Update 11/30/2011:

Hey everyone, I'm back! As you may (or may not) have noticed, I've posted the sneak-preview first three chapters of Persona 4: Solipsis, the sequel to Persona 4: Simulacrum. Taking place twelve years later, Solipsis is the story of Nanako, now all grown up but deeply affected by the events in Simulacrum. Taking the goddess's final warning to heart, she has spent the time preparing to defend against the coming armageddon even while the rest of the team had moved on with their lives. When one of her students brings her an artifact that seems to have a link to Persona use, it seems her fears are to become realized. But will she find herself among allies who wish to protect humanity, or enemies who wish to destroy it?

I had originally planned to only post the first chapter as a teaser, but I figured the ending of Chapter 3 would be a much more fun cliffhanger ;) Look out for the rest of Persona 4: Solipsis, coming soon to an FF.net site near you! Thanks for visiting!

The original Simulacrum announcement (because I don't want to remove my thank-yous):

My friends, after almost eleven months since it began, I am happy to present to you the conclusion of Persona 4: Simulacrum! It has been a long and winding road for our friends from Inaba, and they have faced things that have driven them to the brink, and some of them even beyond the brink. As they confront the one they believe responsible for all that has happened to them, they will learn that that things are not always as they seem, and that sometimes there are sacrifices that must be made.

There are so many of you I wish to thank, and there's no way I can do you all justice. But I'd like to start with my wife, my sometimes-editor and always-cheerleader: thank you for putting up with my passion, and for encouraging me at the most difficult of times.

Numbuh_65, thank you for the radio play edition of Simulacrum, and I can't wait to hear how it turns out!

Rayless Night, thank you for your encouragement, and I promise that I will now devote time to reading all those awesome P3 and P4 stories out there (including yours!).

Kombat at the GiantBomb forums, and Leaper, Rogue7, and GG Crono at TVTropes, thank you for helping spread the word and bringing new readers!

Atlus, thank you for making SMT: Persona 4, Persona 3, and so many other phenomenal games! While the gameplay is great, you went above and beyond to create deep stories and complex characters, all of which have come together to make what are some of the greatest games ever made.

And, last but certainly not least, thanks to all you readers and writers out there, and especially those who took the time to review, either publicly or privately. Every comment I've received, positive or negative, has been a great help, and I am truly humbled by and grateful for your attention.

I'm not certain what my next project will be. I may write some more Persona fanfiction, or I might continue on my original works. I have a 2-year-old NaNoWriMo novel (a 2007 winner, even though it's far from complete) that I've been wanting to bring to life, and also some short stories at various levels of completion I'd like to share as well. Perhaps it's time I dust off my FictionPress account and make good use of it.

Thank you all once again, from the bottom of my heart!

And here's the boring old personal stuff:

I suppose I should say a little about myself, probably a bit more than I have in the past, just to be nice. I'm a man living in the US with my beautiful wife. I work in IT by night, but during the afternoons, early mornings and weekends, I write. I have a fair amount of original fiction I've written (still looking for a publisher), but I also write fanfiction for genres whose characters and situations "speak" to me, and make me wonder "What if?"

I got my start writing Final Fantasy VIII fiction (primarily Love Beyond Death) and the Star Wars/Star Trek crossover The Borg vs. The Empire, and later expanded to include Final Fantasy X and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4.

Cancelled projects:

Love Beyond Death, Part II (see above)

The Borg vs. The Empire Part II: The Invasion (In the time since I've started writing this, the Star Wars Expanded Universe has grown exponentially. While have endeavored to make this story fit with the canon in both universes, I've come to the point where I simply don't have the time to devote to ensuring everything will fit. I've read the same thing happened with James Luceno as he tried to write the eagerly-awaited Darth Plagueis novel, and I can fully understand why.)

The Ultimate Loss (A Final Fantasy VIII story I intended as a parallel to the Love Beyond Death series, exploring a different possible chain of events within the same timeline, but unfortunately that well has run dry. I've left it on the site as-is for those who enjoyed it, since I don't believe in taking away something people like just because I can't make it into what I'd hoped it would be.)

Why do I write fanfiction when I'm trying to write and publish my original works? One reason: I enjoy it.

Okay, two reasons: I enjoy it and it helps me improve my style. No, three reasons: I enjoy it, it helps me improve my style, and the wonderful readers here at FF.net are a great help with your honest criticisms and support.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Anyway, I'll end my rant here with my sincere thanks to you all, and my hope that you will keep reading and reviewing.