Dark Arts II Is Coming In November

The headline isn't the biggest news. Here's the biggest news about Dark Arts.

Dark Arts is going to become a regular series of short novels, on average between 50,000 and 70,000 words each. The planned conclusion of the series will be in October, 2021.

Dark Arts II was supposed to be out on All Hallows' Eve this year, but I have outlines for nine books, not including the first one. I'm going to toss three of my least favourite outlines and write the rest, starting with Dark Arts II, which will be a little different from the standard horror novel.

Dark Arts I (available for free), was written for people who don't regularly read, so brevity, a quick pace and impactful imagery was my goal there. I'll continue that, keeping the books short, but the style may vary as needed while I always want these books to read at a quick pace.

Writing horror is a completely different experience for me, requiring more development time (which i've had over the last decade), but much less time to write. The first draft of Dark Arts 1 took only a few weeks.

There will be something to read on October 31 of this year. A story from Dark Arts II will appear on Patreon and be sent out as a mini-Ebook to subscribers that morning, so you'll still have something to enjoy on that special night.

Chaos Core and Spinward Fringe novels are still in the works, and you'll be seeing news about that on the blog soon, but if you want the most recent news, podcasts and free reading material, Patreon is the best place to visit.

Thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered Dark Arts II (No preorders through Amazon, sorry). The thrills and chills are coming!

Trapped Is Now Free!

The second series based in the Spinward Fringe universe launched to a small segment of people who were excited to see more, and who were excited to see something new. The support the first Chaos Core novella has received has been great, but as with all new series, the first book's sales have tapered off to almost none.

Don't worry though, this happens every time I launch the first part of a series or release a stand alone book. Even The Expendable Few, which is a novella that takes place between Broadcasts 6 and 7 in the Spinward Fringe series suffers form dismal sales because it's not in the main series. Readers are happy to discover it, I get emails about that book all the time, but they usually find it after they've read the entire Spinward Fringe series and go looking for more.

As with all the first books in the series that I'm working on, the first one will be free. The release of Chaos Core Book 2 (and Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10), are quickly approaching, so it's time to get this novella in front of people who don't know my work, or were hesitant on reading something from an author they've never heard of. Trapped has only been free for about three days on Amazon, and over a hundred copies are already on Kindle readers.

I understand that doing this sometimes frustrates the people who paid $2.99 for the book initially. All I can say is that I'm thankful for your support, and you helped move this book further up the charts than I could have imagined. Trapped was the #1 Cyberpunk book on Amazon UK for a little over a week, and placed high in the iBookstore (beating The Force Awakens Novelization), and Smashwords. Those are incredible results, and I think you for being a part of that. Books aren't alive if they're not read, however, and a series dies if the first book is forgotten, so I have to get this novella in front of as many people as possible using the retailers that they'll be able to find the second book through.

I've gotten emails from people who actually feel guilty for reading this for free and not having a way of paying for it too. Don't worry, now you can point your friends at this book and they can join you in that universe for free, and if you really want to support me financially, just show up when the second one (Cool Pursuit), arrives this year. That one will never be free, it will be a larger novella / short novel priced at $2.99 US.

So, tell your fellow readers, your friends, your relatives, the cable guy and the mailman... Trapped is free wherever great Ebooks are sold, and I hope everyone enjoys the ride!

RL

[Work on Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10 continues, if you want more info, please check the previous post.]

Look! Free EBooks!

I offer two complete books for free here. One is a Science Fiction Space Opera trilogy collected into one free volume called Spinward Fringe: Origins, and the other is a complete Fantasy novel called Brightwill.

If you want to share them with a friend, please direct them to download copies themselves, since it will cost them nothing, but help push these books up the freebie charts.

Below you'll find a synopsis for each book along with links to popular sites where you can download the books for free.

Thank you for visiting!

The first full horror novel from Randolph Lalonde, finally free. Not for young readers.

Amazon.com
Smashwords
iBooks (By Apple)
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Brightwill, a land razed by war, on the verge of utter destruction. There are few strongholds left, and few leaders who have the vision and the power to protect their people.

Naze Kinu, the Great Wizard provides a stronghold for the most talented young and old people in the lands. The Amber Refuge is his life’s work, a central stronghold built by his comrades, his power and his reputation.

