All aboard, this ship is getting ready to take off. The Kickstarter is funded, and we met two stretch goals !
This means bonus short stories, a special hardback edition illustrated by Crossroad Art, and one grateful and overjoyed indie author.
There are 112 backers who all get first stabs at the special hardbacks. These will be ready to go shortly after the new year, and I’ll be opening pre-orders for everyone else in December, starting with Patreon and newsletter folk.
There was a distinct click behind him, one that had become familiar in the past week and a half. Watt looked over his shoulder, spying Cornelius looking a tad sheepish behind his camera. Three times now Cornelius had taken his photo, having asked before the first time if he had Watt’s permission to take candid shots.
Watt rather thought that him brooding in a hotel room was a waste of film, and was surprised to find himself saying so.
Cornelius chuckled. “Every explorer needs a good before and after photo, you know, before they’re beaten to hell by their perils.”
“Then what were the photographs on the ship for?”
“Practice,” Cornelius said. There was an easy air about him this morning, which Watt was grateful for. He wasn’t sure if he could handle prickly Cornelius today.
Watt straightened from the wall, extending a hand towards Cornelius. “Then you should have a before photo as well, yeah?”
Cornelius cleared his throat. “Oh. I suppose so.”
Moody Before the Perils illustrations by Gagakuma Draws! This scene is one of the early icebreaker like scenes with the fellas, and stuck out to us both of us when it came to Cornelius’ photographs. Their postures and expressions speak so much to their inner turmoils during the beginning. Watt wears his heart on his sleeve, while Cornelius hides everything behind that proud mask. And of course, this beautiful and romantic moment between the explorers.
He kept hearing Andrea’s words over and over again, followed by Severino’s distant plea from weeks ago. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop either time, but last night had been the final nail in Watt’s heart. “They’re doing good work here, real work. I can go on alone. This isn’t—I won’t drag you into madness, Cornelius.”
Cornelius closed the small distance between them, slow enough to give Watt time to back away. He did not.
Cornelius gazed up at Watt, their chests inches apart. His steely eyes seemed to glitter in the dark, like Lake Michigan under full moonlight. “I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.”
“Aventurier,” Watt whispered, overcome with an intense desire to bend down, and kiss Cornelius.
He—he wanted to kiss Cornelius.
He wanted Cornelius.
Cornelius’ eyes flared and he lifted his chin a fraction of an inch, lips parting.
Oh, and he was wanted in return. He was wanted by, and wanted, a man. Not just any man, but his—his Cornelius. He wanted to. It could’ve been easy, should’ve been easy.
But no matter how much he wanted to, Watt could not break through that wall. It would shatter everything, demolishing the foundations of everything they had built in the last few months. And he couldn’t—he wasn’t—
Cornelius’ lips curled into a small, sad smile. Like he knew. And he probably did, because who else knew Watt better than this man?
His best friend. Because yes, that was what Cornelius was to him, now and always.
🧭
There are now 94 backers! Hello to all of you, and thank you so much for supporting this campaign. We only have 22 hours left, then it’s time for Kickstarter to do its thing so I can do my thing and order books, stickers, bookmarks, art prints, all that good stuff to pass onto you. With all of the new art that has come out seen the Kickstarter began, don’t be surprised if there are extra goodies in the adventure boxes.
whispers: Do you think we can reach an even 100 backers?
Big thanks to Gagakuma Draws for drawing the gay explorers in love!
Not only that, but we have hit our first stretch goal, a short story that takes place after The Voice of Wild Places, and there is a chance we may reach the second one, a special edition hardback!
Despite my Big Feelings about all this love for the Kickstarter, I have already set to work on the short story, it feels so good to be with these characters again. Yes, I know we haven’t been separated for that long, but it still feels like coming home.
Speaking of coming home, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the Adventures in Levena books, which some people added to your pledge. It is cozy season after all, which is what these books feel like. There is some angst as characters heal and face the past, but they are overwhelming wholesome and romantic.
Arlo Rook, art by trxxvon_ on IG
Thatch Phantom, art by trxxvon_ on IG
Lindsey and Kitt, illustrated by Benedetta Massaro
Quentin and Elochian, illustrated by Foxglove Faun
There are currently two novels and two novellas out, each book follows a different couple. The first novella has multiple perspectives, and an interesting first half that technically takes place after all the books. It’s an immortal thing, you know?
The third book, Mochizuki and Xlato, comes out in October of next year. Illustrated by Crossroad Art, the same artist who we hopefully will have for the special hardback of The Voice of Wild Places!
