It's time for me to cram yet another update into your already too full inboxes.

The Nerdist Collection Contest is almost at an end. I am not in it, but I've made friends with many of the authors in the contest and have loved showing support for their work along the way. Even after the Nerdist competition, there will still be several great projects funding and I look forward to our continued work together.

I thought instead of giving you a long list, I'd share with you my number one favorite project that's not in the top 5.

Now, this has been hard for me to do. But I confess, one has stood out for me above all others (keeping in mind I am an epic fantasy reader and love sprawling epics with maps and immersive worlds).

So here it is, my number one top pick:

Rune of the Apprentice, by Jamison Stone.

I've shared Jamison's book with you before, and his guest post over on my blog (haven't seen it yet? Read it here.)

Rune of the Apprentice felt to me like a novel after my own heart. I was blown away by Jamison's maps, his diligent world building, and his passionate tale about a young orphan's quest to stop his special gift from killing him.  Reading Jamison's work, I'm at once transported to something out of a Brandon Sanderson book -- yes, his writing is that good.

Jamison also draws his own maps. They're spectacular! I want to share one with you here:

Isn't that amazing? If you love immersive epic fantasy, you should definitely go to his page for Rune of the Apprentice and read more, and consider backing his project:

https://www.inkshares.com/projects/rune-of-the-apprentice

Jamison is also giving all his profit raised from pre-orders to charities that support military families. Inspired to write Rune of the Apprentice during long periods where he would be away from his wife during her service in the military, Jamison is doing something very generous by giving back to those who struggle with similar issues of separation. This is a great cause, all around, and I'd love to see you support this book to help it come to life.

Well, folks, today was a banner day in the annals of Disintegration.

We started in 17th. Then, throughout the day, 30 of you ordered my book, bringing it to 296 copies sold. Can we sell four more before the day ends? Hitting 300 would be nice. All "This. Is. Sparta!" Which is even more appropriate because I am a Michigan State Spartan!

I'm so incredibly grateful that you all saw fit to swoop in and buffet me into 14th place, which lasted all of, like, a minute before the angry hornets nest that is Janna Grace proceeded to smoke me to the tune of 20 new orders and counting (yes, she's still going. No mercy rule, here. I think she's from Long Island, as well, which is giving me yet another reason to feel bad about where I grew up).

But, in the interest of sportsmanship: good for her. I don't know how she did it. I've had to beg and plead and wring my hands and give copies away. I'd probably kill (though, probably not; that's illegal) for an army of folks who wait in the wings to pour a beatdown on anyone who'd dare to usurp my position.

Even still. Hell of day. Hell of a job by all of you who chipped in.

And, for the love of all that is holy, and -- if it's more your thing -- unholy, order my book, please! The contest ends tomorrow at 12 p.m. Pacific, 3 p.m. Eastern. We can catch Janna if everyone who is following but hasn't ordered ... orders. She can't be the only one with a rocket ship, can she? You don't like seeing anyone just run away with the boobie prize, do you?

Me neither! Harrumph!

My sincere congratulations to the top 5 winners of the Nerdist Collection contest!

I first heard about this contest and, most importantly, Inkshares through Instagram via Nerdist, one day after the first submissions were accepted. 

The second book that I pre-ordered, on Aug. 20th, three days after the contest was off and running, was written by one Zachary Tyler Linville. This book has now become the holder of the number one spot. He may be first, but the top 5 are all winners since Nerdist will make the final call, but all will be published. 

I thought about mentioning some other books, one alongside me in the top 15th (I will finish off 17th) and one almost forgotten among the other 300 submissions.

The Talkers are Talking by Janna Grace:

https://www.inkshares.com/projects/the-talkers-are-talking

This is a story that deals with a concept that seems familiar, but then throws you upside down and shatters your spine. The fact that Grace's Talkers was also a dream has me loving it even more. Grace has the kind of writing that twists up your insides and I can just imagine how nauseous she will make us, of course, in the best and only way possible--gut wrenching and unflinching.

