Nathan Jones - Determination

A minute later the truck’s engine rumbled to life, and the vehicle lurched into motion beneath him.

It’s with a bit of a pang that I write these final words, to sum up the wonderful experience that has been writing this series. A story that began with a simple concept, with a goal of hopefully giving readers some insight into the precarious nature of modern existence, and how easily it could all fall apart. And maybe inspiring them to make whatever preparations they felt prudent. I’ve enjoyed exploring interesting ideas, and looking into the reality of situations I’ve barely considered before now. And I’ve grown to love the characters in these books.

It’s been a major project, and I’ve benefitted greatly from the support of family and friends whose love and encouragement has kept me going. They’ve all been wonderful, and I consider myself blessed to have each and every one of them. I would like to thank in particular a certain few for specific help with this project:

My brother David, whose research into preparedness and related issues makes anything I’ve done look like a walk in the park, and whose own efforts have provided the inspiration for many of my ideas.

My brother Seth, who was willing to tackle technical issues I simply don’t have the head for; thanks to his efforts the formatting looks fantastic, and other worries were solved with ease so I could focus on my writing.

My dad, who encouraged me to clean up my initial draft of Fuel in a way I’m more comfortable with, and with whom I’ve had many insightful conversations about society and potential ways it could collapse.

My mom, who always took the time to ask me about the progress of my writing. It inspired me to keep going, without ever making me feel any pressure to do more than I was doing.

My sister Shellie, who’s always been happy to have long conversations about the intricacies of storytelling and the joy of creating fictional worlds. We’ve bounced a lot of ideas off each other, and discussed plot lines and story elements ranging from the awesome to the silly.

My aunt Edie, who’s taken the time to read all of my books and has encouraged me from the beginning. She’s always been an example of the strength of family ties, and of their precious value.

Last of all, I would like to thank all of you readers who’ve stuck with me through Best Laid Plans, and those of you who took the time to provide feedback. It’s my hope you’ve enjoyed reading the series as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. And while this series is done, as for now is the world it took place in, I have more series planned, delving into the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy that I also have a deep love for.

I hope to see you there.

Copyright © 2016 Nathan Jones

All rights reserved.

The events depicted in this novel are fictional. The characters in this story are also fictional, and any resemblance to anyone living or dead is entirely unintentional. While most locations are real some creative license has been taken in describing them, and a few locations are entirely fictional.