Hello friends

It has been a couple of weeks since you heard from me. The thing is, I’m fully immersed in the world of Bad Medicine, working hard to finish the manuscript and deliver it to Inkshares. It feels great to be back in the groove, writing every day and loving every minute of it.

The world of The Catcher’s Trap is quiet these days. I’m happy to report that the book continues to sell steadily. The novel is not close to becoming a New York Times best-seller anytime soon, but I’m happy. For a completely unknown author like me, the fact that there are people out there interested in my work and willing to pay for it is winning in life.

Remember, if you want to give me a hand, please either rate or leave a review on Amazon. Reviews help make the book more visible, and visibility is the best gift you can send my way. Also, if you read it and enjoyed it, please recommend it to your friends. Click here to leave a review.

As I said before, I am working on several side projects that I will be launching in March. A couple of days ago I received the cover art for my short story Paragon Falling. I will be giving this story away for free on Amazon as a way to promote my writing. The idea is to publish a free short story every month, with the hopes to compile them into a book of short stories to be released next year.

That’s it. Short and sweet. Before I go just a quick reminder that the campaign for The Catcher’s Trap sequel is active. You can support here.

 Have a great week!

Ricardo

Dear friends

I come to you as the bearer of good news. Very good news!

Blurbs and reviews for The Catcher’s Trap are trickling in, and I can’t be more thankful and proud. I share with you three blurbs that put a smile on my face:

"Ricardo Henriquez’s impressive use of description and storytelling weaves a most captivating introduction of macabre and beauty in his new series. Readers should clear their schedules the day they open The Catcher’s Trap. As soon as they finish chapter one... there is no stopping until the final page has been reached." Alicia Smock, Chicago Books Examiner

“With his debut novel, “The Catchers Trap,” Ricardo Henriquez sucks the reader into a vortex of suspense, sarcasm and stunning detail that is both captivating and thrilling. The novel is engaging to both horror and non-horror fans, with a read that is more than meets the eye.” Christine Bucci-Caprilozzi, Senior Editor for Horror News Network

“The Catcher’s Trap is a riveting story that kept me up reading far too late more than once.  Equal parts terrifying and heroic, Andres’ descent into a nightmare existence and back is going stay with me for a long time.  I hope Mr. Henriquez has a sequel in the works, because I need to know what happens next, and there’s so much more about the Catcher’s world to explore.” Dave Barret, Author of It’s All Fun and Games, and Nerdist contest winner.

As an author I want nothing more than people to enjoy my work. The fact that those who have read The Catcher’s Trap like it, encourages me to continue writing and sharing the stories I carry inside of me.

In other great news, Nerdist and Inkshares announced yesterday at Comic-Con that our anthology Too Many Controllers was picked to be part of the Nerdist collection. What does this mean? It means that Nerdist will put their marketing power behind our project to make sure it is a successful one. This is a great honor that I share with other 14 talented writers.

Finally, just a reminder that in about a month, on August 27th, I’ll be at the Connecticut Horror Fest, at The Matrix Conference Center in Danbury. If you are in the area, come and say hello. I’ll have free advance readers copies of The Catcher’s Trap and other chachkies to share.

Have a Fantastic Week.

Ricardo

Hello Friends

My childhood is filled with sweet memories of a big and loving family, but also terrifying episodes of bullying. I grew up knowing I was different, and other children noticed it and tortured me because of it.

While I started re-imagining myself, I also met the most amazing man, and I convinced him to marry me.

Dear Friends

My editor Penny-Lane and I want to wish you all a Happy Holidays.

Thank you for your support, for your words of encouragement, and for making 2015 one of the best years of my life.

This year I did two big things: I ran the New York City Marathon, and I wrote a novel. It would be easy to pat my back and congratulate myself for such achievements, but the truth is that the blood, sweat and tears that took to achieve those two things were not only mine.

There were so many people cheering for me every time I reached a milestone; there were so many friends and family picking me up when I fell and thought I couldn’t keep going. There was all of you, who took a chance on my book and helped me reach my funding goal.

If I learned anything this year is that hard-work is not all it takes to achieve big dreams; a support system, a network of love is what make dreams come true.

So once again: Thank You All!

It wouldn’t be a proper end of the year update without a quote from the wisest man in the universe:

 “There’s a lot of things you need to get across this universe. Warp drive… wormhole refractors… You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold.”

The Tenth Doctor, Fear Her.

The Aftermath...

It took me a couple of hours to move from the corner of my couch where I usually sit when I am depressed. “One book, you lost by one book.” I kept telling myself while wondering whose fault that was. Was it me for not moving fast enough? For not asking enough people? For skipping doors in my neighborhood? Or was it that friend who said she was pre-ordering 3 weeks ago and after 5 reminders never did?

If I have learned anything from 50 years of Doctor Who, is that there are moments fixed in time that cannot be changed no matter what we do. I believe this was one of them. I was not meant to win The Nerdist contest, and I have to live with that.

Yesterday’s urgency and  later on grief made me miss something magical happening around me. A chain of people from all over the world; from Eugene –Oregon-  to Sydney; and from Hamden to the Chilean Atacama Desert, spent a day fighting shoulder to shoulder with me to help me win.

My phone was ringing the whole day with messages and texts from friends who decided to turn yesterday into a global “get out the vote” day for The Catcher’s Trap.

 It certainly felt like an election day. By noon –Eastern Time- I knew it was going to come down to 1 or 2 books. I was hopeful, though; orders were pouring, and an entire contingency from the University of Utah had joined the campaign mid-morning. In the opposite side of the globe, my massive Chilean family worked as a team trying to figure out a website written in a language unfamiliar to them.

At 2:58 I knew I had fallen short. I watched the seconds fly away as a landslide of rage and sadness overcame me. For the next two hours, I obsessed over the failure.

Today I feel nothing but blessed. The universe decided that the best way to show me how many people care about me was making me lose one of the most important campaigns I’ve ever run. Well played universe; I get it, I totally get it.

The Catcher’s Trap will become a reality one day. I am not sure when, though. I am really close to the 750 copies needed for an electronic run of the book, but I am not sure I will go that road.  I need an actual book, one that I can sign and personally deliver to that core group of people who yesterday put their lives on hold, just to support a friend’s silly dream.

Thank you all for your support. I promise I’ll be in touch.