Plan your island escape

If you've never heard from me before you're receiving this email because you joined Cereus & Limnic: Escape From Okinawa on Gumroad.

(Please unsub if you no longer want to be a part of this project)

My name is Keith Hayden. I'm a digital novelist currently writing a third novel.

What kind of story is it?

It's a military game tech fiction thriller about a Chinese American operative stuck on Okinawa, Japan when China invades the island.

With no one else capable and burdened by an odd piece of experimental technology, he sets out to prevent war between the United States and China, save his what's left of his family, and (ultimately) escape from the island.

Today was a significant project milestone:

all of the initial work on the project is done (planning, plotting, website, etc.), so I officially started writing the first draft

Exciting stuff!

What's the goal of the story?

I start every novel project with big picture goals.

What do I want to say with the story?

Why am I pouring months of my life into the book?

How do I want readers to feel when they read it?

I have several answers to these questions, but for brevity's sake I'll give you just one now.

My initial goal for this story was to feature the silent beauty of Okinawa, Japan.

Between 2021 and 2024, I had the privilege to live in Okinawa. This was my second time living there and I felt lucky everyday to be back.

Throughout those three years, I had the opportunity to explore nearly a dozen of Okinawa's smaller islands with my wife.

Each one (while similar to the main island) had its subtleties and secrets. These fascinated me. Local folklore, hidden beaches held hordes of history, much of it unknown to even native Okinawans on the main island.

So it was in 2021 I had the first idea for Escape From Okinawa. The plan?

Feature as many of these islands as possible in a crisscrossing adventure.

I knew the setting, but the inspiration for the plot came later.

I'll save that one for another email.

How to track novel development

Coming from the social media software side, I learned how valuable it can be to build in public.

While I don't plan on being as active on social as I was in previous years, I still want to provide a running log of how things are going for this project.

You can find the Progress Log for Cereus & Limnic: EFO, here.

Check back often for future updates.

First page of the novel:

Declassified by the United States Space Force Department of Otherworldly Affairs (USSFDOA): January 14, 2030

The following files pertain to events in Okinawa, Japan which occurred in 2026.

Certain sections remain redacted for national security and ongoing operations.

This supersedes all previous (alternate) versions unsanctioned by USSFDOA.

Believability of contents therein should be heavily scrutinized.

Read with cautioned care.

//

They came at dawn.

Ooh the mystery begins!

What's next?

If you're getting this initial message and you haven't signed up to be a part of this project, then I encourage you to hit the button below and join.

Just like with my last project, Gates of Okinawa, there'll be many opportunities to receive the meta-story of Escape From Okinawa as I write it.

For now, check out the brand new landing page for the book and get hype for future messages.

The battle for Okinawa and our species' future has just begun.

In the future, only those who have joined this project via my Gumroad page will receive these messages.

If you want to keep up with the project, contribute, or get early access then go "buy" it.

It's free.

But it won't be forever.

Just like my previous projects, as the book matures, the price will rise.

So get in while it costs nothing!