(Long post, Wall-o’-text incoming)
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[It’s important to note that this takes a bit of time to write and all numbers and placements are based on where everyone is when I write this. It may be different now but it should be close.]
----
You can view last weeks here: The Story So Far Part 7
There was another Inkshares blog post featuring the Top 10 Authors. I may reference that so if you haven’t read it, here is the link: Inkshares Blog Sept. 13th 2016
If you don’t know what “Drinkshares” is, I need to take some time and point you in the direction of it! I’ll admit, I haven’t watched all the episodes, nor have I been watching from the beginning(I just found out about it a week or two ago - in my defense) but I have watched the last two episodes in their entirety and everyone needs to do that too! The last two episodes touch a lot on Crowdfunding and running a successful campaign and I know just about everyone who will read this is currently doing that - so definitely check out these episodes for some insight and helpful tips. Plus, it’s just really entertaining!
Drinkshares: Crowdfunding 101
Drinkshares: Crowdfunding 102
(The Fantastical Authors of Drinkshares and Where to Find Them: @C. Brennecke , @A.C. Weston , @Joseph Terzieva , @Rebekka S. Leber )
Welcome back to The Story So Far, my name is @Joey Angotti and I’ll be your guide for this evening. It’s week 8 guys, WEEK 8! September 24th! Where is the time going? I feel like I just wrote last week’s The Story So Far and here I am again! If it feels like it’s going way too fast for me, then it must feel like that for our Top 10 and those still trying to break into the Top 10. This contest has been intense and there’s still just a bit over a month left to make these final pushes and solidify yourself in the Top 10. We got a new face in the Top 10, a whole bunch of new updates, contests, new chapter uploads and I’ve already rambled on and on in this opening paragraph for too long! Week 8, Let’s do this~!
Or almost do this. First I want to give a shout out to @Jay Lockwood and his title in this contest: A Beast Requires. Mr. Lockwood has been in the Top 10 for a long time and unfortunately has slipped out. Let’s make sure we still go over to his page, check out his amazing work in progress and still give him some love. He’s been a long-running Top 10 author that I’ve had to pleasure to write about and will hopefully get to write about again soon.
10. Flames in the Dark by @Tara Roquemore (93 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 9th)
Flames in the Dark by Tara Roquemore had a bit of a scare this week, being knocked out of the Top 10 temporarily but she managed to not give up(read her comments section!) and bounce back to secure 10th place just in time for The Story So Far. It really is a shame to see Ms. Roquemore teetering in and out of the Top 10 because of how powerful her writing is. If you’re on the fence about this book, I once again suggest you read some of what she’s uploaded because it is some of the best content on the entire site, not just this contest. In 9 more preorders she’s going to upload Chapter 3 - so… At least preorder and help out the rest of us who are hungering for more of her story! (Also, Prologue.)
9. A Light in the Void by @J. S. Chlapowski (104 Readers / Last Week’s Rank N/A)
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Week 8. We got a new contestant in the Top 10 and a new addition to The Story So Far! Enter: *dramatic drum roll* A Light in the Void by J.S. Chlapowski! I can say with a lot of excitement that this story has so much potential! You’re probably wondering what it’s about and while I love to talk about this stuff, Mr. Chlapowski has a great introduction on his page for A Light in the Void that I’m going to share a bit of here:
“On a ride-share service in Spain, I watched through my window as the mountains transformed from dry to lush. “That’s how you know you’ve moved out of Murcia and into Valencia,” the driver told me. I had failed to convince him I didn’t speak Spanish. I grunted along with the conversation and watched the landscape change, and for four hours witnessed desert become wetlands, high hills become flat, flat become dotted with wind turbines.
I imagined what it would be like to see giants walking among those turbines, lifting one up like we would lift up a turnip, not knowing why it can suddenly see these turbines and how quite to interact with one. Then I thought about why that giant was suddenly visible, because I already knew the giant was always there. I knew then that this world - my world - was changing,
This trip, and this daydream, is what eventually led to A Light in the Void, and the story is much bigger than I had originally imagined.”
There’s more where that came from and the rest is worth reading, but I don’t want to spoil everything for you! Go give his book page a look! I’m guilty of similar feelings on car rides, never saw that much open space to envision giants(which is awesome) here in NY. Usually just a lot of Ninjas. I just love Ninjas. Back on topic: Go check out A Light in the Void!
