19 days left in this campaign and 101 copies to go before I can reach Quill!

Is it impossible? No. Is it improbable? Possibly. But it would be nice to finish strong.

I want this to be made. Like, I REALLY want this to be a thing on your bookshelf (whether physical or virtual).

Usually I don’t like to spam my updates with a call to action, but in this case, I think it is warranted. If you know of anyone who would like this book, please send them in my direction. And I know this has been stated in many updates from many other Inkshares authors, but it bears repeating: if you are following this novel, but haven’t pre-ordered, now is the time to act! PLEASE consider jumping off the fence and helping this campaign blaze past the finish line.

The usual raffle is in place: for every 10 unique readers, I will draw names for prizes. It’s simple, and it’s a win for you!

There isn’t much else to drone on about, so I won’t draw this out longer than it needs to be.

Let’s make this dream a reality!

Greetings friends!

Just a quick note to inform you that A God in the Shed has been chosen as the monthly pick for C. Brennecke’s Snarky Darky - The Snarky Dark Fantasy Syndicate on Inkshares.

Considering we’re getting terrifyingly close to the end of this campaign (see what I did there?) it’s both an honor and a great help to have my book picked like this. 

C. Brennecke is the author of Seven Shards: The Colors of Wine, a fantasy book currently in production as part of the Quill collection on Inkshares. I recommend you go check it out. This is what the magnificently talented Jamison Stone (author of Rune of the Apprentice) had to say about it:

Seven Shards is both captivating and enchanting! Brennecke writes with flowing prose with mythic proportions. I am very excited to read the full book and encourage all to watch the video! You will not be disappointed! Very well done and worth a pre-order! 

Thanks for your support Snarky Darky Syndicate! You’re awesome!

JF

Happy April! I’m back in Oakland after a week on the East Coast and have a few updates to share with you:

1) I read two excerpts from UMDC at the Boston Public Library on April 7th. Thank you to everyone who came out (despite the rain) to support me! If you weren’t able to make it, here is a short recap from the library’s website:

http://www.bpl.org/press/2016/04/08/quincy-carroll-author-of-up-to-the-mountains-and-down-to-the-countryside-brings-a-captive-audience-to-rural-china/

2) UMDC recently won the Silver Medal for Contemporary Fiction in the IPPY Book Award Competition! First established in 1996, the IPPYs are considered one of the highest honors for books published by independent authors:

http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=2045&urltitle=2016%20Independent%20Publisher%20Book%20Awards%20Results

3) WorldTeach, the program through which I volunteered in China, has agreed to purchase a copy of UMDC for each of their teachers in 2016! Applications are still open, so if you are interested in living/working abroad, check out their website:

http://www.worldteach.org/programs/china/

That’s all for now! If you could mention the book to 1 person this week, I’d really appreciate it. Also, here are the Amazon and Goodreads pages for the book, if you have time to leave a review. Thanks for your continued support!

Quincy

ONE GOAL DOWN!!  THANK YOU

So we JUST hit the quill goal which means the book will be published it will get an ISBN and it will be real honest book!

You all are the best. I’m so excited to get this story into people’s hands and I can’t thank you enough.

ONWARD to the full goal!

So we’re a third of the way to the full publishing goal. If we get 750 pre-orders we not only get published but get a full edit and polish, professional type people sweating over the cover art and armies of marketing people planning spectacular things including author events, bookstore placement and more!

So if you can, please spread the word. In fact, mathematically speaking, if each of you convince two other people to preorder, we would be guaranteed to get the full publishing goal. It’s science!

In celebration of hitting this first goal I’m adding a new sample chapter for you to take a look at. I hope you enjoy!

Tom

Friends

 I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was great. This picture, taken at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, is proof of it; and yes, that is some sort of fruity martini. I was told that if I say it is brunch then is totally fine.

Today the Writing Out Loud Syndicate supported its first book. I choose They Are the Last from Elayna Mae Darcy. This is an Imaginative and absorbing book with a strong female hero who will have you cheering for her right away. They Are the Last is also an Inkshares staff pick so you know the book is good.

I encourage you to check the book out, get a copy and help this great author get her book published.

Pre-order it here.

Also, if you want to support LGBTQ authors and allies on Inkshares, join the Write Out Loud Syndicate. By joining the syndicate, you not only support the community but also will get a copy of every book that syndicate pick, once they hit funding.

Join here.

This week I’ll be getting a second round of covers for The Catcher’s Trap to share with you, so we’ll be talking then.

Have a fantastic week.

Dear friends,

We are now three weeks into the pre-sale campaign, and just today we hit 126 orders: that’s halfway to Quill funding, and 17% to full funding. That’s pretty terrific, and it’s all thanks to you.

(If you haven’t pre-ordered already, I hope you’re making plans to do so, or at least trying to convince that one cantankerous mystery-reading friend or relative that they really want this book.)

So! Let’s talk about some of the other books funding on Inkshares!

1) JF Dubeau’s "A God in the Shed" is getting close to the end of its campaign, and I’m really hoping it makes its full funding goal. It’s Lovecraft meets Twin Peaks in rural Quebec. How can you not love it?

