Less than 100 orders to go!!! We are still just on pace to get those 750 preorders by the Oct 20th deadline. I’m confident we will make it and get a full publishing deal but it’s going to come down to the wire and every order is significant. Please do continue to share with friends; conversing in person or sending a personal email is always great and if you have Facebook you can invite friends to this nifty event I created that gives a pitch for the book: https://www.facebook.com/events/336202026717097/

As always, thanks for making all of this possible for me. I’ll leave you with a photo from Illegal; I took this from my front door in Latacunga, Ecuador at the start of what is now referred to as the ’citizens revolution.’ The entire city had been cut off from the rest of the country for three days and every intersection downtown burned. Within the week the government would agree to the protester’s demands and abruptly stop all trade negotiations with the United States. 

Good morning readers!! 

It is Monday, time for the usual Monday Update. However, today is a special Monday because it is officially my birthday! I’m excited to have made it another year.

Nothing as far as numbers has changed from last weeks update. We are still #5 in the Geek & Sundry Contest. We are still 72 pre-orders from making Quil. So, since it is my birthday.... If you feel like making a girl super happy on her birthday, why not pre-order the book (or a second copy)?

So, the characters that I’m going to highlight going forward appear somewhere around chapter 10 or so. I suppose some of their bios might be a bit spoilery? However, I feel that, since you’re investing in helping me crowdfund this book, spoilers are a little treat that you deserve. So, I give you....

Xalen Okara

Xalen Okara was a Droven Masodite, an elite general for the country of Droves just south of Mavahan. He was gravely wounded and taken prisoner by the Mavahan army in one of the bloodiest battles the people of the First head ever seen. It is said to have permanently stained the sand of the desert red. Droves was conquered by Mavahan and its people enslaved. Xalen became a prized slave to the Mavahan royal family and earned Honor, as much as allowed to a slave, by competing in their gladiatorial games as a Champion. Xalen was later given a female Champion as a wife, as the royal family of Mavahan hoped to breed future Champions for their sport, treating the proud Droven Masodite like cattle. Xalen and his wife Aleira attempted to escape captivity in the hopes of finding a better future for their unborn child, but they were ultimately captured. Aleira lost the baby. When the time comes to seek freedom with the help of Keleir Ahriman, both Xalen and Aleira will risk everything to see Mavahan burn. 

This week something pretty amazing happened. Inkshares sent me the back cover text and author bio for The Punch Escrow. I was also given an official publication date, which is a lot further in the future than I originally imagined, but makes sense. The book will be released at San Diego Comic Con (July 19, 2017) and will be given a big promotional push by Geek & Sundry there. We haven’t even started coming up with what sort of pomp and circumstance we’ll do, but I’m sure it’ll be fun. Anyway, the rewrite is moving along swimmingly. Some days more swimming than others. Right now with around 35% of the rewrite complete, I can’t seem to get out of the limbo that exists between 28,000 and 29,000 words, but I’m very motivated by deadlines and I’ve committed to handing in the manuscript by November 1, so I’ll get there. For those curious about the back copy and author bio, here’s what they look like (some of you who have been with me since the beginning of this campaign will note that International Transport has gotten better at marketing, they’ve eliminated "Journey" from their slogan):

Back Cover Synopsis:

It’s the year 2471. Advancements in nanotechnology have enabled us to control aging. We’ve genetically engineered mosquitoes to feast on carbon fumes instead of blood, ending air pollution. And teleportation has become the ideal mode of transportation, offered exclusively by International Transport—a secretive firm headquartered in New York City. Their slogan: Departure... Arrival... Delight!

Joel Byram, our smartass protagonist, is an everyday twenty-fifth century guy. He spends his days training artificial-intelligence engines to act more human, jamming out to 1980’s synthpop—an extremely obscure genre, and trying to salvage his deteriorating marriage. Joel is pretty much an everyday guy with everyday problems—until he’s accidentally duplicated while teleporting.  

Now Joel must outsmart the shadowy organization that controls teleportation, outrun the religious sect out to destroy it, and find a way to get back to the woman he loves in a world that now has two of him.

Author Biography Back Cover Version

Tal M. Klein was born in Israel, grew up in New York, and currently lives in Detroit with his wife and two daughters. When she was five years old, his daughter Iris wrote a book called I’m a Bunch of Dinosaurs that went on to become one of the most successful children’s book projects on Kickstarter —something that Tal explained to Iris by telling her, “your book made lots of kids happy.” Iris then asked Tal, "Daddy, why don’t you write a book that makes lots of grownups happy?" Tal mulled this over for a few years, and eventually wrote his first book, The Punch Escrow. It won the Inkshares Geek & Sundry Hard Science Fiction publishing contest, and will be the first book published on the Geek & Sundry imprint.

