Tony Valdez liked an update for The Slave Prince
Every hero’s journey requires it. Every battle worth fighting is won with it. Every good deed is inspired by it. What is it? 

’Faith: Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.’ - Oxford Dictionaries (finally, a legit dictionary - web version).

What inspired The Slave Prince?

That’s the first question most people would ask. Strangely, I did not give it much thought until Angela reached out to me for the Geek & Sundry blog post. If you’ve not read the blog post, don’t worry. I’ve already answered the question above... and below:

Faith. 

Faith was my personal inspiration for The Slave Prince. And faith defines this book’s journey over the years. 

Many times, people associate faith with God or humanity. I’ve associated with both while writing this book. Adapting from a biblical story represented my faith in God, while incorporating magic and retelling an adventure of self-discovery was my faith in humanity... or should I say, faith in myself. 

It was through the years that I learned to be confident, to be brave, and to trust in the little skill that I have. I may not be the next J.K Rowling, but faith has kept me going. The Slave Prince may not make it to bookshelves, but faith keeps me believing. Faith exists beyond the realm of fiction. Faith exists in us. And as much as this book was inspired by faith, I hope it inspires faith too.

Should you be interested to read the blog post on the Top 10 Geek & Sundry Fantasy Contest Authors’ Inspirations, you can do so here: http://blog.inkshares.com/post/149465633850/top-10-authors-in-geek-sundry-fantasy-contest-on

Now, on to the important part: the ’Thank You’. As I wrap up this update, I’d like to say thank you to all 99 readers who have faith in me and my work. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for supporting me. And thank you for taking this journey with me. There are still 2 more months to go, but with faith, dreams can become a reality. And with you by my side, I know I won’t be walking alone.
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    Tony Valdez liked an update for Witherfist
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    Hello, readers!

    Almost 100 of you are now following the progress and story of Witherfist. Brilliant! As it stands, 33 copies have been ordered. That puts us well short of the contest top 10, though we have still got plenty of time to catch up.

    If just half of you pre-ordered, the book would be well on it’s way into the top of the contest top 10 - and, as a result, so much closer to being published. I know you’re all going to love the book; it just needs your support.  

    If you’re not sure about pre-ordering, please do get in touch, either here or on Twitter. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read so far, leaving a review would really help towards getting Witherfist in front of as many eyes as possible.

    I hope to be able to share chapter 3 with you this weekend. In the meanwhile, here’s another illustration of the pack-dragon featured in chapter 1, drawn by the fantastic Christin Gattuso.

    , 


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      Tony Valdez liked an update for Asteroid Made of Dragons

        Register for #DragonAwards here: http://tiny.cc/pd3zdy 

      I know. I know! You heard me the first time. And the second.

      But!

      Register for #DragonAwards here: http://tiny.cc/pd3zdy 

      I have no way of knowing how many people will vote for this thing - the 2016 Hugo for Best Fantasy Novel had 2903 voters - but that required membership (money) and, shall we say, there were some other factors in play there. This contest could have WAY more. Or WAY less. No one knows! But if all 614 of you voted - that seems like it could move the needle.

      Vote for me. And THE LIFE ENGINEERED and AN UNATTRACTIVE VAMPIRE if you want to share the love with the rest of the Sword & Laser shelf.

      And ...exhale. 

      There, this’ll be my last salvo on this! The window to register closes this weekend - so it’ll all be over soon and I can focus on what really matters at DragonCon: consuming alcohol responsibly and talking about Ravenloft.


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        Tony Valdez liked an update for Monkey Business

        I usually try to do very short updates that only really pertain to Monkey Business but today I wanted to write you about something completely different.

        If you have a few minutes to spare over the weekend, please, please, please consider voting for these fine novels in the DragonCon; Dragon Awards. These are all Inkshares, novels, they’re all freaking great and they all deserve to win.

        So here’s what you do. Go to this link and register to vote (takes about a minute.)

        Then go vote for the following awesome books!

         

        Asteroid Made of Dragons by G. Derek Adams is a supremely enjoyable mashup of sci fi and fantasy. I mean, this book has long dead ancient technologies in the same world as wild mages, dragons, knights, gnomes, half-dead pirates, goblins... and it’s funny. I really can’t say enough, this book is awesome.

        The Life Engineered by J.F. Dubeau is an beautifully realized exploration of artificial intelligence, civilization, and the implications of what it means to exist. If you’re a fan of smart science fiction, do yourself a favor and check this book out. Also if you just like robots this shit is rad.


        An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel is a wonderfully fun read that really turns some vampire tropes on their ear. Light-heated, fun reads are always a favorite of mine, if you feel the same way, you’ll really enjoy this book.

        That’s all folks. Please take a few minutes to do this for all of us who choose to publish at Inkshares. A win for any of us is a win for all of us. And a Dragon Award is a super cool thing to win.

        Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh and if you’re really bored, click here and leave a review of Monkey Business.

        Firm handshakes, kisses on the cheek and Top Gun style "feel the need for speed" high fives,

        - Landon

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          Tony Valdez followed Rattle Creek Road
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          Residents of a small, back-woods community start dropping like flies. All they have in common is a connection to Rattle Creek Road.
          Tony Valdez liked an update for The Traveller’s Cup

          What a delicious Friday, Space Crew. 

          I’ve got pre-orders slowly rolling in, and the sun is shining. I’ve made a new rule that I can’t be stressed on Friday, so it’s a pretty good day for a newsletter. 

          What’s Been Happening
          Still en route to 300. 12 orders to go for that theme song! In case you don’t like scrolling to the bottoms of things, I’m going to put the pre-order link right here. And right here. Look, this text is a link too. 

          Time is running out fast. I have a few tricks left up my sleeve, but no magic button to press. So please keep promoting this book to people’s faces. 

          What’s Coming
          First, I’m very excited to be attending Can-Con in a couple weeks. It’s a mega literary conference where I hope to learn a lot about what’s happening in the world of fantasy and sci-fi, and get better at this promo stuff. Networking opportunities are going to be good too. If you’re attending please hit me up on Twitter and we can grab a beer. 

          The Dragon Awards, for which voting is open to the public, are closing soon. I’m not nominated since my book has yet to be published, and because I’m not that cool, but a few Inkshares writers are, and some of my NaNoWriMo e-friends too. I’ll avoid plugging names here, but if you want to know which books and authors I think are excellent, hit me up.

          Weird and Dumb Things I Do Without Reasons
          I put up a new idea on Inkshares this week (???!!). It’s barely a thing yet, but if you’re into the horror genre, and like the vibes of 90s mystery slashers with supernatural undertones, this might be your thing. 
           

          It’s called Rattle Creek Road, and it’s about a community off an old wooded road that starts dropping like flies. As is customary in such communities, rumours spread quicker than fear, leading to all kinds of mass-hysteria. 

          Check out the intro on the book page if you’re into it. I would highly recommend reading it with a deep southern accent. 

          Your doodle of the day is me being cool as a cucumber. 


          Your Calm and Collected Space Cucumber,
          -AC

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