79% of you have completed your survey, which is further proof that you are the best backers out there!!
Between now and when we fulfill this project, we'll send you a monthly update to keep you in the loop about production, timeline, and helpful info. If you have any questions at any point, please email us: [email protected]. Comments sometimes slip through the cracks and social media is a mess, so if you want a timely response, email is the way to go!
We won't have any huge updates for a little while, but we'll still check in monthly. The poll for what happens next in our Bluebeard story is at the end!
Timeline
We're on track to deliver the physical items and your digital treasure trove of bonus goodies (including Candy Land of course!!) in Q1 of next year. We'll have a more precise timeline towards the end of the year once the printer and vendors begin production.
eBooks and Surveys
Surveys have been sent and your ebooks will instantly be delivered to your Bookfunnel library as soon as you complete the survey. If you're having any trouble with it, please send us an email and we'll get you sorted. Today is the last day to complete the survey and have your name included in the Acknowledgements!
Address Changes
If you move between now and when we ship the items, you'll be able to change your address in the survey right up until we lock the addresses to ship. We'll also send an email warning you that we're getting close to locking addresses to remind you to check it, but that won't be until next year. Can't Find Your Survey?
If you need to get back into the survey to change your address or can't find the original email to fill it out, you can retrieve it here: https://season-4-bluebeard.backerkit.com/
Choose-Your-Own Adventure!
Vote on what should happen next! In the last part, we ended with a dilemma:
You duck into the first door you see and pull off the mask. Or you try to. It resists the attempt, clinging to your skin tightly despite only being held with a pretty strap. You have to fight to get it off, and it hurts, it hurts so desperately that you want to scream, but if you scream, he might hear and that represents a fate worse than pain. With one last muffled cry, you yank it from your face and fling it away from you.
The moment it leaves your hand, the horrible weight of the dress disappears and you’re standing in the clothing you started with. You press your hands to your chest as if that’s enough to contain the sob of relief that threatens to tear through you.
But now your identity is there for anyone who sees you. There will be no hiding it from Bluebeard if he finds you now.
You run.
Vote below on what you do next!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support! We're thrilled to be on this adventure with you!
We hope you’re enjoying the ebooks! As a reminder, you need to fill out your survey by September 3rd in order to have your name added to the back of the print books!
Thank you for your patience on the Bluebeard chapter. We’re nearing the end now!
You’ve been left alone in Bluebeard’s office. You might as well take advantage of the opportunity and snoop around his desk…
*
Investigating
You move to the door and peer out. It does seem to be identical to the hallways you wandered in the main house, without the strangeness of the one you found when you chased the masked people hauling the woman out. You don’t know if that’s a good sign or a bad one. With the strangeness cloaking this night, you can’t take anything for granted.
But you’re in Bluebeard’s office. If you want a chance to discover what’s truly going on here, you can’t afford to miss this opportunity. You softly close the door until it’s only barely unlatched. Then you turn for the desk. It’s a massive thing, all dark wood and pristine in a way that should suggest it’s rarely used, but instead seems to indicate the level of Bluebeard’s control. He clearly likes everything in its place, and his desk is no exception. You try very hard not to think about the fact that you are not in the place he designated for you right now.
The top of the desk contains only a notepad, a pen, neither of which seems to be anything other than what they appear, and a letter opener, which is sharp enough to draw blood but hardly a weapon capable of being used if it comes to a fight. You try the drawers next, but every single one of them is locked. Of course they are. If this man–he must be a man, right?–is this contained, he wouldn’t leave drawers unlocked for anyone to rifle through. Even if there wasn’t supposed to be anyone in the house but the two of you.
You sit back on your heels with a wince. The seconds are ticking down until he returns. You simply don’t have time to break into the drawers and then attempt to make them look like they haven’t been broken into. You wouldn’t know where to start.
Instead, you push to your feet and turn to the fancy filing cabinet tucked in the corner. It’s just as sturdy as the desk, but when you pull on one of the drawers, it’s unlocked. You frown. Lucky. It doesn’t feel like luck, though–nothing about tonight has, as if the moment you agreed to come to this place, you took the first step down a path that you’ll never be able to take back. You’d call the suspicion melodramatic, but if anything, considering what you’ve witnessed tonight, it might be underselling the reality. Can you leave this house? You want to be sure it’s an option the moment the sun emerges from behind the horizon, a promise of safety. Unfortunately, you can’t bet on being rescued, by the sun or otherwise.
You understand why this drawer is unlocked immediately; while it has plenty of manila folders in it, they all appear to be blank. Whatever business Bluebeard has, it hasn’t stretched to this particular drawer. When you try the other three, they’re all locked.
“Damn it.” You glance at the cracked door, but there’s no indication of Bluebeard’s return. It could be in thirty seconds, or in thirty minutes. Or never, a little voice inside you whispers. You try very hard to ignore it.
