R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy

Such a sad day. I've enjoyed countless hours of his performances, and even watched with interest as he made the transition from a disappointing figure to science fiction fans as he proclaimed "I Am Not Spock" (from this I learned that the actors are not their characters at a very young age), to eventually coming around and embracing his fans, proclaiming "I Am Spock".

After the release of his second autobiography, I Am Spock, he became a bigger science fiction icon than ever, and delighted millions of fans through appearances on science fiction shows, reprising his role in the Star Trek reboot, and by meeting them in person at numerous conventions. I'm certainly one of those fans, and would watch any appearance I heard about, whether it was on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Fringe, or some other show that was lucky enough to have him.

He played a great science fiction hero and became an ambassador to a genre so many of us loved while fitting his own artistic talent as a poet, a writer, director and actor in between.

On a more personal note, he always reminded me of my grandfather. Something about seeing him on screen helped me through his passing years ago, call me crazy, but it truly did.

Back to the real Nimoy for a moment. He was a supporter of other artists from early in his career. In fact, when he was cast as Spock for Star Trek, he was already busy running his own method acting classes. By reputation, I know he was interested in elevating other artists, not using them to pull himself up.

By all accounts he was an irreplaceable entertainer, he gave us many hours of performances, and other art to enjoy.

Thank you Mr. Nimoy, you were larger than life and we'll miss you.

RL

The Spinward Fringe Series Passes Half A Million Downloads

I always saw this series as an indie effort, with a small group of readers who found it was the right kind of Science Fiction Adventure for them specifically, so when I finally got around to putting some numbers together for a purpose I can't go into here, I was very surprised to find that the Spinward Fringe series has had just over half a million downloads since 2011. 

That number is astounding to me, even though roughly 70% of that number is made up of free downloads. I never expected Spinward Fringe to be so wide spread, and that's great encouragement as I write Broadcast 9, which is shaping up to be a fantastic addition to the series.

I'm also happy to announce that I will be releasing two Spinward Fringe novels this year. Broadcasts 9 and 10 are both going to be on your digital shelf in 2015 come hell or high water, because I especially love the part of the story I'm telling right now, and I believe these books must be released within months of each other - I don't want to make anyone wait longer than they have to.

I have to thank all the readers who downloaded the books legally, whether it was during a sale, or if they only downloaded the free books, or normally, that big fat number in the title of this post is thanks to you. Many people are also getting ready to spread the word about the series during convention season, and I find myself absolutely stunned by the level of enthusiasm people have about the story I've been telling since 2008.

Thank you, I hope you enjoy what's coming up!

RL

[By the way, Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins is still free through all major EBook sellers. Spread the word! Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Kobo]