If anyone had suggested, years ago, the most important thing in my world would become this incredible journey as a writer, I would have scoffed. Now, five plus years into the journey, I can tell you it is as important to me as breathing. Virtually every day after breakfast I sit down at the keys and dive in. The process takes me through the meat of the day and only comes to a stop as the sun goes down. I've grown as a writer in the years elapsed since Soldier Boy was first written. And having accumulated some three dozen editors, publishers, and authors as a support system has been a boon to the process, as has the support of my family. I've come to learn my journey as a writer closely mirrors that of others. This journey includes reflecting on the comments readers have made about Soldier Boy. Initially, I was excited to receive some positive feedback from critics, including Grady Harp's glowing review, and the selection of Soldier Boy as a 2013 Lambda Literary Foundation Finalist in the Erotic Romance category. However, sales have never been particularly robust and I want people to read my work (and comment on it). The feedback is an important means of communication for me. Consequently, I took another look at the book, and something wonderful happened. I found problems! Why is this wonderful? Because it means I'm growing as a writer. So, I set Pride of Lions aside (volume 2 in the series) and dove back into Soldier Boy. I've combed through the story, giving every last detail particularly careful scrutiny! It makes sense to me now why some authors spend years writing a single book. No more rush to publish. No more time constraints. I will polish each book until I can't make it shine any brighter. Unfortunately, though the effort of recreating Soldier Boy is reaching completion, I will be unable to replace the original sample already uploaded to Goodreads (per their policy). Consequently, anyone interested in reading this most recent version, please give me your email and I'll send you a PDF.I only ask that readers give me honest, constructive feedback. Thanks and happy reading! Thomas