I'm stunned... Thank you!

It's been a busy week, and I feel I've neglected my poor blog long enough. I've spent more time hanging out with Facebook than GenoWrites.blogspot.com. I'm sorry, Blog... and Blog-reader. To make up for it I'm posting the coolest news I've had about my writing yet.

I posted on Facebook last night that I was in the top 100 (98 to be precise) in Amazon's Epic Fantasy Category. This morning I woke up and anxious to see if I'd lost any ground (which I sort of expected I would have), I discovered I had moved UP to the #82 spot in Amazon's Epic Fantasy category.

WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!

I mean... WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

(ehem) Sorry....

I'll recompose myself.

But, I sort of can't help myself... because as I looked, I realized that being #85 put my book ahead of authors like #88: Robert Jordan (wheel of time, book 7), #83: George R. R. Martin (Song of Ice and Fire, book 4), and.... #92: (dun dun dunnnnnn) Stephen King (Dark Tower, book 7). [I add the "dun dun dunnnnn" for dramatic effect because even though all three are impressive, Everyone knows Stephen King]

Annnd... I'm stunned. I giggled a little (like I was 4 years old). I chuckled after that (like... I don't know... a chuckler...) then I just stared at the screen, and I can honestly say I'm not sure how that is happening since I've only sold 5 more since 1am (not that that's anything to shake a stick at...)

I'm just stunned.

I include the screenshot to the left here, because I wanted to show you (and have it on record to prove to myself) that it actually is in the top 100 paid in Epic Fantasy. (Wow... tears come to my eyes.)

I started this wondering where my writing would go. I still wonder where it will lead... but for now it's on Amazon's best sellers list and I am... ... ... —I'd say speechless, but anyone who knows me knows that would be an inaccurate statement.

I'm... humbled.

Thank you to anyone and everyone of you who have bought my book. This wouldn't be happening without you. I can write a book, but you have to buy it to make it a success. And you are buying it. That's amazing.. and again I'm stunned.


Thank you.

My wife and daughter thank you.

My Illustrator thanks you too... I'm sure.

I'll be sure to follow up your kindly purchases with a worthy sequel (mostly written already... still need art and have some more chapters to write, but I'll get it to you in 2013.)

It's funny... I look at the sales and to my mind it's really still coming in at a trickle, but apparently, to Amazon's algorithms, it's "best selling".

The thing that strikes me most is... the more my book is purchased, the more people will think of Zam, and Griss, Graffeon, Tearis, Galwen, Elyon, and Raine, Corben and Tara, even Raim Sabbar as "real" Characters... in the way that I can turn to someone and say,

"Yeah.... It's like when Gandalf told Bilbo, 'I'm looking for someone to join me in an adventure'" and those names... those characters... elicit an emotion and a mental image for the person I'm speaking to.

The first person (one of my pre-readers) who ever referenced Zam's name to me in conversation, startled me.
Because... I could hear in his voice the depth that Zam had landed in his heart. It wasn't just a name he'd heard or read somewhere. It was an individual he had connected with and loved. And... that floored me emotionally... to think that a character (or characters, creatures, and places) that I imagined would fill another person's heart and mind in that way—and now, as you are putting me on the best sellers list, they'll fill many more—I am simply amazed.

and again... I'm stunned.

All I can say is... thank you.

Geno