Echo 5: 300 Voices in 100 Days — A Story That Travels, A Life That Moves
Length: 657 words • 4 min read
Themes: Reflection, Reviews, Support, Transition
Heartbeat: A quiet call for support, a reflection on what sustains stories, and what comes next.
Three weeks ago, The Gales of Alexandria entered the world.
I’m still not sure I fully grasp what that means.
Launch week overflowed with emotion—and an overwhelming show of trust from those who believed in the novel even before it reached their hands. It rose to #1 in Political Fiction and Middle Eastern Literature on Amazon Canada, which was deeply humbling and entirely unexpected.
Then, quietly, came the voices of readers. Mostly strangers—from NetGalley, Goodreads, and beyond. Their words struck deeper than I imagined:
“Wow... it is not often that I finish a book and let out a giant sigh. I can't believe this is a debut novel.”
“Part history lesson, part mystery, part action movie, and part meditation on faith, family, loss, and values.”
“Not just a novel—it’s a meditation on politics, loss, and faith. I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time.”
“A revelation. A true page-turner, seeped in history and brilliantly narrated.”
Each time I read these, I feel quiet disbelief. Not because I doubted the work—but because it reached people. It resonated.
A novel is more than just its words. It’s a structure—delicate, imperfect, deliberate—tasked with carrying emotion, tension, and meaning across hundreds of pages.
I never knew if I had built the right structure. Trade reviews gave me hope, but ultimately, it’s readers who decide if it lives.
Their voices fuel me now.
I want this novel to reach thousands of readers. Even more. Why not?
This story wouldn’t let go. As I shared in Echo 1: The Story That Wouldn’t Wait Anymore
“Some stories refuse to stay silent. They haunt us, demand to be told, and won’t let go until they are.”
So I’ve set a clear, simple goal: 300 voices in 100 days.
I don’t know if it’s the right strategy. But it’s honest, real, and achievable.
This is my way of inviting you—not merely to purchase—but to respond, speak, and help the story move. I'm deeply aware of the discomfort in making such a request, careful not to cheapen the work by becoming transactional.
Because here’s the truth: Books like this don’t thrive (or vanish) on quality alone. They depend on readers stepping forward.
Platforms like Amazon and Goodreads reward visibility, presence, and motion. Without readers talking, even the best stories fade.
I’m not asking for praise.
I’m asking for participation—honest and simple.
If the novel moved you, share that.
If it didn’t, share that too.
If you’ve read Echo 3: “The Discomfort of Asking for Support,” you know how uneasy this makes me. That discomfort hasn’t gone away.
But I’m learning to ask differently.
Not to promote, but to invite.
Stories like this only travel because of readers like you.
A Life That Moves
As I shift back into my professional work—helping organizations navigate change and exploring new paths in AI-driven transformation—the novel will hold a quieter place in my schedule. Just a few hours, mostly on weekends.
Yet it still matters deeply.
The Gales of Alexandria isn’t merely a finished project. It’s a living body of work carrying questions we’re still exploring. As a literary, political, historical, and deeply personal novel, it has a long life ahead. I’ll continue supporting it in whatever ways I can.
And if it matters to you—if this story has touched you—I hope you’ll join me in keeping it alive.
I’m proud of this novel. It enriches my professional perspective—showing how I held it, nurtured it, and built something complex and meaningful from the ground up.
So yes, you'll continue hearing from me:
For the novel—one voice becomes two, two become thirty, and somewhere between thirty and three hundred, momentum takes hold.
And for my professional work—as I reconnect, reach out, and seek meaningful collaborations—I hold onto hope that this non-linear journey will be recognized as the significant asset it truly is.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for carrying this story forward. More soon.
A layered novel, told through voices rarely heard. Stories like this only travel because of readers like you.
If the story behind the book resonates with you — if it feels like a perspective worth hearing — thank you for sitting with it.
I’d be grateful if you helped it travel, whether by sharing, recommending, or leaving a quick review. It all makes a difference.
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