The Campaign is Over, But...

The Books of Apep Kickstarter Campaign ended at midnight PDT. (Having lived/worked in multiple time zones, I'm aware that I'm not the only one who freaks at 11:50 p.m. when they remember there was something they forgot to do on a deadline day.)

However, the campaign is just the beginning! Kickstarter collects the money from the backers and delivers it to me. I then send out surveys to get some necessary information from the backers, like snail mail addresses.

By the end of August, my kitchen table will be turned into a delivery packing center as I send out physical rewards. Why the kitchen? Because I finally finished shredding the in-law's personal paperwork and my drowned legal files from last year's basement flood two weeks ago, and my office needs a thorough cleaning.

All-in-all, I consider it a successful campaign!

And I hope all my backers will enjoy their goodies!

P.S. The Books of Apep preorders are in the process of being uploaded to the usual retailers. Death Goddess Walking will be release November 16, 2026. Keep an eye on the Release Schedule for further updates! 

Just a Reminder about the Current Kickstarter

The Books of Apep Kickstarter campaign end tomorrow, July 30th at 11:59 p.m. PDT! The campaign has FUNDED! Which means you will get the books you order plus some nifty swag if you wish!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CAMPAIGN! 

If you want the entire series or just the first book to try it out, you can order it through Kickstarter and receive it in September.

Otherwise, you'll can preorder them through e-book retailers, but the first book Death Goddess Walking won't be released to the general public until November 16th.

The Books of Apep Kickstarter Is Live!

 It's Alive!

How Kickstarter Works

For those of you who have never backed a campaign on Kickstarter, here's a brief description of how is works:

1) The customers are called backers.

2) A project creator (like me) puts something new they've created into a campaign on  Kickstarter. The created object can be just about anything. Mainly, I support books, comics, and Tarot cards, but I've also supported low-flow shower heads and wearable flash drives shaped like Star Trek comm badges. The point of the campaign is to solicit funds to bring their product to wider markets.

3) In return for supporting the campaign, the backers get some really cool merchandise! 

4) The campaign is open for a set number of days (in my case, from July 21^st through midnight PDT July 30^th).

5) During the time the campaign is live, the backer can pledge for a certain reward package. For example, the backer can get all e-books or all paperbacks. In my current campaign, I set up a ‘Make Your Own’ package option where you can mix and match the items in a campaign via the 'Add-ons' feature.

6) A lot of creators also have 'Add-on' merchandise where backers can get extras of campaign items or special merchandise that's not part of the main campaign. You can select ‘Add-ons’ in my campaign if you want an extra paperback for your favorite niece, for example.

7)  Yes, backers will need a credit or debit card to make their pledge. However, Kickstarter WILL NOT charge you yet.

8) The creators have a funding goal. If there's enough pledges to meet or exceed that goal when the campaign's time is up, then the campaign is successfully funded!

9) If the campaign fails to fund when its time is up, The backers won’t be charged at all, but they also won’t get any merchandise.

10) If the campaign successfully funds, the backer's credit/debit card will be charged shortly after the end of the campaign.

11) If there is a problem with the backer's credit/debit card (hey, life happens), Kickstarter will contact the backer and give them a chance to rectify the problem. If they cannot fix the issue within 7 days, Kickstarter will cancel the backer's pledge.

12) Approximately, two weeks after the end of the campaign, Kickstarter deposits the funds from the campaign (minus Kickstarter's fees and any card processing fees) to the creator.

13) The creator then arranges for the merchandise to be made (if they haven't done so already) and delivers/ships the merchandise to the backers. In my case, physical books will be drop-shipped from the printer/distributor Ingram. The e-books will be downloaded via Book Funnel. And the extra merch will be mailed from me to you!

14) There's a very low incidence of scamming on Kickstarter. The company runs a pretty tight ship. However, once in a while someone slips through. So screen any creators! Hopefully, after writing and publishing for the last 15 years, you find me trustworthy! 

