To say I’m excited about this book is a vast understatement. This is a story I see as a vast, cinematic thing in my head, a story that keeps me up at night as I explore the world of it.

Greetings, Travellers!

Let me start by wishing you the best possible Monday. This weekend has been filled with your encouragement, which I needed to curb my panic at the approaching Nerdist deadline. 

Here’s the link to the contest and where we stand: https://www.inkshares.com/contests/nerdist-space-opera-contest

We’re doing well. If we double our pre-orders we’ll hit 3rd. And coming in 3rd still means a publishing contract, so I need your help to make sure that happens. Last week I issued the word of mouth challenge, and a lot of you must have responded because the orders spiked a lot. 

This week I’m looking at referrals. If you refer three people to pre-order this week you’ll get: 

•  A signed first-edition draft version of the book complete with random scribbles of frustration
  
  
• A collection of sketches of characters and setting, 10 in total, as a bound art-book
  
  
• A pack of 10 Traveller’s Cup bookmarks

• A custom Traveller’s Cup mug so you can enjoy your hot caffeinated beverage of choice with your new book

All of these items will be delivered physically to you after the release date, complete with a spacey thank you note. 

If you refer by word of mouth, that counts too. Just send me an email or message telling me how you know the person. 

Up, up, and away!
-AC

We are sitting pretty at 173 orders for Deus Hex Machina, which I am super happy about. But with well over 500 orders to go for full publication, it’s time to get creative.

Dear friends,

First, on the "me" front: I’ve been interviewed on Frederic Bye’s podcast, "Creative Magic Unchained!". I haven’t really listened to it, because hearing my own voice is ... weird and embarrassing. Also, there is a guest post on the associated blog, in which I probably overstate my case just a little. Go, tell me if I’m full of it.

I think I shall open up for pre-orders on Palm Sunday, two weeks from now. I should like to have some sort of video trailer ready by then. I even have something generally scripted up in my head. Only, y’know, the whole business with my speaking voice never sounding right....

Okay. Now, on to Other People: some currently-funding books I’d like to draw your attention to.

"The One Unspoken", by Sarah Bryant. We’re dealing with some well-written historical spookiness here. I think this will be the sort of book where I pick it off a shelf for an idle glance and then three hours later I realise I’m still standing in the same place reading the thing.

"Louisiana Blood", by Mike Donald. The mystery of Jack the Ripper, transported to the bayous of Louisiana. There’s some fascinating grotesquery going in this one.

"Scribbles", by Tabi Card. Check out the excerpt on the project page. That is the best articulation of a crush I have ever seen. If that’s typical, the rest must be gold.

Go check them out, but be sure to save a few credits for me!

This will be my last Sunday recommendations/reviews for a while. I’m finally forcing myself to admit that with the large amount of mandatory overtime I will not be able to keep up a regular schedule to continue these posts. With that said after today I’ll be moving to a far more rational method: review a project when I first read it if I like it, and use the handy recommend button on the project page to recommend any book I think is worth your attention(I too often forget about that button). As such if you are interested in continuing to get recommendations from me, then you should go ahead and follow my author page here as well if you haven’t done so already. With that its time to get to the reviews of 3 books I’m really excited about.  Remember:  bold letters = links to click.

“The Life Interstellar” by Zack Jordan: Too often aliens in science fiction end up seeming like humans in funny costumes. This is not the case with Zack Jordan’s opening excerpt ’Heart to Heart’, where an alien perspective juxtaposes with human emotion and makes both far more powerful as a result. In both this excerpt and the two others currently posted he effortlessly breathes life into both his characters and the setting making it easy for us to accept his world as reality, while also planting the story’s hooks into us so that we don’t want to know where it will all end up, we MUST know where it all will end up. I only wish the book was in my hands now so that I can submerge myself fully into it.

As an added note, I just have to say that Mr. Jordan has the best reader updates I’ve seen in all my time on Inkshares. They come in the form of short fiction pieces, typically in world advertisements/messages and so on, which further serve to give you a view of this of the wider galaxy of his world. They’re a joy to read, so if you’re not already following this book then you should and you should read every update when it arrives.

“Lucky” by RH Webster: With a clear vision of a future we can easily see growing out of our own world’s present, Ms. Webster quickly engages my mind in thoughts of where we are heading. Add to this her excellent characterization which makes us truly empathize with her characters, and I for one cannot help but feel I live in this future alongside of the characters. These two elements bring with the promise of truly great science ficion, and make me eagerly anticipate the full book.

“A God In the Shed” by JF Dubeau: The opening scene instantly transported me back to my own childhood spent playing in the wooded hills and hollers, and the nostalgia it provided only deepened the sense of dread which was soon to follow. As the story progresses Mr. Dubeau expertly uses dialogue and narration to add to this and in doing so creates a sense of true horror, be it that of death most savage, supernatural terror, or worst of all the darkness in the heart of mankind. As we follow the trail to the heart of the mystery of the events which have been transpiring in town, we are brought fully into events through excellent description and characterization. I certainly can’t wait to see where its all heading.

Guys, you are rocking this. 

Thanks to you we’ve gone back up to 7th and are currently standing at 72 readers. This is miles ahead of where we were a few days ago. Thank you so much for your support. 

While we didn’t get 10 in a day like I was hoping for, we got a lot overall. I have your weekly chapter excerpt coming hot off the press momentarily. Don’t mind the spam; it’s all in the name of spaaaaace. The new excerpt is jumping ahead in time a little, giving you a glimpse at what awaits the crew beyond their home system.

That said, we are really running out of time. I need your orders now if you’re a follower who hasn’t placed one yet. 

And if you have ordered, let’s wrap up this word of mouth week by telling our significant other, best friend, or colleague about the book and letting them know where they can order it. If everyone who’s ordered a copy gets one more person in on this we’ll be in great shape to win the Nerdist deal.

Because while I’m sure all us space-nerds are excited about the project, it’s a story intended as a "first foray" into science-fiction. I’ve described it to you a myriad of ways, so let me give you a comment from one of our own:

It’s like The Goblet of Fire meets Hunger Games with a main character who doesn’t appear to be an underdog for once. I find that to be a nice change. (Thanks, Rebecca!)

So if you’ve been holding out to the end, now is the time to pitch your $10 for an e-book, tell your friend to do the same, and spam your social channels incessantly. 

Your Innocuously Insatiable Interplanetary Space Captain Suffering From Incurable Imposter Syndrome,
-AC