(2008)

that is some awesome work ethic

I personally know someone who was writing a thriller about "the Jesus bloodline" just before Dan Brown.

(In retrospect, I think that author had more respect for historical facts, but he wasn't so adept at writing a page-turner.)

In academia, seeing your research being published by someone else sucks, but the consolation prize is that you know you had the right instincts choosing what to research.