You could sit here and wait, or you could break into one of these drawers and to hell with the consequences. The latter is not a good idea, but it’s the best one you have right now. You turn back to the desk and grab the letter opener. It’s not particularly large, which works in your favor as you wedge it into the crack at the top of the drawer above the lock and force the drawer open. It gives with a creak that feels louder than a gunshot. You spin around and press your back to the filing cabinet. Even as you hold your breath, the seconds tick by and you aren’t betrayed by the sound of approaching footsteps. After a count to thirty, you manage to unlock your muscles and turn away from the door.
This drawer isn’t filled with blank folders. Instead, it’s packed tightly with filed ones, each labeled in a neat, blocky print. You flick through the labels, your frown only growing with each one you read.
Your confusion only grows as you pull out the Max file and flip through the thick stack of papers it contains. The first looks almost like a dossier with some basic facts about this person, complete with a photo. They are a white person with a shock of purple hair, cut in a shaggy style that might be intentional or might be something they did themselves. You flip more pages. Apparently they were a runaway at sixteen, had a rough couple of years, and then landed on their feet around twenty, more or less. When they were twenty-one they were issued an invitation to this house–a copy of it is in the file. And then…nothing.
You pick files at random, barely forcing yourself to replace each one as you find more of the same. People who were in bad home situations, abusive relationships, or the kind of down on their luck where they were huddled below rock bottom. Every one of them contains an invitation, though they don’t all look the same. Some are literal invitations, like you’d get for a fancy wedding. Some are handwritten letters, the paper aged and yellowed despite the fact that their attached dossiers are still a pristine white as if just printed yesterday.
The ones that stop you cold are almost identical to the letter you received. A dead uncle, an eclectic task, a promise of life-changing money.
Panic bleats at you, but you force yourself to return each file to exactly where it was and shove the drawer closed until it sticks. It won’t hold up to a thorough examination, but you don’t intend to stick around and wait for whatever happened to these other people to happen to you. Was the woman you tried to save also someone who Bluebeard lured to this house with nefarious intent? You can’t rule it out, even if you don’t see a file with her picture in this drawer. Or yours, for that matter. There are several other drawers, but there’s simply no time.
What little curiosity remained after your misadventures for the night has fizzled. What happened to these people? Did Bluebeard do whatever he intended to the woman you tried to save? Are they among the crowd in the ballroom, masked and dancing as if it’s the most normal thing in the world? You’d have to return to find out, to see if you can pick out Max’s purple locks or Janessa’s kind hazel eyes, or Jennifer’s sweet smile.
Absolutely not. You have to get out of here.
You rush to the door, barely taking a moment to peer through the crack to ensure the hallway is still empty. It seems to be, which is enough for you. You open it just enough to slide out and then hurry down the hall, moving as silently as possible. Each step away from the office coats you in thick swipes of dread, stronger and stronger, until it feels like you’re wading through waist-deep mud. Sweat dampens your hairline and your muscles quake with strain. What’s going on?
The dress, you realize, as you reach the end of the hall and find it branching off into two directions. The dress, so voluminous and frothy, has changed from being barely noticeable to a weight you can barely carry. You could almost swear it’s getting heavier as the distance between you and the office increases.
You duck into the first door you see and pull off the mask. Or you try to. It resists the attempt, clinging to your skin tightly despite only being held with a pretty strap. You have to fight to get it off, and it hurts, it hurts so desperately that you want to scream, but if you scream, he might hear and that represents a fate worse than pain. With one last muffled cry, you yank it from your face and fling it away from you.
The moment it leaves your hand, the horrible weight of the dress disappears and you’re standing in the clothing you started with. You press your hands to your chest as if that’s enough to contain the sob of relief that threatens to tear through you.
But now your identity is there for anyone who sees you. There will be no hiding it from Bluebeard if he finds you now.
You run.
*
Where are you headed? Will you try to hide until morning? Stage an attack? Maybe risk trying to return to your room? Or is the front door your attempted destination? Comment below with your suggestions!
IT'S TIME! We have started sending surveys! The subject line will say: Response Needed — Get your reward for The Bluebeard Chronicles
There's a few things you need to know about the surveys:
1.Your Name in the Acknowledgments of the Books
If you want your name in the book, you must fill out your survey by Thursday, September 3rd. Any surveys filled out after that date will not have the backer's name in the books. We need to get the files to our formatter and then to our printer, so this deadline is not flexible.
2. Get Your eBooks
All six ebooks will magically appear in your Bookfunnel library as soon as you complete your survey! You do not need to click the Get My Digital Downloads button or use any kind of link or code. We've evolved beyond the limitations of Backerkit's confirmation screen, so the button will still appear...but you don't need to do anything except sign in or create an account at: https://my.bookfunnel.com
From Bookfunnel, you can send the book to your chosen e-reader, download it, or read it natively in their app. You can also add it to your Kindle library so that it lives in your Amazon account like any other kindle book. It will live in your Bookfunnel library forever if you ever switch e-reader platforms, so it's more yours than a traditionally purchased ebook.
