NEM: Awakening Will Arrive On October 31, 2020

 

I'm proud to announce that the first book in a new trilogy is going to come out on October 31 of this year. This was originally a project that I used to keep busy during the early days of the COVID-19 isolation period and a way for me to connect with everyone on Patreon a little more closely.

It grew into something more enjoyable than I expected as I offered Patreon Subscribers opportunities to make major decisions for the main character. These changed and will continue to change major events in this novel and the next. It was also a lot of fun.

After a long editing process and a little rewriting, the once serialized first book of the NEM series is about to become available to everyone. Here's the synopsis:

Grant has loved fantasy for his entire life. As a Dungeon Master he began creating a world of his own for tabletop role playing games that has grown to fill five large binders. This world is called Nem. Outside of his basement game room pursuits, he once trained for and competed in the only medieval tourney held in his home city and won. That was his greatest moment, and it was some time ago. Little does he know, Nem is real and he is uniquely qualified to save his favourite part of it. A journey involving a death cult, a budding enchanter, the Goddess of his dreams, and more awaits.

I can't go into why this book is perfect for a Halloween release because I'd be spoiling some major details, but trust me, there are parts of this book that fit the mood. I hope you enjoy the adventure. You can pre-order your copy using the following links if you want to make sure you get the book as soon as possible.

Amazon
Amazon.co.uk
Apple Books (Formerly iBookstore)
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
Kobo
Smashwords

[If you want to check out the Patreon page where this was serialized, click here.]

Warriors, Broadcast 13 Release Date!

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 13: Warriors will be available on Amazon, the Apple Books (iTunes, iBooks), Smashwords, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo and other major ebook platforms on Saturday, December 7, 2019! The print version will be available at the same time through Amazon.

This novel was serialized on Patreon from beginning to end this year, so subscribers were able to read two chapters a week. I think that improved the writing, giving every chapter more focus. If something looked like it might not be entertaining enough to stand on its own, it didn't make it in. Even less action oriented parts of the tale featured more character development, providing a real dive into one of the main character's heads. I hope to continue and evolve this style, since I think it's what a lot of readers who want to get something out of reading for fifteen minutes at a time want.

I'm happy with the work I did on this novel and am proud to put it out there so you can read it in its entirety. This one also comes with a three chapter preview for Broadcast 14: Rebel, which is already being released at a rate of two chapters a week to subscribers on my Patreon page. 

I hope you enjoy the character journies you'll find here! You can pre-order using any of the links below.

Amazon | Smashwords | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble Nook | Kobo 

My Patreon Page

Chaos Core Book 3: Savage Stars Is Huge On Patreon

The forthcoming third part of the Chaos Core series, a spin off of the Spinward Fringe series that you can start for free by downloading the first book: Trapped: Chaos Core Book 1, is up to chapter thirty five on Patreon. Savage Stars is due for release everywhere quality EBooks are sold in November of this year, but many people are reading it already as a serial.

After looking at the next plot arc and where we are in the story of the limited series, I've decided to continue Chaos Core as a serialized story on Patreon as I work on other projects, so it's likely that it'll go on well into next year. The good news here is that if you like Chaos Core and Spinward Fringe, you can read two chapters a week and there will be regular releases every forty or fifty chapters.

After coming to the end of one of the biggest plot arcs in the series, I'm looking forward to digging into what's next as Spin leads us into... well, I won't spoil it, since there's another major decision coming up for her and her crew. The character development that takes place in Savage Stars is essential to the rest of the series, as is the crossover between the Spinward Fringe series and Chaos Core.

That's right, a character everyone knows from the Spinward Fringe series crosses over to Chaos Core. As you would expect from a Spinward Fringe character, they bring... complications.

So, I hope you take a look at all the free content on Patreon right now, even if it is just to get a preview of Chaos Core Book 3. As soon as I have a real cover and release date set, you'll see another post! I'm cover shopping right now, so that'll be soon.

Check out Savage Stars: Chaos Core Book 3 Here.

Brightwill Is Free Until February 14, 2015

There's news coming on Spinward Fringe Broadcast 9, but until then, Brightwill, my first fantasy novel in a decade, is now available for free from Smashwords  until February 14, 2015! 

You don't need a special code, it's just there, waiting for you to download the version you need of your EReader and keep it forever.

Here's the link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/489351
It's also available free at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P2Q5RFK/?tag=indautlan-20
And through the iBookstore, Kobo, and other eBook stores.

