ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT!
Is it possible to make Quill in only 3 days? I’ve seen it happen for others, maybe it will happen for me, I’m not giving up hope yet.
Spread the word, pre-order if you can and help this dream come true!
Jason
ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT!
THIS IS IT EVERYONE!
TO: Avalon Council Members
RE: “Welcome-bot” implementation
Why Welcome-bots? Because the Proxies are terrifying. Allow me to elaborate.
When the human race was spared and brought to Avalon they were greeted by the silver-skinned, glowing blue androids that represented the Aetherians. The Aetherians had designed Avalon, but rather than meet humanity in person, they used these strikingly beautiful machines as their proxies. The Proxies are nice enough, they are certainly programmed to be cordial, but there are also quite terrifying in a way. They come and go as they please, disappearing into the shadows of God-knows-where only to reemerge when help is needed, like synthetic nightmare genies.
Alright, perhaps that was a bit over the top, but my point still stands. The Welcome-bots are designed by humans with the compassion born naturally out of human beings. The Proxies (and I’m guessing, I didn’t make the bloody things) seem to be made to be as compassionate as some other race thinks will be acceptable to humans. We already have enough people disturbed by Avalon’s entire setup that they are leaving to live on other planets, we can’t welcome new arrivals with the strangely polite wraiths that first welcomed us.
But, I know what you’re saying. Welcome-bots are still going to be machines and if you are so concerned about showing off human compassion then why not meet the new arrivals with actual human beings and not a glorified calculator with manners. Worry not, because that is exactly what we are going to do. After the initial meeting with customs officials, the Welcome-bots will be able to completely brief new arrivals and answer the myriad of questions they will undoubtedly have. They’ll get them up to speed on our customs, regulations and laws. We’ll call it “orientation”.
There’s no avoiding the Proxies, to be sure, but I’d rather they not be the face of Avalon. All who end leaving Avalon inevitably complain about the Proxies and the Aetherians and whatever dark motivations they must have for the human race. Whatever your feelings on the matter, you must agree that it is in our best interest first and foremost to present a different, friendlier, more human face. A human face on a flying monitor, yes, but a little whimsy never hurt, did it?
Which brings us to Jeb Nolan’s design for the Welcome-bots and the concerns about that design. Yes Jeb is an eccentric, yes he writes poetry about cats and yes, he is a “one shower a week” type of person. But, there is no denying that his design work on the prototype Welcome-bots has been sound. I think the "flying television" set design has a certain nostalgic sensibility to it. After we’ve used this particular model for a extended trial run, we can revisit other proposed designs, although I must veto the “Hug-o-matic” droids that we proposed last week. I’ve been told that some alien species may take a sudden embrace as an act of aggression.
If we are all in agreement, we can begin rolling out the Welcome-bot prototypes to all major government processing centers, including the Avalon Intelligence Service headquarters. Let us propose a trial run of no more than a year?
I look forward to getting your feedback on the matter.
Sincerely,
Professor Philip Thorne
Avalon Council
Earth Historical Preservation Society
(There’s only 12 DAYS LEFT to pre-order and make this book a reality, please consider pre-ordering TODAY and see the world of Avalon and its influence on the entire system come to life!
The second draft is finished and I’m rounding up beta readers NOW!)
WELCOME TO EARTH, EXILE!
A long time ago the planet Earth, birthplace of the human race, was a beautiful green and blue jewel of a world…the centerpiece of the Sol system! It had sprawling cities with towering skyscrapers, jungles, deserts, rainforests, tundras, oceans, rivers, lakes and a population that numbered in the several billions!
However, that was before the Cleansing deemed the world fit for destruction and the atmosphere was scorched and made unbreathable. Clouds of dust and ash now block the once nourishing rays of the sun, the soil has become contaminated and every living thing that was not relocated to Avalon is now long dead. Once the centerpiece of the system, it is now the one world everyone wants to avoid. It is a barren wasteland of outcasts, criminals, and exiles just like you!
That’s the good news! Earth salvage is one of the most valuable commodities in the system, prized by collectors and scientists from Avalon all the way to Pluto! Objects that were once part of everyday human life are now highly sought-after artifacts of immense value. You will become an indentured scavenger, braving the harsh wasteland in search of treasures worth more than you can imagine. And if you’re lucky, after say, your tenth expedition, you may even be eligible to get a small percentage of the profits! What better incentive to survive this poison landscape than the possibility of earning your own meager pay!
Being an Earth scavenger is not a “success overnight” path. In most cases, it’s not even a “success over several months” deal. But, with the proper training, equipment, and support, anyone can succeed as a scavenger! Sometimes, we even have one or all of those things available to new recruits such as yourself!
