Seeking Readers for Something Different (Patreon)

You guys have heard me talk about publication from time to time, both my ongoing series as Sarah Lin and other projects. There's actually a long circuitous route from a novella through networking through behind-the-scenes dealings, which I haven't written about because it hasn't been particularly interesting.

Anyway, there's a project that has languished for about two years while I put most of my work into TLS and other more practical projects. That project has finally become a readable novel and I'm seeking people who would be interested in beta reading.

The working title is "The Final Testament of a Fallen Thief" and it's my attempt at something completely different from what I've written before, a sort of heist fantasy. My intended comp titles will be The Lies of Locke Lamora, Six of Crows, and Blood Song. Regarding the heist elements, think Ocean's Eleven more than classic heists, by which I mean:

• 1) The audience is generally on the side of the thieves.
• 2) Only the antagonists can solve problems with violence. The protagonists are always in situations where cleverness is the path forward.

Like I said, I'm looking for volunteers to read the book. If you're a long time patron who just wants to claim it as a reward, I'll honor that, but mostly I want volunteers who will read the book and annotate it with their thoughts.

Here is my less informal, back cover copy type description:

"Vrace Thricedamned was born in the worst prison in the world, a pit of lethal insects and unnatural storms. He was a thief from childhood, but the real trouble started when he dared to steal from the empires running the prison. Now, captured and facing his execution, he has one last opportunity to tell his story from the very beginning.

Vrace grew up in brutal prison gangs until being recruited by a band of elite thieves targeting those profiting off the entire prison continent. His training takes him from acid craters to a thief school built inside a giant skull to the courts of high society. Along the way, he gains both loyal allies and bitter enemies, eventually culminating in the extraordinary heist that led to Vrace being captured, and one final con under the reader's nose the entire time."

So yeah, this is one of the things I've been working on. Will anything come of this? Impossible to say, but this is one more attempt to put my eggs into more baskets. At minimum, it was a lot of fun to stretch myself in a slightly different direction.