On February 14, 2015, the freebie deals on this book will start coming down, and it'll cost $0.99 again.

More news about Brightwill is coming soon as well, so keep checking the blog!

A special thanks to everyone who shared these links with friends, spreading the word about this book, and to Indie Author Land, who got this book in front of thousands of people.


RL

[The print version, with extra artwork and large text is available unsigned here and signed here.]

A Word On The Printed Word

There were people who thought print would die (books in general, actually), when TV went colour way back when. If I were alive in that day, I think I would have disagreed.

I make my living writing and most of my income, over 90%, comes from eBooks. As an independent it's been a fantastic vehicle. I can offer my work for free, cut out the middle man, and charge comparatively little for most of my titles.

Most of my eBooks are read on cellular phones, and to be honest I've only read one book on my cell, I found it confining. Now I use my iPod Touch, which I find is much better. It's still not quite an eBook reader though.

Soon we'll be seeing a rush of eBook readers, most of them will be cheaper, multi-function and feature real, COLOUR EPaper. That's where I think a lot of the resistance to eBooks and eBook readers comes from, the fact that most people haven't seen EPaper. It's not backlit, so it's easy on the eyes, the picture is very solid and the edges are nice and crisp. You don't get the feeling that you're looking at a moving picture, which is where a lot of the eyestrain people experience on non-EPaper reading devices. LCD isn't a great reading medium for books.

The arrival of colour EPaper and inexpensive readers does signal a broadening of the market, but I don't think the printed book will disappear forever. Publishers are foolishly entrenched in an old business model, where they end up losing money on eBooks, so they'll be resistant. Aside from that there will always be people who prefer turning dead tree pages, and I'm not putting them down. Without them the printed book would die in no time.

I think the printed word will be around for a long time, even if books are one day considered quaint and antique.

Why go on about print, you ask?

Well, after hearing from many readers who prefer print, I've released Spinward Fringe Fracture as a printed book on Lulu.com. You can take a look at it in my Lulu store.

RL

Spinward Fringe: Change Is Coming

There are a number of people wondering where yesterday's free Spinward Fringe short was. It's running late.

I won't give you excuses, that's not how I work. Instead I'll tell you why.

Yesterday I got a call from my lead Editor and she told me Spinward Fringe Fracture is the best book in the series.

It was staggering news.

It also validated a few decisions I've made about what I'm going to do with the Spinward Fringe universe. Sadly, that also meant I needed another day or two for preparations before I released anything. That's why the first free content for the Spinward Fringe universe is delayed.

There is a lot of exciting news coming up if you're a reader, and many changes for the better are being made.

Over the next two weeks I'll be addressing a lot of topics on this blog including:

A new approach to cover art.
Treating the books like cinematic features
Spinward Fringe: Strange Horizons & Close Encounters
The Spinward Fringe: Fracture release
The Spinward Fringe Trailer
What happened with the SyFy Channel "Your Next Space Opera Is Here" campaign.
And other topics that I'm not ready to list.

Tonight Spinward Fringe: Strange Horizons & Close Encounters launches and I'll explain exactly what that is.

Thank you for coming with me on this journey. Your support is the reason why this series has come this far and I'm proud to entertain you. Now it's time to take things to the next level.

RL

Spinward Fringe: Things are happening...

Spinward Fringe: Fracture is on its way to the editors and I'll soon hear back on the worthiness of the book.

I enjoyed writing the piece and I'm looking forward to working on the next one after any required polishing or massaging on Fracture is finished.

The first part of the Dark Arts series is finished, but that doesn't mean that Tuesday won't be free content day on this site for a while. There's a scene that didn't fit into Spinward Fringe Frontline or Fracture, and it involves a character that will eventually become closely involved with big picture events. I'll be making this scene available on www.spinwardfringe.com for free on Teusday, August 25.

There are two other Spinward Fringe segments planned for release after the first. To be honest, I don't have any other free releases planned after, that, but you never know.

As for Dark Arts, so far I've recieved a little positive feedback, sold three copies of the eBook and received a donation of $5.00. Thank you very much for your support on this very little known piece. At this point I'm starting to consider expanding the piece into a full length novel but there's very little chance of continued serialization unless support picks up. It was a fantastic experiment and I've learned a lot from the feedback and other results I've seen. It seems the readers have spoken, and though a few people were well entertained, you all seem to prefer science fiction.

I'm looking forward to releasing the Spinward Fringe free content and to the release of Spinward Fringe Fracture. I'll announce the release date of Fracture as soon as I can reliably establish one. I'm enjoying the Fringe these days, and more people are joining the crew every day.

