I never thought I would have a chance to write one of these. There was a time where I feared- yes, feared- that my first would happen with a book I really didn’t care about, and had written simply to get published. Luckily (or unluckily) for me, that never happened, I listened to my gut several months ago, and Memento Mori ended up being the first novel I ever published.
Even if it’ll never be a bestseller, I’m more proud of this story than any I’ve ever written before. And I’m glad that so many people, real people, have been enjoying it along with me. My only author dream was to someday have fans out there devouring my stories, theorizing about them, and loving them as much as I enjoy writing them. One hundred and eighty two people are following Memento Mori by the date this last chapter is airing. One-eighty-two. Imagine all of you in a room together, and it gives a wonderfully human scale to how many people my work has reached. For someone who swore to keep publishing as long as I had at least five fans (three years of going 0-for-300 in the query trenches will make a realist of anyone, believe me), that number is one I treasure so, so much.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
I’ve been very touched by every interaction on the way to Memento Mori’s end. And I hope that all who read this continue with me into further adventures in Showmaker and beyond. The FRAY series is only just getting started.
For those who enjoyed my work enough to want it on their bookshelf, I may try to arrange for a very limited run of physical prints that would be sold via the Patreon, though I’d have to do some research on that front. Keep an eye on the Patreon if that’s something you might be interested in.
What comes below is a short list of thanks and acknowledgements to the people that made me the writer I am today.
To my brother, who taught me to write.
To my father, who fed my sci-fi addiction from single-digit years.
To my friends, who loved my terrible first books and clamored for more.
To Pierce Brown, who will likely never read this, but whose books I study always.
To my girlfriend, who helps me believe the hardest things are possible.
To myself, for writing a story I wasn’t sure could be written.
And to you, for reading it.
-hiraeth