Dear friends and family,



I want to openly thank everybody who helped with my first successful Kickstarter campaign. If it was not for the dozens of behind-the-scenes helpers, the campaign may have happened, but it may not have been successful. My goal of raising $3,500 to order and ship books, and to pay off the editor and cover designer/interior format specialist before the book was published, was shattered by raising $6,534! All due to the support of others.



In the end, we will send 99 backers these products:

Secret Garden Alaska Sticker 460
Signed Warflower Paperback 34
Signed Just Like a Soldier Paperback 81
Postcard 94
Signed Warflower Hardcover 23
Signed Just Like a Soldier Hardcover 24
Beaded Earrings 4
Warflower Paperback 1

The average self-published book sells a total of 250 copies. Most self-published authors do not sell books outside their small circle of friends and family. With this kind of start, I firmly believe that I will exceed that number by thousands, just like with my first book, Warflower.


And here goes the thank-you list:
My wife and best friend, Savanna Stark, for supporting and encouraging me before the campaign, during, and after. For listening to me talk about my worries, my words, and my accomplishments. For editing and filming the campaign video and helping me craft the words that made the campaign so successful. Thank you!


To her mother, Cynthia Brinker, who sat down with Savanna and I on the couches in Missouri brainstorming the wording for the campaign. And most importantly, for her love and support of the entire family.



To Najdan Mancic, for designing the book cover before the campaign, and for reformatting the size of the image to fit the campaign’s image. I believe that was vital to draw in backers.


To Bethany Bogart, the owner of Inkwell’s Bookstore in Soldotna, for selling dozens of copies of Warflower and gushing over the book to every customer who comes into her store. For posting fliers of the Kickstarter Campaign in Anchorage and at her own store, and then telling everybody who came into her store about it.

The list of people who shared the campaign on their Facebook accounts was priceless. Of the $6,534 raised $2,461 of it came directly from Facebook referrals.



Those people are: 

The Goods

Dylan Kingrea
Charles Bingham

Kathi Davis

Angela Hammer

Jennifer Woods
Randi Madsen

Deborah Collins

Bug Arend
Lea Branman

Shelah Slade
Dana Paperman

Jena Petersen
E.M. Remme
Mary LaCroix
Cynthia Lynne
ZoPetra Travis-Zimm
Sean O’Clair
Brie Wallace
My big brother, James Stark

Leah Walker

Kirsten Arnott
Aunt Kathy Moore
Rogelyn Duran

Mike Baker
Jancee Corey

Billeen Carlson

Christina Perkins O’Marrah

Amber Self
Kurt Leffler II

Uncle Donald Moore



I know that dozens of others told their friends and family about my books, about the campaign, and about my life. I cannot thank you enough for the support you have provided. 

Now that the campaign has ended, it is time to hunker down and finish the final draft of Just Like a Soldier. The book will be published on or around October 1st, and I will begin recording the audiobook shortly after. All because I now have the money to do so. 



And of course, to the 99 people who preordered the book and supported my family on my author journey.

With deep gratitude,
Robert Stark