It's a good time to be a Fringer...

RL

Spinward Fringe Arrives At Shortcovers!

Some time ago I received an Email from someone at Shortcovers in response to a blog post I made concluding that they weren't ready to do business with independents. I didn't state it that directly, but it was difficult to conclude anything else after reading my comment.
After speaking with someone on the telephone (he was actually one of the top enders), I started the process of listing my work with them.

Even though they don't have an automated eBook conversion system in place yet and things are still in the refinement stage behind the scenes, the people at that company made it work. That's what was impressive about this organization, there are people behind each step of the conversion, listing and posting process. Even though it's frantic over there, it's a new subsidiary of the Indigo / Chapters corporation, they're improving things.

As far as the readers are concerned, they're working with publishers to bring prices down and their site is pretty slick. I have their eBook reader on my iPod Touch and it's very easy to navigate.

They are the best Canadian eBook company around by far, and they're positioned to be one of the top in the world from what I've seen so far. They currently have apps for iPhone, iPod Touch, Google Android (TM), and Blackberry.

You can see my listings at Shortcovers here.

RL

If A Spinward Fringe Movie Were Made, Who Would You Cast?

That was one of the questions a reader included in an email yesterday while I was editing Spinward Fringe Frontline, and it occurred to me that I'd never actually answered it even though these books are really just films running in my brain before they're written down.

The answer will probably change in the future, since the Spinward Fringe series is always growing, shifting in style and complexity and talent is constantly being uncovered inside and outside of Hollywood.

So, I'll answer the question and more but quickly since I'm still editing Frontline. I'll also answer as though I have all the cash in the world and access to everyone I could ever want on the project.

If Spinward Fringe were to be comitted to film I'd want at least two 2 hour movies made to be followed up by a 3 hour third part.

The directors I'd choose include; Luc Besson (known for La Femme Nikita, The Professional and 5th Element), Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings and King Kong fame), or Martin Wood (known for Stargate Continuum, Sanctuary, Stargate Atlantis).

For the Soundtrack I'd hire Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo, Batman, Nightbreed, Wanted), or Klaus Badelt (K-19: The Widowmaker, Pirates of the Caribbean). I'd love to see them work with Apocolyptica on a couple pieces for the film as well, and if you haven't seen the soundtrack I've built for Spinward Fringe Triton and Frontline you can check it out here: http://swinwardfringe.blogspot.com/2009/01/spinward-fringe-triton-and-frontline.html

On the production staff I'd love to see Joel Silver (known for the Matrix films, Veronica Mars and over 90 other films). He's known for dedicating himself to projects he believes in and supporting new ideas while maintaining a very shewd business sense. Any of the directors listed above would also make fantastic producers as they're good with production value and long time pros.

Who would I cast for the various parts? It's difficult to say because I've always pictured the core parts being played by actors who have had a lot of theater experience but not much exposure on television or film, so they'd be relative unknowns. As for the supporting cast (cameos and short term appearances), I'd love Wheeler to be played by Christian Slater, Ayan's mother to be played by Amanda Tapping (as long as she doesn't mind dying her hair red), and Lance Henrikson to play Doctor William Marcelles (check the end of the First Light Chronicles Starfree Port for that character if you don't remember). You get the gist though, talented, famous people playing the smaller roles so the main cast doesn't feel like they're playing beside cardboard cutouts or acting class newbies and the fans get a thrill at seeing staples of the industry popping in.

As for adaptation, I'd rather see it adapted closely. The early books are fairly short because they were written to provide an experience that was similar to watching a television show or film so a fairly direct adaptation would be possible. The later books; Triton and Frontline are more complex, so there might be a little more adaptation work there, but not much. Oh, and I'll be getting back to the cleaner, faster style of writing that I started the Spinward Fringe series with (in Resurrection and Awakening), after Frontline is out. Writing an incredibly fast paced 400 page book has been more exhausting and time consuming than I thought, but it's been worth it!

Anyway, that's my quick and dirty pie in the sky wish list for the first three Spinward Fringe films. Considering how little control an author gets when an adaptation takes place I don't think it'll ever happen IF the series gets optioned, and I actually hope it does some day.

Thanks for the question Arthur. I'm sorry I won't cast Jake or Ayan, that's just not gonna happen until the film is made!

RL

Just because I won't cast the main characters doesn't mean you can't! Who do you think should play your favourite character(s)?

