Aloha All,
Just a quick update here on Lost in the Fog’s official publication date as well as a sneak peek at the front and back of the cover!
While we all wanted August, the good folks at Inkshares are still not yet back in the office due to the pandemic. Avalon, the extremely hardworking and amazing Director of Marketing & Publishing Operations, selected a new date to ensure there is enough time to properly handle everything on their end.
Lost in the Fog will be released September 21, 2020!
It’s been a long journey, and I thank you all once again for your tremendous support. I’ll be back in touch as the date gets closer, but in the meantime here’s an exclusive, first look at the cover. I am so happy with the work from the talented artists Xavier and Rafael from CoverKitchen! I hope you enjoy it too. Mahalo!
-Michael
Aloha All,
I hope this Lost in the Fog update finds you all safe and well. While our world has been upended by a dangerous and awful virus, I’m choosing to focus on whatever positive news I can get. Thankfully, there is plenty if you seek it out.
First off, the healthcare workers all over the world are such amazing heroes, and I cannot say enough thanks to all of those amazing humans. I think of that great quote from Mr. Rogers, who was told by his Mom when he saw scary things as a kid to “look for the helpers”. There are so many incredible helpers right now saving lives and we need to salute them every day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I also love that there are millions of people around the globe protesting and taking a stand against racism. I wish the despicable things that propelled this movement never happened, and I pray for the family and friends of all of the victims. But so wonderful that the world is changing because of this moment.
After pondering all of this important stuff, I’m tempted to end this post here.
But as this is an update for all the terrific people who pre-ordered my novel, I’ll quickly share some good news. I just heard back from the amazing people at Inkshares (my publisher), and while they are not yet reopened because of the pandemic, they hope to do so soon.
And I was informed Lost in the Fog will be released in August.
I’m so happy that the book you all graciously ordered long ago will finally be in your hands and e-reader devices very soon. I hope you’ll find it fun, mysterious, entertaining, suspenseful, and well-written. When I get a specific August release date, I’ll share it with you as soon as I know. But for now, lets celebrate this positive news!
The calendar has flipped eight times since my last update, but I finally have some good news to share about my novel Lost in the Fog!
As mentioned previously, Inkshares is a small company with limited resources, and they can only put out so many books each year. Most of you reading this update have already purchased/backed my book, and I wish you had a copy of it in your hands right now. I submitted my final draft last summer, and my manuscript has unfortunately been collecting digital dust since then.
But I’m happy to say that Lost in the Fog is finally in production!
An editor from Inkshares (Mr. Ryan Quinn) recently did an excellent copy edit on it last week, and I got the opportunity to review it. My job was to go through all his comments, answer his questions, and then either make changes or respond with “stet”, which means “let it stand”. Then I had to review all of the tracked changes he made (mostly punctuation, formatting, and keeping the manuscript copacetic to the Chicago Manual of Style), and either accept or reject them.
Thankfully Mr. Quinn did not have many questions (I attribute that to the great job of my first editor, Ms. Caroline Tolley), and all of the changes he made were technical ones that I accepted. But I still took about 6 days with the manuscript, figuring this is likely the last time I will be able to make any modifications to it (I ended up making some minor tweaks of my own). I am very happy with this new and improved version of Lost in the Fog, and I submitted it to Inkshares on Friday.
Once a book begins production, Inkshares says the process is approximately four to six months to when backers (that’s you) will receive your copy in the mail. Lost in the Fog still needs to go through another round of edits, a design pour (whatever that is), design updates, cover design, printing, and shipping. I’d love if my novel could be released by Christmas, but to be safe let’s target January/February of 2020.
I’ll know more soon, and as the timeline gets firmer, I’ll keep everyone updated.
Thank you!
“Time flies. It’s up to you to be the navigator.” - Robert Orben
Aloha All,
It’s hard to believe it was almost three months ago that I submitted my novel Lost in the Fog to Inkshares!
Summer had just started, Elon Musk had yet to smoke marijuana on a live show, and nobody cared what the word “boof” meant. I guess a lot can happen in 90 days.
In early July I had just finished the developmental edit of Lost in the Fog, where I had worked tirelessly whenever I could find free time with a very talented editor to significantly improve my manuscript. I was ecstatic back then, as submitting the new version of the book to the publisher was a huge milestone! But as I wrote in my last update, Inkshares is small publishing house and they only have the ability to work on 1-2 books per month. I knew I had to wait my turn.