8. Chronicles of An Domhan by @Conri (107 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 8th)
Chronicles of An Domhan by Conri was one of the fastest novels in this contest to reach the Top 3. Mr. Conri’s work stayed there for a few weeks before hitting somewhat of a campaign wall that left us all wondering where this campaign was going and flat out what was happening. Mr. Conri then filled us in that sometimes life is really unpredictable and crazy and things happen. We all know this, but we all desperately needed the reminder. Well, we can now look past all of that because Mr. Conri is back and in a big way! It’s hard to tell because he only went up one unique reader from the last The Story So Far but everyone needs to literally stop whatever they’re doing and go check out the video update that Mr. Conri has posted on his book page. The first Codex An Domhan is up on Youtube with (unbelievably fantastic) voice-over work by Mr. Conri himself and it is amazing! It’s pretty apparent to me and should be to everyone else once they watch this video that Mr. Conri is a man of many talents and this series may be the most artistically impressive out of all of the books in this contest. Go check it out! Too lazy? I got you with the link: Codex An Domhan I: The Faith and Duty of the Marshals.
7. The Last Faoii by @Tahani Nelson (120 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 7th)
The Last Faoii by Tahani Nelson entered the fray last week and has managed to hold onto the 7th spot this week. It should be noted that the race for 6th is pretty tight between The Last Faoii and Sara Polk’s The Delicate Art of Soulripping. Ms. Nelson still has one of the most entertaining campaigns going over on her page so it’s highly recommended that you go check it out. She’s also giving away a $100 Visa Giftcard next week to a lucky preorderer, so if you’re still wondering if you should preorder a copy - now is definitely the time to do so! Lastly, I’d really like to thank Ms. Nelson and everyone else who has mentioned The Story So Far in their comments section! Thank you so much! It really means a lot!
If the campaign on Inkshares isn’t enough for you, The Faoii are really coming out in full force all over the social media outlets, most notably Facebook and Twitter. Be on the look out for their rise to power or you might end up trampled by them!
6. The Delicate Art of Soulripping by @Sara (121 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 6th)The Delicate Art of Soulripping is still hanging on to the 6th spot despite The Last Faoii being right on its heels. Ms. Polk’s wonderfully crafted story about Oz and his journey as a Soulripper continues to be one of the most fascinating stories in the Top 10. I spoke in length about Oz and the world he lives in last week. If you didn’t get to read the Inkshares blog from 2 weeks ago, Ms. Polk enlightened us on what fantasy world she would want to live in and gave an awesome answer, here it is:
“Stormhold. Hands down it would be Stormhold from Stardust. I love Neil Gaiman’s world so much with its complexity and adventure. If I could fly around catching lightning with pirates, talk to a fallen star, and travel anywhere by Babylon Candle why wouldn’t I choose to be there?
The biggest adjustment issue I see would be constantly being under threat of death. It seems like Stormhold has this underlying danger to existing within it, whether it’s from crazy witches or sadistic royalty, and as a normal human I would likely be at a disadvantage. I guess that just means I need to toughen up and learn how to use a sword.”
Great choice! Go check out The Delicate Art of Soulripping to experience the universe that Ms. Polk has created!
5. The Living God by @Kaytalin Platt (135 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 5th)
The Living God by Kaytalin Platt continues to go up in readers but not nearly as fast as it should, in my opinion. I have a feeling karma will come around for Ms. Platt and things will improve for her in this contest! As I mentioned in last week’s The Story So Far, Ms. Platt is easily one of the most helpful Inksharians here - but do you know what else she is? Extremely creative! For preordering a print book you get a free bookmark with a surprise illustration! There’s also signed posters and that awesome mug I spoke about 2 weeks ago that are available if you preorder 3 or 10 books respectively. This is a campaign with a lot of really cool incentives to entice people to preorder and participate in this campaign and it’s definitely worth checking out. The writing itself is off the charts and deserves your eyes attention. If you don’t want to read the 5 chapters Ms. Platt has posted right away, delve into the comments section for a lot of fantastic character bios and descriptions! (You should really read at least 1 chapter though, I think you’ll stay for more if you do!)
