Thank You!!!

As of bedtime-o'clock last night, Seven Shards has hit the Quill funding goal! This means it will be published!!!!!!!!

The little bundle of nerves that has been sitting in the pit of my stomach since August has now transformed into a miniature fireworks show. And not one of those blink-and-you-miss-it fireworks shows, but a fully choreographed, big-budget fireworks extravaganza. Coffee? Haha, who needs it!

I must extend my deepest gratitude to the members of the CEO Syndicate and John Robin's Epic Fantasy Syndicate for pushing Seven Shards over the edge. You (you beautiful people, you) surprised me and humble me and basically make me much more than a little verklempt.

There's probably more I could say, but right now the bottom line is Thank YOU!

Hey there wonderful people, 

I thought I would take the time to share some very kind and encouraging words from Joseph Asphahani the author of The Animal in Man. In his last update he spoke of three projects on Inkshares that he thought were worth your patronage. The projects were Exile, Magus by Thomas J.Arnold, Transilience by Kevin Bragg, and (to my utmost excitement) Beyond the Code by yours truly. Here's what he wrote. 

"Yesterday morning I was late to work because I literally could not stop reading Kelsey Rae Barthel’s “Beyond the Code”. Hot damn this story is full of action! At least the first chapter is, and I trust there's more. The whole thing is just one continuous fight between two badasses. I’ve told Ms. Barthel that the setting, the setup, the sword-swings all remind me of some of the darkest, most sinister places I’ve visited in my long career as a video gamer. The pace is just as riveting and intense as what I'd gladly call a GOTY (uh, that's Game of the Year). I know you’ll enjoy it. CLICK HERE to see for yourself how right I am about that."

Woot woot!! Thank you so much Joseph. Those words mean a great deal in keeping me going through this campaign. 

It's been a good campaign so far but we need to step it up. If your impressed by this glowing review or you've caught the BTC fever please pre-order so we can hit Quill and make this a reality. Whether you got some extra credits or you just love this book so far please pre-order while the campaign is still going. I'm even willing to do pre-order swaps with the other authors on Inkshares.

For those of you who have already supported my dream thank you soo much and I am working tirelessly to give you a fantastic read.

Thanks for your time 

Kelsey Rae Barthel 

Hello again, dear readers. 

In the spirit of camaraderie, I had a call tonight with author Matthew Isaac Sobin, whose book "The Last Machine in the Solar System" is currently in the #2 spot of the Sword and Laser contest. I've been a fan of Matt's book ever since it entered the race, gladly putting down my money for a copy (now three copies, actually) on the second day of the contest. Although he is my competitor, I wish his book all the best. It's worth your attention as well, so help him get it funded!  I'm glad we got together on the phone line. Mostly, we just talked shop about writing, and blew off some steam about the tireless campaign to earn your support. We commiserated about my failed attempts at plastering the city with my AiM posters, and I heard about the fun he had delivering Last Machine holiday cards - both of which netted us about 0-1 readers, maybe... We had a really good time. I can see this as an ongoing thing...

...Ongoing straight to tomorrow (and beyond!) when Matt and I and fellow S&L leader Craig Munro (author of "Bones of the Past") are guests on the Sword and Laser podcast! That's right! My crazy voice will be broadcast for all to hear, so tune in when the episode airs. I'll be sure to post another reader update when it's live.

Look, as far as I see it, there are so many amazing authors and amazing stories here on Inkshares - and especially so for the books gathered in this S&L contest. I mean I even told Matt just before we hung up that I'm a huge fan of Amanda Orneck's "Deus Hex Machina." I think that book is so unique... Ah, I could talk your ear off all evening about my admiration for that work and for so many others, but I'd rather inform you that I... 

...just posted three more chapters of "The Animal in Man". Chapter Two. Chapter Three. And Chapter Six. ....hold on... Six? Yeah. That's right. Chapters 4 and 5 are done, but being the perfectionist I am, they don't make me so happy in their current state. I was picking at them with a fine tooth comb, and I saw just way too many spots that needed changing to be consistent with the world as it's evolved throughout this project. I believe you will enjoy 2, 3, and 6 since you'll see meet some new friends, discover the fate of everyone's favorite hyena (sorry, Rick), and perhaps even catch a glimpsssse of the villain's agent (or the villain himself, or both?).