This is a difference sort of update! :-)

Last week we traveled up to our Ohio homeland to participate in the mass-baptism of our 6 grandchildren! It is always great fun when the family can get together for any reason, and few are much better than a joyous occasion like this!

In the picture is the newest member of the family, baby Olivia, and me!

Life is great!  :D

FROM THE BLOG DIARY OF EMILY HUNTER

Entry #2: July 17, 2013

So this week, the assignment is to be a little more forthcoming.

Yeah, assignment.  This blog isn’t entirely my idea.  And while I am getting credit for listening to my therapist and actually starting it (not something she was entirely sure I would do), the goal is to not hold back.  So I guess I should re-introduce myself.

My name is Emily Hunter.  I have been diagnosed with schizophrenia.  Specifically, my files say "auditory and visual hallucinations and nihilistic delusions."  Currently I am in partial remission.  (How’s that for forthcoming?)

In simpler terms, I am fucked up.

Now notice that I’m not saying the government is out to get me.  I am not currently wearing a tin-foil hat.  Schizophrenia is not something that is very fairly represented in popular media.  We aren’t all rocking in corners, babbling incoherently, and screaming at shadows.  (I have lived with those people though, and some of the stories they tell are better than anything you’ll ever see on TV.)  I can hold a conversation, I can hold a job.  I keep track of my own medication (Clonazepam twice a day for anxiety, clozaril, one in the morning, four at night, and one shot of haloperidol and a blood draw every two weeks.  The chloropromazine gave me a fever when I was 21 and put me in the hospital for a week and a half.)

Here’s what they don’t tell you about anti-psychotic medication:  It’s good for your mind, but shit for your body.  It makes you feel drowsy, achy, constipated, and just generally miserable.

I seem to be breaking records for forthcoming.  Hi, I’m Emily and I can’t poop sometimes.  Nice to meet you.

So yeah, sometimes I see things.  Sometimes I get confused and think strange thoughts.  The meds help, as much as I hate to admit it (and especially since Dr. Harper is reading this.  Hello.) Although I do hate the way they make me feel, but I guess it’s better than some of the fucked up nightmares I used to have.  Sometimes while I was awake.

Sometimes I would see thi

Okay, per the rules I can’t delete anything, but I don’t have to keep typing either.  That’s enough forthcoming for today.

E

Dearest readers and followers -

It’s like Finding Nemo crossed with the Chronicles of Narnia! It’s Alice in Wonderland mixed up with a PG-13 rated Taken plus Pan’s Labyrinth! What is this magical book? It’s FAE CHILD!

Have you been waiting on buying your copy? Wait no more! We’re doing a GIVEAWAY! *tosses confetti*

I will be giving away one of these mythical creatures (which you can find in the Otherworld, of course) to one of the next ten people to preorder Fae Child. We passed 50 orders, so when we reach 60 I will pick one name at random from orders 51-60 and that lucky person will get their pick of the three. 61-70’s winner will pick from the two remaining, and the last one will be forced upon someone from the range of 71-80*. Excited?? I AM! Preorder your copy now!

I also have a ton of promotional bookmarks (pictured above), which I bought to give out/leave around at a local comic con. Alas, they arrived too late! I am still going to be sprinkling them around town, but I got a lot of them, and so everyone who orders a signed paperback will be getting at least one in their copy of the book. If I can’t slip them inside while I’m signing, then I’ll mail you some bookmarks. OR if you want some to hand out to friends to help promote Fae Child’s funding campaign right now, then message me and I’ll mail you some immediately.

* BeanieBoos may be slightly hugged before shipping. Additionally "ty" is not affiliated with this giveaway or the book, this is self-sponsored

Click the link below to order. If you don’t see a link, it’s because you already have. Thank you!

Jane-Holly

Just a quick update and some math: we are now up to 620 orders with just 32 days left to reach 750. That works out to about 4 orders a day. Since the last update, 11 days ago, there have been 46 new orders which is right on pace. Thanks y’all!

These last orders are going to be the hardest, so please do share this book around and encourage your friends to support this project. I’ve created a facebook event you can invite friends to here: https://www.facebook.com/events/336202026717097/

We are almost there! Onward!

Journey Over Destination

’Destination: journey’s end,’ - This isn’t a definition, but a synonym. One I found too coinciding not to quote.