3. Shipping Will Not Be Charged Yet
We will be charging shipping closer to fulfillment in order to get the most accurate shipping prices available. We'll give you plenty of warning ahead of time.
4. Address Changes
You will be able to update your address in the survey up until we lock the addresses to start shipping. If you know that you'll be moving, don't wait to complete your survey or you won't get your name in the back of the books and your ebooks won't be delivered yet. We'll give you plenty of warning before we lock addresses.
As the market gets flooded with AI slop, it's going to be harder and harder for new-to-you authors to break out and for readers to discover fantastic new talent. This book fair allows us to highlight authors who are doing the work and deserve to shine. There is no AI allowed in any of these campaigns.
With the exception of the standard Backerkit and payment processing fees, all of the funds from these projects go directly to the authors who are running them, so it's authors creating and selling directly to you. It's an act of bravery for authors to put themselves out there like this, and we're so proud of them for taking the leap!
If you back 3 or more projects, Bonkers Romance will give you a free Bonkers Romance Book Fair sticker with Shannon's design--and there are some really easy ways to do that, with ebook options for as low as $5 that will allow you to discover new authors. The creative merch is the coolest!! There's custom tea, the cutest raven plushie, stickers, stamps, art, pins, overlays, and more! If nothing else, go check out the creative ideas everyone has come up with!
Monthly Updates
Between now and when we fulfill this project, we'll send you a monthly update to keep you in the loop about production, timeline, and helpful info. If you have any questions at any point, please email us: [email protected]. Comments sometimes slip through the cracks and social media is a mess, so if you want a timely response, email is the way to go!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support! We're thrilled to be on this adventure with you!
August Update: Past Backer FREE Pins and eBook Delivery!
It's August!! And you know what that means, right?? Your Bluebeard ebooks are going to be delivered!
We're doing things a little bit out of sequence this month and skipping the chapter to the choose-your-own adventure story. Katee is safe, but they live in Spokane where three wildfires have been massively impacting the local community and have had them on alert to evacuate. We didn't want to delay getting this update out to you any longer, so we'll be back with more choose-your-own adventure next month!
Between now and when we fulfill this project, we'll send you a monthly update to keep you in the loop about production, timeline, and helpful info. If you have any questions at any point, please email us: [email protected]. Comments sometimes slip through the cracks and social media is a mess, so if you want a timely response, email is the way to go!
eBooks and Surveys
Your surveys will be sent towards the end of this month, and that’s when the ebooks will be delivered. When the surveys are sent, you’ll have one week to fill it out to ensure that you get your name in the back of the books.
When we launched the campaign, we originally said we'd deliver the ebooks in July, but shifted it to August before the end of the campaign. That little bit of extra time allowed Backerkit to finish setting up the streamlined ebook delivery process for us (no more links, codes, or expiration dates!). The ebooks will be delivered automatically to your Bookfunnel library where they'll live forever to be downloaded or sent to your devices or kindle account.
You guys also voted during the campaign to add illustrated chapter headers to the books, and it's given us time for the illustrator from Qamber Designs to work their magic. Here's one piece of one of the illustrations from the interior print formatting for A Vow Fatale by Harley LaRoux. Each book has a different forbidden door with thematic elements that nod to aspects of the book. The ebooks will feature custom illustrated keys on each chapter header that are thematic to the book. We were originally surprised you picked that poll option, but we've been delighted by the outcome--it really elevates the books!
Keep an eye out for the surveys to be delivered the last week of August. We're SO EXCITED to get the first piece of this campaign into your hands!!
PAST BACKER FREE REWARDS!
We've been working on this feature for a little while and had been hoping to show it off before we launched another campaign...but the fires delayed that a little bit.
Going forward, if you're a returning backer, you'll get a free reward on each project. For our Paranormal Romance Royalty campaign, that reward will be a pin designed by our beloved Shannon Donahue. Fun Fact about Bonkers Romance: Shannon Donahue is the only artist who has designed at least one thing for every single one of our campaigns. She's been with us since the beginning, so it feels fitting that she's helping us to celebrate past backers with this design. You can back the Paranormal Romance Royalty project for as little as $10 to get the art cards and claim your free pin.
As the market gets flooded with AI slop, it's going to be harder and harder for new-to-you authors to break out and for readers to discover fantastic new talent. This book fair allows us to highlight authors who are doing the work and deserve to shine. There is no AI allowed in any of these campaigns.
With the exception of the standard Backerkit and payment processing fees, all of the funds from these projects go directly to the authors who are running them, so it's authors creating and selling directly to you. It's an act of bravery for authors to put themselves out there like this, and we're so proud of them for taking the leap!
If you back 3 or more projects, Bonkers Romance will give you a free Bonkers Romance Book Fair sticker with Shannon's design--and there are some really easy ways to do that, with ebook options for as low as $5 that will allow you to discover new authors. The creative merch is the coolest!! There's custom tea, the cutest raven plushie, stickers, stamps, art, pins, overlays, and more! If nothing else, go check out the creative ideas everyone has come up with!