I'd like to leave you with a disclaimer as this update draws to a close: Please please please excuse any inconsistencies or bad grammatical errors you find. "The Animal in Man" is a work in progress. The scale of this project is massive, perhaps you might say Aigaion-sized. It's a lot of work, but I am excited to see it through - to get the first draft finished and then leap back in with the bloody red pen (my students know what I'm talking about!). So please, don't be so critical of the small things that don't add up. Just enjoy. 

One Door Closes

For the past month, The Astronaut Instruction Manual spent nearly every day as #1 New Release Children's Book (Science >;;;;;;;;;;; Astronomy & Space) on amazon. It looked like this:

Today marked Day 90 as a New Release Children's Book on Amazon. Meaning The AIM is no longer a "new release". We immediately disappeared from the list. (And trust me, I loved The AIM being #1 on that list. Like, loved loved loved it.) However, as the saying goes, one door closes...

...and another opens. This week I am heading to Florida Educators Technology Conference in Orlando. While I am there I will be teaching at two schools, including Orlando Sciences Elementary School, where I am teaching 4th and 5th graders subsequent to a book buying parent who took the initiative to send an open invitation.

Amazingly, we are paying for the trip by offering Astronaut Instruction Manual books to students for pre-sell. (Which I then sign and personalize–after astronaut teaching and working with the classrooms.) It's like our very own Inkshares book fair!

This entire turn of events is literally a dream come true. Astronaut teaching and getting The Astronaut Instruction Manuals into the hands of young student readers? Yes!

So let's move this forward. If you think your student would like for Mike Mongo, astronaut teacher to visit their school sometime in the near future, let's do it. I'm 100% game!

Letting today's students know that tomorrow's jobs are in space gives them a critical competitive advantage to live, work and place in space. Let me know if such a student may be someone you know at a school you support.

(And if you don't have a student in school but know of a school that would be receptive to reaching students with a space STEM message, drop me a line too.)

I can be reached at mike at mikemongo dot com. Email me! Have books, will travel!

Next step, here we come. Keep up the good work and have a terrific 2016,

Mike Mongo
astronaut teacher

 99 copies of DHM on the wall, 99 copies of DHM! Share the book, pass it around, 100 copies of DHM on the wall!

Sorry, I'm a little loopy right now having only gotten an hour of sleep last night (Yay insomnia).  

Despite my best efforts, I am starting to see the end of the contest and really understanding the likelihood of me ending up not anywhere near the top three. I was hoping for 2nd, eager for 4th, but at this point even the numbers between 7th and 5th are pretty insurmountable.  And I think I am coming to peace with that. 

I am going to make a few more pleas with friends for orders, and this one is to those who are following DHM but haven't backed it yet.  There are 125 followers for DHM but 86 backers.  If each of you 39 people backed the book today, we would be back in the race, at least the race for 4th place. My son is sitting at my shoulder reading this, saying "I want to be in the race." Yeah, me too, kid. Me too.

So if you have been waiting to order DHM, now is the time. Please preorder the book today!

Incentive wise, we are four people away from our next raffle, 1 order away from 100 books ordered today, and six orders away from sixth place. 

Psst. Isn't that pic of Cri-Lux awesome? I bet you'd love to know who she is! How about another incentive. If we get to 125 backers, then I'll release chapter 2, and you'll meet not only Cri-Lux but also Daxas Piers, our street wise mech racer. Now I have to go race with my toddler. He says "we have to get all the way to the finish line." Wise words.

So, this update is a day late...but there's a pretty great reason for that.

We did it. We got there. Ghosts of War's funding campaign is finished and it is now a part of the Quill Collection at Inkshares.

I couldn't have gotten Ghosts to this point without the help of those who backed it during it's run, and for that I'll be forever grateful. I really can't thank you all enough.

In closing, I think this sums up my feelings about today...