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Category: Patreon Posts
Cross posts from patreon, archived here. Most are supporters-only but some are free.
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Warning! Incoming Fire: Announcing an Audio Edition
Hello friends and followers. Got some neon-hot cyberpunk goodness hurtling your way!
You ready for a new wave of synth and neon? Maxine Ali’s adventures are far from over. Here’s what I’ve got loaded in the chambers of this double-barreled shotgun of awesome.
First Blast: Audio Edition of Book 1
I’ve recorded my own reading of book 1, exclusively for your listening pleasure. Expect audio releases weekly, right here on Patreon, leading up to the release of book 2 next summer.
Far beyond a little shiny new chrome, this updated edition grabbed the full body mod:
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Inmani is now called In/Human, a literal translation of inmani, and a more descriptive word for the non-latinophone
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A new opening chapter! Ever wanted to ride in style in a church drop ship? Meet Nova Mundo like a boss
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A rewrite of the infamous chapter 11: Deep In a Pool of Flaming Shit, 2:51 AM. Simpler. More demure. More mindful
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The colossus is described. Jaq is in more scenes, stealing them
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Some dialect tweaks, mostly for Jaq and Mother Joan
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Finally, bug-stomping metal heads have been hard at work moshing on the manuscript and it should include a large number of bug fixes/typo evictions. I’d love to say the typos have all met the wrath of Benedict but those little shits are gold elite at stealth. As heroes you will receive your regularly scheduled free e-book copy in mid-december and if you spot any bugs, I beg you to call in the coordinates so I can airstrike them. The print book will also receive these updates in a new edition.
Second Barrel: Book 2 Is Heating Up
The second book in the In/Human series, tentatively titled Driftwood, is deep in the gory phase of editing, with rewrites flying fast, an editor deployed, and a cover design already loaded. Can’t wait for you to see where Max and Jaq head next… you’ll never guess. Here’s an excerpt:
“Shefwayla,” I said the one-word prayer that meant ‘I accept this,’ but the hair on the back of my arms stood up. Something in the way the wind moaned, the way the ocean rustled endlessly against the shore like against binding chains, the way the mesas seemed alive and watching in the flicker of soundless lightning, made me speak again despite their warning: “Is it dangerous out here?”
That broken-rock voice next to the door answered with dry and desiccated sarcasm. “Nothing worse than what’s in there.” And they jabbed with the stem of their pipe at the door again.
All five of the elders on the porch nodded, their heads bobbing in the dark.
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INMANI: Nova Mundo Blues is Oscar Mike!
(Oscar Mike is phonetic military speak for the letters O and M meaning On the Move)
Friends, furies, fiends, you’ve more than earned it. Today you should have a message in your patreon inbox with a link to redeem an e-book copy of INMANI: Nova Mundo Blues.
Rock on. If you don’t have a link or it doesn’t work, message me right back and we’ll figure it out.
I made a little video about how I’m feeling today:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CurOMKOIuz3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
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Book 1 Back from the Editor
Book 1 is back from the editor, and as I review the revisions I’ll be updating the website with the more polished text. When the text is fully polished I’ll be going through the self publishing thing. This is my first time on that ride, so I appreciate your patience as I work out the details. Patrons will be getting your copies of the polished e-book as soon as it’s available, but there are still some hoops: cover art, typesetting, etc.
Book 2 is in the works, with over 110k words in the rough draft. I appreciate your patience! I hope to wrap up the rough in the next month.
I’ll be attending the DFWCon writing convention June 22nd to 23rd. I don’t plan to pitch Cold Morning (I have other manuscripts to pitch) but I will if there’s an interest.
Also, in RL stuff, I’m switching careers. July 1st I’ll be leaving my position of the last nine years as a professor to take a job as a content developer for Iphone Life Magazine. I’m hoping this actually increases the amount of time I have to write, but that is still unknown.
As always, thank you thank you thank you!
I love you!
Here’s a line out of context from book two:
The way hooks once and then widens to a yard of gravestones like old zits. A stone chapel rises from the hilltop, barely a dozen paces long and half that wide, with a bell tower that holds no bell. Its stained-glass windows are barred. The ruts of tires lead to a turnaround before tall doors, where a marsh of puddles reflects the steeple overhead.
Before the closed church-door sits a hearse with its engine off and fog on its windows.
“I’ve been here,” I say. “This is where I woke up. This is my grave.”
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Book II Progress
The most true. Extreme true-ness.
I’m 34 chapters into writing down everything that happens in book 2. I expect I’ll finish doing that at about 50 chapters. At this point, I’ve got a pretty clear idea of what happens, but I have no idea how to make it look like I know what I’m doing.
So here’s my question: When would you like to start reading?
Realtime Option: I start publishing chapters, probably in about two weeks. These will be subject to revision as the process continues and will contain typos.
Polished Option: The update feed is quieter for a while. I go through my normal process of writing everything that happens down before doctoring it up a lot. Then I start releasing chapters.
Patrons/Optional Option of all optionalness: I make chapters available as soon as I feel they’re reasonably ready, but only through patreon. The website resumes updates once the book is finished and edited.
Regardless of which way you vote, I need good and dedicated beta readers. If you’re interested in reading unfinished pages then PM me either here or on facebook.
Also! We’ve busted through a couple of fundraising goals, which is awesome! Thanks you beautiful adventurers! You dashing knaves! You wise wanderers! Give yourselves a round of applause! I will get to the goal rewards just as soon as I can. In the meantime, know you’ve granted life and joy.
