Dear friends and followers,

It’s been a while since my last update. As I’ve said, it’s mostly a waiting game right now. Things are beginning to move, however: Inkshares has me reading up on various works of writing theory and working together with a few other authors to share and learn from each other. This is in preparation for the developmental edit round, perhaps so we’ll understand better how stories work and be better able to handle the developmental edits. It seems like a lot of additional effort, but I guess it’s in the interest of putting out a quality product ... and, perhaps, to groom a stable of talent? Does that mean they want me to write a sequel?

You know you want me to.

I’ve also been busy with another writing project, for Choice of Games: that’s been taking up all my attention for the past several months. I just submitted the completed draft for that project yesterday; it’s very exciting, and I expect there will be a lot of developmental edits on that front as well.

Looking around (because I can now afford to be distracted again)  a couple of works here on Inkshares have definitely caught my interest.

First off, there’s "The Rise and Fall of Gods and Housewives", by Zachary Sergi. Apparently the ancient mythological gods are alive and well, incarnated as ... reality show housewives? If that premise doesn’t grab you, I don’t know what will. Sergi is also the author of the highly successful "Heroes Rise" series for Choice of Games, so this should be of additional interest to all those Interactive Fiction buffs among you.

And second, there’s "Lost in the Fog", by Michael Ostrowski. It’s a caper in which a down-on-his-luck journalist is recruited to steal a bunch of sculptures, only to have someone else beat him to it. And no, the people who recruited him don’t believe a word of it. I firmly believe that we need more madcap mystery capers in the world, and this promises to deliver.

For now, though, I’m going to sit back and relax. I see a lot of developmental editing in my near future, so I better grab my binge-marathons of "Masterchef" while I still can.

Hey Everybody! I hope this message finds you well. I want to share my latest piece for the International Bipolar Foundation, which covers some of the theoretical influences behind The Body of Chris. There are no real "answers" offered in my book (largely intentional), but this article might provide good direction for those interested in further exploration. 

"With bipolar disorder, particularly manic psychosis, there are often peak experiences of undeniable spiritual profundity, but the extent to which those insights are integrated will ultimately be the measure of their usefulness."

You can read the full article here: http://ibpf.org/blog/bipolar-order-discovering-spiritual-integration-through-transpersonal-psychology

I remain tremendously grateful for your support and the opportunities afforded through this chance to tell my story. If you know someone who may benefit, please forward this email to them. 

Best regards,

Chris

Hi all! Big news regarding Daughter of the Mara (here’s a hint: it involves Amazon). Check it out over on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/daughterofthemara

Dear Readerly Friends:

Here is a truly humbling and wonderful review of my memoir, "Nowhere Else I Want to Be".

It’s from Authors Talk About It, April 15, 2017. A 5-star review!

(Link to original article HERE.)

Nowhere Else I Want to Be is Carol Marsh’s heart-wrenching memoir of her time living and working at Miriam’s House in Washington, D.C. She founded Miriam’s House in 1996, as a place for homeless women suffering with AIDS and addiction to receive the care, shelter, and safety that they so desperately needed. In providing for these women, who came from backgrounds incredibly different than her own, Carol had to learn to face her own shortcomings: privilege, discrimination, poor leadership skills, and an overwhelming, yet often denied, desire to be liked. In doing so, she, along with the staff and residents of Miriam’s House, transformed it into a safe haven for victims of AIDS and their families, saving dozens of lives in more ways than one.  

In terms of content, Nowhere Else I Want to Be is certainly not the easiest book to read. It is rife with tragedy, from abandonment to parental neglect, devastating illness to inevitable death. It weighs on the heartstrings in a manner that most books cannot achieve, largely because the stories Carol Marsh shares are all real. These “characters,” who often seem larger than life in some respects, existed once, and now, do not. It’s an awful feeling, to fall in love with each quirky, lovable woman as Carol did, only to be forced to face their eventual demise. However, the tender tone in which each woman is described is admirable and honorable, shining a spotlight of love and acceptance on an otherwise horrific life. It’s devastating, but profound, in all the best ways.   

Nowhere Else I Want to Be is not a book easily defined, as it balances perfectly the qualities of humor, love, sadness, disdain, and acceptance, combined into one spectacular memoir. Carol Marsh takes her readers on the same journey she once walked, alongside society’s forgotten as they struggle to better themselves, contribute to communities who continuously reject them, and just survive, at any cost. It wasn’t, and still isn’t, easy, but it is forever worth it. Nowhere Else I Want to Be is a treasure as much as it is a tragedy, if for nothing else, for Carol’s bold, dignified, and honest approach to a truth best not left forgotten. 

Originally critiqued by a member of the Authors Talk About It team.

Hello All You Damn Dirty Apes!

Whoa! I know, too aggressive. I’ll try again. Hi Everybody! Hope you’re all doing great. I’m sending out a quick update to just let you know a few good things about this Business of Monkey’s book.

1. I did this:

I turned our bathroom into a recording booth, put a microphone in front of my face and read Monkey Business into it. I am currently editing that recording to turn it into something called an "audiobook." Which will be available to you soon. My plan, my hope, my dream is to give it to you for FREE if you purchased a physical copy of the book (or you’re willing to purchase one) OR... if you preorder my new book Black Cloud when it starts taking preorders.

There are still some technical issues to be worked out with all that but Inkshares is on my team and we’re going to make it happen. I think you guys will enjoy the audiobook. I know I really enjoyed making it.

2. Monkey Business is doing great!

• #1 Community Interest in Fiction on Inkshares, which is awesome!

• We’re up to 70 Reviews on Amazon.com (with a 4.8 out of 5 star rating.) If you would like to contribute your own review please do that right here, right now!

• In the Kindle book store, Action and Adventure category, Monkey Business has climbed as high as #406. Top 2%. Which is pretty awesome considering I have done no marketing whatsoever in the past couple months. Which I know makes me a huge slacker but it does reflect well on the book.

All of which is to say, Monkey Business is doing great and that’s thanks to all of you! Thank you for supporting this funny little book. Please stay in touch. Look forward to the audiobook and please go follow my new project Black Cloud which I hope to launch officially soon. In the meantime, read the sample chapters already on Inkshares. I think you will thoroughly enjoy them.

As the monkey always say... hang in there!

- Landon