Besides the toxic atmosphere and crumbling landscape, what other dangers can you expect to find in the wastelands of Earth? Well, there are mutants, twisted by long-term exposure to the poison air and radiation. “Freelance” scavengers, otherwise known as “bandits” roam the wastelands, some of which have even taken up cannibalism. The once towering skyscrapers are now decaying safety hazards and there are sinkholes, quicksand, dust storms and probably more nightmares than anyone could ever possibly bear. For others, that might spell an immediate “no way, I’m not going anywhere near there”. But, for you exile, it spells adventure.
(Also, you’ve been legally bound to indentured servitude, so it’s not like you have a choice anyway.)
So, go out there and fetch yourself a fortune or at least a fraction of one while you toil away under the moderately brutish leadership of a master scavenger. One day, he may even release you from indentured servitude and you can become a “free” scavenger. That’s right, you too can be your own boss and the entire, muddy, destroyed expanse of a once beautiful planet can be your office!
On the other hand, if you die, please know that we will make every effort to make sure your carcass doesn’t get stolen by cannibals to be used as bait to trap other scavengers with better survival skills than you.
Enjoy your stay and happy hunting!
-Welcome brochure for Earth exiles, produced by Axis Earth Salvage, Inc.
Two women are about to brave the wasteland that used to be the planet Earth to uncover a plot to destory the utopian society of Avalon. One is a hardened spy, the other is a scientist from another time.
Want to find out what happens next? Pre-order now!
Well, I got one last extension, this is now the final 30 days of my campaign. If I don’t make it to Quill, I will gracefully bow out...but, I still believe we can make it! I will be doing a lot of local promotion here in my hometown. I still got a bunch of postcards and business cards to give out and I’m hitting up local sci-fi/fantasy clubs.
This entire thing has been a big learning experience for me and no matter what happens, I’m going to take everything I’ve learned into the future, whether I decide to crowdfund another novel or not. I’m leaning toward the former since I do have a draft up on Inkshares that I’d like to pursue at some point. I now know what has worked, what has kind of worked and what hasn’t worked at all. I think it’s a different journey for everyone and maybe when this thing is done I can share my experiences with the community, whether I’m successful or not.
But, again, I think we CAN be successful and I’m pulling out all the stops to see that happen! Regardless of the outcome, I’m sure someone can benefit from sharing my experiences with both the Nerdist contest and the subsequent campaign and I plan on putting that all down in writing when the time comes.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far, it means the world to me. To those who haven’t pre-ordered yet, now’s your chance! Help me make Quill! You’re doing more than getting a great retro science fiction novel, you’re also helping someone’s dream come true.
Thank you!
Jason
This is it, guys...
Hey, superspies!
Hey, everyone!
Jason here with your weekly To Live and Die in Avalon update!
Editing is progressing quite well on the first draft which is slowly morphing into a more polished second draft. Initial feedback from my beta readers has been very positive and I’ve already cleaned up a lot of stuff myself.
We’re at the 30-day mark and as I see the book taking shape toward a completed form I’m getting more and more excited to get it into your hands. The complete novel has eighteen chapters with only four of those (pre-revision) chapters up on the campaign page. There’s a lot more story out there and some really great stuff I can’t wait for you to read, but the book has to go into production before that can happen! If you feel that this is a book worth being published then please pre-order!
Those of you who have already pre-ordered have already shown your faith in the finished product and I can’t thank you enough. Please keep spreading the word!
That’s all for this week. As I said last week, I’ve put the supplementary fiction series The Avalon Chronicler on hold while I dig into full on edit/second draft mode, but please, if you dig this kind of thing and want to see more of it, let me know!
Also, if you have a moment, please check out the draft of my next project:
https://www.inkshares.com/books/aurasong-blue-sword
As I get closer to finishing Avalon, you may see some more updates on that subsequent project!
Thanks and have a great week!
Jason
@atomicboywonder
split0@gmail.com
Hey, Superspies!
Just a short update this week. The Avalon Chronicler is being put on hold for now while I focus on the second draft of the novel. The first draft is ready to be sent to my beta readers and I will be contacting them shortly, but man, Memorial Day weekend, right?
Also, I’ve put up a draft of my next project, a fantasy western Aurasong: Blue Sword. It is the first in what I hope will be a series of books that will appeal to both YA readers and fantasy fans of all ages. I’ve had the idea for ages, but the actual writing is still in its infancy (thus why it is just a draft right now and not on sale). Check it out, follow and when I get closer to wrapping up edits on Avalon, expect to see more updates on this project!
https://www.inkshares.com/books/aurasong-blue-sword
"But, what about a sequel to Avalon?"
I’m glad you asked! There are a plethora of sequel ideas bouncing around in my noggin, but I want to see the campaign through before I even give that any serious thought. There is still time left in the campaign for us to make Quill, so if you haven’t ordered yet, please do so! But, rest assured, if we don’t make it, Avalon will see the light of day one way or another! (although, I’m really hoping we at least make Quill!)
Enjoy your day off (if you get one tomorrow) and I’ll talk to you all soon!
Jason
THIS IS THE LAST DAY TO PRE-ORDER!