Well, the Nerdist contest is over and I’m very happy for those who made it into the top three. Congratulations!

For the rest of us, the story doesn’t end here. Some have chosen to move on to other publishing options, while many have chosen to stick it out with Inkshares. I, for one, am going to stick it out for the remainder of my campaign and see if I can at least hit my Quill goal, if not more. I keep having this very positive feeling that things are going to move in a very good direction from here on out.

I have some friends who have their own podcasts and I will be plugging the book on both shows. I have passed out postcards all over Asheville and haven’t even hit the bookstores yet. I’m going to try and reconnect with some of the press outlets I reached out to a while back just to cover all my bases. 

If you were holding back on supporting me because of the contest (which I totally get), now’s the time to get your pre-order in! It would mean the world to me to at least see the book make it into Quill. It will open so many doors for me and I will be one step closer to realizing my dream of being a full-time writer. 

But, enough about me, don’t you all want to see how my quirky, retro-sci fi spy story turn out? Avalon, idyllic home of the human race has remained a neutral bastion for alien refugees escaping from across the galaxy. The Sons of Mars want to turn the system into a staging area to wage their own war for dominance. The fate of the galaxy all rests on the shoulders of a badass secret agent, a scientist completely out her element, a blue-skinned tech specialist and a somewhat obnoxious A.I. 

There’s still time to come along for the ride and make sure the "ride", as it were, becomes a reality for everyone to enjoy!

THANKS!

Jason

HAPPY PUBLISHING DAY!!!

 
(Yulric does not approve of my rudimentary photoshop skills.)

So at long last, the day I have worked toward for five years has arrived. Time to sit on my laurels and fall into a deep, contented sleep.

WRONG!!!

There’s still so much news and so much to do involved with this book for me and, if you’re willing, for you. 

First, tell everyone you know about the book! Word of mouth does wonders. If you have extra copies, give them to friends, neighbors, coworkers.If you don’t yet own a copy, you’re in luck! Goodreads is giving away 20 copies!  

Second, again, I implore everyone who reads the book to please, please, PLEASE go to Amazon and leave a review. It doesn’t have to be long or involved. You can simply write "Thumbs up" or "Thumbs down." However, if I get past 50 reviews my book will begin showing up in ads and algorithms so it is really important.

Third, good things...reviews! Interviews! So far things have been incredibly positive. Which is good, because I hate crying. Last night, I recorded a podcast with my fellow Inkshares writers J.F. Dubeau and Paul Inman so look for that soon over at Writebrain Podcast. And in two hours, I get to live the dream by appearing on the Sword and Laser. I’m excited. So...yay!

Fourth, lest we forget...there is going to be a party this Friday at Bucket O Blood Books and Records in Chicago. So if you happen to be in or around the city, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day (again) stop on by. 

And...finally? I don’t know. I’m too excited. I had a hundred things to say in this update and now I can’t remember them all. As one of many thank yous that you all deserve, it was suggested by J.F. that maybe I show a little of the behind the scenes work that went into the process. So here are some early markups of the An Unattractive Vampire cover:

Hold On, I’m Getting At Something

The backer copies of Asteroid Made of Dragons have all shipped and the wave is crashing down on the East Coast. By tonight – tomorrow maybe – they will have all arrived. My Facebook profile is awash with pictures – pictures of my friends with their copy, the copy they bought a year ago because I asked them to. Some have one, some have three, or five, or more. A gesture of love, of confidence, of faith and it wrecks me.

Writing is lonely. Being a human is lonely.

I don’t do well with moments of connection. Socially, sure. Joking, sure. But a real moment? Something important and true? Not my scene. We’re so unstable, the most unsuitable of symbols. How can I know the things I say are being received in the moment, in the blur of memory and sense and thinking of the next thing to say while half-hearing what you are saying now while also feeling the echoes of other versions of this conversation from before and beyond  on TV, in dreams, from splinter-blinks of fragmented now? I mean, how? Maybe it’s just me.

Being lonely is writing. A human is.

Hold On, I’m Getting At Something. This should be my coat of arms. I’ve written three books now (THREE!), and thousands of other words off in the Grand Margins.  And all in the service of this dimly perceived quest of discovery of meaning – of this THING I’m trying to say, but cannot express. Only glimpse the edges of as I travel forward and back in time. It’s hard to connect with humans – but with words, you have a puncher’s chance. This word connects to that, shapes form. Things stay where you put them. Mostly. Rime is Rime and Jonas is Jonas and Xenon loves graham crackers and Linus snores just a little bit. Now, on my desk is a red ball, the color of summer sunset and it is red, red, red. And it will stay red as long as I believe that it is red.

A lonely human is writing. Being.

So now – I see these pictures, I see these signs of love and faith. And all I can say is – do you see the ball on my desk? Is it red? Is it summer sunset or is it more of a cranberry? Why are you listening? Why are you picking up the signal? Why are you dreaming with me of the three moons that have no name and the Lost and the stupid, stupid power of friendship that keeps the dark at bay?

Being human is writing lonely.

Ah, the simple words. I’ve already said them – but they don’t land right. Thank you. Thank you. You thank, you are thanks. Thanks You. A tic, a nod, a thing we say to strangers and waiters and cats when they heed. An empty thing, not enough, a hollow gourd. A blob of ink at the end of emails and yammering sales pitches. Useless, sere, not enough. I pick up the pieces and slam them together, that’s all that I am, all that I do – all that I can do. With whatever art I have I try to say the Thing.

Lonely is being. Human is writing.

Thank you. You thank. You are thanks. Thanks are you.

Lonely human thanks you. You are writing.

Writing is you.

You are thank.

The ball is red and it is not so lonely. Thank you for coming so far with me.

I want to thank everyone for your support.  We came in on 8th.  I will keep writing the story and trust me, the story will be published one way or another :)

https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-9th-planet-5919?referral_code=22bb982a

About two hours remain in the Nerdist contest. This is it, guys. Though I’d be ecstatic to jump into third in that time, the realist in me is already onto our next steps (but go ahead and spam your friends in the name of space dragons). 

Tonight I’ll send a full newsletter with any news and what we can do to make sure The Traveller’s Cup succeeds. 

You guys have been the best space crew a captain could ask for, and one way or another this book is going to end up in your hands. 

Your Overbearing Overlord, 

-Captain AC

WE DID IT! We got the #1 spot in the Nerdist competition! 

Thank you all so much. The outpouring of support from you guys BLEW ME AWAY. To everyone who pre-ordered a copy (or three!), I just want to tell you again how much I truly appreciate it. If I had any human feelings left I might almost be moved, but as you know I got rid of those around 1998.

THANKS TO YOU, Champions of the Third Planet will be in your mailbox or your inbox or on Amazon or at your local bookstore later this year! I really can’t thank you guys enough.

Now everybody QUIET! I have to get back to writing...

--Chris