And just like that - there's no turning back.

The interior of Asteroid Made of Dragons has been approved and it's on the way to be printed. Inkshares staff, Bethany at Girl Friday Production, the irrepressible copy editor Carrie, the mysterious being I only know as DES (Designer), and my Pokemon trainers Veronica and Tom from Sword & Laser have all given the nod. Final cover tweaks are coming today as well and we're off to physical production.

I feel odd about it. I've self-published before, so there was much more of a feeling of instant gratification when I put the book out. After intense beta reading and copy editing by friends and colleagues - I clicked a few buttons and it was done. You could order the book immediately. That moment of white-hot excitement as I pushed 'GO' and tossed my stuff out into the world - it was wonderful. And then, inevitably, I'd realize I'd goofed on stuff.  The problem with being both writer AND publisher is you get to overrule a lot of sensible things when you WANT BOOK NOW. My first book, I actually pulled it down, re-edited it and put it back up on Amazon a few months after release because of all the snarky little copy edit and formatting problems. Ha, I had an ogre that changed names at least twice in one chapter.

So, the moment where I left to my own devices would have put this book out - was months ago. And in all that time, the book has only gotten stronger, cleaner, better - less prone to causing impromptu hauntings. Intellectually, this is amazing - readers will see a remarkably more polished form of my work this time around. But emotionally, hmm. It's been long enough that I've kind of come disconnected from the excitement of the book coming out? Maybe I'm just tamping down my expectations for what launch is going to be like, but in a weird way - it's like I'm excited about someone else's book coming out?

Stephen King (Uncle Stevie), has a phenomenal book called 'On Writing' - and one of the many passages I really took to heart was his edict that you have to put the book away after you write it. Long enough that you can read it as a stranger - that it doesn't sound like your own voice in your head. I think this is the first novel I've really been able to do that. Especially this week as we were working on the final copy edits - I found myself reading passages of AMOD and thinking Who wrote this? This is pretty good. Ha ha, Sideways is the best.

And you must now how much it pains me to say this about my own stuff. I am a quiet, quivering ball of self-loathing. 

But quite honestly - I kept feeling a new excitement. Not the sweaty, PUSH THE BUTTON release fervor I've felt before - but more of a Christmas morning, oh, just you wait until you see what I got you kind of feeling. As dangerous and perilous for my anxiety as this is to even think or type - I felt ...proud...of the book. I wanted to swagger.

I hope this feeling lasts. I'm going to ride it as long as I can - until the crippling doubt returns, natch.

Thank you all again - I can never say it enough. Real bookstores are buying the book! You are going to get to read my book in just a few weeks! You did this. YOU DID THIS.

It's all your fault.

More reports as they come in - be prepared, we're on target for release at the beginning of April - so you're going to hear more and more from me soon.

NOTES OF INTEREST

Audiobook giveaway for Spell/Sword - Precursor novel to AMOD. - ends 1/31

My jam.

My twitter! - c'mon and follow me people! It is SOLID GOLD over there. Just me whining and complaining ALL THE TIME.

Dear readers and supporters, friends,

The day nears! In about a month’s time The Life Engineered is going to launch. While I thank you with every breath I take these days there is no time for lengthy speeches about gratitude. Indeed, the time is for action! My friends, in the next weeks I need to drum up as much interest in The Life Engineered as I possibly can and I’m kicking it off with a bang.

On February 4th, 5th and 6th I will begin San Fransisco. My mission? I want to personally sign each and every copy of The Life Engineered going to supporters. All of them. Like a maniac or some kind of machine.

While I’m on the West Coast however, I might as well try to hang out with a few of you that are in the area. So on Saturday February 6th I will be hanging out at Borderlands Books. I don’t know if that’s going to be an official event or just me sitting at a table drinking all their coffee. I’m still working out the details. All I can tell you is that starting at 3pm, maybe earlier, I’ll be at Borderlands Books in San Fransisco. I’ll probably have prints or at least papers and I’ll answer questions about The Life Engineered, Inkshares, why I think robots are awesome, I’ll tell the story of my car accident and why the top of my feet tickle all the time (the secret is nerve damage).

As I get more details I’ll send out more updates but I’ll also be Tweeting about it and posting to my writer’s Facebook page, so why don’t you follow me on these platforms?

Guys, gals, sentient machines masquerading as humans… there is some cool stuff down the pipes and I really want you to be involved.

 Cheers, JF

 Dear readers and supporters, friends,

The day nears! In about a month’s time The Life Engineered is going to launch. While I thank you with every breath I take these days there is no time for lengthy speeches about gratitude. Indeed, the time is for action! My friends, in the next weeks I need to drum up as much interest in The Life Engineered as I possibly can and I’m kicking it off with a bang.

On February 4th, 5th and 6th I will begin San Fransisco. My mission? I want to personally sign each and every copy of The Life Engineered going to supporters. All of them. Like a maniac or some kind of machine.

While I’m on the West Coast however, I might as well try to hang out with a few of you that are in the area. So on Saturday February 6th I will be hanging out at Borderlands Books. I don’t know if that’s going to be an official event or just me sitting at a table drinking all their coffee. I’m still working out the details. All I can tell you is that starting at 3pm, maybe earlier, I’ll be at Borderlands Books in San Fransisco. I’ll probably have prints or at least papers and I’ll answer questions about The Life Engineered, Inkshares, why I think robots are awesome, I’ll tell the story of my car accident and why the top of my feet tickle all the time (the secret is nerve damage).

As I get more details I’ll send out more updates but I’ll also be Tweeting about it and posting to my writer’s Facebook page, so why don’t you follow me on these platforms?

Guys, gals, sentient machines masquerading as humans… there is some cool stuff down the pipes and I really want you to be involved.

 Cheers, JF

Hi everyone!

Normally, I wouldn't be so quick to churn out another update, but this is something exciting worth mentioning.

JF Dubeau and Paul Inman, who both host the Inkshares-centric podcast called WriteBrain, dropped some generous words about my novel. Thanks, guys!

If you click here, you can listen to the podcast. They discuss it around the 23-minute mark, but the whole podcast is worth listening to.

JF has a novel being published through Inkshares that will be on shelves (both virtual and physical) on March 1st called The Life Engineered. He is also currently funding another novel called A God in the Shed. I have loved everything I've read in both of these books, so they're worth checking out.

Paul also has a novel publishing through Inkshares called Ageless that will hit shelves on May 3rd. Just like JF, he's in the middle of another campaign to fund a novel called Motor City Chronicles. He's a very talented sci-fi/fantasy writer, so if you enjoy that genre, both are a great read.

In the podcast, they mention another novel called Disintegration by Steve Soldwedel. This guy is going the distance for 750, and he wrote a brilliant space fantasy novel in the vein of the Alien movies. It would be great to see him get funded.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- there is a lot of talent on Inkshares, so if you want to expand your horizons beyond The Inhabitants (after you've already pre-ordered it, of course), it's worth exploring what's out there.

Thanks for reading.

Have a great night, and happy dreaming!