Highshield Heats Up!

Highshield Chapter 27 is up! I'll let the picture speak for this installment. Highshield Chapter 27 is up! https://www.patreon.com/posts/12707467

If you haven't been reading and would like to catch up or start from the beginning, here's a link to the index: https://www.patreon.com/posts/highshield-and-11398692

RL

Update On Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10: Freeground

What happens when the scope of the story you're telling increases? It seems that the size of some of the chapters increases as well. The one I'm working on will take three days by the time I'm finished, but it includes a journey, and a whole new look at Haven Shore. 

There's no release date yet, but I can tell you... Alice and Minh-Chu play huge roles in this novel. So far there are over 65,000 words written about Alice, and there is no figure yet on how long Minh-Chu's journey in this novel will be, but it definitely promises to be large in size and scale. A whole new phase of Spinward Fringe begins in Broadcast 10. The Triton Fleet Academy is open, and Alice is signed up. Familiar and new faces emerge as she takes her journey through Officer Training. The biggest question is where she will end up if and when she graduates. Other major events are taking place in the Iron Head Nebula, but it's too soon to share details. I'm working hard... I hate blowing deadlines, and after taking a short break to get the details about this book together, and to clear my head, I'm working hard to complete this science fiction epic. This feels like a special book already, which is a good thing, because the stakes are incredibly high for most of the starring characters. There are podcasts coming. The studio is ready, and my co-host is good to go, so you can look forward to a few new podcast episodes in the coming weeks. We may also be working on something entirely new that should be highly enjoyable too. Thank you all for your support and patience. Look for more preview chapters soon! RL

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10: Freeground Delayed Until March 14, 2016

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10: Freeground will not be ready by the deadline, which is February 5, 2016 - that's the date I have to hit with this draft so work can be done to prepare it for release on February 28. This book has been held back by timing, and by the need to develop stories worthy of the title.

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Broadcast 10: Freeground is exactly like a two part conclusion to a series of television. We know the show is coming back next season, but that two hour season finale has to be big, it has to tie so many things together, and we have to see the best and worst sides of the characters we love and hate.

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Broadcast 10 is also the beginning of something new, a fresh journey for Alice as she forges a new future.

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The most challenging and complicated novels, the ones that have held up the Spinward Fringe series, have taken the longest to write, and Broadcast 10 is no different. I've said it before: this is a longer book than I expected, with more twists and turns than anyone will expect. This truly is like writing two novels, so I need more time. The idea of cutting the novel in half and releasing it in two parts has come up, and I don't think it suits this work.

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I haven't been on social media much in January because I have been taking time to figure out many big questions about Broadcast 10, often taking time to clear my head while reaching for better ideas than I already had. I like where the story is going, but there is a better way to tell the tale, and now I've found it. Now I'm ready to write the second half of this book, but it is going to take time.

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On March 14, 2016, Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10: Freeground will be available everywhere quality Ebooks are sold, and in print through Amazon. I feel defeated as I adjust that date for the third and final time, but this book especially deserves my best attention and effort. Writing a novel that follows after an eleven book epic is not easy, especially when the focus is on telling a better story with each one.

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I promise an epic in Broadcast 10, and understand if you're disappointed or even outraged at a further delay. It will be worth the wait.

Until then, look for more preview chapters and other information here. 

RL

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.

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

Spinward Fringe Triton: Now We Wait

What's with the title you ask? Well, I've finished my editorial pass on the newest book and all of you get to wait on my Editors final word.

Anyone who has read the First Light Chronicles and Spinward Fringe thus far know that I'm the master of answering a (plot) question with another question. That's how I do things in general, give you just enough to feel informed while you follow the characters along on a journey that could take you anywhere. In the end there's always a payoff, however.

Triton is different. The location is different, the story is vastly different, even the main characters we follow around are dealing with things that they've never faced before. I've taken great risks in the telling. The major risks involve answers that don't pose questions. Many of the answers to long running plot lines (even going as far back as the First Light Chronicles), are final and satisfying, or at least that's my intention. My Editor will tell me whether I've accomplished my goals and told a good story.

