A quick photo from the GOP Convention in Houston during a week full of inspiring conversations about Eulogy for the Stripes.
I cannot thank enough the family, friends, acquaintances, early readers, and everyone in the virtual space who have supported me throughout this journey.
In 9 days, Eulogy for the Stripes will be released.
That sentence still feels surreal to write. Over the past several months, I have worked through edits with Defiance Press, continued improving my website, and aimed to build more than just a book page. I wanted to create a richer world around the novel, a place where readers could explore the story, themes, press kit, book club materials, Q&A, appearances, and even an unofficial soundtrack.
That has been one of the unexpected joys of this process.
I grew up before the internet became what it is today. As a young reader, I often wondered what authors like Stephen King, Tom Clancy, and others thought as they crafted their stories. What influenced the atmosphere? What music surrounded their work? What questions were they trying to explore through fiction?
That curiosity has stayed with me.
After watching the No Limits Podcast with Brad Thor, I spent a full day creating an unofficial soundtrack for Eulogy for the Stripes. I drew from classic rock, 1980s music, electronic sounds, and other genres from my childhood to craft a chapter-by-chapter playlist. It now runs just over two hours and offers another way to experience the book.
I’m also grateful to those who have discovered the website and blog from outside the United States. Seeing international visitors engage with this work has been deeply encouraging.
This past week, I attended the GOP Convention in Houston and had the chance to meet several people genuinely interested in the novel’s premise. I also briefly mentioned Eulogy for the Stripes during a quick photo with Rob Schneider. Moments like that make the launch feel more real as release day approaches.
Born in 1983, I feel blessed to have grown up through several cultural eras: black-and-white movies and TV, classic cinema, old and new music, early video games, modern technology, and the ongoing shift from analog to digital life. That range of experiences shaped how I see stories, systems, institutions, families, and pressure.
I hope this combination of life, systems, and creative influences gives Eulogy for the Stripes a strong foundation.
More than anything, I hope the book finds its readers. If there’s enough interest, I have more stories planned. There are at least four other books I want to write: a prequel, two novels to complete the trilogy, and at least one story that could extend beyond into a larger world.
But first, this book needs to reach the starting line. Thanks to everyone who has helped make that happen.
Thank you for reading the blogs, visiting the website, offering encouragement, asking questions, giving feedback, and helping this story feel less like something I built alone (and with many of you).
Eulogy for the Stripes is available for pre-order in Kindle, hardcover, and paperback through the links at the top of my website.
June 25 is nearly here.
I am grateful beyond words.
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