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

Hello readers and supporters!

I have some good news!...The artwork is finished! (With room to possibly add extra) take a look...

Remember that father’s day is just around the corner...

Please pledge yourself a copy (or two) for friends, relatives or yourself and help me reach the quill goal.

Thank you so much for your support so far and best wishes to everyone!

Why hello there, Space Crew!

I know it’s been a while, but I’m pleased to announce...

 

That’s right. I’m back with a vengeance, and with the intent to use this summer to sell roughly 500 more copies of The Traveller’s Cup. 

Where have you been, dude?
As I mentioned through various channels last month, I decided to give myself a bit of a vacation from my newfound job as a writer (AKA my own publicist), so that my brain could wiggle itself free of the anxieties that go along with that. You might be pleased to know that since then I have accomplished the following things:

• Rewatched the entirety of The Office (again)
• Learned a bunch of new songs on guitar
• I think my hair grew like half an inch
• Made my own food a few times (it was only cupcakes twice)
• Made myself go out and see people
• Actually went to the doctor
• Lost 10 lbs somehow

So clearly I’ve owned at life enough to add book promo back into the mix. 

So uh, what’s up with the book?
Right, that. While putting this off may have interrupted the flow a bit, I have a very clear to-do list on my side. 

•  Get this book mentioned. On podcasts, blogs, mainstream media. Whatever I can. If you have connections, please hook me up. You’ll be rewarded and recognized.
  
  
• Get that theme song going. We’re only about 25 orders away from the first post-Quill milestone, which means I have work to do. I hope I’ll have a preview for you guys very shortly.
  
  
• Ten million other tiny things that wouldn’t make for an interesting newsletter or are just too secretive to share.

Cool, I guess. Now what?
It’s time to reassemble our mega-crew and blast this book through space and time. Also, if you have a way to control time, let me know. I think it could be useful.

Your Cut-Throat Crafty Space Captain,
-AC

Dear friends and followers,

Today, 12 June, is day number 85 in the campaign. The suggested timeframe for a campaign is 90 days, which means that, had I not specified my timeframe, this thing would be over this coming Friday night / Saturday morning. At present, we are at 349 pre-orders, and you know what? It would be really nice to end Friday night at the halfway point of 375. That’s doable, right? If you know anyone who might be able to help, please encourage them to do so ... and if you’re still on the fence about ordering, I encourage you to come down on this side of it. The grass is greener here.

With the writing for "Murder at the Veterans’ Club" done and simmering on the back burner, I’m focussing more on my short story for "Too Many Controllers". How does a Wodehouse-inspired tale of a VR gaming companies, ruined castles, and stuffy aristocrats strike you? Well, if not Wodehouse, then at least Westlake ... that should give an idea of where I’m thinking of going with this.

With the Nerdist contest going on, I thought we might take a look at a couple of the other books in the contest:

1) "Reb1rth", by Xavier Auger-Mailhot. I remember reading one of Auger-Mailhot’s works, once upon a time: a very rough thing hot off the NaNoWriMo press. I remember thinking to myself as I went along, "my goodness but this reads like a video game". And now he’s written something that’s actually about the fusion of reality with video games, and I know he’s pushing his strengths on this one.

2) "Squids In", by Matthew Poat. An octopus gets hold of a controller and proceeds to dominate the video game circuit. Poat has some prime comedy material invested in this, and, from what I’ve seen, it is indeed hilarious. I get the impression that this is going to be a madcap caper with wacky hijinks in abundance, and I’m looking forward to see this book happen for real.

That’s it for this update. Until next week, have fun and keep reading. Cheers! And here’s hoping to hit that 375 milestone by Friday night!

Hey, superspies!

Hey Guys and Gals. If you have watched, read or heard any news this morning it’s a pretty depressing Sunday. Not really the best day to review a funny book but I wanted to thank those of you who got a review in yesterday so the Review-A-Thon continues.

If you feel like leaving a review today, you can do it here.

My heart goes out to everyone touched by the tragedy in Orlando this morning.