Let's hope Weebly doesn't eat my post this time.

As the Holmesian super-detectives among you may have deduced, I have a new book coming out on Tuesday, July 5th! Dreadgod, Book 11 of the Cradle series, is coming soon.

Very soon.

It lurks behind you.

The Cradle series has been going on for six years now, and I've only been a published writer for nine. So for 2/3 of my career up to this point, I've been working on Cradle.

It's pretty surreal. Dreadgod is my twentieth book. Twenty books. Yikes.

That's a lot of books, but it really doesn't feel like that many. In a lot of ways, it feels like I'm just getting started. This is only the beginning of a career that will span centuries, until I'm nothing but a cybernetically sustained brain in a jar suspended in fluid.

Since the book starts rolling out on July 5th wherever you are in the world, that means the earliest time zones will start getting it tomorrow, July 4th. Which here in America is Independence Freedom Bald Eagle Barbecue Day.

By the power of those two facts combined, we're doing our launch stream a little early this year: tonight, at 7 PM on my YouTube channel (not Twitch, because YouTube is easier to use and keeps the video automatically).

I don't plan on playing any games this year. That was really a device to give me something to do and you something to look at while we wait for the book to drop, and since the book won't have come out yet, there's no point in stalling for time.

Oh, and today is also the last day for the free giveaway on the first five ebooks of Cradle! If you haven't grabbed them yet, grab them now. Grab, I say!

I don't have a whole lot of planned topics for tonight. Just talkin'. Probably about the book (no spoilers), my writing process, any questions you have.

A lot of the talk will be about how I feel prior to the launch, I imagine, because it usually is. That's a hard topic, because the answer is always "nervous."

Maybe the twentieth time isn't the charm.

​-Will

I'm going to be completely straight with you here: I had a whole long blog post typed out that I've been struggling with for about an hour, trying to deliver the following information in an organic and personal way.

​Then the site crashed and I lost it all, even the backup draft.

So now you get a list of information. Let it be known that I did not throw my laptop out through the window and into the Florida swamp to be devoured by giant pythons, despite my first instinct.

--Reminder: Dreadgod is coming in one week! July 5th. Pre-orders are still up for  both ebook and audiobook.

--I'll be doing my pre-release livestream two days before launch instead of one, on July 3rd at 7 PM Eastern, and on YouTube instead of Twitch.

We're doing it two days in advance because July 4th is Independence Day here in the US and because Honorary Australians will have already read the book by the evening of July 4th, so we're staying ahead of things.

We're doing YouTube instead of Twitch because it's easier for us.

Here's the YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/willwightauthor

--On that same channel, there's a 15-minute audio preview of Dreadgod read by Travis Baldree. Check it out if you haven't! 

--We're giving away the first five ebooks of Cradle from Friday, July 1st through Sunday, July 3rd for the holiday weekend and the launch of Dreadgod. Get 'em while they're free.

--10% off merch sale from Friday, July 1st through Friday, July 8th in case you have a craving for mugs.

That's the list. At least, I hope it is. It's hard to see around the hole I punched in my monitor.

​-Will​

Dreadgod is up for pre-order, and we're already #4 on Audible's Best-Seller list! Congratulations to the incredible numbers of you who were so Johnny-on-the-spot about audiobook pre-orders. Your enthusiasm overwhelms me.

For the rest of us, pre-orders are up both for ebook and for audiobook! 

The book will go up for sale on July 5th in all formats, which means ALL formats. Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, audiobook, paperback, interactive dreamscape, aerosol inhalant, telepathic transmission, dimensional illusion crystal, genetic infusion, chemical cocktail, quantum space fragment, and designer tea.

What time on July 5th will Dreadgod go live?

TL;DR - We don't know, and there's nothing we can do about it, please don't hit me.

It's supposed to be up at midnight in each time zone, i.e. "It's 12:01 AM and now I have the book!" It rarely, if ever, actually works like that.

There are always issues on Amazon's part, which I can neither control nor influence. Let's all be frustrated at them together.

Whispersync (the service that lets you jump between Kindle and Audible versions) always takes a couple of days to work correctly. Don't know why. I blame gremlins.

