The Road To Broadcast 7

After an extended detour through the Expendable Few, I'm getting back to doing what I have to do in order to finish writing Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework.

The Expendable Few was all about telling a story that simply wouldn't fit in Broadcast 7. To be honest, I didn't have to write it at all. There were a pile of notes that would have served as a fine reference while I wrote Broadcast 7. I wasn't happy with that though, so I used the opportunity to show everyone what the repercussions of the First Light crew exposing Freeground to the galaxy were, and to travel to an issyrian world. There were other things I really wanted to do in Expendable Few - Clark Patterson's journey being a big part of that - but I won't discuss them because I like to avoid spoilers when possible.

After completing the Expendable Few I realized I needed to re-read Broadcasts 5 and 6 to get back into the right frame of mind for Broadcast 7. Instead of simply re-reading Broadcast 5, I thought I would take the opportunity to edit it. This book was released too quickly, and there were errors in the eBook conversion process, so it is in serious need of a revisit. I'm editing it the way I edit everything else; line by line, using UK spelling. It's worth noting that a lot of people have commented that there are a lot of spelling mistakes in my books - most of those complainers are mistaking UK spelling for errors. I'm in Canada, and the UK was the first region that fell in love with my books, so Spinward Fringe will always be edited (and spelled), by the Oxford standard, not by Chicago guide rules (the American way). I edit to my best ability within a reasonable time frame with the assistance of two fantastic editors. A couple errors do squeak through, but I draw the line between perfection and extra months added on to release dates and ultra-quick, sloppy publishing. My stuff comes out somewhere in the middle to higher quality range now, and the majority are happy with it.

The fresh edit of Broadcast 5 also takes care of a lot of over-writing, some awkward sentence work, and those pesky formatting bugs. I'm about sixty percent through it and I expect to be finished my pass next week. Is it worth a re-read? Yes. The story isn't changing, but every paragraph in the book is getting a tweak, so if you do re-read books, then it will be worth updating and re-reading Broadcast 5. My editor is already going through the book behind me, and our formatting partners at the 52 Novels  company will be performing the finishing. The update will be available for free to anyone who owns the book already, and will be easiest to obtain by Smashwords customers.

After I've finished my pass on Broadcast 5: Fracture, I only have to read Broadcast 6: Fragments since it just got a refresh late last year. My edit of Broadcast 7: Framework begins next. I have over one hundred ten thousand words written on that project right now, and they haven't been edited yet. After that edit is finished I'll be continuing the draft. My lowball estimate is that the book needs fifty thousand more words, but I suspect I'll be writing another hundred thousand words. That's the size of an average science fiction novel on its own, so it'll take a month or two.

So, if your quest is to find a release date in this bloated status update, there's good news. I can give you a guestimate with a little explanation. Here's how the timeline breaks down:

Finish editing Broadcast 5 - 1 week remaining. (Broadcast 5 updates will be out sometime in the following month).

Read and make extra notes on Broadcast 6 - 1 week.

Edit the existing portion of the Broadcast 7 Draft - 3 weeks. (My editor will start on that right behind me).

Extra writing on Broadcast 7 (can't talk about this yet) - 2 weeks.

Writing the second half of Broadcast 7 - 2 months.

Editing all of Broadcast 7's final draft - 2-3 weeks.

Formatting & testing - 2-3 weeks.

Total time estimated: 5 months, with a possible release date of August 14.
*** It is with only a little regret that I'm announcing that the release date above is not accurate. New material is being written for this project, and it is running long. Broadcast 7 will be released sometime in 2012. It will be out when it's finished, and polished to an appropriate standard. More updates will be available through the podcast: www.crewcastradio.com Complaints that appear in the comments section will be deleted. Suck it up, buttercup. ***

I have left myself a little breathing room, and an extra week to accommodate an upcoming move. I'm looking forward to having this book out in front of people, especially since I've been waiting for so long to tell this part of the story. The five month wait also doesn't mean that I'll be disappearing, or that fiction won't be appearing here and there.

Some extra information about Broadcast 7 and part of the developing press kit:

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework is the closing volume to the first section of the best selling Spinward Fringe Space Opera series. Weighing in at over one million words, the Spinward Fringe series has been read in twenty three countries around the world, and is gathering attention by agents and publishers who are interested in translating it into other languages. The Spinward Fringe series follows the tradition of Science Fiction Space Opera Adventure, featuring epic scale stories through the perspectives of characters ranging from charming to villainous.

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework takes place fourteen weeks after Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments, where Jake, Ayan, and the other characters were stranded and in great peril - again. From their position amidst the wreckage of a galaxy in decline they make every effort to take advantage of every opportunity and fit in with a culture that is trying to rebuild itself. The experiences and instincts of the Spinward Fringe crew members could just as easily pull them apart as draw them together.