Spinward Fringe: Over 1400 Books Sold

Pictured Above: Ayan, by Marc Froment

I know, in the publishing world selling fourteen hundred books doesn't count for much at all, but as an independent author with no advertising budget it's a real big milestone. Here's the interesting part;over twelve hundred of those books were sold on MobiPocket. I owe a lot to that site. They didn't give me preferential treatment, I didn't get onto their front page unless I was out selling other books honestly, and they didn't give me a banner or other special real estate on their pages unless one of my books earned its way there.

Mobipocket did, however, give me the opportunity to post my work on their site. Then some of my fans (as few as they were back then), posted reviews and thanks to that some of the science fiction fans on MobiPocket noticed my work. From there things started to grow, and since August the First Light Chronicles Omnibus has held the number one spot in the Science Fiction section. For that I only have the readers to thank, and boy am I thankful! Only one book has sold through Amazon.com, but I'm hoping that will pick up in time.

It's important to mention people who go the extra mile before I go on; the donators, of which there have been three very minor ones and one very major. These people's donations go towards computer repair, sending promotional copies of books out to reviewers (SomaCow being a great example), and this month's donation will be going to next month's groceries.

What do I consider a fan? Well, that's simple. A fan is someone who posts a review on Amazon.com, Mobipocket.com or on their blog with a link leading back to my site. I also consider people who donate (even a little), and people who take the time to send in an email with their opinion on something in the books. Geoff, J and Ross of SomaCow are fans (especially considering the great efforts they put in to pull more aboard!), Dee is a fan, Neil is a fan (Dee and Neil's reviews can be seen on the First Light Chronicles listing on MobiPocket along with a few others) and anyone whose bought the First Light Chronicles and all the Spinward Fringe books are fans. Also, anyone who tells someone else they're a fan is a fan. It's not a very exclusive club, and membership is as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be and I am truly greatful to each and every one of you for buying the books, enjoying yourselves, supporting me and spreading the word!

For anyone who is curious, 194 people have purchased all the science fiction books released in 2008. That's the First Light Chronicles Series (either seperately or in the Omnibus), and the Spinward Fringe Series. Looking at that number, even though it's small by modern publishing standards, reminds me daily of how many people who have followed me and my characters through this turmultuous journey thus far. I have very good news for all of you: This is where it gets interesting. Just look at the next book; Spinward Fringe Frontline.

Spinward Fringe Frontline is taking a long time to write and I can tell you why. There is room for the characters to develop, villains finally tell a major part of the story and the plot moves with the overwhelming violence and speed of an avalanche. Until now I've kept a few notes on the technology and characters, but with the increase of scope and activity in this book it's been nessisary to begin work on an actual encyclopedia (currently named OMGENCYCLOPEDIA), just to keep track of the developments in this book and how they're attached to previous work. My goal is to provide a new example of what a true, complete Space Opera is in one book. Thank God I thrive on ambition. So far I'm very happy with how this book is turning out and I can't wait to see it finished even though I still have a lot of work to do yet.

A word about Spinward Fringe Triton: A week after the book was released the emails started coming in about this book. Fully a quarter of the people who purchased this volume sent emails in, and none of them had a single negative thing to say. That book brought many people to tears, got them funny looks on the tube as they laughed aloud, and left them feeling as though there was great promise for more at the end. To be honest, that's exactly the kind of journey I had while writing it, so I couldn't have been happier at its reception. On the other hand, I believe that every book has to equal or surpass the last, so I when I think of Triton I immediately think of the challenge I face in Spinward Fringe Frontline and how well I'll have to develop that book for it to be a worthy volume.

Moving on...

As if you couldn't already tell, my Muse is my only mistress. Writing is what I love to do above all else, and even though 1400 books sold over a five month period barely provides a living, I'll take living on the absolute minimum and being able to write full time over working a job I hate and having more money than one person generally needs. At one time I got a hell of a rush from playing drums in front of hundreds (thousands once), of people but these days I feel really high when I know I've had an emotional affect on someone. I wouldn't trade this for anything, and you people make it possible. If you keep spreading the word there's no telling what could happen.

Now, back to work on Spinward Fringe Frontline.

RL

Feel free to leave a comment here about the portrait of Ayan above, I'm sure Marcus would love the feedback. Just don't mention the hair colour...

Books by Randolph Lalonde: Now Available On Amazon.com

Finally, instead of going through other companies to get my books available internationally through Amazon I'm using their services from beginning to end. The results are amazing. I have proofs of all the science fiction books I've published (The First Light Chronicles and Spinward Fringe books), and every single one of them is perfect.

