Guys, I realized something: I just hit 70 readers. (!!!)

Tomorrow is my birthday. I'm turning... 30.

I need 30 followers to hit 100.

I need (about) 30 readers to get into the top 5.

WE'RE DOING A CONTEST, BABY!

I would like 30 new readers for my 30th birthday, and I need YOU to help me find them. Starting NOW, RIGHT NOW, I'll put every new reader into a little hat, a digital hat, and if I hit 100 by the end of the day tomorrow I'll pick a name out of a REAL hat and that reader will receive a super-exclusive prize:

An original illustration from the book. That's right. Art. Mailed to you. On your wall. And you'll get to pick which one.

"But wait, Cara, I already pre-ordered!"

Yeah, I know, I'm not a jerk! I'll also pull a name from my current followers, and one of you will receive an illustration, too. If half of you know one person who'd be willing be give my book a chance, you would get me to my goal and give me a nice birthday present while also maybe getting some cool art out of the deal. So think of that one person, that one person who might want to pre-order, and ask them to check out my page!

You'll be able to show prospective readers a new episode tomorrow, and maybe that will convince some of them. The team's gotta get together! Begrudging allies! Stricken realizations!

Thanks, everyone! I'm super excited for my birthday now.

:) Cara

Hey, people! As it turns out, sometimes nice things happen when you do okay (and the inevitable corruption that comes with power has not yet set in)! 

For example, I'm included in this article on the Inkshares blog, Book Recommendations from the Top 10 Authors in the Nerdist Collection Contest. (Somebody tell me you got my Liz Lemon joke. Please?)

And Joe Terzieva, winner of the last contest on Inkshares, mentioned my project video on his blog post about what works in an Inkshares campaign. I can't quite claim that the video is helping me win, since I'm... not winning... but still!

Finally, next week, I'll be featured on John Robin's World Builders blog series - keep an eye out for the link to my interview! It looks like it's going to be a really cool series. It doesn't matter where you are in the contest; connecting with other authors will help you with your craft. Check it out, follow John's blog, and maybe that post will entice you to order C. Brennecke's Seven Shards: The Colors of Wine.

I'm really excited about all the new authors I'm meeting and I have waaaaay too many books I want to read now. I hope you do, too.

Thanks, everyone who has pre-ordered. Really. And if you know anyone who might be interested in pre-ordering She Is the End, send them the link to my video and I'll sell them on it so you don't have to! :)

Cara

Hey friends! Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered. You're amazing. And special thanks to you who have commented on Episode I! I really appreciate all feedback. In fact, here's my free time right now:

...paper edits! I'm making myself go through this process every week:

1. Read the episode. It is terrible. Loathe self.

2. No! First draft = worst draft, always. Everyone's first draft is terrible! Eat something.

3. Edit in computer.

4. Print off episode, edit on paper while riding the bus, walking to get coffee, etc.

5. Enter edits.

6. Give to husband (the "A" in A.C. Weston). He gives merciless critique.

7. Debate merciless critique; make changes except where they completely misunderstand the entire goal of my work, sheesh!

8. One final cosmetic edit to catch glaring copy errors. 

9. Say a prayer.

10. Release episode to be battered by the cruel winds of the internet.

Episode I has been professionally copy edited by the excellent Adam Swenson, and that's why it looks so clean. I highly recommend him! You can't edit your own stuff, guys - you have to have fresh, skilled eyes look over it.

The relief is that none of our books need to be completely edited and done in order for us to participate in this contest. Rough drafts are normal and expected. WHAT a relief!

Now go look at these projects:

The Defeated by Joseph G Calcagno - A Swashbuckling Novella of Black Hearts, Black Humor, and  Floppy Black Hats. (Not usually my type of thing, but man, I read the first paragraph and I was smiling for the rest of the day. "At his most ragged he'd never been in short supply of admirers, but if you're going to kill a man, you should damn well look your best." Ha, so good.)

The Fable Hunt by Rachael Berkey - A sleepy town, a couple of readers, and a fairy on a quest to save stories from extinction. Will they find new sources of inspiration or will books die out forever? (Books better not die out forever, ok? The author's voice is solid and unique, keeping the tone very real and grounded as fantastical things happen. I like it!)

Happy Wednesday!

Cara

I can't feel my arms and legs ok

I'm legitimately crying at my desk, I don't know what to do

what do i do

what

"This is only going to last for five minutes," she told herself. "Victory is fleeting, all is meaningless, there is nothing new under the sun."

