Greetings Everyone,

Long time no update. And there has been news. Oh how there has been news. But also, there has been school and so I’ve been hunkered down with tales of prophecy and murder while contacting scientists who monitor space debris and...well, that’s all done now. School is out, so instead of all that writing, I can spend my time doing...other writing. But like I said, first...news.

I write audio drama/radio plays. (I might have mentioned it.) So naturally one of the first questions I was asked (via the Our Fair City Tumblr page) was whether or not there would be an audio book version of An Unattractive Vampire. Honestly, I hadn’t given it much thought, being too preoccupied with "Oh my gosh, I have a real, physical book out." But Inkshares thought about it. They thought about it a lot.

I am incredibly pleased to announce that an An Unattractive Vampire audio book is currently in production at Audible. Oh...you know Audible, the leading provider of audio books. They only sponsor about every podcast ever. (Hence why I know they’re intro pitch.) I am very lucky that they have picked up the audio rights to my book and will keep you all posted on this story as it progresses.

Also, I am pleased to report that we are just four reviews shy of hitting our first magic number (50) on Amazon. What does this mean? It means An Unattractive Vampire will show up more in Amazon searches. Which means more eyes. Which means more purchases. Which means money, which means time, which equals writing. (Because that’s how math works. So, please...go to Amazon and review An Unattractive Vampire. I’ll wait.

Other, other news:
A few more positive reviews went up on HorrorTalk.com and Fanbase Press. You can check them out here. Or you know, send them to friends. 

Did I mention that I write audio drama? Well I do and my first episode of Our Fair City Season 7 went out last week. After last seasons cataclysm learn the (tragic?) fate of our lovable molepeople in "A Molepup Misadventure."

So about this audio drama thing. (Pretty sure I mentioned it.) This last weekend was also the HEAR Now Festival in Kansas City, MO, celebrating audio drama and my MAT contest winning piece "Last Transmission" was an official selection for the podcast showcase. (In case you missed it before, you can listen to it at the Midnight Audio Theatre website.)

At the end of June (beginning of July) I will be in Minneapolis for CONvergence. I’ll be doing a couple panels. plastering the convention with postcards and posters, and making my second attempt ever at playing D&D. So if any of you are up in the Great White North, come say hi and watch me flounder around as I try and not judge myself for not being Critical Role. 

That’s all for now.

We had a wonderful time at our Itchy Pig book signing and reading event at Barnes & Noble in Wilmington, NC.  Thank you all for your support.  We feel truly blessed!  More events to come.  We would love to meet you and your family!

Hello Friends:

I’ve been staring at this blank page for 45 minutes trying to figure out what to say. In the wake of the Orlando shooting, I keep going back and forth struggling to decide what is the right way to express my anger and hurt.

As a gay man and as the founder of the Write Out Loud Syndicate I think it is important to remind my readers and supporters that homophobia and transphobia continue to be a reality in our country. The LGBTQ community has won significant battles in the past years, but there are still plenty of people vulnerable to violence and discrimination.

I know that love and action are the answers. So I will focus my anger into action and fight the hateful rhetoric flooding the internet with love. This afternoon I will attend a vigil in memory of the victims. I encourage you to do the same in your area. Show your support; show that you are not afraid to stand next to the LGBTQ community. 

It is not the violence against us but our courage what define us.

In this link, there are other ways in which you can help.

Love

Ricardo

Dear friends and followers,

Today, 12 June, is day number 85 in the campaign. The suggested timeframe for a campaign is 90 days, which means that, had I not specified my timeframe, this thing would be over this coming Friday night / Saturday morning. At present, we are at 349 pre-orders, and you know what? It would be really nice to end Friday night at the halfway point of 375. That’s doable, right? If you know anyone who might be able to help, please encourage them to do so ... and if you’re still on the fence about ordering, I encourage you to come down on this side of it. The grass is greener here.

With the writing for "Murder at the Veterans’ Club" done and simmering on the back burner, I’m focussing more on my short story for "Too Many Controllers". How does a Wodehouse-inspired tale of a VR gaming companies, ruined castles, and stuffy aristocrats strike you? Well, if not Wodehouse, then at least Westlake ... that should give an idea of where I’m thinking of going with this.

