NAME THAT SERIES: Thanks for participating!

The good news: You had lots to say about your choice as well as about alternatives.The bad news: Not everyone can win a free copy.The weird news: The number of votes for each choice was exactly the same.The surprising news: The series name will not be one of the choices I gave you to choose from, and I'm still giving copies away.

As I read your many comments and suggestions, I came to realize that the two choices I gave you—"A Natural Man" and "Nature Man"—did not seem to be communicate to you what the series is about.

I took your suggestions to heart, gave a good deal of thought to the stories, and although no one proposed this specific series title, all of you inspired it: Trailblazer.

I considered the title Trailblazer: A Trilogy. But—maybe I won't stop at three. Who knows at this point?

I'll still be giving digital books of On Chocorua away to the first ten folks who voted for either option. If you are one of these winners, I'll contact you individually and see what format you prefer.

If you're curious about how I landed on Trailblazer, here's an excerpt from what will be the books preface:

A trailblazer is one who forges a path through uncharted territory, an effort that requires courage, tenacity, and integrity. Although others might follow behind, only seldom does the trailblazer have followers in mind.

Nathan Bartlett is a trailblazer—not because he follows established routes in the White Mountains, or on Kaua'i, or on Mt. Desert Island, but because he explores and then tests that inner path that tells him who he is and how he relates to the world around him. Sometimes this path leads to dead ends, or into mazes that confound him, or to the very edge of a cliff. He forges his path not by finding all the answers, but by identifying the questions that matter. 

Nathan is a trailblazer on his own journey. And his success will be measured not by how well he follows someone else's path, but by whether he can forge his own.

Photo by Alex Calder

If you don't hear from me about winning a free copy, I hope you'll still look for Nathan's face (by photographer Alex Calder) when On Chocorua is released this fall. 

Thanks again for participating, and—as always—for reading!