Thank you very much for your kind words of encouragement, @ferrate, and excuse me for taking so long to respond (my RC, you know?).
I keep thanking those who create such motivating contests at Steemit. They really help me keep writing and keep my imagination moving. This novel (of which this is the fourth advance, would not be possible if @art-universe and @nexcolony had not ignited the spark. And, no doubt, those of us who read to us and read on the platform are a fundamental part of the equation, a part without which nothing is possible.
Always welcome.