Hello, supporters of BLACK FOREST!

The book will be available in less than two weeks! Thank you all for your patience and your support!  If you’re a Missoulian, make sure you’ve cleared your calendars for the launch party at Frame of Mind on Friday, November 4th, and 6:30!

BUT HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NEXT!  The books are about to ship from Inkshares very shortly, which means that you need to check your account (the one you created when you pre-ordered BLACK FOREST) and make sure that your SHIPPING ADDRESS IS UPDATED! Otherwise you won’t receive your book on time (or maybe at all!)

Thank you once again - I couldn’t have done it without you all, and I’m so excited to share Nathan’s world of BLACK FOREST with you VERY VERY SOON! 

Love you all--

Laramie Dean!

Dear readers,

I hope you have not forgotten me. It has been quite a while, and I admit that things have progressed far slower than I’d hoped. I feel that much of that is my own fault, and that has made me reluctant to post any updates. However, it looks like we’re finally over the slump, and have something real to report.

The book went into copy edits just last month, and should be moving on to the next step within the next week or so. Apparently we have a publication date set for February 2022, so here’s hoping things go according to schedule.

As I’m writing this, the International Agatha Christie Festival is just entering its last day. I was invited to say a little something about Christie’s post-WW1 world, though the ongoing plague means my contribution has had to be online only. Rather a shame not to be there in person, but being "online only" means the video is now available on YouTube. Check it out here: Agatha Christie: Clues to the Post-War World. While you’re there, why not check out some of the other online talks and events for the festival?

Cheers to everyone; stay healthy, and happy reading.

Happy Sunday!

Just a quick update on how things are going ahead of Bane of All Things’ Nov. 9 release.

I am finalizing the manuscript with the copy editor. A copy editor scrutinizes the manuscript for the niggly things related to punctuation, American vs. Canadian spelling, and consistency with a style guide (like The Chicago Manual of Style). They are also a last pair of fresh eyes to catch things that may still be unclear to a reader or details that may be inconsistent from one end of the story to the other (like details of a character’s appearance).

The manuscript will go next to the interior designer. They will turn the manuscript from a Word doc into a stylish layout and file format ready to become an e-book and sent to the printer for the trade paperback edition.

For the cover of the book, that falls to Tim Barber of Dissect Designs, who has done a number of fantastic covers for Inkshares. I look forward to when I can share with you the real cover and that do-it-yourself placeholder down below can finally be retired.

There will be lots more work to do in the months that remain before launch day. Advance promotion is critical – this will include distribution of ARCs (advance reader copies) to generate reviews on sites like Goodreads before Nov. 9. The hope, of course, is that the reception from these advance readers will be generally positive—they get an advance copy of the book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Taking time to reflect

I found myself rather reflective this morning on the long road to get to this point.

I landed the deal with Inkshares for Bane of All Things on May 1, 2019. That’s just three years and two months after I began writing the first draft in March 2016.

That could be considered fast, especially for a debut author. On the other hand, I first started working on this idea in 1999! Two other failed versions of this story – two other full-length novels – came before. 

Over those years, I worked on other stories that might also be published someday. But I kept coming back to this one, determined to unlock its mysteries. Figuring out the best way to tell a strong and engaging story is the most difficult and the most rewarding thing that’s within my ability to do. I am compelled to do it.

While Bane of All Things was a completely fresh start from those two previous efforts – think of it like the recent Planet of the Apes reboots versus the original movies of the ‘70s – it did benefit from an already established foundation. This world and these characters were already entrenched in my mind and that made a big difference. There is absolute truth in the saying that every overnight success was years (even decades) in the making.

It remains to be seen if Bane of All Things will be a success. But no matter what happens, I remain grateful and humbled that you chose to be part of the adventure with me.

Stay safe and keep reading!

Cheers

Leo

Hello friends of BLACK FOREST!  I know that several of you have been wondering what’s been going on, when the book will be released, fun crystal ball questions like that. Since my crystal ball is due for a good cleaning, I can only give you the fuzziest glance into the future, and it looks something like this:

Because of Covid-related lunacy, production for all Inkshares titles has to be readjusted, including BLACK FOREST. What does that mean for me (and for you)? Right now we’re looking at summer 2022 release dates ... but it’s very likely that I won’t have a confirmed date until later this year. 

Which really just means we’re still on track, I’m going to do another round of edits on my own, honing and crafting and all those other fun things that keep writers awake at night. And as soon as my crystal ball gets back from the cleaners, I’ll give you more specific details.

Thanks for your patience and support, friends -- I promise you, it will be worth it! xXOo L