The Dark Thorn by Shawn Speakman

Hey Everyone,

I am excited to share that the BackerKit for The Dark Thorn has just crossed $100,000!

That also means we hit $90,000. So two stretch goals have been hit. The $90,000 one adds foil to the boards of all editions. I'll be figuring out which colors soon. And the S&N, S&L, and Rare editions added artist signatures to my own. That's a nice little upgrade too!

But my favorite is the $100,000. Because that Stretch Goal is giving 10% more money to the artists who are helping to bring this project to life. Artists don't get enough love in our industry -- they don't make royalties on book sales like authors do -- so whenever I can help them out I try to do it. And thanks to ALL OF YOU, we made that one happen. So pleased as I type this for Magali, Don, and Jared.

What's up next? An upgrade in endpapers for all editions and gilding for the S&N, S&L, and Rare editions. If we hit this one, the book will match up quite nicely with what I did on The King-Killing Queen last year.

Okay, I have to make some boxes now. I'm in the Grim Oak Press warehouse right now and while I work I'm going to consider my CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE story that will begin tomorrow.

Thank you everyone for making this a successful crowdfund!

Shawn

Hi Dark Thorn Backers,

You kept it going overnight! We have achieved the $80,000 Stretch Goal.

So a map of Annwn by Jared Blando has been unlocked! The eBook and trade hardcover will print it in black and white; the S&N, S&L, and Rare editions will have a full-color tip. I'm not sure if the tip will be a foldout or single-page yet. We shall see what Jared turns his work in. After talking with him this morning, he thinks he can get the map done by the end of June. So I'll have something to show you before the BackerKit ends!

A map is important for this story, as the knight Richard McCallister and his ward Bran Ardall venture from Seattle into what is the Arthurian legend's Avalon. While in Annwn, the story takes me many different places. The map will help the reader navigate that journey.

What's next? $90,000! Where all the physical books will get foil. And the S&N, S&L, and Rare editions will become multi-signed by me and the artists. We are so close to this Stretch Goal so I know we'll break it today. And happily so, since The King-Killing Queen S&N, S&L, and Rare editions were also multi-signed.

A fun day ahead for me. My youngest son Kael turns 5 years old! Rather than go to school, he's coming with me and my wife as we chaperone our 8 year old son's field trip to the Seattle aquarium. Then Kael has pre-school graduation and, after that, his birthday dinner. A busy day! Try not to wreck the place, will ya?

As usual, if you have any questions about any of this, do ask.

Onward with Magic,

Shawn

Hi Everyone,

Wow! I come home from a very busy day to see YOU ALL not only funded the project but have almost doubled that funding goal!! I can't believe it. THANK YOU for making this a successful project within 16 minutes. Woo!

Why wasn't I watching it like a hawk? Well, I drove an hour to visit with author Django Wexler and artist Nate Taylor. Django was signing some books for customers of The Signed Page; Nate Taylor was signing signature pages for Grim Oak Press's special editions of Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. We ate lunch. We talked and laughed. They signed their scribbles. Then I had to go to the MD worried I had strep (I don't, just a non-COVID virus of some kind). And I really didn't look at things until I got home.

And as I write this, we are almost to $80,000. Because of you all!

Some Stretch Goals got obliterated. The ones in purple below are the ones we've opened thus far:


My favorite one of those is probably the $50,000 Stretch Goal. Because all of the $35 trade hardcovers now feature cloth boards rather than the paper boards most bookstore hardcovers have. It's just a great upgrade for what will be the bestselling item.

So what's next? That $80,000 Stretch Goal. I'm betting we hit that within minutes, so I'll be writing another update in the morning. It's definitely one of the Stretch Goals I wanted hit early. I read fantasy and I write fantasy and I love fantasy maps, maps, maps! Jared Blando is great at what he does and I'm so thankful Annwn gets a new map.

The $90,000 Stretch Goal is important too. More signatures is always a great addition. And foil. More foil, please!

How do we get there? Share this project with any online fantasy groups and readers you think might be interested in it.

I'll be sharing more news in the morning, I bet. And some questions have arisen that I'll also address. Stay tuned!

GUESS WHAT? WE DID IT!

With Magic,
Shawn

PS: Backers, there is a note below for you!

Hi Backers of The Dark Thorn!

Wow, the project launches tomorrow and we have over 1100 people already signed up via pre-launch. That's amazing! Thank you for joining us early.

This morning, we realized that we hadn't officially announced our interior artist on The Dark Thorn. We have to remedy that because he's just too great and deserving not to. His name is Don Maitz. He's won ten Chesley Awards and two Hugo Awards for his art. His work has graced book covers for authors like Piers Anthony, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Orson Scott Card, Stephen King, Raymond E. Feist, etc. You get the picture. And he even created the first artwork for the Captain Morgan rum pirate. He's a great guy, is married to author Janny Wurts, and together they might be the cutest couple ever.

Don has done a lot of work for Grim Oak Press over the years, most recently on our special edition of Prince of the Blood by Raymond E. Feist. Author Shawn Speakman commissioned Don for a painting last year, and Don produced one after reading The Dark Thorn. It is below:



If you look closely at the Stretch Goals, there is the chance that there will be a full-color tip placed within the S&N, S&L, and Rare editions. The art for that tip will come from the painting above.

Don will be producing ten (10) black and white interiors. But there is also a Stretch Goal for an additional five (5). We sure hope we hit that because more art is always better!

Follow Don on social media if you don't already. And we will be sharing some of his interiors on The Dark Thorn once we receive them in.

See you tomorrow!

- The Grim Oak Press Team

Hi Everyone,

The BackerKit for The Dark Thorn Preferred Editions launches in two days! It has been approved!

Tomorrow, I should receive final cover artwork from Magali Villeneuve, which will be wonderful. Don Maitz has begun interior illustration work for the book, to produce TEN black and white illustrations that will go into every edition. And cartographer Jared Blando is waiting in the wings to produce a beautiful new map of Annwn if we hit that stretch goal.

Well, what are the stretch goals? For that matter, what are the tiers? And add-ons? Well, I'm going to post some information below and I'll answer any questions that arise so you have the most current information for when the project launches on June 12th at 11AM PT.

Here are the Tiers:

These should seem fairly obvious to those of you who have followed me for a while. The tiers match up pretty closely with what I did on The King-Killing Queen Kickstarter. Ignore the black and white artwork. I'll update that once I receive the finished artwork from Magali.

ALSO—I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH—BE SURE TO BACK in the first 48 hours! Those of you who do will receive an additional tarot card as well as the first chapter of The King-Killing Queen's sequel, The Witch-Wiled Wizard. And the ability to have me personalize your books if you like. Only good through the first 48 hours!

How can YOU help make the editions more awesome? That's where the Stretch Goals come in:



And what add-ons can you buy? As an example, a slipcase you can house your Signed & Numbered book in? Well, here is an image that illustrates some of them. Not featured on the graphic is a slipcase and an extra trade hardcover book for gift-giving purposes.




If you have any questions, do let me know! I'm always around. I'll also take some of those questions and add them to the FAQ. Thank you for partaking in this. It's going to be fun! 

With Magic,
Shawn Speakman