Hello, readers!
Jacob here. As this is my first newsletter, it also comes predictably late. A lot has happened over the last few months, the most notable being that I started posting my new web serial, Tales from the Earthen Sky, which was formerly trying to take over my brain, and have continued at the pace of one chapter per week. That has pushed a lot of literary projects further toward the back, as I’m in an experimental stage of seeing how this goes and testing the waters. In May, I began posting on Royal Road, a website host for sci-fi/fantasy authors who post sequentially, and have garnered significantly more views there than on the stranded island that is this website (no surprises, I suppose).
Over the month of June, I additionally took on a short story prompt contest on Royal Road, and finished it this past weekend at about 8,400 words. It’s a tragedy; if that doesn’t scare you off, you can find it here, since it will probably remain on Royal Road. Writing stories sequentially, editing by the chapter, has retaught me the joys of discovery writing, something I thought I’d all but abandoned.
What happened to my novels, then? Well . . . as I said, priorities changed slightly, but Mani is ready to go as soon as I get a final cover design confirm that the print edition through IngramSpark is formatted just so. So the official release date is to be announced. Its sequel, Gaea, has progressed in the editing phase but only slightly, while I have begun the outlining phase for the third and final book in what I’m calling The Mother Trilogy. I plan to write it alongside Earthen Sky—although, if I really get on a roll, I may take a short hiatus this fall.
In the future, I hope to start up a YouTube channel, where I may begin posting audio chapters of Earthen Sky, along with some musical projects I’ve had in the works for a while. I’m still trying to get a good “studio” setup before jumping into all that.
That’s about it for now, folks. In closing, I’ll say I’m still (as of the writing of this email) on the lookout for anyone who wants to be an advance reader for Mani. If that sounds like your cup of tea, shoot me an email and I’ll get you an e-copy. I only ask for an honest review in exchange.
Thanks for your time, and God bless.
— Jacob Gamber