(Long post, Wall-o’-text incoming)
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[It’s important to note that this takes a bit of time to write and all numbers and placements are based on where everyone is when I write this. It may be different now but it should be close.]

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You can view last weeks here: The Story So Far Part 9

I may reference an article by @Rick Heinz (author of The Seventh Age: Dawn) written for Geek and Sundry about the underdogs in this very competition, you can read that here: Here Are Five Underdogs in the Geek & Sundry Fantasy Contest.

Welcome back to The Story So Far, my name is @Joey Angotti  and I’ll be your guide for this evening. The amount of weeks I’ve been doing this has hit double digits, ya’ll! As I mentioned last week, that means that there is literally less than a month left in the Geek and Sundry Fantasy contest. The time has come to find everyone you have left that hasn’t ordered yet and annoy them like there is no tomorrow to get those preorders! It’s time to double back and triple check with your cousin’s friend from college that we think is named Steve, but his Facebook says Derek but we’re pretty sure the picture is Steve… Let’s get to it!

Or… Almost get to it. It saddens me to say that @Tara Roquemore ’s Flames in the Dark has fallen out of the Top 10 for the first time in a long time. I’ve been writing about Ms. Roquemore and her unbelievably well crafted and well written novel for almost the entire 10 weeks I’ve been doing this and it is a shame that she’s not getting enough love here! Please do yourself a favor and check out her work, it is amazing and she deserves to hit quill at least!

10.  A Beast Requires by @Jay Lockwood  (103 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: N/A)

Don’t call it a comeback! … Unless you’re me, because I’m not sure what else to call it. Mr Lockwood is back in the Top 10! As I just mentioned, Flames in the Dark has sadly fallen out of the Top 10, but A Beast Requires has returned to 10th place and Mr. Lockwood’s hilarious and entertaining novel has been turning heads everywhere. After being mentioned in Rick Heinz’s article about Five Underdogs in this contest, A Beast Requires seems to have found new life as it returns to the Top 10 and continues to pump out unique readers on its quest to rise in the ranks. It was also picked as October’s pick for the Write Out Loud Syndicate! A huge honor! Diversity is key and important in all aspects of everyone’s life, but it influenced Mr. Lockwood heavily during his writing of A Beast Requires and as soon as you’re introduced to the city of Aurum you can feel that impact. I strongly suggest, as I always have when discussing Mr. Lockwood and his work, that you go read his book page - especially the comments section - and enjoy the funny, quirky and unique presence that Mr. Lockwood brings into your life through his writing. Go check out this book, at least give the prologue and first chapter a try and I promise you will love it!

9. Chronicles of An Domhan by @Conri  (107 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 9th)

Chronicles of An Domhan by Conri remains at 107 readers and in the 9th spot. I still love this work and the effort put into its creation. It is a shame that it has stayed this way for the last two weeks and I still strongly urge everyone to go check out the book page and the videos that Mr. Conri has posted. I feel bad that this is literally the shortest paragraph I’ve written about any book here, but I don’t have a lot to work with here. Sorry! Come back to us, Mr. Conri! We are eagerly awaiting your return!

8. The Delicate Art of Soulripping by @Sara  (125 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 8th)
The Delicate Art of Soulripping by Sara Polk is another book featured in Rick Heinz underdog article and for good reason! This is one of the most interesting titles in the whole contest and deserves a closer look if you haven’t given it one yet! The offer still stands that if you order and get 5 others to order, Ms. Polk will write you into the book! I’m shocked this hasn’t generated more orders and more interest as that is easily one of the coolest incentives out there! Be sure to visit Ms. Polk’s page for more details and check out the chapters she has posted so far. If my words are not enough to sway you, allow me to quote this review from @RH Webster , the author of Lucky:

“This novel combines a conversational writing style with a supernatural theme to make Oz, the protagonist, seem to come to life off the page - despite the fact that he’s been dead for 800 years. As Oz explains the ins and outs of the afterlife, the details of soulripping and the process of moving a soul from one stage of being to another, author Sara Polk draws on her extensive experience in the social work field to discuss the big questions about life. How are bodies and souls combined to form a person? Can dogs really see ghosts? What comes next after the physical form is shed?”

Well put! Go check this novel out if you haven’t yet!

