Newsletter

The moment Lucia steps onto the wild island in Wellington harbour, she can feel its hidden secrets. Prison camp. Quarantine station. Burial ground. But she’s here for what’s next, not the past. Here to help her new friends. Yet the island is a strange place indeed, and something doesn’t want it disturbed… 

THE PROJECT TEMPEST NEWSLETTER

Welcome! As we go deeper into the strange goings-on of Tempest Bay, I plan to share bits of news, peek behind the scenes, and give you ways to help shape the stories with me.

The idea is to put short, intense reading experiences out into the world, driven by the emotions and conversations of people who find themselves in strange territory. The Twin Peaks of the south seas, if you will. Thanks so much for being part of this journey.

In this bulletin: the updated first episode (Hearts & Minds) is available free, the second episode (The Island) is now in release, and a glimpse of what’s coming next in episode 3.

HEARTS & MINDS FREE VERSION

I believe stories help change our world. And that they can go into places that data and other tools can’t. They’re like conversations between souls.

Part of this conversation is listening to readers. I’m still learning and adjusting the style of the Project Tempest books, and thanks to great advice from some of you, I’ve updated the first episode to a much-improved version. You can grab the fresh edition of Hearts & Minds for free here. If you're new to Project Tempest, this is the place to start. 

The idea has always been to build these stories with a community - to everyone who’s read and commented, thank you.

THE ISLAND IS OUT NOW

Project Tempest 2, The Island, is now out in all formats. Writing it, I was compelled by the connection between landscape and memory: that sometimes your experience of a particular time & place shapes the rest of your life.

I’ve been to Somes Island in Wellington harbour many times on the ferry, exploring its abandoned buildings and lush, surreal geography. Though I’ve never encountered anything quite as strange as what Eva, Lucia, and Jackie find there…

You can grab a copy of The Island on Amazon (kindle), Smashwords (epub) or in other online stores.

SPREADING THE WORD

Project Tempest is young and more than a little weird, and we’re still growing our audience. If the stories strike a chord with you, I could really use your help letting more people know about them.

Here are three things you can do that each make a genuine difference: Forward this newsletter to someone who might be interested Point people to project-tempest.net and the free copy of episode 1 available there If you’re super keen, short reviews on Amazon.com, for Hearts & Minds or The Island, are incredibly helpful. Because of the way the online store works, having more reviews (especially 5 star ones) helps others discover the books more easily.   If you’re able to help in any way, you're very much appreciated! And please let me know, so I can thank you directly.

NEXT UP: 1862

Project Tempest 3, aiming for release in early 2020, steps back a hundred and fifty years into New Zealand’s past, to the far edge of a muddy, struggling colony marked by shipwrecks and madness...

More soon!

Thanks again for being part of Project Tempest with me. If you’ve any thoughts or suggestions about the stories, please let me know.  Like an old Simply Red song, it truly feels like we are in this together.

Have a great Christmas break.

C J Halbard

Wellington
New Zealand