But before we start, Jethro Tull.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
The Big Fat Release: Emancipation is now available!
This is a big deal for me, so big that I’ll actually have extra thoughts about it at the end of this update.
I’ve finally published an entire series!
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve finished series before, but I’ve never gotten around to publishing the entirety of something until now. Sep 2020 is a red-letter month for me.
That said, if you want to see what inconvenient truth lies at the very bottom of Everhold, click here.
And if you haven’t yet started this thrilling series, please consider starting from the beginning by clicking here.
As always, your support and patronage are greatly appreciated, but never required – do what you will and you will ever have my love.
Again, I have quite a lot of thoughts about the series now that my hands are (mostly) free of it, but I’ll place that at the bottom of this update for your perusal.
Moving on.
Short of the month: Dirty, Nasty Thievery, part 3!
Oh yes, this time Order pops in for some high-speed excitement, and what turns out to be a misunderstanding, quickly changes gear into quite the thrilling challenge.
Want to see Chaos actually angry enough to murder someone? Not saying he doesn’t murder people all the time, but he does that on principle, not emotion. This time he is angry and boy, is he ready to go!
You can catch up with the continuation of Dirty, Nasty Thievery by clicking right here!
Neat book of the Month: Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson
I’m going to try to give a quick book recommendation every month out of the things I’ve recently read. Please enjoy.
This is a smart book, and I liked it.
If you’re worrying about the situation of the world and the problems we face, fear no more: yet another author is taking a crack at wiping away your tears, tearing open the gates of the future, and showing you the way to a happy, fulfilling life.
I mean, sorta.
Mark Manson (of The Subtle art of Not Giving a F*ck fame) is back with a book that tackles a few fundamental human questions, a few of which will absolutely take you by surprise.
He presents a fascinating view of human suffering, arguing that it’s our outlook that is in fact the overwhelming source of pain, which isn’t all that new for most people, until he inspects why and the science behind how we come to see the world for what it is despite our upbringing, social class, and otherwise.
Lots of bad language and nihilism, so be aware of that. Highly recommended, but then again I wouldn’t recommend anything that wasn’t “highly” anything, to be honest!
You can find it on amazon.com, or wherever books that have bad words in them are sold.
Liberation’s fly new print edition!
Pictures to follow in the coming weeks, I wanted to go ahead and share it with you.
Liberation’s cover is probably my favorite cover of any of my books out thus far, and I’m certain it’s going to look wonderful.
If you want to be one of the very first people in history to hold the book in your hands, get it by heading here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HGTJL71.
Last Thought of The Month
Yes, because I think I’ve earned the right to not think about anything and be comatose in my bed for about a month.
I’ve worked exceptionally hard as of late, and yet it seems as though I’m not seeing the results I want.
Substation 7 was my most concerted effort yet (and Soot Knight to be even more concerted than that starting this December,) however it seems as though success has not knocked down my door and flooded my coffers the way I had dreamed. I expected little, mind you, and it is in fact what I got. Perhaps it was a self-fulfilling prophesy.
That said, this has forced me to pull back on my ads to find new readers, ads to sell the books, and most things related to the writing business. My available capital is stretched too thin, so I’ll have to play it safe for a bit.
Do not be alarmed. This is not a “I give up” statement. It is simply an “I’m drawing back and reassessing for the next path forward” statement. This year of hard work has not been a failure in the slightest. I would say it’s been a rousing success, in fact, but it has only been a success in-line with that which I have dealt with so far in my writing path; that is to say: not all that much.
Emotionally, physically, intellectually I feel as though all is going on-course and ever upwards. Life is good. Yet when it comes to the success of the books, the universe, and The Great Cause for my writing, it feels like the road will stay steep for a long time to come.
Even while I may be demotivated for a time, the flood of determination comes surging back through me day by day. It is inevitable.
I expect it to complete all I plan to by this point, because I won’t give up on this, even if everyone else does.
By now it is who I am, and it is what I do. As long as I am alive, I will find a way to write – even if it’s on a wet napkin in a warzone.
My job with the government has been rewarding beyond explanation. Through the long hours and hard decisions I’ve crafted a life that I never would have imagined when I was younger, but I know that completing my art is what I am here for.
That said, I’ve analyzed Substation 7 and am stupendously proud of it. In it I feel as though I’ve accomplished something I’ve never been able to before, as if a piece missing in my puzzle as been pushed into its perfect fitting. Even then, from my analysis I’ve discerned that if I wanted it to truly be a commercial success and sell a hundred copies a day, I have to make one simple fix:
Make all the automatons smoking hot vampire boys.
Just envision it:
Clare: cold, afraid and alone, surrounded by naughty lads just over her age but also like 5,000 years old, pining endlessly for her as she attempts to navigate past their bare chests to discover…
Right, I get carried away sometimes. A thousand pardons. I was trying to inject some humor – teehee.
If I were to look at it honestly I’d say that a highly fringe (let’s be honest, practically nonexistent) genre, a low advertising budget, and a small initial base of readers was what caused my beloved S7 from getting immediate notoriety and a key to the money dimension. I’m of the opinion that you can make good money off good literature, but I’ll have to be proven right some time later – teehee again.
Don’t worry about me, dearest reader and friend, we will prevail. Once I see more income from the books, I can devote even more resources to them. Better covers, merchandise, more audiobooks, and cross-medium creations are all on the table and planned – You do want a Boris T-shirt, don’t you? I certainly want to be “of the wearing”.
As always, it’s great to write to you.
I mean, at this point I’d probably write to and for the wall if no one else was around to read, so I’m happy I haven’t had to resort to that yet.
Now then…
Projected Release Timeline – September 2020:
–Monthly Short Stories – Ongoing
–The Scar: A Novel of War – November 20th
–Occult Vengeance: Soot Knight #1 – Dec 10th (75% off preorder special!)
–Bloodkeep: The Courts Divided #3 – January 20th
–Mystic Vengeance: Soot Knight #2 – May 20th
Plus some extra surprises in the coming months – I’ll see you then.
Your support is the steam to my engine, and your readership is heaping fuel to the flames. Thanks for sticking with me all these years, and (hopefully) the decades to follow as we write a glorious new horizon. We’re going to do amazing things together.
Take care, love your family, cooperate on difficult tasks, wear your mask when you need to, and smash your enemies to a pulp with a brick.
All the best,
Kell Inkston
Coffee... WRITING!... COFFEE!! 