I'm currently in the final proofreading stage with the manuscript for Nightscape: Cynopolis. My talented book designer, Ryan Peinhardt, delivered the PDF version late Tuesday night and I'll be running through it over the next few days, noting minor (and mainly formatting-related) edits. You might recall that I pegged the original manuscript at 141K words and change. Well, after a thorough review by my trusted editor, Sarah Kishpaugh, and additional edits volunteered by moi, I ended up cutting around 15K words. The narrative is much improved as a result--faster, more tightly focused, and more impactful (okay, not a real word, but used often enough in my day job to seem like one to me).
While polishing the formatted manuscript, I'm also heavily engaged in pre-release marketing. I've secured ten reviews so far and hoping for at least twice that number, especially given a virtual tour that will take place the week of the book's October 20 release. I'm also experimenting with ads in several genre magazines, including Fangoria, Shock Cinema and Xnoybis, along with Facebook ads and a top banner ad on a series of horror-related sites, notably. Horror Fiction and Horror Web. In the category of shameless self-promotion, I'm still looking for genre readers willing to join my street team. As a member of this team you'll receive all Nightscape releases before the general public in exchange for an honest review on as many relevant websites. Please contact me via email or message me via Facebook if you're interested.
Finally, if you pre-order a signed copy of Nightscape: Cynopolis , you'll also receive a limited-edition bookmark. Designed by Ryan Penhardt, this double-sided bookmark features the fabulous cover art by Santiago Caruso from the first two Nightscape novels. This giveaway is a perfect way to put the fun in functional.