The proofs arrived a week early and the listings on Amazon.com are up. My storefront is linked just to the right of this post. I'm honestly happy with the way they're treating me from one end to the other and glad I went through the trouble of re-designing the covers and interiors. The prices are also quite reasonable considering the high quality of the books.

The only drawback is that the books are only available on Amazon.com, not Amazon.ca or Amazon.co.uk so there's no super saver shipping available for anyone outside of the US. The shipping fees for anyone outside of the United States are pretty reasonable though, much better than Lulu.com or any of the other companies I've investigated.

Before I run off and resume work on Spinward Fringe Frontline, I'd like to take a moment to reassure the people who read my work as Ebooks. Unlike big publishers, I will NOT wait until the printed version of my books are on the market before releasing the Ebook versions. I'll gladly release any work I publish as an Ebook first. There's just no point in delaying a release, especially if I know people are anxious to get their hands on what I'm doing.

Thank you again for your support, without you I wouldn't be doing this. Now go spread the word to all those non-Ebook lookers that Amazon can send them a copy of an old fashioned, glossy covered, weighty book if they like. I know I'm glad I have hard copies now, they look pretty good on my shelf and are doomed to be dog-eared soon.

RL

Spinward Fringe Triton and Frontline: The Soundtrack

It's no mystery that I write to music. What a lot of people don't know is that I tend to assign characters and certain scenes (or chapters), themes. The music provides a touch stone for me to go back to, an easier way to get in the mood to write for a certain character or in a certain imaginary environment.

As of yet there haven't been any (serious) offers to put Spinward Fringe on the telly or silver screen, but if they ever did I'd hope that they'd take a look at this list of songs that I've attached to characters and scenes. I thought you'd enjoy a musical tour of these two books. While vastly different, I'm fiercely proud of both of them, especially Frontline right now since it's turning out so well.

Below is a list of the tunes and a very brief description of where they fit (roughly). Since I'm avoiding spoilers here some of the descriptions are pretty vague and they're in no particular order. Enjoy!

Pandemonium - Apocalyptica: Opening Theme
Ion - Apocalyptica: Triton Space Combat
Burn - Apocalyptica: Gunfight on the ship!
Toreador II - Apocalyptica: Starfighter combat sequence
Stroke - Apocalyptica: Jake's in trouble! (Again)
Faraway - Apocalyptica: Ayan and Jonas' theme
Whistling in the Dark - They Might Be Giants: Spinward Fringe Triton Epilogue
Seven Lives - Enigma: Hyperspace trouble!
Fata Morgana - Enigma: The ship gets ready / training.
The Alchemist - Enigma: The ship gets ready / training.
Darkest Before Dawn - Enigma: Decisions are made / Captain's Office.
Goodbye Milky Way - Enigma: Funeral / Bound for the nebula.
Following the Sun - Enigma: Agameg Price adds to the Big Surprise.
Damascus - Conjure One: Planet Pandem
Center of the Sun - Conjure One: Peering into Eternity (Chapter name)
Premonition - Conjuer One: The wreckage of war (Chapter name)
Redemption - Conjure One: A trip planetside.
The Messenger - The Tea Party: Lead singer of Stonemark strums an acoustic in the park.
Stargazer, Requiem, Paint it Black - The Tea Party: Stonemark's on stage set.
Welcome to the Machine - Queensryche (cover): The View From The Top to Lucius Agrippa Wheeler (Chapter names)
Hang 'em High - My Chemical Romance: Oz picks a gunfight!
Venom - My Chemical Romance: Frost runs for his life!
1st Person - Stone Sour: Ship combat (Frontline).
Rough Boy - ZZ Top: The Night Watch (Chapter) and Samson Crew love song.
La Grange - ZZ Top: Frost's drunk (again).
Spring III - Vivaldi: Ayan's sleeping.
Nightbreed Title Tracks - Danny Elfman for the Clive Barker Film: Nightbreed: Meunez meets Collins
So Ha - Splashdown: Stephanie can't stop laughing.
Sugar High - Splashdown: Ashley's Theme
Halfworld - Splashdown: Alice and the Clever Dream
Lighthouse - Hope: A new life aboard.
Faraway (Radio Edit) - Apocalyptica: Spinward Fringe Triton End Credits
Following the Sun - Enigma: Spinward Fringe Frontline End Credits.

A special thanks to Elizabeth Mock who pointed out the site that made the playlist at the top of this post possible. I'd also like to thank all the musicians who wrote and performed this music, please don't sue me!

