Sky Child

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Sky Child is a YA Dystopian book in the spirit of The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner.

First, let me introduce you to the book Sky Child:

After billions died in the End War, a small group of survivors found refuge in the Crag cave. Cut off from the outside world, they have no way of knowing if they're the only people left alive. To ensure their survival, they split into four groups: the Hunters, the Harvesters, the Keepers and the Protectors.

As generations pass, the population becomes more and more murderous. Killing is so common in the Crag that there are no longer laws against it.

Sam, a seventeen-year-old hunter, was left outside the Crag as an infant. Believed to have been a gift from the Sky Gods, there are whispers that Sam is the Sky Child, the one prophesized to bring peace and prosperity to the Crag. Anyone special or different is a target for murder, and Sam may be the biggest target of all.

The biggest goal I have for funding this book is to be able to produce a number of paperback copies for sale, that I can then use for promotions.  This will help increase interest in the book overall.  

Sky Child is different from other YA Dystopian stories, because the main character's gender is never revealed.  I have done this deliberately, because what is important is the human experience the reader goes through.  Within all of us is a mix of emotions, thoughts, feelings and beliefs, and it's easier for people to relate to someone who is a person first.  Sky Child is the first book in a trilogy.

You can preview the first two chapters of Sky Child here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, for your support, and for helping me fulfill my dream!

Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter

There is very little risk involved in this project, as regardless of whether I hit my goal, I will still be able to independently publish the book. If we do not reach our goal, those that are still interested in purchasing copies of the book will be able to on 10/12/14.

FAQ

Grafik Aircraft By Nick Harrison

Paper planes and cotton tees drenched in bold graphic aircraft

Hello, my name is Nick, AV geek and graphic designer.

In a nutshell, I want to create an online graphic design store dedicated to aircraft. I have 6 designs so far and I'll carry on designing more aircraft until I have enough prints to launch. I'm also hoping by next summer I will be able to take my paper planes to the biggest airshow in the UK. 

With your support I can keep working with GF Smith Papers, the wing commander of luxury paper and each piece will be a hand-pulled by Gary, fighter ace and formidable marksman at The Private Press, a really cool contemporary screen printer in Brighton. I'll also be working locally with a young creative lad full of guts building his own design led t-shirt brand, and most importantly, Flying Officer Lindsay, the local postal lady who makes sure everyone receives their aircraft.

Together we all work on producing beautiful aircraft for everyone who loves to fly.

✈ Elite Edition T-shirts

Falcon v Blackbird

Morse code decoded: F-16 Fighting Falcon / SR-71 Blackbird  

Tornado v Typhoon

Morse code decoded: Tornado / Typhoon

Tomcat v Raptor

Morse code decoded: F-14 Tomcat / F-22 Raptor

✈ Sample T-shirt

T-shirt detail

Hand-pulled by Flight Lieutenant Sam onto pre-shrunk 100% organic ringspun cotton.

Colour: Smoke Size: S / M / L / XL / XXL Chest (to fit): Small: 34/36 / Medium: 38/40 / Large: 42/44 XL: 46/48 XXL: 50/52

Shirt template courtesy of Angel A. Acevedo | www.angelaacevedo.com

☰✪☰ The prints

Beautifully designed, intelligently engineered aircraft from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.

☰✪☰ SR-71 Blackbird 

Morse code typography: SR-71 Blackbird (left) Strategic reconnaissance aircraft (right) My initials NH (bottom right).

Print process: Screen printed in stealth mode, clear gloss vanish and red ink onto tank-like matt black paper. Size: 420 x 594 mm / 16.5 x 23.4 in. Frame not included.

Sample: Clear gloss vanish on matt black

Colour options: Only available in black.

☰✪☰ F-14 Tomcat (US Navy)

Morse code typography: F-14 Tomcat (left) Variable sweep wing combat aircraft (right) My initials NH (bottom right).

☰✪☰ F-22 Raptor

Morse code typography: F-22 Raptor (left) Stealth tactical combat aircraft (right) My initials NH (bottom right).

☰✪☰  F-16 Fighting Falcon

Morse code typography: F-16 Fighting Falcon (left) Multi-role combat aircraft (right) My initials NH (bottom right).

Print process: Screen printed with metallic silver ink onto tank-like matt black paper. Size: 420 x 594 mm / 16.5 x 23.4 in. Frame not included.

