Ottawa, ON -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/20/2016 --Canadian veteran Alastair Luft is pleased to announce that his suspense/thriller novel dealing with the issues of PTSD has completed the first third of its funding goal on Inkshares.

Inkshares is a unique crowdfunding platform created to help readers and authors connect, allowing readers to choose the books that move forward and become published. Luft draws on his 20 years of service with the Canadian Armed Forces to write his novel about a soldier, back home and working in Canada's National Defense Headquarters.

The inspiration for the novel, according to Luft, came from a combination of his experiences with both colleagues and friends and how he saw veterans being treated in national media. As he wrote the novel, he says, it also became a platform to explain some of what goes on in a soldier's head, an important viewpoint in a society where fewer people have served in the military.

Unlike other crowdfunding platforms, which are designed more for technology and products, Inkshares is focused on encouraging readers to connect directly with authors. Readers fund books at set levels; if a book gets enough funding, then it is published by Inkshares. Depending on the number of copies pre-ordered, the book gains either a limited release or a more extended release.

Luft says that while he does not suffer from combat stress or PTSD himself, he's seen many cases develop after 20 years of service. He served for three years in Afghanistan, and drew on his military service for the novel, although he states that war itself is not directly the novel's subject.

Luft has also announced that $2 per pre-order of The Battle Within, should it reach its funding goal, will be donated to Support Our Troops, an organization with many years of experience and assisting soldiers and veterans trying to get help with a mental health diagnosis.

Those who might be interested in reading the novel can view the first two chapters online at https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-battle-within, and then make their choice regarding contributing towards the completed book. Depending on the level chosen, readers receive a copy of the book (physical, digital, or both) as well as access to updates and drafts from the author. At the highest funding levels, readers can have their name listed in the book.