If you’re new here then you wouldn’t know this. I wrote a book. I cleaned it up, got a brilliant artist to cover it, and then I sold it on Amazon.com. I did a couple readings, sold a few copies. I was happy.

For a number of reasons, life got in the way of going further with it. And it was ok. After all, it was a means to an end.

Escape from the Spotlight was the only realized result of two years of trauma. Long story short, I was the victim of a very elaborate fraud, during which time, I was convinced daily that I was working for DC Comics. I can’t even imagine the totality of the fraudster’s commitment to constantly throwing the wool over my eyes. That must have been a full-time job. No wonder I never saw any money from thousands of hours of work and hundreds of thousands of words – he was spending all his money-earning time on keeping me convinced I was working for a reputable company and not some narcissistic jackass.

When I finally got away from that, I looked over the four complete novels that I had written, the countless character bios, over 100 outlines for stories, and I was disgusted. If you’ve ever been the victim of a fraud, you’ll understand.

If you’ve been the victim of a fraud, you have my sincerest sympathies.

I looked at all the work I had done and figured I may as well make the most from it (which could only be this one book for a variety of reasons). I edited, I cleaned, I reworked, renamed, reconfigured, and recruited. Did I think it needed work? Sure, I did. But I was in no place mentally to do that at that time. It was good enough. It got some sales. I was happy with it.

Several years passed, and my life was turned on its head. I was emotionally needing a lifeline, a sense of purpose, a sense of accomplishment, a raison d’etre. I considered looking into my aborted comic, The Aristocrats, but that ship had sailed. I pondered The Twelve Cataclysms, but as much as I love that tale, it didn’t feel right. I picked up Escape from the Spotlight.

The problems were glaring. It needed an editor. Badly. But it was good. It felt really good to revisit Doran and his world. He’s my Captain America, and boy did I need a hero who was just… good.

After a search, I found an editor who provided a much-needed second set of eyes. There is no substitute for an editor who is clear, concise, and can see what a story is, and where it’s going.

Under Rachel’s guidance, I finally understand what I want from this story. More importantly, I understand what I need to make that happen. Previously, I was doing it all alone. That doesn’t work for me. I need a team. Rachel has proven her weight in gold as an editor. Next comes an agent, one who can see Escape and my writing as something valuable, and can help guide us to where we need to be: with a publishing house. The thought of traditional publishing might make some people cringe, but I know myself – to make the connections I would like to make, I need help. I need people around me who know the publishing world, and can point out things that I’m not aware of, or that can open the eyes of an audience to my work. If all goes well, this team will grow, and maybe, you’ll become a reader, and in that role, will also become part of my team. (A preemptive Thanks! for that.)

I’ve come to accept that this story is a part of my life. It’s a part of who I am, and as thanks to it, I’m doing everything I can to get it out to the world in the best possible way.

To that end, as of MARCH 1st, 2024, I will be discontinuing sales of Escape from the Spotlight on Amazon.com.

Though I still have a long way to go before it will be available with a publisher (gonna do that after I find an agent, and who knows how long that will take), when it is finally ready for you all, you’ll find a very different version. As of now, those changes include:

• 2 completely reworked chapters.
• A 100% new epilogue (which better sets up its sequel).
• Massive cuts of unnecessary details.
• Increased details regarding one major antagonist.
• Increased focus on the main themes.
• A more audience-appropriate edit.

Subject, of course, to change. Nonetheless, I owe it to Doran to give him the best chance out there. I owe it to myself to really make the most of the time and work that I put in. Most importantly, I owe it to you, my audience, to put out a book that not only does something new, but is the best that it can be. That requires a team, one that I am slowly putting together.

So if you want to see who Doran Titus is in all his current rough capacity, you have until March 1st to get a copy. Then, when Escape from the Spotlight is released in its upgraded and fully professional capacity, you can compare the two side-by-side and see where the differences lie. Who knows, the OG format might one day become a Collector’s Edition.

Until then,

The Queen has spoken.