That is why, when he tells his long time aide, Doril, that he intends to tell all about his secret sibling, Riv. His intentions are met with alarm. Naze kept his relation to Riv a secret for half a century.

Riv, known in legend as the Slasher Gremlin, the Prince

Slayer, and the thief of the Enduring Light.

Despite the damage his revelation could do to his reputation,

Naze is set on telling the true story of his brother, of the days

that inspired the legend. Most of those close to him are left

to wonder why, and to listen as their leader regales them with the tale of his misadventures with his brother and Oroza, the dragonling.

This is the story of Naze and the brother he can no longer deny this is the story of Brightwill in times of drastic change.

LINKS

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Apple iBookstore

Kobo

Smashwords

In the darkest region of explored space sits a bright beacon; Freeground Station. Serving as a supply and trading post it is home to a select number of human beings that will take a desperate chance to make a difference in their end of the galaxy. - Contains the entire First Light Chronicles Trilogy. A Space Opera Adventure enjoyed across the globe by all ages. 

LINKS

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Apple iBookstore

Kobo

Smashwords

Brightwill Is Free Forever

Before I get to the central news item of this blog post, I have to write that work on Broadcast 9 is coming along very nicely. I can’t promise that it will be the longest book in the series, but I’m liking what I have so far. I'm very excited about Broadcast 9 and the future of Spinward Fringe.

Now, on to the matter of the title. Brightwill is my first foray back into fantasy after years of writing science fiction. Fantasy is a genre I wrote many novels in before Spinward Fringe. None of those old, formative works will be published, or re-published. They were the books I made mistakes in, penned during my teens, and twenties, when I was still learning how to tell a good story. I’m still learning, any story teller must continue learning from the stories they tell, the world around them, and whatever else comes along.

The first novels I wrote, the ones that shall forever remain in the closet,  led me to Spinward Fringe, and to Brightwill, which is the best fantasy novel I’ve written. I believe in the book, and I know I’ve learned a great deal from writing it as well, things that will help with Spinward Fringe and other projects in the future. I can’t emphasise how proud of Brightwill I am though, and I’m happy that I finally have a fantasy novel out there that I’m pleased with.

Fantasy is a tough genre to get noticed in, even though I have Spinward Fringe out there. I’m surprised at how little crossover there is between science fiction and fantasy readers, I’ve run into countless people who read one or the other, and almost never read both. One one hand I'm surprised, on the other, I'm glad I can offer something to both sides of that coin.

In the spirit of getting Brightwill in front of as many people as possible, I’m going to put it out there for free. Not just for a week, or a special weekend, or with the use of a coupon code, but forever, just like I did with Origins years ago.

There is another reason why I’m making it free, and I know there are people hoping for this….

Once I finish work on my next two projects, I’ll be diving into writing another Brightwill novel. I will be getting started on that sometime this year. It will be set in the same world, and I’ll be writing a test chapter when I have time, approaching the beginning of this book in a new way. That’s all I can tell you so far.

With my focus on Spinward Fringe for the time being, you shouldn’t expect much from Brightwill for a few months, but there will be previews from Broadcast 9 coming soon, so there will be stuff popping up here before you know it.

Until bits of the new Brightwill novel surface, you can go download, or tell people about my free work, with now includes Origins and Brightwill. The reach of Brightwill has not been long, it's not a very successful book in terms of sales, but the positive feedback I've gotten is near overwhelming, much like the response to later Spinward Fringe books.

I’d like to say a special thank you to everyone who bought copies of Brightwill, I hope you loved it, and I really appreciate your support.

RL

[Check your favourite online bookseller for a free copy of Brightwill. If it isn't free right now, it will be shortly, it takes some companies (such as Amazon) time to adjust their pricing.]

The Spinward Fringe Series Passes Half A Million Downloads

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

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

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

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

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

RL

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

Amazon Sets Broadcast 0: Origins Free!

After reading my blog post about the trouble I was having persuading Amazon to offer Origins for free, Dan McGirt (author of fine comedy adventure books), was kind to offer help. He pointed out a loophole in the contract located in the pricing section. After following his directions and adding my own little twist, Amazon reduced the price to $0.00.

