Short Summary

Thanks in no small part to the donators from our last campaign, The Survivors Book I: Summer has been a roaring success!  Now, it's time to begin work on the hotly-anticipated next book in the series, The Survivors Book II: Summer.

Ten years after a killer virus devastated the world, a small handful of survivors must band together to rebuild what is left of human society.  But can they overcome the trauma of their past, and forgive the horrible things that humanity is capable of in the name of the greater good?

What We Need & What You Get

The manuscript is already done, and we're about to start the editing process.  This is where you come in, contributors!

What I need funds for:

• Editing costs,
• Print & Distribution costs,
• The costs of the cover artist.

I am self-publishing, so to date every cent has been coming out of my wages as I try to get this project out.  Unfortunately, I recently lost my day job due to a medical condition, so this time I really need your help - even more so than last time!  

What you get in return for your generosity:

• ALL contributors will get an e-book copy of the book before it's released to the public.
• ALL contributors will get the privilege of being named in the back of the book (unless you don't want that, of course).
• ALL contributors will be thanked publicly on the author's website (again, unless you don't want that).
• ...Plus the higher-end bonuses as detailed in the perks, over yonder!

The Impact

The Survivors is a very different take on the Ye Olde Faithful zombie horror genre.  This is not about destruction, it's about construction.  It's about rebuilding after the worst has happened, and about finding the hope to achieve the impossible.  If this book has one theme, it's that teamwork can make anything happen.  I need you to make this happen. 

The first book has achieved phenomenal success so far.  With more than 500 copies sold, it has an average rating of 4.6 stars on Amazon.com at the moment.  Don't just take my word for it, have a look at what some of the readers have been saying!

“Finally, the Zombie Apocalypse story I’ve been waiting to read!” – Michelle H, Smashwords

"I actually enjoyed it enough that I would have given it more than 5 stars if it were possible." - Sherry C, Amazon

“Sandy’s ingenuity is inspiring, her toughness phenomenal, her plight both heartbreaking and frightening.”  – Kristi C, Goodreads

Incentives

Based off customer feedback from our last fundraiser, I've decided to no longer offer the assorted miscellaneous physical items, because no one seemed to want them.  Hey, fair enough, that's cool.  I've heard you, readers, so I have something else for you instead.

The Survivors: Enigma!

Hang on a minute, I hear you say.  That's a new name.  We haven't heard of that before.  Well, that's because it's new, obviously!  Based off reader feedback, I am in the middle of writing a new, limited-edition novella, that will only be available to people who donate $10 or more to one of The Survivors Fundraiser Campaigns, either now or in the future..

That's right - in order to entice you to donate to my fundraisers, I'm offering you a mini-book that no one else can get unless they do the same.  I'm not talking about a In A Heartbeat sized short story here, either.  At the time of writing this, Enigma is well over 9,000 words (36 pages), and I've barely scratched the surface.

Okay, so what is Enigma?  It's an alternate reality novella, that answers the question of "What kind of people would our survivors be if Ebola X hadn't happened?  Where would they be?  What would their lives be like?"

The year is 2024.  The location?  Hamilton, New Zealand.  A child has gone missing, and Detective Michael Chan is believes there is more to the mystery than just a runaway child.  What he has isn't enough, though.  There's no sign of foul play, but his gut tells him that something isn't right.  In fact, something is very, very wrong.  What he needs is a fresh set of eyes, an expert that can help him figure out the mystery.  

What he doesn't expect is for that expert to be a beautiful, captivating young woman by the name of Sandrine McDermott.

Length:  TBA - currently 20,000 words.

Availability:  TBA - should be before the end of the campaign, though.

Perks

• The Survivors: Enigma (eBook)

Description:  A zipped file containing .pdf, .mobi and .epub version of The Survivors: Enigma, along with instructions on how to transfer it to your favourite devices.

ETA:  Before Christmas.

• The Survivors Book I: Summer (eBook)
  

Description:  A zipped file containing .pdf, .mobi and .epub version of The Survivors Book I: Summer, along with instructions on how to transfer it to your favourite devices.

ETA:  Immediate.

• The Survivors Book II: Autumn (eBook)

Description:  A zipped file containing .pdf, .mobi and .epub version of The Survivors Book I: Summer, along with instructions on how to transfer it to your favourite devices.

ETA:  18/01/14 (or as near as possible).

• The Survivors Book II: Autumn (Unsigned Paperback)

Description:  An unsigned paperback copy of The Survivors Book II: Autumn, shipped directly to your door from Amazon.com.

ETA:  14/02/14 (or as near as possible).

• The Survivors Book I: Summer (Signed Paperback)

Description:  A personally autographed paperback copy of The Survivors Book I: Summer, shipped directly to your door from me.  Please allow 4-6 weeks for the books to be shipped to New Zealand, then shipped back out again.  New Zealand is a long way away!

