Hi Readers! 
Rock of Ages’ campaign was set to end today but you all helped me do it a month early! Thank you for saving me this month of stress! It’s also my dad’s birthday. I know he would be really proud of what you all helped me do.

I’ve sent Inkshares my manuscript, a marketing brief, and a creative brief, so they have all the info they need to get started editing, marketing, and creating a cover for Rock of Ages. It’s all so exciting! They’re estimating the developmental editor will be able to look at my manuscript this summer. I’ll keep you all updated!

It has been five months since Murder Happens snatched first place in the final minutes from The Vampire and the Dragon in the 2017 Inkshares Horror Contest.

And now I feel compelled to post an update to all you wonderful supporters who I cajoled, bribed, threatened, blackmailed, extorted and wooed into supporting my book with a pre-order. 

Why now? 

Because the next finish line is very close and soon I will let go of the manuscript that is haunting my life. 

I am not a fast writer but I have attended to the story every day and sometimes it makes me laugh and I am amazed at the words I read and often times I worry that it is a big heaping pile of crap. 

The usual stuff.

A couple more passes through the draft and then I will review the Inkshares submission documents and send it off after my fellow Black Hats Writers Group editor reviews it and picks out the darlings I must kill.

Once submitted, I will take a break from writing although I do have another project posted on Inkshares. Better to use the time to create a marketing plan and begin executing it. 

Because executing is fun.

Hi everyone! I’m climbing out of the crazy-busyness that has been March. Here in Northeast Ohio, it’s still cold, but the sun has been out, thankfully. I am excited for real spring weather.

I wanted to let you all know that the manuscript is in! I turned it in last weekend after an inspiring retreat with some of my writing friends. I also read the fabulous YOUR BOOK, YOUR BRAND by Dana Kaye. Those of you who are authors must check it out. I’ve got lots of great ideas for publicity now!

But since we don’t have a release date yet - that’ll be the next update! For now, I’m working on my new manuscript, THE ENIGMA VARIATIONS, which follows three people in a small town after they receive a mysterious code in the mail. I’ll also post short stories for LOST MEMORIES as I finish them, but to be honest, I have been very into ENIGMA - I’m at about 20,000 words, and I hope to have a good first draft completed by this summer.

Well, I’m on my lunch break at work, so I had better get moving! Can’t wait to give you all more news :-)

March 26

Hello everyone!

Today I’m really excited to share two things with you: the new title of "The Devil You Don’t" and the cover art, done by the wonderful and talented Charlene Maguire!

The new title is "The Devil Inside." Not a tremendous change, but it more accurately hits on a recurring theme throughout the book. And the cover is...

Charlene was kind enough to give me an image designed to look like a real, honest-to-goodness book and I got all giddy over it.

We’ve still got a ways to go in the queue for the editor, but as new developments or milestones come up, I’ll let you know.

Best,
Susan

Hey folks, first of all a huge thanks for making Pilot X such a success. I am beyond thrilled by how many of you have read it and the fact that most of you liked it!

With that in mind I wanted to tip you off that a sequel to Pilot X is in the works. It’s called Trigor and picks up shortly after Pilot X leaves the Fringe Cascade.

To make the sequel happen though, I need the same thing I got for Pilot X, you’re overwhelming support.

So if you’re into a sequel and want to help make Trigor happen, check out the Trigor page here on Inkshares and pre-order a copy if you can!

https://www.inkshares.com/books/trigor

Thanks all! I raise my coffee to you in salute!

Tom

Hi, everybody!

Time for another update.

A couple of weeks ago, word came down from The Powers That Be that Matt Harry, the suave and debonair head of story development for Inkshares, would at last be turning his attention to the three books that won the Nerdist Sci-Fi Contest.

In a month or two I can expect to receive a document from Matt full of suggestions on how to make my story even better than it already is. In the meantime, I’ve swapped manuscripts with the other contest winners — Katherine Forrister, author of CURIO CITIZEN, and Ferd Crôtte, author of MISSION 51 — and over the next several months, these talented writers and I will be working with Matt to make sure our final manuscripts are the best they can possibly be.

Once developmental editing is done, whenever that may be, the book will presumably move on to copy editing, cover design, and production design.

I will, of course, keep you updated along the way.

As always, thank you so, so much for your continued patience and support. I can’t wait for you all to read AFTER DEATH. I promise the wait will be worth it!