Time Travel Paradox

Some of you (only about two, I think) may have seen the "Time Traveler" blog posting that went up here yesterday.  It was a blog post I wrote and scheduled a couple weeks ago where I used time travel as a metaphor to say how I'm spending too much of my time "in the future" trying to make my eventual writing career into a reality and not enough time here in the present with my family, doing things around the house, etc.  It was, I think, kind of well done.  It was also a bit of a downer.

I have since traveled back to the past and undone that blog post.  I decided today that I'm no longer ready to be quite so pessimistic about my writing--at least not yet.  After all, I've only suffered 15 years of ambiguity and rejection.  Why give up now?  That blog entry, therefore, no longer exists.  Whatever you think you remember of it is just a bit of deja vu...

You may now carry on with your lives.  Deja vu, nothing more...

We Didn't Make it... But Here's a Free Download Anyway

Well, the Kickstarter...  Didn't make it.  Kind of depressing but the show must go on, right?  And Tarnish will eventually come out, it just won't have as many bells and whistles (or editing) as it might have with the financial boost.  But I do want to humbly thank those who did pledge their fantastic support.  I can't thank you enough for your faith in me and my project.

But rather than wallow in self-pity, let's celebrate.  Kind of.  With a free download of the ebook version of The Prince of Luster and Decay, which is a fantasy war story that takes place 10 years before the novel Tarnish. 

Follow this link to Smashwords.com and enter this coupon code when you're checking out: XW44G
You may have to open an account with Smashwords, not sure how all that works, but in the end you'll get a free ebook from me (in any format you like) and access to literally billions of words worth of indie author work.

And if you enjoy The Prince, please don't feel guilty about writing a quick review for it on Smashwords (or Amazon, or anywhere else you feel motivated to do so). Let others know what you thought so they can decide if they'd like to read it too.

Note that this coupon code won't work forever though. Everything has a shelf-life, including this deal. This offer is good through May 31st. After that the code will cease to function.

Thanks for reading (and thanks for any reviews or sharing of this page)!

Kickstarter: Final Week

Just a final reminder here, it's not too late to push this Kickstarter across the finish line!  It's got a ways to go but can certainly still be accomplished!  Remember, there's no risk involved: if it doesn't meet the $2800 goal no one pays anything.  So if you're interested, by all means, make your pledge.  There's always a big boost in the last 48 hours of a project.  We might just surprise ourselves with the magnitude of our success!

Tarnish is a fantasy adventure novel like no other.  Magic and dragons are kept subtle, the scale is relatable, and the characters live and breathe with weaknesses as well as strengths.  Click here to read the first chapter, and here to go to the Kickstarter page.

Kickstarter -- Two weeks deep...

Well, we're about two weeks into the Kickstarter for Tarnish and we've come quite a ways.  But we also have quite a ways yet to go.  I'm trying to get my finger prints around the internet as much as possible (and by the time this is all over I'm going to need a big break away from this contraption...) but I can always use some help.  If you're reading this then please don't be shy about sharing it with everyone you can think of!

Tarnish definitely needs an editor (by the fourth draft all the words start to blur together in my eyes) and I'd hate to think that all these great rewards would go unfulfilled.  I really want to produce the limited edition hardback copies but an order of only 21 will run about $500, so without Kickstarter there will obviously be no hardbacks.  And the image above of Ian the Black would look great as one of three bookmark designs -- a reward just about every contributor will be getting when this succeeds!

Help us make this book all it can be.  Visit the Kickstarter page, pitch in a few bucks if you can, and spread the word!

THANKS!

Kickstarter Novel Update: “Sooner is Better than Later”

We are now on our 7^th day of the Kickstarter forthe fantasy novel Tarnish, a fund-raising event designed to improve the quality of the book and get a copy in various forms to most (of not all) of our generous contributors.  Why do I keep saying ‘we’ and ‘our’?  Because everyone who contributes even a dollar takes a sliver of ownership of this novel and has a vested interest in its future!  