Meanwhile, a new seat of power rises. The Order of Eden asserts its position in the galaxy of the conquerer of more civilized worlds than any ruling body in history. All the while, the prophets of the Order declare that a darkness approaches.

Long running plot lines come to a close, there will be losses on all sides, and a new side of the galaxy will be seen in Framework.

---

I'm happy spending more regular time blogging, popping up on Twitter (@randolphlalonde) and into the Facebook Page, so you'll be seeing me!

Now, back to work!

RL

UPDATE:

It's official! Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework has been released early thanks to the hard work of editors and the EBook formatter working on the project.

Here are the links so far!

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/256369

Amazon (US): amzn.to/SXETIQ
Amazon (UK): amzn.to/TaKorj
Amazon (FR): amzn.to/TaKmzD

There's much more info in the podcast: http://crewcastradio.com/2012/11/18/the-spinward-fringe-podcast-framework-release-special/

Spinward Fringe Fragments: Release Date, Cover & Another Announcement

Spinward Fringe Fragments, Broadcast 6 will be available on February 28.

I know people expected this to come out sooner, but the days of releasing unpolished work are coming to an end, and that means involving more people in the proof reading and editing process. Whenever you include more people and refine something to a greater degree, you add time to the process. It will be worth it.

That being said, let me talk about this book a little.

As it is the book is daring, looks at a lot of characters and situations from a completely new perspective and delivers on the promise I made to myself; to make something new that introduces a fresh, interesting, exciting setting.

Some of your favourite characters are dropped into an unfamiliar, dangerous situation. The epic layer of the big picture story comes back into play in this book as we ramp up for the end of some of the oldest plot lines in the series. This book has been challenging to write, exciting to experience, and is already near the end of its second draft.

Sadly, material that was earmarked for the Spinward Fringe Strange Horizons and Close Encounters anthology has been pulled back into this book, and I'm spending too much time working on this and the last part of the Rogue Element Trilogy to write more material for the anthology. It'll have to wait until these books are finished.

Writing a trilogy is different. This isn't one book split up into three parts, these are three books that have different feels, very different events, and leave a different impression on the reader. Knowing that the current plot cycles are coming to an end in the third part of the Rogue Element Trilogy adds a level of immediacy and completeness to the set.

That's right, all those plot lines you've been following since The First Light Chronicles Omnibus*, are coming to an end.

Will there be more Spinward Fringe books? Yes. There are plenty of adventures left for many of the characters, but not all.

Keep that in mind when I say that at the end of the Rogue Element Trilogy there will be no plot questions left regarding any surviving main characters.

As you can tell from the above cover, and hopefully from Spinward Fringe Fracture, I'm working with some great people to bring the books up to the quality one would expect from big publishing houses. As many readers know, this has been happening in stages, and I'm proud of how far things have come since early 2008.

Thank you and happy holidays to new readers and long supporters! I appreciate all of you picking up the books, reviewing, reading and talking about what I do. If it weren't for your support I wouldn't be doing this full time.

Again, have a safe and happy holiday season!

RL

*The First Light Chronicles Omnibus is to be re-released as the Spinward Fringe Origins Trilogy when the final revision is complete in early 2010.

November: NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month, where the organization behind it challenges all us writers to pen 50,000 words in one month. (More info here)

Many authors who already write novels on a regular basis don't see 50,000 words as a challenge. Surprise surprise, I'm included in that grouping, so my goal this month is 140,000 words. My word count will be recorded on their website and possibly on www.fitlogg.com along with my daily workout progress (Only I'll be using the calorie burn rate as a word count meter), and I'm going to do everything I can to hit my mark.

I'm using NaNoWriMo as the perfect excuse to drop everything (including Twitter, sorry), for all of November so I can finish writing the Spinward Fringe Rogue Element Trilogy. It's going to be a blast. In fact, it already is. I got up extra early this morning to get a head start.

I'm not going to be talking about what's going on in the Spinward Fringe universe much this month since I'll be so busy living in it, but rest assured, there will be a ton of news on the other side of November!

RL

EDIT: After making today's word count on the first day of NaNoWriMo, it's become pretty obvious that I'd rather have a target of 70,000 words and put out something of quality than struggle with a 140,000 word mess.

I'm changing my target for NaNo to 70,000 words, which will still be a challenge to beat while keeping the story tight and unpadded (without filler).

Spinward Fringe: Fragments

It's been quiet on the site for a couple of weeks, but behind the scenes things have been absolutely nuts.

Before I ramble on about anything else, it's time to announce the title of the next Spinward Fringe Novel: Spinward Fringe Fragments. As the second middle book in the Rogue Element Trilogy it promises to take our characters into unfamiliar situation and to unfamiliar places.

