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
Hi All,
Long time! Many of you were wondering when the book is out, and I have been getting a lot of queries regarding. Well, the truth is that I don’t really know. Inkshares has been going through a lot of managerial changes, and structure reforms, and at the moment this means that the Wolf’s publication date is pushed back sadly only to mid next year.
On my end, I have submitted the manuscript as required, and armed with patience I’m waiting for the girls in the production department (Avalon and Angela) to assign me an editor and get the ball rolling. So keep being patient -Inkshares is doing their best in these hectic times for the company, and we can just wish them luck and stay put!
On a different note, as part of the management changes - Inkshares decided that a lot of recurring credit orders have caused the company financial harm and are thus cancelling them across the board. Sadly, as everything in life that is done on a massive scale (this is across the website and not just to this project) - more than a few cash orders have been effected too - I’ve got numerous queries for credit cards being refunded.
I understand this is frustrating to some of you but Thad the company’s CPO and co founder explained to me personally this is vital for Inkshares’ sustainability.
Do me a favour, though the campaign is long over, and this won’t effect the production of the book, if you got a refunded order please either email me or inkshares or simply get in to your account to make sure your order is still alive.
Meanwhile, hold on patiently and keep recommending the book to your friends. THANKS!
Happy Friday everyone!
Status Report: 135 Unique Readers and still in 5th place! We are 72 pre-orders from making Quill. Not bad. We’ve got a month and a half left in the contest, but getting up into the Top 3 is going to be tough! My network is pretty dry. I’ve got a few things going in the next few weeks that might help. You could help by leaving a review or recommending the book on Inkshares!
I’ve got a booth at the Collingswood Book Festival in NJ on October 1st. If you are in the area, check it out! There are several cool things that I’m giving away there. I’ve got paper bookmarks, handmade key bookmarks, and booklets with the first chapter printed in them. I won’t be there myself, unfortunately. I have to work that day, but I couldn’t let the opportunity pass. So, the leader of my unofficial fan club, my best friend, and soul-sister, will be running it. She’s been with this book since the first incarnation of it ten years ago. So, other than me, she knows the most about the characters and the world.
I’ve also got an article in the Geekadelphia posting any day now.
I wrote a personal blog post that isn’t so much geared towards storytelling as it is motivational. Nothing Comes Easy also includes this amazing motivational video I found while tumbling down a Youtube Hole. If anything, click the link to see that video it is long but so worth it.
Character Spotlight:
Ishep Darshan was a Water Mage in the Adrid army during the rule of Dante Vanguard. He was friends with both Dante and Yarin D’mor. He was also in love with Rebecca Vanguard, Saran’s mother. He stayed through the coop that gave Yarin the throne, but when Rebecca died, he broke away from the kingdom and founded the rebellion that Saran, Rowe, and Keleir secretly fight in.
I write a lot of action, but I also find words in songs to be a little distracting sometimes for the more serious moments in my work. I try to keep it mostly classical music but I also highly recommend trailer music. My playlist for writing is literally called: "EpicSymphony" and features mostly stuff from "Two Steps From Hell" - the name is off-setting but they just do a bunch of epic music you’ll hear in movie trailers. Definitely sets the tone for action scenes. For more dramatic scenes, check out "Epic Score." They basically do the same stuff but they usually have music that is slower, more calm.
Either way, I’d just type in "Epic Symphony Music" or "Trailer Music" on youtube and do some personal browsing. It’s my favorite music to write to and helps me stay focused.