Happy Friday, everyone. As promised, today I announce the winners of our various draws.

But first, allow me to re-emphasize that this campaign is not yet over. We do need to keep driving that pre-order total up! It’s been quiet since Monday ... too quiet.

Inkshares editors want to see that pre-order total continue to rise as they review the manuscript. Should Bane of All Things be chosen for publication, that pre-order revenue is used to offset the production/marketing/distribution costs, which allows Inkshares to pay me, the author, higher royalties than the industry norm once the book is out there. 

This campaign could not be where it is without each and every one of you. Many of you have exceeded my expectations by ordering five, six even 10 copies of BoAT. That might leave the rest of you wondering what on earth can one person do with more than copy of a book. The answer is easy – gift them.

Books make excellent gifts, especially signed by the author. Inkshares e-books make convenient gifts, too. When a title on Inkshares publishes, anyone whose pre-order includes ebooks will receive an email giving them the option to download the digital file in whatever format they prefer. This makes it easy to pass ebook copies on to friends and family.

Remember, if BoAT is chosen for publication, everyone who ordered two or more copies will get a signed souvenir poster. And I am thinking there will be something extra for everyone who has ordered five or more copies, too.

Now for the prize draws

DRAW #1 – $50 gift card: On Feb. 18, we were still looking to cross the 300 pre-order mark. I announced at the time that anyone who referred a new supporter between then and when we hit 301 (which happened on March 4) would be entered in the draw. And the winner is … Iris Cox!

Draw #2 – $50 gift card: I then announced another draw for existing supporters who pre-ordered additional copies between March 4 and March 17. And the winner is … Yves Beauchamp!   

Draw #3 – $50 gift card: Then came last weekend, with the clock ticking on what I expected to have been the final deadline for this campaign. I called on you all to help me drive past 400. Anyone who brought in a new supporter or ordered additional copies on or between May 30 and April 1 qualified for this draw. The response blew my expectations. And the winner is … Megan Alink!   

Draw #4 – Crossing 300 Pre-Orders: Back in February, I promised a draw for The Sword & The Skull artwork on canvas, signed by me and the artist, Dominic Bercier, should we cross 300 pre-orders. Anyone who had pre-ordered as of March 4 was entered into this draw. And the winner is … Sandra Markus!   

Draw #5 – Crossing 400 Pre-Orders: And I promised another draw should we pass 400, though I didn’t specify what the prize would be. Let’s go for another piece of artwork because you can’t keep a dead demigod or a sentient sword down. And the winner is … Debra Ford!   

Congratulations, all! I will be reaching out to our five winners to sort the details. 

Onward and upward! 

Cheers

Leo

This month’s update is a few days late because I wanted to wait until I could say I FINISHED THE REWRITE! 

That’s the second complete rewrite, for those keeping track. This one changed the whole book from first person to third, focused on the quality of prose, and added lots of historical detail. 

I’ve treated the last six months or so as a giant research project for the historical parts, reading, watching films, and interviewing people. The novel now stands at 115,416 words! The last draft was 90-something thousand, and the original manuscript I sent to Inkshares was 54k!

I’m letting the draft stand for a week before I go back and read the whole thing out loud to polish it and send it in. Please send me "take a break" vibes and also "don’t lose your mind while you’re waiting for feedback on this thing you’ve worked your ass off on for half a year" vibes. 

Thank you, as always, for your support!

Hey, folks. I have news!

It’s NOT bad news. On the other hand, it’s not quite the “Grace Above, that’s awesome!” news we have been hoping for.

But you could say I have unlocked the next level. Getting past 400 pre-orders has earned Bane of All Things a full read by Inkshares editors. The manuscript is now in their hands. I expect a decision before the end of the month.

As I have said before, earning publication with Inkshares is dependent now on the “combined score” of three different things:

·     Pre-orders to date

·     The state of the manuscript

·     Those other non-pre-order metrics Inkshares is tracking behind the scenes

Of these three, pre-orders is the only one we can obviously influence. I said over the weekend that I wouldn’t extend this campaign unless some new development justified it. Well, I’d say we got justified this afternoon. 

Inkshares editors are still watching that pre-order total. They do want to see it continue to rise. So long as the jury is out on the manuscript itself, it only makes sense to keep the campaign active with an extension.

You will see a 30-day extension appear on the campaign clock this evening. It’s not time to take the foot of the gas quite yet – helping push up that pre-order total still matters. Maybe now more than ever.

I thank you all for your patience and your support and humbly ask that you stick with me just a little while longer.

As promised, I will send the note out this coming Friday about the prize draws and winners.

Cheers

Leo

Good morning! No, this is not an April Fool’s joke. Thanks to Linda S., Ian G. and Peter B., we reached 401 pre-orders last night.

And here we are, the last day of the campaign. What will happen next? I don’t know. Nothing is certain. If you still intended to place another pre-order or nudge a friend or family member to do so, please do. The campaign ends this evening, so don’t wait!

As I said in my updates over the weekend, there will be an additional prize draw now that we have reached 400. And there will be an additional thank you souvenir for each and every one of you who pre-ordered two or more copies and/or referred someone else, if  Inkshares agrees to publish Bane of All Things.

That’s all for now. Fingers crossed!