Readers who have already finished the series and have read the Strange Horizons and Close Encounters Living Anthology will have a head start. One of the characters appearing in this book was first introduced there in the Landing In Leeds short.

When will Fragments be released? I expect to have a complete draft by the end of November. A lot of work has already gone into this book, an unbelievable amount actually. The story that flows between this and the final book of the Rogue Element Trilogy is one I've wanted to tell for years, and I'm making sure that I'm bringing everything you expect from a Space Opera and more.

What else has been keeping me busy? The final edit of the First Light Chronicles and built up to re-release is wrapping up this week. It'll be available for free under the name: Spinward Fringe Origins on Smashwords sometime in November, but I'm not treating it like a free ebook. It's getting its own high end book trailer and a new cover. The Omnibus will be updated to match the new edit as well, so if you already purchased an eBook edition of the First Light Chronicles Omnibus, then you can update it for free wherever you purchased it.

So, there's my progress report for the time being. Keep your eyes peeled for more news, I'll keep you up to date as more projects near completion.

RL

Spinward Fringe: Fracture Now Available!

I love this book, my editor loves this book. This is the kind of writing I wanted to do for the Spinward Fringe series: true space opera. There's a little technology, environmental interest, fantastic environments and a few other points that make science fiction great but the real focus is on the characters.

Why do a trilogy so late in the game?

The answers are pretty simple. It was time to create a new starting point. A lot of new readers will want to start with the First Light Chronicles and work their way through the series, true, but this book provides them with an opportunity to experience just a part of the story and discover the characters in a different way. My writing has come a long way as well and I think this is a very good story to start with for a new reader. Will they want to go back and read from the beginning after reading this book? Possibly, and they'll still have a few surprises waiting for them if they do.

The outline for Rogue Element also put the book at over six hundred pages and I didn't want to keep everyone waiting another eight months for a book. So I split it into three parts. The next one is right behind this book, so there won't be long to wait, trust me. Some of you might not be finished reading this one when the next comes out.

Now that I've told you how crazy about this book I am, and you know why it's the first part of three it's time for me to spill the synopsis and tell you where you can pick it up.

[Broadcast 5]
The crew of the Triton, a rare, Earth built Space Combat Carrier, make their way to Ossimi Station, a safe haven for independent ships and traders. In a galaxy gripped by conflict and teetering on the verge of chaos, Captain Jacob Valance and his crew will be faced with the unexpected, the unknown, and an opportunity to save thousands of lives. Will their sympathy be their undoing?

Recommended for readers who have experienced the Spinward Fringe series from the beginning and for people completely new to the story.

Spinward Fringe: Fracture at Smashwords
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Mobi Format (Mobipocket Reader, Kindle)
Epub (Stanza, Android Aldiko, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)

I would prefer you purchase your copy through Smashwords because they don't use DRM (Copy protection), so there's no limit to how you can use your copy or back it up. The only drawback is the lack of an index, but I've made things easier by numbering the chapters, so you can make up for it with a word search. They also pay fair royalties, which is impossibly rare.

Spinward Fringe: Fracture At Mobipocket

Mobipocket Format With DRM (Digital Rights Management - Copy Protected)

Mobipocket readers have been incredibly supportive, so I've released this book there as always. The plus side to this version is that it includes an index with every chapter listed right after the copyright page. Again, if the index isn't important to you, I suggest you pick up the Smashwords edition above.

Spinward Fringe: Fracture At Amazon.com

Kindle Edition With DRM (Digitial Rights Management - Copy Protected)

This version is available through Amazon's Whispernet, and it contains the index. If those points aren't important to you, please pick up the Smashwords edition in .mobi format.

The print edition will be available sometime in the next 30 days, I'll announce its appearance as soon as it pops up!

Thank you very much for joining me on this journey. My long time readers know that your support is what keeps me writing full time. The frequency and quality of these books is fully dependent on the patronage of my audience, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I don't make what most people would call a great living, but I've got a roof over my head, food on the table and my Internet connection is all paid up. I love entertaining and the opportunity you've provided for me to do so!

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please take a moment to post a few words about it wherever you purchase it!

RL

[Now to get back to work on the second and third parts of the trilogy!]

Now Available At Smashwords: Spinward Fringe Frontline!

Writing Spinward Fringe Frontline was the greatest writing challenge I've ever undertaken. It's the longest book I've ever written, weighing in at over two hundred thousand words, and the story's layers functioned in a way that closed out a few old plotlines and blew a few new ones wide open.

To date I've never written a more complex book that makes no compromises for the plight of the characters. They get into trouble, they stay in trouble, it's not fun, swashbuckling trouble either and I try my best to drag the reader down into the character's problems (physical and mental). According to a few readers I actually succeeded, while others have enjoyed it as a space opera novel with a much more serious voice than the ones that came before it.

