Ryan Gladney

The first kernel of an idea for Nine Lives of Adam Blake came from that pretty universal human fantasy: How would you live your life differently if you could do it all over again? I remember daydreaming along that line of thought one day and just sort of getting lost in the idea and the implications. How would such a phenomenon really manifest itself? How would I explain it? What would be my assumptions and priorities if I happened to wake up tomorrow and I was a child again? What would I do with myself on a mundane, day-to-day basis? And, what sort of mechanism could have possibly caused this bizarre occurrence? I thought it would be fun to write a story about a guy experiencing this and discovering the answers for himself.

Publishing a novel has been at the very top of my bucket list since before I knew what a bucket list was. I've always wanted to do this. I love writing, but I think I was a bit put-off by the publication process: the hunt for an agent; the hunt for a publisher; the inevitable rejection letters. About two years ago my wife forwarded me an Amanda Hocking interview where she talked about her experience self-publishing. I remember reading her story and just feeling so energized. I could do this! Everything she said really resonated with me. I liked the autonomy, the responsibility, the DIY nature of self-publishing, the elimination of traditional gatekeepers, and the somewhat Darwinian forces that affect ebook success. It was like that cliche of the light-bulb flashing over my head. I knew self-publishing was the way to go. I never second guessed it.