted you with this email.

A few other upcoming perks:

April 13th - Winner of Dystopian Book Bundle announced. If you have not entered yet, you can enter here.

500 Orders - Design revealed for signed postcard, bookmark, or bookplate that will be mailed to all backers (regardless of e-book or paperback purchase) as soon as the campaign ends!

600 Orders - Audio Version of Chapter 2

700 Orders - Audio Version of Chapter 3

750 Orders - Campaign ends, winner of $250 Airbnb gift card announced, and then I collapse into a heap for a day or two.

On the actual book front - in my spare moments I am perfecting the backstory (a never ending process as the news shifts from day to day), but the rest of the manuscript (all but approximately 10 pages) is finely tuned to my liking and ready to hand over to Inkshares for developmental editing as soon as the campaign portion of the programming is complete. I am eager to start the process that will get this book in your hands, so keep in mind that the sooner 750 is met, the sooner the making of the book can begin!

Until next time!

-Jacqui