Tony Valdez liked an update for Murder at the Veterans’ Club

Dear friends and followers,

It continues to be slow on the pre-order front--Summer is meant for lazy, restful naps in the sun--but that does not mean I have been completely idle. I have plans for a second Peterkin mystery game, which I hope to unveil in a couple of weeks.

Wouldn’t it be great if I could just spend all my time writing? Both games and books. I guess I could consider Patreon for that, but I figure the pre-order thing with Inkshares is better. A one-time contribution can lead to publication, which in turn leads to sales and royalties ... it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Speaking of games and books, the video-game oriented Nerdist contest just ended, and I am pleased to say that "Too Many Controllers" came in first. A number of you contributed to that win, and we’ve compiled a video to express our gratitude.

It’s a first taste of publication, folks. And that is bloody exciting.

And in the continuing series of introductions to the characters you’ll meet in "Murder at the Veterans’ Club", here’s (Lord) Oliver Saxon, the fifth and last of the club officers:

Here’s a bit of trivia that didn’t make it into the book:

In the UK, a military Mess is normally run by a Mess Committee comprising of seven members: the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and three members responsible for stocking the bar, organising the entertainment, and maintaining the premises. The Veterans’ Club is almost certainly derived from such a Mess, which suggests there ought to be seven members on the board of officers, not five. I blame Bradshaw for this: it is my belief that he proved so efficient as Secretary that he swallowed up the offices of the Treasurer and the member responsible for maintaining the premises. No doubt, once he’s gone, the Vet will find itself in need of an additional two officers on the board to bring them back up to seven.

Then again, has the Mess Committee always been as described, and was it so in the days of the club’s founding?

Until next time: have fun and keep reading.

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    Tony Valdez liked an update for To Live and Die in Avalon

    WELCOME TO EARTH, EXILE! 

    A long time ago the planet Earth, birthplace of the human race, was a beautiful green and blue jewel of a world…the centerpiece of the Sol system! It had sprawling cities with towering skyscrapers, jungles, deserts, rainforests, tundras, oceans, rivers, lakes and a population that numbered in the several billions! 

    However, that was before the Cleansing deemed the world fit for destruction and the atmosphere was scorched and made unbreathable. Clouds of dust and ash now block the once nourishing rays of the sun, the soil has become contaminated and every living thing that was not relocated to Avalon is now long dead. Once the centerpiece of the system, it is now the one world everyone wants to avoid. It is a barren wasteland of outcasts, criminals, and exiles just like you!

    That’s the good news! Earth salvage is one of the most valuable commodities in the system, prized by collectors and scientists from Avalon all the way to Pluto! Objects that were once part of everyday human life are now highly sought-after artifacts of immense value. You will become an indentured scavenger, braving the harsh wasteland in search of treasures worth more than you can imagine. And if you’re lucky, after say, your tenth expedition, you may even be eligible to get a small percentage of the profits! What better incentive to survive this poison landscape than the possibility of earning your own meager pay!

     Being an Earth scavenger is not a “success overnight” path. In most cases, it’s not even a “success over several months” deal. But, with the proper training, equipment, and support, anyone can succeed as a scavenger! Sometimes, we even have one or all of those things available to new recruits such as yourself! 

    Besides the toxic atmosphere and crumbling landscape, what other dangers can you expect to find in the wastelands of Earth? Well, there are mutants, twisted by long-term exposure to the poison air and radiation. “Freelance” scavengers, otherwise known as “bandits” roam the wastelands, some of which have even taken up cannibalism. The once towering skyscrapers are now decaying safety hazards and there are sinkholes, quicksand, dust storms and probably more nightmares than anyone could ever possibly bear. For others, that might spell an immediate “no way, I’m not going anywhere near there”. But, for you exile, it spells adventure. 

    (Also, you’ve been legally bound to indentured servitude, so it’s not like you have a choice anyway.) 

