Taking a Chance on Ari & Milo

I’ve written a novel that I love. I believe it works best in serial format, and I want to get it directly to readers, (readers who are young but not too young), for free, on their phones. So I’m putting it up on Wattpad, starting today.

I believe in trying experiments where I don’t know the outcome, and this story is so special to me that I’m willing to take risks. For instance, my novel could easily be lost in the noise of other stories. Posting it could take up more time than I predict and cost me energy I need for other writing projects. Commenters might trash it. All of this could hurt.

The possibility that worries me most is that my story, which has mature themes involving death, murder, and suicide, could end up being read by someone who is fragile or not ready for it. That’s why I’m putting it on Wattpad rather than, say, on my own site, where I have no way to limit access. Wattpad allows me to rate the novel as Mature, for ages 17 and up, and they have safeguards in place for younger readers. Still, the story deals with sensitive issues, and I worry about that.

Despite all these risks, I believe my story matters. Ari & Milo is the best that I can offer, and I have faith that this story will find its way to its people.

Ari & Milo

She lives in the clouds. He lives for the mines. They’re never supposed to meet.

But they do.

In a world where the super-rich literally live in the clouds, golden girl Ari Chaput aims to find a cure for the disease that’s killing her mother. At the opposite extreme, Milo Colbix works in the mines, digging vercury out of the darkness in an effort to honor his dead father. When fate brings them together, they discover that love is not simple or easy. If they want to be together, they’ll risk upending their families and their lives.

With a nod to Shakespeare and a bead on the future, Ari & Milo is the perfect meld of sci-fi, romance and YA. WARNING: While the novel is rarely graphic, themes involving death, murder and suicide make it appropriate for mature readers.

New episodes will post daily on Wattpad, Monday through Friday, starting Tuesday, June 8^th, until the story is done. Wattpad is free to join, and can be accessed via any computer, tablet or phone.

Updated July 14, 2021: You may notice I’ve given Ari & Milo a new cover!