Winner of the inaugural Geek & Sundry Hard Science Fiction Contest. Fan of Marvel, dinosaurs, M...

Follow

Richard Saunders liked an update for The Slave Prince

A Big Thank You Is In Order

Firstly to God, because I need to give credit where credit is due. Without Him, I wouldn’t be here today. There is no way I would’ve managed to gather so many readers from different countries on my own. There is no way I could’ve convinced Malaysians to pre-order a ’pricey’ book. How I made it this far, is not by my own works, but by God’s grace and His open doors. So I will not shy back or be afraid to declare that He is a big player in this campaign. And for His constant faithfulness, I am extremely and forever grateful.

Secondly to mum and dad. They were the second biggest players in this campaign. They reached out to their friends and rallied extended support. They shamelessly plugged my book, and shamelessly appealed for orders. A huge part of the success in this campaign is because of them. There are some things only parents can do, and giving their undying support is one of them. I am blessed to call them mum and dad. Thank you, mi & dy! Saranghaeyo!

Thirdly to family and friends. Your generosity made my dream come true! Your sponsorship of your own creative creations, and your outreach to friends and significant others, brought the book across the finish line. And despite some of my updates being Malaysia focused, I am very grateful no matter where you come from; Malaysia, USA, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Kenya, Brunei, Philippines, Uganda, Iran, Belgium, South Korea, UK, Sweden, Mexico, Portugal (I might’ve missed a few countries, and if I did yours, please forgive me). Listing these countries down, it looks like this campaign was a global collaboration! Thank you for lending a hand from across the waters.

And last but not least, to all those who I have no idea where you came from. Where did you come from? It’s hard to wrap my mind around your willingness to invest in me and The Slave Prince... when we’ve not even met! Your presence made a difference in this journey. And whoever you are, whatever your reason was, I’m happy you came onboard. Please remain seated, as the adventure has just begun.

The past 3 months have been an amazing journey, but it is only the start. I’m hoping for an awesome experience ahead, and I cannot wait to share every moment with you. Thank you for being my comrade, you wonderful, lovely, amazing person! I’ll never forget winning this race because of your immense support.

(*Relent’s ’Good Vibrations’ single will be emailed to every reader in the next few days. Be sure to check your email for instructions on how to download the song! Some of you might have even received it already.)

like · liked by Tony and 9 others

Richard Saunders liked an update for The Slave Prince

The Chosen One

Thom hated the idea of being the chosen one. But as much as he loathed it, he was more scared. Going back would ruin his normal predictable life, and going back could be the last thing he ever did. - Not a definition, but three sentences from the book itself.

Chosen one stories are cliche, aren’t they? But as cliche as they are, the chosen ones themselves aren’t fans of chosen one stories.

How many days have we, the people of this reality, wished we didn’t have to do something we were chosen to do? Let’s not talk about wielding magic or slaying a dragon - we don’t belong in that universe - let’s just picture our magic-less lives. I’m sure in our own journeys, we’ve dreaded doing something we were supposed to do. We’ve whined, we’ve stalled, and we’ve done something unproductive altogether. The fact is, we hate being chosen. Of course, not all the time. But when it involves an action we have no confidence in taking, a request that requires too much effort, or a task we dislike, we’d rather not be chosen at all. Hence why chosen one stories are cliche. We live one everyday. And the reason why chosen one stories are still read... is because we are very much alike our favourite heroes.

Most protagonists of the classic hero’s tale reflects the human nature. He or she is relatable. Even though our quests aren’t as heavy or world changing as our heroes, we see ourselves in similar situations. We get it. Being chosen sucks. Being chosen ruins the stability we’ve built. Being chosen can be a chore. But what we sometimes fail to see is that being chosen is also a choice.

Chosen ones have the choice of ignoring magic’s call. Chosen ones can put down their swords and refuse to fight. Chosen ones can walk away from their destiny. They have a choice, and yet they choose to be chosen. That choice exists in our universe too. Even when we feel like we have no choice, no matter what the reasoning is, we still choose our actions. They may be involuntary, but we make the decision. And sometimes... these choices have the power to make a difference.

So for your choice in supporting this book, wonderful reader, I want you to know that it is more than an act of generosity. In my eyes, I see your decision to stand by me as an alliance. And I know that when Pithr strikes, I wouldn’t be marooned in the desert to defend myself. My Eklaysia would survive because of the army you sent! Your choice, even if it is out of obligation, has made a difference in this battle. And from one chosen one to another, thank you.

