Hello, all! 

This will just be a quick update. Life has been a bit of a roller coaster, so not much has progressed on the writing end of things... :/ 

However, my family and I are going on vacation next week so hopefully that'll refresh me! I'll also work on editing the first chapter and see if I can improve for my update next week! 

So happy new year! Thanks for following! See you next week... 💗

Dear supporters of California's Lost Gold,

Thank-you for your patience. I realize there hasn't been much development here recently. This project is very dear to me though and it will be brought back into focus in the near future.

For the moment though, I have had to shift my attention first and foremost to my other Inkshares project - The Last Machine in the Solar System - which is funding and competing in the Sword & Laser competition. 

There are only 10 days remaining in the contest and my novella is in 2nd place! Truly incredible support, as we've garnered over 230 followers and 180+ readers.

But the contest remains very close and I could really use your support over there. Please have a look at the story. Give it a read. And if possible, hit pre-order, and move me one step closer to publication!

Thanks so much, -Matthew

The creep to 300 continues!

Just this past weekend, Alicia Smock, a very talented writer for The Examiner, interviewed me about my book. About the stresses of its Inkshares campaign, about some of the secrets I'm still hiding within its world, and about how all the support you, my dear readers, have given me. Thank you so much. Please click here to read Ms. Smock's amazing article.

I wanted to work in how if it had not been for Mr. Zachary Tyler Linville putting me in contact with Ms. Smock, the whole thing wouldn't have happened. Zac is the author of Welcome to Deadland, winner of the Nerdist Collection Contest. There's a damn good reason he won, too. His book is first in a series, and if you're as big a Walking Dead fan as I am, you should make it a point to check out and pre-order his work. (That's right: ZOMBIES!)

There was one detail which Alicia and I tried to work in to the article, but was left clipped on the editing room floor. See near the end how she mentions only 'three human beings on the planet' know the secrets I'm hiding in "The Animal in Man"? Well, author Andy Ainsworth is one. His fantastic novel "These Old Bones" (buy it!) was one of the very first that ever sold me on how amazing the Inkshares platform could be for us authors, and he's since become the friend of mine who helped me find my own novel's great cover art.

Rick Heinz, who I pretty much consider my Mr. Miagi at this point (though he strives for Yoda), is mentioned. I want to thank Rick once more - because I can never do so enough - for pushing my hesitant *** into the Sword & Laser contest. He believed in me. Rick's next book - the sequel to his "Seventh Age: Dawn" - is already underway. Pre-order Dawn now so you can be prepared when Jack II (the cybernetic assassin I played in his game) makes his appearance in "Rise of Dystopia." (He better, Rick, or else!)

Thank you so much for following "The Animal in Man." We're going to win this thing. I know there are still plenty of followers out there reading this who have not committed to a full-on pre-order yet. There may be an attitude of 'Ah, Joe's already won this thing.' There may be a belief that I'm some arrogant king on a hundred-reader mountain. But neither is the case. I am still in need of your help, and I am simply humbled by all the support I've received thus far for "The Animal in Man." Once the story is done and the book's in your hands, you'll see why I believe in this project so passionately. I hope you'll join me, see the heart I pour into it, and help me get the book to you where it belongs.

Mugs Raffle!!  Want to see who won the cool Osoporto mugs?  Click the video!  But I will be contacting this person via email as well so I can get an address for shipping purposes.  Thanks all for participating.  There's still a Beagle Freedom Swag raffle so why not pre-order to get in on that, or order another copy if you already have.  Nothing wrong with that!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDmsOcvBKE0

We hit our 70 reader mark! It's time for another raffle!  Congrats to....

Penguinpowerster! You've just won a signed copy of Shadow of the Owl! So many exclamation points! I guess it's a Victor Borge kind of morning.

We are only 8 orders away from the next raffle, so let's get to 80 readers! 

Have a wonderful Tuesday,

Amanda

Hello everyone ! 

It's been a fantastic couple of weeks for The Children of the Forest, and despite some solid competition from many of the other entrants in the 2nd S&L contest, we've managed to hold onto one of the top 5 places! I've really enjoyed the entire process, and as we near the end of the contest it's still looking like a toss-up for 2nd 3rd 4th and 5th place. Looking ahead, we have one final fundraiser scheduled for the 10th, so all local followers and friends are invited to come out and support us with free food and drink as we attempt one final rally for the book. 

I'll be working on edits and some other stuff all day, and I'm hoping to have chapter 8 posted by the end of tonight. For all my followers that have yet to pre-order a copy, please consider jumping in and taking the plunge. There's currently more than 20,000 words from my book available to read, and your purchase enters you for a chance to win a $250.00 Amazon Gift Card (drawing to be held on January 15th)! 

Until next time ~