Good day, Travellers! 

Time is going by fast. In just a few days the month of February will end and we’ll be entering March. The Nerdist contest closes on March 15. On that day the authors who’ve managed to hold a spot in the top 3 will have their books published. 

 I don’t know about you, but I want The Traveller’s Cup to be a part of that. 

I’ve been campaigning hard for this book, and I’ve started to get a lot of questions about overall theme and where I want to go with the story as a whole. While I must keep some of the mystery buried under lock and key, I thought I’d answer some FAQs here for you. 

1. Is The Traveller’s Cup a Standalone Novel or Part of a Series? 
The novel stands well on its own. Don’t get me wrong—I love to write sprawling complex series, but I don’t want to make you guys invest too much time to get a fulfilling story. There’s always a chance of the universe expanding. I mean it takes place in the depths of space, so there are a lot of places we could go. But right now I’m only focused on making this book the best it can be, with no plans for a direct sequel. 

2. What’s the Theme of The Traveller’s Cup? 
I don’t know if there’s a single theme, but I hope this story can open a few eyes to parallels in our own history about privilege and culture. I’ve had a lot of inspiration from historical events on our home planet, and it’s been interesting thinking about how similar mentalities would affect interplanetary settlers. 

3. Would I Like This Book? I Don’t Normally Go for Science Fiction or Fantasy. 
I hope so. My goal in writing his has been to make something approachable and engaging. There are planets and space and magic, but at the heart of it this book is an adventure story.     

If there’s anything else you want to know, just ask! I’m still selecting a sample chapter for you guys, which you’ll receive before the week is over. 

pew pew fire space lazer,
-AC

Happy Tuesday, Space Crew!

My spirits are high because you all are amazing. We’re holding steady in 7th place, and the orders keep trickling in. So let me remind you of what that means in regard to the whole Nerdist/Inkshares thing. 

This book won’t be published unless we kick it up to third. And for that, only pre-orders count. If you’re still on the fence about ordering, let me know what would change your mind. If you have ordered a copy, think about who else you could share this with. Maybe you have a geeky uncle or you hang around a hobby shop. I need help getting the word out. You guys are my space crew. 

This publishing deal makes me a pro author. Inkshares has a team of very capable people like any traditional publisher. If I hit my funding goal they’re going to make sure The Traveller’s Cup is a well-vetted piece of fiction. I’m doing my part now to make sure it gets into their hands, with support from all of you. 

And in other exciting news!

Another Nerdist article coming soon. If you liked the last piece on space opera inspirations, you’ll be glad to know I’ve been asked to participate in a new article. Stay tuned for details and links. 

New sample chapter coming this week. You guys have asked for more, so I think it’s only fair to give you another glimpse at what’s happening with Damaus. You can let me know if you’re enjoying getting the beginning of the story or if you’d rather see something from later on too. 

Thanks again for all of your support. 

Your affectionately indebted cap’n,
-AC

Good morning, local Travellers! And good [insert time of day] unto ye others. 

Reminder that in about 20 min (8:30 EST) I’ll be taking questions on Twitter with the hashtag #TheTravellersCup. I’ll be sticking around for about two hours to answer whatever I can about writing and the book in 140 chars or less. 

I foresee no greater pleasure than to exchange Tweets with you. 

Your coffee-fueled captain,

-AC

Merry Thursday! 

My spirits are soaring today, and it’s thanks to you. We jumped into 7th place overnight. I can’t thank you guys enough. Each vote counts. With all of you backing this book, it’s going to be unstoppable. If you still haven’t placed an order, why not help me bump it up to 6th today? 

I’m doing an AMA on Twitter tomorrow using the hashtag #TheTravellersCup. It will be from 8:30-10:30am EST. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions about the book and about me as a writer, which I’ll do my best to answer in 140 characters or less. Everyone who asks a question will be put in a draw to name a space dragon! 

In other news I’ve been working on a few sketches to depict some scenes and characters from the book. I get that you might want to leave that up to your imagination, but if you’re interested you can find a sketch of Westalyn Chi Soha here: http://bit.ly/21bj2Cf  

Thanks again for your continued support. I’m looking forward to taking your questions tomorrow!

From the distant realms of chaos,

-AC