I finally have great news to share … Lost in the Fog is next in the queue to start the publication process!
While I still don’t have an exact timeline and I cannot yet give you a publication date, we’re another step closer. I would say early 2019 is looking very good. Once Inkshares begins to work on Lost in the Fog and I have more detailed information, you’ll be the first to know!
I’m also very happy to share with you that I have been writing the sequel to Lost in the Fog. Here’s the pitch:
An investigative reporting team from San Francisco must discover why a religious cult in Honolulu wants to assassinate them.
I’ve lived in Hawaii for the last six years, and I am super excited to set the new Camden and Veronica Mystery in the place I’m honored to call home. While we wait for Lost in the Fog to go through the publication process with Inkshares and get into your hands, finishing the sequel is now my top priority. My ultimate goal is to create at least a trilogy with these characters, but hopefully a longer series featuring Camden and Veronica where each novel will take place in a different location. I’m already thinking Paris for the third book …
Mahalo again for your support! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
-Michael
https://www.inkshares.com/books/lost-in-the-fog
“Most people are scared of those things that don’t sit still and pose for our official portrait of reality.” -Tom Robbins, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas
Aloha All,
Some great news to share that is tempered with a dose of reality and sprinkled with the dust of a hard drinking pixie. After more than six months of working to improve the characters, story, and structure of Lost in the Fog, I finally finished the development edit. Caroline Tolley, my editor, has helped make the book the best it can be.
The manuscript is now in the queue for publication with Inkshares!
The reality is the publisher is small and can only work on one to two books at a time, so I need to wait my turn. Completely understandable (I took longer to finish the development edit so I’m to blame for being pushed back in the queue), but still a bit of a bummer. I feel the book is ready to go (it’s been heavily edited), but the process is the process. They are estimating it to start in September.
The pixie dust is the sheer fact that Lost in the Fog is being published. For something I started in 2004, finished the first draft in 2008, and then mostly abandoned until last year, I’m just happy to be at this point. Making me smile even more, is that I’m not publishing my book on my own, I’m getting it in print because of all of you. I needed at least 250 pre-orders for Inkshares to help me realize my dream, and I accomplished that with your awesome help.
If the publication process starts in September, there’s still a chance Lost in the Fog reaches your hands by the end of the year. Though that might be too optimistic, and it’s never good to over promise and under deliver. You’ve all been so amazingly patient, and we’re almost at the finish line. Once I have more information on the publication date (or even a better estimate), I will share it with you immediately.
But I hope you’ll raise a glass and toast with me that we’re one step closer. Thank you and mahalo!
-Michael
“Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don’t have to makes speeches. Just believing is usually enough.”
-Stephen King, from On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft
Hi All,
A huge thank you for being the first to pre-order my new novel Lost in the Fog. It’s been up on Inkshares for a little over a week, and thus far I have 76 orders. Not exactly Stephen King-type numbers, but still a very good early showing!
Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!
Speaking of Stephen King, I love that quote I referenced above from his On Writing. I read that book back in 2001 when I was living in LA, and as I sat down to write this update the paperback was right there on the shelf just a few feet away from my laptop. A nice omen and the quote is so true. Through the years I have received amazing support my family, my friends and many strangers who read something I wrote. It’s hard to properly describe how much that means.
Because there is always going to be criticism when you put your work out into the public realm. And you not only have to cope with it, you must embrace it to get better. I certainly do and am grateful for negative feedback. However, positive encouragement will always be a huge motivator that gets you through the moments of doubt.
Once again, I thank you for ordering my new book and for sharing the link with your friends and family! I am very grateful. My initial goal is to get at least 250 pre-orders in the next three months. Inkshares will only publish your book if you reach that minimum threshold (if I don’t you’ll all get a full refund), and if you can get to 750 they’ll give you the full advertising and marketing treatment. With the support of friends, family, and strangers I know Lost in the Fog can get there!
I’ve put the first chapter up on the site, and I’ll be adding the second chapter as a further sneak preview for you soon. If you want to read a little about the history of Lost in the Fog, you can check out my blog post at https://underdiamondhead.com/2017/04/24/lost-in-the-fog-my-new-novel/
Thanks!