Hello Friends:

I’ve been staring at this blank page for 45 minutes trying to figure out what to say. In the wake of the Orlando shooting, I keep going back and forth struggling to decide what is the right way to express my anger and hurt.

As a gay man and as the founder of the Write Out Loud Syndicate I think it is important to remind my readers and supporters that homophobia and transphobia continue to be a reality in our country. The LGBTQ community has won significant battles in the past years, but there are still plenty of people vulnerable to violence and discrimination.

I know that love and action are the answers. So I will focus my anger into action and fight the hateful rhetoric flooding the internet with love. This afternoon I will attend a vigil in memory of the victims. I encourage you to do the same in your area. Show your support; show that you are not afraid to stand next to the LGBTQ community. 

It is not the violence against us but our courage what define us.

In this link, there are other ways in which you can help.

Love

Ricardo

Greetings Destiny-followers,

I just got my first podcast mention! JF Dubeau and Paul Inman of WriteBrain fame have a chat about the Inkshares/Nerdist contest in general, their awesome book in particular (one that I have pre-ordered), as well as giving honorable mentions to Destiny Imperfect and another top read (and my closet competitor), SideScroller (a book I have also pre-ordered). Go and have a listen to their podcast!

And, if you haven’t already, take a look at Destiny Imperfect and see if it’s something you could pre-order. I could do with the help!

Cheers,

Peter

Dear friends and followers,

Today, 12 June, is day number 85 in the campaign. The suggested timeframe for a campaign is 90 days, which means that, had I not specified my timeframe, this thing would be over this coming Friday night / Saturday morning. At present, we are at 349 pre-orders, and you know what? It would be really nice to end Friday night at the halfway point of 375. That’s doable, right? If you know anyone who might be able to help, please encourage them to do so ... and if you’re still on the fence about ordering, I encourage you to come down on this side of it. The grass is greener here.

With the writing for "Murder at the Veterans’ Club" done and simmering on the back burner, I’m focussing more on my short story for "Too Many Controllers". How does a Wodehouse-inspired tale of a VR gaming companies, ruined castles, and stuffy aristocrats strike you? Well, if not Wodehouse, then at least Westlake ... that should give an idea of where I’m thinking of going with this.

With the Nerdist contest going on, I thought we might take a look at a couple of the other books in the contest:

1) "Reb1rth", by Xavier Auger-Mailhot. I remember reading one of Auger-Mailhot’s works, once upon a time: a very rough thing hot off the NaNoWriMo press. I remember thinking to myself as I went along, "my goodness but this reads like a video game". And now he’s written something that’s actually about the fusion of reality with video games, and I know he’s pushing his strengths on this one.

2) "Squids In", by Matthew Poat. An octopus gets hold of a controller and proceeds to dominate the video game circuit. Poat has some prime comedy material invested in this, and, from what I’ve seen, it is indeed hilarious. I get the impression that this is going to be a madcap caper with wacky hijinks in abundance, and I’m looking forward to see this book happen for real.

That’s it for this update. Until next week, have fun and keep reading. Cheers! And here’s hoping to hit that 375 milestone by Friday night!

It is with a very heavy heart that I write today’s Reader Update. As I’m sure many/most of you have seen, the worst mass shooting in US History took place in the early hours of today at Pulse, an LGBT nightclub, in Orlando, FL.

Orlando holds a huge chunk of my heart. It’s where I lived for six years, where I return several times a year, and the inspiration and setting of Welcome to Deadland. Orlando is still home to me. And as a member of the LGBT community, this attack has hit me to the core. I’ve been lucky enough to contact a vast majority of friends and people I consider family, and have confirmed their safety. This is something many friends and family inside and out of Orlando will not be able to say. 

Many of my readers are still living in and around Orlando. If you can, I urge you to find a nearby location to donate blood. It could save another life. If you can’t, a page has been set up to monetarily donate support to the victims of this hate-filled tragedy. I will also be donating 100% of my royalties from the upcoming week to help those that need it far more than I do. 

With love,

Zac

Hey Guys and Gals. If you have watched, read or heard any news this morning it’s a pretty depressing Sunday. Not really the best day to review a funny book but I wanted to thank those of you who got a review in yesterday so the Review-A-Thon continues.

If you feel like leaving a review today, you can do it here.

My heart goes out to everyone touched by the tragedy in Orlando this morning.

Friday update! That means its time for my first vlog! Which means it’s time for my first nightmare with editing and rendering problems galore...which means it’s more like an early Saturday update.
But whatever, here it is:
 

Also, in case I haven’t yet made it literally impossible to forget, please place your pre-order for Tantalus Depths if you haven’t already!

Race to 100 reviews on Amazon!

I even created a graphic for this sh*t so you know I’m serious! Right now we’re at 17 and we’re not stopping ’til 100 you dirty little monkeys!

LEAVE A REVIEW HERE!

Thank you guys for all the support! Get in there with those reviews! Remember you don’t have to write much, just a couple words an a couple stars will do!

XOXO    - Landon

Here is another fantastic rendering of an iconic image from Mission 51. In this scene, Petrus presents the finished ship, Janusia, to his son Mat. Artist Chris Pyke has captured it beautifully, a touching moment between father and son, the continuation of a painful goodbye. - Chris, all I can say is... Wow!!!