Oh, and work on Spinward Fringe Frontline is going magnificently well. You'll see more news from me on that and other developments very soon!

RL

Farewell 2008, Helloooo 2009!

On January 1, 2008 I resolved that I would write every day of that year. I only missed sixteen days and the results of putting the work and time into my craft are beyond what I could have imagined.

I started with Freeground on January 1, and I had no idea what I started. Five and a half more science fiction novellas/novels followed along with a non-fiction self help, two other books that will go unpublished as well as the full outline and treatment for a horror novel/screenplay that you'll most likely see this year.

My writing has improved, my plot craft has gotten sharper and I've fallen head over heels with the universe I've created over the last 365 days as well as the characters dwelling within. The Spinward Fringe universe is something that will persist whether people are interested or not. The good news is that interest is growing and Spinward Fringe is actually putting bread on the table and a roof over my head.

In August I launched the First Light Chronicles Omnibus and the first Spinward Fringe novella (Resurrection), on MobiPocket and the few people who had purchased them through Lulu.com were kind enough to post reviews there. The growing interest there since has shown me not only where my audience is but that there's actually a demand for what I'm doing. I love to entertain, I could easily say that it's one of my primary reasons for being and it seems the British love what I'm doing. Not to diminish my other readers, I appreciate everyone, but over 70% of my readers live in Britain. If this keeps up I'll have to make the trip to meet a few, but I'm still a little under funded for that I'm afraid.

Since then there have been rumors of a television series, another rumor that the whole book series has been put on hold because I've been picked up by a publisher and yet another rumor that I'm giving up Science Fiction for Horror. Well, none of those are true. If there's a television series coming (and I'd love it if there were), no one told me. I haven't been picked up by a publisher, but two agents have passed on me since I'm self published and I'm certainly NOT giving up Science Fiction.

It's true that I'll be writing a horror novel after Spinward Fringe Frontline, but only one and it's already fully outlined so it won't take very long. There are plenty of Spinward Fringe books waiting to be written and you'll see a few of them in 2009.

Here's something else that's true: I'm just a hair away from making a real living at this. No side jobs, no extra work here and there, just writing full time. Complete independence is a dream that not only my characters lust after, but something I've sought out my entire life and thanks to all of you I may be able to attain that goal. I'll have the opportunity to entertain with the written word a hell of a lot longer, hopefully for the rest of my life. In the meantime my primary donator and a couple much smaller ones have filled in financial gaps that I would have had to pick up a part time job to cover, I have to thank you especially. Just the fact that people are buying and enjoying my work is amazing, that someone actually invests a little (or a lot), more so I can keep producing is just incredible.

To think back to a time when I thought few (if any), people would be interested in what I was writing but I kept inventing and typing anyway really shows me how suddenly and surprisingly things have developed. I wrote for the enjoyment back then, and to be completely honest, writing is still a selfish act for me for one simple reason: I love what I'm doing. If I don't enjoy writing something, I simply don't do it. The fact that others are entertained by what I'm doing just makes me want to create better, more surprising and engaging fiction, thus increasing my enjoyment. It's a mental exersion that its own reward and I couldn't stop if I tried. Having said that, any movie, book, television or puppet show is always a lot better when you've shared it with a friend. So I'm truly fortunate to have a few hundred friends to share my favorite books with. When you have a cinema running in your brain 98% of the time it helps to have a few bodies in the seats.

Thank you all, I truly owe so much to everyone who has purchased one of my books, clicked on the donation button or passed the word.
You'll see some amazing, horrifying, and interesting things in 2009. After all, 2008 was just about getting started and 2009 will be all about making things bigger, brighter, bolder.

You ain't seen nothin' yet.

RL

Happy new year!

Spinward Fringe: There Will Be No Omnibus

The Spinward Fringe series is just that, a series of novels and novellas. Just as the title says, I won't be collecting two or more parts in one edition for eBooks. There are a number of reasons why, the first of which is that the novellas are already continually on sale for a reduced price. Another point on this is that the Spinward Fringe series contains novellas and novels.

There are other creative reasons, like Triton being such a stand apart novel in quality and story content. That opinion comes from my Editor and Proof readers, who nearly slapped me when I told them I was still considering including Triton in an omnibus. After some consideration I have to admit they're right. There are other factors that influence me and benefit my readers, like being driven to make each book as good as it can be because I know that at any point in time a reader can just stop buying the books if they feel it's not worth it. A publisher would shudder at this thought, but as an independent, all I have is my readers, and if you're unhappy I haven't done my job, I haven't adequately entertained. If this direct accountability weren't enough, leaving each book to stand on its own inspires me to make each volume longer with story lines that run their course under one title as well as plots that run through several parts of the series.

