Please forgive me for not updating you sooner. Time management is a constant problem here in the active war zone. Priorities are not the same for life outside the war. We do what we have to in order to survive with high focus on self-preservation and supporting the troops. That’s not an excuse but a reality. I am grateful to all of you who have subscribed so far but I have not shared the complete news of our writing endeavors.
First, the big news is that we have signed a deal with Helion & Company, Ltd. In the UK for four books under the title “Accidental Ukrainians”. The first full book is available for paid subscribers here on this Substack. The books run from February to February during each year of war. Yes, we haven’t reached the three-year mark yet and it’s a letdown to think we signed a deal for a fourth book. That’s also a very harsh reality but we are pragmatists and realists. We don’t expect the conclusion of this war anytime soon. Hope is not something we use lightly. Mostly we hope to live another day.
Second, I will release some chapters here of Books Two and Three but hold Natasha’s back. These will be featured under “Random Ramblings and Essays”. They will not appear in the order they are planned for in future books so as not to give away the farm because we owe that to our publisher. We are grateful to Duncan Rogers, the Owner of Helion & Company for having faith in our work. His team has also been very gracious, patient and highly professional in all of our communications and the work they do. It’s an honor to be aligned with all of them.
The first book is an ebook only. Future books are also planned in this format unless there is high demand. We agreed on this strategy with Duncan due to our being relatively unknown and untested writers. This is smart business. Publishing costs continue to rise for hard copies and it’s an increased risk to the bottom line for those who operate in the field. Helion & Company’s success is our success, so we are fully supportive and understanding of their business decisions.
Posts will come once a week for the most part as time allows. Natasha is very busy with her job and all the training and planning that entails when teaching 1st Graders in a war zone. I work behind-the-scenes in regard to military and humanitarian aid when not focused on the job that helps pay the bills. Since Natasha works outside the house, I handle much of the household management since I work from home. When it is quiet and other demands have been met, I find time to write.
Thank you for understanding. Thank you for your support. We cannot say how or when the war will end. We cannot know if we will survive it. We do not delve into political or military analysis. We are simply chronicling our own personal experience with all the baggage we have come to Ukraine with. Sometimes it’s joyful, angry, sad, sarcastic, cynical, humorous, depressing, philosophical, theological and most importantly, it’s real. We don’t hold back unless it’s for matters of security or unless what we say will directly harm others. We don’t mention names without permission, and we don’t seek to slander people, governments or organization. Our policy when being critical is to make it broad so we don’t point a direct finger. We know the strengths and weaknesses of more than we will let on. This is an existential war for survival run and fought by humans. We are all flawed and we all will be judged by our actions more than our words.
Stay tuned…there’s more to come.