Hello, my name is Lapo Melzi. I write book for children and adults, plus some poetry too. Here on Patreon, I will be serializing Horse Sense:

Jamie and Acorn's friendship is one for the books: their attachment is unbreakable, their mutual understanding uncanny and their adventures legendary. But one day everything changes. Jamie steps in to defend one of his classmates from his abusive teacher and suddenly everybody turns on him. Worse, they use his friendship with a horse to bully him. Attacked on all sides, Jamie has to decide whether to desert Acorn or fight for what he truly believes in, both for himself and his best friend.

Inspired by my own personal experiences growing up, Horse Sense is a story about an extraordinary friendship, bullying and horses. It is also a story for those who love animals or want to learn to love them, for the ones who believe in the power of friendship, in self-determination, in doing what’s right despite the consequences and who believe that strong is not the one who never falls, but the one who stands up after the fall.

The reason why I am here on Patreon is that I'm hoping to build a sustainable audience so I can focus more time and energy on original work. After my second bout with cancer, I gave up film (which I studied and practice for fifteen years) to dedicate myself to what I really love: my stories, but with the pressing economic demands of a normal life, I am finding it extremely difficult to have the time to dedicate myself to my creations. If you like my work, you can become my patron and help me find the peace of mind to make great art.

If you embark on this journey with me, you can be sure to be a patron of an author that will keep on producing stories for a long while. Right now, I am working on my second book entitled "Quigley," the story of a New York pet flying squirrel, who abandons the safety of his apartment in order to save the squirrels of Central Park from the tyranny of murder of crows, embarking in a journey that will either shred him to pieces or transform him forever. The novel is the direct adaptation of my award winning screenplay "Quigley." After that will be the turn of "Romeo Vs. Juliet," a pastiche adaptation of the beloved Shakespeare's story set in a Verona where Renassaince and modern times coexist that answer an a comedic vein the question: what would have happened if the two young lovers had survived. After that it will be the turn of "Wassapu," a Dickensian story of a heartless jackelope-riding creature that robs all the other animals of the Dome forest of their food and leaves only misery in her path. One day, she is lured by a cookie to a great city, where she butts head with the score of homeless orphan street urchins that fills its streets and finds out she isn't the only one who has been robbed of her heart and hopes. Afte this, there are already other planned stories.

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Patreon allows us to support the artists we enjoy in creating the things that we love, by pledging money for each creation they make (check out the intro video here ). Remember, this is a recurring pledge of a smaller amount, not a single one time donation. You can pledge any amount you want, even less than a dollar! You have total control and you can also set a monthly cap, so you don't overspend and you can cancel at any time. Every pledge means a lot to me, bringing me an inch closer to being a full-time author. As we reach different total pledge goals, I'll be able to create more extra content: illustrations for my stories, audiobooks, illustrations for some of my shorter children books, starting the graphic novel of some of my other stories. With your patronage all that is possible!

Each new chapter of Horse will be published here on Patreon and on other social media sites for free. If you like what you see, you can support my ongoing creative efforts.

So, why become a patron, you ask.

First of all because you'll be able to call yourself a Patron of the Art, which is über cool.

Secondly, you'll be the driving force behind art that you care about, not a publishing house, an editor, an agent. In return, you'll get fresh new content that will make you happy a warm inside.

You'll be able to witness a book coming to life and you'll be part of the creative process. Your comments, critique and input will influence the story. The finished book will have living kernel of you in it.

Your name will be in the thank you page of the book.

You'll get cool rewards: ebook, limited numbered and signed paperback, limited numbered and signed hardback, Q&A, live chats with the author.

You'll read each new chapter of Horse one week before everybody else does.

By becoming my patron you are not only supporting Horse Sense, but a slate of other projects.