Erica.Curran liked an update for Human Resources

Happy Weekend (unless you are in the US, in which case I guess Happy Friday)!

I’ve been working hard at editing trying to prepare for the Launchpad Manuscript competition, for which entries close later this month. Two important details:

  1. If the manuscript is lucky enough to be shortlisted in the competition, then it will enter a crowdfunding competition in October (this is how the winners will be selected). 
  2. If it doesn’t get selected for the shortlist I none-the-less plan to launch the funding campaign before the end of the year - I’ll post more details once we are closer to the date.

Through this next period, while I focus on editing and preparing for the competition, my updates may be a little thinner on the ground.  The exciting news is this doesn’t mean I’ll be idle — I’ve negotiated with work to have reduced hours over the next couple months so I can dedicate significantly more time to my writing (something my amazing wife is supporting because she is the best)!

In the meantime, the Inkshares Fantasy contest is underway and you should all check out some of the excellent books in the running. I personally suggest looking at: Child of Secrets: If any of you enjoyed The Lies of Locke Lamora, check this out - an extremely promising fantasy thief romp.

Finally, I wanted to call your attention to Tantalus Depths - an epic sci-fi I’ve recommended before. Over the last week there have been issues with Inkshares discovering some purchasers have abused site mechanics, and as a result a number of pre-orders across Inkshares were cancelled. Unfortunately, through no fault of his, Evan Graham’s amazing book has been hit hard by this, losing a significant number of pre-orders. Thankfully, he still has enough for Quill publishing, but it must still be very frustrating. If you had previously pre-ordered Tantalus Depths - please make sure your pre-order still stands. If not, check out the book because it is worth your time!

Robert

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    Erica.Curran liked an update for Devil’s Call

    Hello again, readers!

    A few days ago, I wrote to let you all know I did not intend to ask for a campaign extension. Now I’m writing to let you all know someone out there believes in this project so hard, they worked their magic and convinced me to accept one anyway.

    My initial intention was to put Devil’s Call in a drawer and move onto my next project. Not query agents or self-publish on Amazon or something, but just let it go. Let me tell you real quick why, on second thought, I’m glad I didn’t.

    This year has been trying. As I mentioned in an update at the campaign’s commencement, this spring I experienced a severe, acute depressive episode that culminated in a suicide attempt, and I spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital as a result. I’m currently in outpatient treatment for alcohol dependence (39 days clean!) as well as generalized anxiety that worsened as a result of my not self-medicating anymore. Depression and alcoholism didn’t kill me, but they sure are eating up a lot of time that would have normally been allocated for promoting my ass off.

    That said, waiting for the "right" time to pursue this project isn’t an option, as life doesn’t give two licks whether I’m ready or not. Both the manuscript and I are improving day by day, and I want this book to make it to Quill not for my own gratification, but because so many people have helped it get this far, and I really feel as if Devil Call is Inkshares’ book.

    I can’t top that last gif, so I’m going to sign off with more heartfelt thanks and my standard "spread the word on Tweetface, it helps" message.

    Y’all are the best,
    J.

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      Erica.Curran liked an update for The Knightmares
      Hello my Knightmares!

      We broke 200! Yes we did! We are now only 46 pre-orders away from the magical 250 needed to make sure all of you get the product, this book, you paid for (if I fall short, you will get your money back), with 58 days left to fund. 

      Thank you to everyone who purchased a copy, and thank you to all of those who have tirelessly pushed to get others to buy this book. 

      This is the time, with less than 58 days to go in the funding process to buy that book for that friend of yours, to buy that book for your local library, to buy that extra book just because. Let’s break 250 early and get this project finalized!

      To all those watchers out there! The people who have been following my project without purchasing; PLEASE GRAB A COPY! Now is the time! 

      And as a reminder, if you get two people to buy THE KNIGHTMARES, you will receive a FREE T-Shirt.



      I was recently asked if I am still writing THE KNIGHTMARES, and I thought this was a good chance to tell everyone that not only is THE KNIGHTMARES completely finished, but I am almost done writing my second book’s first draft. My next book will be called Vexed, and it is a very different story. So keep an eye out for that when the time comes.


      BOOKS TO CHECK OUT:

      Squids In - By Matthew Poat - When the world’s best online gamer turns out to be an octopus, it’s not long before he goes missing...

      This book is under 40 days left to fund and has a little way to go. It’s a great concept, and Matthew has an additional book funding as well. He’s a talented guy and could use a boost.

      The 7th Age: Dystopia - By Rick Heinz - Magic returns. Companies brand it. New abilities can be yours for one small payment ...just sign on the dotted line.

      This book was just entered into the Geek and Sundry Fantasy contest. This is a long contest, and if you have some spare cash, throw it his way. It’s certainly worth the money. I’ve read some of his work, and it’s a fun ride through Urban Fantasy. Check it out!




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        Erica.Curran liked an update for Borehole Bazaar: A Vow Unbroken

        Nine days and about eight hours left!  Next race in the countdown!

         Trolls are related to the earth in strange, powerful ways.  They all possess an affinity for the shape and composition of solid materials.  They live in very small family units high in the mountains or deep in the recesses of canyons or calderas and do not reach the age of maturity until they are about thirty.  They never cease growing over their two hundred year lifespans, but most return home at about one hundred to sire and raise the next generations.  

        Ancient trolls actively seek out human mates because the resultant mutts are much better able to relate to other races.  Full trolls usually only interact with other races until they reach the age of seventy, soon after which point they become increasingly isolationist.  A troll’s territory is usually fairly small, only a few square miles, but even other trolls are not granted access unless the interloper is a female with young or, occasionally, a nubile human.

