The writer’s room in my mind is informed by what I learn and experience, especially the things that really grab my attention and interest. For Princess Gail and me that surely includes birding. The month of May is marked by the spectacle of the yearly spring migration. This year we took two separate trips to catch it in two superb locations. It was a time-out from writing, but in the end these trips serve to fuel the creative fire!

Now I will be back at it with renewed energy!

Here is another tidbit for you, a beautiful Nashville Warbler we saw a few days ago at Magee Marsh in northwest Ohio, seen in the company of Princess Gail, my son Kevin and his wife Natalie. Life is good!  :-)

Well, I keep telling myself not to bother people, but another huge thing has happened...

I just finished up an interview with Alicia Smoke at Examiner.com! I’m going to be featured in an article on the website! As soon as I have the link I will let you know, so be on the look out for that. 

Right now we are 6 days ahead of the projection at 84 orders! That means in 8 days I’ve had 84 orders, and I’m like: So many people have ordered more than one copy, Billy, Jason, Johnathan, Joseph, Joseph again, and Leah! In the guest blog post http://apotheosisstudios.com/blog/2016/5/23/the-sleeping-man-guest-post-by-stephen-carigan I’ve used some of your names in supplemental history of the world. 

Thank you in advance and let’s keep this up! Keep sharing, keep recommending, and keep cornering people in the street and several implying something bad will happen to people if they don’t order, you know, the legally gray area! Just kidding, mostly.

Sweet dreams,

Stephen Carignan

Hi all,

A quick "just before the weekend" update:

My good friend Omer Sagiv, who’s an amazingly talented industrial/concept designer and artist (do yourself a favour and check out his stuff at http://www.omersagiv.com) has decided that the old book cover simply had to go. Even though I urged him not to (it is after-all temporary) he went ahead and designed a more "in the spirit of the novel" book cover. I personally think it turned out great - would love to hear your take on that.

By the way, this is not meant to take anything away from Dious’ gorgeous photo that will keep serving as the theme of the novel.

We are currently at 412 orders, which is an amazing number as such, but still about 10% below the optimal figure at this stage. I’ll take the opportunity and thank Auntie Ilana, who joined our forces and started actively finding me readers.
Do you have what it takes to refer readers too? top referrers will get a prize (which admittedly I don’t know what it will be yet - but it will have something to do with the novel).

In case you forgot, the next 38 orders will grant you a place in the raffle of a character named after you!!
Furthermore, if you haven’t already checked James Rasile’s excellent novel Cape’s Side Bay and Brian Fitzpatrick’s ingenious Mechcraft, then you are missing out! Both (not)incidentally are top guys that are actively helping me find readers.

I’ll part with the best weekend wishes, and the usual "this is a great day to order a Spymaster and be part of the patron list inside the book" greeting.

All the best,

Joni D.

Hi guys, I know its been a while, but those edits take a toll on you and after a while, you just kind of fall into a rhythm and it’s write and delete and make the tough choiuce of how to rearrange everything.  Thankfully, that’s a really good process and the results can’t be beat.I just upoaded a brand new edited Chapter 2   and it’s vastly different than what was there before.  One of the things we’ve had to do (my editor and myself) is add new scenes and elements and address certain introductions and actual character descriptions (can you imagine it? Shocking I know!).  I’d love to hear your feedback on the edited chapter, so let it fly. 

I hope you guys are ready for the weekend, I know I am! This week has been crazy, between getting stuff ready for the guest blog post and being interviewed for the Examiner.com, I’m going to sleeping the long weekend away. Oh, wait, I have a five year old, nevermind. 

We’re at 97 orders and still above the line! I’m really curious about the person that apparently pre-ordered from the middle of the ocean, do you need help? Should we send someone? I’ll send some people with the book, hang in there. 

Support for this has been amazing and I can’t thank you guys enough. We’re going to make this happen. 

Lastly, The Sleeping Man now has a website! www.TheSleepingMan.com I’m going to start doing some of the world building background stuff to enhance the online reading experience of The Sleeping Man, and as you guys are harassing people on the street (yes) it’s easy for them to find and links are there for Inkshares, etc.

Thanks again, enjoy the weekend and we definitely have enough readers to get publish so pre-order, refer, and order again! Thanks!

Sweet Dreams, 

Stephen Carignan

Hey.

https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-test