The First Light Chronicles Omnibus: Free At Smashwords

As an independent author I have a lot of freedom. I can often decide where my work appears, when it appears and how much it costs.

After Omnibus has lived in Mobipocket.com's top three science fiction books for a year I've decided that the First Light Chronicles Omnibus (not just Freeground, the first book), will be free from now on, but only on Smashwords and sites they distribute to such as Barnes and Noble.

Why Smashwords? It's simple. They have a growing presence in the North American market, an easy to use interface, and their conversion system provides for all eBook formats.

The difference between this and the Amazon / Mobipocket version is that it doesn't include menus. I suggest using bookmarks or word search, that's what I do when I run into a book without menus.

Smashwords will most likely add the ability to set up menus and I'll add them then.

The real point here is that every user with every type of reader can enjoy a copy of the entire Omnibus for free. Will other Spinward Fringe books become available for free at a later date? No. There's a great deal of free content out there right now and it's easy to find. Besides, I have to make a living somehow, right?

Here are some details on the First Light Chronicles Omnibus in case you're unfamiliar with it.

Synopsis:

In a dark 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 these formats:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle / Mobipocket (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)

Other free eBooks include the Dark Arts Short and Spinward Fringe Strange Horizons and Close Encounters.

RL

Work continues on the latest Spinward Fringe novel, it's been a blast so far.

Announcing: Spinward Fringe Triton

This is the third volume in the Spinward Fringe series. I'll tell you a few things about this book while sparing the spoilers.

Triton is a longer book with more attention paid to a few characters you've seen but have remained out of the spotlight until now. As the third book in this new series it ties up a lot of loose ends from all the other books, including the First Light Chronicles.

Here there be answers! The First Light Chronicles and especially the Spinward Fringe series are written as a serialized television show in prose. The very nature of that kind of writing demands loose ends but that doesn't mean that I don't get to give you a set of satisfying endings. I'm happy with how these plotlines wrap up, and I'm working to make the entire book as entertaining and gripping as possible so when you're finished you want more. Not because there are a half dozen unanswered questions, but because the universe between the covers is so enjoyable you need more.

Here's the really important bit, the information I want everyone to carry away once you're finished reading this post: - Spinward Fringe is an unlimited series. - There will be more, in fact as I'm writing Triton I'm writing notes on Spinward Fringe Book IV and Spinward Fringe Book V. Like I said, think of this like a television series and the only people who can cancel it are the readers.

Every day more people are buying the First Light Chronicles Omnibus (That includes the Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port books). A lot of those same people are buying Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening. That tells me that people need the third book, that they're entertained and that's where I get my buzz. There's nothing like knowing that someone's glued to your pages, especially when the story you're writing is such a pleasure to pen.

I'm enjoying writing Triton, I can't write the scenes fast enough and I've never been so invested in a story or the characters who are playing it out.

More on Triton coming soon. In the meantime, enjoy what's already available!

RL

SomaCow Reviews First Light Chronicles Limbo!

During episode 213 of the SomaCow radio podcast (The Greatest Internet Radio Talk Show Ever!), J reviewed First Light Chronicles: Limbo.

He managed to do it without laying out any spoilers, and as it turns out he really enjoyed it. Comparisons were made to Stephen King and Clive Barker, which is pretty high praise for me especially since at the age of 13 Stephen King was my favorite author, and at about 19 my fave was Clive Barker.

It was an interesting episode that took a very, um, interesting turn into some adult content before the review, so be aware if you click the link, you're in for a very interesting show.

RL

Somacow Reviews First Light Chronicles: Limbo!

During episode 213 of the SomaCow radio podcast (The Greatest Internet Radio Talk Show Ever!), J reviewed First Light Chronicles: Limbo.

He managed to do it without laying out any spoilers, and as it turns out he really enjoyed it. Comparisons were made to Stephen King and Clive Barker, which is pretty high praise for me especially since at the age of 13 Stephen King was my favorite author, and at about 19 my fave was Clive Barker.

It was an interesting episode that took a very, um, interesting turn into some adult content before the review, so be aware if you click the link, you're in for a very interesting show.

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.

First Light Chronicles Series: Submitted to Amazon.com

I've given Lulu.com the go ahead to submit the First Light Chronicles Series to Amazon.com. This isn't normally a free service, but a few weeks ago they offered to waive all the regular fees.

Since I wanted to put Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port through one more editorial pass before sending them out there, I didn't know if I'd make the submission before August but thanks to my new editor, who finished working on all three books in three days, I've made it with time to spare.

I've gone through the distribution process with another book, but that was years ago. I had forgotten how much work was involved. Doing an audit of the edit for all three books was a 22 hour day and I still had some work left for the next morning. Was it worth it? Well, I can say that the concerted effort was enough to win the war against typos and a few pages where I went comma crazy.

I'm very happy to say that anything that becomes available in the future will be going through extra editorial passes and will be released as a final edit the first time you see them on the web. I have great proof readers and a fantastic editor in place now, so the final edits you see will be top notch.

There, you've seen just the tip of the iceberg of what it means to be serious about self publishing. There's a lot more work than most people imagine and it takes time to get the right support team together. The effort is rewarding, however, and I hope the results of the 60+ hour weeks result in great entertainment that more people can access. Hey, if I sell a couple hundred books a month I'll be able to actually do this and make a living, wouldn't that be fantastic?

The First Light Chronicles: Freeground, Limbo, and Starfree Port may appear on Amazon.com in 6-8 weeks.

Until next time!

RL

Spinward Fringe: The Next Science Fiction Series

A few people have read the entire First Light Chronicles series, and a lot of people are downloading the first book, Freeground for the first time. I couldn't be happier, well, maybe I could be.