(No, no, the contest is not over. I sure do write like it is. But no, there are 3 more days before the end. I just wanted to say ’thank you’ again no matter what happens come November 1st. For me, this is how my last update before the end should be.)

like · liked by Richard and 1 other

Richard Saunders followed Evren Yenigelen

Evren Yenigelen

Follow

Jane-Holly Meissner followed Richard Saunders

Richard Saunders

and Mykl Walsh

Follow

Richard Saunders followed Jane-Holly Meissner

Jane-Holly Meissner

Author of The Fae Child Trilogy. Avid reader, writer, mother of four, often late, creative, distract...

Follow

Richard Saunders liked an update for The Slave Prince

When You Believe

’Pisteuo: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.’ - The Greek root word of Believe.

Aside from hustling people to pre-order The Slave Prince, I’ve been cleaning up the manuscript. There were a few minor additions, as I solidified the mechanics and evolution of magic. There were a few cuts to bury the plot holes I came across. Being that the first draft was written 3 years ago, I also stumbled upon a few elements in the book with no recollection of incorporating. And here’s the crazy part. While doing my runs of fact and metaphor checking, I found myself gaping at my Google search results.

To not spoil anything, I would just say that there were a handful of metaphors I came across that weren’t placed on purpose. As I ran the edits, every new addition and subtraction pulled them together. They fitted like jigsaw pieces I never knew could fit. Some might say they’re all coincidences, but... I personally like to believe otherwise.

In my final clean up, amidst all the unravelling, I was reminded of a childhood song that always made the playlist on family karaoke nights. Everything about the song reflects my book and my personal journey with it. Of course, one can expect parallels. After all, ’When You Believe’ was the theme song of Prince of Egypt. But despite knowing the original tale, it didn’t dawn upon me that the foundation of the story was ’Believe’. Sure, I wrote about it. But I didn’t believe in the believe I wrote about.

However, it is now safe to say that I do. With the manuscript cleaned and polished, I fully believe. I believe that no matter what happens, I’ve experienced something valuable. Nothing can replace this journey of grasping the power of believe. And whatever the future holds, I know there can be miracles... when I believe.

Congratulations to the winners! An email has been sent with your steamkey.

There’s a little over a week left before the contest comes to an end. So if you’ve not gotten your copy, there’s still time for you to do so to help take The Slave Prince across the finish line. Will you run this final leg with me? Will you believe with me? Your support will make a miracle happen. That, I know for sure.

(*The Coming Of Age Giveaway is still running, and it’s the final giveaway of this campaign. So if you like free stuff, now is the time to take action.)

like · liked by Thomas and 4 others

Luke Preston followed Richard Saunders

Richard Saunders

and Mykl Walsh

Follow

Kevin Muhleisen followed Richard Saunders

Richard Saunders

and Mykl Walsh

Follow

Richard Saunders liked an update for A God in the Shed

Hello dear readers,

A lot has been going on and that’s kind of why I’ve been rather discreet in my communications. Also, I bet with three contests currently vying for attention, you get enough emails already. So what could possibly have taken up so much of my time?

Let’s start with how I had to do revisions to the manuscript for A God in the Shed. I had already handed it in but after a meeting at WeedRoad Pictures in L.A. a few weeks ago, several ideas to further improve the story demanded to be put to the page.

WeedRoad Pictures? What the hell is that? Well, that’s the second bit of paralyzing news. A God in the Shed has been optioned by Skydance Productions through the help of Akiva Goldsman from WeedRoad (props to Greg Lessans and Alexandra Neil for their part. Amazing people). I can’t do this news justice but you can read the article by The Tracking Board if you want to know more.

So what does this mean? The short answer? I don’t know! It doesn’t mean that A God in the Shed is going to be a television show but rather that there are efforts behind making that happen. Needless to say that the book is in the hands of some incredibly talented and hard working people. I’m still reeling from the news and gathering the details myself, but as far as excuses for my silence, I think that’s the best I can do right now.

What’s next?

I think it’s obvious that this has delayed my plans and promises for Arch-Android (Give it a follow why don’t you?), the sequel to The Life Engineered. I’m still a few chapters short of a full draft but that should be taken care of before the end of November. I’m giving myself some room to work with this time so I can keep that prediction.

I’m also finishing another manuscript for The Ed Greenwood Group.

Obviously, the sequel to A God in the Shed, currently titled ‘CoudFire’ is going to be the first thing I work on after I’ve cleared these other projects. CloudFire is half written already, but it’s going to undergo some serious changes. Let’s just say that I’ve got a good skeleton to work on but I have to tear away the flesh and start that part anew.

I have some more good news coming up. Other cool opportunities and some new projects I want to toss out into the world.

Let me finish this with a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to Adam Gomolin and Brooklyn Weaver who worked like tireless maniacs to make this happen, along with the rest of the Inkshares crew for their support and of course, you guys, the readers, without whom none of this would be possible.

On to the next step!

JF

like · liked by Jamison and 27 others

People who have liked this reader update

People who have liked this reader update

People who have liked this reader update

People who have liked this reader update