With A Little Help From My Friends...

Well, today is the day!

After literally decades of trying, I am finally (FINALLY!!) going to have a novel published!  A real novel!  With words and punctuation and…EVERYTHING!!!

Wow!  I honestly don’t know what to say.

Yes, I do.

THANK YOU!

Thanks to all of you who have helped me bring Edmund to life.

Thanks to the wonderful people at TORC (www.theonering.com) who encouraged me over the years.  Edmund was initially born on TORC’s discussion boards as a simple writing exercise.  I couldn’t have even gotten started without you TORCers.

I also want to thank everybody at AbsoluteWrite (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/). If you are an aspiring writer, you simply have to go to AW.  There you can find the right mix of encouragement and criticism that every writer needs.

I also want to thank all of my new friends on G+.  I’m not much of a people person, but I really enjoy getting to know all of you.  I hope I can cheer you all on as well as you have me.

And then, of course, there is my publisher (Diversion Books), my agent (Joelle Delbourgo), and editor/writing coach (ChristineDeSmet).  They each saw something in Edmund that was worthy of publication.  I hope that Riddle in Stone does well enough to justify their faith in me.

Finally, there is my wonderful wife, Kristen. 

Our lives are very busy. Between homeschooling our two incredible boys and all of the things they are into (e.g., tae kwan do, swimming, Chinese school, piano, LEGO club), we really don’t have much time together.  We’re always handing the kids off and passing each other as one of us runs off to work.  Yet, despite the headaches caused by our time constraints, Kris still encourages me to go up in office and write.  (HEY…wait a second!! Maybe she doesn’t want me around!!!)  At any rate, thank you Kris.  I love you more than anything. Thank you for letting me be your husband.

With all of this said, I do have one favor to ask all of you.  It’s a big favor and purely selfish of me to ask.

But I need your help getting the word out about Riddle in Stone.

I am hoping that, if Edmund sells well enough, I’ll be able to write other stories and keep improving as a writer.

Many of you already have been gracious enough to buy Riddle in Stone and I thank you.  Thank you very, very, very much!! Thank you! )By the way, you can’t have your money back!  *Ka-CHING!!* Fifty cents more in the kids’ college funds!  Whoo hoo!)

But I’m hoping you’ll do a few other things for me, if you don’t mind.

First, if you have purchased the book, please post reviews wherever you bought it as well as on places like GoodReads. 

Second, I would also really, really, REALLY appreciate it if you would mention Riddle in Stone on whatever social media you use…Facebook, G+, Twitter, and so forth.

Please don’t be pushy, but … if your friends are interested in character-driven novels that have an odd sense of humor to them … maybe direct them to my website at www.RobertEvert.com.  There they can learn more about me as well as find where to buy Riddle in Stone (by the way, it is available as an e-book at most online stores for $2.99).  You can also find a SAMPLE CHAPTER both on my website as well as on this blog (click on the book cover).

If you don’t know anything about Riddle in Stone, this is what it’s about… 

It’s labeled as an “epic fantasy” but I hope that it is much more than that.  Yes, it has a little magic and battles and goblins … but it’s mainly about a middle aged man who stutters and feels like a loser. To give his life meaning, he sets off on an adventure so that he can become a hero.  But he quickly realizes that being a hero isn’t all that it is cracked up to be.  Think of it as a “coming of middle age” story.

There is also a romance to it.  Edmund loves a woman named Molly.  But she doesn’t really know he exists.  He wants to become a hero so he can win her heart.

And there’s a “bromance.”  Edmund and another character named, “Pond Scum,” become best friends and often find themselves saving each other’s lives, even at the peril of their own.

And there’s a bit of a comedy. The “bad” guys (Kravel and Gurding) have a very odd sense of humor with which they torture Edmund.

Perhaps it is an okay story.  I’ll let you be the judge.

Again, if you would like to read the first chapter, it’s available here as well as on www.RobertEvert.com.  I hope you enjoy it.

Well, that’s it.  I’m sorry to ask so much from all of you. You've all been so wonderful.  But I really want Edmund to succeed and, unfortunately, that means LOTS of marketing.  If you can help in anyway, I’d be very grateful.  But please, PLEASE, do not feel obligated.  If you read the first chapter (or the entire book for that matter) and find that it stinks…believe me, there’s absolutely no hard feelings!  Like I said, I’m a new novelist and I want to get better.  I’m sure there’s plenty of room for improvement.

Thanks again to all of you! 

Thank you very, very much!

--Rob