Cheers

Leo

Hey book backers- 

The list of chapters in our final manuscript is now set. ’My Place Among Men’ grew from 15,000 words last spring to 50,000 words this spring. Heckuva growth spurt. All of those words are sandwiched in 34 chapters that are divided into three parts. Part I, Hiding, is about me growing up. Part II, Chasing, is me as a reporter. Part III, Finding, is me as a mom. That sounds like a lot of "me" but don’t worry, all three parts still put outside inside a book.

The final list of chapters is posted as ’Table of Contents’ in the read section of our project here: https://www.inkshares.com/books/my-place-among-men-0699d4

Sneak peak of final cover coming soon.

Your wordsmith,
Kris Millgate
Tight Line Media

Good morning, everyone! In the past 10 hours, we have shot past the 350 pre-order mark thanks to the support of old and new. A shout out to our new supporters: The TIE Ottawa crew (Bharat R., Sanjeev S., Kevin F. and Bernie F.), as well as Julian M., Greg M., Janet F., Jantine V., Cindy P., Ricky R., Samantha G. and Rosemary S.

This already-extended campaign is due to end this Friday evening -- the Ides of March, no less. Hopefully this date proves more auspicious for me than it did for Julius Caesar!

Achieving 356 pre-orders is an amazing milestone, but still not a guarantee that I will earn a contract offer from Inkshares. As I announced last week, Bane of All Things was Inkshares Staff Syndicate pick for February. I have also been asked about the state of my manuscript. These are both very good signs that have my fingers crossed.

Now more than ever I need your help to finish strong. Any and all last-minute support matters. I also want to give a shout out to existing supporters who have stepped up in recent days to pre-order additional copies or enlist others to the cause: Francis M., Ian G., Bryan Y., Howard C., Megan A., Yves B., Elle P. and Jacqui C.

If you haven’t already, please lend me your support with a pre-order. If you have a few dollars more to pre-order another ebook copy, please do. And if you have anyone in mind you could also recruit to the cause, now is the time. Those prize draws I promised last time are still pending!

This whole endeavour wouldn’t be anywhere without you. I am truly humbled by the support and encouragement you have all so graciously given.

Cheers

Leo Valiquette

Hey, folks, some fantastic news to share! The clue is in the screen capture above from my campaign page -- that sticker that reads "Syndicate Pick."

What does this mean? BoAT has been selected as the Staff Syndicate pick for February. It is a huge endorsement for which I am immensely grateful. A sincere thanks to fellow author Chip Colquhoun for putting BoAT forward for consideration. Check out his novel, Ripe for Execution. 

For those of you who don’t know what an Inkshares Syndicate is, this is a group of people who contribute $10 or $20 a month to a pool and then use that to back a title in funding each month with a gift basket of pre-orders. There are and have been many syndicates over the years, for fantasy, science fiction, stories with strong female characters and other themes. The Syndicate that has chosen BoAT as its February pick is the Staff Syndicate. This is, as the name suggests, led by Inkshares staff. Anyone can opt in, including other Inkshares authors. (I am part of this Syndicate myself and cast the deciding vote on the January Syndicate pick.)

What does earning this distinction mean for BoAT and this campaign? Frankly, I don’t know yet, but with only two days left, the answer to that question is going to come soon. So, as I said on Monday, help me finish strong -- keep those pre-orders coming by ordering another copy for a friend or family member, or even better, by prodding those friends or family members to pre-order their own.

And if you have followed BoAT but haven’t pre-ordered yet, please, take the plunge!

Cheers

Leo

Good morning, everyone. Just a quick heads up that only five days remain on the campaign for Bane of All Things. At present, we stand at 295 pre-orders. 

As I said in my previous update, Inkshares decides which titles in funding to publish based on campaign metrics beyond just pre-orders. Will driving past 300 pre-orders in the time that remains land me a publishing deal? It just might. 

So, if you have spoken with any friends or family who may have said "Yeah, I’ll check it out" but haven’t, now is the time to give them a sharp poke.

Also, many of you have followed Bane of All Things but have not pre-ordered. If you have any interest in doing so, now is the time.

It’s been quite a ride since October. Driving this campaign makes actually writing a book seem like a walk in the park. But one way or the other, the end is at hand. Thanks again for all your support and patience.

Happy reading.

Cheers

Leo

March 1! 
I’m on chapter 30 of 42, and I am SO EXCITED about Jane’s story. 
While much of Rock of Ages is a contemporary story, there are two other points of view. Cassidy’s mother, Paloma, meets her father in Prague just after the fall of communism. When she has trouble getting pregnant, the two move back to his hometown in West Virginia.

Cassidy’s grandmother, Jane, signs on as a Government Girl  and moves from WV to Washington DC, where she classifies fingerprints for the FBI during WWII. This is the part I’m rewriting now and it is so, so fun. I’ve been nerding out big time with the research, watching old films, reading old books, looking at old comics, listening to old music. I’m kind of obsessed right now with the time period and with the craft of historical fiction writing. It’s all making me feel really close to my grandma, which is bittersweet.

I’ll post the first chapter of Jane’s story on the Inkshares story page after sending this so you can take a look! Let me know what you think. I hope you’re as excited as I am!
I hope by this time next month I’ll be VERY close to finishing this draft.
Thank you, as always, for your support and encouragement!