Changelings walk among us. Shadows growing in numbers as they await the birth of their prophesied queen and the Catholic church, which has pursued their kind since the Middle Ages, will stop at nothing to find her...
For much of my life I have felt like an outsider, out of place. I am older now, and I have come to believe that this is a common way for many if not most human beings to feel. I have my personal reasons.
My family came to this country from Mexico when I was six years old. Then we moved back to Mexico for one year when I was eight, then back to the US. It was a lot of moving, a lot of goodbyes, a lot of losses. I remember my mother crying, she felt so alone much of the time. She had very little support. Telephone communication to Mexico was difficult at that time, and expensive. She didn’t speak English very well, making her feel even more isolated. As kids, we pick up languages faster and more easily, so I remember having to help her communicate from time to time. We had no other family to lean on. I know now how scary it was for my parents, and how brave they were to face the challenges of immigration, all in order to give their children a shot at a better life. They are true pioneers.
So I grew up in the US without extended family, and when we did visit our family in Mexico, it always felt too brief for the sense of disconnection to totally disappear. Even though I have made many, many friends and acquaintances over the years, and I now have a family of my own, I still carry that feeling of being alone, etched into my soul from my early experiences.
I’m totally okay with all of that now. I have an incredible lot to be grateful for. I am okay with my life’s story, with my challenges, with my successes and my failures. I am in a good place spiritually.
So why am I saying all this? Answer: for you to know a little background information about the spirit of Mission 51. My protagonist Mat is an alien from space, the ultimate outsider! He is the one who came in 1954 to southern Nevada, the place we now know as Area 51. My parents were married that same year, and then came to the US, in their mid-twenties. I was born here in 1955. Mat’s story is an immigrant’s story, like that of my parents. He encounters the challenges of fitting in, the difficulties in mastering a different language and culture, he has to deal with loss, and has to adapt to survive. Mat does these things, like my parents did. He finds freedom. He pursues happiness, as is our American right. And he almost finds peace at the end of Mission 51. If the book makes it to publication and finds an audience, Mat’s story will continue in book two, already taking shape in my crazy head.
So that’s it, a little background information for you to better understand why I wrote this story. Thank you all, for your interest and your support of me and Mission 51!
Peace! :-)
I totally thought I sent this out last night, but it didn’t go through, I think.
A Huge THANK YOU !!
As all of you who already checked your emails have found out - WE DID IT !
I must admit that in every scenario I ran through my head writing this email - it was always close or pretty damn close, but never have I dreamt that we would reach 750 orders, and 11 days ahead of schedule.
What next? Well, the truth of the matter is that I do not know... The book is already available to buy as a regular book on Inkshares, but it will take time for me and whoever will be chosen as my editor, to create a final marketable version. What I do know, is that I will work as hard as I can to make this novel the best & worthy of your support.
I want to thank each and every one of you who pre-ordered. But before I will quickly run through what I’ve learnt during these 4 hectic months and a day, I wanted to specially thank people who actively helped getting me orders & supported in any way they could: First my wife Yael who not only helped but endured this thing firsthand; my Dad Yosefi, Mom Mira & Sister Michal who actively bugged everyone to a great personal cost of their own; my Aunt Ilana who is by far the top referrer; My mother-in-law Orit; James Rasile & Evan Graham who came close second as referrers; My mom’s friends who helped raise orders as well: Dieda Robins & Judith Lynn, and everyone else who pitched in - I am forever grateful. Finally all my wonderful friends from home and work, who I bugged relentlessly, and they keep answering my calls regardless - you know who you are!
A special thanks to friends I’ve made along the way who helped with orders or just moral support: Billy O’keef, Peter Ryan, Kelsey Barthel and Rick Heinz - you guys are the best. As well as to all my supporting Goodreads buddies (Vicky, Paula, Diane & Anna Jane) who have been more than kind but actively took a chance on someone who was, until recently, a stranger.
All these people have helped with no personal gain of their own, simply because they like me or my book, and this means a lot.
Regarding the Charity - I want to keep the pledge to Norwood UK a while longer - so any book sold in the course of July, regardless of the referral, will grant 3.5$/2£ for this special cause.
Finally, before i come back with an official schedule (I am just in the dark as you are), I wish to take the time and tell you what I have learned in these educating 4 months and a day:
I learned to write better; I learned to accept criticism; I learned Social Media (is the devil); I learned video making; I learned crowdfunding; I learned that a picture is truly worth a thousand words;
I learned about the kindness of strangers;
I learned about cruelty and jealousy;
I learned that best friends are best friends (and they are always there for you);
I learned that family is family - no matter what you decide to do;
I learned the value of helping others;
And I learned there’s nothing we can’t do - however far it may seem, if we just set our minds to it.
Oh and these babies will be going out to top referrers, so expect a personal email about it soon ;-)
More in due time...
J Dital
Hey there!
So much news, but we’re gonna keep it efficient!
That is all for now. As always, you’re all the best people in the world for being so supportive. Not only have I found amazing readers in you, but also a great community that I’m proud to call friends.
I remain, as always, your humble servant,
JF
