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While writing my latest novel, I had an epiphany. I'm definitely not a commercial author. I'll explain.

I write erotica (which I do not consider porn although prudish people would). I also write thrillers. My current work-in-progress is a thriller/mystery. But it's an erotic thriller/mystery because, well, I write erotica and it has graphic sex scenes.

So here's my dilemma. For those readers looking for erotica, it's not page after page of sex. For those readers looking for a thriller/mystery, they may find the graphic sex vulgar. Isn't that a lose/lose for a commercial author? (That's rhetorical.) A commercial author would target one type of reader and write for them. I don't. I write what I believe makes a good story.

My first novel was rejected by a traditional publisher of Romantica (Erotic Romance) because the heroine committed adultery. That's a no-no in the romance genre. I discussed it with the publisher's editor who said their readers were typically housewives who were turned off by adultery. She wanted me to change the heroine from a wife to a fiancé (I guess it's not adultery if she's not married). I explained why it would hurt the story and she agreed so to preserve the integrity of the story I self-published it. I didn't buckle to the commercial rules back then and I don't intend to now.

Thanks for listening. End rant.

I just realized I panicked when I blogged that the end of Chapter 8 was messed up and forgot to blog that the story was complete. All 9 chapters are now posted. The story is complete. Thanks to all those who provided feedback.

It's fixed.

Something broke at the end of Chapter 8. I submitted Chapters 8 and 9 at the same time and somehow the top of Chapter 9 (story title and author name) ended up at the bottom of Chapter 8.

I requested it be fixed, but as of now it's broken.

Chapter 5 is now posted.
The story now moves into the next phase.

I posted Chapters 3 & 4 of "Death of a Hero."

Thanks for those who pointed out errors. Okay, I spelled "tuft" as "tuff," but more important was the error I made in the way the flag was carried at a military funeral.