What can I say?

In the past few weeks I've written so many variations on 'thank you' that I'm running out of ideas. Yet, it's today that it seems to be the most important time to express my gratitude. Today or tomorrow. I'm not sure. Either way, today's important. Today is the last day of the Sword & Laser Collection contest on Inkshares. To most of you all I can say is thank you again, as inadequate and insufficient as it may feel. You've all contributed to some degree or other, either by pre-ordering books or by helping me spread the word. It doesn't matter what you did; I owe you.

To those last few of you who are following the progress of this book, I want to also thank you. For your interest and curiosity but also for taking the time to read my newsletters. I also want to thank you for pre-ordering The Life Engineered as I'm sure you will within the next few hours, before the contest ends.

I leave you with a reminder that I'm working on a model of Koalemos, a favourite character from The Life Engineered. There will be 8 copies of this model. I'm putting a lot of effort into making these and I want one of you guys to have a copy. I'll be raffling off one of the models when they are done and if you think I'm kidding, look below for a shot of the work in progress. It's going along pretty well.

JF

(Here is again a drawing of the finished robot)

Good day gentle readers,

It's a strange balancing act that I do today as we are getting ever closer to the end of the Sword & Laser contest but also getting farther ahead in the campaign to get The Life Engineered published. On one hand I'm positively awash with gratitude for your support. I know it gets trite to repeat it so often, but there's something awesome about people actively standing behind my work. Thank you.

On the other hand, I come to you asking for more. Not more pre-orders. You guys have been incredibly generous already. I need you to spread the word and help me find more science fiction fans who would enjoy The Life Engineered.

I don't come to you empty handed however. I come bearing gifts and promises of things to come.

• First, I have an easier way to get 10$ credit to pre-order on Inkshares. If you click here, you'll get access to the Sword & Laser secret 10$ credit sign up page. Spread the word. This is a free book. Doesn't get any better then that.

• Also, I've made more phone wallpapers. This time of the robot I drew for my book trailer.

• If you like the robots I've been drawing, how would you like to get your very own, custom drawn and signed print of a Capek? At the end of the campaign, I'll randomly pick amongst my readers who've referred The Life Engineered and the lucky winner will get to collaborate with me on a drawing which I will print, sign and send his way.

• Not enough? On May 1st I will take a snapshot of those who have pre-ordered The Life Engineered. I always need beta readers and I will give you guys right of first refusal to become beta readers. Now, if that list becomes to big I might have to come up with a random draw to keep the list to a reasonable size.
  

 More to come as we enter the home stretch for the Sword & Laser contest. Again, thank you so much for your support. You folks are awesome and the reason why I write fiction that has a more positive spin on the future.

JF