Promise not to stare too long, for this is not a miracle

Today it's been brought to my attention that you can OFFICIALLY START PREORDERING MAPLECROFT over at Amazon.com! Seriously. Go click. Even though the book doesn't drop until September 2, yes. READ YE THE FLAP COPY and do a little dance with me, eh?

[:: does a little twirlie ::]

No, the cover isn't up there yet - but I'm told it's coming soon and yes, I've seen it. IT IS SO COOL. I can't WAIT to make it public...I mean, I'm fidgeting apart at the SEAMS over here. So you may rest assured that the very MOMENT I'm given the all-clear, you shall feast your eyes upon it as well.

Right. So there's that.

Now why, you may be asking yourself, would I want to preorder a book so far ahead of its publication date?

Well, it's like this: Preorders help publishers and booksellers alike get an idea of what the demand for a book is shaping up to be, and thereby preorders convince them to order more, promote it more, and recommend it more - since they're confident that people are already interested in it.

In short, preorders are very, very good for authors. If you like authors - and if you wish to support them - this is one big way for you to CARRY THAT TORCH and LEAD THE WAY FOR OTHERS.

Or okay, how about a more mercenary reason?
Here you go: Preorders are usually cheaper.

Right now, via that handy-dandy link above [or this one, if you prefer ], you can get Maplecroft for eleven bucks, and have it delivered as soon as it's released. September 2 is still far enough away that you might even totally forget you ordered it! Think what a pleasant surprise that will be! A gift for you, from you!

Anyway, I'm just saying - if Maplecroft is up your alley (or the alley of someone you love enough to buy books for)...you are more than welcome to snag one right now, at a discount, and it would put a big ol' smile of gratitude on my face.

* * *

Now with the shilling out of the way...onward and upward (or downward, as you're scrolling) to the daily word metrics. Ahem.

Here's today's progress on my witchy art-deco horror novel about Lizzie Borden thirty years after her parents' deaths - now featuring ghosts and non-ghosts alike, anti-Catholic conspiracy nuts, supernatural political shenanigans, the mafia, and a Bonus! space-worshiping murder cult hiding behind the KKK:
Project: Chapelwood
Deadline: October 1, 2014
New words written: 2066 (okay)
Present total word count: 32,234



Things accomplished in fiction: Found something in storage room six that was so weird, it prompted a telephone call thirty years in the making.

Next up: An invitation, a train trip, and an arrival.

Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; laundry and housework; trip to the bank.

Number of fiction words so far this year: 65,645