 

I've successfully run two campaigns so far. The Books of Apep series is my third one, but my first under my company name, Angry Sheep Publishing LLC. I'm truly excited about this campaign because I had a ton of fun writing the books!

If everything goes smoothly, my backers will have their books a minimum of six weeks before the first book in the series launches at the regular retail sites.

If you have any additional questions about Kickstarter, take a look at their FAQ section.

Hopefully, you'll check out my campaign when it launches tomorrow! Thanks! 

The Books of Apep

I finished the final touches on the Kickstarter campaign for The Books of Apep series in the wee hours of this morning. To my shock, Kickstarter approved the campaign less than eight hours later.

Woo-hoo!

The campaign goes live on July 21st!

If you want to a notice so you don't miss this opportunity,  click this link to go to the Pre-Launch Page and click the 'Notifiy Me On Launch' button!

A Change in the Release Schedule

I've been working on A Cup of Conflict (Justice #10) for the past few weeks. I've known since Sister Darys was skulking in the background of A Hint of Thief (Justice #9) that she had more than one secret. Doesn't every member of that particular Temple?

She finally deigned to tell me as I was trying to get to sleep on Monday night. Apparently, Thief clergy like whispering their secrets in the dark. Unfortunately, it meant a little reworking of the beginning of A Cup of Conflict.

Yeah, I'm a little ticked that she waited until I was over half-way finished with the novel, too.

What does this all mean as far as the release schedule for the second half of 2025?

The release for A Cup of Conflict has been move to June 16th. And since I'm focused on finishing that book, I'm looking at pushing the Kickstarter for The Books of Apep series to October, i.e. Witchtober.

It makes sense in a way since Aset/Isis is the most powerful sorceress of the Egyptian pantheon. (Not to be confused with the god Heka, who is the personification of magic in the ancient religion.)

The only problem right now is obtaining more gold-plated Isis charms for the bookmarks I'm making while rewatching Supernatural for an hour or two in the afternoons. (Yesterday was "Tall Tales", one of my favorites since it's the first appearance of Richard Speight, Jr.)

The Selket-damned tariffs are also going to interfere with my launch of the 10th anniversary editions of the Justice series next year. I had plans. Big plans. *sigh*

So that's what's going on here at Casa Harden. Thankfully, I have plenty of coffee, tea, and tequila to get me through the summer. I just need some more flavored creamer for the coffee.

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all!

Back From Vegas

DH and I are fine. We left Las Vegas last Friday, long before the asshole opened fire at the UNLV campus on Wednesday. We're still exhausted from the trip, and I'm playing catch-up on things.

Like giving the dogs a bath. Bella and Blaze came home with a funky smell from the other dogs at the puppy hotel despite being groomed yesterday.

In the meantime, the Justice books are on sale for one more day because I didn't get around to taking them off sale early this morning.

Pestilence in Pumpkin Spice will be $0.99 until the end of the year.

I need to get the Millersburg Magick Mysteries to the Kickstarter backers. (I re-edited the last two while DH drove.) I also need to finish this year's Christmas story before my cataract surgery next Wednesday.

Y'all will have Chapter 3 of A Cup of Conflict next Wednesday!

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Life is terribly short.

Back from My Mini Vacation

I joined a friend in Chicago for a couple of days this week. For both of us, it was work-related stress relief. She was taking a certification course in downtown, so I drove over to meet her. While she was attending her class, I wrote in our hotel room. We both got plenty of exercise walking around Michigan Avenue, searching out some good food. Plus, it was so nice talking to a person I've known for decades.

In the meantime, the Millersburg Magick Mysteries Kickstater camapaign successfully funded. Tomorrow, I'll send out the surveys. All rewards, both digital and physical, will be sent before Thanksgiving. If you missed the campaign, contact me through the tab at the top of the website, and I'll accommodate you.