I can’t wait to order prints, bookmarks, stickers, and wield my new highlighter and pens to go full historical nerd mode for annotating time. Not to mention signing and/or painting the books themselves.
When I first proposed the idea of a Kickstarter, my wonderful artist friends (lovingly) attacked me with art, and they both had the idea of illustrating the photographs that Cornelius takes during their trip. This first one is by Benedetta Massaro, and features Cornelius, Watt, and Severino on the steamer.
Cornelius frequently took shots from the edge of the boat, but of the photographic variety. He focused on people, always incorporating them into the surrounding landscape. On the last day of the trip, he’d taken a photograph of Watt and Severino standing together at the front of the boat, hats on and inches between them.
Watt felt wrong standing there without Cornelius in the picture, and after Cornelius took the shot he called a fellow passenger over to assist with the problem. Cornelius’ face reddened, but he offered the fellow his camera and quickly explained how to use it. He joined them and stood between Watt and Severino, adjusting his hat before tucking his hands into his pockets. He nodded to Severino, then shot Watt a withering look.
“How typical for the photographer not to like having his photo taken,” Watt murmured, fighting a grin.
“It’s just a very valuable piece of equipment,” Cornelius shot back, quiet and whip-quick. Despite his tone, his lip curled upwards. They stared at each other for a moment, then Cornelius winked and turned his attention forward. Watt looked at the camera too, unable to stop smiling.
The Kickstarter for The Voice of Wild Places has begun, it’s day four and we are about a third of the way funded! Adventure boxes are popular, and annotated books which blows me away. You’re telling me people willingly want to read all my historical nerd details, unfiltered thoughts and behind the scenes lore?
Tomorrow is Kickstarter Day! To celebrate, I thought I’d show off some paraphernalia I’ve acquired over the years to connect with these characters and the world they lived in.
The matchbook is the first item I collected, and the brochure is the second. The newspaper clipping is one I obtained later on, but all three have to do with the Furness Prince Line.
For books most are for research, but others were for vibes or setting. Not pictured is Into the Amazon: The Life of Cândido Rondon by Larry Rohter, which I have in ebook.
Cornelius’ camera, a Kodak Eastman No. 2C Autographic edition. Mine is awfully rough shape, but when I stumbled upon it in a local thrift store I knew it was meant to be. Cornelius’ is a little bit different, his has the red bellows.
A postcard from the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, where antivenin was developed and our characters witness the process, and its effects.
Lastly, a Camillus pocket knife. Watt carries a Camillus TL-29, which is an electrician’s knife. This is not a TL-29, but it is a well aged electrician’s knife like the one he would’ve used, and from the same company.
The Voice of Wild Places was borne from my love for history and a need for more queer historical fiction. What was originally supposed to be a fun and quick archaeological story in an urban fantasy world swiftly evolved to a story far beyond anything I imagined, and definitely not urban fantasy.
Yes, there is romance, but this is also a story of adventure, fighting to be who you are in a world that begs you to be anything but yourself, finding the truth, and discovering your value.
The early 20th century has always called to me, but when I first dove into this era I had no idea the feelings that would surface. As I wrote, I discovered many of the issues my characters faced are similar to the ones people face now. It provided me with a way to cope with the changes our world is enduring, and it is my hope that others can find the same comfort in it that I found writing it.
Blurb:
Cornelius Sawyer is a man of many talents, but forgiveness is not one of them.
Watt Johnson is a man of his word, but not once in his life has he spoken up for himself.
Once connected by the bonds of childhood, threads now severed by the demands of life, the pair are brought together for a once in a lifetime opportunity: an all expenses paid expedition to Brazil, searching for a man the world believes to be long dead, Percy Fawcett. And perhaps, even the Lost City that he was looking for.
Under the guise of doing research work for their respective universities, a reluctant Cornelius and an exhilarated Watt accept the offer and delve into the unknown, trusting no one but themselves. Looking at a map, the route and its dangers seem to be known obstacles which can be easily conquered, a fact that Watt leans on heavily.
But Cornelius is intimately aware that the river has teeth, that the land renders a siren song to those who are desperate to become lost in its mountains and basins. To survive the journey they’ll have to face the enemies within, and trust the other to have their best interests in mind.
After all, the Voice of Wild Places is calling, beckoning the adrift homeward.
Travel with Cornelius and Watt as they journey from Philadelphia to New York City, to Brazil’s coast and her interior. Visit the places of their past such as Michigan, France, Egypt, Columbia, and more as they two untangle the threads of their lives, and what made them into the people they are now.
