The First Light Chronicles Omnibus - Celebration Sale

In the spirit of celebrating seven science fiction novellas and novels in the Spinward Fringe series, the First Light Chronicles Omnibus, which contains the Freeground, Limbo, and Starfree Port novellas, is on sale for $1.00 on Mobipocket and Lulu. It'll remain at that price until July 24, 2009 and will never again be marked down.

There are other reasons why this is happening. A lot of my readers have friends with smart phones who refuse to try Mobipocket and one of the initial hurtles to getting them on board is price. Well, here's your opportunity to tell them to give it a try with one of the top 3 science fiction books on the site (the other two books in the top are from the same series).

Fans spreading the word have been a massive help to me and this sale is a way for me to make it easier for all my mobipocket and lulu non-DRM PDF readers to do just that. This week they can share the First Light Chronicles and Spinward Fringe series' with friends. I know I enjoy a series more when I can talk to someone else whose read it. That could be just a writer's thing, but I doubt it.

So, for better or worse, the book is on sale for one week! Tell your fellow fiction fans!

[Mobipocket Link] [Lulu Link (DRM Free PDF)]

RL

A special thanks to Somacow for mentioning this event on their radio show, which happens to be the greatest Internet radio show, ever. Check them out: SOMACOW

Mobipocket: The Spinward Fringe Novels Make a Sudden Reappearance

Just as suddenly as the Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening books disappeared from the top 400, they pop back into the 2nd and 3rd places.

To be honest that's a better result than I expected, much better! I was sure to thank the administration there for adding the books back into the Science Fiction category.

A few publishers have had bad experiences with Mobipocket, but I've never had an issue go unresolved for more than 24 hours, so other than the little hiccup yesterday, I have to say my experience with this company has been very good. Better than a few others I could mention but won't.

In conclusion; sometimes flipping out and bringing your concerns out into the open does actually get something done, but now we return to our regularly scheduled programming...

Later today I'll be posting all about the changes that have been made to the eBooks and some of the print books. Don't worry, the plotlines have been left untouched, but there are a lot of other differences worth noting.

See you then!

RL

Mobipocket Buries the Spinward Fringe Series! A Call To Action!

Over the past few months Mobipocket has been a fantastic channel for me to get my work out to Science Fiction Fans across the globe. Up until this morning I've been very happy to see that the books that sell well climb the science fiction genre charts proportionately and I've been very fortunate that people have discovered and enjoyed my work.

Sadly, that's come to an end it seems. The First Light Chronicles Omnibus still sits in the coveted first place in the Science Fiction section, which I'm thankful for, but the Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening books aren't listed in the top 400. That's very strange, considering both of those books have been selling as well as, if not better than the Omnibus for a few weeks now and they've had places in the top ten for almost as long. I'd understand if something came along and out sold them, moving them down a few places, but it doesn't makes sense that they just disappear.

Here's what really irritates me about all this; the Spinward Fringe Series sells primarily to people who enjoyed the Omnibus, and you're the most important group of people to me, the true fans who continue following the story I enjoy telling so much. It's thanks to you that the Spinward Fringe Series has done so well, your support and your support alone got the books into the top ten. I honestly think Mobipocket his dishonoring that spirit of support by burying the Spinward Fringe series, and if you agree please post your objection on their forums under the topic: Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening gone missing!!

Thank you very much for your support so far, and I hope you stick around for the release of Spinward Fringe Triton and the novel that follows, I'll keep putting these books out for the length of this plotline and longer if the demand is there!

RL

"I aim to entertain!"

Hey Kids! It's Survey Time!

I know, you're asking yourself; "will the fun never end? Will the excitement never cease? Will they ever make a third Men In Black movie, so we have a proper trilogy?"

Those are interesting questions, and though I can't answer them all, I can answer them with yet another question in the form of an important survey. I'm trying to figure out where all you folks who are buying my books are coming from. I'm very happy you're all here, don't get me wrong, but much like I once wanted to know where babies come from and how many licks it took to get to the center (thankfully unrelated questions...), I'm wondering how everyone heard of my work.

So please scroll down and click one of those options or leave a comment telling me where you heard of my work if it was outside the options provided.

Thanks in advance!

RL

First Light Chronicles Omnibus: Price Drop

In celebration of this book's number one spot on MobiPocket.com I've reduced the price on this collection of the three First Light Chronicles Books (Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port).

Since the minimum shipping cost from Lulu.com is approximately $5.00 in Canada and the US (It's cheaper in the US, fyi), the total cost of this book is now in line with trade paperbacks you'd pick up in the bookstore. The average trade paperback (measuring 6" x 9"), costs $26.99 Canadian right now without any shipping or taxes.

Again, I'd like to thank everyone who purchased this online, I hope you're enjoying it and the following books.

Work on Triton, the third book in the Spinward Fringe Series is going exceptionally well, I expect to have it in the hands of my editor by Monday. I'll also be rolling over into writing the fourth book right away, since Triton wraps up a lot of plotlines from the First Light as well as the Spinward Fringe Series' I'm looking forward to telling a different story in this wonderful universe I've created.

I hope the reduced price helps everyone who wanted a printed copy of this book but couldn't justify $31.00 after shipping get their hands on one. If not, there's always the eBook version. It's only $7.95, for more information and pricing look to the right. That list of books leads to a couple of online bookstores that offer samples and a synopsis of each one.

Cheers!

RL

First Light Chronicles Omnibus Hits Number 1!

