Apr 24, 2016

Dear friends and faithful followers,

Yesterday, I received an order from someone who told me he thought he’d placed an order ages ago, and only just realised that he had in fact forgotten to do so. As such, I should like to ask you, all those of you who think you’ve placed an order, to please check to be sure you have in fact done so. The easiest way is to simply go to the project page to see if the buttons say "pre-order" (you haven’t, so do it now or you’ll forget again) or "pre-order again" (you have, but why not a second time?)

That said, we seem to be doing well. We’re at 186 orders, and 99 readers. So the question is: who will be reader 100? And will I be able to work this person’s name into the fabric of the story somehow?

Now, on to the weekly what’s-what around the bookshelves.

1) "Louisiana Blood", by Mike Donald. It’s a fresh take on the Jack the Ripper mystery: what happens when vital evidence surfaces a century after the fact in, of all places, the sweltering bayous of Louisiana? Donald comes from a film-making background, and it shows in the attention to visual detail. Expect to be properly immersed in the action. This book is just 10 pre-orders short of its Quill goal right now, and the clock is ticking. Go get it.

2) "Goodbye, Angel", by Ryan Smith. This one just started its campaign, and I swear it went from "draft" to "funding" at the same instant I clicked to follow it. It’s a hardboiled noir set against a backdrop of sunny beaches and rolling surf. Smith used to work as a crime reporter in Florida, so he knows what he’s writing about.

3) "Pixilated Obsidian Roses", by RF Martin. If you liked JF Dubeau’s "A God in the Shed", you’ll love this one. It’s a dark fantasy, several shades darker; or maybe it’s horror. It’s about unearthly supernatural beings meddling in the lives of two men separated by history, manipulating their fates into a sort of twisted concordance. It’s ... well, it’s worth a look, anyway.

Until next week, friends and faithful followers. Have fun, and keep reading.

Oh, and don’t forget to pre-order.