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 all!

Things are going great! 

I’m happy report that, thanks to your support, First on Mars is currently in fourth place in the contest! I’d like to thank the excellent Joanna Lynn Brosius Chaplin for leaving the first review! I take it as a huge compliment. 

First on Mars is facing some excellent competition, and there’s still one month left in the contest, so there’s a of work to do. You can help by recommending or leaving a review (there’s a banner on the bottom of the page while you’re reading the draft). You can also just highlight some text that you really like. I’m really excited about this project and I hope you are too. 

Lastly, if you’re new to Inkshares and looking for other books to order/pre-order, here are some to look at (I could list many more, but that’s it for now):

•  JF Dubeau’s book, "The Life Engineered",  
• Michael Haase, "The Madness of Mr. Butler"  
• Mike Mongo, "The Astronaut Instruction Manual", 
• Tabi Card, "Scribbles: A Collection of Words",  
• Kelsey R Barthel, "Beyond The Code",  

 Thanks again!

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

Pixilated Obsidian Roses has been accepted as a feature on the Lovecraft eZine. The eZine has a readership of over 200,000 people. This is a great opportunity for the project to reach a wider and more targeted audience.

Thanks to all of you who have supported the project or have chosen to follow me and see where things go. If you have yet to back us, please consider it. I promise you a compelling read.

Greetings Jackolytes,