Hey, everyone!

Jason here with your weekly To Live and Die in Avalon update!

Editing is progressing quite well on the first draft which is slowly morphing into a more polished second draft. Initial feedback from my beta readers has been very positive and I’ve already cleaned up a lot of stuff myself. 

We’re at the 30-day mark and as I see the book taking shape toward a completed form I’m getting more and more excited to get it into your hands. The complete novel has eighteen chapters with only four of those (pre-revision) chapters up on the campaign page. There’s a lot more story out there and some really great stuff I can’t wait for you to read, but the book has to go into production before that can happen! If you feel that this is a book worth being published then please pre-order!

Those of you who have already pre-ordered have already shown your faith in the finished product and I can’t thank you enough. Please keep spreading the word! 

That’s all for this week. As I said last week, I’ve put the supplementary fiction series The Avalon Chronicler on hold while I dig into full on edit/second draft mode, but please, if you dig this kind of thing and want to see more of it, let me know!

Also, if you have a moment, please check out the draft of my next project:

https://www.inkshares.com/books/aurasong-blue-sword

As I get closer to finishing Avalon, you may see some more updates on that subsequent project!

Thanks and have a great week!

Jason

@atomicboywonder

split0@gmail.com

Well, unfortunately despite the boost from syndicate backing, we have not been able to reach our goal of 250 pre-orders by June 5th. We’ve come up 22 orders short of that lofty goal, so the free short story promotion won’t be offered at this time. I’ve decided to set that as a goal for the 300 order mark: Once we hit 300 orders (however long that takes) I’ll make my short story The Perspective Machine free for all for 5 days.

We’ve made a lot of good progress this weekend, and I do fully expect Tantalus Depths to reach the Quill goal some time this week. Don’t forget to show support in any way you’re able, either by bringing friends or family in to buy pre-orders or simply to spread the word on all social media platforms. Remember: this whole project can only succeed with your help.

Dear friends and followers,

I delivered the first cheque to Chez Doris on Wednesday, for $74. I was given a quick tour of the place. They do some good work there, providing meals and legal services to women who need it. $74 isn’t a lot, I’m embarrassed to say, but every dollar counts.

Things have been getting steadily crazier without my realising it. To everyone who has contacted me recently about anything, I apologise. I’ll make time somehow.

On the writing front: well, "Murder at the Veterans’ Club" is complete but for some minor editing, and I can set it aside to concentrate on other business. I’d have liked to move on to "Best Man for Murder", the sequel, but--some good news, actually--I’m working on something for Choice Of Games, and that’s taking up a good portion of my creative writing energy. And also some of my logic-coding energy. Don’t worry, though: a first draft for "Best Man for Murder" has in fact been completed, and what I should be working on there will actually be a complete rewrite--changing names, key plot elements, and maybe even whodunnit. What’s the point of a second draft if you don’t rethink everything, right?

(Those of you who’ve read the second chapter of "Murder at the Veterans’ Club", did you know that in the original first draft, the thing Benson had stashed away in his safe deposit box was a Gutenberg Bible? Fascinating little Macguffin, but it ended up making no sense.)

Also on the writing front, I am involved in this: "Too Many Controllers", a submission for the current Nerdist contest.

Now, what could a guy whose writing is mostly set in a video-free era possibly have to offer in anthology of video game stories, you must be wondering. Well ... all will be revealed in time. At the very least, follow the book to keep tabs on the news. Or better yet, pre-order a copy. It could be worth noting that this book will almost certainly see daylight before "Murder at the Veterans’ Club"; and short stories can so easily be thought of as little appetisers before the main course.

Until next week: have fun, and keep reading. (Seriously, crazy as things are, I wish I had time to read more.)

Squids In has been getting a lot of attention and recommendations this weekend. The octopus thinks I’m doing such a good job that he’s decided to leave me to it and is off to play the PS3 for the rest of the day...

Did I ever tell you great peoples how much I appreciate your support!!!!

I believe I did, but I can’t repeat it enough, or say it loud enough!!!

This ride keeps getting better and better and I could NOT have even gotten on it and moved one inch if not for my early Inkshares supporters who pre-ordered the book when it was nothing more than an idea, a hope, a dream and a promise that I didn’t know if I could keep! 

You took a chance on me with your hard earned dollars and I will forever be grateful and will NEVER let you forget it! If you joined up later on, I appreciate you folks too! 

I still need ALL of you to help keep this train moving and on track! We are a long way from the final destination and have a big Hill Climb is in front of us!

All kinds of cool stuff going on. We are on the verge of breaking the 1,000 copies sold or ordered barrier! Currently 982 books have been ordered and left the warehouse.
Let’s get that number to over 1,000 soon!

I have two appearances this month at Barnes & Noble stores! On June 18 at 12 noon EDT, I will be at the Salem, NH store and on June 26, I’ll be signing copies at the Nashua, NH location! Getting booked at Barnes & Noble stores is hard to do and it is a huge accomplishment for any author to get that level of recognition. Only a very small % of writers are granted these opportunities and I am so Grateful and humbled to be trusted with such close access to their customers. If you are in the area, stop by and say hello! Even if you already have a copy of my book.

Cool Contest Announcement! Guess my weight and win prizes! FREE to enter!

On Monday, June 6, I will start a "crash-diet." I will post a video diary every Monday on my FB Author page where I will weigh in.

Every week people can post guesses on what my weight be. The top Three closest guesses will win! If LOTS of people enter the contest, the value and number of prizes will increase!

So please participate and tell your friends and frienemies!

Here is the link to the contest: (click it or copy and paste it into your browser!

https://www.facebook.com/Richard-Saunders-141311636283611/

Hope to see you on Facebook!

p.s. still need reviews on Amazon!!!!

Greetings, loyal and steadfast patrons!

 We have wonderful tidings to share with you…   The Knight Proper, in all its meaty glory, will be available and in your hands by early August! As we get closer, we’ll give you an exact date so that you may load thy larder with enough mead to see you through those dark days until its release – but we’re talking soon, really soon!

 We have a few other exciting announcements to share, the first being that for So Cal residents, we’ll be having a book release/signing event (no mead allowed, sadly), more details coming soon and also, to prove that we REALLY know our Undead around here, here’s the newly-released trailer for Matt’s movie, Manhattan Undying! No knights sadly, a clear oversight on Matt’s part, but we hope you’ll understand.

  That’s all for now, friends, stay tuned!