Hello, Mission 51 family!

It has been three quick months since you pushed Mission 51 into the top three of the Nerdist Sci-Fi Contest on Inkshares, guaranteeing its publication. I have taken this time to continue polishing the story before turning in the manuscript to the Inkshares editing gods. I have now come to realize that I might never be satisfied. I might always want to change this, delete that, embellish and refine, cut and paste, drag and drop, etc., etc., etc.

I had given myself this three-month limit for final polishing, and my time is up. Overall, I am happy with the story, so I am going to hand it in by the end of the week and get in line for the real editorial work. I fully anticipate making further changes as I work with Inkshares’ developmental editing team. I can’t tell you how exciting it is to be starting the process.

Along with the manuscript, I am to hand in my responses to an extensive questionnaire that will direct the Inkshares team on how to best approach my story, create a stunning book cover, and develop a successful marketing plan. It will be a long process, and I look forward to the hard work of putting it all together. I will keep you updated with progress reports from time to time.

Again, I want to thank you very much for this tremendous opportunity. It is only through your kind and generous support that Mission 51 will come into existence. I will never forget what you all have done for me!

Before I go, let me recommend four books that are currently in Inkshares contests, written by authors I greatly admire. They would certainly love your crowdfunding support. Please check them out!

In the prestigious Launch Pad Contest:

Susan K. Hamilton’s The Devil You Don’t https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-devil-you-don-t

TCC Edwards’ Far Flung.     https://www.inkshares.com/books/far-flung

In the Inkshares 2017 Horror Contest:

André Brun’s Arcadia.     https://www.inkshares.com/books/arcadia

M. Robert Randolph’s The Dark Mountain https://www.inkshares.com/books/wings-of-the-crallow

Thanks again! Peace and love to all!

~Ferd

Happy Monday everyone.  

Just wanted to let everyone know that after a bit of hyper-focus to the point of nearly blacking out, the BLUE WATER cover has been updated.  I think this is quite near what the final design will look like, but there’s always room for a couple tweaks here or there.  Seeing this makes it all feel pretty real. It’s getting closer and closer to our turn at the plate.

Whaddaya think, sirs?

 -Joseph

Greetings, adventurers!

This will likely be the last time you hear from me for a bit as I delve into all the material necessary to help bring Mushroom and Anchovy to life. There’s a lot of work to be done, so if I don’t update for awhile, that’s why. I assure you that you will find out information as I do, so please don’t worry! 

Thank you for bearing with me last week while I took a little step away. Here are the winners of the draw:

Congrats to PAULETTE DIOTTE! You have won the $50 Amazon gift card! And congratulations to VICTORIA MARTIN and CAPRICE FRANCIS, the two winners of the Hub City Survival ebooks. Hooray!

I’m "going on vacation" next week, which really means I’m taking a week long break from social media and work that isn’t 100% for me. I’m going on my bi-annual Unicorn Cave Writer’s Retreat next week, as well, to try and gather some new creative energy, hike in the woods, sit by the campfire, and more. 

In the meantime, please join me over at my blog and my Facebook page! I just released a new post: What’s next? This regards the future of my other projects.

Thanks again for reaching this goal with me, adventurers! If you wanted to preorder but missed the campaign, you’re still welcome to do so as the book will be accepting preorders up until its release.  

I may not talk to you all soon, but it’ll be as soon as I can.

May your adventures be fraught with wonder and just enough peril to keep them interesting,

K. M. Cooper

It’s September, Spring has begun in my neck of the world, and the percentage complete on my rewrite tracking continues to climb! 

I’m now halfway through the developmental edit rewrite of the second act of Human Resources, and it’s going well. I recently received detailed notes back from my editor for act one, and it was very encouraging; there were a lot of notes, but they were almost entirely at a very low level, suggesting we now have the structure and flow of act one working nicely. My current plan is to power through the rest of act two, hand it over, implement the fixes to act one while they read it, the jump into act three. 

It’s time I addressed the elephant lurking in the corner; I know you’re all wondering, “why is this update so late?” Rest assured I still care. The truth, one which totally sounds like a line, but it isn’t (I promise), is that I’ve been so caught up in the rewrite I almost forgot about the update. 

Welcome to those who have recently pre-ordered, thank you for joining the team that is helping make this book a reality. For everyone else, thank you for sticking with me — your patience will be rewarded. 

Robert.  

I forgot!! How could I…?!

A little over a month ago, I was featured on the Geek Questioner Podcast, Episode #66: Joseph Asphahani & The Replicant Vampire. (You simply CANNOT get a better title for a podcast, if you ask me.) I had a blast geeking out with host Charlie Hoover, covering my latest obsessions like getting to play Dungeons & Dragons after a decade-long hiatus, making ill-advised cosplay-like purchases of Blade Runner 2049 trenchcoats, and the glory that is the animated Castlevania series on Netflix. (Click here for a link to subscribe on their iTunes page.)

And of course, we discuss The Animal in Man a whole lot! Tune in for a teaser about how the story starts in what seems a typical Fantasy world, makes a hissing-grinding stop at Steampunk along the way, and ultimately rockets to the edge of the stratosphere as Sci-Fi.