4. The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by @Maggie Hoyt (180 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 4th)
The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. and author Maggie Hoyt continue to have one of the most impressive campaigns in the contest that unfortunately is still almost 40 unique readers out of the Top 3. But it’s definitely nothing to be ashamed of, as Ms. Hoyt continues to inch closer to that 200 unique reader milestone! I have no doubts in my mind with her current drive and determination that she’ll definitely reach quill, let’s all help her get there! This review by @Christopher Huang just hits the nail on the head:
"The Fairy Stepmother, inc." reads like potato chips: you start one paragraph and then you Just Can’t Stop. It goes down really easily, in a voice that’s clear, consistent, and just the right amount of conversational. A healthy dose of wry humour makes the whole dish sing. The story itself is a take on Cinderella from the "villainous" stepmother’s point of view, and the protagonist, Evelyn, comes off very believably as an intelligent woman trying to work with the rigid societal framework imposed on her by the fairy tales: not so much wicked as simply trying to make the best of a bad situations. All in all, a must-have for people who like fresh takes on old stories.“
Nicely said!
3. Storm Song by @Allison Griner (216 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 3rd)
I think Storm Song by Allison Griner reached 200 readers as I was writing the last The Story So Far, so I did not formerly get to congratulate Ms. Griner on her epic milestone! Way to go! To increase readers and preorders, Ms. Griner continues to do some really exciting and unique things with her campaign. The dice giveaway is still going strong, so I suggest getting in on that while you can! Check out her book page for some pictures of the dice, they look really, really cool! On top of that, over on the Storm Song Facebook Page, Ms. Griner went live and read Chapter 6! You can still view it on the page, unfortunately if you missed out on the live reading of it she was doing giveaways during the reading as well. Don’t worry though, now that you know you can be ready for the next one she does! Go check out Storm Song!
2. The Slave Prince by @Jeyna Grace (220 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 2nd)
The Slave Prince by Jeyna Grace continues to hang on to the 2nd place spot. If I could for a moment jump on the excitement train and talk about Ms. Grace’s comment section yet again - she spoke about constellations this time around. I’m not going to ramble too much here, but I want to share some of what she said because it resonates with me:
“If you look at tonight’s sky and fail to see the Majestas Regia, that doesn’t mean you’re without royal blood. How many times have you spotted Orion’s Belt? I’ve seen it once. And I’m sure some of you have not seen it at all, even as an ever present constellation. The problem doesn’t lie in being royal, the problem lies in never looking - looking at yourself, your abilities, your talents, your passion, and your purpose. We wonder, question, and doubt, because we don’t look. Instead we listen to what others have to say, we glimpse into their wonderful lives, and focus on everyone else but ourselves. If only we took a second to look... we would’ve claimed our birthright a long time ago. We would’ve seen the Majestas Regia. And we would’ve gone on our own great adventure as the heroes of our stories. Thankfully, it’s never too late.”
This ties into my current life situation a bit, where I’m trying to improve myself to make all the situations I face in life be encountered as my “best self.” The whole update is worth your attention and definitely worth the read so I highly recommend you go over to her book page and check it out. While you’re there, consider preordering a book! Ms. Grace has partnered with Salt x Paper for her current giveaway and just finished giving away some copies of Journey by @Richard Saunders ! You don’t want to miss out on her current and next giveaways!
1. Sparked by @Lena (Helena and Malena) (367 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 1st)
367 Unique Readers. 528 preorders. Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous may hit 750 preorders before this contest even finishes! There haven’t been many reader updates on their book page, but it doesn’t even seem necessary at this point. They are running away with the contest and it’s apparent why when you read the content they have posted. I’ve said what needs to be said, so I’ll turn it over to this review from @Stephen Carignan :
“While Sparked may be in the young adult genre, the work itself is on a more elevated tone, bringing great character dynamics, opposing forces, and vivid imagery which make the work jump off the page. I was immediately engaged in the work itself and wanted to know more. I can’t wait to read on.”
Well said! Be sure to go on over and check out Sparked and find out what all the hype is about! You won’t be disappointed with the story as it really pulls you in from the very start!
