The book intro...
The book intro...
where I help you decide if you'd like to read my novel
Start here to read my novel Song of the Red-legged Birds! Please subscribe to get the latest installments in your inbox as I post them. It’s also the best way to support my work. Below are some notes and background information to help you decide if you want to read my book.
What is the book about?
It crosses a few different fiction genres and lands smack dab in the speculative fiction bucket. At its core, it’s a light sci-fi road-tripping mystery with cool characters set against a dystopian Boston landscape in the distant future. And there’s a dog named Triscuit.
Will I like it?
Hard to say. I hope so. I can tell you that it’s got lovely feedback from my beta readers. I can also honestly say that I like it. And I still like it after many, many rereads and edits. If I didn’t, I’d not only never share it. I’d delete it, zero my hard drive, smash and burn my computer, and sweep the remains into several small trash bags that I scatter across many different landfills over time. Of course, every book isn’t a fit for every person at every moment. But it’s my wish that it finds a few of you that enjoy it and share it with others. I don’t want to drive to a lot of landfills anyway.
What’s the plan to release it?
I started publishing in late October 2022, releasing a chapter a week, each Friday. There are 44 chapters, so this will take the better part of a year. If there’s enough interest along the way, I’ll consider publishing an ebook. And if there’s enough traffic to warrant a limited print run, that would be the next step.
I don’t read books this way.
Hey, I get it. Serializing a novel like this is sort of a new approach. Except that it’s not. For example, The Count of Monte Christo was serialized in eighteen parts before it appeared in a single volume. My hope is that readers will enjoy using this platform to engage in discussions, ask questions and give feedback. I’m also considering adding posts along the way that describe why I made the choices I did in the story and may share background notes, inspiration, and other minutiae that some may find interesting.
Is this really free? Don’t real writers get paid?
Yes, it’s free. But if you subscribe to a paid tier, you get my undying gratitude and support a writer trying to make a go of it which is a good thing. Real writers like to write. Mostly they want to be read. Hot on the heels is getting paid. Tolstoy said that. I think. Don't Google it.
Teaser excerpt and Chapter Titles
“Holly stared at the pictures, one and another. And another. She flashed to the alley, the screeching tree. Back to the photos. Wind buffeted her ears, the smoke, the flames, Bill’s eyes. The tree’s eyes. It reached for her. She was falling, clutching for her reserve, it reached for her…”
I’m linking the chapters below as I post them. Feel free to jump around!
20. Fallout
21. Well okay then
22. This is our fight
23. The Tech Team
24. A remorseless killer
25. This way up
26. Spies like us
27. Gearing up
28. Luke, I’m not your father
29. I walked on ice but never fell
30. On Sunday morning
31. Popped
32. What’s in the box?
33. Not on my watch
34. I couldn’t get away
35. Sometimes you’re the windshield
36. It’s a shame about Wake
37. Re-exist
38. Nothing special
39. I’m on a plane
40. Afterlife sentence
41. I love that dirty water
42. Only hard feelings
43. Hawaiian Sup’pa Man
44. Mostly apologies
Are you still reading?
If you’ve reached the bottom of this post, you might enjoy reading a book in this format. I’m grateful to anyone who takes a chance at reading my novel and hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Thank you very much in advance.
And, if you enjoy it, please share it with others. That’d be sweet.
Bill