Hey, I’m back! In case you forgot, I am Ran, Sarn’s son from the Curse Breaker Series. Melinda, my scribe, took over last week, but this week, I am back!
Before I tell you what I have been doing, let’s do some book news and then we’re going behind the scenes.
Book News!
The Kickstarter might be over, but the work behind the scenes is in full swing! This week is all about fulfillment and gratitude.
Melinda put together the Backer Thank You page for all the new books. That meant editing 17 files, and my scribe was losing her mind trying to make sure they were all correct. Microsoft Word did not help with that. It kept adding blank pages that had to be removed from the PDF and then re-encoded, which just made the whole thing take longer.
Why are there 17 files?
That was my question too. It turns out that every format needs a different file. So the 17 files breaks down as follows:
- 7 ebook files (since there are 7 books but only 5 are brand spanking new)
- 7 paperback files for the same 7 books (Catch the Scribe, Book Battles, Rogue Characters, Dragon Spells, Rogue Spells, Storm Spells, and Void Spells).
- 3 hardcover omnibus files (Tales A Curse Breaker in NY Books 1-3 SE Hardcover Omnibus, Curse Breaker’s Companion Books 1-2 SE Hardcover Omnibus, Curse Breaker’s Companion Books 3-4 SE Hardcover Omnibus)
The ebook version of the SE Hardcover Omnibuses are the same fully formatted and illustrated PDF files we send to the printer. Otherwise, there would have been 3 additional files to edit.
All that work is necessary because it makes our backers and patrons a permanent part of the series.
Did you know that all the retail editions will have that backer thank you page as well?
And now it’s time for my favorite part, sending the books out!
So that’s what my scribe will be doing this week.
eBooks went out yesterday for the 7 individual books (Catch the Scribe, Book Battles, Rogue Characters, Dragon Spells, Rogue Spells, Storm Spells, and Void Spells).
The physical books have been ordered.
We are also ordering a set of SE Omnibuses for a fan battling cancer and we send it with our hopes that she wins the fight. So a portion of the funds raised will be used for that.
For future Kickstarters, would you like a way to purchase a book for a fan in need?
We’ve seen a few kickstarters offer this. If this is something you’d like us to try, we could look into it. Our scribe is a project manager, so she can definitely organize it.
Is this something you’d like us to do?
My scribe hopes that will end the Riders of the Apocalypse storyline. Will it?
Why do you think I would know?
I’m hanging out with dragons and OwlCats and trying to make my papa rest so he can heal.
My aunt is supposed to handle the Apocalypse, but I haven’t seen her since the previous book (Chasing Dragons). You know more than I do if you read Chaos Rises, the first book in the Riders of the Apocalypse story arc.
Is she stopping the Apocalypse?
Curious characters would like to know.
Progress Report: Curse Breaker Jousts
On the writing front, the “cozy” portion of Curse Breaker Jousts ended with shattered lances and a swordfight. But Papa spent over a month recuperating with help from me. I had some ideas about what he should do while he rested.
Did he actually rest?
Not really. Papa likes to think and magic and do things, meaning he rested about as well as you think he did. So not well at all until I came up with the perfect distraction.
I’m pretty pleased about that. I found something for him to do while resting. What did I get out of it?
Since this ‘something to do’ required magic, I got to watch him work a lot of magic, and I took notes, of course.
But that was then and now, I’m listening to a story Uncle Miren is telling to me and my friends.
The “magical mayhem” portion is in full swing, and I think Papa might be in trouble.
In the story, I don’t know that. I am easily distracted by a good story.
Papa left a while ago to get Will so he could come and hang out with us and the dragons. But he hasn’t returned, and I’m concerned he might have gotten into big trouble.
Melinda just posted new chapters for you to dive into:
The Publishing Waiting Game
Not much has changed on the Amazon front, so we still have no account and are boycotting them. Melinda emails the Alliance of Independent Authors every week to ask if there is an update and so far, they have just said they will let her know when they have heard something.
Shouldn’t they have heard something? It’s been almost 2 months since her account was unjustly terminated.
Normally, I’d keep Melinda busy writing stuff about me, but Papa is doing a great job of that right now. So I conned my uncle into taking a trip through the portal to your world so he could read the chapters posted on Substack and Patreon to me.
I have to stay informed somehow! And you’ve seen how little Papa talks about anything.
So that’s where everything is right now. I hope you have a great week and read some great books!
New Books, Special Editions, & More!
Melinda Kucsera - USA Today Bestselling Author of Epic Fantasy Adventures 