Instant Access to A Monstrous Need
We've worked with Bookfunnel and Backerkit to refine the ebook delivery process. We were the very first ones to use their new integration, so we appreciate you guys helping us to test it out and make it better. You no longer need the link to access A Monstrous Need--it will already be in your Bookfunnel library waiting for you when you either sign in or create an account with this email address. From there, you can send it to your e-reader or read it on their app. https://my.bookfunnel.com
We'll be back in a few weeks with your surveys and ebooks, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please send us an email!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support! We're thrilled to be on this adventure with you!
Between now and when we fulfill this project, we'll send you a monthly update to keep you in the loop about production, timeline, and helpful info. If you have any questions at any point, please email us: [email protected]. Comments sometimes slip through the cracks and social media is a mess, so if you want a timely response, email is the way to go!
We won't have any huge updates for a little while, but we'll still check in monthly. The poll for what happens next in our Bluebeard story is at the end!
Pay-Over-Time
If you opted to pay over time, the payments will automatically be processed by Backerkit once a month. We don’t have any part of that process, visibility into it, or any ability to modify it. Here’s a help article that answers most questions about it.
eBooks and Surveys
Your surveys will be sent in August and that’s when the ebooks will be delivered. When the surveys are sent, you’ll have one week to fill it out to ensure that you get your name in the back of the books.
Address Changes
Since you won't give us your address until you fill out your survey in August, you don't need to worry about this at all right now. If you move between August and when we ship the items, you'll be able to change your address in the survey right up until we lock the addresses to ship.
What’s Coming Next from Bonkers Romance?
We have some really exciting projects coming down the pipeline, but the one we’re losing our minds over will happen in August. With Bonkers Romance, we set out to celebrate bold, fearless storytelling—the kind of big swings that push a genre forward. With our Paranormal Romance Royalty project, we’re going back to where it all began…and opening the door for a whole new generation to step inside.
If you want to see a teaser of what's to come, check out the launch party page! On the heels of your enthusiasm for this project, we'll be looking for even more ways to engage with readers there. We're letting project followers vote on which scenes we'll bring to life for the vellum overlays!
The project includes some of our favorites from J.R. Ward, Nalini Singh, Shelly Laurenston, Gena Showalter, and Kresley Cole! Here's a taste of the stunning slipcase art by Finn Frei. Our art direction and cover design will once again be under the genius of Elizabeth Turner Stokes!
We've worked with Bookfunnel and Backerkit to refine the ebook delivery process. We were the very first ones to use their new integration, so we appreciate you guys helping us to test it out and make it better. You no longer need the link to access A Monstrous Need--it will already be in your Bookfunnel library waiting for you when you either sign in or create an account with this email address. From there, you can send it to your e-reader or read it on their app. https://my.bookfunnel.com
Choose-Your-Own Adventure!
Vote on what should happen next! In the last part, we ended with a dilemma:
The moment Bluebeard steps out of the room and closes the door, you’re on your feet. Now’s your chance… But what do you do? Your gaze goes from the door to the massive desk. There might be information there that could help you. Or maybe you should take your chances and escape. Or…
Vote below!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support! We're thrilled to be on this adventure with you!
Your attempt to rescue Savannah has gone wrong. She’s disappeared and now Bluebeard is demanding your name…
Caught
You can’t tell the truth. You’re not supposed to be here. If he discovers that you violated his rule, you might very well end up just like poor Savannah. She’s disappeared entirely now, and you’ve no idea where she went. Savannah…
That gives you an idea.
“I don’t remember.” You force yourself to speak slowly, not to let a single tremble affect your words. Just like Savannah, when she tried to remember how she came to be in this place. If it’s possible for her, then surely it’s a believable explanation for you.
The darkness is so thick here. You know Bluebeard stands before you, but you can’t see him. You only get the impression of height, of breadth of shoulders, of danger. His voice is still deeper than it was during daylight hours. “I find that impossible to believe.”
Fear cascades down your spine. It takes every bit of control you have not to stiffen in the face of his mild–and dangerous–words. “I don’t know what to tell you, then. I don’t remember.”
“You danced with me earlier. I recognize your dress.” The words feel like a threat. Or maybe an attack. Your mind is spinning too much to be sure.
You swallow hard. “Yes.” A truth in the midst of lies. Surely that’s the way to go? “But I don’t know how I got here, or where this dress came from. I danced with you and then I saw two masked people dragging a woman away. So I followed.”
“Hmmm.” You can see him a little more clearly now, and your terrified mind half expects a plume of smoke to curl from his nostrils. You’ve never thought to compare a human man with a dragon, but suddenly you can’t think of anything else. His voice is too big for such a mundane body.
Your breath is trapped in your lungs, no way to escape. Gods, this might be the end for you. You’ll become a missing person, and then a fading mystery. A foolish woman who drove into the woods, never to be seen again. Horror movie or fairy tale, you’re suddenly sure you’re not going to get one of the renditions with a happy ending. People forget not every fairy tale ends in happily ever after. Some of them dissolve into blood and death and sorrow.