I'm proud to present Spinward Fringe Frontline on Smashcovers today, and I hope you enjoy it.

Here's the synopsis:

Captain Valance and his crew are finally learning to work as a unit. Oblivious to the grander designs of the Order of Eden, they are drawn into a brutal conflict over a planet the Order is depopulating so they can use it for themselves. Who will survive the Frontline?

Smashwords is offering Spinward Fringe: Frontline in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)

This weekend I'll be posting an extensive article here talking about what's going on with the next book in the Spinward Fringe Series: Rogue Element and I'll be talking about the future of the series. It'll be worth checking in for!

RL

[I'm looking for a few readers to post reviews on Amazon.com and Smashwords. Please send me an email after you've posted your review, there will be a free eBook in it for you!]

Now Available At Smashwords: Spinward Fringe Triton

Of all the books in the Spinward Fringe series so far, Triton has generated the most email responses. People seemed to enjoy Resurrection and Awakening, but they absolutely absorbed, read, and re-read Triton.

To be honest it was a book with a soul of its own, writing it felt very different from the others. Spinward Fringe Frontline is again very different (Broadcast 4), and it's getting quite a few emails as well, but there will always be something special about Resurrection and Triton.

When I think of Spinward Fringe, those two books are certainly touch stones, they represent the core of the series in some very important ways.

That's why I'm very pleased to present Spinward Fringe Triton on Smashwords, my new iPhone, iPod Touch, Sony Reader, and general distributor. They seem to be able to provide for practically any modern format.

Here's the synopsis:

After narrowly escaping a brush with an old enemy Captain Valance and his crew reach out to their allies for help. Meanwhile, allies and enemies from his past are set to reveal themselves in unexpected ways, changing his life and the galaxy forever.

Smashwords is offering Spinward Fringe: Triton in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)

Friday Spinward Fringe Frontline will launch on the site. I hope this helps everyone out there who have been trying to get access to my work but couldn't do so conveniently because they use an iPhone, iPod Touch or Sony Reader. I'm glad I could finally entertain you. You can download your copy from the Smashwords site or use your Stanza reader and the Smashwords ebook store.

RL

[I'm looking for a few readers to post reviews on Amazon.com and Smashwords. Please send me an email if you're interested, there will be a free eBook in it for you!]

Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening: Now Available At Smashwords

The Smashwords release parade continues.

Today I'm proud to present (not for the first time), Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening combined in one digital file. This is the last collected science fiction book I'll be offering. Resurrection and Awakening were both on the small side, so it made sense to combine them for the Smashwords release. They are available separately as well if you prefer.

I'm glad to see it finally available for the iPhone through the Stanza reader. There's a Sony Reader format version as well.

Here's the synopsis for Spinward Fringe Resurrection:

Captain Jacob Valance has no memory of his past. Left on a strange ship in an unfamiliar sector of the galaxy, he was forced to begin a new life.

Years pass and after much hard work he's earned a reputation as a man who can recover lost property, hunt down hardened criminals and go where others fear to tread.

All the while he's been searching for clues to his past and a better method of making his way through the galaxy for himself and his ragtag crew. Little does he know great change and the path to his past lay before him.

Here's the synopsis for Spinward Fringe Awakening:

The crew of the Samson are caught up in the problems of their Captain as his past starts to catch up with him. Just as new allies start to fall in line old enemies come creeping out of the shadows, putting everyone at risk.

While the crew struggles to deal with their own problems, Regent Galactic begins putting a plan in motion that will bring about the fourth fall of man and position their Corporation as the sole savior of the civilized outer fringe of space. Their ambition and greed spell disaster for the bulk of mankind.

The threads of Jake Valance's past start to come together in this, the second part of the Spinward Fringe series. He's at the same time to be the benefactor and victim of a personal history he knows nothing about.

Smashwords is offering Spinward Fringe: Resurrection and Awakening in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)


Writing the Spinward Fringe series has been at the same time my greatest writing challenge and a purely enjoyable experience. I've been fortunate enough to have a number of readers (mostly Mobipocket users), who enjoy the series. I hope this fortune continues with Smashwords so I can entertain a broader audience.

RL

[If you're looking for the printed edition of this book, you can find it at Amazon.com]

First Light Chronicles Omnibus: Now Available At Smashwords

Yesterday I released the First Light Chronicles: Freeground free eBook on Smashwords. Today it's the First Light Chronicles Omnibus, which contains the entire trilogy: Freeground, Limbo and Starfree port.

It's finally available for the iPhone (through Stanza, just browse to the Smashwords store), the Sony Reader and any other reader you could imagine.

When will the Spinward Fringe Series appear? Soon. In fact, some of them may already be there.

