I have some complicated news regarding my Inkshares project, which I’ve decided to cancel.

I’m going to ask all who planned to pre-order to hold off for now.

Everyone who did place an order: Inkshares FAQ says you will receive a full refund either sometime in next couple weeks (I sent an email to Inkshares, I don’t know how fast these things are) or after the campaign-window runs its course on November 14.

A NY based publisher I submitted the manuscript to over a year ago reached out to me last week and offered a contract. Three days after I started asking people for pre-orders. Go figure, right? Of course that was going to happen. Of course it was.

Me and a law-student buddy reviewed it -- everything looks good and fair, we’ve added our stipulations, I’ve reached out to a number of their listed authors to vet experiences, and everyone had good things to say -- and I plan to sign.

When faced with the choice between continuing the Inkshares campaign -- which had a very small chance of success anyway -- and taking a for-sure deal RIGHT NOW, I thought it’d be silly to pass up this opportunity. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being a little curious to know if we could’ve pulled it off. . . that woulda been pretty badass.

So, it’s no longer a toss up.

After one dropped agent, one dropped contract with another publisher and roughly a hundred rejections and near-offers, this godforsaken novel WILL be published.

Although we didn’t achieve our objective in the manner that we intended, the objective WAS achieved.

People who followed and ordered through Inkshares: I have your email address, and I will let you know when this thing hits the shelves. I sincerely hope you’re still interested in reading the rest. Much love to you -- ALL THE LOVE TO YOU!

I would also like to take this opportunity to give a couple signal-boosts to other Inkshares projects that I think are phenomenal and deserve a bit more attention: 

Spacebreaker: A New Threat, by John Novak only has eight followers, AND HE NEEDS MORE -- his project is basically lampooning Star Wars in the same manner as Space Balls. It’s really funny stuff, and you should definitely check it out.  https://www.inkshares.com/books/spacebreaker-a-new-threat

Ereshk, by Frederick Street is sitting at 36 followers and could definitely use the bump. It’s this really, really creepy cosmic-horror-noir genre blend with a lot of promise. Do check it out. https://www.inkshares.com/books/ereshk

Strays, by William Keaton is being pitched as 28 Days meets Cujo, and, friends, this is hands-down the coolest draft I stumbled across on here. Very, very well written and it had me hooked on page-one. Strays has 19 followers, and that is simply a shame. This is the kind of thing that ya’ll should be reading. 

Grayson, by Michael Sobers is sitting at 28 followers and it deserves some regard -- a hard-sci-fi yarn about space-miners stuck in interplanetary trade-drama. Think equal parts Dune, The Martian and James Clavell’s The Asian Saga. https://www.inkshares.com/books/grayson

The Burden of Choice, by Mason Force. It’s well-written sci-fi about a society run by powerful sociobioneering AI. Sitting at only 8 followers, and it definitely deserves more. 

There are so many more projects worth mentioning, but these in particular looked especially in need of a boost. 

Also: PrOOF -- Preservation Of Occult Figures, by Micheal James Welch, which was successfully funded and is taking orders -- sounds rad, like something Charlie Stross might have on his bookshelf. 

Again, many thanks to all who followed my project and pre-ordered. You’re all amazing, and if you ever need anything from me, never hesitate to shoot me an email and ask. Find me on facebook and send me a friend-request! 

And please let me know if there are questions about project: BREATHLESS. 

Best regards, and remember

LIVE SLOW

LIVE WELL

KEEP CREATING

KEEP READING

--Shane

August 25, 2018

Hello, hello! We are just a hair over 5 weeks away from official launch day, and wanted to send out a quick update.

Shadow King Production Update: I just had the opportunity to look at the final interior for Shadow King. I’m really pleased with how it turned out. The cover has also gone through a last few adjustments on the spine, and should be final now as well.

Next it is on to creation of the ebook version and prepping the whole thing for physical printing. After that, we’ll be on the countdown for when you’ll all be getting your copies!

Upcoming Events: I am still looking for a place to have a book signing event during launch week, but in the meantime, I do have a Q/A/Book signing on the calendar for October 24 (7 pm) at Belmont Books in Belmont, MA. If you are in the Massachusetts area, I hope you’ll be able to join us!

Haven’t Ordered Yet? Over the past few months, several awesome people have followed Shadow King on Inkshares. I would love to add all of you to my official reader list, so please considering ordering a copy today at: www.inkshares.com/books/shadow-king.

I’ll keep you posted as we move into September on how things are going.

Have a  great rest of your weekend!

Best,

Susan

Hey everyone!

I know I’ve been MIA for a while, and I apologize.  For those who know me, this is the busiest time of year for me, as I get the pleasure of working with the talented crew of the Knott’s Scary Farm’s production team as we bring nightmares to life.  (Pretty cool pitch, right?)  Even as my schedule has become less than ideal, I wanted to let everyone know that Tainted is still plugging away through the editing process.  And I must say, it really is coming together nicely.  I’ve spent a lot of time chiseling the story down into a lean, mean, horror machine... wait, that sounds dumb... Let’s try this.  A lean, mean, rip your face off and eat it because it likes it, nightmare of a ride... ok, that’s better.  Not great, but better.  With that said, I’m really happy with how the story is turning out.

Before I get swept back into the raging torrent that is Knott’s Scary Farm, I wanted to share a review I received from one of Tainted’s beta readers:

First, let me say I personally am not the ideal demographic for this book. It was not written for me, a middle aged stay at home mom. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading it. This book is a thoughtfully written and well crafted horror fiction. It nods respectfully to the campy and well loved nostalgia of seventies horror movies. There were enough twist and turns that I got dizzy with anticipation of what could possibly be hiding around the bend. The non-linear plot line kept me reeling with curiosity. The Author writes in a way that assumes his reader is as intelligent as he is. Character developed is solid, resulting in a cast of characters that are complex and interesting. It feels very intentional that each character was giving enough substance, they could stand alone as the main in their own story line. This brings me to the way Point of View is delivered. Using a omniscience Multi character point of view which offers a more holistic and layered storytelling. I was reminded of the parable about two wolves living inside us, a good wolf and a bad wolf, the one who wins is the one we feed. The beast of Tainted are fed well, and often. I appreciate that the Author went full bore into gore and destruction, never shying away from describing scenes that make you cringe. With that said, there was plenty of personal growth and relationship drama to balance out the bat-shit crazy. I liked the added element of real life drama by including the ever present raging wildfires of California. It helped bridge the world of fantasy and reality. The end crescendos and fades in a way that is both satisfying and entices the reader with hints of exploring more of the story. 

Pretty cool, right?  I’m excited, are you excited?  

I must go, but I will share again soon!

Till next time,

PJ Marshman