Hey, hey, Bloodlings, new and old! 

How are you today?

I hope the answer is that you're happy, healthy, and wealthy! 

As for me, I had some health stuff come up and started taking a new medication that leaves me drowsy, so I didn't get a chance to update y'all on what's been happening immediately.

 Or, at least, I hadn't gotten a chance to update here on Backerkit. I was able to do a quick little post on Instagram.

Anyways, I came here today bringing GREAT news: We're funded at $713! Woo-hoo! That means I get to update my Backerkit Banner with this image:

But just because we funded doesn't mean the campaign is over! 

We still have stretch goals and achievements to unlock. Speaking of which, I guess it's time I announced A) What we've unlocked so far AND B) what we have to look forward too! 

So, let's get into it. Here's what we've unlocked:

An unedited copy of the first chapter of my new publication (title TBD) because we reached our funding goal of $700. This reward goes to ALL Backers!

If you haven't guessed yet, the world of Blood Ties and The Covenant of Blood is vast, and it will continue to grow as I write each book. By backing my projects, y'all get a first glimpse into the world and you get to help shape it. Which is why there's a "Name a Character" tier in this campaign. 

Announcement of the next stretch goal! 

I told y'all that if we hit our funding goal, I'd announce the next stretch goal early, and I'm ready to keep my promise. If you remember, there was a riddle associated with it. The riddle was: 

This shape which could be considered a square will point you to your last detail in the codex of which you love, including the one I described above.

In retrospect, I should've made y'all work for this announcement by giving you a chance to guess the answer in a poll, but since I didn't, you'll be let off the hook. 

So, the first stretch goal is: 

Exclusive Bookmarks for everyone who backs a physical tier!

This goal will officially be unlocked once we hit $1000, so do your best! We're about $300 away! 

Here's what you have to look forward to:

I'll be posting new community achievements and polls. Participation in these will allow Backers to vote on things like the design (quote or art), size (small or medium), and type (paper or metal) of bookmark. 

So, are you ready to help me reach $1000? If so, be sure to share this campaign on Facebook. If we hit 100 shares, you'll unlock a FREE personalized (digital) letter from a character from Blood Ties!

Or, if we hit 50 pledges in total, everyone who backed a physical tier will unlock a FREE personalized (physical) letter from a character from Blood Ties sent via mail. 

And, of course, there are five other stretch goals waiting to be unlocked. 

Thanks again, and here's hoping to hitting the rest of our goals before the campaign is over!

XOXO

J.S. Living

Hey, hey Bloodlings!

It's ya girl J.S. Living hoping you're feeling happy, healthy, and wealthy.

Four/five-ish days ago, I released a blog post on my website titled "That Time People at My Bus Stop Threw My Binder of Stories Down the Drain," and it got me thinking: How much do y'all really know about me or why this campaign means so much to me.

Well, let me tell you in a series of updates starting with, you guessed it, That Time I Wrote My First Book and How it Changed My Life Forever. 

That Time I Wrote My First Book and How it Changed My Life Forever. 

The first book I ever wrote from beginning to end was originally titled The Soul Searcher. This was back in 2016 when I thought my first novel would be published in the traditional manner--through submissions and querying, etc.

But, what I submitted as my final project for undergrad was not a complete novel, it was just the beginning of one.

And, so, I went to grad school with the idea that I would clean up the draft and submit a new, polished one as my thesis project. I passed, of course, but the book still wasn't finished. There were a ton of plot holes, and there was only a beginning and part of a middle.

So, the journey continued even after I completed my M.F.A. in Writing.

The Soul Searcher became the thing I worked on day and night, writing and rewriting scenes. There are good memories and bad memories from that time--most of them related to financial wins and losses, but what I  remember most was becoming a regular customer at my local Starbucks.

You see, at the time I was writing The Soul Searcher, I was stuck at a job I didn't care for too much, with people I only sort of liked, and a living situation that was less than ideal. The only thing that really got me through my days was my cat Haruhi (who's name, much like this post, was influenced by anime) and working on the book that I just knew was going to make me a, quote "author."

And so I wrote.

And I wrote.

And I wrote some more.

And I kept writing until I finished my book on my deadline: The day before my 27th birthday.

When I wrote that last sentence, that last word, that's when I knew I could do it. That I could be an author.

It didn't matter that the book was trash, or that I've shelved the project since--though my mind often wanders back to it.

The part that changed my life was the sense of accomplishment I achieved from completing something that others often fail to do.

I bawled like a baby when I wrote my first novel, and I'm not ashamed, because I still bawl like a baby when I finish projects now.

Since that day, I've written a total of five books: Two complete novels, two incomplete novels, and Blood Ties, my first-ever short story collection.
 

Writing that first book changed my life forever because now, now I know I can create entire worlds from the tiniest spark in my brain. Now I know I can inspire others to write, or to get lost in the universes I make, and that is the most amazing thing I could ever hope for.

So, why should you support my Backerkit Campaign? Why should you share with your friends and family via text messages and social media? Why should you help me reach my funding goal of $700?

It's simple:

You want to inspire people too. You want to be able to say you helped make the world of Blood Ties and The Covenant of Blood come to life. You want to have a say in what happens in future books. Just like me, you want to leave your mark on the world through stories.

Because what are we, if not the stories we tell? 

So, this is your chance to be part of something bigger. To get to decide something that others won't be able to. We have $90 to go before we reach our goals. Be immortalized in this project today. All you have to do is follow the blood trail, and back my campaign. 

And, if you're looking for extra special rewards, you can back the campaigns of my fellow Booktopia participants to get an exclusive Booktopia Bookmark AND a set of Oracle Cards.