Distant thunder seemed to roll off the peaks of Callos IV, muted under the heavy cloud cover that had been forming for the last several days. The thunder would be silent for minutes at a time, then five or six roiling echoes would sound down the steep canyon walls leading further back into the mountain fastness, sending the occasional small pebbles cascading down from further up the rocky slopes from the mile distant rumblings.
Must be at least eight main batteries up there hammering t. . .
“Patients,” Hans said, appearing from nowhere and startling the hell out of Dr. Robert Henry Lang. “They’re growing restless and debating whether to eat the cat.” The whippet-thin Hans was light on his feet and prone to sneaking up on Rob, who tried to pretend it didn’t bother him.
Rob dipped his fingertips in a washbowl to clean the morning sleepers from his eyes. “Bathroom. Coffee. Glasses. Then patients.”
Hans used a rag to scrub Rob’s face like a parent might with . . .
To all who backed me on the first day, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are just the best. If you know anyone who loves science-fiction, loves books, or loves to back projects, please send them over. This will not succeed without your passion and support.
Now that you've preordered the book, I will keep you up-to-date with the latest progress details, but I also have a wealth of ancillary photos and information to share as I go along. To save you from the mail blast, I have set up a Facebook page to contain this information. Like the page if you are hungry for more.
https://www.facebook.com/terzieva.writes
From here, I have several avenues to cross and I will determine how best to spend my time. Progress on the structural elements of Lost Generation continues, while the preorder campaign demands that content is produced to build and maintain momentum.
The deadline for the chapter outline nears and fleshing out the story beats and character motivations are priority number one. My primary barometer for success on Lost Generation is to create well-defined characters who live in a fantastic, yet believable world. A solid outline sets the blueprint to ensure smooth sailing as the chapters take shape. For the preorder campaign, I hope to polish more preview content and produce a simple video explaining my motivations and goals to be uploaded on the project page.
Thank you again for your support. Please feel free to comment, discuss, or ask questions on the project page.
Thank you. You inspire me to produce content worthy of your imaginations and your time.
He walked, head bent into the wind. The tail of his coat danced behind him as his collar clung to his throat. The images were seared into his mind. He had arrived at the apartment and found the door kicked in, the jamb splintered like so many toothpicks. He felt a weight in his hand. He had unholstered his gun by instinct. He slipped through the doorway and padded quietly down the hall. There was light in the living area but the shadows were off ki. . .
We've hit the 50% mark! With nearly a month left!
I just want to say thank you so much for backing. It's meant the world to me, and although updates have been pretty scarce so far, I definitely want your feedback and input on the book.
So for this first email, I want to know which chapter you want to read next! Most of the interviews are completed, so it's a matter of transcription and editing. Whichever company gets the most votes, I'll work on next. I'll also release a PDF to you before anyone else as soon as it's done.
Your options:
Click the link at the bottom of the email to add to the discussion!
Cheers,
Charlie
P.S. In case you missed it, I published some excerpts from the Zenefits interview on Medium: "Scaling Lessons From The Fastest Growing SaaS Company Ever"
Dearest Folks,
As of today, I’ve sold 1,108 books. There are 11 first edition copies left. There are just two things I wanted to mention before the second edition is air-dropped into the hands of rabid, screaming fans:
Book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads
I’ll be the first to admit: I’m not good at this. Reviewing books online is not something I’m accustomed to. BUT, for better or for worse, it makes a HUGE difference going forward. And since I created a Goodreads account, I’ve actually found that it’s a pretty awesome website (think of it as a digital library that evolves with you, reminds you of what you like, and provides great recommendations). The truth of the matter is: the more reviews I receive, the more readers I get. It’s that simple. So if you’ve read the book and have a few minutes to jump on Goodreads or swing over to Amazon to tell the world (and me) what you think, it really does make a huge difference (even if you just give me “stars”). Just as every backer counted towards the 232 who originally funded me, every review now counts in getting me to “the next step.” (Note: please be honest if you do review it … hearing actual opinions is the only way for me to improve as a writer).
(Secret double note: my twin brother, Aaron, and I are envisioning an artistic adventure, a twin tour extravaganza—a TWOUR if you will. Combining his blues/folk singer/songwriting skills, vocal harmonies, Slim and The Beast and my harmonicas, we’re hoping to travel around the U.S. and spread the brotherly love. But for this to happen, we need to gain more of a following. So pop on some tunes and write that Goodreads review—it’s a major help for the next step).
Inkshares Credit System
You may have noticed Inkshares’ new “credit system.” At its most basic level, you are being rewarded for funding a “best-seller” (we’ve sold over 1,000 copies, and that’s awesome). This is kind of like a “buy one get one free” system, except better: Inkshares is reinvesting book sales in readers. As far as I know, that’s unprecedented. So jump on your Inkshares account and bask in the glory of believing in humanity. Browse the website to see what tickles your toes ... I suggest you check out Yann Rousselot’s poetry collection, Dawn of the Algorithm, which includes beautiful, unique illustrations from around the world (Aaron was an illustrator, as was my girlfriend). Yann is one of my Parisian writers in arms. We met at a book swap. Call it romantic.
Alfred was tired. It had been a long, hard war, and though he had won it, he had barely rested since, knowing that the peace would not last long. For an English king, he had learned, it never did. There was always another war.
He had spent his entire reign defending his homeland and his faith against the hordes of Norse barbarians from across the sea. For nearly a century, they had been arriving in fleets of longships, raiding England’s coastline and laying s. . .
Hello, everyone –
We have lots of good news to report. We produced a book trailer last week, which has already created some buzz on Facebook. We wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it:
Book trailer for Blasted by Adversity: the Making of a Wounded Warrior
We also wanted to share this “hot off the press” review we
received last week from Brian Mockenhaupt. Brian is a widely published
freelance writer (Esquire, New York Times, The Atlantic) and also the editor of
the Journal of Military Experience. He served two tours in Iraq as an
infantryman with the 10th Mountain Division, so if anyone understands our book,
Brian does.
Here’s how he describes “Blasted”…
With humility that belies doggedness, Luke Murphy leads readers from the stress-fueled rhythms of a soldier at war, to the blast that took his leg and the long road home from the battlefield – and the unexpected places that journey has taken him. As America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan fade from public view, Blasted by Adversity reminds us that wars don't end when the shooting stops. —Brian Mockenhaupt, former Army infantryman and author of The Living and the Dead: War, Friendship, and the Battles that Never End.
We appreciate all of you – our faithful fans and backers for
the book – and we look forward to sharing
more success stories in the future.
Luke Murphy – www.LukeMurphy101.com
Julie Strauss Bettinger - www.JulieBettinger.com
Blasted
by Adversity: The Making of a Wounded Warrior
