Put on your party hats, because we have a birthday to celebrate. TERMS OF ENLISTMENT is ten years old this month. I brought it out in March 2013, and 47North bought it (and the second Frontlines novel, LINES OF DEPARTURE) in May of that year. Thanks to everyone who has ever bought this book and its sequels, but special thanks go out to those of you who took a chance on a self-published work from an unknown name when I put this novel out on Kindle Direct with the hopes of maybe selling a few hundred copies. It sold rather a lot more than that, which is why I had an agent and a publishing contract less than two months later.
Whenever I read through it these days, I can very much tell that it’s a first novel, but I am also positively surprised by how well it has managed to hold up, so I must have gotten that one mostly right. It certainly changed everything for me–I became a full-time writer that year, and the royalties for my books have been paying the bills since then.
Ten years…. don’t they go by in the blink of an eye. Now let’s see what the next ten years will bring.
Marko,
As someone in the US Army, TOE resonated with me in such a realistic way that I couldn’t put it down. I could tell the author (you) had military experience, and “got it” so to speak. I finished Centers of Gravity not long ago and will always cherish the Frontlines series. Your books are an automatic buy from me and many others, don’t stop writing ever please. Also…can you confirm or deny if we will ever see Frontlines on the silver screen? Lucky 13 on LD&R was a huge tease!
I definitely would like to see more of the Frontlines world visualised and see it get more recognition, like a wiki for example.
I put your book in the Library of Congress data base. That enabled hundreds of libraries throughout the country to purchase and allow others to read your book. I had a great time reading it and the subsequent books. Thanks writing Terms of Enlistment and all the other books. I still hope if you visit the universe again you will give the Lankies a voice. Until then keep writing great science fiction.
I have it and the rest of the series. I stopped loaning them out because I never got them back.
(My book club read the first two.)
I remember starting this book in my phone in the middle of the night bouncing up and down with my then infant son on a yoga ball. He’s 8 now. Time is wild
It was such a terrific first book. Happy Book Birthday.
Congratulations and Happy Book Anniversary! It is a great book, and the rest of the series is awesome also. I still remember reading TOE and thinking the writer (you!) was growing as an author throughout the pages. (Like I am an expert, but at least IMHO 🙂 ) It was really good on page 1 and got better and better with every page. Please keep ’em coming. Your books are always an insta-buy for me. Thanks for the many fun and exciting hours of reading.
That was and still is a great piece of work, as are all the sequels – many thanks!
Congratulations! Such a big milestone! Your writing and your stories are amazing – your success is so well-deserved!!!!
When are you going to finish the series. You keep leaving cliff hangers and then seem to go off to write a new series and leave Frontlines fans hanging.
When are you going to clean your room, John?
I am also a Frontline fan and I want the Lankies destroyed please write book 9
Great work! One of my favorite military scifi series. Congrats.
Woohoo!! It’s a great novel and great start to the series. So glad I saw you at MantiCon and decided to read your books! I l have enjoyed them all and look forward to your future releases.
I still remember the delight upon discovering Terms and savoring not only a fresh new universe and story to explore, but also just stellar good writing. Your work enriches my mind and life. Hope you never stop. I’m always intrigued to see what you come up with next.
Well done. Congratulations on truly being a self-made success. We all treasure your work. Here’s to more Palladium, Frontlines, and new inventions!
Congrats on the first decade! I read ToE at least 3 times and I enjoyed every reading of it. You are a great writer and your characters are all likable and relatable and I’m pleased to recommend your books as often as I can. I’m finishing up The Expanse and I feel about its characters as I do about yours, and I recommend you to anyone that likes The Expanse series. Good sci-fi is hard to find and it’s even harder to find a series that doesn’t devolve into pointed social commentary and preaching. I appreciate very much how you temper the commentary in your book and just write a good story. I also enjoy how you’ve moved your stories along, other series I’ve tried to read get bogged down in so many details that I just give up. Keep it up, you’ve got a lifelong fan here.
Holy crap. I think I just aged several years in the moments I was thinking back to when I discovered Terms of Enlistment. I thank you just the same. It kept me busy for that family reunion (wife’s side) trip back to Massachusetts in 2016. They’re nuts.
Congratulations on the success and accolades! And, thank you for two engaging series and all the characters included within! Your books – particularly the Audible incarnations – have accompanied me on many long commutes and the stories were complete far too soon! I’m also hoping we’ll see more of the Palladium Wars soon.
Congrats on your success and thank you for the work you have provided thus far! I look forward to reading your future endeavors!
Excellent! I’m very critical of bad writing. Frontlines was good writing. Plotting, dialogue, characters, etc. I’m not at all surprised that you went on to publish more. I always keep hoping for a new novel in the Frontlines universe.
Congratulations for that milestone and Happy Anniversary to Terms of enlistment!
I really love this series that has been accompanying me in many train travels. 😀