I have to admit, the solution is simple. I won't go into a great amount of detail. All any author has to do is look at the competitive pricing clause in the contract for the Digital Text Platform and then read any listing for a Kindle book, where they'll find a place to report a lower price. With those hints, anyone who really wants to offer their book for free can do so.

Now, on to the less boring, non-contract involved stuff. In the roughly 36 hours since Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins became free it has been downloaded over 12,700 times. It's also the #2 free book on Amazon.com (US) site wide.

Honestly I'm amazed, and hope that this pure space opera novel (or collected trilogy, if you want to be accurate), has a broader appeal than expected. I don't generally expect non-science fiction fans to enjoy this work much, but I'm happy that I've been wrong about this where some readers are concerned. I have to thank Scheherizade MQ for lighting a fire under me and accelerating this issue towards a resolution.

This book is also available for free at Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, the iBookstore (sorry, you'll have to look for it on your iDevice), Diesel and other big or small outlets.

The other version of this book, The First Light Chronicles Omnibus, will be retired soon, since it's much easier to navigate the Spinward Fringe series if you start with Origins. For anyone who doesn't know, Broadcast 0: Origins and the First Light Chronicles Omnibus have exactly the same contents.

If you are new to Spinward Fringe, thank you and welcome to the crew! I owe thanks to the readers who are already aboard for supporting me to the extent that I can write and produce full time. On that topic, things are going very well with this final draft of Broadcast 7: Framework - I'm about half way through it after only a month's work. The draft and a half that came before took much longer. Thank God this is the last draft.

RL

[Before you ask, no, the other eBooks will never be free, sorry. The prices are more than fair, however.]

Strange Horizons and Close Encounters: September 7 Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RL

From Fringe To Fright: The Dark Arts Experiment

Two months ago I finished an edit of Dark Arts: Rising, the first part of a potential horror serial that was based on the concept of a dark resurrection changing the world. It was a short, 15,000 word piece that presented a fantastic creative challenge. Horror.

Horror writing has always been my kryptonite. I'll confess: in my twenties I wrote two very bad, very long horror novels. I even tried writing one by hand to see if I could somehow change my style for the better by avoiding typing. I got a stack of double spaced hand written pages four hundred deep that will never see the light of day. A crime against Bic pens and ruled paper.

Dark Arts: Rising has more potential and I'm happy to announce that, for better or worse, it's available for free at Smashwords for every kind of eBook reader you could imagine and on its very own blog page. If you're noticing this story late, then you're sort of lucky. Everyone else had to read it piece by piece as I released it over the last seven weeks. Something about serializing this work in particular was a lot of fun.

The story is set in 1996 and begins with a dark resurrection conducted by one, Zachary Ellison. Maxwell, a grumpy British occultist, has been on his trail for years and is one of the last members of a secret society. He does his best to counter the damage Zachary has done to the barrier between the spirit and corporeal worlds while trying to lay the ground work for a re-ignition of the occultist secret society charged with protecting the general populace from what goes wailing and rending in the dark.

If you enjoy reading this ditty and want more, show your support by posting a review on Smashwords or donating whatever you think its worth. It was a blast and total change of pace to write and it didn't slow down work on Spinward Fringe much at all.

RL

[Dark Arts: Rising at Smashwords] [The Blog Page]

[Have you read Dark Arts Rising already? What did you think?]

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!]

Dark Arts To Begin July 7, 2009

After getting the thumbs up from my editor and test readers, the Dark Arts series is set to begin on July 7, my birthday gift to myself. Dark Arts is a horror series that will be available here for free (later to appear in EBook formats).

The first installment, called simply RISING is divided into seven parts that will be released every Tuesday.

Here's a general description:

Dark Arts is a supernatural horror series that focuses on members of a mysterious society of occultists who use any means to maintain the divide between the spirit and material worlds.The Dark Arts series is written in distinct plot cycles and offered for free. The success and continuation of the Dark Arts series depends on donations from the readers.

RISING tells a story about two characters; Zachary who has been possessing one mortal after another as he seeks the secrets of true resurrection and Maxwell who bears the responsibility of destroying Zachary and preventing him from accomplishing his goals. The surly British occultist has been led to the place where Zachary was first killed as a mortal and has to take the opportunity to further the goals of the society while there is still time.