The second is Drift by Danielle Mohr:

https://www.inkshares.com/projects/drift

Her story is one she has been working on for years, which I could relate, and I think her world is fully fleshed out, with a dark disarray in a future of genetics gone rampant, and I am hoping this story gets the audience it deserves. I am excited to walk among the citizens of Freemont and eventually go Rogue in the distant time to come. 

As for me, there are 48 days left and I have sold 183/1,000 pre-orders.

https://www.inkshares.com/projects/u-turn-at-next-synapse

 I have met some amazing authors on Inkshares, and some have already become good friends, a collective of writers working together. Outstanding.  This has been an enriching experience and one I am glad I took on with full bravado; no more fear as an author. If I am unable to get this published with Inkshares, then I will get it done by other means. Before this contest, I would be unsure of my previous statement. 

I have been making some off the wall promotional countdown images, so here is the latest as we wind down into the...

And here are a look at the rest, counting down from 6: 

Thank you all, everyone that has been with me since the beginning to those who are about to take the ride. Be sure to buckle up now, for this road is still halfway from our final destination. Will you take the U-Turn at the Next Synapse if you have not already? And who else can you get behind the driving wheel?

Remember when we were little kids and didn't care what anybody thought of us? We played and pretended and we were what we loved without worrying about what loved us. We weren't competing. We were simply being. (Kyle Cease looks at that past here.)

Speaking for myself because my writing partner has grown silent, this competition has made me, as I'm sure it has all the other introverts, face two things:

1. Stepping waaaaay outside my comfort zone to do what needs to be done, and

2.How the hell I can promote myself and my work without losing my soul?

I already knew how to do what needs to be done: I've been a single mom since the moment I gave birth. But a self-promoting introvert? Man, the word "pre-order" has become a euphemism for something nasty, and every time I spoke, wrote, or thought the title of the book-that-must-not-be-named, a tiny piece of my soul crumbled off and rolled away looking for some meaningful little object to hide in till this was over.

Well,it's over. The competition is over. Like everyone here (except maybe Romero Russo), I gave it everything I had. More than I knew I had. And then some.

Thanks, Inkshares, for giving us this opportunity to grow our base of support and gain confidence that we've written something people want to read. I especially want to thank Avalon for being a constant source of kindness, help, and encouragement. I'm most grateful for this unexpected bonus: in the last six weeks, I've made contact with some genuine, generous, like-minded people all over the world who are now part of my life.

November 15th is somewhere down the road, where I can offer support to those new friends and hopefully find at least 462 pre-orders for my project scattered along the way. If not, there's always Plan B.

For now, I'm ready to play again. To create and have a great time being what I love, and not worrying about what loves me. To simply be. So ready. But first, there's that little matter of those missing soul crumbs. It's time to hunt them down like horcruxes so I can become a whole person again.

See you on the other side.

Sue

This is stressful and I'm not even in the top five.  Haha

Here's some to check out: https://www.inkshares.com/projects/she-is-the-end

https://www.inkshares.com/projects/the-seventh-age-dawn

https://www.inkshares.com/projects/it-s-all-fun-and-games

https://www.inkshares.com/projects/u-turn-at-next-synapse

https://www.inkshares.com/projects/these-old-bones/

Good luck with these last 10 minutes!

Congratulations to everyone in the top 5!  And the Top 300- however many of us there are!

WE DID IT!!!!  Congratulations to the other four winners as well.  Great race to the finish.  Stay tuned tomorrow for the Nerdist announcement.

• Welcome to Deadland by Zachary Tyler Linville
• The Seventh Age: Dawn by Richard Heinz
• These Old Bones by Andrew J. Ainsworth
• It’s All Fun and Games by Dave Barrett

Hello all,

Well the Nerdist contest has come to a close and while I didn't make the top 5 I wanted to thank all of you for believing enough in Jay's story to pre-order Daughter of the Mara. I know it has been a great experience for me (so far-more on that later) to get my book out into the world and see what others make of it. I have all of you to thank for that.

However, while the Nerdist contest has ended I still have until November 21st to get my book funded and (hopefully) published. So please, continue to share my campaign with other readers you know and help me bring Jay's story to the world. There might even be a treat in it for you as I'm working on putting together some Daughter of the Mara related items.

Thanks again!

Alex