Hello Ladies & Gents,

I know I don’t update like I should. It’s a character flaw I’m working on. I spend all my royalty money on therapy. I’ll get better

Here’s the news today! I just got final interior layout files from the absolutely awesomest people ever at Girl Friday Productions and the book looks great. Sexy even. Now all I have to do is send my final cover art over to Inkshares and this sh*t is on like Donkey Kong.

That will be happening today. As soon as I finish writing this update actually. So to celebrate I want to share something I found a couple days ago that I had forgotten existed. This is a sketch I drew almost 15 years ago while the idea for this book was floating around in my head.

I know it might not make a lot of sense since you guys haven’t read the book yet but I thought you might enjoy a little bit of what went on in my brain while I was thinking about this story.

Thank you all so much for following, for preordering, for supporting this book that I really hope brings you some joy this summer.

Thank you!   - Landon

The wheels are in motion...we are picking up momentum and I know you guys...you guys like to reach goals as much as I do. I want to tell y’all how appreciative I am of the overwhelming support. From old middle school friends, to neighbors, to past coworkers, to the mothers and fathers of old friends...the book is receiving support from all over the country! Let’s finish strong and get the word out to as many people as possible and give ourselves a real chance at reaching 750! At this point it is actually factual to say that if each person got just ONE other person to buy the book OR each person bought just ONE more book for a friend (two and you get your name in the book)... we would reach 750. I know we can do this and I am going to do my best to get you guys the BEST POSSIBLE VERSION OF THIS BOOK I CAN, but I will need your help!!

https://www.inkshares.com/books/not-afraid-of-the-fall

With nothing but love,

KJ

 Hello there wonderful followers. 

We have broke the 200 orders mark and you know what that means. We have another 50 Point Raffle!! WOOT WOOT!! Thank you all for your awesome support. You’re all the reason this campaign has climbed this far. Pat yourself on the back. Good job. 

Without further a due the winner of this 50 Point Raffle is...

  Paul Robinson!! Congratulations!! 

Your super soft Beyond the Code blanket will be making it’s way to you shortly. 

We only have 50 orders to go in 20 days. We can do this!! So please put your order in if you haven’t already. You’ll get your hands on a super cool action adventure novel, your name entered into the next 50 Point Raffle and good karma in helping someone’s dream come true.  

Hop on-board the Beyond the Code train and see what people are talking about. 

Kelsey Rae Barthel

Woot! Woot! We just hit 240 orders!  Thank you all for pushing it this far.  Why don’t we close the funding to Quill today...we only need 10 more orders to reach Quill and then I can focus on the editing and stop pestering you guys :)  You’ll gain more chances in the raffle and get the bonus script gift, so it’s all good.  

As an added bonus I’ll be sending another chapter to the final 10 pre-orderers...so let’s do this today and make it Quill sunday!  

Thank you in particular to both of the syndicates that have been singing my praises.  The Idiosyncraticate Syndicate  and The Thriller Night syndicate  why not join up with either or both of these fine establishments, they’re a great pair of organisations to have behind you if you want to get published.  Okay, back to editing and see you on the other side of the Quill border soon!  Hit HERE to pre-order LOUISIANA BLOOD.

So something happened overnight that I wasn’t expecting. We hit the light publishing goal. No matter what, this book is getting published, and I have you generous, handsome, intelligent, marvelous people to thank for it.

I can’t stop smiling.

On the writing front, I am one scene away from finishing chapter 5, and then I’ll send it out to all the backers. Isidore has left Ess-Dee behind, and next she’s heading into the heart of Oh-See, the house of mouse. It’s going to be a blast to write, especially as someone who used to work there.

I want you to know I won’t stop hustling on this project. I still have the Machina Crew rewards for those that refer people to buy the book. Those referrals might be easier now that it’s guaranteed that they will get their book in their hands. I still have 57 days to see if I can get this book fully funded.  But even if I don’t, the book you receive will be professionally edited, with a professional cover and all the love I have for Orange County poured into its pages.