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I’m working this weekend and I feel like the quality of my content dips quite a bit after an 8 hour shift of retail so I apologize if this edition is a bit lackluster compared to the rest. I’ll definitely step it up next week and do a bit more lengthy edition since I’ll be off. That being said, I just want to thank everyone who has reached out to me in direct messages or mentioned The Story So Far in their comments section. That is really cool and nice of you all and I really appreciate it. I’m just trying to bring some positive energy to what can be some quite stressful campaigns. Whether you’re in the Top 10 or not - don’t give up. Don’t let the weight of this contest, or the weight of your campaign or even just the weight of the IDEA of trying to release a book bring you down. You are awesome! Write your little hearts out and make your dreams a reality! You got this! We’re all cheering for you! (And we all WANT to read your stories! Seriously, I need to get my hands on these books in the Top 10! lol) Good luck, stay strong and don’t give up!
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I’m not sure people who aren’t tagged are even reading this or slightly interested. Also, people not using the forums enough could not be seeing this as well. Any and all extra exposure of this forum post would be appreciated!(It’s a lot of work to not be seen by more people on the site!) - A mention on your books page or more comments could keep this afloat and make sure more people see this post - therefore more exposure and good things for your entry! Plus it might get more people involved on the forums which is good for Inkshares as a whole, imo.
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Shameless Plug: Glitch in the system or some other complication that Amazon hasn’t filled me in on yet has caused me to lose 2 reviews so I’m back to needing 6. Please people, help me reach 30 positive reviews over on Amazon! I’ll love you foreverz! That’s with a “z” at the end, that mean’s it’s extra forever. Right? I don’t know, I’m getting old. :)
A Soldier’s Crest
Lastly I want to thank Inkshares for making this site and giving aspiring authors like us a chance to share our stories. I also want to thank all the Inksharians, especially those in the Top 10, for giving me some interesting stories to read and write about.
Cheers!
-J.A.
(I post it first then add the links after, so if you click on it right away you may not see the links. Just know that they’re gonna be added in an edit right after! Thanks for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience!)
EDIT: Links added.
EDIT 2: Added the Drinkshares authors so you can check out their pages/works!
.jpg)
(Long post, Wall-o’-text incoming)
----
[It’s important to note that this takes a bit of time to write and all numbers and placements are based on where everyone is when I write this. It may be different now but it should be close.]
----
You can view last weeks here: The Story So Far Part 7
There was another Inkshares blog post featuring the Top 10 Authors. I may reference that so if you haven’t read it, here is the link: Inkshares Blog Sept. 13th 2016
If you don’t know what “Drinkshares” is, I need to take some time and point you in the direction of it! I’ll admit, I haven’t watched all the episodes, nor have I been watching from the beginning(I just found out about it a week or two ago - in my defense) but I have watched the last two episodes in their entirety and everyone needs to do that too! The last two episodes touch a lot on Crowdfunding and running a successful campaign and I know just about everyone who will read this is currently doing that - so definitely check out these episodes for some insight and helpful tips. Plus, it’s just really entertaining!
Drinkshares: Crowdfunding 101
Drinkshares: Crowdfunding 102
(The Fantastical Authors of Drinkshares and Where to Find Them: @C. Brennecke , @A.C. Weston , @Joseph Terzieva , @Rebekka S. Leber )
Welcome back to The Story So Far, my name is @Joey Angotti and I’ll be your guide for this evening. It’s week 8 guys, WEEK 8! September 24th! Where is the time going? I feel like I just wrote last week’s The Story So Far and here I am again! If it feels like it’s going way too fast for me, then it must feel like that for our Top 10 and those still trying to break into the Top 10. This contest has been intense and there’s still just a bit over a month left to make these final pushes and solidify yourself in the Top 10. We got a new face in the Top 10, a whole bunch of new updates, contests, new chapter uploads and I’ve already rambled on and on in this opening paragraph for too long! Week 8, Let’s do this~!
Or almost do this. First I want to give a shout out to @Jay Lockwood and his title in this contest: A Beast Requires. Mr. Lockwood has been in the Top 10 for a long time and unfortunately has slipped out. Let’s make sure we still go over to his page, check out his amazing work in progress and still give him some love. He’s been a long-running Top 10 author that I’ve had to pleasure to write about and will hopefully get to write about again soon.
