Not only did we zoom past 100 likes today, but we also hit 25 preorders as well...which means a new chapter of Snipe Hunt is posted (and linked below)!

Thank you to everyone who has preordered already. If you haven’t yet, then a share on social media, some good word of mouth, or a blood sacrifice is still greatly appreciated!

Chapter 6: Morgan

Hello readers,

To my surprise and delight, Grimalkin rose to 3rd in its first week as an entrant in the 2018 Inkshares Horror Contest, but it’s down to 4th. I’d love your help in pushing it back into the top 3. To those of you who have already pre-ordered Grimalkin, thanks so much for your support. Also, Chapter 5 is now available to read and delves into the question of what’s scarier: mean girls or bloody squirrels?

https://www.inkshares.com/books/grimalkin

https://www.inkshares.com/books/grimalkin/book_segments/chapter-5-69b581

Remembrance Day, 11 November, is a week away now. I believe I mentioned last week that this will mark the 100th anniversary of the WW1 armistice. I don’t know if there’s much I could say in an update that hasn’t already been said better in an editorial, so here’s a picture from my last visit to Bristol:

This was taken in May this year. And that’s how it should be. Whatever we remember on 11 November, I hope we do not forget on 12 November.

For those of you who are in the Montreal area, I will be joining five other mystery writers next Saturday, 10 November, from 10am to 6pm, at the Chapters Pointe Claire (6321 Transcanadienne) for a day of readings, signings, Q&A, and general discussions of all things fictionally criminal. Come join us: Michael Kent, Katherine Prairie, Jim Napier, Barbara Fradkin, Robin Harlick, and me.

Meanwhile, on Inkshares news, consider checking out "Ruining Boise" and "Ripe for Execution", two very strong and dedicated contenders in the Mystery & Thriller contest. The first concerns a single father who turns to burglary in a desperate bid to keep his family going; a grim situation, yet I get the idea that it’ll be thoroughly laced with black humour. The second concerns the hunt for a terrorist who demands the reinstatement of the death penalty in the UK; check out the author’s reading of the first chapter, here, for a better idea of what it’s all about.

And finally, of course, is a reminder to check out "Cat’s Paw", my second novel, which is still in its Inkshares funding campaign. Your support is always appreciated. Thank you.

When I wrote my first draft of Snipe Hunt back in 2014, many of the characters were based on actual students I taught (and don’t get me started on how terrible that made me feel whenever someone died in the story).

Now that many of them are all grown up--and still keep in touch--they’ve helped me create some character bios, which I’ll be posting periodically on the Snipe Hunt Facebook page.

Click the link for our first one: Beth

Welcome to November. The days are noticeably shorter now, and the trees are beginning to shed their red and gold. Tomorrow is Guy Fawkes Day in the UK; a week from now, Remembrance Day or Veterans Day or Armistice Day, depending on where you are. And for writers, it’s National Novel Writing Month, embraced by many as a means of getting themselves in gear to get the first drafts of their story down on the page.

I’ve stepped away from my outlining and begun putting words on paper, too. I’ve learnt a lot since "A Gentleman’s Murder", and I expect the process now to go significantly more smoothly than before. I expect to see "Cat’s Paw" published by November 2019, if this contest works out. And whether the contest works out for me depends heavily on you.

I hope you’re telling your friends about this.

For me, though, it’s back to hitting the keyboard -- sometimes literally. The important thing, after all, is the creation of the story, and the plan is to make it all definitely worth your while.

Cheers,

- Christopher Huang