I’m just going to start by saying that this has been way more work than I had ever expected. The audiobook & paperback are getting delayed (thus, the eBook update will be as well). I can’t give you a date; I can give you a month: May. It WILL be done in May. Unless something crazy happens, the book will be done.

Now, you might be wonder what is taking me so damn long, and yes, I would be too if I weren’t the one working on it. You see, the amount of editing that I’m doing for this audiobook is beyond anything I’ve ever done. I’m 3 chapters in, and I’ve already used over 200, yes, 200 sound effects (this includes background noise, music, etc.). When I said I was doing my absolute best on this audiobook project, I meant it. It’s just honestly so much work to get it to the level I want it to be. Think of this as a movie in your head, as that’s about what you’re going to be getting when everything is done.

So again, May. Everything will be done in May as far as The Ripper is concerned. As for Afterworld, there’s a bit of an update there as well. I had submitted the book to a few competitions last year and have been for the most received great feedback. I’ve won a Red Ribbon award from The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, and so far, I’ve been shortlisted in Chanticleer Book Review Awards. This is huge for me! As a new author just starting, I’m pretty excited.

Now that I’ve received the wishing shelf books feedback, their readers/judges seemed to really enjoy my book but felt the two weakest points were the editing and cover (which both received a 6/10). Now, did I have an idea that these two things might need work? Yes. This is why I had already planned to release the second edition with a new book cover and with an editor’s help this summer. This will only make the book that much more enjoyable and bring it up to my own standards. This is why I pulled Afterworld‘s audiobook from the store and why I will be redoing that (Fate help me) from scratch with the same treatment I am currently giving The Ripper‘s.

So here is your quick end-of-the-month update. I do want to apologize to those waiting on the audiobook and paperback. I promise the wait will be well worth it, and I don’t expect you’ll see many other companies putting this much production value into an audiobook (let alone any other individual indie author’s). I think I’m seriously going to consider submitting this to the Guinness Book of World Records for the audiobook with the most credits. As I expect it to be well past 500, if not 1000 by the time I’m finished, just in sounds alone.

That about covers it for today. I am excited to see what everyone thinks of this when it’s finally completed. Anyway, as always, keep safe and stay posted!