Well, after 5 years and over a half million words, the time is finally here. Next week, I will turn over "Shadow of the Thunderbird" to be submitted for consideration of mass publication. My novels currently are produced in trade paperback, a high quality softcover edition. Should it be accepted, "The Cryptids Trilogy" titles will be produced as paperback books accessible at every newstand and grocery store. It would greatly reduce the cost of each novel, and solidify my efforts to become a full-time author. I have received glowing reviews for its earlier incarnations, one of which led to my first novel being required reading at a local college. In turn, I spoke at conferences on the subject of cryptozoology, and organized my own. I was a guest on the highly popular "Bigfoot Central" on Artistfirst.com, and soon became the host of not only that program, but "Paranormal Airwaves", as well. I have a great time speaking with the public on the cubject of hidden animals, writing and publication. My follow-up novel, "Track of the Bigfoot", topped out with a ranking of 2,368 on Amazon, and remains the top-rated book on the subject of Bigfoot and Cryptozoology. I have spread the final volume of my trilogy, "Wake of the Lake Monster", over a 3 year period. Through research and amazing relationships I fostered with experts, I have become as well-versed in sea serpents as Bigfoot and Thunderbirds. I am very excited about my fourth novel, which I will begin as soon as the third novel edits are complete. It will be unlike anything currently available in the genre of cryptofiction, on a scale grander than anything written to date. It can't help but be. The theme and story are naturally still under wraps, but it will follow within a year after the release of "Wake". Although I am not really active in the cryptozoological community any more, I still draw on their talent and expertise on Native legends, historical accounts and eyewitness reports. I have drawn my own conclusions as to the theoretical nature of the creatures described out of time and place. I stand by my scientific approach and avoid fitting a species to a cryptid. My formula involves seeking out a prehistoric megafauna that could account for the sightings of monsters in myth and legend. In other words, if such a creature survived the advent of the last ice age, what animal could fit the descriptions and depictions prevalent in folklore since the dawn of civilization? I research as diligently as my alter ego and protagonist, Ian McQuade. Of course, I have to reach my conclusions first, to allude to the flashes of fin, feather and fur leading my characters out into the wild. If the publisher likes the first book, I will forward the second for consideration, then the third. I am grateful to so many people for their support of me and my creative ambitions. My creativity has stayed with me through the years, manifesting itself in my music, art and writings. Regardless of the outcome, I will pursue this dream along its natural course. We never fail at what we wish to do. More often than not, we simply give up before we succeed. After five years, I have not given up on my belief I can write and sell a good story. I have befriended others who do this for a living, instantly recognizeable to fans of cryptofiction and thriller novels. I can interweave a plot and storyline, solving a mystery while growing the characters in search of the answer to its riddles. I enjoy writing, and know that I have alot to offer. I have already proved it to many readers, and hope to add many, many more in my efforts to entertain and educate on the subject of cryptozoology. There are other things I would like to write about. But for now, I enjoy grand adventure begun long ago in the prehistoric past. I apply the latest technology to uncover the megafauna who found a way into modern times, while managing to avoid man in all his encroachments into the wild. Thank you for making this journey with me. It has been an incredible experience, and I number a broad readership among academics, professionals, students and laymen. I thank all of you for your emails, phone calls, participation in my conference appearances and radio shows. Again, I can't predict the outcome, except that I will move on from one prospective agent and publisher to the next, until my vision becomes theirs. I know what I have accomplished, and what it has come to mean to so many. All I am looking to do now, is to expand its scope and lengthem its appeal to include an even greater audience. I do all I can through promotion and maintaining a popular web site. The rest is up to you. After five years, you haven't let me down or left my side yet. I owe you the best novels I can write in the years ahead, and I intend to keep that commitment, for as long as I am able to hold your interest. Keep the faith, and tell your friends! ~D.L.