Readers! Great news. Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside has been selected as a finalist in Foreword Reviews’ INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards. I’m pretty excited, as this is the first competition I’ve heard back from. A panel of over 130 librarians and booksellers will determine the winners and announce them in June, so this should give the book a little bump in exposure. It would be awesome if you could help me spread the word!

I’ll be giving a reading at the Boston Public Library on Thursday, April 7th, at 6pm. I’d love to see you there if you’re around—feel free to invite friends. Copies of the book are available at Brookline Booksmith and Harvard Book Store if you know anyone who’d be interested in checking it out beforehand.

I’m almost at 50 reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. If you’ve read the novel but yet to post a review, please consider doing so? Thanks! Really appreciate your continued support.

Quincy

Wow, guys! Wow, wow, wow. 

Would you believe we went up 10 pre-orders in a day? I knew you could make it happen. So as promised, by tomorrow you’ll have a brand new sample chapter! 

The level of encouragement I’m seeing from you all is astounding. It reminds me why I started this book in the first place: to reach people like you with a wacky idea for a space opera. 

Now for the important news...

This is officially the last week of the Nerdist Space Opera Contest! Next Tuesday the contest will close, and that means that whichever authors have books in the top three will be set up with a publication deal. 

If we aren’t there it means we’ll have to work a lot harder in the future to make sure this book sees the light of day. I don’t know about you guys, but I’d rather finish this now so I can make sure the book goes to market in this collection.

Again, this is referral week! I’ll reiterate what that means for the newcomers and folks who don’t read the bottoms of every email:

If you refer three people to pre-order this week you’ll get: 

•  A signed first-edition draft version of the book complete with random scribbles of frustration
  
  
• A collection of sketches of characters and setting, 10 in total, as a bound art-book
  
  
• A pack of 10 Traveller’s Cup bookmarks

• A custom Traveller’s Cup mug so you can enjoy your hot caffeinated beverage of choice with your new book

All of these items will be delivered physically to you after the release date, complete with a spacey thank you note. If you refer by word of mouth, that counts too. Just send me an email or message telling me how you know the person. 

So with that out of the way, I again want to say a space-sized thank you to you. You belong in this crew because of your dedication to our mission: to make more space books and send them to the worlds beyond. 

Your Overworked But Determined Space Captain Whose Blood is Now Caffeine,
-AC

Dear Readers,