And so THANK YOU to those of you who have contributed thus far.  By day 2 we were at 8% of our final goal and at that rate we will have hit our mark by day 13.  Now, on day 7...  We are still at 8%...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1597562924/tarnish-a-fantasy-novel-by-j-d-brink

Some of you have bookmarked the page or clicked “remind me later.”  But I am asking please that if you do intend to contribute to this cause sooner is better than later.  When a Kickstarter project begins to pick up momentum (meaning it gets a nice amount of contributors in a short time) it gets moved up to the “Popular This Week” section, and thus gets a lot more exposure to those browsing the site.  Otherwise it hangs out in the lower levels where few people will see it.  Obviously, the more exposure, the better.

So THANKS AGAIN to all who have and all who will take part in bringing this novel to life and I hope we will all have a successful, creative future together!

I’ll update again when we reach the halfway point!

Kickstarter: Tarnish is Live!!!

At long last, I have launched my Tarnish Kickstarter!

Tarnish is a fantasy novel about a 16 year old, small-town kid who ventures out into the greater world to save his hometown and become a hero like his father.  There’s sword play, swamp monsters, a gang of thieves, romance and betrayal, and lots of fun!

Kickstarter is a website dedicated to helping artists, writers, film makers, musicians and more get their creative projects funded and off the ground.  I’m specifically hoping to hire a professional editor and fantasy painter for the cover, as well as get some printing and marketing done.  In return, I’ve set up some rewards that donors will receive once the book is finished.  You (or they) can contribute as little as a dollar (cuz every dollar counts) or as much as that little angel on your shoulder will allow! 

To go to my Tarnish Kickstarter page, click here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1597562924/tarnish-a-fantasy-novel-by-j-d-brink

To read the first chapter of the novel you can click this link to my writer’s webpage:

http://www.jdbrinkfugitive.com/p/tarnish-chapter-one.html

To learn more about Kickstarter itself, click here:  

http://www.kickstarter.com/hello?ref=nav

I was going to try and describe what Kickstarter is all about but they obviously do a better job than I do.  Please check them out, check out my K.S. project Tarnish, and most importantly, spread the word!  If you enjoy fantasy epics, underdog stories, or just want to be a part of the novel's future (and mine), just check out the site.  And whether you wish to donate or not, please pass this along via email, Facebook, chatting at the hair salon, to the your coworkers, shipmates, fellow patrons in the bar, wherever!  The more people we can reach and make aware, the more who may wish to join us in bringing this novel to life!  

THANK YOU for your time, consideration, and/or generosity.

J. D. Brink

New Release: The Prince

For those who enjoy a story of sword and sorcery warfare, here's an after Easter treat you can chew on for a while.  The Prince of Luster and Decay is my latest work published via Fugitive Fiction.  What's it about?  Here's the blurb:

"Sergeant Jacob Knox leads the Head Knockers, a specialized squad of soldiers fighting a war against sorcery and tyranny.  After an ambush by shape-shifting monsters kills half the squad and their company, Knox and his boys are sent on a final mission root out the source of evil.  This sword and soldiery novella is a prequel to the up-coming novel Tarnish and speaks to the nature of war, greed, and faith."  

This 20K word novella is available now on Smashwords.com (any format) and Amazon.com (kindle only) for less than the price of a cup of foo-foo coffee, and it will soon be distributed to all your favorite ebook sources.  The paperback version (about 100 pages) will also be available soon.  

This book also acts as harbinger and prequel to my fantasy novel Tarnish, which will be launched as a Kickstarter project very very soon, maybe even today!  (Let me see what I can get done.)  So if you enjoy The Prince, fantasy epics, underdog stories, or just want to be a part of the novel's future, I encourage you to stay tuned...

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank Dan Michael for again coming through with some great cover design work.  I sent him the sketch below as my vision for the The Prince cover and he created the eerily cool work you see above.  Thanks, Dan!