Not much to report at this time, just getting ready to send out my first newsletter on Friday(4/1).  Most of my detailed updates will be through the newsletter from now on, so be sure to sign up if you haven’t already.  This first one will have a map, 1 informative short story, and 1 satirical short story, with both stories set in the same world as Exile, Magus.  If those are things you’d be interested in, then be sure to sign up for the newsletter here  since I’m only signing up those of you who either fill out the sign up form or message me directly to ask to be signed up.  I hate to cut it short, but I have to get back to typing up story related items.  Have a good weekend, and keep reading!

News news news! 

It’s much sooner than I expected, but I’m ready to rock your world with an amazing update. 

As many of you know, the hardest part of this whole funding campaign has been, well, asking for help. I’ve often said that I wish this had nothing to do with money, because the monetary value is of little significance to me. Yet it feels a bit like asking for handouts when I’m trying to gather support. 

So, after talking with the crew at Inkshares and a lot of research and pitching, I’ve got great news. 

Proceeds from The Traveller’s Cup will now be going to BuildOn—a charity that focuses on education and world literacy. 

I’ve partnered with BuildOn’s adult literacy program, which helps adults in developing countries learn to read and write. We as avid readers often take the skills we have for granted. But imagine what your life would look like if you couldn’t decipher words, or even letters—if you were never expected to learn something our society considers essential. BuildOn is working to change that, and it’s a movement I want to be a part of. 

Once the Quill goal is met (250 pre-orders) 25% of the proceeds that would normally go to me will be given to them. At 750 orders I’ll increase that number to 50%. The reason for the different scale is because until I get to 750 orders I am responsible for my own editing and marketing, and there are fees associated with that to make sure you readers get something of quality. 

Funding on Inkshares to me was never about the money—it was about making sure this book gets into as many hands as possible. By partnering with BuildOn we’ll be able to do something good with these funds and make that happen sooner.

If you’d like to find out more about BuildOn, their website has information on their various programs.

And remember, every order counts. Your bulk orders will have a huge impact. 

Thanks for being a crew I can count on.  

Your Elatedly Eager and Enthusiastic Captain,
-AC 

The writing on Chapter 4 has begun! I’ll give you a hint as to what’s happening now in the  book: 54 68 65 20 75 6e 61 77 61 6b 65 6e 65 64 20 70 61 72 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 73 6f 75 6c

 Anyway, I can’t wait to get this chapter finished and on its way to you. Only thing is, this will be the first exclusive chapter, so I need your help if you want to read it. I’m going to be sending this to all the people who have already preordered the book, but in order to do so I need you to sign up to my email list so I can put you on the VIP list to receive it.  

Hello Friends

Quick update to let you know that I made a decision.

This is the direction I selected for the book’s cover. Thank you all for your input it truly helped me select the right cover and give feedback to the designer.

And the work continues. We are onto copyedits, and the second round of cover proposals based on my feedback will be sent to me in the coming weeks (I will share that with you as well.)

The folks at Inkshares, Girl Friday Productions and I, are working hard to make sure you get a great book this coming fall.

In the mean time go to Inkshares and check out the work of other authors. There are great books in there; some of them available for purchase and some of them in the process of funding.

Don’t forget that if you want to support LGBTQ aspiring authors you can join my Write Out Loud syndicate. For $10 or $20 a month you will get a great book and will support the community and its allies.

Have a fantastic week.

Happy Monday Readers and Followers!

I am in the process of streamlining the early chapters of the book to be more concise and action-oriented so I can try and snag readers early on into the adventure ahead! This is one of the great thing about Inkshares, you can share these early drafts and based on the feedback you get from your beta readers and followers you can fine tune it into a force to be recokoned with! It’s like one big collaboration!

We are at the 40 day mark and only at 76 pre-orders!  We can still make it to Quill, but I need your help! So, if you haven’t pre-ordered yet, pick up your copy now! 

Also, if you’ve got a hard science fiction story to tell, Inkshares has teamed up with Geek & Sundry for the latest contest! You can check that out here. 

Finally, I have a nice, short and sweet video up on the project page made with Adobe Voice! It’s a cool little app, so if you’re not skilled at making book trailers or don’t want to sit in front of a camera awkwardly rambling about your project, Adobe Voice makes the process a lot easier, makes a slick looking video and you can share it anywhere! (no, Adobe is not sponsoring me or anything...I wish)

As always, feel free to reach out to me directly. Those who asked for cover art magnets, worry not, they are on the way!

Thanks for the support!

Jason

@atomicboywonder

split0@gmail.com

Dear Readers,

Top of the Monday, Space Crew!

Today I am surprisingly awake and uncaffeinated. I know I’ve been staying on the DL a bit longer than expected. The upside is that your inboxes are no longer exploding with updates. And I’d rather not bother with downsides today, because I’m bracing myself for a lot of good news. 

I’ll start with a few things I can let you know about, but there is much more to come.

First: I’ll be making a guest appearance on the SciFi Geeks Club Podcast on April 7! It’ll be airing live at 9:45pm EST, and will be available for replay after that. These guys are fantastic and well-connected with the science fiction community at large, so I’m really honoured to be a part of it.

