270. 

I am both honored and impressed.  

Y’all are GREAT!

Um, this is the background blurb for goblins.  It’s in Chapter Three:  Progress and Regression.  I hope you like it!  Only 9 days left!  To get all the main and populous races in here, there will be some days wherein they are doubled up!  OH!  and 5 more sales means one more raffle winner!  Y’all have been truly astounding and I am very highly impressed with each and every one of you! 

Goblins are a fascinating race.  There are dozens of ways by which a Goblin might acquire power within the ranks of its race, but the three most common are via finding and defending a claim to a Big, via being considered the most traitorous and crafty, and via accumulating the most material wealth.  Larger members of the race tend to be victimized and culled early, especially by those who perceive them to be enemies.  

Their skin is highly sensitive to their emotional states, ranging in color from pale yellow tan when they are completely relaxed, to a dark green, almost blue color when they are agitated, fearful or excited.  They are highly sexist, with females almost never being seen.  The gender is much less common than that of males.  They have their own ranking system and their pull is primarily over who may breed with them.  Like most Hard races, all relations are initiated by the female aspect.

Goblins are one of the few Hard Races to lay eggs.  These are very soft and only set out for about ten days before hatching and are laid in clusters of between five and thirty.  A female goblin can lay these eggs approximately five times per year and each egg laid may have a different sire.  Goblins do not differentiate lineage, and young goblins are given only passing care before being treated as any of their adult counterparts.  They are physically fully mature at five years and mentally mature at about nine, though their brains remain highly plastic for the entirety of their two to four decades of life.

Thank you.

 Those two words carry so much weight, yet they can hardly express my gratitude. The initial support A Beast Requires has received has been incredible, and I’m flailing like the muppet I am every time a new order comes in. Yes, I am a muppet, which totally explains my hair.

 A year ago I joined Inkshares. It was a different contest, and while that campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, I came away from it as a better writer, and a better human being. I met other writers from all over the world, each hoping and working towards funding their campaigns. Our backgrounds were as varied as our manuscripts, but we all shared the same struggle. Writers are an odd fellowship. We’re all fighting the same battles, waging the same war against deadlines and doubt, and sometimes we feel as if we’re out there alone. But we aren’t. We all struggle together. Writers support other writers because we know how hard it is.

 I met a lot of amazing writers last year, including my soul siblings A.C. Weston and Rick Heinz. Their support last time around carried me through to the end, even when that ending resulted in an unsuccessful campaign. I am forever thankful that I’ve been fortunate enough to meet such amazing people like G. Derek Adams, Dave Barrett, and Thomas Arnold. Trust me, there’s more, and as this campaign goes on I’ll be giving them as many shout outs as I can.

 I know this is going to be a long campaign. I know how difficult it is to constantly work at promotion, and making your enthusiasm spread like wild fire. I’m ready for it. I’ve been chomping at the bit for a second chance to put my book out there in the world. A Beast Requires is a work of blood, sweat, and tears. Seriously, this book has tasted its author’s blood.

 I know it’s impossible to do this alone, and every one of you following me is signed up to ride the crowdfunding crazy train. I’m working on some campaign goals, things to unlock as more people sign on and pre-order a copy of A Beast Requires. I already have the first goal ready, so at 100 pre-orders I will unleash Chapters 6 – 10 upon the world. Exciting, right? Well, one of my favorite combat sequences occurs in Chapter 10, and it brings on a whole new perspective in battling an ogre.

 I hope everyone enjoys Chapters 1 -5. Comment, critique, or scream at me as much as you want. All of your input is appreciated and valued.

So thank you again for your support. I love you all. Yes, even you, Zachary Tyler Linville.

 Until the next update,

 Jay