RISING is a complete plot cycle, adapted into prose from a concept for a television series. If enough readers demand more after finishing RISING I'll gladly provide.

What's happening with Spinward Fringe? I'm working on Spinward Fringe Rogue Element right now, actually, no worries!

RL

[Have you read Supernatural Horror before? Whose your favourite author or series?]

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)?

First Light Chronicles Freeground: The Free EBook

To the right you'll see a new set of links that are simply labeled "Download Freeground For Free Or Get It Cheap From Amazon.com" and those links will stay there permanently.

This novella has appeared and disappeared as a free EBook a few times. That's mostly because the various distribution channels I was putting this through didn't allow free Ebooks or there were costs attached to offering the book online that I had to cover.

One thing that can kill any publishing endeavor, online or in print, is uncertainty and changes that affect availability. To put an end to this, and to make it easier for people who enjoy the First Light Chronicles and the Spinward Fringe series to share the experience I'm offering the EBooks myself in two file formats.

The first, most commonly used format is PDF. it's the most universally accepted document file and with the help of Adobe Acrobat Reader (browser plugin and/or hard drive installation), you can view the entire book as it's intended and even add bookmarks.

The second file format I'm offering this book in is .prc, or the Mobipocket format as it's more widely known. The PRC file format is readable on most smartphones, PC's and many EBook reader devices. A lot of people prefer this format mostly because there's a short cut menu right at the beginning of the book leading to each chapter, making it faster to pick up from where you left off. If you want to try the reader software you can download it from Mobipocket.com.

This is me offering free stuff as a thank you for all your support so far, and I hope everyone can finally be a little relieved that Freeground is finally free for good. Since I'm doing this for a living and I've sold too many copies of the books that follow Freeground for any publisher to pick up this series I honestly can't afford to offer any other novellas or novels for free. Somehow I think my writing would suffer a little if I were doing it from a cardboard box...

The good news is that the rest of the books are very reasonably priced on www.amazon.com (print and Kindle editions), and on Mobipocket.com (EBook editions). Even in print Freeground is only $7.99 in a large print, 6"x9" Trade Paperback format from Amazon.com. Since I don't have an agent or publisher taking a bite out of my profits I can afford to offer my work at a lower price than practically anyone else for their quality. Sadly the printed editions are only available in large 6"x9" Trade Paperback editions, making them more expensive than the small mass paperbacks, but the quality and clarity of these books make them very much worth having. Amazon does an absolutely amazing job at printing and shipping these books, I couldn't be happier with their work.

I hope you and anyone else whose into science fiction or fiction in general enjoys The First Light Chronicles Freeground, it's the start point for the First Light Chronicles and Spinward Fringe series and establishes the basic universe and introduces the most important characters in a fast paced, exciting package. Most readers suggest you start reading this in the afternoon and not at night since it's been known to keep people up in the wee hours, I'm told it's a real page turner.

Here's a 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, the volume that contains all three parts of the First Light Chronicles; Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port, has held the number one spot on Mobipocket.com (an Amazon subsidiary company that only sells EBooks), for almost six months. I'm proud of the First Light Chronicles series, and extremely happy that most people who read it go on to read the Spinward Fringe Series, the unlimited series of books in the same universe and a number of novels that I couldn't be more proud of.

So go ahead and download Freeground. Welcome aboard, I hope you enjoy the beginning of what has proven to be a long and exciting journey for hundreds of readers around the world.

RL

Oh, and after consulting with several readers and my editor who has 35 years teaching experience, I'm happy to announce that the entire First Light Chronicles and Spinward Fringe series' are suitable for readers ages 13+, so if you want a series of books you AND your teens can enjoy, here it is.

[Mobipocket Store Link] [Amazon.com Store Link]

Happy Holidays! Spinward Fringe Triton Gets Thicker!

Spinward Fringe Triton has undergone its final edit just in time! My plan was to finish all this editing before Christmas and add two chapters from the next book: Spinward Fringe Frontline as a Christmas gift to everyone on MobiPocket who has been reading all my science fiction work so far.