Second: For FREE COMIC BOOK DAY this year I’ll be doing a 5-page digital issue of The Traveller’s Cup. 

You know how much I like to doodle, so I figured I’d put that to some better creative use. I’ve always wanted to give something away for FCBD, and it looks like this will be the year. The scene will be one of the most iconic in the story. Hint: you’ve already read it. 

Between now and May 7 (FCBD) I’ll give you sneak previews and let you know where it’ll be distributed. 
 

Third: New Backer Prizes Coming

I wanted to announce them by now, but I’ve been waiting for something to fall into place. Regardless, I will get this information to you by the end of the week, because incentives are good, and you deserve recognition for your undying support. 

For rewards outside my control, did you know that recommendations via Inkshares earn you credits? When someone snags a copy of The Traveller’s Cup using the official recommendation links on the book page, you’ll end up with credits you can then use to purchase other books (or more copies of this book). Your sharing goes a long way, and we have a long way to go. If you’re part of a nerdy community or know someone who’d like a copy, use the recommendation links to spread the word!

I have so many other things I want to do and tell you about, but this will have to suffice for now. 

Your Chill and Scheming Captain,
-AC

Friends, it is Easter in the Western Church, and I hope everyone is having an excellent day. The weather up here is lovely, and it definitely looks like Spring out there.

It is also one week since we opened up for pre-orders! Some of you have already stepped up with your support, and I am grateful for it. I do confess to moments--no, hours--of crippling self-doubt. And some of you may already be aware of this, but I’m promising to donate $1 for each pre-order beyond the first 250 to a local women’s shelter. I have plans to add other charities at the 450 and 600 levels, but it may be a little early to think of that right now.

Now, let’s talk about some of the other books out there.

First off: Sync City, by Peter Ryan. This story has a really excellent narrative voice: Ryan’s hero is earthy, a little salty, and self-assured enough to make his toughness believable. That voice is going to grab you and take you for a ride, believe me.

A couple of hidden gems: Vendetta in Valletta, by MT-B, and Samba: Princess of Thieves, by Kevin Smith. Please take a look at them. They’ve somehow managed to slip under everybody’s radar, and I’d like to correct that.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The Amaranth Chronicles, by Alexander Barnes and Christopher Preiman. I do not understand why this hasn’t already hit the 750 mark: to my mind, it’s got sci-fi geek bestseller written all over it.

Of course, there’ The Traveller’s Cup, by A.C. Baldwin. Enough has been said about the space dragons (maybe too much has been said) but, as Alex Barnes notes in his review, the interesting thing about the story is the fact we have an aristocratic hero being forced to work in isolation with the underclass ... never mind the worldbuilding; I suspect we may have some very interesting social commentary on the side.

And I’d still like to see A God in the Shed, by JF Dubeau, reach its 750 pre-order full funding. Seriously, I think this will be better than Dubeau’s first book.

That’s the news for now. I’m still looking at books here, so this catalogue is far from complete. Until next week, dear friends.

Hey guys! How are you all today ? ;)

Everything on my end is going well, the story is rounding up well!!! I am getting some amazing feedback from outside sources, but still Nothing from you guys :’( This makes me sad!

The biggest help I can get right now is Reviews, and recommendations! 

So, got excited for Chapter 3? It is one of my favorites! Lets get to 25 Pre orders and Ill share Chapter 4!! 

Here is a small Taste of Chapter 12 ;)

• What a beautiful Sunny day, he thought. He looked down, his bare feet rustling through the grass, the trees swaying in the wind all around him, children playing joyfully on this warm day. Looking up the Sky is filled with the distant sight of the various Space Stations orbiting the Planet. But something is different, not right. A Cluster of small objects are in the sky that shouldn’t be. Lights, Flashing, Explosions! It was a battle, in space. We are being Invaded! Within seconds the largest of the 12 Visible Space Stations explode, reigning fire in the sky. Then another, and another. Within Minutes all 12 stations had fallen from the sky in a fiery manner. What was this? Panic, Chaos. Screams, the CHILDREN were all crying and screaming for their mommies! An Object starts to decent into the atmosphere, then another, and another. They are heading straight down, not slowing down but in fact Accelerating! What could this be? Impact. Blinding Light. Massive Energy Wave, Annihilating everything in its path. Impact. Impact. Wave of heat and energy washes over him, his flesh being melted from his bones instantly. He’s on a ship now, and a Space Station. Another planet. He was everywhere, and everywhere there was scramming, Crying. Mass Annihilation. Military personnel, Civilians, Women, Children, there was no discrimination in this carnage. Everyone and everything was being wiped away from existence. The Crying, screams of Pain, Agony, Cries for Help “Save us, save my Child’ was all he could hear. More Light. More Fire. Everywhere, Everything. There was no escape. A Blue Skinned Alien appeared, Laughing, Smiling, in pure joy as everything else around him burned.
  

I hope you enjoy! And Fly safe!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!