In response to the overwhelming mail, not to mention the comments, I've decided to release four chapters this week. It's my attempt at addressing the rampant speculation on various plot lines and character development caused by the first three chapters. I hope most of the early questions will be answered by these chapters yet I also know they will raise many new questions. That's one of the things that makes serial submissions great!
Another thing I like about serials great is that it allows me time to work on REFUGE, the next book in the Robledo Mountain saga. The current rough draft is much too long, even for someone who prefers long stories like me. I'm hoping to winnow it down, layer in the details, finish it and get it through the editors by the time I'm done posting Robledo Mountain. That's my hope but, hey, it is almost summer after all and outdoor activities beckon so there may be a little delay before REFUGE is ready.
Causing a little more delay are all the story thefts that have been going on the last year or so. In hopes of averting theft of my story I've decided to take the approach so many others have chosen and have started the ball rolling on publishing Robledo Mountain. As an old fart, that means spending an inordinate amount of time and effort learning the frustrating formatting required to get the process started as well as learning to build a website, etc. Something I'm sure all the youngsters already know well how to do. Learning the various formats has been a less than enjoyable experience and I'm sure I'll have to relearn major portions of steps again in the future. In contrast, building a website has proven to be quite fun - even though it's a free site and rather limited in what I can do with it. More on both the publishing and the website in the future.
Finally, my sincere thanks to all those who've commented and sent me emails. Please, by all means, keep both coming as they not only make the writing worth the effort but help me improve as well.