I managed to not only complete my editing, but to edit the chapters I've added as a preview, so if you update Spinward Fringe Triton you'll have a bigger chunk of the following book. I hope you enjoy the preview, I'm looking forward to finishing work on Spinward Fringe Frontline.

Have a safe, happy holiday season!

RL

Somacow: Good Cow, Good Cow.

Last Saturday's show was fantastic. I really enjoyed the focus on Mickey and J. Learning a little more about these entertaining folks through a bit of story telling is always a lot of fun. There were many tangents and a short lived rant or two. The replays of episodes 205 and 206 are available at http://somacow.com with 207 not far behind (that's the one where they focus on J, an enigma wrapped in cheese, er, I mean a mystery).

Something else worth mentioning to my readers here is the book review of First Light Chronicles Freeground. They sic'ed Ron? Ray? Robert? Dave? I can never remember his name, but they had the producer review the first book in the series. I'm happy they chose him since he liked it the least out of the four guys on the show. His review is very much worth listening to since it's honest, pretty inclusive and he lets the other fellows; Geoff, Mickey and J jump in with a few addendums. He gave it a good rating in the end, listen to episode 207 when it's available to hear what it was.

They're going to review the second book in the series: First Light Chronicles Limbo this Saturday afternoon and I highly recommend that you listen live between 1pm and 4pm EST. If you can't catch the live show they'll be splitting it up into one hour segments and releasing them throughout the following week. While you're listening in, take a look around their site (www.somacow.net), since they have several other great shows including Say...Anything and The Sports Buzz.

Hope to see you in the live chat, and while you're there listening in don't be afraid to check here for news on the new series: Spinward Fringe. The release of the first of that series is coming up on Sunday.

I wonder if they'll be calling me for an interview at any point?

RL

SomaCow: The Book Review Has Been Foretold

I know, I said it might happen last week, but this week Geoff will be reviewing the First Light Chronicles series on their live radio show. There may even be some commentary from Mickey and J since I sent them three copies (one for each of the guys with the exception of Ross, sorry mate, I wasn't aware Podcast Producers could read).

I'm looking forward to it because I am certain the guys at SomaCow will give these books a real honest review. They won't be pulling punches, using dainty language or gilding the lily. So if it's bad or irritating, Geoff and the guys will attack me for wasting their time. If they like it, they'll tell everyone why.

The great news so far is that they had gotten through the first act of the First Light series: Freeground last week. Like I said in an earlier post here, they liked it enough to keep reading. So everyone who was listening to SomaCow got to hear their basic opinion, a comment about a certain homage I paid to other fiction in the book and the rest of their great edge of chaos show.

Long after they're finished with my stuff I'll still be listening to SomaCow, glad that I had the opportunity to entertain them for a change. Role reversals rock, almost all the time. Go listen to SomaCow tomorrow (Saturday) live between 1pm and 4pm and if you miss it you can check back for it during the week since they split up the live broadcasts into three parts and post them on the website. It's a great show, even my mother enjoyed it last week.

RL

Somacow: The First To Read First Light Chronicles: Omnibus

Some time last week (or the week before, I can't be certain), Geoff, Mickey and J received a package from me with three copies of The First Light Chronicles Omnibus. The Omnibus is a collection of all three parts of The First Light Chronicles series (Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port).

Geoff is the book reviewer for SomaCow, and he'll be reviewing the books on air either today (Saturday 1pm-4pm) or some time later. As a new dad with a brand new bundle of joy in his life (as opposed to the old, crusty kind), it takes him a little while longer than it used to. I certainly hope he enjoys the read. It'll be nice to entertain the guys over there for a change since they do such a good job entertaining their listeners, myself included.

So go on over the www.somacow.com today and listen in. Not just for a possible book review, but because SomaCow is the greatest internet radio talk show ever. While you're there, check out the other shows on their network. I honestly wish I had the time to listen to it all.

More news to come!

RL

Update:
The fellas at SomaCow have finished reading the first book, First Light Chronicles: Freeground and were pleased enough with it to keep going. I'm looking forward to hearing their review, but more I hope they enjoy the experience of reading the rest of the series half as much or more than I enjoyed writing them.