Readers,

Hello readers! 

THANK YOU! 

Yesterday we were 5 away from 50% light-publishing and I asked for some help getting there and you did it! As of today we are just over the 50% light-publishing mark! It’s been a fun month with many more to come. 

Let’s keep the momentum up and the ball rolling and hit another milestone in this crazy process!

Thank you all who have pre-ordered, and recommended, and shared Cape’s Side Bay, you are all the best! And I’m not just saying that.

Thank you so much, you’ve made my Monday great!

- James

p.s

There are a few books that are in their final days of pre-orders that you should be sure to take a look at!

LOUISIANA BLOOD - A Chandler Travis and Duke  Lanoix mystery, by Mike Donald has 2 Days remaining.

Scribbles: A collection of words, by Tabi Card has 12 Days remaining.

Beyond the Code, by Kelsey Rae Barthel has 12 Day remaining.

There are of course a ton of great books to check out here (I could go on and on, but I’ll save that!), these are just a few that are coming to an end soon!

Dear friends and followers,

We are at 6 weeks in, with 223 orders. We’re very close to the 250 mark now; I have every confidence that we will cross it this month. Which means that at the end of the month, I will be writing my first cheque for a donation to Chez Doris! These people do good work, and of course if any of you wants to make a donation, you should feel free to do so.

The sooner we cross that line, and the further we go beyond, the better. And that’s going to take a bit of help from all of you. If each person could get a friend interested in picking up an order, we’d overshoot that 250 line by a mile and I’ll have a pretty sum to put on that cheque. I’ll also have to scramble to identify that second charity I want to add on at the 450 mark....

Anyway! Let’s see what’s-what on the bookshelves this week.

1) "Scribbles", by Tabi Card. This was among the first books I decided I wanted, once I began taking an active part on Inkshares. Short stories are really handy things, bite-sized pieces of fiction that you can consume on the go or when you otherwise don’t have a lot of time to commit; and I promise you, Ms Card knows how to turn a phrase. She doesn’t have a lot of time, though: 13 days to get 119 orders. It seems terribly daunting. Still, it’s happened before, at least twice in the past month, and it could happen again.

2) "Wings of the Pirate", by Eric H. Heisner. Pulp adventure! I admit I was on a bit of a pulp adventure kick once, and the attraction of the genre still lingers a bit. The story involves treasure-hunting in the south pacific while being chased by pirates. The opening paragraph implies a 1920s/1930s setting.  Also, the book has the word "pirate" in its title. Arr.

3) Have I never mentioned "Cape’s Side Bay", by James Rasile, before? Well, I’m mentioning it now. Like Mike Donald, Rasile hails from a film making background; and like JF Dubeau, he’s telling a story of something unearthly in an idyllic rural setting. It’s billed as science-fiction, because of the nature of that something unearthly, but I think it could fit just as comfortably into the horror niche. In any case, expect cinematic suspense.

Until next week, friends and followers: have fun, and keep reading.

Happy May readers! ...Is that a thing? Wishing people a happy month of May? Ugh, now I just reminded myself it’s the 1st and rent is due. Lame...

Anyway, a few bits of business:

First off, the book status. I am eagerly awaiting some detailed reviews/critiques from my test readers. Thus far, I’ve received a couple quick responses from people still in the process of reading, and the going trend seems to be "I have notes, but I’m loving it so far". So that’s nice. That’s very nice actually. I’m sure I will soon hear all the details regarding the parts of the book that could use some improvement. But in the meantime, feel free to join me as I do my own personal happy dance to the tune of this awesome end credits theme from Iron Man 3. I wonder what the credits music will sound like when Dax becomes a movie... (Hey, I can dream can’t I?)

And now, let me turn your attention for a moment to some other Inkshares projects that need your help!

Beyond the Code, by Kelsey Rae Barthel
This fantasy book has only 12 days left to fund and is just 34 pre-orders away! The story features a group of warriors with extraordinary powers, locked in a war against their corrupt former order and redeeming themselves on a path toward becoming true heroes. Deep-seated conspiracies and fast-paced action. Check it out!

The Amaranth Chronicles: Deviant Rising, by Alexander Barnes
I’m giving you the exact pitch on this one because it’s perfect: "A group of freedom fighters join forces with a cybernetic killer to escape a totalitarian government that wants them dead." This has sci-fi blockbuster written all over it. Just take a look at Alexander’s project page and you’ll see the amount of love put into this sci-fi universe. 52 orders away and only 5 days left!!!

To Live and Die in Avalon, by Jason Chestnut
This book has a bit more time to spare, but I’m sharing it anyway because it’s a personal favorite. It follows a spacefaring secret agent in a 60s-spy-film-meets-Buck-Rogers retro-futuristic setting. It’s a lady James Bond in space! What’s not to love? I believe Jason has been granted an extension from the Inkshares team, so the book currently has 66 days to go with 169 orders to fill. Make it happen!

That’s all for tonight. Until next time!

-Tony