2) AC Baldwin’s "The Traveller’s Cup" is short of Quill by just >;;;;;;;;this

3) I’ve been poking around, and I’ve unearthed a couple of interesting finds. First: "Thunder in Marrow" by Rue Lazzaro. It’s a Weird West Fantasy. Some of you may have enjoyed the Deadlands tabletop RPG, and this is much the same in the same vein. Also, there are orcs; and from what I’ve seen of the opening chapter, there might also be some interesting society-observation shenanigans happening there. Apparently, the plot concerns dead people showing up to vote in the town elections. I know. I’m intrigued, too.

4) Second: "Ragno - A Novel" by Alessandro Renesis. This is billed as a romance, and, perhaps unusually, it’s told from the male point of view. Our hero is an ordinary guy, and he finds himself in an affair with a supermodel. I know, it’s probably every straight guy’s fantasy; but I get the impression that the story starts with the affair and explores the reality of the aftermath. I wonder if the fantasy will prove to be so perfect the morning after, and it would be interesting to find out.

Until next week, dear friends; keep reading, and have fun.

Hello my fellow sentients!

Whoa! What’s with the banner? Where’s Dagir’s face? Did the author make a mistake?

Not at all my friends. The change of banner is intentional because I need to talk to you about something important (to me). 

We’re entering the last few days of the funding campaign for my second book, A God in the Shed, but we are still far from the 750 pre-orders we need for the full publishing run.

"Yeah, but I’m more into the robots."

I get it. I’m into the robots too, obviously. However, the success of A God in the Shed will have an impact on the productions speed of the sequel to The Life Engineered. If you’re a fan of something I do, the best way to support that, at least until I get a little further and a little more confident in this career, is to support a few other things I do. Trust me; A God in the Shed is well worth your investment.

Have a look at the sample chapters. Check out the synopsis. Listen to Paul Inman’s reading of the prologue. Make sure you’ve pre-ordered your signed and numbered copy(ies). I have several incentives to show my gratitude to those who’ve supported the project and I’m adding more as the campaign draws to a close. Here’s one that might interest you: Anyone who gets me ten more pre-orders by the end of the campaign will get a signed, hand drawn illustration of a character or object of their choosing from either A God in the Shed or The Life Engineered. Ever wondered how I imagine a certain Capek to look like? Here’s your chance to be the first to know.

Speaking of Capeks and art, two of my buddies, both great cartoonists and artists have given me the coolest of cool gifts: Fan art. Check out these two interpretations of some space faring Capeks and click on the image to visit their websites!

JF

Matthew Sargent

Phil Rood

Dear Readers,

THERE’S NEWS! Lucky has been chosen as a Staff Pick here on the Inkshares website! A gold star has never meant so much! I could not be happier or more honored. It makes me so excited to see so many people enjoying this story.

Greetings All,

We are quickly approaching 1500 copies of An Unattractive Vampire! Fifteen Hundred. One thousand plus five hundred. That’s about Fourteen hundred and fifty more than I ever thought I might sell. So...what’s a way that you...people who have mostly already bought and read/are reading An Unattractive Vampire do to help push us over that milestone...well, how about...

WRITE A REVIEW ON AMAZON

(because Hypnotoad wants you to.)

Seriously, I know I’ve harped on this a lot, but customer reviews are really important particularly for first time writers. So if you’ve read the book please, please, PLEASE go to Amazon and leave a review. And if its good, that’s a bonus.

Other news:

Did you know: I have a website. It’s true. I paid for it and everything. Anyway, I’ve started putting up a some blog posts about references and inspirations in/for An Unattractive Vampire. So if you’d like a little insight into how the sausage was made head on over there and look for the ugly mug of Kurt Barlow.

Next up...

The next book in the Sword and Laser Collection came out this week. Congrats to G. Derek Adams. If you’re in the mood for some high fantasy silliness, I recommend you check it out. 

Also this week marked the beginning of the latest Inkshares contest, this one hosted by Geek and Sundry (SQUUUUEEEEEE!). The theme: Hard Sci-Fi. (For the uninitiated, that’s science fiction where all the science is accurate, not science fiction that goes to the gym to get swole.) So head on over to the contest page and check out the next soon-to-be published novels. Or hey, better yet, throw your own hat into the ring. Come on...I know you want to.

Also also...I have some appearances coming up this month I’d like to promote.
On Saturday the 23rd I will be joining my Our Fair City cohorts at the Columbia Geek Culture Gala. We will be there from 2-3 talking about podcasting, audio drama, and very likely smashing some fruit. Also, I will be passing out postcards like a bleeper bleeper.

Then on Saturday the 30th I will be in ye olde Quad Cities (of hometown fame) at Barley and Rye doing a meet and greet/signing for backers. So if you are in or around the Quad City area...

(Not seen above...East Moline. That’s right, East Moline, you still don’t count.)

...on April 30th come by and get a book signed. I will sign any book you bring me, though I’d prefer if it was mine. We may even be giving out a few copies in exchange for donations for Children’s Therapy Center. So swing by, say hi, and do a third thing that kind of rhymes at Barley and Rye. (Ha...nailed it.)

Anyway, that’s all for now. Hopefully the next time I write a lengthy possibly annoying update it will be to announce WE DID IT! Until then, remember...
AMAZON!