She turned and stared at her waiting gym bag. What neurotransmitters were coursing through her veins right now? If she went running, would she faint? If she stood up?

"Go get a cup of coffee," she said aloud. "Stop staring at the leader board. Send the reader update and then get back to work."

She checked the board one more time. (Still real.)

She hit send.

Hi all! I'm sorry I missed sending out this art when we hit 40 readers - like I said, computer error, etc etc. Now we can celebrate 47 readers! 

Here's a thing I drew while I was still attempting to illustrate my own book cover. I tried painting and I didn't have automatic professional skills (disappointing, I know) so I was trying a sort of graphic thing with ink... 

...but I just wasn't liking it enough. I can't do everything, guys!

Collaborating with Kavya Tiwari was pretty amazing. I wanted a cover that oriented readers to the genre - planets, gotta have planets - while still indicating it's not a standard space adventure. I love how it turned out!

(If you think those hand poses look familiar, you are right, I am a nerd who likes symbolism.)

So, thanks again for all the support! This is such an exciting contest. I can't wait to see what happens. If you're like to help me make progress, try leaving comment on my excerpt! People seem to like to read reviews, so maybe some of you have positive things to say? Criticism is good, though too. :)

Meanwhile, check out these other projects:

Housewife in Hell by Alex Landers - Evelyn's husband was lost in the woods. Now he's home, and he's not himself - in fact, he's becoming something else entirely. To save her marriage from a horrific end, she'll go into the woods to find the Devil that stole his soul, and take it back. (Don't get thrown off by the campy title - the writing is really good. Really solid, deeply creepy and emotional. I don't read horror (real life is horrific enough, so that's not what I'm looking for in my fiction, ha) but if you like that kind of thing definitely go check this book out.)

Deep Breath by Hannahbialic - Oxygen is scarce after the government imposed curfew. You don't want to be stuck outside after dark. (A new project that deserves some attention. I'm interested to see where it goes!)

Now, back to work! :)

Cara

PEOPLE there are FIVE of us tied for the fifth place spot. I find this hilarious and intriguing.

Is this the natural progression of most campaigns? I want to see a graph of past contests! Do we all know exactly the same number of sci-fi fans/old college friends/grandmas? Does our socioeconomic status inform our social network and reach, and therefore predict the number of people we know who will be willing to support us in this contest after exactly this amount of time has passed? I HAVE THEORIES.

Anyway, my computer is giving me an error every time I try to upload a new piece of art for you, so I'll have to do it at work tomorrow. In the meantime, just know that it's incredible to me to know that 46 real, live people have pre-ordered She Is the End.* And none of you cancelled your orders after you saw my dumb video!!!

Thank you, again, so much!

Cara

*I can imagine the urge emerging to use separate email addresses so you can order again and appear to be multiple readers, but NO DO NOT DO THAT. Contests are short, life is long.

The video is up! Go watch it and think about all the self-deprecating comments I'm refraining from making right now!!!

Thank you all who have pre-ordered She Is the End. I have been sitting in the #10 spot off and on over the last couple days, which is fantastic. Every single reader counts for so much, so thank you. 

If you're still on the fence, perhaps watching me talking to myself will convince you...

I'll be sending out another piece of art when I get to 40 readers, so tell your friends! I'm halfway through editing Episode II and I hope you're all here for it next Friday.

Finally, I'd like to highlight a few other great book projects which I think some of you might like:

Blood Dawn by John Robin - A young woman must master a magical gift to win back her father’s stolen throne. (It really reminds me of Dune. The author clearly knows what he's doing; you're in good hands.)

Visioner by Bryn Schut - A YA sci-fantasy novel with a teenage female protagonist. No love triangle, no dress buying montages, and no shrinking violets. It's a quest! (Everything I want in a YA scifi/fantasy, starting with a punch in the face.)

Rise by Brian Guthrie - Four strangers must unite to save their world, shattered in the pursuit of lost love, from ultimate destruction at an usurper's attempt to build a utopia free of death and war. (I like the writing style, and you can't go wrong with complex characters teaming up to save the world!)

Asteroid Made of Dragons by G. Derek Adams - Not your average apocalypse -- too bad our heroes don't even know it's coming. (One of the winners of the last Inkshares contest, and it's clear why.)

Thanks, everyone! 

Cara