Final Countdown: 8 Days to Merchant of Vision

From a Childhood Dream to the Launch of a Universe

As I sit here, with just 8 days left until the launch of Merchant of Vision, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey that led to this moment. The starships, the battles over distant worlds, the vast empires in conflict—it all comes from a vision I’ve had since I was 11 years old, rolling dice to randomly generate an 8 x 10 parsecs subsector. Back then, I didn’t just dream about space; I built my own universe. The foundation of my love for science fiction came from countless hours spent reading authors of 50s, 60s and 70s science fiction, and playing role-playing games, where I was not just a participant but a creator/referee, building entire worlds out of my imagination.

In those early days, I was hooked on the idea of what the future could hold—the endless possibilities, the adventure, the sheer scale of what space opera could be. Science fiction gadgets for communication, hand computers, laser pistols, powerful computers, and robots. I remember sketching starships, based in the style of William H. Keith, Jr. in the margins of my school notebooks, imagining them battling across interstellar space, caught in the power struggles of far-off worlds. That was my playground. Space wasn’t just a backdrop; it was alive with potential and danger, a place where anything could happen if you were daring enough to explore it. And I wanted to explore it.

I was an 11 year old boy, portraying the roles of 40 year old Merchant Captains, Bold multi-skilledc Scouts, and tough space Marines that had been wounded in service, mustered out, looking for a job on the frontier of a vast, fallen Empire.

I had lead figures of starships, tiny scouts, basically a cockpit and an engine to huge weapon platforms with multiple gun batteries.

I designed starships, deck plans, planetary systems, and maps of worlds.

My Vision for the Space Opera Genre

Fast forward to today, and those same passions have evolved into "Merchant of Vision", a story that has been years in the making. At its core, this book is everything I love about space opera: the starships, the political intrigue, the conflicts that stretch across an entire sector roughly 100 light years across.  Worlds with alien creatures beyond a normal person's imagination. 

It’s about characters like Captain Alanya Darrin, commanding her flagship, the Terran Starfire, serving in the Frontier Fleet of the Remnants of the Terran First Empire.

 As Captain aboard, her unquestioned loyalty is to the Duchess Zhōu Yuèguāng, a powerful and cunning leader from the remnants of the Terran First Empire, operating covertly with her own agenda in the conflict against the Taxxu Felis.

The characters in this novel series will travel through perilous frontiers, navigating both personal struggles and epic battles. It's about the wonder and danger of space itself—the unknown territories, the empires on the edge of collapse, and the choices people make when their lives are on the line.

For me, space opera is about scale—both in terms of world-building and character arcs. It’s about exploring what happens when civilizations collide and how individual actions can ripple across the stars. Merchant of Vision has grown from that same foundation I built when I was a kid, playing role-playing games and creating a universe where anything was possible. The difference now is that I’m no longer just imagining these stories—for other gamers to enjoy at a table. I’m putting them into the world for others to experience.

A Journey of Decades

But getting to this point wasn’t easy. It’s taken years of writing, rewriting, and reshaping this universe. There were times when my wife was pregnant with our first daughter, Ping, and I would lie awake at 4 am, typing on a new ASUS laptop, accomplishing the brutal grinding task of laying out The Aurin Cluster Sector. I sometimes felt lost when the sheer scale of the task seemed impossible, when I wondered if this dream would ever come to life. I’ve made plenty of missteps along the way—whether it was overcomplicating the plot (that was a significant problem, certainly) losing sight of a character’s development, or getting bogged down in the details of world-building. At times, I felt like I was floating in the void, trying to connect the pieces of a puzzle so vast, it seemed endless. Boxes of planetary maps, notebooks of scribbled musings, 3 ring binders of planetary profiles.

But I kept going. Why?  The short answer is that I am delusional, and obsessed. Perhaps also this is my special interest, that feeds my neuro-spicy high functioning ASD traits. I was told long ago, It was impolite to call it Asperger's.  Sure. But knowing that solved a lot of personal anguish as to why I was often called pedantic, boring, and a "space cadet".

It was like a joke to me in high school as I had read that book, and flipped the script into a badge of honor. I wanted to be a space hero.  In weekly games with neighbor kids, I could take on those roles.  

It is said that your brain cannot tell the difference between imagination and reality. If that is true, my brain has travelled and marvelled at the sights on hundreds of worlds.

But with this life's work...I keep going.

When I was a kid, reading Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War" it was the most exciting thing I had read in my life.

I wanted to learn to write like that. 

From the very beginning of reinventing myself after the Navy, I’ve held on to one central belief: likely borrowed from Tony Robbins: 

"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?"

That question has been the driving force behind everything. 

I want to be an author.  I want to tell stories. I have been telling stories of the Far Future since 1977.

It’s pushed me forward when I wasn’t sure if I had the energy to keep going. It kept me motivated when I hit roadblocks. More than anything, it reminded me that this is what I was meant to do. It reminded me of that 11-year-old kid who believed in the magic of space opera, and interstellar adventure.

Learning and Growing Along the Way

With only 8 days left until the launch, I can feel the weight of this journey. There’s a mix of excitement and exhaustion. I’m still learning new things daily—most of which fall far outside my comfort zone. For instance, I’ve had to learn about book promotion, how to build a following on social media, and how to connect with readers in ways I never had to before. I’ve had to become not just an author but a project manager, a marketer, and, in some ways, an entrepreneur.

I’ve stumbled more than once. But here’s the thing: I’ve learned from each misstep. And every time I thought I couldn’t push forward, I found new strength. I discovered that I was capable of so much more than I had ever imagined.

What has kept me going, day after day, is the belief in this story and in myself. I truly believe that this universe I’ve created is worth sharing with the world, and I’ve had incredible support throughout the process.

Support and the Power of Belief

I wouldn’t have made it this far without the unwavering support of my family. My wife, Jiraporn, has been my pillar of strength. Through all the late nights, the endless brainstorming sessions, and the moments when I was locked away at my desk, she was there. She has believed in me and this dream just as much as I have. Jiraporn has been patient and understanding when I needed time to write, even when it meant sacrificing time we could have spent together. Her encouragement has given me the strength to keep going when it would’ve been easy to give up.

And then there’s Amy Firpo, my social media lead, who has worked tirelessly to help bring Merchant of Vision to life. Amy has helped me navigate the complexities of building an online presence, promoting the book, and ensuring that this story reaches the people who will love it. I owe so much to her hard work and dedication.

8 Days Left: Why I Won’t Stop Now

There are only 8 days left until Merchant of Vision is out in the world, and it’s hard to believe how far this journey has taken me. From the young kid building universes with role-playing games, to the adult who now gets to share those worlds with readers everywhere, I’ve held on to the same dream. I’ve refused to let go of that belief—the belief that if I kept pushing, kept working, this vision would become a reality.

Now, here I am. I’m at the edge of launch day, and I know I’m ready. But I’m also aware that this is just the beginning. The launch of Merchant of Vision is not the end of the journey; it’s the start of a whole new adventure. I can’t wait to see where this universe takes me next.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned through all of this, it’s that belief is everything. Believe in your story. Believe in your dream. Even when it feels impossible—even when you’ve been working for years and the finish line feels like it’s still so far away—don’t stop. Keep pushing. Because one day, you’ll look back and realize that you’ve made it. You’ve turned that dream into something real.

So here’s to 8 more days. Here’s to the launch of Merchant of Vision—and to the future that lies beyond.

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