
Righto! Sales have slowed. So much infact that no additional orders have been received in the 10 days since my last update. A worrying fact indeed and one that leads me to think that SQUIDS IN may not make it to publication.
What does this mean for you if you have supported this book?
You will receive a full refund in 31 days and will have shown yourself to be a true friend, one who is willing to assist me in achieving a dream of getting a piece of work published. If SQUIDS IN fails to become my first published book, so be it. It will not stop me from writing.
108 orders in one month is certainly achievable, but I have run out of stream. Work and family life have come calling and I’ve been neglecting both for too long in order to chase selfish dreams. It’s time for me to return to the real world once more.
Once the Olympics have finished that is...
Matthew
With all the madness that’s been happening over the past few days, I’m beyond thrilled to deliver some unreservedly good news.
Heh...thrilled....

Tantalus Depths has been backed by its third syndicate! Today we received the distinct honor of being chosen as the August pick for the Thriller Night Syndicate. It’s awesome to be recognized by the community yet again for Tantalus Depths’ content: this time not for theme, but for tone. Tantalus Depths is all about mystery and foreboding, peril and the struggle for survival against extremely bad odds. It’s a thriller to its core, and I sincerely hope you all find it as nail-biting and knuckle-whitening as I intended it to be!

Hello my fellow Knightmares!
As I start off every update, I thank you for all the support! You are all the reason why this project is 44 pre-orders away from Quill publishing, and I can’t thank you enough.
With that said, we have 51 days to get those last 44 pre-orders.
So, this is that time to jump on this train if you’re still on the fence. This is the time to grab that additional copy for a friend, for your local library, for that special girl or boy in your life. I say, "give them the gift of KNIGHTMARES!" No, really, they’ll thank you.
And remember:
Want to see that t-shirt?

I recently did a guest blog post on the Apotheosis Blog, you can read that here. And while you’re at it, check out the blog owner’s book:
Rune of the Apprentice - by Jamison Stone - Filled with magic and mystery, Rune of the Apprentice is an action-packed novel of adventure, love, and self-discovery.
I ordered a copy, and you should too.

BOOKS TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON:
This week launched a new contest here on Inkshares for fantasy writers, and the site is inundated with new authors. Digging through all the new content has been overwhelming, and there’s so much good stuff that’s getting buried under the chaos. Here are a few that caught my eye.
Big Bad Beautiful by Daniel Garvin - She is a monster enslaved, the Wolf. He is her reluctant handler, the Red. Together they are the protectors of their leader, their savior, their tyrant, Grandmother. This is their pilgrimage.
The Living God by Kaytalin Platt - When Saran’s magic is stolen, she must confront a life without the ability to manipulate time, struggle to see a rebellion finished, and keep Keleir from falling ever closer to becoming The Living God.
The Delicate Art of Soulripping by Sara Polk - When you die your soul doesn’t just leave your body. There’s a process: ripping, reaping, replacing.
The Hunter Saga by H.A. Paaso - A seer in ancient Greece has a dream of monsters wiping out humans. With the help of divinities and mythical beasts, will our heroes save the future of humanity? History, magic, legend, comedy and tragedy, all will be included in this epic adventure.
Crowdfunding is hard, and the ONLY time it’s fun is when things start falling into place and you see all your hard work paying off. So if you have a few extra Alexander Hamilton’s hanging around, throw one or two at one or two, or all four of these projects. These are people’s dreams you’re supporting. Support independent artists because these are the true gems of the world. These are the people with jobs, families, priorities and still manage to put 20-40 hours a week into their dream.

So just a quick note: I haven’t dropped out of the fantasy contest, just resetting so my book will be more affordable and competitive. You’ll be able to purchase again starting tomorrow!
Longer message coming tonight, and I’ll be reaching out to my original backers as well. Thanks for your input and understanding.
Best,
Kevin