Why isn't there a paperback pre-order?

We can't offer paperbacks for pre-order. We would if we could. In order to help ensure that you get the book as quickly as possible, we upload the paperback about a day early, so you should be able to order it on July 3rd or 4th (we'll let you know) for delivery on the 5th.

Again, we don't have precise control over how long it takes them to put it up for sale or how long shipping will take. Can we guarantee you'll get it on the 5th? We cannot, but we're trying our best. If you want to read the story ASAP, don't order paperback.

Also, Dreadgod merch is live now in the Will Wight Store!

We will be doing a launch livestream as usual, but we're doing it on YouTube Live instead of Twitch.

(I'll let you know the date and time later, because we're trying to figure out how to time it appropriately. We have to consider both FREEDOM Day here in the USA and the number of Honorary Australians reading the book a day early.)

Aaaaand there you go! As is traditional for Launch Time, you'll be hearing from me again soon!

Hope you enjoy the book!

​-Will

As promised on the Kickstarter*, I'll soon be hosting the first of two live Q&A streams on YouTube Live via my YouTube channel (YouTube.com/WillWightAuthor). 

EDIT: Just realized I forgot the time! It's at noon Eastern time (AKA Florida Time) on Saturday, June 18, so if you're west of me it'll be in the morning and if you're east of me it'll be afternoon or evening. Amazing how time works.

EDIT 2: In adding the time I guess I deleted the date.

It's this Saturday, June 18th.

​This is why I hate making blog posts in which I convey lists of information. Lists of information are boring and easily screwed up.

This stream will be SPOILERIFFIC for any of my books through Reaper. If you're not caught up on my books (but especially Cradle), wait for the next stream, during which I won't be answering spoiler questions.

However, I won't be spoiling Dreadgod. Much. Maybe I'll give you a hint or two, but I promise I'll warn you if I do that.

This is a stream for talking about the books and what's in them, so if you don't want to hear about the story, this is not the stream for you.

In other housekeeping notes, here's a reminder: the pre-order for Dreadgod starts June 21st.

The Traveler's Gate re-record is still up on Audible Plus, and House of Blades is still free to listen to for another two months.

*Speaking of the Kickstarter, we mentioned this on there, but our shipment of books is being delayed.

This one really isn't our fault; everybody's printing all over the world is backed up, as supply lines were disrupted during the pandemic and still haven't gotten back to normal, but demand for books is at an all-time high.

At least that means people are reading!

​-Will

Many of you already know this, but since I didn't blog Friday night, here it is: Cradle #11, Dreadgod, is coming out in all formats on July 5th!

I told you I was making progress.

Practically speaking, it's exactly the same length as Reaper. Technically, it's longer. You'll see.

Pre-order begins June 21st! You know how it works by now; paperbacks can't be pre-ordered, but ebooks and audio will be up for pre-order in a couple weeks.

And as I announced last week, the Traveler's Gate Trilogy is back on Audible, re-recorded by Travis Baldree! It's on Audible Plus for six months, yadda yadda, all the things I said last time.

Now that business is out of the way, back to what you're here for: Dreadgod.

People always ask me how I feel about the upcoming book, and the answer is always "TERRIFIED," because my heart is weak and full of never-ending anxiety. However, there's some cool stuff coming up in Cradle that I'm excited for you to enjoy.

Of course, I can't talk about those things because they'd be spoilers.

So here are some meaningless facts about Dreadgod: 
--23 chapters.
--9 bloopers.
--The word "Dross" is used 443 times.
--The word "neglect" is used 1 time.

...and in a second, I'll share with you the title of Chapter 1.

As you're already aware, chapters in Cradle don't have titles, but if Chapter 1 of Dreadgod did have a title, this is what it would be.

I won't tell you exactly what happens, just what the chapter would be called, but if you really really want no spoilers then SPOILER ALERT for Chapter 1 of Dreadgod...

Click READ MORE over there -->

Sorry I've been dead for so long, I'm back now. I had to replicate my entire genetic sequence in LEGO in order to earn my way back to life.