The Living God by Kaytalin Platt has fallen to the 7th place spot after sudden surges from The Last Faoii and A Light in the Void, but if there is anyone who can bounce back from that small stumble, it is definitely Ms. Platt. She has shown resiliency throughout this entire contest and has been one of the key staples in the Top 10 for the last 10 weeks. That being said, if you’ve visited her comments section or received her updates recently - you will know that she remains in high spirits and has the *perfect* attitude for the way that Inkshares works. She may be a bit far from the Top 3 right now, but she’s more focused on the quill goal and she only needs 56 more preorders to reach it! That means that even without a Top 3 finish, we can all help Ms. Platt on her journey to get published by Inkshares!

If the book itself doesn’t entice you, Ms. Platt has been helping people all over Inkshares(and outside as well!) and deserves our help and support! She’s good peoples, man! Check out her page if you haven’t and you will see what I mean! She’s helping raise money for a fundraiser that she helps out with every year and it sounds like a really awesome and good cause! If all of that isn’t enough for you, she was Geekadelphia’s Geek of the Week! I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS A THING!

Please, if you haven’t yet - make your way over to her book page and give The Living God an honest look and I have a good feeling you will want to back this project.

6. The Last Faoii by @Tahani Nelson  (158 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 6th)
Though still at 6th place on the site, The Last Faoii by Tahani Nelson is actually tied with A Light in the Void for 5th place! A strong, ferocious campaign has helped Ms. Nelson make her way into the Top 5 and she’s not planning on stopping any time soon. The Epic Fantasy Syndicate has backed The Last Faoii and that support has brought Ms. Nelson under 50 preorders away from reaching quill! She’s also raffling off a chance to name one of the many characters in her book as well as early beta reading privileges, so now is definitely the time to join the fight! As I’ve said before, this is probably one of, if not *the* funnest campaign going on in the entire contest and it’s definitely worth the time to be a part of it. Go check out Ms. Nelson’s page as well as the book page for The Last Faoii for more information!  

5. A Light in the Void by @J. S. Chlapowski  (158 Readers / Last Week’s Rank 7th)
A Light in the Void by J.S. Chlapowski is now tied for 5th with The Last Faoii! This continues to be one of the fastest and most impressive campaigns in the entire contest. Mr. Chlapowski is releasing parts of his story through scenes every time he reaches a milestone of preorders and he’s released a lot of Chapter 1 already for our viewing pleasure. At the rate he’s rising in this contest, we’ll be seeing more of his work soon! Go check out his book page and read what he has posted so far and see if this is the type of book you want to back! I have a feeling it will be, as the writing thus far has been unique and gripping!

4. The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by @Maggie Hoyt  (208 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 4th)
As of this writing, The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by Maggie Hoyt is literally 14 preorders away from hitting quill! That is a HUGE milestone and Ms. Hoyt is so ridiculously close that we can all help her achieve the first stage of her dream! I say first stage, because the Top 3 is still within her grasps with the final weeks still ahead of us! If all of those facts aren’t enough to send you over to her page to click that preorder button then how about a brand-spanking new video? Yeah, you heard me right! There is a new video on The Fairy Stepmother, Inc.’s page which includes Ms. Hoyt herself reading an excerpt from later on in the book. I highly recommend checking that out as it’s really well done and provides a lot more insight on Ms. Hoyt’s writing and how she came up with the idea for the book! (I do miss the costume though, it was super adorbs - not the manliest thing ever said, but something that needed to be said!) Go check out here page and the video!

3. Storm Song by @Allison Griner  (261 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 3rd)

Storm Song by Allison Griner was only one preorder away from quill on the last The Story So Far so it’s safe to say she got that and then some! I’d love to take some time to congratulate Ms. Griner on her milestone and also mention that she is really deserving of it! She’s been a pleasure to speak to outside of the contest, very supportive in my own goals and even more supportive when it comes to helping write this thing every week. I’m really proud of what she has accomplished and I wish her more and more success in the future! That all being said, there is still a little under a month left in this contest and Ms. Griner will need to continue to push to hold on to the 3rd place spot or move up into 2nd or 1st! Be sure to head on over to her book page and experience some of Thoster Chatwyn’s story! You won’t be disappointed!

2. The Slave Prince by @Jeyna Grace  (268 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 2nd)
The Slave Prince by Jeyna Grace has also reached quill this week with 276 preorders! I’d like to also take the time to congratulate Ms. Grace on this accomplishment! She has run a wonderful campaign thus far with easily some of the best written and entertaining comments in her comments section and I couldn’t be any more proud of her than I am right now! Highly likely to finish in the Top 3 at this point in the contest, I am excited to feel like I’ve been along for the ride of this journey that has an extremely bright future! Week in and week out I have written about the Top 10 authors and I truly feel excited and proud for them as they reach these amazing milestones. Ms. Grace is well deserving of this accomplishment and I am happy that she received the backing and support to make this possible. With all of that being said, there is still a month left of work to be done by everyone in the Top 10 and if Ms. Grace wishes to finish in the Top 3 - a place she has called home for majority of this contest - she can’t take her foot off the pedal just yet. I look forward to seeing where she lands come November 1st and you should all go to her book page and read about Thom and his journey and consider placing a preorder if you haven’t already!