Halloween Harvest, in which my story "A Place at the Table" appeared, is part of the 2023 Halloween Storybundle. We're supporting Maui Strong, an aid organization that is helping the residents of Lahaina, who lost everything in wildfires earlier this year.

The second and third books of the Millersburg Magick Mysteries series will be released over all retailers the next three and a half weeks.

Also, the Soccer Moms of the Apocalypse series will be released on all retailers on November 8th.

That's all the news for now. Next week, I'll be posting more samples of Death Goddess Walking.

Have a most excellent weekend, everyone!

Last Week for the Millersburg Magick Mysteries Kickstarter Campaign!

The Millersburg Magick Mysteries Kickstarter Campaign is down to its last six days!

Get all three e-books, plus Amish, Vamps & Thieves (Bloodlines #4) which introduced several of the Millersburg adults, for only $10. Yep, that's half the price you would pay if you get all four books from an online retailer.

It's pretty simple. Kickstarter handles the transactions, so you're not giving me any credit card numbers. If you pledge for a physical reward, I'll need your snail mail address, but that's it. Between Kickstarter's rules and my own personal policy, no one else sees your personal info.

These YA books would make lovely holiday gifts for your young person.

Millersburg Magick Mysteries closes on Tuesday, October 17th, at 11:59 PM EDT. Check out this campaign before it's too late!

Millersburg Magick Mysteries Kickstarter Campaign Funded!

I'm amazed and grateful my second Kickstarter funded in less than a week. I'd barely started promoting it. So a huge "Thank You" to everyone who's backed the campaign!

If you haven't checked it out yet, here's the link!

It's Officially Live!

I hit the publish button last night. The Millersburg Magick Mysteries Kickstarter campaign is officially up and running!

I really hope everyone will check out the campaign. It was nice to delve back into a world that's a lot of fun. Plus, I've got the covers for the next three books, so I'll have some fun over next summer! 

The campaign will run until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, October 17th.

Pre-Launch Page for Kickstarter Is Live

It's happening! My campaign was approved earlier than I thought it would. I now have an active pre-launch page! Hopefully, my pink hair in the video isn't too shocking. LOL

Yes, I'm giggling gleefully! I can't wait!

Change of Plans

I'd planned to send the first three paperbacks of the Millersburg Magic Mysteries to a couple of friends' daughters for #AllHallowsRead this year. Plus, I've been having fun with some bead work and found some cute sugar skull charms to go with the theme, so I decided to make the girls Dia de los Muertos bookmarks to go with the books.

As I'm working on the bookmarks, I realized the series and the sugar skull bookmarks would make a perfect #Witchstarter campaign! This will now be my second Kickstarter campaign!

It's gong to be short and sweet. Two weeks. $100 goal. Only the Millersburg Magick Mysteries ebooks and paperbacks and the Dia de los Muertos bookmarks for the main rewards. Maybe some stickers for the first stretch goal.

I'll post here and on the www.suzanharden.com website at the end of September before the campaign goes live.

Note 1: All Hallow's Read was started back in 2010 by Neil Gaiman as a book-giving holiday for us non-Icelanders. Iceland has Jolabokaflod, which makes me want to move there!

Note 2: Witchstarter is the name given to October Kickstarter campaigns with a magickal theme.

Almost There If I Can Breathe

Yesterday afternoon, I finished packing and labeling the last dozen Kickstarter boxes to be shipped. However, I didn't make it to the post office today.

Northwest Ohio is under an Orange-Level air quality alert from the wildfires in Ontario and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The photo above from the Australian wildfires a couple of years ago gives you an idea of what our supposedly clear blue sky looks like right now.

I've been dealing with itchy eyes and a stuffy nose since I ran a bunch of errands yesterday morning. I'll need to dig out my pandemic masks before I take the last boxes to the post office tomorrow morning.

I really, REALLY hope we get the rain forecasted for Sunday.

Still Shipping Boxes

I'm so glad the Death in Double Mocha paperbacks arrived a week early because shipping out boxes is taking a little longer than I anticipated. We're getting there though. The goal is to have the rest to the post office before the holiday weekend.

