Thomas J. Arnold liked an update for Deus Hex Machina

Good morning readers!

Things have been busy behind the scenes here at DHM central.  I spent the weekend writing out the synopsis for the plot, finding out about some very cool things that will happen in the story and getting surprised by my characters along the way as I always do.  

My goal for this week is to finish writing chapter two and to get that up on the Inkshares page. I'm probably not going to be posting the entire manuscript up here (I want you all to have motivation to read your copies when you get them), but I do think it's important to get to Dax and his crew so you know what the flavor of this world will taste like. 

We are four orders away from our next raffle.  From my calculations, we have about 30 people who are following the book who haven't ordered yet, so I'm hoping that getting a chance to read chapter two and the prospect of winning a second book will be enough to tip you over into preorder land.

For other Inkshares writers, I have some credits available to trade.  Just DM me on Twitter @amandaorneck with a referral link to your book and I'll order using it so you can get some credits back for you to use on DHM. 

I'm hoping to get my book to Quill at least by the end of February. We managed to get halfway in one month, so I think it's possible, don't you?  
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    Thomas J. Arnold liked an update for Transilience

    Now that the Sword and Laser Contest is over, I've done what any person would do without a lick of sense when it comes to marketing: updated my book's cover and provided more information about it in the form of a synopsis.

    Would it have helped generate more interest in Transilience during the contest? Maybe. I dunno. The past is the past. Insert more platitudes.

    What matters most is that the earnest belief these additions will generate interest and enthusiasm about Transilience for the remainder of its funding campaign. I need to convince a whole lot of people to part with their money in the next 49 days. Money well spent. That much is certain. Nonetheless, this is the powerball and therefore requires a tad more persuading.

    Here is the cover in a much larger format.

    Okay...that was really big! I can't seem to resize the image either. Are you still here???

    Good!

    The blurb in the top righthand corner may seem out of place when compared to what else you may have read with regards to Transilience. Rest assured, it fits perfectly. The idea of legacies forms the central theme of the novel. It is what ties the two cases together and ultimately allows the reader to assess the values and morals of the characters, and perhaps even the world in which we inhabit.

    One final thing before I sign off.

    I would like to thank my buddies, Mike and He-who-shall-not-be-named, for the generosity in supporting Transilience. I have known these guys for a very long time and shared in some pretty astounding adventures in real life and fictive/virtual world. Simply uttering the word "Shar" will bring back a flood of memories about a D&D session that was simultaneously some of the worst story-telling I ever subjected anyone to, and the most memorable. And it was in the unforgiving jungles of Chult with Mike that I experienced my one and only TPK. I am very happy and proud to have your names listed in Transilience.

    Cheers!

    Kevin

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      Thomas J. Arnold commented on Tumulynth
      I actually like both chapter styles - short and long.  It just depends on the overall feel that you're going for in the story which works better.
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        Thomas J. Arnold liked an update for Tumulynth

        I added another chunk to chapter 1. The Howl of Winter. Do you prefer shorter chapter, with a quick pace, or longer chapters, with more details? :)

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          Thomas J. Arnold commented on And the Wolf Shall Dwell
          I think the headlines for chapters would be fine, though I may be biased since I sort of do the same thing.  With mine though its probably best thought of as headlines for larger parts, and these parts are made up of smaller non-headlined chapters.

          So far what I've liked what I've seen, but I have admittedly only had time to skim.  My work week tends towards the hectic side, but I'll try to remember to do a full reading this weekend and get back to you.
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            Thomas J. Arnold followed And the Wolf Shall Dwell
            And the Wolf Shall Dwell
            London. Just a routine day? A death in a train station thrusts John to a world of espionage, politics and Jihadi terrorism
            Thomas J. Arnold liked an update for Dax Harrison

            Hello readers!

            Things have been a little quiet around here, but I wanted to touch base with you all really quick and let you know that things are still very much in motion.

            The Inkshares team is patiently waiting for me to finish up the Dax manuscript, at which point editing & production will finally begin!

            "How long will that be, Tony?"
            Well, to be perfectly honest, I have no idea. This is my first go around the whole authoring/editing/publishing block. Rest assured, I'm pushing to write as much as I can every day.


            What I CAN tell you is that the writing is moving steadily along. My biggest obstacle in redrafting the story is reminding myself to reign it all into something cohesive and not shoot off into a million directions and tangents. While the original Dax screenplay told a very direct story out of necessity, novelization opens SO MANY possibilities. Different viewpoints, more commentary, exploring the inner thoughts of the characters, etc. And as I move along, I find myself wanting to scratch that itch more and more.

            So I'm doing my best to find a good balance between editing/expanding the original material and just getting the darn thing done. Maybe I'll save the rest for the sequel... :)

            "Really? You're already planning a sequel?"
            Yep!

            "This isn't another one of those Hunger Maze Divergent Runner Games things where you're going to rope me into buying 3 or 4 books just to finish the story, is it?"
            Haha, nope. No offense to those books, but I set out to make Dax one complete adventure. Period. But if that leaves people interested in more wacky adventures, I've got another one in the tank. Maybe two. Think more Indiana Jones or James Bond rather than The Lord of The Rings.

            "So can you at least tell me around when to expect my book?"
            If I keep my current pace, I'm hoping to turn in the manuscript before the end of next month. I will of course keep you updated should that change.

            What I can also tell you is that the Inkshares team estimates roughly a 4 1/2 month turnaround time from when I hand over the manuscript to the completed publishing of the book. That of course can also change depending on the length of the text, the amount of editing required, and so on. But this at least gives you folks a better idea of the expected time frame.

            "Hey, I won one of your mug contests a while back. Where's my mug?"
            Apologies for the delays. I finally got all the mugs to the post office early yesterday. I hope they find their way to you safely and shortly. If you want, send me a pic on Twitter (@rockhollywood8) of you enjoying it and it will warm my heart. :)

            "Anything else I should know?"
            Yes! Chapter 1 is not actually the start of the book! I've been keeping a secret prologue from you all, which I just finished rewriting. I was going to save it until the book released, but what the heck. I am sending it to your inboxes as we speak. You can also read it here at Inkshares.

            That's all for now, folks. Back to the grindstone!

            -Tony
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