I’m not going to lie; taking the plunge and releasing a novel when you are an unknown is absolutely fucking terrifying. It’s like taking a part of your soul and screwing it to the sticking place.

Spectators can throw rotten eggs, or they can give it a gentle kiss. They can laugh at that exposed piece of your soul, or they can wrap their arms around it and tell it they think it’s lovely.

Or they could wander by, not giving a shit.

When I took the leap and chose to bare my soul, it was more out morbid curiosity. Will people like my hard work? Will many people read it? Will I *shock* be able to make any money from it and buy food for my toddler? Or will Daddy be a laughing stock?

I have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from random beta readers who showered it with praise and can’t wait to see if there will be a sequel. That’s all lovely of course, but it’s not the same as nailing it to the sticking place for some to stop, read and enjoy, and for others to ignore.

What I didn’t truly comprehend was the expenses incurred if you want to have control of your book, and self-publish. Multiple rounds of professional editing. A professionally designed cover that will cause amazon customers to stop scrolling and click on your book. The myriad of fees and expenses, from formatting, IBSN purchasing, hosting, admin fees, etc. Not to mention marketing to get the word out there.

My poor wee Scottish bum has never been so tightly puckered. But still, in spite of the sums of money involved, in spite of everything else, that little part of my soul will hang there on that sticking place, hoping not to be ignored.

That’s why I launched a funding campaign for Indiegogo. I’m asking for people to invest in a book which they might just love. In return, they will be rewarded with bonuses like specially branded bookmarks and mugs, personalised thank you cards from myself and personally signed paperbacks. You can even get bonus content – the first 5 chapters of the novel, never released before, to whet your appetite. Hell, if you want you can even get a vampire named after yourself!

Either way, please have a look, and if you have a wee bit of money to spare, think about helping me get over the finishing line, and get a wee prize with doing it. One day, hopefully in early-mid 2022, you’ll be able to give my soul a wee cuddle too.

Be part of the fun right here