    So, go out there and fetch yourself a fortune or at least a fraction of one while you toil away under the moderately brutish leadership of a master scavenger. One day, he may even release you from indentured servitude and you can become a “free” scavenger. That’s right, you too can be your own boss and the entire, muddy, destroyed expanse of a once beautiful planet can be your office! 

    On the other hand, if you die, please know that we will make every effort to make sure your carcass doesn’t get stolen by cannibals to be used as bait to trap other scavengers with better survival skills than you. 

    Enjoy your stay and happy hunting! 

    -Welcome brochure for Earth exiles, produced by Axis Earth Salvage, Inc. 

    Two women are about to brave the wasteland that used to be the planet Earth to uncover a plot to destory the utopian society of Avalon. One is a hardened spy, the other is a scientist from another time.

    Want to find out what happens next? Pre-order now!

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      Tony Valdez liked an update for Women Like Us

      Hey!  Happy Friday!  Wasn’t going to post until the book was in your hands, but there may be a very short delay in the production schedule so just to let you know delivery date should be by August 1 latest on physical books. It will be earlier than that for those who ordered eBooks -- they should arrive on schedule for download.  Stay tuned -- also because I’m working on a longer update where I thank profusely everybody involved in making Women Like Us a reality but I just don’t have that ready yet.

      In the meantime, marketing efforts have kept me insanely busy. Looks like the book will be on shelves at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, Book Soup in West Hollywood, and Skylight Books in Los Feliz. Hoping to get some more stores on board.  The book will also appear on the book shelf of the blog Chicklit Central, and I’ve done a guest blog post for Fiction Dreams.  Here are links to both blogs.

      http://www.fictiondreams.com/2016/07/guest-post-by-jason-pomerance.html

      http://www.chicklitcentral.com

      It won’t show up on Chicklit Central until about November, but that’s no problem because the holidays are great for book buying.  A third and possibly fourth guest blog post are in the works too, and there might even be more after that. Phew!!

      That’s it for now. Sit tight -- books coming very soon. Of course once it’s out there, I’ll be asking everybody to go to the Amazon page for the book and leave a brief review and however many stars you feel you want to give (5 right?). The number of Amazon reviews is critical for boosting sales, but more on that later.

      Hope you all every a terrific weekend, and Happy Reading!


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        Tony Valdez liked an update for Beyond The Code

        Greetings wonderful people! Long time no update.

        Yes I’m still technically alive.No I haven’t fallen into some kind of crazy worm hole. I’ve just been editing up a storm. Busy busy busy! And now I think I’ve done all I can. Now I need your help. I want to get some beta readers to help really make this book shine. If you want to put your input into Beyond the Codes final product drop me a line with any of the following

        Email: Kelsey31@hotmail.com

        Twitter: BTCInkshares

        Or direct message on Inkshares or Facebook. 

        In other news I was recently interviewed by Elan Samuel with the Warbler. Check it out. 

         http://www.thewarblerbooks.com/featured-author-kelsey-rae-barthel/

        Thanks so much for following my story and my dream this far. I hope I can soon give you all a date for the final product. Exciting!! 

        Have a great weekend and I hope to hear from you. 

        Kelsey Rae Barthel

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          Tony Valdez liked an update for Are You Sure You Want to Quit?

          Hey everyone,

          First off, let me just say THANK YOU to each and every one of you that have been following my project this whole time and/or pre-ordered a copy. I might not have won the contest, but I REACHED QUILL (yay!!!). I am going to be a published author and you’ll all get to read this story which is incredible to me!! I never imagined that this campaign would be as successful as it was and for that I am greatly humbled so thank you for making my dream come true.

          I also want to say congratulations to the Inkvengers (Too Many Controllers), Prescott Harvey (In Beta), and Peter Ryan (Destiny Imperfect) for running excellent campaigns as well. If you haven’t yet go visit their page and pre-order a copy of their novels! Now that the contest is over I can relax and enjoy the other wonderful works on Inkshares. 

          Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going chill by the pool in this dreadful Texas heat. Until next time, cheers!!!!

          -Alisa-chan

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