Good afternoon, evening, or morning depending on where you live!
There isn’t a lot of news to share about The Bones of the Past right now (though that should change very soon). This update is really to draw your attention to an event Inkshares is holding this week called Draftshares. The purpose of which is to draw attention to all the projects on the site that have not switched over to the pre-order stage, but are looking for some feedback and to add a little polish.
Head over to Inkshares.com anytime between May 30th - June 4th, give a few authors some constructive feedback on their work and be entered in to win all kinds of prizes (including a free copy of my book when it finally launches).
Full details (including the prize list!) are available HERE
But that’s not quite all. As the current lead of the Epic Fantasy Syndicate, I was asked to pick out five particularly interesting projects to recommend within the genre. The following books are those that really caught my eye:
Author: Thomas J Arnold
Twitter: @Thoasoold’s,
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redthomasjarnold/?fref=nf
Author: Joe Roe
Twitter: @JonRoe4’s
Author: Lauren Drube
Twitter: @LaurenDrube’s
Author: Louise Lindell
Book: The Vanguard’s Incursion
Author: M.R. Laver
Book: A Tale of Mist and Shadow
Thank you all for your patience and continued support – I hope to have some big news to share with you in the next week or so. Happy Draftfesting!
Hey friends,
It’s been busy. So very, very busy. I’m not exactly complaining but I do wish I had more time to devote to all the projects I have lying in front of me, begging for attention like mewling kittens each demanding his saucer of milk. Just so you know what’s preoccupying me this week, here’s a quick rundown of my existence outside of hobbies and the dreaded day job:
Thanks for your support my friends, you’ve made a huge difference in my life, one that keeps having an impact on everything I do.
JF

Dear friends and followers,
Things are moving along, but at a slower rate than before. The plains of 300-400 really are a desolate expanse. I’m sure things will get interesting against once we crest that 400 order mark, even if doing so does not entail any references to impressive Spartan exploits.
I will be delivering the first donation cheque to Chez Doris on Wednesday. Right now, it’s an even $70: pretty respectable, I think.
Coming up this week is a new Nerdist contest! Video games! I will have a bit of a stake in this one, so expect further news.
And of particular interest to other hopeful writers, there’s DraftShares. Check out the related thread on the forum for more details, but the basic gist of it is the promotion of projects that are still in the draft phase. Readers, you may find some of the drafts highlighted next month to be of interest as well, so keep your eyes open.
As for what’s happening with projects in the funding stage, let’s take another look around the bookshelves....
1) "Tantalus Depths", by Evan Graham. An expedition discovers the "planet" they’re surveying is more than it seems, and their ship AI somehow has a stake in it. It’s a sci-fi thriller. I’m told that the "Evil AI" is a common trope, but I think this goes a little above that with its focus on motivation. If the planet is unexplored territory, how could it have any connection to the ship’s AI? I’d like to add that I found the excerpt to have a very nice feel for the "ensemble cast", even if what we see is entirely through one viewpoint character. It goes a lot towards immersing the reader, not only in the environment but also in the social context.
2) "Teddy Roosevelt and the Lost World: a Tale of the Dinosaur Century", by Lou Yuhasz. you know, I think that title says everything I could possibly say about the plot. You know it’s going to be an adventure to make H. Ryder Haggard proud, it stars an historical figure who could give good old King Leonidas a run for his money, and it involves dinosaurs. And yet somehow it’s managed to slip under everyone’s radar.
And that’s it for now. It looks like June is going to be ... pretty full of stuff. So, until next week: have fun, and keep reading.
Today is May 29th, and you know what that means! It means...that it’s probably somebody’s birthday, somewhere. Happy birthday, person I don’t know!
But it ALSO means that we’re only two days away from the Inkshares/Nerdist video game contest beginning. And I’ve got some cool news. See that boring grey area where my book’s cover ought to be? It ain’t gonna be boring or grey for much longer. I’ve got a kick-ass cover coming soon that ought to jazz the place up a bit. Now all I need are a few throw pillows and maybe a large oil painting of myself riding a bull.
SideScroller may have been written by me, but I never would have gotten this far on Inkshares without help. So let me give a shout-out to Tabi Card and James Rasile, who’ve both been invaluable to me thus far. Without them, I’d still be limping my way through the "Make An Inkshares Profile" page. Do yourself a favour and check out their books, "Scribbles" and "Cape’s Side Bay", respectively.
The contest begins in T-minus two days. Let’s rock this.
I have been quiet for way too long. Sorry about that, I’ve just head a busy work schedule. It has been nice to see new followers to the book while I’ve been largely inactive, so to everyone following the book whether new or old follower I just want to say thank you for sticking with me.
Tantalus Depths is just ten orders away from 200! Who wants to help get it over the hill? If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, now is the best time for it! If you have already ordered a copy, find a friend who hasn’t, and get them to do it. I’m sure you all have at least one friend who’s a fan of this genre!
Bonjour, monsieurs and mademoiselles.
Welcome to our 4th Detective Sunday! I can’t believe it’s been more than four weeks since I found Inkshares and decided to release my work here. Of course, none of this couldn’t have been possible without you all. I really appreciate your support.
Now, this update won’t really cover anything we’ve already been over this week, and the week before. This will be a relaxed, and open update about myself. I’ve talked so much about my book and our community here that I forget to introduce myself thoroughly so that you understand who I am. Wouldn’t you want to know the person you’re putting your money towards? I definitely would!
My name is Anthony Jones III, other known as Trey (’cause the third), and I’m an outgoing person with high expectations for my success. From my friends’ viewpoint, I’m that weird funny guy who laughs at anything and is nice to everyone. Of course, my kindness may get abused, but I tend to choose my friends, and those I support wisely. Although, some may say I’m charismatic because I set examples of how to be capable despite the situation, and by being dependable, people looked to me for help when in a tight situation. The talent of being able to socialize and help people grow is a big thing in the world, and I believe everyone needs a little push in order to make it.
I never had a drive to write when I was really young, but I did read books that interested me. I tried Harry Potter, but alas, it didn’t stick with me. I found myself more interested in books like Pendragon, Charlie Bone, House of Night, Hunger Games, and a few other series I’m having a hard time remembering. Those books had something special going on with them that lured me in, and it became a fantastic read with lovable, and hateful characters that made it so alluring. Still, there was a time I had stopped reading and became a more open person with my society. I grew distant from my casual reading sessions and went days without reading. Days went to weeks, then months, and finally years. It’s pretty weird that someone who doesn’t read decides to pick up a pen and write, ya’ know?
I wondered about why I decide to write, and the only thing I can say for an answer is that I wanted to be a storyteller. I wanted to be someone who could create and shape my own world, and make characters with complex lives that I could never have. Also, I wonder how authors feel when they write. Every author has their reasons, of course, but I’m asking when they assemble their plot, setting, characters, and so on--do they understand what they are writing? No one can understand these fictional lives we create, but we write it for our own happiness. It’s a deep thought that I’m surely exaggerating, but to you authors, know the reason why you write and push forward with that resolve. Whether big or small, that’s what pushes you to update consistently, possibly beg for support, and put yourself on the line between success and failure.
I believe I’ve rambled on long enough haha! This is only a good portion of myself, but I think you all can understand the type of person I am from just reading this. Have a good morning/afternoon wherever you are.
Au revoir, Sixth.
Good morning Sleepyheads!