        Aesthetically, trolls usually have skin that moves as metamorphic stone, complete with intrusions foreign to the parent material.  While they can be cut and do bleed a dark purple with heavy granules, most blades have a hard time piercing their hide.  They are not the fastest race, they are not the cleverest, but they are often the strongest.  Many feature heavily in paid combat arenas, and when they take action in cities, they fiercely guard their blocks and interests.



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          Erica.Curran liked an update for Cape’s Side Bay

          Hello Cape’s Side Bayers!

          Here we go! One month left in the campaign, 146 orders until we reach 750. It has been a long exhausting road, and the light is finally visible at the end of the tunnel! 

          Hitting full-publishing is a close reality but not a given. Those of you that have pre-ordered already, thank you very much, but if you could recommend, share, insist on others that would be great. 

          The last month will be grueling, I believe we can get there, and I believe in this book and cannot wait for you all to get a chance to read it!

          https://www.inkshares.com/books/cape-s-side-bay

          That’s all for now. Thanks for taking the time to read it. I’m excited for what’s to come!

          James

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            Erica.Curran followed Rory Thomassen
            Rory Thomassen
            A weaver of tales. An architect of dreams. An avid reader and beholder of magic.
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            Erica.Curran liked an update for An Unattractive Vampire

            UPDATE!!!

            First and most importantly is a reminder that An Unattractive Vampire will be An Unattractive Audiobook at Audible.com starting the 23rd! So if you’re tired of physically reading the book with your eyes and would rather have it read TO you like you were some kind of Roman Emperor/Empress, lying on a couch being fanned and fed grapes, head on over to Audible and preorder it today! (Fans, couch, grapes, and Roman titles not included.)

            Next is the BIG NEWS!


            That’s right! There’s a new book contest, this time with Geek and Sundry, producers of pretty much most of the shows I watch, and I’ve decided to throw my hat into the ring with my second book currently entitled, Morose: A Comedy.
            The pitch: Death gets laid off at the end of the world.
            The synopsis: The End is nigh. Armageddon has come. And with the four horseman taking over soul-collecting duties from the children of Death, the tragedy-masked member of the Reaper family most dedicated to his work, Morose, has something he never expected to possess: time. If only he had any idea what to do with it.

            With the helpful prodding from his eternally irresponsible twin brother and vengeful, sometimes murder-god sister, not to mention those few humans who don’t immediately wet themselves in his presence, Morose will explore the most puzzling questions the mortal realm has to offer, like:
            why caves don’t count as shelter,
            why immortals shouldn’t be telemarketers,
            pinball, 
            proper wedding bouquet etiquette,
            the meaning of life,
            ...and his brother’s insistence that he buy a television screen at least seventy-two inches wide.

            However, Morose better find his answers soon, because the apocalypse is heating up and as the death toll rises, he might just be the only one who can stop it.

            In the tradition of Christopher Moore’s A Dirty Job and Terry Pratchett’s Reaper Man, Morose is a comic tale of life, Death, and the end of the world.

            If you’d like to view a sample chapter or pre-order the book, you can head over to the project page for Morose: A Comedy.

            A few of the contest details...
            This contest is a little different than the last. Instead of total number of books, its based on number of unique readers buying books. So rather than buying a book for each of your coworkers, cousins, neighbors, and goth nieces and nephews, I need you to convince your coworkers, cousins, neighbors, and goth nieces and nephews to buy THEIR OWN copy.

            The three books with the highest individual reader count by November 1st will be published by Inkshares and have the opportunity to be a part of GEEK AND SUNDRY! Have I mentioned how much I love Geek and Sundry? Let me count the ways.
            How about this picture of me with Felicia Day?

            Or this OTHER picture of me with Wil Wheaton while wearing a Tabletop t-shirt?

            Or maybe there’s the Critical Role fan fiction I wrote? 

            Yeah. I’m a fan. It would be a huge deal for me to be a part of their community. So what do you say? Let’s make Jim-erica Book Again!

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              Rory Thomassen followed Erica.Curran
              Erica.Curran
              An avid reader and lover of all things horror and geeky.
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              Erica.Curran liked an update for The Darkest Places

              Something evil stirs....



              Exciting announcements await ~ check this space soon for more details about the future of "The Darkest Places". 

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                Erica.Curran liked an update for Man’s Damnation - Lore of the Aos Sí

                Greetings Bards, Champions, Maidens, Lords, and Ladies! 

                First off I wanted to say WE ARE THERE! We’ve come down to the last 5,000 words or so and I’ll have finished the first draft! Secondly and more exciting! The Geek and Sundry Contest is upon us and runs until November 1st! 

                This time around, they are featuring a Fantasy theme and that is great news for this project. As I have previously informed you I was looking to finish the draft of Man’s Damnation by August 1st and I am happy to report that I am virtually done with the draft! Of course, I am still tinkering with a few chapters towards the end and probably will be for awhile, but I am happy with where this journey took me and my characters. 

                Before I jump head first into the competition which is sure to be stacked with amazing works, I wanted to get your opinion as readers and followers of the project. IS Man’s Damnation a story you want to read? Is it something you can get behind and support? Your opinions as always are important to me as you are the people who have followed its progress thus far. So in the words of one of the greatest fantasy characters of all time!

                I eagerly await your input!

                Cheers!

                Christopher Lee

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