Hello Friends

My childhood is filled with sweet memories of a big and loving family, but also terrifying episodes of bullying. I grew up knowing I was different, and other children noticed it and tortured me because of it.

While I started re-imagining myself, I also met the most amazing man, and I convinced him to marry me.

I have the best crew of dedicated followers out there. You guys are just so fantastic! 

TOO MANY CONTROLLERS, the short story project I’m part of, has hit the Quill funding goal and that means THE BOOK WILL BE PUBLISHED even if we don’t win this contest. 

But let’s be real, you guys are going to make that happen, amiright?

Here’s why YOU need a copy - There are 15 amazing Inkshares authors coming together for this book for the first time in Inkshares history. I can tell you that each of us brings something great to the table. Trust me, I know, I have seen the synopsis of all the stories and even some of the early drafts. This book is going to be KILLER! 

Since it’s now public, here is the synopsis for MY short story.

1989 - Paul Inman

• A rare, old arcade game is dropped off at a modern repair/restoration house where it is discovered that gameplay holds the keys to changing the events of the future.

Make sure you PREORDER YOUR COPY if you haven’t already. (I’m borrowing this great graphic from J.F. Dubeau)

Also very important, AGELESS is still looking for your reviews on Amazon and Goodreads!

Speaking of Ageless, I’m going to be at my local Barnes and Noble this SATURDAY for a Q&A and signing! If you are in the Myrtle Beach area don’t miss out! If you don’t have Ageless we will have some on hand! Come let me thank you in person for helping me achieve this amazing goal! 

Hey everyone!

First, I have to give sincerest thanks to everyone who has ordered my book - I understand what your orders mean, and I’m going to try to do right by you.

I initially began writing in first person, and while I made a lot of progress, it wasn’t working. I’ve started over in third person, and that will be better for the story as a whole. The first excerpt is coming very soon!

I wanted to take a minute to explain the driving force behind this book to help you more reasons to give me a chance to put it out into the world.

I think Oscar Wilde’s novel needs a modern update because it deals with timeless human issues - ones that we might see in new ways now that technology, psychology, and forms of media have changed so much.

Wilde’s book is all about morality versus aestheticism, the value of beauty, and the costs of the pursuit of pleasure. There isn’t only one interpretation, and sometimes I think there are so many layers of earnestness and satire* that I’ll never get it straight**.

I don’t see the original novel as a critique of painting in general, and my book isn’t a critique of video games. Video games are awesome and I want to give an inside look into the creation process without implying that it’s the video game itself that makes everything go to hell.

I’m interested in identity and objectification and the darkness embedded in unquestioned wealthy white male privilege. I was courted by a fraternity in college and that’s going to contribute a lot to this story. The case of Brock Turner is also heavily in my mind as I plan (although there won’t be any sexual assault in my book).

I’m working on commissioning some art of my characters, and the video game concept is turning out really great. I should have a lot to show soon.

Thanks!

Some good news for me, and a big up for Inkshares. 

Here’s the thing; I missed my funding goal, didn’t even make Quill. Because I am impatient, and because the book itself was already finished, I just couldn’t wait to try another route to crowdfund my novel. 

So, I went to Kickstarter, and I did reach my funding goal. The book itself is being printed now and backers will be getting their copies before the end of June. Digital launch is set for 1st July on all platforms, advance orders available now. Paperbacks should be on Amazon around the same date. 

So does that mean I turn my back on Inkshares? Well no. 
Obviously I haven’t been as active on here as when I was funding, but part of the reason for that is the massive amount of work involved in self publishing. 

While I was funding, I read some comments on a Kindle forum criticising the Inkshares model, saying it wasn’t good value. An INkshares spokesperson pointed out that self publishers spend on average $2,000 (or thereabouts) getting their book to market. 
Another person said it was nothing like that. 

Well I raised £1,666 (£1,800 before deductions) on Kickstarter, and I have spent it all and then some.

I set up a publishing imprint "Blue Poppy Publishing", I had an artist paint a picture for the cover £450, I spent £350 on ISBNs, £360 on editing (it only had one editor), £300 on cover and other design work, £900 on printing, and a bunch of other sundry stuff.

I have had to format the interior file and convert it to PDF, which included learning more about Word sections, embedding fonts, and all sorts of painful stuff like that than I ever expected to do. I had to liaise between the printer and the designer over the exact specs for the two different cover templates, and check silly details like which way round the title goes on the spine. 

I also had to find out how to convert the file into a digital type layout with internal links and approved fonts, then get it converted into .mobi .pdf .txt .rtf .epub dot dot dot you get the idea? 
Also had to upload a special version to Createspace because otherwise I will have to jump through hoops and pay through the nose to get the paperback available on Amazon. 

So while I may be a lot more experienced at producing a book now than I was six months ago, I would still drop it all and leave the hard work to experts if I could. The difficulty for me, living in the UK is the cost of postage for physical books to the vast majority of my friends. Other than that, I think Inkshares is a brilliant idea, and I hope it goes from strength to strength. Well done for making so many authors dreams come true. 

Hey Everyone,

Pixilated Obsidian Roses has been selected for the new Library of Alexandria collection. I’m thankful for the invite. We hope that with our combined efforts we can get the book to at least a Quill status (with all your support, of course). Here a part of what has been said by the collection lead:

"This is one of those rare books that speaks to the reader. The imagery R.F. Martin uses is poignant and provocative. The way he has created this creeping sense of dread throughout the chapters that are up is pervading. He has obviously spent the time to create a detailed and well thought out world for the characters, inventing back stories, interspersing memorabilia from their lives in a way that makes you forget it’s fiction. Chernosoren hovers around the edges of the main characters like those dark shadows that H.P. Lovecraft made famous - the feeling of some unknown sinister motive is present, but not overwhelming, preferring to sneak into you and wait for the moment to reveal itself. If the writing is any indication, the reveal won’t be some explosion of action or flurry of plot points, it will be insidious."

We also put up some new cover art.

Thanks to all of you who have supported the project.

Rob