Meghan, what in the world have you been up to?

I’m a glad you asked! At the end of December ( and I mean the VERY end) I submitted a second draft to my friends at Inkshares. Then, the next 4 months I was engulfed in all things tax. I don’t know what you personally think about the new tax law, but I can tell you for all of us in the tax preparation industry this year was a doozy. A "maybe we should get a different job" kind of doozy. Which is probably why I can’t remember May, my recovery month. 

But, here we are nearly at the end of June. I have regained my zest and vigor for life.  I have new notes and suggestions on that second draft I wrote. So my course is clear: I will be re-writing for the next several months.

What can I say? Writing is hard. But, as my husband says, "Meghan, you do the hard things." Or maybe I just work harder, not smarter...

I hope you have a lovely summer. I will be tinkering away with the earnest hope that I will have more to tell you sooner rather than later.

And, as always, thank you so much,

Meghan Godwin

5 months. 392 books ordered. Syndicate Pick. #1 reviewed Funding project. All characteristics that I’m sure had a part in me receiving this e-mail at 4:23pm today from the CEO of Inkshares:

“Ricky,

Great campaign.  We will push your book into production.  Tell your backers.  

Adam.”

Translation, Showtime is going to be published! More thank yous, screams (and tears) of joy, and info. when I have it—and when I’ve fully comprehended what this means on so many different levels.

Thanks everyone for being part of making this happen. You all rock.

Ricky

I promised the publisher I would submit the new draft by the end of June and I’m glad to report I was able to beat that deadline by ten days. The latest draft is 82,000 words or 300 pages, which seems about right. (By comparison, this is longer than most works by Raymond Chandler or Agatha Christie, but on par with more contemporary works by Anthony Horowitz or Michael Connelly.) 

 While the core historical fiction murder mystery is the same, there are two major new sections in the book. The scientists at Blakely Labs have been working on something called a Z-Machine since before the war. The Z-Machine is one of those odd contraptions that, if successful, enables man to go beyond the normal realm into so-called higher dimensions. Jack Waters uses the Z-Machine to travel back to 1945 to the liberation of the Mittelwerk underground factory. And at a later point in the book, well, let’s just say he travels someplace else and leave it at that. 

 This draft proceeded at a rapid pace as a result of a detailed outline. I also had a bit of a secret weapon with my co-author Roxie. She’s not a great typist, but she has a way with dialogue. I’ll be taking a couple of weeks off writing as I wait for feedback from the publisher and do some more research.  After that, no doubt another draft… 

Thank you again for your support. If you have questions, comments or feedback feel free to send me email to ZUrlocker@gmail.com
 —Zack

Dear Readers,

This is it, everyone!

The last time I’ll ask you to order this book.

The last time I’ll post humorous memes in an attempt to win you over.

The last time I reference donuts and Doritos to send the subliminal message, “Hey! That Ricky sure is a swell fellow! Maybe I should order his book!”

This is officially the last full day for pre-orders. After that, things are out of my hands. It’s been a long, long winter (literally—I started this on January 16th!), and now as we finish up spring, it feels appropriate that the official end date for Showtime’s pre-orders is the first day of summer.

So, with that said, please, please consider ordering just one more copy for yourself or a friend. eBooks are only $10 and able to be sent as a gift as well. If just 21 of the 290+ individual readers do this, it will be enough to get us to finish at a mind-boggling 400 copies.

Some people will toss $20 or $50 at a charity as a donation and not bat an eye but feel differently when ordering multiple copies of the same book, thinking, “Why do I need another copy?” If it helps, consider it as a donation. A donation where you’re both getting a product in return as well as helping someone you know fulfill a dream that has been years—and literally thousands of work hours—in the making.

But if we end at 380, I’m cool with that, too. It’s much, much farther than I thought I would get. And, again, if couldn’t have happened without all of your help. Literally. 100%. I can write all I want, but the words stay on my computer screen unless there are people willing to read them. So thanks again to everyone who has come along (and stayed!) for the ride, for your selflessness and generosity, for your enthusiasm, support, and a dozen other things I’m sure I’m forgetting.

Whatever decision comes from Inkshares on Friday, I’m content knowing that I absolutely did the best I could with my efforts at crowdfunded publishing—something which was entirely new to me just five months ago.

So thanks again, and keep your fingers crossed for some good news,

Ricky

2 days left remain in Showtime’s pre-order campaign! TWO! After that, I will thank you for your support once more, retreat back to the shadows with a slab of coconut cake (either for celebration or sadness--but either way I get cake), and never bother you again to buy another copy of this book for as long as you live. (Actually, I can’t promise that at all...but I have good intentions!)

So, for the almost, almost final time: if you’re feeling generous, have some extra change you found in the couch while you were eating Doritos, or in the mood to support books and writing, please consider ordering another copy--either for yourself or someone else. Unlike coconut cake, they won’t go bad. In fact, I’ve heard book’s age like a fine wine the longer they sit on your shelf. (Actually, I’ve never heard that. But it sounds good, right?)

As always, reviewing, following, or reading my sample pages is always a help.

Since I’m not asking for another extension, we’re so close to the end. We’ve been a Syndicate Pick, crossed multiple 100s thresholds, met and surpassed the halfway point, been the #1 reviewed Funding project, and have bounced around the Top 3 for trending books...all of these cool achievements since January when getting to this point seemed so far off and nearly impossible.

Thanks for sticking with me this long and reading my updates. And even if you see them in your inbox, roll your eyes while exasperatedly grunting, "Ugh. Another one?" well, at least you haven’t done it to my face! :)

Ricky

Hey everyone! I just wanted to swing by and give you guys the basic update:

BLIND ISN’T EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED UNTIL OCTOBER OF 2020. I know that sounds like a long wait, but this is a common practice for traditional publishing. The manuscript will be going over a large overhaul with the help of my amazing editing team. It will be redesigned visually, and marketed to reach the masses... so be patient. It will happen! As a token of my appreciation, I hope to have 3 novellas that are available for FREE to everyone that pre-ordered a copy of Blind. It’s the least I could do.  

Here is the link to subscribe to my email list and get your free novel! 

https://mailchi.mp/4baeacf5bf49/dthsignup

Thank you everyone, I seriously appreciate everyone’s help!