This is an update of updates!

Nerdist Comp Update

So we're just about at the end of the Nerdist competition, and it's looking like
Ghosts of War is going to be able to hold onto 18th place. Now that may not be a winning position, but to be 18th out of 335 other entries is pretty dang great, and that is thanks to the 140 of you awesome people who picked up one or more copies during the comp.

You guys have also helped make Ghosts of War the 13th most popular currently funding book on Inkshares, how cool's that? (and it's only just out of 12th) After the competition ends and the winners shift into 'In Production' mode, it'll move up to the 8th most popular funding book. Very cool.

Cover Update

In the last few days you may have noticed a slight change to the cover of Ghosts. Well your eyes aren't deceiving you. I'd noticed that when it was shrunk down (like on the Nerdist leaderboard) that the title wasn't very clear in red, and that Cole didn't seem big enough.

So I remedied the problem.

Book Update

I am happy to report that there were some words written this week that will actually be in the book and weren't just an Inkshares update. Some of them have come through doing a few edits and additions to existing chapters, quite a few were in expanding some outlines for forthcoming chapters and there were even a couple of hundred words that were completely brand new and gloriously shiny.

Now that the competition is over I'll be able to focus much more on the writing side of things. All that promotion can get very draining on the creative flow.

Did someone say competition?

You might have seen it on the project page but in case you haven't...

So if you're on of the 140 followers yet to hop on the Ghosts Train, hopefully this might tempt you to come aboard. We've got a 50% conversion rate going so far on followers to readers, and I'd love nothing more than to make that 100%.

In closing, I'd like to defer to Mr Jesse Pinkman to sum up my feelings about the success we've brought to Ghosts of War thus far.

I promised I'd follow up with a word of thanks to any author who generously helped me spread the word about Blood Dawn this weekend while I busied myself with the story. Well, I worked hard -- until 3am yesterday -- and I did it! 20 more page of Blood Dawn not just written, but, according to my editor in an email I just received an hour ago, I wrote one of the most fascinating dialogues in the book to date.

What I find AWESOME, is that while I buckled down, 10 new readers stepped up and bought a copy of Blood Dawn. To those readers who were following and decided to jump on board, thank you so much! And guess what? We're now at 196 copies, which means there are only 9 more pre-orders to go until ... the 100 for $100 draw!

A special thanks to Andrew J. Ainsworth, who spread word to his followers about Blood Dawn and generated some great momentum. Readers, if you haven't heard of These Old Bones, Andrew's great fantasy book which is currently doing amazingly in the Nerdist Collection Contest, go and show your support now. It is the final two days now of the contest, so at this point each and every new reader counts. If you like adventure fantasy with magic and awesome world building, then definitely check out this book.

Andrew isn't the only author who I owe a special thanks to. Pat Jamison, a new Inkshares author who is still feeling out the ground, has generously assisted me with graphics and web design over the last few weeks has offered to make me small graphics and banners, and to redesign my website as a thank you for connecting him to the growing Inkshares author community. Pat is just wonderful, and he is also one of my DRAGON backers (Patazamazzon). I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude at the support I've been shown from the Inkshares community. Blood Dawn would not be where it is today without it.

You can check out Pat's handiwork by visiting the new pages on my website. Although the whole site he made is great, I'm particularly fond of the Blood Dawn page he Here is the link:

http://www.epicfantasywriter.com/blood-dawn/

Pat also made me a timeline for Blood Dawn, as a visual way to share with readers my schedule and what I have lined up to ensure the manuscript I deliver to Inkshares this April is polished to perfection. Check it out:

Pat's novel is called The Stones of Ragnarok, about a CIA and CSIS worker who must stop the end of the world at the hands of ancient Viking stones. Although he's not funding yet, I'm sure Pat would love your support. Go and check his project out and please follow him if it interests you. Click here.

Finally, in spirit of the mad dash toward the finish for those who are in the Nerdist Collection Contest, I want to point out one special author who I also owe a great deal of thanks so: AC Weston, artist extraordinary, and my official dragon lady. You may recall an earlier update where I shared her excellent artwork -- my dragon logo. I am in the process of coloring it in and will soon share with you the colored Blood Dawn logo, which will be used on the t-shirts I'm giving out to DRAGON backers if Blood Dawn reaches its funding goal.

AC Weston's book, She is the End, is an excellent, action-packed space opera novel told in twelve episodes. Please go and have a look at this great book and consider showing your support while there is still time in the contest.

Thank you for your continued support. This is an amazing team we have, and I have every bit of confidence it's going to continue to grow, and together we will make the dream that is Blood Dawn a reality.

It is my hope also that as readers you will spread the word about Inkshares and the excellent, growing catalog of books they have, to help us not just see Blood Dawn as a real book on bookshelves, but to let this community where readers get to vote on which books get published thrive.