Two years ago, I was visiting the new Infuze Magazine and checking out their new features. One of the features was Prodigy, a serialized novel by Robin Parrish. I loved it, mostly because Robin watches many of the same movies as I do and has much of the same tastes. The book played like a mystery, had elements of The Matrix and other futuristic sci-fi movies in it, and was action-packed at every turn. Every two weeks the website would have another chapter, and I'd spend the next couple days after reading it asking, "What's going to happen to Grant?", "Who is that barefoot girl anyways?", and "What the heck is going on?"

Although the online version had some answers, it was enough to keep me clamoring for more. Apparently I'm not the only one, because Bethany House Publishers decided that the budding novelist was worth investing in. Robin will have his first novel, Relentless, available in stores within the next couple weeks. I haven't read it yet, but apparently it's much like the online serial but better. You can read the first chapter on Robin's official website, so if it sounds like your type of book, give it a read.

Sometimes I buy stuff like these on Amazon.com, but because I'm really looking forward to this one and I get everything else online, I'm going to do my offline buying game. Basically, it goes like this: If Barnes & Noble or Borders has the book in the store and I can find it (I don't like talking to Customer Service people), then we win. I win because I get to purchase and start reading the book, and the store wins because they made a sale. Losing in this game is me breaking down and buying it on the internet.

I play this game somewhat often with music releases, and, sad to say, most of the time the mainstream music stores lose. So don't tell me I don't try to support the best artists in the industry and promote them in the mainstream.