To celebrate its release to the iPhone and iPod touch I'm offering a 25% discount code [NK87H] until August 7th.

Here's the synopsis:

In the middle of the darkest region of explored space sits one bright beacon; Freeground Station. Serving as a supply and trading post it is home to a select number of human beings that will take an unlikely chance to make a difference in their end of the galaxy.

Jonas and his friends spent their spare time in tactical simulations and drew the attention of Freeground Fleet Command when they hacked into restricted combat scenarios for elite trainees and defeated all comers.

Instead of punishing Jonas and his friends they offered them an opportunity to undertake a dangerous and exciting mission. They were to go out into the Galaxy and acquire any advantages that would improve life for Freegrounders.

This series is about their first voyage together, the challenges they face, and the relationships they forge with each other and the beings they meet along the way.

The First Light Chronicles Omnibus contains the entire First Light Chronicles Trilogy. Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port.

---End Synopsis---

Smashwords is offering the First Light Chronicles Omnibus in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)


I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as I enjoyed writing it over a year ago. My work on the Spinward Fringe Series (which follows this collection), continues and I have to say it's been a fantastic experience so far.

I'll be releasing books on Smashwords throughout the week. When I've finished them all I'll be providing a peek into the upcoming Spinward Fringe book: Rogue Element.

Enjoy!

RL

[If you're looking for the printed edition of this book, you can find it at Amazon.com Oh, and please ignore the signed editions on sale for over $40.00 there, they're all fakes.]

Freeground: Now Available For Everything, Even the iPhone

I've been trying to find a good distributor and conversion service for the ePub format. In doing so I may have found the ultimate distributor.

Mobipocket has been very kind to me, but since Amazon decided that their iPhone reader (said to have been completed in August 2008), would not be released people have been less and less interested. [EDIT: Amazon stopping Mobipocket from releasing their iPhone reader has not been confirmed by Mobipocket or Amazon, they're silent on the subject.]

Smashwords has provided a free conversion and distribution solution that's above and beyond what I could have expected.

That doesn't mean I'm abandoning the format, in fact, Mobipocket readers will always have access to my work at Mobipocket.com or from Smashword's site. There are differences between the two sources. Mobipocket's files come DRM protected and have an index. Smashwords books are not DRM protected but don't have an index. Smashwords is working on a good indexing system, and considering how quickly things are developing over there I'm sure it's coming soon. This is NOT me announcing a switch to Smashwords. All my work will continue to be available from Mobipocket, Amazon.com (printed and Kindle), and Lulu.com. I'm not dropping any distribution avenue, just adding a very good one.

I'll write more about Smashwords and what I'm doing there over the coming week.

For now, the free eBook that stands as the beginning of the First Light Chronicles and Spinward Fringe Series is available at Smashwords for free. You can access the book using your Stanza reader on your iPhone / iPod Touch, just head over to the Smashwords store and get your free copy.

Here's the synopsis:

Large enough to support an entire civilization, one of the last free ports all alone in the dark, Freeground Station is about to come under siege. Able to fight off periodical assaults and attempted takeovers in the past, they are losing ground technologically and with no nearby allies they find themselves resorting to unorthodox methods to improve their situation.

Jonas Valent, once a former engineer with the Freeground Fleet has been reduced to a trade and supply agent, a glorified port traffic director. In his spare time he and his friends engage in anonymous combat with anyone who opposes them in station wide simulations. Their success rate and original thinking have earned them a great deal of attention. Fleet Command has no choice but to send them on a very real, very dangerous mission: to go into the galaxy and acquire allies and technology on their behalf.

Smashwords is offering the First Light Chronicles: Freeground in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)

Smashwords is a distributor made for indie writers and so far they've treated me extremely well while barely lifting a finger. I hope this makes for a good place for everyone to pick up my books and I'll announce the arrival of each one as they're adapted. Now is a great time to spread the word about the First Light Chronicles and the Spinward Fringe Series. I have to give everyone who reads my work credit, they've been very supportive and adept at making my work more well known.

More to come...

RL

[Meanwhie, work on Spinward Fringe Rogue Element continues!]

Paul asks: "When is the last Spinward Fringe book coming out?"

In an EMail I received the other day from a fellow named Paul, his last name will be withheld for his protection, he asked; "When is the last Spinward Fringe book coming out? Most series has a set number in them. How many did u plan for this?"

I understand your concern Paul. There are a few series out there that were never properly finished. The Wheel of Time comes to mind. I have a fantasy series that I've been meaning to finish myself, actually and I promise, I will. Especially since about one person a week buys one. At that rate I might have an angry mob by 2011. Fire bad!

All humor and obscure references to Young Frankenstein aside, there's something different about the Spinward Fringe series. Okay, there are several things that make it different from other series. Let me start at the beginning.