10. Flames in the Dark by @Tara Roquemore (93 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 9th)
Flames in the Dark by Tara Roquemore had a bit of a scare this week, being knocked out of the Top 10 temporarily but she managed to not give up(read her comments section!) and bounce back to secure 10th place just in time for The Story So Far. It really is a shame to see Ms. Roquemore teetering in and out of the Top 10 because of how powerful her writing is. If you’re on the fence about this book, I once again suggest you read some of what she’s uploaded because it is some of the best content on the entire site, not just this contest. In 9 more preorders she’s going to upload Chapter 3 - so… At least preorder and help out the rest of us who are hungering for more of her story! (Also, Prologue.)
9. A Light in the Void by @J. S. Chlapowski (104 Readers / Last Week’s Rank N/A)
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Week 8. We got a new contestant in the Top 10 and a new addition to The Story So Far! Enter: *dramatic drum roll* A Light in the Void by J.S. Chlapowski! I can say with a lot of excitement that this story has so much potential! You’re probably wondering what it’s about and while I love to talk about this stuff, Mr. Chlapowski has a great introduction on his page for A Light in the Void that I’m going to share a bit of here:
“On a ride-share service in Spain, I watched through my window as the mountains transformed from dry to lush. “That’s how you know you’ve moved out of Murcia and into Valencia,” the driver told me. I had failed to convince him I didn’t speak Spanish. I grunted along with the conversation and watched the landscape change, and for four hours witnessed desert become wetlands, high hills become flat, flat become dotted with wind turbines.
I imagined what it would be like to see giants walking among those turbines, lifting one up like we would lift up a turnip, not knowing why it can suddenly see these turbines and how quite to interact with one. Then I thought about why that giant was suddenly visible, because I already knew the giant was always there. I knew then that this world - my world - was changing,
This trip, and this daydream, is what eventually led to A Light in the Void, and the story is much bigger than I had originally imagined.”
There’s more where that came from and the rest is worth reading, but I don’t want to spoil everything for you! Go give his book page a look! I’m guilty of similar feelings on car rides, never saw that much open space to envision giants(which is awesome) here in NY. Usually just a lot of Ninjas. I just love Ninjas. Back on topic: Go check out A Light in the Void!
8. Chronicles of An Domhan by @Conri (107 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 8th)
Chronicles of An Domhan by Conri was one of the fastest novels in this contest to reach the Top 3. Mr. Conri’s work stayed there for a few weeks before hitting somewhat of a campaign wall that left us all wondering where this campaign was going and flat out what was happening. Mr. Conri then filled us in that sometimes life is really unpredictable and crazy and things happen. We all know this, but we all desperately needed the reminder. Well, we can now look past all of that because Mr. Conri is back and in a big way! It’s hard to tell because he only went up one unique reader from the last The Story So Far but everyone needs to literally stop whatever they’re doing and go check out the video update that Mr. Conri has posted on his book page. The first Codex An Domhan is up on Youtube with (unbelievably fantastic) voice-over work by Mr. Conri himself and it is amazing! It’s pretty apparent to me and should be to everyone else once they watch this video that Mr. Conri is a man of many talents and this series may be the most artistically impressive out of all of the books in this contest. Go check it out! Too lazy? I got you with the link: Codex An Domhan I: The Faith and Duty of the Marshals.
7. The Last Faoii by @Tahani Nelson (120 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 7th)
The Last Faoii by Tahani Nelson entered the fray last week and has managed to hold onto the 7th spot this week. It should be noted that the race for 6th is pretty tight between The Last Faoii and Sara Polk’s The Delicate Art of Soulripping. Ms. Nelson still has one of the most entertaining campaigns going over on her page so it’s highly recommended that you go check it out. She’s also giving away a $100 Visa Giftcard next week to a lucky preorderer, so if you’re still wondering if you should preorder a copy - now is definitely the time to do so! Lastly, I’d really like to thank Ms. Nelson and everyone else who has mentioned The Story So Far in their comments section! Thank you so much! It really means a lot!
If the campaign on Inkshares isn’t enough for you, The Faoii are really coming out in full force all over the social media outlets, most notably Facebook and Twitter. Be on the look out for their rise to power or you might end up trampled by them!
