Writing in the Woods

I quit a six-figure job to become an author and start a farm. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, or fast, but working 12-16 hours per day wasn't allowing me to write as much as I wanted to, and I NEED to write.

Here I am, well over two years later. I've written and published two paperbacks, and the next comes out at the end of April. Along the way, I've dedicated myself not only to telling my own stories, but to help my fellow authors tell theirs, earning what little I could from freelance articles and random writing jobs.

I didn't know what the world had in store for me. My gallbladder came near the point of rupture, and after the initial hospital stay, the doctors told me they found cancer cells in the degenerated tissue. So, another surgery, and all the time in the hospital bed was spent writing in a notebook, or on my laptop when I felt well enough to sit up or stand.

My first novella series fell through teething problems and after a rights reversion, I spent a year rewriting those short pieces into the current novel format, Viral Spark. My other book, Finish the Damn Book!, was written with writers in mind. I've been through every fear and crippling doubt a writer can have, and I pushed through by coaching myself, so I wanted to share some of those experiences and help others conquer writer's block. I half expected it to be too harsh for the general community, but have recieved numerous emails and messages thanking me for writing it, which keeps me going.


As hard as it is, I'm doing all of this on my own. Editing fees and other publication costs all out of pocket. I'm not trying to write one book. This isn't a one-off for me, it's a lifestyle, and my goal for this year is to publish another three novels in addition to my short stories and flash fiction. I need to write, and I'll do whatever it takes, even if that means moonlighting at Walmart.


I write everything from 100 word flash pieces for FridayFlashFiction.com to 80,000 word novels, with a special focus on the shorter works to encourage more people to pick up a book with lower cost and less intimidating works.

I set my goal at $5000, which is all going toward professional editing, publication, and promotional costs for my next three books. A professional edit for a novel runs just over $1000 per book, and the best way to establish yourself as an author is to keep putting out good stories and hooking new readers with each one.

So I came up with this crazy idea. Anyone who decides to back my efforts will be rewarded for life. For any donation of $100 or more, you will recieve EVERY PAPERBACK I ever put out, signed, for free, forever. This includes the two that are in print now, and any works that are picked up in the future by bigger publishing houses, even if I have to buy the books off the shelf and mail them to you.

It sounds crazy right? But I've worked out the costs to me, and decided that it's worth it. In the long run, I'll lose money, so this deal won't last forever, but I'm hoping to establish myself with the boost it provides at the moment, so I can continue to put out great work.

I appreciate every person who reads my stories or my blog, and every time someone tells me that they liked a story of mine. That's my payment as a writer. I don't mind working a dayjob for food until my books are earning enough to cover me (right now they are paying for my coffee at least). I've been known to mail off copies to my biggest fans for free anyway, so this idea is nothing super new to me. Fans also get all kinds of other stuff up to and including chances to read stories before they are released. You can get in on these things by writing me an email or message asking to be placed on my list.

A donation of $40 will get you signed copies of my two current paperbacks, plus a free copy of Incorporated when it comes out at the end of this month.

For $30 bucks, you can pick two from my current works (Viral Spark and Finish the Damn Book!) and the new release.

$15 you can choose one the three books and recieve a signed copy.

All donations over $5 will get some high-quality stickers that were printed up for the release of my new book. I'll post some pictures. These are two-inch logos that represent one of the corporate factions in my upcoming saga: Incorporated. These are included in all the above levels.

I'm not just writing books, but I'm continually innovating with my writing process. Viral Spark was written completely in present tense. The new series isn't even a series in a classic sense, but rather stories tied together by an epic world-building endeavor that will span several genres under the same umbrella. And I continue to break the mold with short ebooks available on the cheap through Amazon's Unlimited program. I also spend a lot of time helping other authors through my sometimes hostile and unconventional motivation tactics.


You can help me kick the whole thing off with your donations, and even if I write 100 paperback books, you'll keep receiving free signed copies, forever, so the initial investment will be returned over time with a full bookshelf as interest. This is my hope.

Thank you so much for helping me out on this, or even by reading this little blurb. Writing isn't something I can turn off. I need to do it. I've always been a creative person, but telling stories has become a lifelong passion for me. I'd appreciate any little bit that you can spare to help me along my path. A little kick at the start of a writing career can really help out. Thank you.