Like many people, I was shocked, sickened, and saddened to learn of the shooting that happened on Sunday near downtown Orlando. We have since learned that this was the worst mass shooting in US history and that it was an act of hatred, targeting a gay night club.

As you may or may not know, I live and work in central Florida. The shooting occurred not too far from my place of work. This was like a punch in the gut. My heart aches for everyone affected by this tragedy. Unfortunately these acts of violence have become all too common, but it does not diminish the fact that 49 people lost their lives and over fifty others were injured in a senseless act of hatred. I claim no special insight or closeness to what happened, other than physical proximity, and this has nothing to do with the book, but I also can’t just continue without addressing what happened.

I’m amazed to see the reaction of this community (and the whole world) – tons of people volunteering, giving blood, showing solidarity, and wanting to help in any way they can.

There have been tons of responses and ways to help. Here are some of them: GoFundMe, Planting Peace, OneBlood.

Quick Pilot X Update

So things are progressing well and the best thing of all is we have an official publication date!

Pilot X is set to come out March 14, 2017. 

Your early support and patience will definitely be rewarded.

I met with the fine folks at Girl Friday Productions last week to talk over the plan and we’re in the process of settling on cover art. Very excited. The visual style will be a big departure from my video, I promise, Heh.

THE EDIT!

Got the first edit back from Clete with some excellent suggestions. Very excited that one of the suggestions was not "hmm, you should start over." So that’s positive! 

Actually the book is in better shape than I expected with some areas that need clarification and mostly concentrating on keeping it friendly to new readers. So I’m 100% confident this is going to be a better book than it was before. I sent my first pass back to Clete yesterday.

RANDOM BOOK FACT

If you were at a party on Alenda you might find yourself eating a creamed farragut pastry and a bottle of Kreistner’s Malt .

Thanks again for your belief in and support for this book! I wish it was March already.

Tom

Greetings Everyone,

Long time no update. And there has been news. Oh how there has been news. But also, there has been school and so I’ve been hunkered down with tales of prophecy and murder while contacting scientists who monitor space debris and...well, that’s all done now. School is out, so instead of all that writing, I can spend my time doing...other writing. But like I said, first...news.

I write audio drama/radio plays. (I might have mentioned it.) So naturally one of the first questions I was asked (via the Our Fair City Tumblr page) was whether or not there would be an audio book version of An Unattractive Vampire. Honestly, I hadn’t given it much thought, being too preoccupied with "Oh my gosh, I have a real, physical book out." But Inkshares thought about it. They thought about it a lot.

I am incredibly pleased to announce that an An Unattractive Vampire audio book is currently in production at Audible. Oh...you know Audible, the leading provider of audio books. They only sponsor about every podcast ever. (Hence why I know they’re intro pitch.) I am very lucky that they have picked up the audio rights to my book and will keep you all posted on this story as it progresses.

Also, I am pleased to report that we are just four reviews shy of hitting our first magic number (50) on Amazon. What does this mean? It means An Unattractive Vampire will show up more in Amazon searches. Which means more eyes. Which means more purchases. Which means money, which means time, which equals writing. (Because that’s how math works. So, please...go to Amazon and review An Unattractive Vampire. I’ll wait.

Other, other news:
A few more positive reviews went up on HorrorTalk.com and Fanbase Press. You can check them out here. Or you know, send them to friends. 

Did I mention that I write audio drama? Well I do and my first episode of Our Fair City Season 7 went out last week. After last seasons cataclysm learn the (tragic?) fate of our lovable molepeople in "A Molepup Misadventure."

So about this audio drama thing. (Pretty sure I mentioned it.) This last weekend was also the HEAR Now Festival in Kansas City, MO, celebrating audio drama and my MAT contest winning piece "Last Transmission" was an official selection for the podcast showcase. (In case you missed it before, you can listen to it at the Midnight Audio Theatre website.)

At the end of June (beginning of July) I will be in Minneapolis for CONvergence. I’ll be doing a couple panels. plastering the convention with postcards and posters, and making my second attempt ever at playing D&D. So if any of you are up in the Great White North, come say hi and watch me flounder around as I try and not judge myself for not being Critical Role. 

That’s all for now.

Hello Friends:

I’ve been staring at this blank page for 45 minutes trying to figure out what to say. In the wake of the Orlando shooting, I keep going back and forth struggling to decide what is the right way to express my anger and hurt.

As a gay man and as the founder of the Write Out Loud Syndicate I think it is important to remind my readers and supporters that homophobia and transphobia continue to be a reality in our country. The LGBTQ community has won significant battles in the past years, but there are still plenty of people vulnerable to violence and discrimination.

I know that love and action are the answers. So I will focus my anger into action and fight the hateful rhetoric flooding the internet with love. This afternoon I will attend a vigil in memory of the victims. I encourage you to do the same in your area. Show your support; show that you are not afraid to stand next to the LGBTQ community. 

It is not the violence against us but our courage what define us.

In this link, there are other ways in which you can help.

Love

Ricardo

Hey Guys,

It is with a very heavy heart that I write today’s Reader Update. As I’m sure many/most of you have seen, the worst mass shooting in US History took place in the early hours of today at Pulse, an LGBT nightclub, in Orlando, FL.

Orlando holds a huge chunk of my heart. It’s where I lived for six years, where I return several times a year, and the inspiration and setting of Welcome to Deadland. Orlando is still home to me. And as a member of the LGBT community, this attack has hit me to the core. I’ve been lucky enough to contact a vast majority of friends and people I consider family, and have confirmed their safety. This is something many friends and family inside and out of Orlando will not be able to say. 

Many of my readers are still living in and around Orlando. If you can, I urge you to find a nearby location to donate blood. It could save another life. If you can’t, a page has been set up to monetarily donate support to the victims of this hate-filled tragedy. I will also be donating 100% of my royalties from the upcoming week to help those that need it far more than I do. 

With love,

Zac

Good morning Dreamers!

Well, I’ve had quite the weekend. I have two huge elements of news that are equally important in different ways. I’ll go in the order of why I’m telling you. First, The Sleeping Man was June’s pick for the Epic Fantasy Syndicate! https://www.inkshares.com/syndicates/john-robin-s-epic-fantasy-syndicate. Having one syndicate pick is amazing, but having a second bathes me in a warm light. Secondly, I got promoted and had my daughter pin the new rank on: 

The support and interesting for The Sleeping Man is amazing and I cannot thank everyone enough. Now we just need to push to Quill, and there is plenty of time. A guest blog post, interview, and two syndicate picks can’t be wrong, so pre-order now! Pre-order again! Recommend! Share! Ride forth!

Sweet dreams,

Stephen

Greetings followers of the Space Sloth,