Secondly, I would decline the invite for lunch because I don’t leave the house. There are people out there and carbs and I don’t do either of those. See what a pain in the ass I am. And thirdly, LA is a beast so I can’t be expected to drive a mile down the 101 unless it’s to go to the airport to get out of this city (which I love dearly).
But still, Mike, you wanna do lunch the next time you’re in town? Hit me up. I’m most likely busy.
Much love and peace,
Tiny Ninja
Michael’s Author Notes
November 4, 2020
First, thank you for not only reading this book but these Author Notes as well!
Wow, how am I supposed to answer the “Do you want to do lunch because I will totally ghost you? Are you going to feel obligated, thinking that maybe I won’t ghost you…but then I do. Or, are you not going to ask me because then you won’t get ghosted in the first place but also feel a bit guilty because you didn’t ask me.”
I’m not sure. Let me think about that, infinitesimal Lego-ninja. Wait, that’s kinda redundant on the size thing.
I’ll just go with Lego-ninja. You stand head and shoulders above one of those. It will help your ego.
Covers
So, Sarah reached out to me a couple of days ago about a cover idea. What she gave me was a beach concept. I tossed back a waterspout idea (which was what her beach concept created in my mind.
Then, I sat in my chair, staring at my computer and wondering…
Did she see it? If she saw it, is she going to answer? If she answers, will she like it?
It was so stressful. I don’t want to go through it again.
She liked it. There, I saved you the horrible moments of concern and wonder I went through.
For a not-exactly-short-but-certainly-not-tall lady, she is a spitfire. It can be stressful to work with her. I promise.
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael
*NOTE*
At least one of those comments above I made about Sarah is a lie. Lying is what we fiction writers DO as a living. It’s as natural as breathing.
Especially when it is directed at someone you KNOW is thinking of devious ways to screw with your brain.
Like Sarah. In fact, exactly like Sarah.
So I might have claimed some stuff about Sarah that wasn’t true.
Except for the height thing. Yeah, that’s true.
Acknowledgments
Sarah Noffke
I feel like I’m on the stage at the Oscars, accepting an award when I write my acknowledgments. I stand there, holding this award, my hands shaking and my words racing around in my mind. I’m not an actress for a reason. I’m a writer and talking to people in “real life” is hard. Not to mention a ton of people all at once.
I picture looking out at the audience and being blinded by spotlights and forgetting every word of the speech I memorized just in case I won. The speech would go like this and it’s meant for all of you, not the guild. For the fans. The supporters. The people who are the reason I would ever stand on any stage, ever.
Okay, here we go. I clear my throat and smile, looking up at the camera, holding the little golden man. And then I begin:
This was never supposed to happen. I was never meant to publish a book and then another one. And then another. I was supposed to write in private and live a life that Henry David Thoreau called a life of “quiet desperation.” I would always hope to share my books, but never bring myself to do it. And you would never read my words. But then, in a crazed moment of brashness, I did share my books and you all liked them. And because of that, I’ve never been the same. And here I am feeling grateful all just because…
That’s why I’m here. Because of you. Thank you to my first readers. The ones who picked up those books that I didn’t even outline and you still liked them. You messaged me and maybe you thought it was no big deal, but when your ego is new to the publishing world, it’s a big deal.
I can’t thank you readers enough. I’ve found that reading your reviews helps me to start a chapter when I’m stuck or lazy.
I really need to thank someone who has made this all possible and that’s my father. I was going to quit. I can’t tell you how many times I quit. But when I wasn’t making it, he was the one who told me to not throw in the towel. “Give yourself a timeline,” he suggested. If I didn’t get to my goal by then, I’d quit. And apparently there was magic in that advice, because I’m still doing this. Dad, you’re the pragmatic one, but when you believed in me enough to tell me to not quit, I knew I had to follow your advice.
And I thank all my friends who are constantly supporting me with thoughts of love and encouragement. Most don’t read my books. I’m sort of self-deprecating, although I’m working on it and will be the first to tell my friends, “My books probably aren’t for you.” However, every now and then a friend surprises me and says, “I was up all night reading your books.” It’s always a total shock. But my point is, that even if they didn’t read, I still have the best friends ever. Diane, you’re my rock. And I love you, even though you will probably not read this.
Thank you to everyone at LMBPN. Those people are like family to me, although I’m not sure if they’ll let me sleep on their couch. Well, who am I kidding? They totally will. Big thanks to Steve, Lynne, Mihaela, Kelly, Jen and the entire team. The JIT members are the best.
Huge thank you to the LMBPN Ladies group on Facebook. Micky, you’re the best. And that group keeps me sane.
And a giant thank you to the betas for this series. Juergen you are my first reader and friend. Thanks for all the help. And thanks to Martin and Crystal for being some of the best people I know. What would I do without you? A huge thanks to the ARC team. Seriously, if it weren’t for you all I might pass out before release day, wondering if anyone will like the book.
And with all my books, my final thank you goes to my lovely muse, Lydia. Oh sweet darling, I write these books for you, but ironically, I couldn’t write them without you. You are my inspiration. My sounding board. And the reason that I want to succeed. I love you.
Thank you all! I’m sorry if I forgot anyone. Blame Michael. For no other reason than just because.
Books By Sarah Noffke
Sarah Noffke writes YA and NA science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and urban fantasy. In addition to being an author, she is a mother, podcaster and professor. Noffke holds a Masters of Management and teaches college business/writing courses. Most of her students have no idea that she toils away her hours crafting fictional characters. www.sarahnoffke.com
Check out other work by Sarah author here.
Ghost Squadron:
Formation #1:
Kill the bad guys. Save the Galaxy. All in a hard day’s work.
After ten years of wandering the outer rim of the galaxy, Eddie Teach is a man without a purpose. He was one of the toughest pilots in the Federation, but now he’s just a regular guy, getting into bar fights and making a difference wherever he can. It’s not the same as flying a ship and saving colonies, but it’ll have to do.