Before we get to the pre-order business, let me tell you a little something about this book. First: it’s the best stuff I’ve ever written. Hands-down. Not only that, it was the hardest book I’ve tackled. It’s the one I had the most doubts about. The one I agonized over.

When I started writing Land of Light, I contemplated restricting the Bern Saga to three books. Looking back on how much hand-wringing I did over that decision, it seems a bit silly. The Bern Saga was always supposed to be four books, and I only started doubting the move as I worried readers would tire of the books before they got to the end. When I expressed this view, I heard a resounding: “ARE YOU KIDDING?!” Two readers are already giving me a hard time for not promising books five, six, and seven. It turned out I needn’t worry about writing too many of these.

With that resolved, I set to work crafting the best Molly book thus far. The challenges were numerous. For one, this is the first book in the series where the drama unfolds over multiple locations. There were hints of this in Land of Light (during the Wadi Rite and following Anlyn’s exploits on Drenard), but Blood of Billions carries this structure throughout. And it really drives the story forward. You’re gonna dig it.

Another challenge I had was working with new character dynamics. I don’t want to spoil anything, but you’ll see what I mean. The bonus here is that this is not one of those series of books you’ll read and feel like you’ve already heard this story before. The interactions between the protagonists are new, rather than just re-hashing what I know already works. As a reader foremost, I did what I wish more authors would do, which is to take chances. In Blood of Billions, I feel that every one of them paid off. I hope the majority of you agree.

Finally, this is the book I spent the most time with. I probably did seven full revisions, each pass adding a bit more polish. Blood of Billions also has even more of my philosophy on life, including my views on politics, racism, immigration, free will, energy policy, and so much more. There are some scenes taken right out of my 9/11 experiences as well, which makes this the first time I’ve really written about that day. These are just a few of the reasons I hold this book so dear.

In fact, I feel so strongly about this book, it makes me want to get more readers to pick up the first two. I want to urge them to read those already fine novels, just so they can experience this one. I might just have to come up with a package deal for people who haven’t gotten into the series yet (or who want their own personalized, signed copies). I think once you read this entry, you’ll be feeling the same way. You’ll want to write Amazon reviews for all three books. You’ll want to gift them to friends. You’ll start talking about them at work.

Anyway, that’s how I feel about this novel. Now, the first 70 pre-orderers will get a book out of the first batch heading my way. Those books will be shipping from me, to you, on the 21st of June. The next batch will probably be in a week later, or you can get your boring non-signed copies on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble’s website in early July. Alright, thanks for letting me ramble on. Click the cover below, or use the image off to the right.