My Book, The Kingmaker.

I am thrilled to announce that my book, The Kingmaker, is now available for purchase.  A project that started several years ago, an undertaking that took me through some of the best, and worst, moments of my life, is complete.

Writing this book was one of the hardest things I have ever done. By its nature, writing is a lonely endeavor. Sitting in front of a computer, mapping out a course for your story through an uncharted Microsoft Word white screen, is simultaneously thrilling and daunting. You are literally God, and can make your characters and your storyline go any which way you so desire. I believe that wielding that much power is what scares most people from writing a book, not the fact that they don't have time or don't have any ideas. Everyone has time to write if they carve it out, and everyone has ideas if they aren't afraid to explore where the story might take them.

“Everyone has time to write if they carve it out, and everyone has ideas if they aren’t afraid to explore where the story might take them.”

When I started writing The Kingmaker, I had no idea how it was going to finish. I just wanted to tell a story about a political consultant who worked on campaigns overseas; something that I had done for a period of my career. I had seen and experienced a wide variety of situations, and met some incredibly interesting people along the way, so I felt deep down that I had a story to tell that others would enjoy. Nothing more than that.

Over the years I picked the manuscript up and set it down several times (I wrote a blog a few months ago detailing how I wrote and finally finished it). I loved it at times, but mostly loathed it, wishing I had never started because I hated the feeling of being another wanna-be author who had the courage to start a novel but not the endurance and dedication to finish it. I felt like a runner who had given up training for a marathon because it was, in the end, too hard. After the failure of my marriage, I resolved that this was something I was not going to fail at. I dedicated periods of time in my day - usually at airport lounges or hotel rooms - to finish this book. I committed to writing 1,000 words a day, at least, until it was done. 

I poured my heart and soul into this book, mixed with sweat and tears, and I am extremely excited (and, to be honest, a bit terrified) that it is now out in the world. I hope you pick up a copy.