Triton ties up a number of important plot lines because it's time to move on to the bigger story that's been developing in the background ever since the first page of Starfree Port. In Spinward Fringe Broadcast 4 (I can't tell you it's proper name until my Editor has signed off on Triton), the big picture story comes into play and I can't wait to tell it.

Triton is a much more serious book than anything that's come before, and now that I look back on the story I've told I can honestly say I'm proud of the work.

So, like I said before, we get to wait a few days while my Editor makes her educated, well read assessment of the book. Here's hoping I've done my job exceptionally well.

RL

[While you're waiting you could always check out Fate Cycle Dead of Winter or Fate Cycle Sins of the Past if you're looking for a more epic style of fantasy. They're both available at a reduced price on Mobipocket.com]

Spinward Fringe Awakening: Approved!

It's official! My editor has finished her work on Spinward Fringe Awakening and it has met her approval. After a pass by yours truly it will be released with the cover to the left.

I've been holding my breath with this book because of several very, very large risks I took with the story, and after hearing her opinion on the journey taken by the reader I'm fully confident that this is the story that must be told in this book.

The kind of plot that I lay out for my readers with this book is central to an overall story that surpasses anything I've ever written. In all honesty I couldn't be more proud.

I hope you all enjoy what is to come, the book will be available for purchase through eBook retailers such as MobiPocket, Books On Board and several others as well as Lulu.com. I prefer people purchase the book through Lulu.com since they offer the non-DRM pdf version and they also offer the printed version.

Thank you for waiting patiently for this book. I'm sure you'll agree it was well worth it.

More questions are answered, the adventure grows and the characters begin to sing as a choir building to a ground shaking crescendo.

RL

PS
The cover features the logo for Regent Galactic, a Corporation that has something to do with the story overall.

Fate Cycle: Sins of the Past

Just when you thought it was safe to walk down the virtual Fantasy Isle, I release (or re-release) a fantasy novel. In preparation for me to start working on the second half of this story (entitled Fate Cycle Exodus), later this year, I worked through this volume with the help of my new Editor.

It's 99.9% typo free now, and a few other things have been improved. The story is the same, however, and I've withdrawn the book from Trafford's publishing service so they're no longer ripping me or my readers off. They were charging people $33.99 for a copy of this book, which is robbery. At the same time I wasn't getting even close to a third of that as a royalty either.

I've switched to Lulu.com as the publisher for this volume and it's in my store (links are to the right), and set it up with my international EBook distributor, so you'll probably see it kicking around sites like Amazon.com soon.

Now, about this book. The main characters are Warlord Deih Utonin, Celeste Utonin, King Gavat Lorridge, the Sorcerrer Madul, Ascromm (also known as the Lord of the Winds), and his apprentice, Coriath. This half of the story is about the appearance of a portal in the lands of Athoul leading to Rikaam, the home of a group of people called the Caydorians. The Caydorians were once residents of Athoul, but were banished thousands of years beforehand by Kumajarie Utonin and a group of high magicians. This book is about exploration, political and spiritual corruption, necromancy, great big nature magic and the beginning of the apprentice Coriath's journey into manhood and magic. I loved telling this story and took an entire year to write the book after developing the world for over a decade.

It was my first fantasy novel and I look forward to returning to the lands of Athoul to finish the journey I began four years ago. That book (Exodus), is half finished, so when I crack the leather manuscript case it's been sealed up in for over three years in November, you can imagine I'll be lost in a happy reunion with characters I haven't been able to forget. This is the book people stop me in the street about, asking 'where's the second one?' and everyone has those people to thank for this republication. I hope you dive in and enjoy this twisting tale, I know I was surprised as I read it once more and enjoyed the experience.

As for the Spinward Fringe series, the second book is being edited, the third book is in the works and sales are accelerating by the day internationally through various EBook retailers. More news on that and the earlier First Light Chronicles series shortly, until then, enjoy Fate Cycle Sins of the Past!

RL

P.S.
Yes, Fate Cycle Dead of Winter does take place before this. It's a little fantasy romance novel that's a really fun read but not essential to enjoy or understand Sins of the Past.