Monster Planet(122)

Ah, to heck with it, I hear you thinking; I've already read that book. Why should I buy even one more copy?

That's an excellent question. And I have an excellent answer.

When you order the book that day you'll get confirmation email. And if you forward the email to [email protected] (don't worry, other than you name and shipping address, the confirmation doesn't have any personalized information) I'll send you a PDF file of a collection short stories set in the monster universe. The PDF will also include never before seen illustrations of the major characters by Joel Carroll(http://www.joelcarroll.com/art/ )and whatever other cool bonuses we can come up with between now and then.

So keep your eyes out for that email.

I'm going to ask you for one more favor which is what you've been doing already: and that's to spread the word. It was your word of mouth that brought Monster Island to the attention of the publishers, and it's word of mouth that will help sell the book. Maybe you know some people who thought MI sounded interesting but didn't want to read something on the web. Maybe you know some horror fans who don't have internet access. Maybe your friends and family are just looking for a good read. Just let them know how much you enjoyed this trilogy. That's all it takes. Give them the URL or, when the time comes, point them toward the book. Believe me, it makes all the difference.

We're also planning all kinds of guerrilla zombie events to help spread the word about the book next spring. If you're interested in taking part in any of them, keep an eye on the blog, or send me an email.

So. For now, I'll say thank you. I'll be saying it a lot from now on. I owe you guys. You see, I've been writing for twenty-one years now, ever since I was thirteen. I've gotten a few short stories printed here and there but never anything serious. This book deal is the culmination, in all seriousness, of my life's work, and without you it wouldn't have been possible. Did I say thank you yet? Thank you.

Aw, shucks. Anyway, the PDF file is just the start of the goodies we'll be handing out, so stick around, and keep the faith!

Sincerely, David Wellington

...and now... the long-awaited ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!

When I finished Monster Island I put up a page thanking the readers and especially the commenters and especially Adrian (from Scotland) who at the time was a source of drunken comic relief. I did it again with Monster Nation, and I need to do it one last time.

It's tough, though. There are so many people who have contributed to the trilogy in one way or another. So many who encouraged me or threw a little money in the tip jar or just came by and read a few chapters and emailed to say they liked it.

I'd like to say thank you to all those people by name, but I can't. I literally can't keep track of everyone who helped me out along the way, there have just been too many of you. So if your name doesn't appear below, please, know how grateful I really am for all your help and support. It made all the difference.

Here are some names, in no particular order: Ashnack, digbeta, Raul, Don, briangc, Meek, Laura, Pencil Lad, Mike, bagelgod, Donny D, saketini99, Ed Adkins, Javier, Timmy, liam, Scarecrow, shadowfusion99, Ann Towey, davidkaye929, iGame3D, Carlos, Rakie, Senecal, Mendoza, dreadlocksmile, hearwritenow, and marbotty.

Some of those names have been with us for the whole long ride, some are almost brand new. They're the people who commented the most often (no science was used in computing this alleged piece of data) and who made it a treat to come back again and again, Monday after Wednesday after Friday. Thanks. I know I'm forgetting somebody--go ahead and include yourself in that list if you want.

alnjo, who is in fact two people sharing one virtual identity (the handle with two brains?), gets singled out for being such a hardass over and over again, right from the start, and sticking around even though there were mummies, stupid, stupid mummies. alnjo kept me from thinking I was all like hot shit--which believe me, is a valuable service for someone with my runaway ego.

Joel Carroll gets a special mention for drawing the most incredible picture of Gary I've ever seen (be nice and I'll show you some time). You should really check out his work atjoelcarroll.com.

Ann Towey drew the creepiest picture of Gary. No, there was no contest or anything, people just liked to draw pictures of Gary.

Adrian, who is still from Scotland but is now 21 and could drink in America, too, is still around. His work schedule kept him from commenting much on Monster Planet (and he was sorely missed) but he never lost touch and in the end he rallied like a champ. Seriously, Adrian made this process a lot more fun than it could have been. His antics got me through some pretty tough times.