There's an exception to this "no omnibus" rule, and and that is the print editions. Since Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening (Broadcasts 1 and 2), were novella size I'm combining the two of them in one printed volume. This cuts down on the expense for me and my readers and it'll make the books available on Amazon.com sooner, maybe even in time for Christmas but don't hold your breath, Amazon's subsidiary that handles print self publishing accounts is prohibitively expensive and atrociously slow for Canadian customers. Until that mini collected volume is on Amazon, Lulu.com will be carrying it soon and they ship for reasonable rates in the US. Again, the only reason why I'm putting Resurrection and Awakening together in print is because they're small and I want to save my customers shipping charges.

I'd like to thank everyone whose been reading and talking about the series, without you I wouldn't have an audience! If you think this decision is wrong, feel free to EMail me about it. If there's enough of a response I may put a collected edition together for Mobipocket in the very distant future.

RL

P.S.
There will be no changes to the First Light Chronicles Omnibus other than the addition of the Afterword, which is being edited right now and will be added some time next week.

Spinward Fringe Triton: Now Available On Mobipocket.com

I'm proud to announce that the Spinward Fringe Novel (that's right, this one's larger and more well written than those preceding it, moving it up from novella status to novel), is now available. You can download your copy of Spinward Fringe Triton right here.

This book also includes a scene from the book following right after it in the series, we'll call it Broadcast 4 for the time being, since its official title has not yet been announced.

A little more about Spinward Fringe Triton. I started this book with the intention of getting further into the personal details of several characters, expanding the view of the universe and furthering more than one plotline. After my proof reader and editor have both gone through it and given me more praise than I deserve, I believe that I've accomplished that, and more importantly, I've managed to put down a really entertaining piece of fiction. In this book I've taken more risks with the plot, gambles with the characters and even managed to answer questions and wrap up plot lines that have been open for a very long time (one of which started in the prologue of the First Light Chronicles book; Limbo).

I stand behind this book, if a publisher came along and said; "give me your best" this is what I would put in their hands. It's true, you need to read the First Light Chronicles Omnibus and the other Spinward Fringe books, but since this series is written much like I would a television show, I have no regret making that recommendation.

I proudly present you with this experience and hope you enjoy it then talk about it, type about it and maybe even share it if you can.

RL

P.S.
There is SO much more news to come about the next Spinward Fringe Broadcast, the First Light Chronicles Omnibus Afterword, and other things I simply can't reveal just yet. Stay tuned.

Spinward Fringe Triton: Release Date Pushed to the 7th Of November

This wasn't a decision we made lightly, but sadly the release of the third book in the Spinward Fringe series, Triton, will be delayed until Friday, November 7, 2008. It's not that there are problems with the work, it's simply that there's more of it and there are family matters that are a higher priority at the moment.

Sadly, this is the kind of thing that happens when you release a book every 4-6 weeks on average. When things get complicated at home with people who are essential to the work (myself and my editor in this case), things get slowed down. I do apologize, if there was something I could do to speed things up without making sacrifices I couldn't live with, I would.

On the brighter side, the afterword for the First Light Chronicles Omnibus will be coming out with Triton, and there will also be a preview chapter for the book following immediately after at the end of Spinward Fringe Triton for Mobipocket customers.

The final announcement on the title of the fourth book in the Spinward Fringe series will follow soon after the release of Triton, and I'm continuing my work on that book so I don't fall behind. I'm also enjoying the work immensely and believe that the fourth Spinward Fringe book (and my seventh science fiction title this year), is the best yet. Again I'm writing in territory that's new to the series, putting my characters in difficult situations and revealing great big chunks of the various plotlines. This book is fun, interesting, and I think it will be the perfect follow up to Triton.

Again, I'm sorry for the delay, but as a friend of mine reminded me not long ago, normally publishers take between six months to two years to put out a book, so I'm hoping that after eight or more weeks of waiting everyone will still be there, happily digging into Triton when it comes out.

RL

Triton Cometh: A Release Date Has Been Set!

On November 3, 2008, Spinward Fringe Triton will be released on Mobipocket.com. No other site has provided a better home from these books, so it's only fitting that the most anticipated book in the series is available there first. I also like the fact that hundreds of people are reading these books on their own versions of Command and Control units; their cell phones, PDA's and eBook readers. Now if only someone would build one with a holoprojector...