With years of research devoted to this project, you can find reality in the details. Listen to the music in the queer speakeasy Maxine’s, which lay in the heart of what would become the Gayborhood. Cruise on the S.S. Eastern Prince, which ran from New York City to Rio de Janeiro, and witness the construction of Christ the Redeemer.
And we cannot dismiss the less savory parts of history, such as the production of antivenin, the threat of civil war, colonialism, and discrimination.
In addition to ebook and paperback editions of The Voice of Wild Places, adventure boxes will be available. These include a signed paperback, stickers, art prints, bookmarks, and my digital backlist. The digital backlist contains The Voice of Wild Places, and will have its own tier as well.
Lastly, I am offering annotated adventure boxes, which include everything in the regular box but with a signed and annotated paperback of The Voice of Wild Places. Prepare for historical notes in the margins, my favorite lines, and lore behind the scenes such as ones that nearly didn’t make the cut.
Stretch Goal 1: Post-Story Short – $ 3,800
Want more Watt and Cornelius? How about Severino and Joaquim? Ah, how about the interns? You know what, let’s hear more from all of them. This stretch goal unlocks short story following our main characters, and new perspectives from their friends. Plus, Cornelius owes Watt a certain tutoring session. This will be in the form of an epub, delivered in December.
Watt Johnson, art by Just Miss Art
Stretch Goal 2: Special Edition Hardback – $ 4,700
Crossroad Art has graciously accepted the challenge of illustrating a special hardback cover for The Voice of Wild Places. If we reach this stretch goal, extra content such as the previously unlocked short story, and a look into the life of Cornelius’ brother, Jimmy Tremblay, will be added to the special edition.
Book covers illustrated by Crossroad Art
Stretch Goal 3: Audiobook – $ 7,200
Sam Stark, a talented narrator, voice actor, sound designer, and podcaster, has agreed to narrate The Voice of Wild Places! You may recognize them from Pretty Dogs by Riley Nash, or The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sara Raasch. I highly recommend checking out some more of their work!
Accessibility is incredibly important to me, and I strive to make all of my books as accessible as possible. I would love to have this story transformed into an audiobook and available in libraries. I cannot feasibly do this on my own, or using a royalty share program like ACX, as they reserve exclusive rights to Amazon for seven years.
If this goal funds, those who supported the Kickstarter will receive a copy of the audiobook for free, if they desire.
I don’t know about you, but I always love to do some extra research after reading a historical fiction. The Voice of Wild Places was three years in the making, and required research that spanned books, websites, articles, video footage, and other paraphernalia. If you’d like to peruse the links or the books I read while researching, and others I highly recommend for further information on exploration during the late 19th century and early 20th century, check out the research page.
Big thanks to Benedetta Massaro for all of the character busts and extra artwork to help promote this story!
Cornelius Sawyer, art by Léa Charbonnier
The Voice of Wild Places is a work of historical fiction, the interpretations of the people and places referenced therein are fictional. Ultimately, this is a story of hope, finding yourself and your people, but the road is rocky and there are content warnings to be aware of.
This book contains elements of transphobia, homophobia, discussion of a transgender person being outed in the past, alcoholism, racism, colonization, discussion of the Canadian Indigenous Peoples residential schools, ableism, serious injury, drowning and resuscitation, medical experimentation on animals, snakes and snake bites, post traumatic stress, depression, wartime flashbacks, swearing, and smoking.
To celebrate The Voice of Wild Places going to ARC readers soon, I’ve gathered some books that take place largely in the 20s and 30s. There is one that recently came out and I’m so excited that I needed to include it; it takes place in the 1910s.
The Voice of Wild Places is a queer historical fiction set in 1930, following two ex best friends as they search for lost cities, and the legend who disappeared looking for them.
February is upon us, and I have some disappointing news. Unfortunately, I need to push back the release for The Voice of Wild Places.
If you’d like a full run down on why, I’ve talked about it at length on my Patreon. Here, I’ll say that in addition to the current state of things, I had many personal issues and health problems last year. I also have a full time job, am a parent, and have disabilities that, guess what, affect my daily life and abilities. This has all led to a slower pace, and I want to give this book everything I’ve got, not rush it through.
With that being said, pushing this release back affects my other planned release for this year, Mochizuki and Xlato, the third Adventures in Levena book. And so, the new release dates are as follows.
The Voice of Wild Places, October 28th, 2025.
Mochizuki and Xlato, September 29th, 2026.
Thank you all for your patience and understanding, and I hope you stick around for this adventure. It’s so dear to my heart, and I can’t wait to share it.
Neshama Publishing 