I'm positively beaming here as I announce a new series of science fiction novels just on the horizon. The working title for the first is Spinward Fringe.

I can't reveal much about it, only that some of the same characters from the First Light Chronicles series appear in the new books, and that it's going to be a very different story, style and setting. Other than that it's too early to say anything, I'm only 103 pages into my first draft, after all.

As far as the First Light Chronicles are concerned, I'm submitting them to Amazon.com this week under Lulu.com's label. Let's face it, the more copies I sell the better the chances are that I'll be able to do this full time, so wider distribution is a very good thing.

Science Fiction is alive and well here, I'm glad to say, so sit back and wait for the new book to come along then enjoy the show.

RL

Digg it!

Spinward Fringe: The Next Science Fiction Series

A few people have read the entire First Light Chronicles series, and a lot of people are downloading the first book, Freeground for the first time. I couldn't be happier, well, maybe I could be.

I'm positively beaming here as I announce a new series of science fiction novels just on the horizon. The working title for the first is Spinward Fringe.

I can't reveal much about it, only that some of the same characters from the First Light Chronicles series appear in the new books, and that it's going to be a very different story, style and setting. Other than that it's too early to say anything, I'm only 103 pages into my first draft, after all.

As far as the First Light Chronicles are concerned, I'm submitting them to Amazon.com this week under Lulu.com's label. Let's face it, the more copies I sell the better the chances are that I'll be able to do this full time, so wider distribution is a very good thing.

Science Fiction is alive and well here, I'm glad to say, so sit back and wait for the new book to come along then enjoy the show.

RL

Digg it!

First Light Chronicles: Freeground is Now Free

*** The entire First Light Chronicles Trilogy is available for free here. ***Thank you to everyone who put their faith in me and bought this book sight unseen, without any previews. There are over 50 of you now, which is actually pretty good for a novella that has had absolutely no publicity.

I open this book (on my laptop, because I have no copies left - even MY copy is missing), start reading and just get sucked in all over again. I was never a cook who loved his own cooking before, meaning I had never written a novel that I so readily enjoyed until I worked on this one. I can say the same for the second (Limbo), and the third (Starfree Port). This fiction, I love.

There are a few people who actually feel similarly, to my amazement. They've been kind enough to suggest a bit more polishing here and there, and I took some time and did that. They've been nice enough to tell me about their favorite bits (some surprises there). After reviewing the book I haven't changed a thing story wise, especially since this is unlike any story I've ever written. Don't try to fix something that's working, just do your best to understand it.

With the polishing done, a new cover (that isn't much different from the original), and the third book in the trilogy done and available for purchase, I decided that 50 people aren't enough, I wanted to share the beginning of this story (Freeground) with more readers. With that in mind I have made the EBook free for all. Sadly the printed version will not be free, I just can't afford that, but in about seven weeks it may be available on Amazon.com along with the rest of the First Light Chronicles. The rest of the First Light Chronicles books won't be free, but they'll stay cheap, under $5.00 each for EBooks, sadly those will never be free, I have to eat, after all.

Other than First Light Chronicles Freeground you can also download the 2002-2008 catalog of my work for free, browse the covers, take a look at the synopsis for each book and such.

There's more news coming about the First Light Chronicles and the following science fiction novel, so keep checking back.

Again, thank you to the faithful, and welcome to everyone who is new here.

RL

Digg it here!

First Light Chronicles: Starfree Port [Editing]

Writing the third book in the First Light Chronicles series has been the biggest challenge I've taken on in years. There have been a number of interruptions in my life recently and that slowed things down. What's more important to this project is the fact that the events in this novel change a lot for how the series will manifest itself in the future.

After I finished the second book I knew that, regardless of size, the third book in this short series would be the last in this plot cycle and there would be a very firm ending. My approach is no different than if I were writing this as a television series. With the attitude of North American networks treating their shows like they're disposable, my approach towards writing for that medium is that every episode can be your last. As a result I write every book as though it will be my last. The biggest problem with that is the ending planned for this plot cycle has been very difficult to balance with the rest of the book. If this were a conventional book or television series from the 80's or mid 90's there would be several episodes before the events of this third book. Some would be filler, others would be used to develop characters and plot. I write at a different pace, however, and would rather not take more time than I have to on character development, especially since the style these books are written in determine a default focus on one character, a singular perspective.

I like moving things along faster under these circumstances, and writing filler is just cheating. I'm not after your money, so I'd rather write a short, exciting book and have you talk about it endlessly so I can get popular with your friends, who will hopefully spread the word just like you did. I write to entertain and excite and if I'm lucky these little books might just amount to a living, and then you'll see even more books that entertain, and the cycle continues.

Knowing that this is the last book in this plot cycle makes re-drafting and editing really picky and slow. The good news is that I'm about half way through my final edit now and enjoying the story as I go. After I've finished this edit I'll be forwarding it to my editor, who will do a grammatical pass and review the plot line. While he's busy working on that I'll design the cover and synopsis. After he's finished with the book I'll do another pass on it and post it online if it's ready. That whole process normally takes a week. Then I order printed proofs to make sure the non-digital cover came out properly.

All told, everyone waiting for an electronic version of this book has 2-3 weeks ahead of them at the most. Printed early copies (proofs), will be coming along in 3-4 weeks. That's not bad for a 240+ page book, it's actually pretty quick.

My major point with this post is that editing this is as much of a challenge as every other step. This is my last chance to reconsider plot decisions that will effect this series for the long run before I hand it over to someone else for final editing and review. It'll take more time, and I appreciate every one's patience. I'm doing my best to make sure this third part of the series is worth the wait.

RL