“I’ll ask you again, stranger,” he finally says. “What is your name?”
“Savannah,” you say without thinking. Why did you say that? Savannah is her name, and surely he knows that. He’ll guess you’re lying and then…
His hand appears in front of you, palm up. “Come with me.”
There’s no way to refuse. You’re trapped in this hallway filled with unnatural darkness, with only him as a source of direction. You could run, but you should have reached a wall by this point. Are there walls anymore? You would have thought such a thing was impossible, but you’ve experienced several impossible things tonight alone.
So you set your hand into Bluebeard’s and allow him to guide you through the shadows. Step after step after step, with only his touch to ground you. You lose all track of how long you’ve been walking. Your senses tangle up. Is that movement at the corner of your vision or are your eyes trying to compensate for the lack of light? Do you hear a slow, dragging step behind you? Surely not. Surely, it’s all in your head. You wish you could be sure.
You focus on Bluebeard because he’s the only thing that seems remotely real right now. There seems to be no heat coming off his body, or perhaps the hallway has gone so cold, it can’t reach you. His palm beneath yours is gloved, cutting off even the slightest chance of being skin to skin. It’s for the best. You just wish his scent was less intoxicating, filled with deep, spicy notes that tug at your stomach. You shiver.
The door appears in front of you when you’re a mere foot away. One moment, there’s nothing but darkness. The next, Bluebeard has to tug you to a stop before you run right into the monstrosity. It’s easily eight feet tall and twice as wide as normal doors. The frame is some kind of glinting metal, but Bluebeard moves forward and opens it before you can see any more details.
Heat slaps your exposed skin as you follow him through the door. You shiver and wrap your arms around yourself. You hadn’t realized how cold you were until this moment. When you look at your hands, you’re only partially surprised to find your fingers are edging into a worrying red. They hurt, too, though you didn’t notice it until this moment.
“Come. Sit by the fire.” Bluebeard motions to the giant fireplace, flames crackling merrily within.
The details of the room come to your shaking self in waves. Giant fireplace. Big desk. Shelves covering every available wallspace, filled with books. And Bluebeard, leaning against the desk with his arms crossed, watching you closely.
You make your way to the tall-backed chair next to the fireplace and practically collapse into it. Your toes are cold, too. Your everything is cold. How long does it take frostbite to happen? It didn’t feel like you were in that hallway for very long, but clearly you missed something.
Clearly, you’ve missed a lot.
You hold your hands out and hiss in pain as feeling begins returning to the tips of your fingers. The silence feels weighted, charged unpleasantly. He thinks he can make you speak first, can put you on the defensive. You’re not about to let that happen. You just need to survive long enough to get back to your room. Then you can climb out a damned window or something and escape this strange place. The money would be life-changing, but you can’t change your life if you’re dead.
“Now…Savannah… I think it’s time we speak frankly.” He steeples his hands. “You’ve trespassed, attacked two of my staff, and terrorized a young woman. One of those violations would be enough to see consequences, but three?” He shakes his head slowly. “We both know you remember exactly how you got here. Now is your time to come clean. I despise lies.”
Because telling the truth would be so much better? You might laugh if you weren’t so terrified. You violated the one rule he gave you when you came to this place. You’re not going to admit to a single damned thing. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember.”
He sighs, as if you’ve disappointed him. “I see.”
A knock on the door interrupts whatever he’d been about to say. Bluebeard curses under his breath. “A moment.” He moves to the door and cracks it open. “What?”
You’re close enough to hear clearly. You don’t even try to avoid eavesdropping. This might be your chance to get the hell out of here.
“I apologize, Bluebeard, but we have a problem.” The voice is low and sweet, and you’re certain you’ve never heard it before. “Since the girl woke up, the enchantments aren’t taking. We need you.”
Enchantments. After everything you’ve seen, you don’t know why this brazen discussion of magic is enough to make your head spin.
Bluebeard curses again. “Very well. I’ll be there shortly.” He turns to you. “I have to take care of something. Do not leave this room.”
You nod shakily, but you’re watching the spot behind him, where the door remains cracked. There is no darkness behind him, but a hallway that looks identical to the ones you wandered down at the start of this nightmare. Did he bring you back to the main house? You’re not sure you left it to begin with, but things have gotten confusing since you entered the party that shouldn’t have existed.
The moment Bluebeard steps out of the room and closes the door, you’re on your feet. Now’s your chance… But what do you do? Your gaze goes from the door to the massive desk. There might be information there that could help you. Or maybe you should take your chances and escape. Or…
79% of you have completed your survey, which is further proof that you are the best backers out there!!
Between now and when we fulfill this project, we'll send you a monthly update to keep you in the loop about production, timeline, and helpful info. If you have any questions at any point, please email us: [email protected]. Comments sometimes slip through the cracks and social media is a mess, so if you want a timely response, email is the way to go!
We won't have any huge updates for a little while, but we'll still check in monthly. The poll for what happens next in our Bluebeard story is at the end!