6. The Delicate Art of Soulripping by @Sara (121 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 6th)
The Delicate Art of Soulripping is still hanging on to the 6th spot despite The Last Faoii being right on its heels. Ms. Polk’s wonderfully crafted story about Oz and his journey as a Soulripper continues to be one of the most fascinating stories in the Top 10. I spoke in length about Oz and the world he lives in last week. If you didn’t get to read the Inkshares blog from 2 weeks ago, Ms. Polk enlightened us on what fantasy world she would want to live in and gave an awesome answer, here it is:
“Stormhold. Hands down it would be Stormhold from Stardust. I love Neil Gaiman’s world so much with its complexity and adventure. If I could fly around catching lightning with pirates, talk to a fallen star, and travel anywhere by Babylon Candle why wouldn’t I choose to be there?
The biggest adjustment issue I see would be constantly being under threat of death. It seems like Stormhold has this underlying danger to existing within it, whether it’s from crazy witches or sadistic royalty, and as a normal human I would likely be at a disadvantage. I guess that just means I need to toughen up and learn how to use a sword.”
Great choice! Go check out The Delicate Art of Soulripping to experience the universe that Ms. Polk has created!
5. The Living God by @Kaytalin Platt (135 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 5th)
The Living God by Kaytalin Platt continues to go up in readers but not nearly as fast as it should, in my opinion. I have a feeling karma will come around for Ms. Platt and things will improve for her in this contest! As I mentioned in last week’s The Story So Far, Ms. Platt is easily one of the most helpful Inksharians here - but do you know what else she is? Extremely creative! For preordering a print book you get a free bookmark with a surprise illustration! There’s also signed posters and that awesome mug I spoke about 2 weeks ago that are available if you preorder 3 or 10 books respectively. This is a campaign with a lot of really cool incentives to entice people to preorder and participate in this campaign and it’s definitely worth checking out. The writing itself is off the charts and deserves your eyes attention. If you don’t want to read the 5 chapters Ms. Platt has posted right away, delve into the comments section for a lot of fantastic character bios and descriptions! (You should really read at least 1 chapter though, I think you’ll stay for more if you do!)
4. The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by @Maggie Hoyt (180 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 4th)
The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. and author Maggie Hoyt continue to have one of the most impressive campaigns in the contest that unfortunately is still almost 40 unique readers out of the Top 3. But it’s definitely nothing to be ashamed of, as Ms. Hoyt continues to inch closer to that 200 unique reader milestone! I have no doubts in my mind with her current drive and determination that she’ll definitely reach quill, let’s all help her get there! This review by @Christopher Huang just hits the nail on the head:
"The Fairy Stepmother, inc." reads like potato chips: you start one paragraph and then you Just Can’t Stop. It goes down really easily, in a voice that’s clear, consistent, and just the right amount of conversational. A healthy dose of wry humour makes the whole dish sing. The story itself is a take on Cinderella from the "villainous" stepmother’s point of view, and the protagonist, Evelyn, comes off very believably as an intelligent woman trying to work with the rigid societal framework imposed on her by the fairy tales: not so much wicked as simply trying to make the best of a bad situations. All in all, a must-have for people who like fresh takes on old stories.“
Nicely said!
3. Storm Song by @Allison Griner (216 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 3rd)
I think Storm Song by Allison Griner reached 200 readers as I was writing the last The Story So Far, so I did not formerly get to congratulate Ms. Griner on her epic milestone! Way to go! To increase readers and preorders, Ms. Griner continues to do some really exciting and unique things with her campaign. The dice giveaway is still going strong, so I suggest getting in on that while you can! Check out her book page for some pictures of the dice, they look really, really cool! On top of that, over on the Storm Song Facebook Page, Ms. Griner went live and read Chapter 6! You can still view it on the page, unfortunately if you missed out on the live reading of it she was doing giveaways during the reading as well. Don’t worry though, now that you know you can be ready for the next one she does! Go check out Storm Song!
