Strange Horizons and Close Encounters: On A Break

There's a lot going on behind the scenes in the Spinward Fringe Universe. Lately I've had to put in some long hours to make an October 31 deadline for multiple projects and that's meant that I've lost pace with the work I wanted to complete for the Strange Horizons and Close Encounters Anthology.

The good news is that work on the rest of the Rogue Element Trilogy is going very well. A lot of the story has been reworked since the completion of Spinward Fringe Fracture, and everything is looking a hell of a lot better.

While work continues on the Rogue Element Trilogy and I get ready for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short. More on that later), I've been spending long hours polishing the First Light Chronicles and most recently Spinward Fringe Resurrection for a full on re-release. Everyone who already has an eBook copy of the books will be able to update their versions for free when Spinward Fringe 2.0 arrives.

The production of the new book trailer is in early stages, and a few actors may be auditioning for voice parts soon. The production class of this trailer will be much higher than the average Space Opera Book Trailer by far, but that means I'm putting a lot of hours in on sourcing visual material, music, and finding the right performer. I hope to have a rough cut finished in the last week of October.

I apologize for the delay with Strange Horizons and Close Encounters, but it can't be helped. Getting all the editing work finished and the Rogue Element Trilogy out before Christmas takes priority I'm afraid. Will I add to the anthology in the future? Certainly! There's also a growing possibility that another writer will be contributing in the future. An imaginative, talented scribe has shown real interest in telling a story in the Spinward Fringe Universe and I should see a submission sometime in the next few months.

It looks like, despite how much or little time I have to dedicate to the Living Anthology, it'll grow.

RL

[If you're a writer who has read the Spinward Fringe Series and would like to write a piece set in the Fringe Universe, send me an Email and I'll be happy to provide you with the submission guide.]

Spinward Fringe: Strange Horizons and Close Encounters September Update 2

It's update time for the Living Anthology - Strange Horizons and Close Encounters.

This time we get another look at the Triton and Captain Valance from Nerine's perspective as I take a small piece of the latest Spinward Fringe novel: Fracture. Threading this together as a single perspective story was something I actually wanted to do as soon as it was written since it was written separately from the rest of the book to provide point of view that could show the reader what it was like to be new to the Triton.

Why do I like Nerine? She's a character who has been forced to grow up too fast, finds herself in situations that most of us would be pretty lost in until we realized we had to make the best of things or be left behind. Her story is one that's off center from the main plot but is directly affected by the decisions made by the main characters.

Having said that I'd love to see someone else write a story for her and the people in her immediate orbit in the future. There's part of the appeal of a Living Anthology like this. It's free, widely available, and open to submissions.

The next addition to Spinward Fringe: Strange Horizons and Close Encounters will be something no one's ever seen.

You can get more information, download or re-download it in all eBook formats only at Smashwords.

Be aware, this book is recommended for readers who have read the entire Spinward Fringe series.

RL

- Thank you for downloading this project 188 times so far.

Strange Horizons and Close Encounters: September 7 Update

The living anthology grows with the addition of Taking New Versailles.

This was the original prologue to Spinward Fringe: Fracture but it didn't fit in the end. I thought I could add it into the second book as a chapter but again, it didn't fit with the story.

That's no statement of quality, I personally enjoy the piece and the event detailed within does take place. So, like Landing in Leeds (another short in Strange Horizons and Close Encounters), it's found a home.

The next update for Strange Horizons and Close Encounters will be the second part of the Nerine Story. If you've already read Spinward Fringe: Fracture, you've seen it.

Eventually new material will be added to this book every two weeks, but at the moment I'm spending half my time on improving the quality of all things Spinward Fringe and writing the next three books. That simply means that I'll be alternating the Nerine plotline with new material for the next six weeks.

Don't bother keeping track, I'll gladly tell you exactly what's in each update to Strange Horizons and Close Encounters so you know if you've seen the material before or not.

This time, it's completely new material. So go update the eBook at Smashwords and enjoy Taking New Versailles.

RL