Colour options: Sun-blinding orange / Royal Blue.

✈ Sun-blinding orange / Royal Blue.

☰✪☰ F-14 Tomcat

☰✪☰ F-22 Raptor

☰✪☰ F-16 Fighting Falcon

Photoshop mock-up

✈ Typhoon / Tornado

✈ The story

Last year, I created a series of twitter art aircraft. Using only 140 Twitter characters was limiting, but I managed to create a Tornado GR4 and a Eurofighter Typhoon using squares, circles, half circles, triangles, dots, dashes, lines and anything else I could lay my keyboard on. I've developed the designs for the prints but kept the minimalist feel of the twitter art.

This year I wanted to do some personal work, combining aircraft and design with beautiful paper and printing techniques.

The two things came together. And here I am, again. ✈

✈ Previously funded Kickstarter

Tornado before and after

Typhoon before and after

This time, I wanted to follow on from my first Kickstarter and continue building the GA1 squadron of aircraft prints. Again I've stripped down the detail of each aircraft to the bare minimum, creating a graphic mark that I hope captures the character and look of each aircraft.

 ✈ Images from previous Kickstarter project

Below are a few images of the final prints.

“Aviation is proof that, given the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible.” 

Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

Beautiful paper drenched in metallic silver aircraft, what's not to love, Help make this happen by being a backer or by sharing on social media above, thank you.

Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter

✈ Delivery

All prints will be rolled in acid-free paper, packed in heavy duty postal tubes and despatched by Royal Mail/Airmail for UK and international delivery. I will create postal labels for each, copying and pasting the address from the details you supply.

✈ Morse code
All the morse code has been redrawn from the international morse code chart on wikipedia. I've double checked the information and I will be doing a final triple check before pressing print. If any eagle-eyed backers do spot any mistakes please give me a shout.

✈ Open Edition v Limited Edition
The designs above are open editions which means I have the option to reuse the design elements at a later date for other substrates. I have a plan for the future to reuse the graphic marks and stating Limited Edition falls into a grey area which I don't fully understand, even after my research. But it could prevent me from experimenting with the graphic marks using different printing techniques in the future.

The above designs are the original originals, where it all began, signed and numbered.

✈ The Paper
The matt finish is beautiful but not a fan of greasy fingers. I recommend you wash your hands like you've never washed your hands before. Be gentle when you are removing the print from the tube and unrolling it.

Credit
Thanks to Wing Commander Kamen at www.gfsmith.com : true pro.

✈ Screen printing
Due to the hand-made nature of the piece you may see small flecks of ink which have come from the print process: these are perfect imperfections and form part of the originality of the print.

The process takes around 30 days so I'll keep everyone updated with images so you can see the journey of your print.

Credit
Thanks to Fighter Ace Gary at http://theprivatepress.org : cool guy.
✈ Thank you

Temple Of Hope By Narendra Simone

A fast-paced thriller that exposes the dark underworld of India and will take you on a nail-biting roller coaster ride.

THANK YOU

Thank you so much for visiting my project. I am grateful for your time and support. Supporting this novel will help me as an indie author to accomplish my dream of delivering a thrilling trilogy lead by a female protagonist.

WHY THIS BOOK?

Your want to know the truth: Having lived in 7 countries and travelled extensively through over 80 countries I have seen things that compel me to write and share with the world the truth hidden behind the thin veneer of our societies. Championed by the female protagonist, Sophie Kramer, this fictional tale reveals the truth about the unseen India. 

Your want to have your say: Although richly influenced by my foreign travels I find my inspiration from my life experiences. This has lead to a number of independently published novels that due to their unique point of view resonate with many readers. Readers like you continually engage in lively discussions to express your thoughts through social media.

You like to change the status quo: ‘Social Media Awareness’ is an innovative way to reach out and support the power of change. You and I are an integral part of this Kickstarter project and together we would shed light on the dark side of our societies to perhaps initiate a change for better.

You love a good thriller: 'Temple of Hope' is a fast-paced, thriller that will send shivers down your spine. I invite you on a journey of adventure, mystery and international intrigue and promise you that it's many twists and turns will have you turning the pages.

