*** UPDATE: The dog has now been claimed for naming! Four additional
             character namings are still up for grabs, though! ***

Hi, friends and fans!

Question: Would you buy me a drink? If your answer is Heck yeah, buddy! then please consider supporting my creative work by pre-ordering my book instead. It's not like my liver needs more booze to contend with. ;)

Need more incentive? How about this:

For every pledge received, $1 will go to the Capital Area Humane Society in Columbus, Ohio. For all monies raised beyond the $2,000 mark, I will donate 50% of the proceeds to help local animals in need! Thanks, CAHS, for partnering with me!

Read on to find out more about the book and this Indiegogo campaign.

Modogamous: What's the book all about?

Boy meets Girl. Boy and Girl screw it up.

Girl meets New Boy. Boy meets New Girl.

New Girl meets New Boy.

…and then things start to get complicated.

Relationships, bah! Wouldn’t it just be easier to get a dog?

You can read an excerpt from the book here. 

Expected publication date is Late Summer 2013!

Why did I write this the book?

I love to read, and I love to write. In fact, I write for a living. Most of the time, I write "work for hire," which means someone pays for my writing and then they own the rights to it. That's okay with me - after all, I get to work from home in my pajamas, and I get paid to do something I love. 

But over the years, I've probably fielded the question, "So, when are you going to write your own book?" about a hundred thousand times. 2012 was the year I decided to tackle that goal, thanks to an unexpected break in my schedule and an insane writing competition, NaNoWriMo. As for the genre I chose (chicklit), well, I write serious stuff all the time for work, and I just wanted to write something light and fun for a change.

Writing a book has been exciting; it has been exhausting; it has been one helluva ride.

And now I'm in the home stretch - phew!

What's the money for?

Everybody has a hobby or two. My passion for the past nine months has been writing this novel. Like many hobbies, I've sunk some money into my little labor of love (and have a bit more to spend before the publication process is through). So far I've spent about $1,100 on various costs (artwork, cover design, writing software, online and print resources, admin services, etc.), and I expect to spend another $600-800 before the publication process is finished (book formatting for print and digital, more needed design work, and the fees for this Indiegogo campaign, among other things). 

That breaks down to just about $2,000. That number doesn't include compensation for the time I spent writing the novel - upwards of 300 hours at this point. (And at minimum wage, that figure would be $2,175!)

Maybe someday I'll make a little money from the book, I dunno, but for now I'd be delighted just to break even. If I don't, though, that's okay. As I said, everybody puts their money into the pursuits that excite them. And it's been a great learning experience, so no matter how things turn out, it's been worth it.

What's in it for you?

Well, hopefully, an entertaining read that you'll enjoy when you steal away for a little leisure time in your favorite reading nook! But beyond that, your pledge will:

• raise money to benefit animals in the Columbus, Ohio area. The mission of the Capital Area Humane Society is to fight animal cruelty, help animals in need and advocate for their well-being.
• help me achieve a goal that's been on my bucket list for a long, long time: writing a novel of my own.
• earn you some great perks, from beautiful artwork to the opportunity to name a character in the book after anyone you please ~ including yourself!

In additional, ALL contributors will be invited to a special
Book Launch Party (date & time TBD) in Columbus, Ohio!

Hey, want to raise MORE cash to help out animals in need?

Write a review of the book on Amazon or GoodReads and I'll donate an additional $1 to a local pet shelter here in Columbus, Ohio. I don't care if the review is good, bad, or ugly, just so long as it's honest & says something meaningful about the book. I'll post the amount of money raised online, and I'll link back to the reviews you wrote, too.

Other Ways You Can Help

Maybe you just can’t contribute right now. That's okay, I get it. (As a writer, I've been there myself sometimes!) There are still other ways that you can help.

• Use the Indiegogo share tools to spread the word about this campaign! 
• Like my page on FB, follow me on Twitter, or subscribe to my blog. I appreciate hearing from my friends and fans, whether they're "buyers" or not.