Here you have it, part two of the background information on Barnstormers where I talk a little bit about the drones themselves. 

The concept for the barnstorming drones is based on existing remote controlled model jets. If you’ve never seen one of these check out this video (takeoff is at 2:15). The world record for these remote controlled hobby planes is 440 mph (for comparison a Tomahawk cruise missile can travel at 550 mph). 

In Crow’s Gambit traditional GPS and satellite communications don’t exist anymore. Communication with the drone is maintained by “borrowing” cell towers or over-the-air transmissions. This makes communication spotty with limited bandwidth. To account for this the drones use a form of supplemental artificial intelligence that reduces the amount of information needed from the pilot.

Barnstormer drones are crewed by two, a pilot and a RIO (radar intercept officer). The RIO manages the communications connections and maps the route ahead. The pilot and RIO interact with the drone through advanced virtual reality headsets. Often they are not even in the same physical location. 

If you have any questions or comments about the story please let me know! And please Recommend the book or offer a Review. 

PT 

Hey everyone!  Happy Summer!

At least they tell us it’s summuh up here in glorious Maine.  Hard to tell with highs in the upper 60s and nights in the 40s.  At least it’s keeping the black flies down.  A little.

 
                                          May 31 in Maine, Ladies and Gentlemen

So have I got some news for you!

The crowdfunding sequel to It’s All Fun and Games is now up and running! 

As I mentioned in a past update, More Fun and Games has been written (for several years) and now needs the spit and polish (and in some cases massive reworking) to get it up and ready for publication.  In the meanwhile, I need your help. 

Many of you rallied to It’s All Fun and Games because I harassed you, begged you, and after all, it was only five bucks.  Unfortunately (for us…financially appropriate for Inkshares), the price to support has increased - $10 for an ebook and $20 for the paperback.  This is a bigger commitment, for sure, so I don’t feel comfortable doing the same level of begging.  Having said that, I would really appreciate your tossing a few bucks my way.

Also unfortunately, this isn’t part of a contest, which means no getting the big win on a near miss (that is, the target of 750 copies is much more firm than it was last time).  So even if you don’t feel like you can preorder a copy, if you know anyone who liked the first book and would be willing to pitch in on the sequel, please spread the word.  Do you know someone who runs an indie bookstore?  Rope ‘em on in.  Are you a Reality TV family with 19 children (and counting)?  All the rug rats need a copy, maybe two.

I will continue to post updates from both projects, so for those of you following both, I apologize for the spam.  I’m hopeful that over the summer we’ll be able to get enough momentum to get the process up and running and the sequel out in a timely fashion.

As always, I am humbled by both the kind words and the financial support of my first novel.

Thank you!

Dave

It is just past the end of the second full week of the Inkshares/Nerdist science fiction novel contest, and my entry, Mutants: Uprising, is tied for second (so technically in 2nd, alphabetically). I spent a good part of the week in third, and then yesterday was TIED FOR THIRD with two other books, but a surge of support put me up, and here we are today.

Needless to say, without continued support from YOU (and you, and you too) we won’t be able to stay in the running. Mutants: Uprising was nominated in a couple Inkshares Syndicates this month, and I am hopeful that I might get at least one to back me. It would be an immense boost to my campaign!

Less than four weeks to go. Never give up, never surrender!

I’ve had some questions about the Lovecraft connection in my novel, and while I’m wary of giving away too much, I’m going to let you, my followers, in on part of it. The Cthulhu/Lovecraft connection is a surprise for Jane, who has a lot on her plate already, so it isn’t present except as foreshadowing in the early parts of the novel.

Lovecraft exists in my universe, only he was a mutant - a psychic who managed to contact a much stronger psychic Presence in another dimension...and It wants to come here. My main character (you) stumbles into this information the further she goes, as the conflict escalates from local gangs to shadowy organizations who may or may not want the world as we know it to end.

Order your copy today!
~ Jane-Holly

Hey, readers.

1000 Faces is currently jostling with a couple of other books for 3rd place in the Nerdist contest. If you like the book- if you like the concept...

"In a paranoid near-future where every private part of the internet is public, people hide their identities behind digital masks. Desperate for intimacy in this impersonal world, a mask designer risks everything to feel close to another human being."

Please consider preordering. There are 2 excerpts you can read right now, which will introduce you to the main character, Kara Finch, and the world she lives in:

https://www.inkshares.com/books/1000-faces/book_segments/excerpt-1-

https://www.inkshares.com/books/1000-faces/book_segments/excerpt-2-

~ Jenny

Hello, readers.

If you haven’t already, please check out my new project, 1000 Faces. It’s currently 6th place in the Nerdist sci-fi contest. If it ends the contest in the top 3, it’ll get a full publishing deal. Here are a couple of excerpts from the novel:

https://www.inkshares.com/books/1000-faces/book_segments/excerpt-1-https://www.inkshares.com/books/1000-faces/book_segments/excerpt-2-

The developmental edit for Human Resources continues. During the last month I completed Act One of the rewrite, handing it over to Inkshares and my editor to review and "course correct" before pushing on. 



I’m lucky to be working with such an engaged team who are working tirelessly to help me transform my rough-cut stone into a sparkling gem (of dark adventure). After reviewing the updated Act One, we have more changes to implement as we focus in on the core themes of the novel. That means a slight pause on the rewrite itself while the outline is tweaked further, then back into it with gusto.

I think it’s been a few updates since I thanked you all. I have this opportunity because of your generosity, and I won’t forget it. Thank you — for your belief, support, and patience. This process is a marathon, but I’m continuing to drive through it and each day brings us closer to physical books rolling off the production line.

BTW: If you haven’t seen it, Inkshares have a sci-fi themed competition running right now in partnership with Nerdist (https://www.inkshares.com/contests/nerdist-sci-fi-contest). There’s some great novels being pitched, so it’s worth checking out.

I hope you all had an amazing Month — I’ll be back with another update at the end of June.

Robert