2019-07-23 20:27
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<p> <em> "By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it." </em> </p> <p> <em> —Eliezer Yudkowsky </em> </p> <p> Artificial intelligence was nearly mankind's last invention. AI took off like a rocket, then when it racked up an impressive death toll, it crashed before it could blossom and took most high-tech industries with it. Resistance and fears became deep-set. </p> <p> Two decades after the infamous Rev. 4.6 incidents, humanity hasn't quit dreaming of the wealth and power that could be at their fingertips. A new generation of mega-corporations rose from the ashes. When one melds a quantum computer to a barely functional mental patient as a PR move, there are those who seek to profit, those who want to destroy it, and Alex. </p> <p> Alex Sage was a typical college student trying to keep up his grades and maybe find a meaningful connection with the fairer sex. Then, an automated semi crashes into his home, killing his family and turning his head into a pin cushion in the process. </p> <p> Alex awakens to find most of his memories gone and an illegal AI hidden in his brain implant. Now the pet project of a tech billionaire and heavily in debt, Alex struggles to stay valuable enough to be kept online. Still grappling with the repercussions of his injuries, and threats from a dangerous anti-augmentation political movement, there are no easy answers and threats loom around every corner. Alex must use whatever resources he can to escape from under the thumb of a ruthless corporation, while keeping those he comes to love safe. </p> <p> </p> <p> This book contains an anti-hero protagonist, attempted murder, corporate espionage, actual murder, unconventional relationships, hacking, digital drug use, arson, falsification of government records, money laundering, breaking and entering, misuse of epoxy, sexual content, and a self-aware artificial intelligence with questionable moral leanings. </p> <p> For mature audiences. Ages 18+ </p> <p> </p> <p> <strong> Big Update (Good News Everyone...) </strong> </p> <p> Welcome! I'm in the middle of re-publishing book 1 after it's been edited. You'll be getting the entire book here, but only for 1 week once it drops. </p> Amazon drop ETA is around Aug 1 2019 (Non-KU). Chapters should be up on RR until Aug 8 if I don't miss any deadlines (that's my internal date to publish to KU). Edits complete, we're republishing the chapters here. At a minimum, I'll be updating each weekday. Published book is clocking in around 125K words, there's a LOT more content than the initial draft that was on here before. The cover is done. I split down the middle of the levels of explicitness and gave the romance development a decent level of attention. It's not fade to black, but it's been reworked. It's at the point my female readership was happy with the result. BTW, my beta readers and partner follow these threads. Anyone that calls them "bitches" or starts dropping sexist or bigoted language gets their comments deleted. Please don't piss off my friends guys... Please? Let's not let toxic trolling spill over into my real life... <p> <strong> So, what's next? You all want chapters, right? Great! </strong> </p> I'm reposting edited chapters beginning 7/22. I'll start at the beginning and set them up to drop each day. Consider these new chapters "canon." That does mean I had to delete the draft chapters here to reduce confusion. I'll be posting right up until the intended end of my original draft. But here's my problem, Beta reader's kicked my butt and said don't leave it on the cliffhanger that I originally had (not the one that was posted here, it's later). I added quite a bit more content beyond my first draft that I never intended to publish on RR. Since I promised to drop the original draft, you'll be getting updated and edited chapters up to that location as the end point on RR. It's still absolutely a complete book and leads into book 2. What? No! Don't tell me that! Don't leave me on a cliffhanger! - Chill! Book 2 drafts will start going up about a month after my publish date. You won't have long to wait. How do you get those extra chapters I didn't have planned for RR? If you want them, they'll be in the published book. Book 2 will still make sense without them - I made sure of that. But... isn't $3 a lot for extra chapters? Think of it as tipping me for a good job and you'd also be getting my eternal thanks. If you enjoyed it so much that the idea of missing out a few chapters haunts you, I did my job as an author and made an engaging story. What's in those extra chapters? Resolving a few issues, set up for the cybernetic revolution, a rather intense sex scene, revelations of who's really pulling strings, and a bit of set up for book 2. Are you pulling chapters from here? That's a tough issue. No, then yes. No: I'm absolutely giving you all the complete book as I originally envisioned it for 1 week. I'll be publishing it on Amazon during that time for those who want the extra chapters. It won't be on Kindle Unlimited at that time - I have to pick one or the other. You all get the first crack at it. (Yay!) However, after 1 week, (roughly Aug 8) I'll have to hack this all back down to the first few chapters since they demand exclusive publishing. But... You all will have gotten the book for free during that time. Complaints that people missed out on it won't help. I posted this for the folks who helped me shape the book, which is you all! (Again, yay!) But... Why! Why not keep it all on RR forever? My editor likes being paid for one. For two, I'd like the ability to get broader readership. If I break even on editor costs, I'll be incredibly happy. <p> <strong> What about book 2? </strong> </p> My draft of Book 2 is done, and it will be handed to the editor once Book 1 is published. Feedback has been even more positive. Beta readers devoured it and wanted more. I'll start publishing drafts around Sept 1, 2019. I'll add a link to Book 2 once it's up on RR. I'm more or less, using you all for Beta Readers, so you get it before it's "canon" and edited. I invite active and meaningful feedback during this process. In return, you get early access to chapters. That does mean that the book content or plot might be adjusted before it gets published as I refine it. Sex Y/N? Yes. I'll post the explicit version here originally, then it'll probably get tamed a touch before it goes on Amazon. I heard the feedback, 90% wanted it explicit. You all will get the "full" experience. Will I dump all of book 2 here? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. At a minimum, it'll be up to the 75% mark as we collect feedback, much like book 1. It really depends on how good the feedback is and how nice people are. Lots of support + meaningful feedback to make it better = higher likelihood you get all the book. Will be it up here indefinitely? No, it'll probably go up on KU at some point, but I'll make sure there's enough time for a large readership to grab it here. <p> <strong> What about other adventures in the same universe/characters? </strong> </p> Yep. Absolutely. Nothing ready to share yet though. I plan to keep those side chapters and more slice of life stories as RR exclusive. Since I'm carving this off in book-sized segments, I'll have to figure out where those disconnected story arcs belong. I'm open to suggestions.
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