Happy New Year!  Hope you had a great holiday time and that you get a good start on whatever goals you set for yourself.

So, updates for you!  I completed the developmental edit and submitted it to the editor for round two.  It was a fun task that involved a lot of juggling and slashing and gnashing of teeth and many, many, many hours of Civilization 5 keeping my focused with its turn based system of game play:-)

Also, we've settled on a concept for the cover, taking the original version and blending it with an idea suggested by a reader that touched on themes the publisher felt were significant.  

Rise Concept Cover

My thanks to the Inkshares and Girl Friday teams as well as to the artist, Chris McElfresh, for the work and care they've given to see this project come even closer to fruition.  September will be here before you know it!

We aren't doing this in a vacuum.  All of us authors who are in development or production or who are already printed owe this community for the help and work each and every one does on their own projects.  We bring more eyes to this unique community with our successes and even our failures.  Taking the power of publication selection and giving it to you the reader is such a novel concept, pardon the pun, and I hope you take advantage of it to help expand Inkshares library of completed projects.  I, for one, am looking forward to an entire shelf of Inkshares books and that's saying something as my wife and I went digital a long time ago.  Be sure to check out all the funding projects, especially those competing in the Sword and Laser Sequel contest (https://www.inkshares.com/contests/the-sword-laser-collection-contest-the-sequel) as that competition ends in just over 10 days!

Onward and upward!

Happy Monday everyone!

I wanted to take a moment to give you a bit of a status report on DHM.  

1. Chapter One is finished, unexpectedly.  I had started writing scenes and realized, once I finished them, that they naturally ended our chapter on a great intriguing note.  It's available in its entirety on the Inkshares page, and I would love it if you read it and let me know what you think.  

2. To date, no one has figured out the DHM ARG.  We have a couple of people playing, but no one has crossed the finish line.  The clues start with the book trailer I posted a while back.  Will you be the first to finish the game and save Timble Ada?

3. Here's some general math on how the campaign is going: We are 2 orders away from our next raffle, 45 orders from fifth place, 92 orders from 2nd, and 182 orders from 250 -- which is my goal. The road is long, and the chances for winning dim, I have to be honest.  I felt really good seeing all the people who came on board this weekend - 10 orders in just two days! - until I saw that the other guys are getting dozens of orders per day. That knocks the winds out of my sails a bit, I must admit.

HOWEVER, there are 11 days, and I plan on working on this until January 16th. I also have a contingency in case this doesn't pan out, the Sword & Laser contest I mean. I believe in Deus Hex Machina, I see it being a successful book read by thousands of people.  I would like those thousands of people to read it with an Inkshares label on the back, but even if that does not happen, I will be working to make sure it is published properly.

You can help!

If you believe in this book as much as I do, there are things you can do to help.  You can share DHM on your own Inkshares updates, should you be an Inkshares author.  If anyone out there wants to work on a cross promotion with me, I would be more than happy to help.

Anyone who is on the fence, intending on ordering but hasn't yet, please make the plunge and order today. Isidore and Dax need your help.

Even if you are not an Inkshares author (or heck, even if you are), you can still help push DHM into the top three. All you have to do is reach out to three of your friends and ask them to order.  Send them to this Facebook post on instructions how to order the book for free. 

What I am doing:

I am continuing to write Chapter 2. This 366 days of writing is exhilerating. I should be getting to Dax soon. 

I am reaching out to everyone I know, something I did not do with Shadow of the Owl. That's how much I believe in this book -- I'm facing my social anxiety to ensure that DHM wins this contest. 

Phew, that was longer than I expected.  Guess it's not such a quick update after all!

Have a great Monday!