Hello all!

There are only 9 DAYS left in the contest and things are already shaking up. Although I’m still in 2nd place, Peter Ryan’s excellent Destiny Imperfect is creeping up the ladder (only 5 behind me!). I wish there was room for all three of us, but there are only 2 spots up for grabs. I am asking each and every one of you to pre-order a copy if you haven’t done so already or to help spread the word. If you know somebody that likes video games and dragons, chances are they’ll enjoy AYSYWTQ? 

As a remind, those who pre-order will receive a FREE short story titled "Mother of All," in addition to a FREE digital painting. I worked very hard on AYSYWTQ? and I want nothing more than to see this story published one day. 

Let’s make sure Maggie defeats Amasarok once and for all ;) Thank you.

Best,

アリサちゃん

Greetings Destiny-followers,

The final countdown has begun. And, as with all countdowns, there’s a feeling of expectation mingled with terror. Destiny-followers have responded magnificently over the past 24 hours and we are now in 4th overtaking Matthew Poats excellent Squids In.

So, where are we right now?  Here’s the snapshot. There are 9 days left. We’re 4th . There are currently only 10 orders between us and 3rd. And I’d love your help getting there. $10 is all it takes! If the project doesn’t hit its goal, then it’s your money back. Hit the link and see if Destiny Imperfect is a project you can get behind. Also, if you’ve already pre-ordered (many thanks), it’d be great if you could share Destiny Imperfect with your friends and family - they could make all the differrence!

You have all been wonderful. Have a great day!

Cheers, 

Peter 

Eid Mubarak to all Muslim supporters of SQUIDS IN. Peace and happiness to you all. 

Unfortunately the book has dropped back into 5th place following a surge of support for Peter Ryans excellent "Destiny Imperfect" but it is still within spitting distance of finishing within the top 3.  Just 16 pre-orders will see Hendrix the Octopus back up there and on the road to publication. If SQUIDS IN fails to finish in the top 3, this is what will become of Hendrix...

Don’t let this happen to Hendrix, pre-order SQUIDS IN today.

Matthew

Hello all!

News

Great news! I was just interview by the fantastic Nell Walton. Check it out! You might learn something new about me, or (more importantly) about the book.

Reviews

In case you missed it, First on Mars now has seven great reviews. Here are some highlights:

“I love it. [...]You leave us hanging, desperate to find out more - who would have thought our only hope is Earth - it leaves us so many unanswered questions. Great job.” - Bryn Hagan, author of “The Bully Book”

“With a three dimensional world and compelling characters, First on Mars draws reader in with it’s narrative structure. [...] this book is sure to delight!- Stephen Carignan, author of “The Sleeping Man”

“...It’s accurate, honest and a darn good read.” - Kendra Namednil, author of “Borehole Bazaar”

If you haven’t pre-ordered. What are you waiting for? If you have... order another?

Writing

You may have noticed Chapter 1 appear in your Inbox. This is because I finally felt it was in pretty good shape – not complete mind you, but at least readable. I plan on sending each chapter after it hits this imaginary benchmark. After completing the draft in this way, I will send it to my beta readers.

Remember, it still needs to get to 100 orders so I can post the next full chapter (in which a lot of crazy stuff happens). So tell your friends. Don’t forget you can get a $10 credit for referring people with a link (through Inkshares, twitter, facebook, or email), using the buttons on the book page.

Author Spotlight

I’d like to give a shout out to Jaye Milius and her book Terminus. It was chosen by two syndicates and it’s a staff pick, but more importantly, it’s just an awesome concept that is nicely executed.

Story Update!
The crew of The Diamelen are bringing a lot of state-of-the-art equipment on their survey mission to Tantalus 13, but nothing comes anywhere close to matching the sheer awe-inspiring power of Attila, their relativistic directed-energy drill.

Firing a beam described as "the concentrated wrath of God," this monster is powerful enough to literally carve planets to pieces.
 

Why did Exotech send such a powerful device to what was supposed to be a relatively low-profile survey mission? Can this drill do more than merely clear the way for the crew’s exploration into the depths of Tantalus 13? Or does it have a secret purpose even the crew doesn’t know?
You know the drill (sorry, couldn’t resist). Pre-order Tantalus Depths and share with all your friends!

My esteemed supporters, this is to inform you of the timeline along which Tears of the Assassin is undergoing the process of production. First, I want to thank each and every one of you for supporting this project.  Your generosity and faith allowed this novel to  be published and for that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you so very much.

Tears of the Assassin will be published afer completing the following steps:

Copyediting (CE): 4 weeks 

Author review: 2 weeks 

CE cleanup: 1 week 

Proofreading: 3 weeks 

Proof resolution and cleanup: 2 weeks 

Cold read: 3 weeks 

Cold read cleanup: 1 week 

Pour: 1 week 

Printing/Ebook conversion: 2 weeks

Author to sign print copies: 1 week

Distribution: 2 weeks

This tentative timeframe of 22 weeks may experience some fluctuations but the completed novel will be available in either late November or early December.  The book will be available before Christmas.  

I look forward to people  enjoying the story over the Holiday Season and your patience is very much appreciated.  Let me remind you that pre-orders are still being accepted on Inkshares and all print copies ordered before the end of October will be signed by me.  So you can get some Christmas shopping done early by purchasing a copy of Tears of the Assassin for all the readers on your Christmas list. 

Click here to order: Tears of the Assassin

Thanks again for your support and I’m so very grateful for your faith in my writing.

Sincerely,

William Schiele  

Hello Team Noxian Gate! 

Thank you so much for the tweets, Facebook posts, and e-mails to friends and family. We have 30 days to bring another 140 people into the world of The Noxian Gate- every book sold counts! 

This week I want to tell you the back-story to the Nox. I first saw the Nox almost 20 years ago on an episode of Stargate SG-1, and the idea of the species stuck with me. In that universe the Nox are secretive, insular, and probably the most advanced technological species in the galaxy. They appear to be closely connected to the natural world, and believe that giving advanced technology to humans is a bit like giving fireworks to toddlers. Their most famous line in the series that sums up the Nox philosophy of sharing technology is “Sometimes the young do not do as they are told.”

I took these few crumbs from the TV series, and they became the catalyst for The Noxian Gate. One of the first characters the appears in our book is Eon. A young Nox (187 years old) who found a hidden library. The library has the unique ability to exist outside of time, and it contains the ancient history of the Nox. Eon discovers secrets of the ancient Nox when they weren’t so insular and were more outgoing, even controlling the entire galaxy. He discovers that the Nox had at their height sent out 15 sentries to the remote parts of the galaxy to foster life. Those sentries have spent the millienium creating conditions for life to thrive throughout the galaxy - and yet not all of them have been successful. Eon discsovers that there is one sentry that has never reported back to the Nox, and he leaves in search of the missing sentry. His journey, and eventual discovery of the sentry in the Sol system leads us to the very start of our adventure in The Noxian Gate.

Stay tuned for more updates, and exciting adventures in The Noxian Gate. What else do you want to know about the Nox? Let me know in the comments!