Dear Machiners! 

A good Monday evening to you! We have a number of important items to address, so I will get right to it. 

First, I have been blown away by the continued response for The Last Machine in the Solar System following the Sword & Laser contest. Just this week we blew past 400 pre-orders for the novella. And there are now over 500 people following the book’s progress. So thank you all so much! With the support of the teams at Inkshares and Girl Friday Productions, I am 100% confident that we are going to produce a stellar book, with a great story and beautiful illustrations that you’re going to love. 

Toward that end, we have received a preliminary publication date from Inkshares of February 7, 2017. This is huge! I know it seems far away. But I remind myself that quality takes time and we want this to be just right. Nine months is going to fly, and that time will be well used as we ensure the story and interior design is perfect, the back and front covers shine, and we prepare and execute a promotional marketing campaign that sets us up to reach as wide an audience as possible come February. 

A couple of excited upcoming dates: I expect to receive feedback from the developmental editor on May 17th. Then on 5/26, I’ll receive the initial cover designs. 

I’m incredibly excited to see the three possible cover designs and share them with you. Our cover designer is Dan Stiles. His work is fantastic. You may have seen his handiwork before on book covers or band posters. He is also the artist for Dracula v. Hitler on Inkshares. You can check out his art here. 

FREE INKSHARES MONEY 

If you supported me during the contest, Inksharems sent you $10 in free credits last week on May the Fourth (insert Star Wars joke here, yada yoda yoda...). So, check your email! Claim your credits and get something fun to read from Inkshares. 

There are tons of great books to support - some of which have been published, while others are still in need of support to make the threshold for publication. Simply claiming your free credits and spending them can help make an author’s dreams come true, just as you did for me. 

To claim your credits: Click on the green CLAIM button in the e-mail Inkshares sent on May 4. If you deleted the email, never fear! Just log into your Inkshares account, then click on "credits" in the top right corner; click the button to get the e-mail re-sent. 

On Inkshares $10 can go a long way. For books still funding, that can be 1 ebook or 1/2 a paperback - regardless, it is one vote toward publication. For books that are already or will be published, prices start as low as $3.99 for an ebook and $11.99 for paperbacks. 

Here are couple of suggestions on what to support: 

This is the last week of the Hard Science themed contest on Inkshares sponsored by Geek & Sundry. There are many awesome projects and as we well know, the last week is when things really start heating up. So you’re support for any of these books can help shoot them up the standings toward publication. 

Last week my new SciFi syndicate supported The Amaranth Chronicles: Deviant Rising by Alexander Barnes and Christopher Preiman. The book is sitting 30 pre-orders shy of qualifying for Quill publication. Your support could make a big difference!

That’s all for now, but there’s much more excitement to come - and soon! 

Until next time, 

 -Matt

So Geek N Sundry is running a contest related to Hard Science, and there is one week left in this contest. While everyone knows I’m a rabid occult fan, I grew up wanted to be a Dinosaur Scientist! (That’s the technical term I used btw). There is a book in the contest called "We Clocked The T-Rex." by Ronald D Valle. It’s about using CRISPR gene editing to engage in the first DE-Extinction event to save the world from climate change. It involves a T-Rex. 

If you want to add to the stress levels of every author in the contest. Go here and check out his book: https://www.inkshares.com/books/we-clocked-the-t-rex?referral_code=ea707ed3

He’s currently in 4th place, and the top 3 win. I like seeing these contests have some momentum behind them and competition is a good thing. 

Speaking of saving the world... but using Magic.

The Seventh Age was inspired from many sources, and truth is pretty damn strange. If you don’t know about Jack Parsons from the Jet Propulsion Lab, he was a known practitioner of Thelma and a fan of the Ordo Templi Orientus by Aleister Crowley. While Jack Parsons would become an integral figure to the future of space exploration, there are many accounts of occult parties and rituals conducted at his home to bring supernatural entities into this world. 

In real life. 

My setting of the Seventh Age uses true stories and occult organizations like this. In my updates, I’m going to start revealing the awesome and occult organizations that exist in the real world that inspired me. In honor of the Hard Science contest... Jack Parsons is a dedicated scientist with both feet firmly in the occult. Neat!

In other fun news. 

This is Jameson Stone (Author of Runes of the Apprentice), Alexander Barnes (Co-Author of The Amaranth Chronicles, Myself representing "The Metal", and Joseph Asphahani (Author of The Animal in Man). We met up last night at The Bottom Lounge in Chicago when people were in town. We did what authors do: We drank. It was fun. More people should meet up. 

Now, I’m off to join Team Iron Man and actually go see this Civil War movie :). I know this update is more of a blog post, but I haven’t done one like this before and if you kinda like it, let me know!

PM Me, Email Me: CrankyBolt@gmail.com, Twitter: @CrankyBolt, Facebook: /CrankyBolt. Any game server out there: CrankyBolt. 

Notice the theme?

And a grand hello to all my wonderful followers. We have news. Get comfortable cause this is going to be a long one. 

First of all let’s have the super awesome news. WE’VE DONE IT!! WE’VE MADE QUILL!! THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN!! It’s hard to really express how I’m feeling right now. This is the first full length book I’ve dedicated myself to writing and to see it go so far is nothing less than amazing. But it didn’t make it there on it’s own. It’s because of all of you that my dream is going to become a reality. There are a hand full of amazing people that I want to give a shout out to. They are truly awesome. 

Joni Dee, author of And the Wolf Shall Dwell

Andre Brun, Author of Lies and Deception

Brian Fitzpatrick, author of Mechcraft

Tabi Craft, author of Scribbles

Alexander Barnes, author of The Amaranth Chronicles: Deviant Rising

These fantastic people really made the difference in the last stretch and I can’t thank them enough. You’re all a treasure. I really mean it. 

On to other things. Now that we have hit 250 that means it’s time for another 50 Point RAFFLE!!!! And the winner is...

  Mike Donald!!! You’re the winner to the 50 Point Raffle Quill Edition!! I don’t know what makes this one more special but I’ll think of something. I’ll be contacting you to get your info so I can send your super soft Beyond the Code blanket. 

Thank you all for everything. This whole experience had taught me so much, made me grow as a person, and has brought me alot of great friends. 

QUILL!!!!!!