Announcement, and early release (Patreon)

So first the stuff I know you're all interested in - releasing chapter 1 of a new book-length work, Old Habits. (Working title - suggestions and criticism welcome.) When I started writing My New Girlfriend, I had a separate but related idea for another story about a woman who was likewise mind-controlled by a man in the past, someone outside the story. Unlike Courtney, however, the protagonist Harmony is aware of and all-too-open about her stature, opening the story thusly: 

My name is Harmony Reed, and I'm going to tell you a secret. I was a sex slave.

Without meaning to give too much away, she was subjected to conditioning, and even now that she's a liberated woman, those triggers are coming back to threaten her freedom all over again. But with her Master dead, who is using them, and how? And can she escape the ghosts of her past? This initial chapter doesn't quite delve into this, mostly just establishing a little characterization and setting (like ya do), but that's where it's going.

So that's the post. Enjoy. :)

The second part of this post is an announcement. In the near future, I'll be making some life shifts to begin trying to earn real money with my writing. I don't flatter myself to think I'll be financially independent on this alone, but I desperately hate my current Job job, and I very much love my Hobby job. I've always told my students that one of the great benefits of education is the freedom to pursue their passions, so I'm going to do a little role modeling in that spirit.

For you amazing and wonderful patrons, I don't know exactly what that will mean for this site, but I do plan on finding a way to reward and incentivize your continued support at least as well as I have been. Whether that's something like sneak previews of upcoming content, discounts off of publications, writing a story or two a month that's exclusive to $X patrons, I don't know. What I do know is that I appreciate the shit out of all of you, and I will do anything I can do show that with the way I proceed. 

It's been a really rough past year, but to know I have some folks out there generously tossing me a few bucks (or a lot of bucks, for many of y'all) just to show your appreciation for a decent story and the occasional orgasm, it has meant worlds, and helped me keep some sanity and perspective. Seriously - half a dozen of you guys gave me over a hundred bucks in the past year, and  I'm not making a living as yet off this site, but it's not exaggerating to say you guys have been the reason I haven't had student loan officers kicking down my door, and why I haven't had to resort to stealing cat food. (For my cat, not me. I haven't been *that* destitute.)

Anyways, I'll keep you posted as things develop, and I welcome any suggestions, encouragement, feedback, etc. Heck, I'll even take a well-intentioned "um yeah, don't quit your day job buddy". (Of course, if you knew the half of my day job... :P) Nothing official will be changing on here for at least another month, so for now, thanks for your support and many happy returns! More to come,
- Ice Bear