2. The Slave Prince by @Jeyna Grace (220 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 2nd)
The Slave Prince by Jeyna Grace continues to hang on to the 2nd place spot. If I could for a moment jump on the excitement train and talk about Ms. Grace’s comment section yet again - she spoke about constellations this time around. I’m not going to ramble too much here, but I want to share some of what she said because it resonates with me:
“If you look at tonight’s sky and fail to see the Majestas Regia, that doesn’t mean you’re without royal blood. How many times have you spotted Orion’s Belt? I’ve seen it once. And I’m sure some of you have not seen it at all, even as an ever present constellation. The problem doesn’t lie in being royal, the problem lies in never looking - looking at yourself, your abilities, your talents, your passion, and your purpose. We wonder, question, and doubt, because we don’t look. Instead we listen to what others have to say, we glimpse into their wonderful lives, and focus on everyone else but ourselves. If only we took a second to look... we would’ve claimed our birthright a long time ago. We would’ve seen the Majestas Regia. And we would’ve gone on our own great adventure as the heroes of our stories. Thankfully, it’s never too late.”
This ties into my current life situation a bit, where I’m trying to improve myself to make all the situations I face in life be encountered as my “best self.” The whole update is worth your attention and definitely worth the read so I highly recommend you go over to her book page and check it out. While you’re there, consider preordering a book! Ms. Grace has partnered with Salt x Paper for her current giveaway and just finished giving away some copies of Journey by @Richard Saunders ! You don’t want to miss out on her current and next giveaways!
1. Sparked by @Lena (Helena and Malena) (367 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 1st)
367 Unique Readers. 528 preorders. Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous may hit 750 preorders before this contest even finishes! There haven’t been many reader updates on their book page, but it doesn’t even seem necessary at this point. They are running away with the contest and it’s apparent why when you read the content they have posted. I’ve said what needs to be said, so I’ll turn it over to this review from @Stephen Carignan :
“While Sparked may be in the young adult genre, the work itself is on a more elevated tone, bringing great character dynamics, opposing forces, and vivid imagery which make the work jump off the page. I was immediately engaged in the work itself and wanted to know more. I can’t wait to read on.”
Well said! Be sure to go on over and check out Sparked and find out what all the hype is about! You won’t be disappointed with the story as it really pulls you in from the very start!
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I’m working this weekend and I feel like the quality of my content dips quite a bit after an 8 hour shift of retail so I apologize if this edition is a bit lackluster compared to the rest. I’ll definitely step it up next week and do a bit more lengthy edition since I’ll be off. That being said, I just want to thank everyone who has reached out to me in direct messages or mentioned The Story So Far in their comments section. That is really cool and nice of you all and I really appreciate it. I’m just trying to bring some positive energy to what can be some quite stressful campaigns. Whether you’re in the Top 10 or not - don’t give up. Don’t let the weight of this contest, or the weight of your campaign or even just the weight of the IDEA of trying to release a book bring you down. You are awesome! Write your little hearts out and make your dreams a reality! You got this! We’re all cheering for you! (And we all WANT to read your stories! Seriously, I need to get my hands on these books in the Top 10! lol) Good luck, stay strong and don’t give up!
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I’m not sure people who aren’t tagged are even reading this or slightly interested. Also, people not using the forums enough could not be seeing this as well. Any and all extra exposure of this forum post would be appreciated!(It’s a lot of work to not be seen by more people on the site!) - A mention on your books page or more comments could keep this afloat and make sure more people see this post - therefore more exposure and good things for your entry! Plus it might get more people involved on the forums which is good for Inkshares as a whole, imo.
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Shameless Plug: Glitch in the system or some other complication that Amazon hasn’t filled me in on yet has caused me to lose 2 reviews so I’m back to needing 6. Please people, help me reach 30 positive reviews over on Amazon! I’ll love you foreverz! That’s with a “z” at the end, that mean’s it’s extra forever. Right? I don’t know, I’m getting old. :)
-J.A.A Soldier’s Crest
Lastly I want to thank Inkshares for making this site and giving aspiring authors like us a chance to share our stories. I also want to thank all the Inksharians, especially those in the Top 10, for giving me some interesting stories to read and write about.
Cheers!
(I post it first then add the links after, so if you click on it right away you may not see the links. Just know that they’re gonna be added in an edit right after! Thanks for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience!)
EDIT: Links added.
EDIT 2: Added the Drinkshares authors so you can check out their pages/works!