In early 2008 I finished the First Light Chronicles. It had a real ending because there was a specific plot cycle for the main character and the story was told in the first person. The plot outgrew the series and I wanted to take things in a new direction. I also wanted to write science fiction that read like a high budget television series, a bona fide space opera. I planned the Spinward Fringe series just like a television series is traditionally planned; to be open ended.

Spinward Fringe is an unlimited series in which I work to provide a soft ending in every second book so the series can satisfy readers who don't wish to read on while giving everyone else something to look forward to. I love the Spinward Fringe universe, it's very flexible and open. I also enjoy writing the characters immensely so I don't plan on stopping any time soon. So who decides when it all comes to an end? Well, considering the fact that I'm writing the Spinward Fringe series full time thanks to the support of a few hundred readers (about 350 people have purchased everything up to Triton at this point), it's really up to them.

I just released Spinward Fringe Frontline and sold about 100 copies in three weeks through Mobipocket.com. That in itself tells me that people are still interested. I'm also selling a few copies of the First Light Chronicles Omnibus per week and that tells me that people are spreading the word, more readers are coming aboard. As long as Omnibus is spreading I know Spinward Fringe's following is going to grow, making the future look a little better every time someone enjoys the experience of reading it. It's almost like selling DVD's of previous seasons. Whenever someone starts enjoying the story from the beginning it helps assure the future of the series.

Let's consider the worst case scenario. If the series died I'd have to focus my attention elsewhere. Would I keep revisiting the Fringe? Sure! but instead of 2-4 books a year I might only have time for 1 every 2 years. Eventually I might find new characters in a new universe to love and then you'd probably see a book every 5 years, if that.

Sorry Paul and everyone else who was looking for an final book and hard, conclusive ending. The readers have spoken and they don't want to see Spinward Fringe canceled any time soon.

RL

I know I might lose readers over this, but what can I say? I'd rather tell the truth and say I hope it never ends.

Spinward Fringe Frontline Available Now From Amazon.com In Print

Finally, to the delight of a few of my readers who love turning paper pages and leaving a copy in the loo, Spinward Fringe Frontline is available in print from Amazon.com. They've been kind enough to include it in their Super Saver Shipping and Prime programs.

This is happening two weeks early and I couldn't be happier. I know there are a number of readers who are waiting eagerly to get their hands on this book in print and it's always nice to see the book on paper.

Here's the lowdown on the printed edition:

• Paperback: 418 pages
• Publisher: Amazon's CreateSpace (June 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1441401199
• ISBN-13: 978-1441401199
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

I certainly hope you all enjoy the latest book in the series. It's a darker, broader story that follows the main characters through the dark heart of a new war that is changing the galaxy. Meanwhile, Jacob Valance's crew do their best to cope with managing their new ship and the hundreds of refugee and deserter volunteers. This full fledged novel elevates the Spinward Fringe series to an all out space opera epic while maintaining a gritty, challenging atmosphere. Recommended for young adults and older.

Thank you for all your support so far, dear readers. It's come in many shapes and forms and I hope you continue on this journey with me through the Fringe.

RL

If you're new to the Spinward Fringe universe and would like to start from the beginning, here's the link to where it all started: The First Light Chronicles Omnibus

Spinward Fringe Frontline Available on Amazon Kindle

This book has done quite well on Mobipocket with 107 copies sold to date. Now Kindle users, including people who use the Kindle App for the IPhone, will have access to the latest Spinward Fringe book.

I'm very happy with the feedback I've been getting on this book, and since I take some pride in my relationship with my readers I invite anyone and everyone to send me direct email with regards to Frontline or the previous books. I do listen. When Resurrection and Awakening came out I recieved emails from people who had to tell me that their favourite characters were Ashley and Finn. As a result I gladly wrote them in as point of view characters in Triton and Frontline. They happen to be two of my favorite characters too.

On that note, if you feel compelled to write a short review on Amazon.com for anything I've written it would be very helpful.

Thanks for all your support thus far, work on Spinward Fringe Rogue Element is going very well.

RL

As of this writing Amazon has Spinward Fringe Frontline is on sale for $7.99.

Spinward Fringe Frontline Release Date: Monday, June 1, 2009!

Finally! The final edit is complete and my editor has given me the all important thumbs up to proceed to release Spinward Fringe Frontline.

I'm not waiting long. On Monday, June 1st Frontline will be available on Mobipocket. Since I recieve the most support by far from Mobipocket users I'm more than happy to make it available to them first.

Versions will also be appearing on Lulu.com and Amazon.com shortly afterwards electronically. A print version will be available from Lulu whithin the next few weeks with the Amazon printed edition appearing within the next six weeks.

