I've gone through and updated the main page to reflect many of the changes coming to The Children of the Forest. If you haven't had the opportunity yet, check out the new Prologue chapter, read through the new summary, and let me know what you think! 

So the Nerdist contest has ended (congratulations to the winners!!), and I landed nowhere near the top. BUT THIS IS OKAY.

If not for this contest, what you have been supporting and following would still be an anxiety-riddled idea in my head, and a paragraph of dialogue or two on my computer. If not for your support and encouragement (and pre-orders!) I would not have realized that I CAN make my dream come true.

I am still walking the path of that dream. I am making it happen. YOU are making it happen. And this is where I ask you to continue in your support. Tell everyone you know, and help them become supporters too. I've got until the end of November to reach 750 copies pre-ordered, which will mean my book will be published electronically. I'd love to surpass that number, honestly. I'd love to reach 1000 pre-orders and make this book a living, solid thing to hold in your hand. I truly believe it can happen. 

I will be posting another excerpt from my book tomorrow, and in the days to come I'm going to get creative with my "marketing", as it were. There may be a video or two. There will be some character exploration and possibly some artistic renderings. I'm in the process of designing my own book cover as well. 

You don't get what you don't ask for.

I'm asking, and I'm receiving.

I did something fun today. I've been pretty off my game this week. Bad head & chest cold, lack of sleep, general rundown vibe and not feeling very creative. Although, I did take a break and go to Knott's Scary Farm the other night! Lots of fun, despite my nonstop phlegm fest. :)

Feeling crummy as I have, I just couldn't focus on writing, even when I actually had quiet time to sit and get it down. SO frustrating! So today I went back to my source. It's no secret that Dax Harrison is based off a film script I wrote. Yes, Dax was meant to be a good old-fashioned summer blockbuster. So much so that as I worked on crafting scenes, I would often imagine music from other films as part of the Dax soundtrack as inspiration.

I can't be the only one who does that, right? Heck, sometimes I hear epic soundtracks in my head while I'm just reading someone else's book. Personally, some pretty intense action tunes were playing in my head while reading Katniss fight her way through The Hunger Games, BEFORE the movies started coming out.

So to reinvigorate my writing vibes, and to share with anyone who's interested, here is the Dax Harrison unofficial soundtrack, made of co-opted music from other films, a TV show, and one terrific game series I just finished replaying. I also made a track listing with custom titles, just to give a few hints (but not too many) about how the story plays out. I hope it's just enough to make you say, "GAH! I can't wait to read it! I'm going to share this with 1000 people right now and tell them to pre-order!" ;)

DAX HARRISION Unofficial Soundtrack - (click to play on YouTube)
1. Prologue - The Battle of Feron
2. Ahead of Schedule
3. Schmoozing at Saleon
4. Enter The Pit
5. Central Station / The Alliance
6. The Gala / Mingling with Dignitaries
7. Escaping the Pit
8. Attack
9. Jump!
10. Rescue Op
11. A Little Traffic Ahead
12. Dax's Last Flight
13. Showdown
14. Truth
15. End Credits / Dax Theme

All, thank you for the support.
 'A Brave New Planet Manifesto' is a book I had originally decided to write under the pen name of the main character, but due to agreeing to the crowdfunding, I have to disclose my real identity. So, I shall from henceforth be changing things to accommodate this new opportunity.

I began this book as a personal spoof, but upon further work on it, I see the book finished, so I might as well get it out of me!

Blessings to all, and may all your books be prolific, help humanity, and add quality to your lives!

Okay! It's Saturday! Update time! We made it!!! THANK YOU!



"Well Rick, now that you've won the contest... what are you going to do now?"

Going to Disney World! (Seriously, going for Halloween. A much needed vacation). 

Many of you made this possible, and I have a lot of work to do in order to get you the best possible book. Thank you very much. I'm really excited for what comes next. Websites, faction stickers: Society of Deus, Unification, or Sons and Daughters? Banners to be made. Books to be finished. Tacos to be had. 

mmmmm... tacos. 

So, it's not over by any measure for me. I still have to keep working on getting this book out there. Just not in the fashion of a rabid squirrel. Everyone should take a moment to log into their Inkshare account and poke around. You can update notifications in the upper right as well to toggle how frequently updates come along. 

You can follow me on Twitter if you haven't @CrankyBolt. (Or here)

I'll keep my updates sparse to preserve the sanctity of your inbox, but I will let you know on events and happenings regarding the book. 

But for now: I begin the editing!

Attention readers, supporters, and followers! 

After careful deliberation, extensive and exhaustive feedback, brainstorming, and discussion, I have made the difficult (but necessary) decision to rework and extensively rewrite the opening section of my novel, The Children of the Forest. The first updated chapter, the prologue, is now live. This choice was not made lightly, but I felt that the book, while strong, needed some punching up in regards to flow, characterization, and most importantly, cohesion. 

Some  of the changes are minor, many are substantial, moving entire characters around, or else changing the arcs of several members of the main cast. My hope is for these changes to create a stronger narrative, and a more engaging opening for my world. If nothing else, anyone who previously read through my work might enjoy seeing the changes, as a chance to view the literary process as it unfolds. 

Even if you've already read through The Children of the Forest, please take a chance on the new opening. I believe it's much better, and I hope you'll agree. If you are one of my many followers who has yet to purchase a copy, please consider lending me your support through a pre-order (or five). I will post additional updates this week to go more in depth about my decision to rework parts of the novel, and I will also explain a little more regarding how much is changing, and how much is staying the same.

I look forward to posting further chapters this week, and hearing everyone's feedback regarding the updates! Thank you for supporting my work, and helping me craft the best experience I can! Have a great weekend everyone!