Timeline
We're on track to deliver the physical items and your digital treasure trove of bonus goodies (including Candy Land of course!!) in Q1 of next year. We'll have a more precise timeline towards the end of the year once the printer and vendors begin production.
eBooks and Surveys
Surveys have been sent and your ebooks will instantly be delivered to your Bookfunnel library as soon as you complete the survey. If you're having any trouble with it, please send us an email and we'll get you sorted. Today is the last day to complete the survey and have your name included in the Acknowledgements!
Address Changes
If you move between now and when we ship the items, you'll be able to change your address in the survey right up until we lock the addresses to ship. We'll also send an email warning you that we're getting close to locking addresses to remind you to check it, but that won't be until next year. Can't Find Your Survey?
If you need to get back into the survey to change your address or can't find the original email to fill it out, you can retrieve it here: https://season-4-bluebeard.backerkit.com/
Choose-Your-Own Adventure!
Vote on what should happen next! In the last part, we ended with a dilemma:
You duck into the first door you see and pull off the mask. Or you try to. It resists the attempt, clinging to your skin tightly despite only being held with a pretty strap. You have to fight to get it off, and it hurts, it hurts so desperately that you want to scream, but if you scream, he might hear and that represents a fate worse than pain. With one last muffled cry, you yank it from your face and fling it away from you.
The moment it leaves your hand, the horrible weight of the dress disappears and you’re standing in the clothing you started with. You press your hands to your chest as if that’s enough to contain the sob of relief that threatens to tear through you.
But now your identity is there for anyone who sees you. There will be no hiding it from Bluebeard if he finds you now.
You run.
Vote below on what you do next!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support! We're thrilled to be on this adventure with you!
We hope you’re enjoying the ebooks! As a reminder, you need to fill out your survey by September 3rd in order to have your name added to the back of the print books!
Thank you for your patience on the Bluebeard chapter. We’re nearing the end now!
You’ve been left alone in Bluebeard’s office. You might as well take advantage of the opportunity and snoop around his desk…
*
Investigating
You move to the door and peer out. It does seem to be identical to the hallways you wandered in the main house, without the strangeness of the one you found when you chased the masked people hauling the woman out. You don’t know if that’s a good sign or a bad one. With the strangeness cloaking this night, you can’t take anything for granted.
But you’re in Bluebeard’s office. If you want a chance to discover what’s truly going on here, you can’t afford to miss this opportunity. You softly close the door until it’s only barely unlatched. Then you turn for the desk. It’s a massive thing, all dark wood and pristine in a way that should suggest it’s rarely used, but instead seems to indicate the level of Bluebeard’s control. He clearly likes everything in its place, and his desk is no exception. You try very hard not to think about the fact that you are not in the place he designated for you right now.
The top of the desk contains only a notepad, a pen, neither of which seems to be anything other than what they appear, and a letter opener, which is sharp enough to draw blood but hardly a weapon capable of being used if it comes to a fight. You try the drawers next, but every single one of them is locked. Of course they are. If this man–he must be a man, right?–is this contained, he wouldn’t leave drawers unlocked for anyone to rifle through. Even if there wasn’t supposed to be anyone in the house but the two of you.
You sit back on your heels with a wince. The seconds are ticking down until he returns. You simply don’t have time to break into the drawers and then attempt to make them look like they haven’t been broken into. You wouldn’t know where to start.
Instead, you push to your feet and turn to the fancy filing cabinet tucked in the corner. It’s just as sturdy as the desk, but when you pull on one of the drawers, it’s unlocked. You frown. Lucky. It doesn’t feel like luck, though–nothing about tonight has, as if the moment you agreed to come to this place, you took the first step down a path that you’ll never be able to take back. You’d call the suspicion melodramatic, but if anything, considering what you’ve witnessed tonight, it might be underselling the reality. Can you leave this house? You want to be sure it’s an option the moment the sun emerges from behind the horizon, a promise of safety. Unfortunately, you can’t bet on being rescued, by the sun or otherwise.
You understand why this drawer is unlocked immediately; while it has plenty of manila folders in it, they all appear to be blank. Whatever business Bluebeard has, it hasn’t stretched to this particular drawer. When you try the other three, they’re all locked.
“Damn it.” You glance at the cracked door, but there’s no indication of Bluebeard’s return. It could be in thirty seconds, or in thirty minutes. Or never, a little voice inside you whispers. You try very hard to ignore it.
You could sit here and wait, or you could break into one of these drawers and to hell with the consequences. The latter is not a good idea, but it’s the best one you have right now. You turn back to the desk and grab the letter opener. It’s not particularly large, which works in your favor as you wedge it into the crack at the top of the drawer above the lock and force the drawer open. It gives with a creak that feels louder than a gunshot. You spin around and press your back to the filing cabinet. Even as you hold your breath, the seconds tick by and you aren’t betrayed by the sound of approaching footsteps. After a count to thirty, you manage to unlock your muscles and turn away from the door.