Spinward Fringe Frontline is my seventh science fiction book to date. Weighing in at four hundred seventeen pages, it's a full blown epic novel with a full cast of characters that originated in the First Light Chronices and Spinward Fringe Series'.

Here's the synopsis!

Set in the distant future, this book takes the main characters into the dark heart of the galaxy, where the fourth fall of man is well underway. What at first seemed to be a chaotic uprising of machine against man is becoming a controlled event, destroying the lives of billions and hurling the known galaxy into a state of utter dischord. The Order of Eden seems to be the only force for order and peace, offering a place in thier new society in trade for a large cash investment and their freedom.

Captain Valance and the Triton crew are finally learning to work as a unit. Oblivious to the grander designs of the Order of Eden and their leaders, they will inevitably be drawn into the center of a galactic conflict over a planet that contains a prized secret that's remained buried for decades. The question put to them is not if they can prevail, but if they can survive.

-End of sysnopsis-

I'm eager to present this, my largest and most ambitious work. I know the wait has been long, but I have no regrets. This is a full blown Space Opera novel that takes the Spinward Fringe series to an epic level. This is my best work, and even though I've been working on this one book for the better part of six months I'm not tired of the story, the characters or the setting.

Thank you very much for your support so far. I've said it before and it's worth repeating; you pay my rent, put food on my table and keep me writing full time. I hope you all enjoy reading this book as much or more than I enjoyed writing it.

RL

Spinward Fringe: Status Report

The road to Spinward Fringe Frontline has been long and filled with obstacles. To write Frontline I typed over seven hundred pages and came out with four hundred and nineteen including rewrites, three prologues that in no way resembled each other (only using one of them), and several other cut chapters that just didn't fit right. A lot of authors go through that, even with the kind of careful planning that went into this book.

The end of that road is in sight. I just finished working with my editor on the first three hundred pages now she's running off with the last bit and we'll be working on it later this week. So far she's been very pleased with the book, in fact she's read some chapters more than once because she found them so interesting and enjoyable. A point of pride for me, you can be sure.

I'm on edge. I honestly love this book. There are layers that call back to historical events, character interactions that play over and over in my head because I love how they turned out and creative bits where I can't help ask myself; "where the hell did that come from?" Imagine something as fast paced as Spinward Fringe Resurrection only its over four hundred pages long. My last pass on this book had me waking up at six am and working on it until midnight, the word driven doesn't begin to describe my mentality. I literally disappeared from the world and am still winding down weeks later.

Since then I've pumped out over ninety thousand words while detailing the background universe of Spinward Fringe, performing character studies and finishing several self imposed challenges meant to improve the quality of my descriptive and characterization abilities. I learn and improve by doing and those thousands of words have done wonders.

Where has the last few weeks (while I've waited for my editor to get through the book), taken the Spinward Fringe series? There's this prologue idea that I've been dreaming of using for the last eight months, like a milestone that has waited way off in the distance. It's explosive, unrestrained, universe changing and it's been written. As I wait for the verdict and notes to come back from my editor on the last quarter of Frontline I've been crafting the fine details of the next book in my head and my excitement has been building. The weeks I've spent working on my skills and distancing myself from the Spinward Fringe universe have taken the series far and I can tell you for certain that there are two more very good books back in the works right now.

Spinward Fringe Frontline is the best book I've written. That includes the Fantasy, Horror and all the Science Fiction I've released and kept to myself over the last five years. When I announced Frontline I promised a lot. At this point I can say that I feel I delivered. Somehow I also managed to include some decent humour in all that drama, which surprises even me.

Frontline is a collosal chapter in exactly the kind of Space Opera I enjoy, it's set my personal benchmark much higher than anything before it and I can't wait for you all to dig in. The next time you see a post here it'll be announcing the final release date and it won't be far off.

RL

Thank you for continuing on this journey with me. It's about to get very interesting.

First Light Chronicles Omnibus: 6 Months As The Top Science Fiction EBook

So it's official: The First Light Chronicles Omnibus has been the top science fiction book on Mobipocket.com for six months.

This is a great landmark to watch as my editor to finishes her work on Spinward Fringe Frontline and I wait for her verdict.

Without the people who have read and enjoyed this book it wouldn't have stayed number one for so long. You read it, posted your reviews and some of you sent me emails. Others actually lent support in other ways. I'd be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to say thank you.

The users on Mobipocket have been simply the best, and I hope that as I move on to Amazon.com and other book sellers that the people there are half as receptive and supportive.

With the imminent release of Spinward Fringe Frontline and the ongoing plans for more Spinward Fringe books, I hope that everyone whose been along so far enjoys the journey going forward. There are only about three hundred people aboard right now which in the publishing industry is less than a few, but to me you are the best core group of readers I could have asked for. I'll do my very best to keep things exciting and to keep everyone entertained.

