So huh... Remember when I asked all you beautiful people to help my first book, The Life Engineered, get nominated for a Dragon Award? Ha! Good times, gooooood times. What a laugh we had.

I didn’t think there was a tuna’s chance in a cattery of this happening but apparently I’m wrong. You guys did it. You got The Life Engineered nominated in the Science Fiction Category.

It would be a lie to pretend I’m not floored.

So I guess, the next logical step is to try to win? You’ve been kind enough to go vote for the nomination so perhaps I can impose upon you to follow this link and sign up to vote for The Life Engineered and perhaps, we can make some magic happen? It’s a long shot but so was getting nominated.

Wow, friend... you are amazing.

NOTE: My fellow Sword & Laser Collection authors are also nominated. So if you’re inclined to help push the Inkshares and Sword & Laser brands, give An Unattractive Vampire and Asteroid made of Dragons a bit of a vote? Thanks!

JF

Once more, my friends, I turn to you for help.

You... you did it. I mean, I never doubted your level of commitment but I thought the competition would be so fierce, so aggressive and overwhelming, that there really wasn’t any chance.

But you magnificent sentient organisms you... you fraking did it.

You got The Life Engineered nominated for a 2016 Dragon Award in the Science Fiction Category.

I don’t even know what to say about that. Thank you? Seems a bit weak, so I’ll go with the next best thing; go vote again. Click this link and go put in your vote for The Life Engineered. We’ve made it this far, let’s find out the distance we can push this crazy thing.

Simply magnificent...

NOTE: If you’re in the mood to encourage other fantastic Inkshares authors along with The Lie Engineered, may I suggest An Unattractive Vampire and Asteroid Made of Dragons. Two fine books also in the Sword & Laser Collection.

JF

Zombies, Knights, Witches, Cantankerous Bards, Vengeful Daughters and Over-Protective Dads…  put all this together and you get Fantasy Books HQ’s Best Fantasy Book for August 2016!!!

Also, a quick update for our backers, for those of you who haven’t received the paperback version yet, they should now be on their way (thanks, Inkshares!) and kindle/electronic versions should be available for download shortly – and Southern California friends, don’t forget our book launch/signing this Saturday, August 13th, at Barnes and Noble in Chino Hills, from 2 pm - 4 pm!

Hey Campers,

I just posted Chapter 8, which features even more of my favorite character, Corin. I also added a quick guide to the main page so that you can easily navigate through the chapters.

https://www.inkshares.com/books/sunshine-is-forever

There are 290 people following the book, but only 234 preorders. I would love it if the 56 of you, who haven’t preordered Sunshine is Forever, would take the leap of faith today.

Remember: At 250 preorders, the book is guaranteed a publishing deal, and at 750 preorders, the book is guaranteed to be in bookstores nationally. Right now we are on track to make 750 preorders! With your help, THIS WILL HAPPEN! 

Keep spreading the word, and convince a friend to preorder the book today!

Thank you so much for your support!

Kyle T. Cowan

Quill Achieved....

Dear Friends,

Today we crossed the Quill Goal threshold at 3:00PM PDT with our 250th order of I Am Waltz being ordered. 

so..... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, TIME 1 MILLION MORE "THANK YOUS"....

With this the book will be published both in digital and print form. A very special thanks to each and everyone of you who pre-ordered, talked with friends and family and were supportive of the journey thus far. 

We are still going strong and are at 255 orders now. We COULD still reach 750 orders in before September the 5th. That is the ultimate goal. 750 orders will mean full publication in book stores nationally. So we have won today and accomplished a ton but more can still be done.

If you’ve not ordered yet, please do. If you have, thank you again from the bottom of my heart. I truly appreciate each and every one of you so much. 

I am now pouring into one last draft of the book to ensure the arc and structure are exactly as I want before I send the manuscript off to be edited. 

aa

Another exciting announcement: The Write Out Loud Syndicate has selected the book to be their August book of the month. I am excited and honored by their selection. The book focuses on being discriminated and outcasted by society. These themes I believe fit the mold of what so many members of the LGBTQ community endure throughout their lives.

Keep up all the good work and thank you all for your continued support. I wont let you down with this first book. 

-Matt

Time for my first real update of this campaign/contest.  First off the progress report.  Preorders have been going well, but unfortunately not well enough to prevent Magus from slipping out of the top 10 today.  There are still a lot of you following the project who haven’t ordered yet, so even if only even a few of you were to hit that order button we could get back into the top 10 easily enough.  Now on to other news.

Now on to the art.  Magus has an episodic structure, due to my original vision of it as serialized short stories following Pentaz as he struggles to make a life for himself.  My dream has always been for each of the 13 parts to have its own title page featuring full page art to either capture a scene, character, or idea from that part.  The cover which Magus has been sporting for the past several months is one of my favorite scenes from part 4 (Llanchland) where Buscidia prepares to defend Pentaz from an inscrutable enemy made of cogs(aside from its hair and beard of cables).  I’ve always thought of it as "Buscidia vs. the Cog Monster", and the scene was captured perfectly by the incredibly talented Lizzy Perez. 

As much as I love that as a cover, I always knew that it wouldn’t remain there.  For the outer cover I’ve long wanted something which encompassed the entire story more fully, and a few months back I finally decided just what that would be.  The Caldus family plays a large role in Pentaz’ life, being at the center of the two of the three events which occur in Magus to shape him.  So it’s only appropriate that their family crest would serve as the symbol for the entirety of Exile, Magus.  I’ve been sitting on the reveal of that family crest for a couple of months now.  The art below was done by Rachel Donne(you can check out more of her work by clicking on her name), and her interpretation of the crest I described was even better than I imagined.