Let's take care of business first:

New Traveler's Gate Trilogy audiobooks are coming June 1st! 

The current versions are read by me, which is why we re-recorded so you could enjoy the sweet, sultry susurrations of Travis Baldree instead of my donkey-like bray.

If you already own the crappy Will Wight-narrated version, first of all, my condolences. That version will no longer be available for purchase on June 1st, and good riddance to it.

However, if you already have it, you won't lose it.

The new, far-superior Travis Baldree versions of all three books will be available on Audible Plus for free (for all Audible members) for six months, so if you don't want to buy the new version, you don't have to!

If you do want to, you can. Also, if you want to purge your account of evil, you could delete the Will-narrated version yourself. Manually. Or throw your device into a fire.

Additionally, for the first three months, the House of Blades audiobook will be free whether you have an Audible membership or not. You probably do have an Audible membership, but if you don't, free book! And if you do, free book also!

If you've never heard Travis Baldree read before, now's your chance to do it for free!

Well, on June 1st. Not now.

The audio should still be available for Whispersync discount, so if you own the ebooks, the audio version will be available to buy for "really cheap." Unless Whispersync screws up again, but that's not my department, don't sue me.

June 1st, by the way, is the nine-year anniversary of House of Blades.

In some ways, it doesn't feel like nine years. In other ways, it feels more like nine Great Cycles of the Cosmos.

Thanks to the new audiobooks, we also have new covers!

The covers will, of course, show up on Audible when the books launch, but if you haven't seen them yet, here's a Reddit link!

They were drawn by the fantastic Ari Ibarra, a fan of the series, whose further work is available for perusal at these fine locations:

Twitter: @ArilRF_
Instagram: @ariilustrador

What is up with Dreadgod?

I asked if I was allowed to tell you yet, and I was told that I was not permitted to say anything about how soon Dreadgod is going to come out. I have to wait until next month.

"Please," I said. "I have to say something. It's been so long and I've worked on so much."

"Get back in the airlock," they told me. Then they vented me out into space.

What are you working on that isn't Cradle?

Here's an un-subtle hint: I've used the phrase "plasma bolts" a lot.

​-Will

I'm about to head back into my Writing Zone, which is a giant sea turtle with a typewriter strapped to its shell, so I thought I'd check in with you all before I go.

First off, status report: my foot was bothering me, so I have replaced them both with authentic splintery pirate peg legs. They call me Wightbeard.

I was sick for a while, but now the nanobots in my bloodstream will be able to defend against the bioweapon that attacked me far more efficiently than ever before. Those who attacked me have only made me stronger.

And I have made significant progress on Dreadgod, but I am forbidden by ancient compact to speak of it much more. Blame the team.

I can only say a little, starting with the fact that I am climbing onto my sea turtle to write something new. Something that is not Cradle.

I can't say if it's a novel, a short story, a travelogue, or a fictitious airplane magazine, but it is something new. I've enjoyed working on it so far. It's been a long time since I've gotten to make up a new thing.

And making things up is, as they say in France, "fun."

-Will

P.S. I'd feel bad for leaving you with so little, so here's a tiny taste of Dreadgod.

Minor SPOILER WARNING, because it is a line from the book, but it is still out of context and won't spoil much.

Ozriel stood next to the Vroshir, white hair flowing behind him, a satisfied smile on his face. “So Daruman told you I was weak, did he?”

Gerravon closed his eyes and remembered his life.

“Weaker,” the Reaper said. “He should have said weaker.”

I wanted to make sure I thanked you all for the Kickstarter's success yesterday, because today I'm announcing a project that will dwarf the Kickstarter in scope and ambition.

I was sitting around chatting with twelve other indie fantasy authors, which is something we often do, and we were discussing Avengers: Endgame and how irritated we were that it is so often considered "the most ambitious crossover event in history."

We decided to prove Marvel wrong by creating Jäger(master), a book with so many authors that it HAS to be good. The thirteen of us wrote it in the same way that we speak in real life: alternating with each other one word at a time.