Thanks again, you'll know my editor's verdict as soon as I do!

RL

Calling All Readers! Choose The Next Spinward Fringe Cover!

With the impending completion of Spinward Fringe Frontline I've come to a point where I can't decide which cover I want to go with; the red lettering or the blue lettering. There's a third option that I'm really not sure of, but I find it striking. That is a cover featuring Ayan.

So, I put the question to you, dear readers and friends: which cover do you like best? It's important to know that this is a professional decision, and the final tally of the vote on the day of release will determine what cover I go with! It's simply not up to me anymore, it's all you. Keep in mind that whatever you choose will be seen by literally thousands of people across the globe, no pressure.

So vote once, then get your friends to vote once even if they don't know anything about the series, this is a purely aesthetic decision at this point. Thank you for your help on this and for your support thus far.

I'm enjoying writing the third act of Spinward Fringe Frontline and I can't wait until everyone gets a chance to sink their teeth into this book!

The voting booth is at the top of this page and the choices are:
Planet Cover With Blue Lettering
Planet Cover With Red Lettering
Ayan Cover With Blue Lettering
Ayan Cover With Red Lettering























I look forward to seeing the results!

RL

One more thing: Don't worry about Ayan's hair colour.

Spinward Fringe Frontline: The Work Continues

I've never read or written anything like this book. After taking a day off and reading the manuscript so far I have to say there's no faster paced work of its size that my editor or I have ever seen. It kept her up until two in the morning three times and I didn't put the manuscript down for anything while I was reading it. I wrote the thing, I already know what happens but I was still glued to the pages.

I read through the manuscript so far because I wanted to make sure I was going in the right direction, that the three intertwining plotlines were all necessary and that there was no filler. What I realize now is that this book is divided into three very important acts and I'm just about to start on the third one.

As a writer quantity doesn't matter nearly as much as quality. I ask myself; is everything here important to the story? Characterization? Is it entertaining? If something doesn't make the grade it gets cut, it's that simple. So far Frontline has had about 37 pages cut (not included in the image above), and I'm keeping about 290 so far because that's what's required to tell the story this book contains. The thought of breaking the work up into two or more novellas crossed my mind, but sadly this work doesn't allow for that. You can feel when one act ends and another begins, but if I were to separate the book into different sections it would seem more like a frustrating money grab than an artistic choice, and even though I do this for a living (a job I absolutely love!), I don't like the idea of doing something solely for cash.

More about the progress of the book: I'm writing one large chapter or two or three short ones a day, six days a week to get this one finished. Research, planning, conceptualization and day to day business all happens around that. I have the third act almost entirely in mind and it feels like my brain is about to bust. I wish this novel were already a movie, I would love to see this broken up into six episodes of good television because when I think of this book the images start rolling and I can't type fast enough.

I haven't told a truly epic story for years, not since my foray into fantasy (Fate Cycle: Sins of the Past), and this book makes everything before it feel like nothing but build up. I am sorry it's taking longer to write this book than any other in the series, but from what I read in that manuscript and what I'm writing right now I can tell you that it'll be worth it. This is an Epic Space Opera, and even though it completely closes off one of the most important plot lines of the series (you know, the story that started at the end of Starfree Port), this book expands the universe, explores the characters and sets down a very solid foundation for so many books to come.

What's the tone of the third act of this book? I'll give you a hint; I've been listening to a lot of Danny Elfman (best known for soundtracks for movies like Night Breed, 90's Batman, Hellboy, Wanted, etc...). The more demented the soundtrack feels the better.

When do I expect to be finished? I hoped to be finished by the end of February, but I can't really tell. There's a lot of story left in this final act of the book and I'm afraid that quality demands that no completion date be set. The first two acts of this book were about 150 pages each, and took about a month each to complete (Christmas and a family matter added an extra month and a half to that). Most of the conceptualization and planning is finished though and that's the really good news.

Am I enjoying myself? Immensely! I honestly wish someone else had already written this and put it on the silver screen or television somewhere so I could just sit back and watch! That's not the case, however, so I have the rare honour of closing my eyes and adapting the movie as the reels roll on in my head.

Well, it's time for me to go back into the Fringe, to start work on the final act in this three act performance that is Spinward Fringe Frontline. Before I get lost in that universe, however, I need to thank everyone whose been buying the books, supporting me and spreading the word. Without you these books wouldn't be the same; I'd be writing around a full time job somewhere instead of making writing my main gig. Thank you for your help, as I said long ago the readers will determine if and when Spinward Fringe ends and so far (Triton sold it's 210th copy yesterday), the majority of my small but very kind audience seems to agree that Spinward Fringe shouldn't end anytime soon.

RL