I’m still on a bit of a high after Mission 51 was honored with the July selection of the GREAT SCIFI for the 21st CENTURY and BEYOND SYNDICATE! Now there is an extra badge on my project page, to go along with the Inkshares "Staff Pick" badge. Wow!

But really, this is not the time for celebration. There are only 27 days left for Mission 51 to get to 250 pre-orders before it can be published. Time is running short!

Mission 51 has 167 awesome followers. Of those, 109 have pre-ordered their copy of the book, some ordering multiple copies. Thank you very much!

This update is actually a request to the 58 others who have yet to place their pre-order. If you have been waiting for some reason, the time to act is now! Please, take a moment and click the green button below to place your pre-order. And remember, I will match it dollar for dollar with a donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, who do an absolutely awesome job helping families with sick kids.

Thank you in advance for your kind support! And thank you for liking and sharing my endless posts, and for promoting to your friends. The Mission 51 family has grown because of you! Thank you! :-)

Just a reminder:

As of now, we’re just shy of 50 pre-orders to get to this goal. 50 pre-orders in 6 days is hard, but it can be done.
I really want the opportunity to share this with you. If you haven’t placed your pre-order yet, now is a great time. If you already have, talk to a close friend or relative and ask if they’d like to pre-order a copy. Remember, this entire campaign depends on your support: I can’t do this without your help.

Dear friends and followers,

We stand today at 388 orders. Things picked up a bit this week, and 400 is just around the corner. It’s very exciting, and I thank you all for getting us here. Somehow the thought of being in the 400s makes the achievement of 750 seem that much closer, that much more real.... I should reiterate, by the way, the we go into production as soon as we hit 750, not when we reach the final deadline. This means that the sooner we get there, the sooner everyone gets their books.

If you haven’t checked out the accompanying text adventure game, "Mustard, Music, and Murder", yet, I encourage you to do so.

Speaking of games, it’s the final week of the Nerdist contest. "Too Many Controllers" is currently in the lead, but, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, it ain’t Game Over till it’s Game Over.

Every order helps.

My own personal stake in "Too Many Controllers" aside, there are some worthy contenders in the top ten right now. "Squids In" should, I think, appeal to anyone who enjoyed Landon Crutcher’s "Monkey Business"--which I did. In a way, I see them as spiritual siblings, and it would be great to see them side-by-side on a shelf in matching formats ... part of a series of zoological comedy, perhaps.

In the last Inkshares blog post, the top ten contenders answered the question, "who would you cast in the movie/TV version of your book"? Well, my contribution to the anthology is clearly a John Cleese movie. But what about "Murder at the Veterans’ Club"?

I’d been thinking of Aidan Turner in the role of Eric Peterkin, based solely on Turner’s performance in the latest BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie’s "And Then There Were None", even if he’s technically too tall for the part. Thoughts?

Don’t give me that look, Mr. Turner. Sure, it’s a bit early to be thinking of casting actors in the roles, but some people like to be able to visualise this sort of thing.

With that in mind, I bid you all a good week. Have fun, and keep reading.

Dear Readers, 

I am interrupting my day at work because of this unbelievable happening, and I simply had to share it with you! I have gotten the highest honor I have ever received for my writing! I was notified a few minutes ago by @Matthew Isaac Sobin, the syndicate lead of the GREAT SCIFI for the 21st CENTURY and BEYOND SYNDICATE that Mission 51 is their July selection!!!!

Like I told Matt, this honor has left me spinning with feelings. I am humbled that anyone would think of me and my work like this. I am overjoyed! And I feel like a funny fear has been lifted, a fear that my thought and words are insignificant. This honor is very encouraging!

Here is what Matt had to say:

The SciFi syndicate is thrilled to support Mission 51 with our July selection! Ferd Crôtte has created something truly intoxicating. The perfect premise, which takes one of the great mysteries / intrigues of the 20th century and puts us directly in the alien’s shoes; it’s SciFi and historical fiction wrapped into one. In addition, there is special artwork which illuminates the story with a deft touch. We can’t wait to read more, and for this story to become a book on our shelves. We encourage our fellow Inkshares authors and readers to support this praiseworthy project!

Matt, thank you very, very much from the bottom of my heart for this valued honor! I am re-energized to continue making Mission 51 the absolutely best it can be! Thank you!!!