This drawer isn’t filled with blank folders. Instead, it’s packed tightly with filed ones, each labeled in a neat, blocky print. You flick through the labels, your frown only growing with each one you read.
Your confusion only grows as you pull out the Max file and flip through the thick stack of papers it contains. The first looks almost like a dossier with some basic facts about this person, complete with a photo. They are a white person with a shock of purple hair, cut in a shaggy style that might be intentional or might be something they did themselves. You flip more pages. Apparently they were a runaway at sixteen, had a rough couple of years, and then landed on their feet around twenty, more or less. When they were twenty-one they were issued an invitation to this house–a copy of it is in the file. And then…nothing.
You pick files at random, barely forcing yourself to replace each one as you find more of the same. People who were in bad home situations, abusive relationships, or the kind of down on their luck where they were huddled below rock bottom. Every one of them contains an invitation, though they don’t all look the same. Some are literal invitations, like you’d get for a fancy wedding. Some are handwritten letters, the paper aged and yellowed despite the fact that their attached dossiers are still a pristine white as if just printed yesterday.
The ones that stop you cold are almost identical to the letter you received. A dead uncle, an eclectic task, a promise of life-changing money.
Panic bleats at you, but you force yourself to return each file to exactly where it was and shove the drawer closed until it sticks. It won’t hold up to a thorough examination, but you don’t intend to stick around and wait for whatever happened to these other people to happen to you. Was the woman you tried to save also someone who Bluebeard lured to this house with nefarious intent? You can’t rule it out, even if you don’t see a file with her picture in this drawer. Or yours, for that matter. There are several other drawers, but there’s simply no time.
What little curiosity remained after your misadventures for the night has fizzled. What happened to these people? Did Bluebeard do whatever he intended to the woman you tried to save? Are they among the crowd in the ballroom, masked and dancing as if it’s the most normal thing in the world? You’d have to return to find out, to see if you can pick out Max’s purple locks or Janessa’s kind hazel eyes, or Jennifer’s sweet smile.
Absolutely not. You have to get out of here.
You rush to the door, barely taking a moment to peer through the crack to ensure the hallway is still empty. It seems to be, which is enough for you. You open it just enough to slide out and then hurry down the hall, moving as silently as possible. Each step away from the office coats you in thick swipes of dread, stronger and stronger, until it feels like you’re wading through waist-deep mud. Sweat dampens your hairline and your muscles quake with strain. What’s going on?
The dress, you realize, as you reach the end of the hall and find it branching off into two directions. The dress, so voluminous and frothy, has changed from being barely noticeable to a weight you can barely carry. You could almost swear it’s getting heavier as the distance between you and the office increases.
You duck into the first door you see and pull off the mask. Or you try to. It resists the attempt, clinging to your skin tightly despite only being held with a pretty strap. You have to fight to get it off, and it hurts, it hurts so desperately that you want to scream, but if you scream, he might hear and that represents a fate worse than pain. With one last muffled cry, you yank it from your face and fling it away from you.
The moment it leaves your hand, the horrible weight of the dress disappears and you’re standing in the clothing you started with. You press your hands to your chest as if that’s enough to contain the sob of relief that threatens to tear through you.
But now your identity is there for anyone who sees you. There will be no hiding it from Bluebeard if he finds you now.
You run.
*
Where are you headed? Will you try to hide until morning? Stage an attack? Maybe risk trying to return to your room? Or is the front door your attempted destination? Comment below with your suggestions!
IT'S TIME! We have started sending surveys! The subject line will say: Response Needed — Get your reward for The Bluebeard Chronicles
There's a few things you need to know about the surveys:
1.Your Name in the Acknowledgments of the Books
If you want your name in the book, you must fill out your survey by Thursday, September 3rd. Any surveys filled out after that date will not have the backer's name in the books. We need to get the files to our formatter and then to our printer, so this deadline is not flexible.
2. Get Your eBooks
All six ebooks will magically appear in your Bookfunnel library as soon as you complete your survey! You do not need to click the Get My Digital Downloads button or use any kind of link or code. We've evolved beyond the limitations of Backerkit's confirmation screen, so the button will still appear...but you don't need to do anything except sign in or create an account at: https://my.bookfunnel.com
From Bookfunnel, you can send the book to your chosen e-reader, download it, or read it natively in their app. You can also add it to your Kindle library so that it lives in your Amazon account like any other kindle book. It will live in your Bookfunnel library forever if you ever switch e-reader platforms, so it's more yours than a traditionally purchased ebook.
3. Shipping Will Not Be Charged Yet
We will be charging shipping closer to fulfillment in order to get the most accurate shipping prices available. We'll give you plenty of warning ahead of time.
4. Address Changes
You will be able to update your address in the survey up until we lock the addresses to start shipping. If you know that you'll be moving, don't wait to complete your survey or you won't get your name in the back of the books and your ebooks won't be delivered yet. We'll give you plenty of warning before we lock addresses.
