I want to take a moment to extend a warm welcome to all the new readers who've subscribed to this humble little newsletter. Over the past year we have more than quadrupled and now these missives go out to 2,863 folks. A lot of newcomers have arrived after coming across my first book, Uncommon Stock: Version 1.0. I love hearing from all of you and it's been a true delight to see a community start to build around the stories.
I'm excited to share that my next novel, Cumulus, has an official release date: May 5th! You can check out the gorgeous cover design here. The Kindle version is available for preorder here.
Cumulus is a standalone novel set in a near-future where economic inequality and persistent surveillance push Oakland to the brink of civil war. Feedback has started to roll in from advance readers and I'm really excited about how the story came together. Here's the very first blurb:
"Cumulus is a prophetic Bay Area thriller, a Jason-Bourne-meets-Silicon-Valley story of escalating technology, inequality and a crumbling state. When a former CIA-operative-turned-hired-gun joins forces with tech giant Cumulus, cracks in the digital facade emerge, laid bare by a powerful and simple analog alternative. In today's world where intimate personal details are just another row in someone's 'big data,' Cumulus is a stark reminder that data are power--and absolute data corrupt absolutely." -Andrew Chamberlain, Ph.D., Chief Economist, Glassdoor
The last edits have been submitted, the typography has been set, the formatting is complete, and the final files are being prepared for distribution. I can't wait to get it into your hands.
In other news...
I just hit 40k words in the rough draft of my next novel, The Burn (working title). As a story reaches its climax, I get completely sucked in and things really start to flow. Plot twists and reversals are just as fun to write as they are to read.
The team at Bound is producing an illustrated serial version of Cumulus designed for reading on your phone. Last week, we built a mood board that outlined the style, look, and feel for the art they're developing to go alongside the story.
Initial recording for the audiobook of Uncommon Stock: Power Play is complete. The next step is for me to listen to the entire thing and check for any errors or inconsistencies. It should be available within a couple months.
I published one article with some simple writing tips for novelists and another with advice on building an organic fanbase.
Let me know what you think by replying to this email. Nothing makes my day like hearing from you!
Cheers, Eliot
P.S. Want to read my books? You can find 'em here:
I hate spam as much as the next guy. If my emails don't 110% make your day, unsubscribe right here. I'll be bummed to see you go, but it'll inspire me to reach for new heights!