With the Nerdist contest going on, I thought we might take a look at a couple of the other books in the contest:

1) "Reb1rth", by Xavier Auger-Mailhot. I remember reading one of Auger-Mailhot’s works, once upon a time: a very rough thing hot off the NaNoWriMo press. I remember thinking to myself as I went along, "my goodness but this reads like a video game". And now he’s written something that’s actually about the fusion of reality with video games, and I know he’s pushing his strengths on this one.

2) "Squids In", by Matthew Poat. An octopus gets hold of a controller and proceeds to dominate the video game circuit. Poat has some prime comedy material invested in this, and, from what I’ve seen, it is indeed hilarious. I get the impression that this is going to be a madcap caper with wacky hijinks in abundance, and I’m looking forward to see this book happen for real.

That’s it for this update. Until next week, have fun and keep reading. Cheers! And here’s hoping to hit that 375 milestone by Friday night!

Good morning Dreamers!

Well, I’ve had quite the weekend. I have two huge elements of news that are equally important in different ways. I’ll go in the order of why I’m telling you. First, The Sleeping Man was June’s pick for the Epic Fantasy Syndicate! https://www.inkshares.com/syndicates/john-robin-s-epic-fantasy-syndicate. Having one syndicate pick is amazing, but having a second bathes me in a warm light. Secondly, I got promoted and had my daughter pin the new rank on: 

The support and interesting for The Sleeping Man is amazing and I cannot thank everyone enough. Now we just need to push to Quill, and there is plenty of time. A guest blog post, interview, and two syndicate picks can’t be wrong, so pre-order now! Pre-order again! Recommend! Share! Ride forth!

Sweet dreams,

Stephen

Greetings Jackolytes,

Come Monday morning Jack gets exposed to the harsh light of a new production editor over at Girl Friday Productions. This both awesome and daunting at the same time. I shall keep you updated on Jack’s behaviour throughout the process.

And Sync City’s potential stablemate, Destiny Imperfect, is currently in a battle royal (I had to check the spelling on this as I always thought it was royale!) for second place over at the Inkshares/Nerdist contest. There are a few worthy foes knocking on (and potentially knocking down) the Destiny Imperfect door, and I need your help to vanquish them. If you could check out Destiny Imperfect here and hit pre-order, that’d be very cool.

Have an excellent weekend!

Cheers,

Peter

"Tracing the Synapse" is the first story I have ever shared publicly. Some of you have read how Calvin’s journey unfolds and seen the difficulties that lie ahead for Dr. Vincent. For that, I am extremely grateful and hope you enjoyed it so far. However, some of my friends have told me I have shared too much. The premise is engaging enough and, by writing more than many other entries, I have revealed my hand prematurely. I couldn’t disagree more. 

My story is both fantasy and science fiction. Each world that Calvin and Amelia visit is different from the one they visited before, and the differences change how Calvin’s memories interact, so the video games he fondly remembers begin to collide and create brand new worlds. Yes, some aspects are shared - the characters, the central plot, and the history of the world itself (Gods of Three, the Ethereal Realm, etc.) - but if I were to reveal only the premise and a short excerpt, I would do a disservice to the readers I have asked to support me. 

I firmly believe that Inkshares is not a platform in which a skill in deception is required. If I were to ask for your support, but decide to hide my writing style, to hide who my characters are, or to hide my ability to deliver a final product worthy of your support, I would be asking you to support me based on nothing more than your own imagination. I have read countless premises and thought of all the subjectively amazing ways in which the stories could have been executed. Sometimes, I have been sadly disappointed by the final work. We all know that feeling. However, it is a fantastic feeling when you discover an author who takes an idea and crafts something original and imaginative. The last thing I want is for a reader to support me and be disappointed by the result. 

As such, I will continue to share more of my story as it is completed. You may read a few pages and decide it is not for you. I am genuinely glad I wrote enough to allow for an informed decision. After all, an uninformed pre-order is evidence that I have failed you as an author and convinced you to believe in me instead of my work. For those of you who have either pre-ordered based on what you saw or decided to follow the project, I will share more to ensure your support is earned. Thank you for believing in "Tracing the Synapse."