The collection of the First Light Chronicles books (Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port) has hit number one on the Science Fiction sales charts on MobiPocket.com. For anyone not familiar with that site, it's an eBook retail outlet online that's based out of France. They're owned by Amazon, and have a good number of loyal customers who use the mobi format for their eBook mobile devices.

This is a big deal. It doesn't mean that I'm selling thousands of copies, but every day new people are discovering this series, and the follow up book (Spinward Fringe Resurrection), is starting to sell as well. It all helps me work towards my goal of writing full time on a permanent basis. I'm no where near that yet, but I'm getting closer every day thanks to the people who enjoy my work.

I can only hope that everyone enjoys the Spinward Fringe (the continuing science fiction series) and Fate Cycle (fantasy) series' as well. If I've done my job right the plot, characterization and overall feel of the books will get better as people read on.

I'm known for liking my own work. That's why I have a good editor, she keeps me grounded. With that in mind, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that this Omnibus has made it to number one, but I am. Frankly I love what I did with the three short books within it's covers, but I have to say in all honesty; you ain't seen nothin' yet. The story continues from this book into the Spinward Fringe Series, and I truly believe Resurrection, Awakening and the upcoming Triton books are a vast improvement over the novels in the First Light Chronicles. So if you're enjoying the Omnibus right now, rest assured the story gets even better and I try even harder to entertain my audience. It's what I live for, after all.

Thank you for your support, as an independent writer you people decide how well or how badly my career goes. I hope you enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoyed writing it.

RL

Permanent Price Drop On eBooks With Lulu.com

People like DRM Free content. If you don't know what that means, I'll tell you. That means that after you download your .pdf eBook you can transfer the file between different computers, devices and whatever else you want to stick your file into, even a printer.

So, by using the store links to the right, you not only save $2.00 or more per eBook, but you can transfer the file to whatever you're reading it on or print it out for yourself.

What's prompted the price drop you ask? More people are buying the books! People are reading my work on their laptops, cellular phones, pda's and in print.

I thank you, if things keep picking up I'll be able to do this full time indefinitely. That's my dream, not to be rich, not to be famous, and certainly not to be massively published by some TOR or Bantam or ACE or whatever. I dream of making enough money to write full time, take care of myself and my family and maintain control of my work so no one can stop me from penning the stories I want to tell. I love entertaining you, but I want to do it my way.

So again; I thank you.

RL

Spinward Fringe Awakening: Released!

That's right, the second book in the Spinward Fringe series is now available through a few eBook retailers (Mobipocket and Amazon Kindle shortly thereafter), and Lulu.com in print as well as in non-DRM PDF.
Here's the synopsis:

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 could 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.
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I try my damndest to top myself with every novel and novella. I believe that if my latest isn't better than the one before it it's either not finished or not worth releasing to the public. I'm fiercely proud of how Spinward Fringe is coming together and of this book in particular. I think the characters really start speaking, you start learning where some of them come from and the plot gets bigger. The momentum will carry you right to the end, and I promise you won't be disappointed when you get there.

I'm working on the next book in this series right now, but I'm so happy to tell you that Awakening takes you somewhere. It's somewhere (plot wise), that I don't think anyone's ever taken you before on television, in movies, or in a book. Enjoy this, I know I did.

RL

First Light Chronicles Omnibus Makes The Top 10!

About a month and a half ago I released my science fiction and fantasy books on Mobipocket and about 20 other eBook retailers around the world. Mobipocket is one of the largest, with a lot of selling power for the eBook market since that's all they sell and they're well known in many parts of Europe.

Sales have been fairly steady, and the comments regarding the First Light Chronicles Omnibus have been nothing short of generous. Recently I checked the sites reports to find sales had spiked drastically, something had changed.

I looked into it and found that not only was First Light Chronicles Omnibus featured right beside a new Star Trek Novel in the MobiPocket newsletter, but it had risen to number seven in the 'Best Of Science Fiction' category on their site! It's also the third most highly rated Science Fiction novel in their catalog.

The First Light Chronicles Omnibus is a collection of the three books in the First Light Chronicles: Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port. It takes place before the Spinward Fringe Series and focuses on a group of people from Freeground station who have been given the task of going into the galaxy to discover and bring back new technology. The real focus of the story is actually about the relationships some of these characters have and how they learn to cope with their unique situation. It's a character driven Space Opera that runs on a very quick pace since it was written like a 6 part television miniseries in first person prose.

It's fantastic to have this kind of validation, to see the beginning of this kind of success. Even if it doesn't last it's great encouragement to an independent writer such as myself. I write full time, and if sales continue to grow I'll be able to afford to do that for much longer. That's really all money means to me at this point. Good sales would allow me to do what I love for a living and continue to entertain people.

Right now I entertain a few dozen people. I hope that turns into hundreds then thousands so I can keep writing these and other books on a television production schedule like I am now. I finish a new novella or full blown novel every two to six weeks depending on how complex the story is and how much research is involved. I love doing it, all other forms of entertainment pale in comparison to the time I spend writing out the film running in my brain.

I'm very happy more people are experiencing the stories I'm telling, and I hope as time goes by I get the opportunity to entertain a far greater number.

Now I'm off to continue working on Spinward Fringe Book III as my editor works her magic on the second book in that series. All I can tell you about the second and third books in the Spinward Fringe series is that I'm penning a story that has me so excited that I'm having trouble typing in a seated position.

RL

I love you guys. Without you I'd be writing, yes, but not nearly as often and possibly not as well.