I do quickly want to mention that she’s also giving away 3 Steam Keys for the video game: The Coma as part of her campaign. As a huge gamer, I had to throw this in out of respect for how much I love this idea. Good choice! Check out her comments section for more details!

1. Sparked by @Lena (Helena and Malena)   (401 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 1st)
Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous treats milestones like candy and have done so since entering the contest. 400 unique readers! The first to do so and before anyone else even reached 300! Sparked continues to impress and turn heads all over the internet and the world as do the two lovely authors behind the project! I’ve mentioned Ms. Echlin and Ms. Watrous’s absolute unstoppable drive to help other authors find their way in the writing world. This week was no different as Ms. Echlin was a guest writer over on KidLit.com where she shared her experience with crowdfunding and provided *extremely* useful tips for running a successful campaign. If you’re still trying to find your way in this contest or prepping for the next big contest here on Inkshares, this article is a must read. You can find it here. It’s really great advice that is backed by the fact that Ms. Echlin and Ms. Watrous were able to secure 250 preorders on day 1(literally enough for quill in a single day) and have dominated the contest since they entered on September 1st.

Lastly, I think it’s important to mention that their current preorder count is at 619. The full publishing goal is 750 and they are almost there already! 401 unique readers have backed this project, so if you haven’t taken a look at it yet, now is definitely the time to do so. They just recently posted Chapter 4 and the story is really starting to heat up. Chapter 5 promises to be the big impact that changes the story to a more formal Fantasy genre. Look forward to that and much more as Ms. Echlin and Ms. Watrous continue to solidify their place on Inkshares as well as in the writing industry!

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I’m doing my best with what I’m being provided by the authors and what’s actually happening in the contest. I feel like the quality has dipped quite a bit but it’s hard at this point in the contest. A lot of resources for the authors have run dry and it’s slowing things down a bit. I’m not sure if we’ll see surges or anything too crazy in the last month, but I’ll continue to provide the weekly recap even if it’s pretty basic like this week. I want to take a moment to once again congratulate those that have hit quill on their projects, that really is a huge milestone and I mean every word when I say I’m really proud of you all, awesome job! I also want to thank Rick Heinz, Allison Griner and Helena Echlin for reaching out to me to continuously help me add to this each week. It’s not easy coming up with some of the material, but their support made it a bit easier the last few weeks. Thanks!

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I’m not sure people who aren’t tagged are even reading this or slightly interested. Also, people not using the forums enough could not be seeing this as well. Any and all extra exposure of this forum post would be appreciated!(It’s a lot of work to not be seen by more people on the site!) - A mention on your books page or more comments could keep this afloat and make sure more people see this post - therefore more exposure and good things for your entry! Plus it might get more people involved on the forums which is good for Inkshares as a whole, imo.

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Shameless Plug: Still at 25 reviews on Amazon. I’m really trying to hit 30 so if anyone could help out with that, I would really appreciate it! Even if you don’t want to leave a review without actually owning or completely reading the book - I would definitely love some feedback on the Chapters posted on my Heroes of Khroma book page or on the preview on Amazon. Thanks to everyone that has written a review or supported, you’re all amazing and fantastic. Even if you didn’t leave a review or support - you’re still cool. Much love!

A Soldier’s Crest

Lastly I want to thank Inkshares for making this site and giving aspiring authors like us a chance to share our stories. I also want to thank all the Inksharians, especially those in the Top 10, for giving me some interesting stories to read and write about.

Cheers!

(Long post, Wall-o’-text incoming)
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[It’s important to note that this takes a bit of time to write and all numbers and placements are based on where everyone is when I write this. It may be different now but it should be close.]

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You can view last weeks here: The Story So Far Part 8

Welcome back to The Story So Far, my name is @Joey Angotti and I’ll be your guide for this evening. We’re in Week 9 and it’s October 2nd. Let that sink in a bit… Yeah, it’s crazy banana pants! That means as of this moment there is literally less than a month left in this Geek and Sundry fantasy contest. The time is flying and also running out for those still trying to win this thing. That being said, there weren’t too many changes from last week, but there have been plenty of updates from the Top 10 authors. Let’s discuss!