You would like to see more female protagonists: In male domineering societies it is refreshing to find female protagonists. ‘Temple of Hope’ is the debut novel in the trilogy of Sophie Kramer, an FBI Special Agent, who for personal and professional reasons is committed to fight the oppressed systems that harbour human rights abuses.

WHY NOT OTHER BOOKS?

Because my book is uniquely different.

Different because this book is supported by years of field research and interviews and starts with a compelling idea based on human rights issue. You would love this book for its powerful characters, intricate plots filled with adventure and mystery, and action-packed situations.

Different because there are very few books written by Indians about child prostitution in India. Having been born and raised in India I have conducted extensive field research for this book that I believe uniquely qualifies me to amplify the Indian perspective on the prevalent and unspoken subject.

Different because it is the debut novel in a trilogy introducing Sophie Kramer, an FBI female Special Agent, who is determined and committed to seek justice for those victimized by oppression, unjust societies, and unethical systems.

Different because while it addresses serious issues, it packs a lot of drama, mystery and action to give the story a fresh perspective.

THE STORY

In New Delhi, the mysterious disappearance of the US ambassador to India coincides with the kidnapping of a little American girl, Amy. Are the two incidences related? No immediate clues are uncovered to reveal the motive in either case. After a couple of days the ambassador returns unharmed but remains tightlipped about his disappearance. He raises hell for the FBI to find the missing girl.

Sophie Kramer, Special FBI Agent, arrives in India to investigate. She discovers a frightening clue in the disappearance of the little girl that is connected to the Dubai backed criminal underworld of India. What she discovers threatens to shake the very foundation of the Indian law enforcement system and expose corrupt senior Indian politicians.

Then an unexpected chain of events put her face to face with an aristocratic family of Rajasthan. With their support Sophie discovers the unsavoury truth about child prostitution in India that is controlled by the underworld and protected by both the police and politicians.

Sophie is now a target and there is an attempt on her life. She barely escapes with her life and discovers that it is a matter of days before Amy will permanently disappear into the deep and dark world of child prostitution. She is forced to take risks and expose those who are behind Amy’s abduction. But the odds are not in her favour.

She has no choice but to confront the leaders of the underworld. She knows she is walking into a death trap but there is no other alternative.

Will she and Amy perish due to her hastily put together plan? Would she survive the web weaved by both the criminal underworld and the corrupt law enforcement system and find the missing girl?

Answers to these questions are revealed by what Sophie does next.

REVIEWS OF MY PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED BOOKS

The following are some of the comments that my readers posted on Amazon about my published work:

Master story teller—Simone, whose descriptions can send shivers down your spine or just relax you, is a master storyteller who is on his way to a great career.

Amazing—The author is widely traveled and understands cultures and is able to use it well in his book. The scenes almost seemed like they were drawn right before me and it was extremely easy to step into them and it certainly gave me a feeling of the story coming alive.

A Well-Written Taut Piece that Will Keep You Reading—As an author, Simone has a command of language, characterization, plotting and twisting the plot around that will keep you turning your pages just to see what happens next, you just won't be able to put this down.

Nail-biting thriller written with great style—Like his other novels, you are automatically drawn into Simone's novels due to his elaborate style of writing and rich use of the English language.

Startling—A startlingly wonderful read by Simone whose command of English, style, description and characterization is excellent.

Great storyteller—Having now read several of Simone's books -- Simone is really establishing an excellent reputation. Simone is a great storyteller.

Stunning and original—The strength of this novel is undoubtedly in the writing - it is extremely rich in language and quite original. I found the novel to be both absorbing and appealing, a measure of the writer's talent.

IS THE PROJECT VIABLE?

The short answer is yes. Why? Because I have already invested over $1,500 on comprehensive research, critiquing and editing. Funds raised by this project will mainly go towards formatting, printing and shipping.

Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter

Virtually none. Because I have already made it through the hardest part of any book: it is already written. And having successfully published five novels and sold thousands of copies I have learnt a lot about book business.

For this project, the years of research has already been done and validated. The book concepts, the plot, the characters, all have already been developed. The book has been written, critiqued and revised many times. Industry-recognized professionals have edited it. What remains is selecting an appropriate style for the interior design and finalizing the design for the book cover. Restricting the availability of paperback copies to the US market has already mitigated the risk of high shipping charges.

I feel quite confident that with your help and my experience this project would be successful. Thank you for giving attention to this project and helping to make a difference.