ETA:  14/03/14 (or as near as possible).

• The Survivors Book II: Autumn (Signed Paperback)

Description:  A personally autographed paperback copy of The Survivors Book II: Autumn, shipped directly to your door from me.  Please allow 4-6 weeks for the books to be shipped to New Zealand, then shipped back out again.  New Zealand is a long way away!

ETA:  14/03/14 (or as near as possible).

• The Survivors Book II: Autumn (Hardback)

Description:  Just like in the first campaign, these will be limited edition, limited to twenty copies.  That's twenty including one for me and one for my mum, so 18 for the whole rest of the world!  These are from Lulu.com, and will feature the names of the Doctor or higher grade supporters inside the front fold of the dust jacket.  

ETA:  14/03/14 (or as near as possible).

Note:  All of the above items are transferable.  If you want to buy, say, a Soldier pack but already have an eBook of The Survivors Book I: Summer, you can just email me to have it sent to a friend instead.  I am also happy to write inscriptions to other people for you, or even donate the physical books to charity if you don't need them yourself.

Stretch Rewards

I haven't planned any stretch rewards yet, but if it gets to the point where it looks like we're going to need them, I'll... flip out like a ninja, squeal and run around the house frantically for ten minutes, then think of something.

Shipping

This time around, I've tried to include shipping inside the totals, to make life easier for everyone.  I'm based out of New Zealand, and it costs a small fortune to ship things to and from my country.  Shipping a paperback from New Zealand to America costs about $35.00, for example, hence why the signed books are a bit pricey.

The Requirements

When making your purchase, please include the following:

• Your full name.
  
• Your email address.
  
• Whether you want to be named in the credits, or if you want to be anonymous.
  
• Your postal address (if your package includes physical items).
  

If you can't provide them straight away, please email info(at)vldreyer.com and let me know, so I can keep track of who gets what!

Don't worry, I will NOT disclose any of your private information to anyone else.  The only people who will see your details are me, and Amazon if I have to ship a book directly to you.

The Heroic Rules of Engagement

• The character may be based off yourself, an original character that is your intellectual property, or it can be a tribute to a friend or family member so long as they provide their written permission to do so.

• The character may NOT be based off a copyrighted character that you do not own the rights to, a person or persons who do not wish to have the character based off them, and it may not be used in a malicious way against any person.
  

• I reserve the right to veto any names or traits that are deemed to be overtly insulting, rude or inappropriate to any group or person.  That's not to say your character can't be a rude, horrible pig, but he can't be named something ridiculously racist, for example.
  

• I retain the rights to use the character as I see fit within the bounds of the Survivors universe.  This is limited not only to the books, but also to any future Survivors projects, merchandising, or events.
  

• If you are using an existing character from your own world/universe (e.g., a cross-over), then you retain rights to that character in your own world.  Events that take place within the Survivors universe will be considered non-canonical within your world, and vice versa.  If you wish to establish a canon crossover, this must be discussed before and a mutually satisfying agreement reached in advance.
  

The Legendary Rules of Engagement

• This supporter grade does NOT include any flights or accommodation.  Just want to make that doubly clear!
  
• The specific sites we will visit are Hamilton, Ohaupo, and the Arapuni Power Station.  I will attempt to take you along the same route that Sandy and Michael take in Book II... or as close as possible.
• Yes, I will buy you lunch and/or dinner.
• Yes, you can laugh at me when I get us ridiculously lost along the way.  
  
• Yes, you can purchase the Legendary perk as a gift for another person.  BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!  I'm happy to work with you to make it a cool surprise, if you want.  Feel free to contact me to discuss it.
• I'm not sure how to phrase this politely, but this please don't buy this perk expecting, um... snoo-snoo.  There will be no snoo-snoo. 
  
• The exact dates for our adventure are open to negotiation, but should be mutually suitable and arranged in advanced.  If you just show up on my doorstep one day, I will have a heart attack.  

Terms & Conditions

• The Survivors Book I: Summer contains adult situations including death, violence, sexual situations and bad language.  If you are offended by or not legally allowed to view any of the above, please consider yourself warned.  I take no responsibility for any of the above. 

• As this is a fundraiser, the printing and publishing process will not begin until after the campaign is over.  As such, please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery, maybe more if there are hitches along the way.  However, I will endeavour to keep you up to date all the way through.

• All perks are non-refundable.  Please contact me if you'd like to transfer them to another person.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can't financially support me, that is no reason to assume that you can't help.  Even if you can't contribute cash, please, please, please help to get the word out by other means.  Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your mum. Every little bit helps!

Last but not least, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ME!