I had the honor of writing every first word myself, whereupon Dakota Krout took over with every second word, followed by Davis Ashura, then Phil Tucker, John Bierce, Sarah Lin, Luke Chmilenko, Michael Chatfield, Andrew Rowe, Nobody103, Shirtaloon, Evan Winter, and every thirteenth word by Bryce O'Connor.

See, if you enjoyed a book by one author, a book by thirteen authors trading off words has to be thirteen times better. The math checks out.

Here are the details for our hive-mind's newest masterpiece:

Bud Wiser was long known as the greatest warrior of the grand realm of Hi-Nak’en. He was a man of measure, of clout and power, whose skill with a blade was never matched.
 
That all changed in death.

Sacrificing himself to save a small child from being trampled by a team of draft horses, Bud finds himself in the presence of a god. Unfortunately for him, this particular deity is obviously overworked and underpaid, because they hardly let him get a word out before tiredly assuring him his next life will be one of “plenty and leisure” as a “reward” for his bravery and fighting spirit on Hi-Na’ken. The next thing Bud knows, he’s waking up from a night of drunken revelry, finding himself the sole proprietor of a bustling tavern whose patrons are clamoring for food and drink. Worse, almost immediately Bud makes a terrible realization:
 
In this strange new world, the laws of magic dictate that the only objects one can touch and wield are those relevant to the “Job” the gods assign them at birth.
 
And what’s Bud’s new Job? What is the role assigned by the heavens to the former champion of world order?
 
… “Tavern Owner”.

ON SALE NOW!

In a lot of ways, today's not really a great day for me to blog. For one thing, I'm definitely blogging tomorrow. We all know that.

For another thing, I'm very tired. The last couple of weeks have been exhausting for a lot of reasons. I got a bad cold or flu or something (not COVID, fortunately), and at the same time I fractured my foot again (maybe a curse, unfortunately), all while the Kickstarter was happening and I was trying to write.

I'll tell you right now, I didn't get much writing done.

As you've probably heard, our Kickstarter for the special editions of the first three books of Cradle was a resounding success, earning seventy-six times what we asked for. That's a lot.

So before tomorrow's post, I just wanted to say thank you again!

Honestly, the coolest part of this whole process has been seeing how much people love the books and how supportive you guys are.

I never expected anybody other than me to care about my stories, so seeing you all so invested in Cradle injects human emotion right into my shriveled heart.

Now I really hope you like the next book.

-Will

Bottom Line: our Kickstarter got started early! It was supposed to go up tomorrow, but I guess it went live about fifteen minutes ago.

And somehow it's already funded. We didn't even know it was up. You guys are insane.

I intended to make a blog post today about the Kickstarter going up tomorrow, but surprise! It's available now!

So anyway, for those of you who are (understandably) out of the loop, we're Kickstarting special editions of the first three Cradle books!

As you may know, our current paperback editions are print-on-demand, which is almost impossible to get stocked in bookstores. We wanted to fund a print run to potentially get into bookstores, and while we're at it, we can print special editions for the fans!

There are three hard copies available through the Kickstarter: a paperback (similar to what you may already have purchased), a hardcover, and a faux-leather special edition. Any book received as a Kickstarter reward will be signed by me, and will also contain a tiny fragment of my soul.

These books will also come with bloopers! The current version doesn't have bloopers, as I didn't start doing those until Ghostwater. I'm taking this Kickstarter as an opportunity to write bloopers for the first three books!

Which is great, since as I've recently established, I spent 82% of my time on bloopers.

We also have available as add-ons: Unsouled badges, limited to two thousand total, and my love. Which is unlimited.

If you're looking to check it out, do so here! 

...and while you're on Kickstarter, if you're looking for another awesome project, take a look at the Mother of Learning Kickstarter! Today's the last day to back, and MoL is an incredible web serial that more than deserves its reputation as one of the pillars of progression fantasy.

You know, just in case you've accidentally stolen a bunch of money from the mob and need to burn it on a bunch of Kickstarters quick before they catch you.

If you have any further questions, I'll be responding to these comments as often as I can! And, as usual, I'm available on Facebook and Reddit.

What an interesting start.

​-Will