10.  Flames in the Dark by @Tara Roquemore (94 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 10th)

Flames in the Dark by Tara Roquemore has only gone up one Reader from last week but continues to hold on to the 10th spot. This final month is crucial for Ms. Roquemore and her (wonderfully written) book, as there is still a lot of ground separating her from the 3rd place spot. Whether she cracks the Top 3 or not, this book deserves to hit quill at least. As I’ve stated before, it is one of the most interesting titles on the whole site. If you want to receive more updates besides the ones shared through Inkshares, be sure to check out her Facebook Author Page!

9. Chronicles of An Domhan by @Conri  (107 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 8th)

Chronicles of An Domhan by Conri didn’t go up in readers from last week and has fallen down to the 9th spot. Despite having one of the fastest rising books in the entire contest, it really is a shocker to see it falling this far down in the Top 10. The content and collaboration between artists that makes up the Chronicles of An Domhan are some of the most fleshed out in the entire contest. Judging by the lack of new unique readers, I will assume you all didn’t take my advice on checking out Mr. Conri’s latest updates. (Queue the nun chick from Game of Thrones with the whole “Shame, Shame, Shame” bit) I’ll hit you all up with the ol’ link-a-roo again in case you missed it last week: Codex An Domhan I: The Faith and Duty of the Marshals. Go check it out!

8. The Delicate Art of Soulripping by @Sara  (122 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 6th)
The Delicate Art of Soulripping by Sara Polk has fallen to 8th place. As we enter into this final month of the contest and resources are starting to run dry it becomes harder and harder to secure unique readers each week and that is becoming clear from the current Top 10 changes we’re seeing here in the first week of October. That being said, if there was ever a final month for The Delicate Art of Soulripping to bounce back in this contest - it is October! This is easily the creepiest and darkest of the Fantasy Novels in the contest and could easily be giving the current Crypt TV Collection Contest writers a run for their money. Halloween will be here before you know it and the rise of this extremely intriguing book by Ms. Polk should coincide with it. Check it out to get in the holiday spirit!

7. A Light in the Void by @J. S. Chlapowski  (134 Readers / Last Week’s Rank 9th)
A Light in the Void by J.S. Chlapowski continues to rise in the ranks of the Top 10 and has increased in 30 unique readers since last week! As a Hockey fan, I can tell you the importance of getting hot at the right time - especially towards the end of the Season(or contest in this case) - just look at the Penguins last year(as a New York Rangers fan, this pains me to type) but they got hot at the right time and won the Stanley Cup. I’m not saying Mr. Chlapowski can win the whole thing just yet, but he’s easily one of the hottest entries going into the final month. Jumping up 30 unique readers in just a week this late in the game is eye-opening and shows that A Light in the Void deserves your attention. Head on over to the book page and let Mr. Chlapowski know what you think about his upcoming novel!

6. The Last Faoii by @Tahani Nelson  (136 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 6th)
Having gone up 16 unique readers from last week, Tahani Nelson and her book The Last Faoii continues to have one of the strongest campaigns in the Top 10. A *ton* of stuff has been going down on her book page and in her comments section. A $100 VISA giftcard was the most normal thing going on there. We got a new book trailer(which is awesome!) by the amazing @Christopher Lee , there is a new blurb describing the book as well as a new section about Ms. Nelson herself in the About the Author section. On top of all of that, Ed Kemmick of “Last Best News” wrote a really great article about Ms. Nelson and The Last Faoii. You can check that out right here. If you’re not a part of the fight just yet, you need to pick up your blade and get in there already!  

5. The Living God by @Kaytalin Platt (140 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 5th)
The Living God by Kaytalin Platt continues to go up in readers each week, one of the most consistent in the contest but Ms. Platt has been in the 5th place spot for quite some time now. With the final month of the contest upon us, it’s time for that last surge that can push her into the Top 3. It’s not like she hasn’t been trying up until this point, her story is solid, her comments section is often updated and full of outstanding character bios and details about the book. Here is what @Pontus Karsten , author of The Orb of Rahnos had to say about it:

“After having read through the first two chapters, this book definitely has my attention. It most certainly has the "just one more page before I put it down" feeling that every writer hopes to accomplish. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of it as soon as I have time. Definitely and undoubtedly a book I would recommend.”

Mr. Karsten definitely hit on a lot of similar feelings I have about The Living God, it definitely has that “one more page” feel and you all need to go check it out and find that out for yourself! That last surge should happen and you can be a part of it!

