We’ve passed into the double digits! As of right now, we’re at 97 orders to go. We’ve almost caught up to where we were before we lost all the orders. Keep sharing and spreading the word. The time for the final push is here!

Also, I absolutely couldn’t wait to share this: Kaytalin Platt, author of The Living God, has made this amazing Tantalus Depths poster! Feel free to share it anywhere.

 

My dear animals,

I don’t have any words about "The Animal in Man" today. Instead, I have some things to say about a hard sci-fi, cosmic-horror thriller story I think you ought to be aware of: TANTALUS DEPTHS by Evan Graham.

Here’s part of what I said about Tantalus Depths in a review: Combining the immense scope of Mass Effect with the grittier, grounded, hard sci-fi feel of Alien is like a dream come true. ... What an absolutely uncanny, unfathomable universe we live in, where creative minds like Evan Graham’s can conjure stories from the dark unknown spaces between stars... I can’t wait to see where his story leads. 

Let me now say something about Evan Graham himself: ...I’ve met A LOT of hard-working authors around Inkshares, but NONE of them have busted their ass as much as this guy. He has SIX DAYS left to get ONE HUNDRED PRE-ORDERS. 

(Actually, make that ninety-nine since by the time you read this I’ll have already chipped in another order.) He deserves it, people. His book deserves it. I truly believe in this project. It’s not something I say lightly. If you’ve been on the fence about Tantalus Depths, just hangin’ out between Follower and Reader, it’s time to hop down and make the pre-order. You will not be disappointed.

Good morning everyone!

It’s Monday and time for another update. There are 21 days left in the Geek and Sundry Contest and The Living God has fallen to 7th. I knew, going into the contest, that it was a longshot that the book could stay in one of those coveted Top 3 positions. However, we did get there for a short time and we’ve held in the top 10 this entire contest, never dropping below 7th. I don’t like admitting defeat, but I also pride myself on being realistic. If each and every person who has backed the book so far could find one more person, a friend, a relative... Hell, I’d take a frenemy... we could shoot our way up to one of those Top 3 spots. 

But, this process has made me all too familiar with how hard it is to ask someone to invest in you, especially where money is concerned. So, if it is hard for me, as the author of this book, to ask for people to invest in it, I can only imagine how hard it is for others. But, if you enjoy The Living God, why not share that enthusiasm with the people in your life? 

Even still, with the contest being a bit out of reach, The Living God is 50 orders away from Quill! Just 50! Maybe, with a bit of guts, some daring, and a couple of shots of vodka, I might shoot for 750. There are 81 days left in the campaign, after all. 

I’m in talks with a friend on collaborating for a fantastic promotion that I think all writers will be interested in. Nothing is final yet, so I won’t reveal what it is, but I’m very excited about the possibilities. I hope to let you know on Friday’s update. 

Cover art promotion is going strong. I’m working on a few still. I also finished an amazing poster for Evan Graham’s Tantalus Depths. I’m not going to reveal it, but go follow him if you haven’t already and you may get a peek at it soon! 

Also, speaking of Tantalus Depths, it has 6 days left for funding and it is SO CLOSE to reaching 750 orders. Tantalus Depths needs as of right now 101 orders to make it to full publishing and distribution. I know I asked a lot earlier for the contest, but the likelihood of getting into the Top 3 is slim. Instead, consider throwing that support to Evan. He’s a fantastic member of this community and he has worked so hard to get Tantalus Depths published. 

That’s all for today! I hope you guys have a fantastic week and thank you for all of your support! 

Late in the fall migration hawk-watching season, which usually peaks in late September, Princess Gail managed to capture this amazing image of a mature Red-tailed Hawk. This was taken two days ago at Pilot Mountain State Park, close to our home in Winston Salem, NC.

There are only tangential mentions of birding in Mission 51, but still, I thought you might enjoy Gail’s pic.  :-)

Welcome, first round of followers! First off, I want to thank all of you for helping support this project. I’m already blown away by the positivity of the community here on Inkshares, and I look forward to discovering some of my new favorite authors here.

As some of you know, my novel "The Cradle and the Sword" is already a complete book - not a work-in-progress - which means there won’t be too many status updates apart from the preorder campaign itself. Even the cover and map are already designed! All that’s really left at this point is to edit and polish the existing draft, and build up enough followers to launch the campaign.

That said, I’m going to continue posting excerpts here, so you’ll begin to get a fuller sense of the scope of the book’s world. I’ve just posted a new excerpt called "A Dream From the Abyss," which I think you’ll enjoy.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about the nature of the book. It’s not exactly a novel, nor is it precisely a short story collection. It’s a series of interlocking adventures spiralling backward into the distant past, charting the courses of cultures and kingdoms from the Greco-Roman period all the way back to the dawn of civilization - and beyond. 

If you have any questions about the book, you’ll find I’m more than happy to go into detail.

Looking forward to meeting all of you,

--Ben

Updates, Faoii! Listen up!!

Another amazing victory for our army today! We’ve officially been backed by the Epic Fantasy Syndicate. Their medal is now proudly displayed in the barracks next to the other 2. Welcome our new brothers and sisters to the fray!

Today also brought us to 200 pre-orders and 5th place in the contest!! 200 pre-orders, Faoii! 50 more and we’ll reach Quill. Victory is so close I can taste it.

Don’t forget-- I’m still raffling off the chance to name one of several characters AND an edit/beta read of the work of your choice. Everyone who’s pre-ordered is entered into the contest, so don’t fret if you’re a seasoned Faoii--I haven’t forgotten you or what you’ve done for us. 

Take care of yourselves and each other, Faoii. We’re higher up the hill than we’ve been yet. Only 2 people stand between us and full publication. Let’s show them who we are!

Faoii-Tahani