The first transport is away...

As promised, the manuscript is in. I still have to finish polishing up the summary that’s required for the editors, but everything that’s actually going to be content in the book has been handed over.

I think I might go watch that Game of Thrones finale again now...

Greetings Supporters of Crow’s Gambit! 

I’m past due to give an update and I’m getting some questions on the book, so today we’re doing a quick reset to get everyone on the same page. 

Did the book get published? Not yet. To get an automatic publishing deal we needed to finish in the top three of the Nerdist Sci-Fi Contest. We finished in a strong 5th place. And that was great, I am seriously proud of that accomplishment. 

Then what happens now? I’ve taken the option of trying to sell enough Pre-Orders to get a publishing deal anyway. While the contest was all about unique people ordering the goal is now about shear number of orders. If we can get to 250 the book gets a basic publishing deal. 

If you want people to Pre-Order why haven’t we heard from you? Well there’s this other thing called being a university professor. We just finished the first week of classes. The last two weeks of trying to resolve student and faculty issues has been chaos (I know some of you receiving this will understand). I’m also training to do a 100k (that’s 62 miles)…so there’s that little bit of insanity to deal with too. 

What has been happening with the book then? There are these things on Inkshares called Syndicates. Syndicates are groups of people that pool their money and support books focused on a common theme. During the summer Crow’s Gambit was selected as a pick by both the “Break the Bechdel with Strong Female Characters Syndicate” and the “Staff Syndicate”. This support really does mean a lot to me. 

So what do we need to do? As of today Crow’s Gambit has 178 Pre-Orders. We need 72 more to hit the Quill publishing goal. Tell your friends. Ask me for some book business cards to hand out. Post a Review of the book on Inkshares. Share the information with your friends on Facebook. Pledge to buy another copy if I finish the 100k? 

Anything else I should know? Yes. Don’t forget that part of the Crow’s Gambit proceeds will go to support the Le Sueur Public Library. For every order $1 will be donated. 

So there you go. Other questions, comments, or discussion on the book is always welcome. Stay tuned. 

PT 

I have a tendency to disappear sometimes. Actually, to escape. And at times escape so thoroughly that it’s like I can feel the whole Earth turning beneath me, forgetting it’s left me behind. ...but then I snap out of it, and I realize it’s really just my fault. I’ve been quiet a little too long. This reader update is long, long overdue.

As of this writing, The Animal in Man has sold 495 copies. As of months and months ago, that number was practically the same. I realized today I would very much like to see 500, and I’m asking all of those who have followed the novel recently to make a pre-order and help me achieve that goal. Of course, I’ve also been working on my sales pitch:

The Animal in Man is like Lord of the Flies, but instead of asking whether young men beguiled by the beast inside can ever be human again, the story asks if there’s something human already in every beast. Instead of stumbling, terrified, through a jungle of fear, they are born in a world of constant violence, perhaps designed that way by its creator. Are we so very different, I wonder. 

The original description I typed years ago when I first launched the inkshares page are still true, perhaps more than ever before: The Animal in Man “is our story. The story of mankind." But if words alone aren’t enough to earn your pre-order, then consider these images.

When you read The Animal in Man, what you’ll see first is this:

But it’s really all about this:

It’s about why anyone would ever think violence could be the answer. It’s about my belief that all of us at some point in our life have heard that whisper inside our hearts that says this it might just be. 

Is it?

Hello beloved supporters of Kill Creek!

It’s been a long trip, but we are quickly approaching the exit that will take you from the safety of the highway and down the shadowy road that leads to the Finch house.  So I wanted to give you an update on a HUGE milestone: the final draft of the manuscript has been turned in, and just yesterday it was laid out so it, you know, looks like a book.  I can’t tell you how thrilling it is to finally see my Word doc turned into an honest-to-God novel.  There’s still proofing to do, but the heavy lifting is done and Kill Creek will be available for purchase on-line and in bookstores this Halloween!  Holy crap, that’s like two months away.  Okay, take a breath.  Be cool.  Be cool.

In the meantime, I wanted to give you a sneak peak at the fully-formatted first page of the prologue.  Thanks again to those of you who pre-ordered and supported me in this endeavor, although I probably should have warned you: the entity that dwells in Kill Creek has a way of finding you, no matter where you are.  So if you feel fingers grazing the back of your neck when no one else is around, or you see something out of the corner of your eye, a twisted, lurking thing that creeps closer and closer, just remember that your copy of the book is coming soon.  Maybe you’ll find answers there.  Maybe you’ll discover a way to stop it.