4. The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by @Maggie Hoyt  (200 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 4th)
While we’re on the topic of final surges, The Fairy Stepmother, Inc. by Maggie Hoyt has had quite a few surges since the start of this contest. Most recently? Jumping up 20 unique readers from last week to hit exactly 200 readers!(As of this writing anyway, possibly more than that by now!) Congratulations to Ms. Hoyt for being the 4th entry into this contest to hit 200 readers and for continuing to be one of the most impressive campaigns in this whole contest. She’s also very close to hitting quill, with less than 25 preorders to go. You should head over to her book page and check out her comments section where she is very grateful for the support thus far but still needs a lot more support if she’s going to catch up to Storm Song and crack the Top 3.

3. Storm Song by @Allison Griner  (224 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 3rd)

Storm Song by Allison Griner continues to hang on to the Top 3 spot as we go into the final weeks of the contest. Possibly as I write this, Ms. Griner is running a Dungeons and Dragon’s event that I am REALLY jealous that I can’t be at right now! As many of you know by now, her main character - Thoster Chatwyn - began as a D&D NPC that she created back in her college days and grew into much more. To pay homage to Thoster’s roots, she’s running a D&D event based on a story set in her book’s universe. How. Cool. Is. That? Seriously! If you check out her comments section she’s uploaded a bunch of character sheets and info she’s using to run the event. You should all go check that out! Wish I could be there! Hopefully she takes a lot of pictures! On top of all of that, she’s literally one preorder away from quill as I write this(249) so let’s help her reach another milestone!

2. The Slave Prince by @Jeyna Grace  (242 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 2nd)
The Slave Prince by Jeyna Grace is still in 2nd place as we enter into this final month of the contest. Ms. Grace has run a solid campaign with giveaways and awesome quotes at the top of her comments. From what I’ve read of The Slave Prince it is shaping up to be a fantastic novel that would be awesome to see on store shelves in the near-future. The Salt X Paper winners have been announced and Ms. Grace is going to donate money to charity as a way to pay it forward. This is the type of campaign you can proud of to be a part of and now is the time to support Ms. Grace on her journey. November will be here before you know it, Ms. Grace has been in the Top 3 since this contest began - let’s help keep her there!

1. Sparked by @Lena (Helena and Malena)   (388 Readers / Last Week’s Rank: 1st)
The powerhouse that is Sparked by Helena Echlin and Malena Watrous broke into the Top 10 just a few weeks ago and never looked back. Now at almost 400 unique readers and 588 preorders, this book might hit the 750 preorder goal before this contest even ends. This is no easy feat. Anyone that has ever crowdfunded anything in their life, myself included, knows that this is a really impressive campaign that these two amazing authors are running right here on Inkshares. Each week their preorder count rises, each week they receive new reviews and comments on their writing. People are excited for this book and for good reason! Barring any unforeseen miracles for another author in this contest, Sparked is the odds-on favorite for 1st place in this contest with the final month upon us. That 750 preorder goal is within reach and we can help them get their and be a part of one of the most impressive campaigns in crowdfunding history. Also, if you preorder 3 copies of the book they’ll send you a Sparked Tote Bag… That’s just awesome! Go check it out if you haven’t yet!

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With the final month here and the contest winding down for some authors and resources being spent there was not a lot of changes to talk about this week. I had some ideas I wanted to run through that could have extended the length of this one but I felt it was a good quick recap to start off the month. I’ll save my other ideas for the last few editions. This has been a wild ride so far, looking forward to seeing this through. Good luck everyone! Let’s have a great final month of this contest!

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I’m not sure people who aren’t tagged are even reading this or slightly interested. Also, people not using the forums enough could not be seeing this as well. Any and all extra exposure of this forum post would be appreciated!(It’s a lot of work to not be seen by more people on the site!) - A mention on your books page or more comments could keep this afloat and make sure more people see this post - therefore more exposure and good things for your entry! Plus it might get more people involved on the forums which is good for Inkshares as a whole, imo.

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Shameless Plug: Back to 25 reviews on Amazon. I’m really trying to hit 30 so if anyone could help out with that, I would really appreciate it! Even if you don’t want to leave a review without actually owning or completely reading the book - I would definitely love some feedback on the Chapters posted on my Heroes of Khroma book page or on the preview on Amazon. Thanks to everyone that has written a review or supported, you’re all amazing and fantastic. Even if you didn’t leave a review or support - you’re still cool. Much love!

A Soldier’s Crest

Lastly I want to thank Inkshares for making this site and giving aspiring authors like us a chance to share our stories. I also want to thank all the Inksharians, especially those in the Top 10, for giving me some interesting stories to read and write about.

Cheers!