Today though, no hustle. Just writing. Well, writing and smiling.

 Whoa! My fellow thinking beings, what a ride the last few weeks have been. 

In case you haven’t heard, my second book, A God in the Shed, on Inkshares has funded successfully and will be seeing publication in a few months. It’s pretty exciting stuff but unfortunately I have no time to dwell on it. What else is taking up my thoughts?

DragonCon is starting its own awards. I won’t bury the lead; I want to see The Life Engineered nominated. I mean, I’ll be happy if any Inkshares book gets a nomination but obviously I’d be deliriously happy if The Life Engineered got a nod in there. So this will fusion reaction powering my communications with you for the next little while: Let’s get Inkshares a Dragon Award. Have a look at the nomination page and please consider putting in The Life Engineered for the Science Fiction category. While you’re there, here are some suggestions for other categories if you feel like supporting the Inkshares platform:

• Fantasy: Asteroid Made of Dragons
  
• Horror: An Unattractive Vampire

Click here for the nomination page.

Next up: one of my friends is nearing the end of her funding campaign and she is so very close to her goal of 250 pre-orders. I know I’ve been asking a lot from you guys lately, but if you have a few credits rolling around or you’re just curious about her book, check out A.C. Baldwin’s The Traveller’s Cup. It’s a great book and A.C. is a tremendously promising author and a tireless artist. She deservers this.

Finally, while I’m still asking for favours, currently The Life Engineered is sitting at 80 reviews on Amazon.com. That’s awesome and I love to read the comments and critiques of readers. However, if I can get to 100 reviews, magical things start happening on Amazon. If you’ve read The Life Engineered and enjoyed it, consider leaving a review on Amazon. It helps me more than you can imagine and I’d love you forever.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go prep the funding campaign for Arch-Android.

JF

1500 COPIES
WE DID IT!!!! In fact, we killed it! It’s dead! We are over 1600 copies on our way to 1700. VAMPIRE PARTY!

  (When going to your snobby vampire blood tasting, swirl the blood in your glass and take in the full bouquet.)

DID YOU KNOW?
9 out of 10 hypothetical doctors say that leaving a review on Amazon makes you super cool. The last doctor is your dentist who keeps trying to give you adult braces. Don’t listen to her. Leave a review!

NEWS
An Unattractive Vampire was this months featured book pick of the Paranormal Shopping Network. I also did an interview with them on Twitter which I compiled into a handy little post here. Also, I will be a spotlighted author on the 125 Pages blog in September.

 Dragon Con is accepting nominations for their new awards and there is a push to get Inkshares authors into the mix. So head over and nominate An Unattractive Vampire in either the Fantasy (Paranormal) category or...Asteroid Made of Dragons in Fantasy and An Unattractive Vampire in Horror. Either way, be sure to nominate The Life Engineered in Science Fiction.

As for events:
Tonight

 Our Fair City is having a fundraiser at Headquarters in Chicago (2833 N. Sheffield) Come out, say hi, and support your favorite dystopian mad science audio drama featuring a wall of meat.

Saturday

Our Fair City (including me) will be doing a podcasting panel at the Columbia Geek Culture Gala at 2 PM. I will have postcards to hand out and fruit will be SMASHED!

Next Week:
I will be returning triumphantly(?) to my old Quad City stomping grounds to sign books for backers at Barley and Rye in Moline, IL. There will also be copies available for those who make a donation to Children’s Therapy Center. 

OTHER NEWS:

Big congrats to fellow Sword and Laserer J-F Dubea for hitting tha magic 750 preorder number for his second Inkshares book.

Remember: there are still lots of worthy books out there looking for love in all the right places (Inkshares). For example Lucky by RH Webster and the contestants for the Live Free or Die...Hard Science competition.

So that’s all for now.

Go forth and leave Amazon Reviews.
(I must be this guy...because I keep Harping on that.)