Then again, maybe nothing can stop it.

Scott 

Hi Readers!

Why OF COURSE I have not forgotten you, how could I? Just wanted to shoot everyone a little update - we’re still in the production queue, with a few books ahead of Phantom Forest that were greenlit prior to mine. The queue looks to be moving ahead though, so once they’ve assigned me a copy editor we’ll be in the home stretch. What I’ve discovered throughout this process is that hybrid publishing often takes just as long as traditional publishing does, from final manuscript submission to seeing the work in stores! So I wanted to say thanks to all for your patience.

In the meantime: I know a lot of folks who pre-ordered the book work in Film/TV, and a few of you have asked for full reads. If you want to go about this process all officially and make an inquiry, feel feel to visit the book’s properties page: https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-phantom-forest/properties/wow 

Talk Soon!

Liz

Friends, Readers, and Sorcerers All,

Much has happened in the last month. We’re about six weeks away from publication, and the momentum is increasing. First, we’ve booked several more signing events in October. You can click on the links below to attend. It would be great to see as many of you in person as possible!

13 October, 2017 - Westlake, OH

14 October, 2017 - Oak Park, IL

18 October, 2017 - Redlands, CA

21 October, 2017 - Burbank, CA

30 October, 2017 - Pasadena, CA 

We will let you know as more events are added. If anyone knows people who work at bookstores, libraries, or middle schools, especially on the West Coast, please let us know. We’d love to set up as many events as possible to build buzz, and personal connections are incredibly helpful in such a crowded marketplace. 

Secondly, reviews have been coming in from early readers on Goodreads and NetGalley. Some highlights:

“Absolutely amazing! After reading this book, I didn’t want to put it down, even when I reached the last word.” (5 out of 5 stars)

“I could not put this book down … hopefully the author will expand on the universe.” (5 out of 5 stars)

“I loved the way the story was peppered with spells and footnotes…I can see this quickly becoming a cult classic and I hope this becomes a series with more volumes to follow!” (4 out of 5 stars)

“JK Rowling meets VE Schwab. Highly recommend!” (4 out of 5 stars)

It’s really humbling and awesome to see people we don’t know enjoying the book, especially since everyone involved worked so hard on it. And speaking of hard work…the final cover is FINISHED. I will be able to reveal that in about a week or so, but it looks really amazing and unique. My first thought when I saw it was, “If I found this in a bookstore when I was 10, it would have blown my mind.” 

And honestly, that’s my real hope with this book—that some kid I don’t know will pick it up and be as excited as I was to discover the Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Dark is Rising, or Harry Potter. (Not that I expect to sell anywhere near that many copies, I just want kids to enjoy it.) 

If you haven’t yet, please put Sorcery for Beginners on your wish lists at Amazon, Goodreads, Powell’s, Walmart, or wherever you buy books. It really helps us in terms of bookstore preorders. Thanks again for all the support, and we’ll have another update soon!

mh

I did it again, well for a second time.  Last year we finished fourth in the CrypTV Horror contest.

Arcadia is now back online, and accepting pre orders. Obviously you’ll want to order, click here

If you have already ordered Arcadia last year, you have received your refund by now.

Please place your order back ,

We are currently standing in the first place of the 2017 Horror contest.

Synopsis

A group of stranger’s insane visions has kept them together for years. But the real threat to their survival isn’t the heat of the jungle, the provisions that have turned to poison before they open them, or the wild animals roaming out there.

The real threat is whatever is out in the frigid darkness, stalking their move, snatching one of them at a time, leaving bodies mangled horribly or missing forever. Simone takes over the lead after the creature kills its original leader.

Drawing equally on her own magic strengths, and the mystical beliefs of the young woman they have rescued, Simone sets a course on foot out of the jungle and away from the insatiable beast. But every day the dwindling group becomes more deranged, until Simone begins to fear there is no escape from an ever-more-inconceivable nightmare.

Will they have the strength to face Suellita?

Promo Trailer

I have made a promo trailer for Arcadia, you can watch it here.

Stay tuned as I will put another chapter online soon, and I have other cool things I want to share with you in the next week update.

Thank you guys for all you support,