As the market gets flooded with AI slop, it's going to be harder and harder for new-to-you authors to break out and for readers to discover fantastic new talent. This book fair allows us to highlight authors who are doing the work and deserve to shine. There is no AI allowed in any of these campaigns.
With the exception of the standard Backerkit and payment processing fees, all of the funds from these projects go directly to the authors who are running them, so it's authors creating and selling directly to you. It's an act of bravery for authors to put themselves out there like this, and we're so proud of them for taking the leap!
If you back 3 or more projects, Bonkers Romance will give you a free Bonkers Romance Book Fair sticker with Shannon's design--and there are some really easy ways to do that, with ebook options for as low as $5 that will allow you to discover new authors. The creative merch is the coolest!! There's custom tea, the cutest raven plushie, stickers, stamps, art, pins, overlays, and more! If nothing else, go check out the creative ideas everyone has come up with!
Monthly Updates
Between now and when we fulfill this project, we'll send you a monthly update to keep you in the loop about production, timeline, and helpful info. If you have any questions at any point, please email us: [email protected]. Comments sometimes slip through the cracks and social media is a mess, so if you want a timely response, email is the way to go!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support! We're thrilled to be on this adventure with you!
It's August!! And you know what that means, right?? Your Bluebeard ebooks are going to be delivered!
We're doing things a little bit out of sequence this month and skipping the chapter to the choose-your-own adventure story. Katee is safe, but they live in Spokane where three wildfires have been massively impacting the local community and have had them on alert to evacuate. We didn't want to delay getting this update out to you any longer, so we'll be back with more choose-your-own adventure next month!
Between now and when we fulfill this project, we'll send you a monthly update to keep you in the loop about production, timeline, and helpful info. If you have any questions at any point, please email us: [email protected]. Comments sometimes slip through the cracks and social media is a mess, so if you want a timely response, email is the way to go!
eBooks and Surveys
Your surveys will be sent towards the end of this month, and that’s when the ebooks will be delivered. When the surveys are sent, you’ll have one week to fill it out to ensure that you get your name in the back of the books.
When we launched the campaign, we originally said we'd deliver the ebooks in July, but shifted it to August before the end of the campaign. That little bit of extra time allowed Backerkit to finish setting up the streamlined ebook delivery process for us (no more links, codes, or expiration dates!). The ebooks will be delivered automatically to your Bookfunnel library where they'll live forever to be downloaded or sent to your devices or kindle account.
You guys also voted during the campaign to add illustrated chapter headers to the books, and it's given us time for the illustrator from Qamber Designs to work their magic. Here's one piece of one of the illustrations from the interior print formatting for A Vow Fatale by Harley LaRoux. Each book has a different forbidden door with thematic elements that nod to aspects of the book. The ebooks will feature custom illustrated keys on each chapter header that are thematic to the book. We were originally surprised you picked that poll option, but we've been delighted by the outcome--it really elevates the books!
Keep an eye out for the surveys to be delivered the last week of August. We're SO EXCITED to get the first piece of this campaign into your hands!!
PAST BACKER FREE REWARDS!
We've been working on this feature for a little while and had been hoping to show it off before we launched another campaign...but the fires delayed that a little bit.
Going forward, if you're a returning backer, you'll get a free reward on each project. For our Paranormal Romance Royalty campaign, that reward will be a pin designed by our beloved Shannon Donahue. Fun Fact about Bonkers Romance: Shannon Donahue is the only artist who has designed at least one thing for every single one of our campaigns. She's been with us since the beginning, so it feels fitting that she's helping us to celebrate past backers with this design. You can back the Paranormal Romance Royalty project for as little as $10 to get the art cards and claim your free pin.
As the market gets flooded with AI slop, it's going to be harder and harder for new-to-you authors to break out and for readers to discover fantastic new talent. This book fair allows us to highlight authors who are doing the work and deserve to shine. There is no AI allowed in any of these campaigns.
With the exception of the standard Backerkit and payment processing fees, all of the funds from these projects go directly to the authors who are running them, so it's authors creating and selling directly to you. It's an act of bravery for authors to put themselves out there like this, and we're so proud of them for taking the leap!
If you back 3 or more projects, Bonkers Romance will give you a free Bonkers Romance Book Fair sticker with Shannon's design--and there are some really easy ways to do that, with ebook options for as low as $5 that will allow you to discover new authors. The creative merch is the coolest!! There's custom tea, the cutest raven plushie, stickers, stamps, art, pins, overlays, and more! If nothing else, go check out the creative ideas everyone has come up with!
Instant Access to A Monstrous Need
We've worked with Bookfunnel and Backerkit to refine the ebook delivery process. We were the very first ones to use their new integration, so we appreciate you guys helping us to test it out and make it better. You no longer need the link to access A Monstrous Need--it will already be in your Bookfunnel library waiting for you when you either sign in or create an account with this email address. From there, you can send it to your e-reader or read it on their app. https://my.bookfunnel.com
We'll be back in a few weeks with your surveys and ebooks, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please send us an email!
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support! We're thrilled to be on this adventure with you!