Running my first Kickstarter campaign was definitely a learning experience. I've got a whole list of things I plan to do differently next time. And I need to anticipate any unusual surge in pledging!

But the good news is the pile in front of the fireplace is steadily decreasing. And the first boxes have arrived at their backers' addresses.

I hope everyone is enjoying the contents of their backer boxes!

Still Packing Boxes

It's been a batcrap crazy week at Chez Harden.

Genius Kid and Grandpuppy arrived around 11 pm on Monday night. It's time for my spring doctors' appointments, so I had two this week. And I'm still trying to pack Kickstarter reward boxes.

Preferably without canine help despite Bella and Grandpuppy's gracious offers.

In the meantime, here's the revised schedule for the Flag City Phantoms!

A Busy Weekend Ahead!

Three boxes filled with Death in Double Mocha arrived this afternoon. Yep, they arrived a week early to my shock and surprise.

That means between cleaning the house before GK arrives for leave late Monday/early Tuesday and spotting for the booth during the Flag City Phantoms Saturday night, I need to pack up 70 Kickstarter reward boxes.

I'm so not complaining! The movies I wanted to see in March and April are rolling into streaming so I'll be watching those while packing, taping, and slapping mailing labels on those boxes.

Yay! I can't wait!

P.S. If you backed the Soccer Moms of the Apocalypse Kickstarter, and you need to change your mailling address, contact me through the Kickstarter Messenger or the Contact Form here on my website ASAP!

Quiet for a Reason

I've been a little busy. The Death in Double Mocha e-book went out to the backers of the Soccer Moms of the Apocalypse Kickstarter campaign who ordered it.

Also, I'm finishing up Queer Eye for the Super Guy for release next week.

Once that's done, I desperately need to weed my flower beds. The dandelions are going boinkers this spring.

I will have some news next week. (I hope.)

Are Things Finally Back to Normal?

With much relief, I sent Death in Double Mocha to my formatter around five a.m. this morning. Now that I'm awake and had some caffeine, I'll get some breakfast and turn back to Queer Eye for the Super Guy.

There's a sense of satisfaction in completing a project, which helps my mood. Plus, DH has two lacrosse games tonight (he is the timekeeper for the city's high school teams, so I have a few hours of quiet time. And I love writing Jeremy!

Plus, there's the stretch goal short stories to finish for the Soccer Moms of the Apocalypse Kickstarter campaign.

But I'm definitely ready to move on to a project that's not related to the fucking pandemic or last year's familial loss. While the next one will be a Justice Thalia story, it's too short to publish a snippet on the blog.

So there's either something from the Books of Apep or the sooper sekrit project I've been doodling with as a palate cleanser to post here. (I never thought I'd write paranormal women's fiction, but there you go.)

Or I might set up a Patreon for the sooper sekrit project.

I do plan to set up an online store at some point this year. Elaina Lee designed some cute Soccer Moms t-shirts for me.

Yeah, I think things are finally getting back to normal at Angry Sheep Publishing. And for that, I'm very grateful.

Status Report for September 2022

This week is a little nuts. I'm behind again.

There was another death in the family, for a total of three in the last eight months. I'm so done with funerals for 2022. Then we dealt with some major moving of furniture over Labor Day weekend.

No, DH and I did not move to a new living space. It was a matter of removing the pieces of furniture from the in-law's home the siblings wished to keep and taking said furniture to said siblings' homes. All of the work is dedicated to getting the house cleaned out and on the market.

I've spent the last couple of days typing at a furious pace to catch up. E-books will be out on time, but I'm not going to get the last of the paperbacks completed and shipped next week as I had hoped. All I can do is to keep chugging away at my to-do list.

All of the personal mishaps has made me rethink my next Kickstarter. I'll spend the winter and spring writing the next quadrilogy before I launch the campaign. It will be better for my nerves.