Hello Abomination people! It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me since things have been relatively quiet on the Whitta-Inkshares front, but all that is about to change.

Transcribed from an audio recording found in the bedroom of Thomas Rivenport during the investigation of the shooting. The subjects have been identified as Thomas and Blodwen Rivenport. A third subject seems to be present, though inaudible. The date of recording is unknown.

 Thomas: Do you ever wonder if there is another you out there? Another version of you living in another place, in another time, experiencing different circumstances?

 Blodwen: Sounds sad if we aren’t together.

 Thomas: We could be. Maybe there we aren’t brother and sister. Maybe we are in love and have a little family.

 Blodwen: That’s a little weird to imagine, Tommy. You’re my brother here and I can’t think of you in any other way. Besides, what would happen if you met that version of you? Would you be friends, or would you compete for the same space, since there could ultimately be only one of you?

 Unknown: (Inaudible mumbling)

 Thomas: I think you and me would be happy there. Imagine cuddling close on a cold night after the kids went to bed.

Blodwen: Tommy, I said it’s weird to think about!

 Unknown: (Inaudible)

 Thomas: I think it would be nice.

 Blodwen: I said, knock it off!

 At this point, the recording is stopped. The remainder of the tape is blank.

Just a two quick notices:

Chapter 5 is up! Chapter 6 is coming soon...

And Mr. Butler’s diary has a new entry...enjoy!

As always, if you want to communicate or exchange pre-orders, just let me know by emailing me at madmrbutler@gmail.com.

Have a great day everyone!

-Michael

My wife just sent this to me. Now that I’ve finished fanning out, it occurs to me to wish with all my might that people in some far off future time might someday freak out similarly upon the discovery of some bit of MY half-baked ephemera....

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/16/unseen-jrr-tolkien-poems-found-in-school-magazine

Good day, Travellers! 

Time is going by fast. In just a few days the month of February will end and we’ll be entering March. The Nerdist contest closes on March 15. On that day the authors who’ve managed to hold a spot in the top 3 will have their books published. 

 I don’t know about you, but I want The Traveller’s Cup to be a part of that. 

I’ve been campaigning hard for this book, and I’ve started to get a lot of questions about overall theme and where I want to go with the story as a whole. While I must keep some of the mystery buried under lock and key, I thought I’d answer some FAQs here for you. 

1. Is The Traveller’s Cup a Standalone Novel or Part of a Series? 
The novel stands well on its own. Don’t get me wrong—I love to write sprawling complex series, but I don’t want to make you guys invest too much time to get a fulfilling story. There’s always a chance of the universe expanding. I mean it takes place in the depths of space, so there are a lot of places we could go. But right now I’m only focused on making this book the best it can be, with no plans for a direct sequel. 

2. What’s the Theme of The Traveller’s Cup? 
I don’t know if there’s a single theme, but I hope this story can open a few eyes to parallels in our own history about privilege and culture. I’ve had a lot of inspiration from historical events on our home planet, and it’s been interesting thinking about how similar mentalities would affect interplanetary settlers. 

3. Would I Like This Book? I Don’t Normally Go for Science Fiction or Fantasy. 
I hope so. My goal in writing his has been to make something approachable and engaging. There are planets and space and magic, but at the heart of it this book is an adventure story.     

If there’s anything else you want to know, just ask! I’m still selecting a sample chapter for you guys, which you’ll receive before the week is over. 

pew pew fire space lazer,
-AC