I believe Triton has the depth of a novel and the scope of a space opera film. Now that a very well respected proof reader has had time to go through it and give me the thumbs up, I feel comfortable releasing it as everyone recovers from their October 31 sweet tooth fulfillment hangovers. This is the most serious book in the series, it answers some questions head on and brings some plotlines to a conclusive end. As those plotlines close out others strengthen, deepen and the epic plans I had for this series finally start coming together.

The little universe I created for this series grows and starts to shake in the most abrupt and violent ways in this book. Just what the story needed.

Thank you to everyone who has read the series thus far, I wish I could tell you more about the story in Trition, but I honestly can't because of all the new readers who have been hopping on board. I'd hate to give anything away.

RL

Thank you for following me on this journey thus far, you won't be disappointed.

Mobipocket's Site Is Down! Day 2

First two of my books disappear from the top 400 only to reappear as one of their customer service reps simply say; "Look, there they are, you must have been viewing our site in the wrong language or something," the next morning. (Trust me, I would have noticed), and now their eBook servers, back end and retail sites are all down.

This happened before in 2007 according to many well known eBook forums and news sites, and I hope it's just a hiccup that will be corrected by the end of the weekend.

I'm surprised though, Mobipocket has been a fantastic partner for months now, this last week just seems like one issue after another, at one time I thought that was unusual for a site owned by Amazon.com. Sadly, I've had serious issues with another subsidiary of Amazon.com over the last few weeks, so I'm starting to get the impression that when Amazon buys another company that entity's quality of service takes a dive.

Suppositions aside, I apologize to any of my readers who find themselves inconvenienced by this down time. If you're in the middle of the Spinward Fringe series or were looking for something else to read, be aware that I offer all my books through Lulu.com as well (check the links to the right), DRM free and in eBook or print format. The shipping is actually quite reasonable if you live in the US.

Here's hoping that Amazon and Mobipocket get their act together and we're back to normal by the end of the weekend. I have a book realease coming up and a few hundred people who have been waiting for it...

RL

Sweeping Improvements to All Books!

After receiving a great deal of advice from many of my eBook readers, I've made a number of changes to all the eBooks offered on Mobipocket. Here's a list of the changes.

The First Light Chronicles Freeground eNovella is once again free through Lulu.com. Mobipocket administration has informed me that they don't allow free eBooks to be added to their Freebooks program any longer, so I've reduced the cost of Freeground to $0.10 there.

All of the First Light Chronicles books (including the Omnibus), and the Spinward Fringe books now include links by chapter so Mobipocket readers can easily navigate through them. This is something that wasn't in place before because I honestly didn't expect to do so well in the eBook market. Now that so many of you have proven me wrong (thank you!), the table of contents are in place.
When the Spinward Fringe Triton novel is released there will be a new Afterword added to the First Light Chronicles Omnibus. In the afterword I discuss how the books came about, some of the more drastic twists in the novels and some of the surprises that crept up on me while I wrote them.

In the book Spinward Fringe Triton there's a preview of the following novel, the fourth book in that series. (eBook version only, sorry. I just have to save paper).

I'm also working on getting the First Light Chronicles Omnibus listed on Amazon.com. I'm hoping to make the printed copies available through their site (supersaver shipping, yay!), by Christmas. Other than that I'm looking for popular places to review my work, so word can spread beyond Mobipocket, SomaCow and this site. I love you guys, but for me to make a career out of this I need a few thousand more readers.

These changes and improvements have all come about thanks to you, dear readers, and I'm happy to make them. I've had a fantastic time writing these books and meeting people who are interested in the world I'm creating and expanding. I truly hope it never ends.

RL

Spinward Fringe Triton: Update

Triton is twice the size of Spinward Fringe Resurrection, it's also a very different kind of story. It took a while to write, I'll admit. After that it took a little while to edit, and I'm afraid that due to a family emergency things have been set back a bit.

I can say that even though things have slowed down on the finalizing of this book, it's still coming.

While this family matter is going on I'm writing the book following Trition, so once the air clears things should be right back on track.

The popularity of this series continues to rise, and thankfully I had plenty of ideas stored up long before I started writing it in January of this year, so there's more to come. I thank everyone whose supported me, enjoyed reading and donated to the cause or purchased my work. I can't say how much I appreciate your patience, it'll be worth the wait.

RL