NEM: Awakening Will Arrive On October 31, 2020

 

I'm proud to announce that the first book in a new trilogy is going to come out on October 31 of this year. This was originally a project that I used to keep busy during the early days of the COVID-19 isolation period and a way for me to connect with everyone on Patreon a little more closely.

It grew into something more enjoyable than I expected as I offered Patreon Subscribers opportunities to make major decisions for the main character. These changed and will continue to change major events in this novel and the next. It was also a lot of fun.

After a long editing process and a little rewriting, the once serialized first book of the NEM series is about to become available to everyone. Here's the synopsis:

Grant has loved fantasy for his entire life. As a Dungeon Master he began creating a world of his own for tabletop role playing games that has grown to fill five large binders. This world is called Nem. Outside of his basement game room pursuits, he once trained for and competed in the only medieval tourney held in his home city and won. That was his greatest moment, and it was some time ago. Little does he know, Nem is real and he is uniquely qualified to save his favourite part of it. A journey involving a death cult, a budding enchanter, the Goddess of his dreams, and more awaits.

I can't go into why this book is perfect for a Halloween release because I'd be spoiling some major details, but trust me, there are parts of this book that fit the mood. I hope you enjoy the adventure. You can pre-order your copy using the following links if you want to make sure you get the book as soon as possible.

Amazon
Amazon.co.uk
Apple Books (Formerly iBookstore)
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
Kobo
Smashwords

[If you want to check out the Patreon page where this was serialized, click here.]

Highshield Book I Release Date

The final release date for Highshield is September 21, 2017. This is the first in a fantasy trilogy that spans decades. In Book I Rendiran, a young priest to a Goddess who has proven her existence to her followers, must take responsibility for a child who is resurrected to become a great paladin.

He finds that trustworthy people are difficult to find as he has to make a journey with a young boy, Tadrin, across the countryside amidst political and religious upheaval.
If matters weren't already complicated enough, he has to face the undead and zealots from enemy religions who want to sacrifice his charge to their own Gods.

Highshield takes place in the same world as the award winning novel Brightwill, and examines a different side of the universe introduced there.

The ebook and printed version contain an extensive Appendix as well as the final edit of a book enjoyed by many on Patreon, where readers were able to choose the fate of a main character, comment on the developing story and see the rough version months before the final release. An important preview chapter from Book II is also included.

Preorders are available through:

The Apple iBookstore
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
The Kobo Bookstore

RL

Please note that many Patreon subscribers will receive the Ebook version for free, you know who you are!

[On September 6, 2017, the Patreon site and this blog will become completely dedicated to Spinward Fringe and the books that will be arriving before year's end. Watch the Patreon Site for the most up to date info.]

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.]

A New Series Begins: Chaos Core

While writing Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10: Freeground, I finished editing a novella I completed last year. Yes, the regular Spinward Fringe series continues on track, but here is something new in the meantime.

Trapped is a novella about Aspen, a young woman who was created by a growing custom slave industry and sold to strange, ultra-wealthy masters. Over a year ago, she escaped as the artificial intelligences that governed her owners' estate turned on them. She thought her owners and everyone she cared about there were dead, but she'll soon discover that may not be the truth as she is forced to return only to try to win her freedom once again.

This novella introduces an entirely new cast of characters, a new setting and story set in the Spinward Fringe universe. The events take place over thirty eight thousand light years away from Ayan, Jake, Minh-Chu and the Order of Eden.

Why is the new series of novellas called Chaos Core?
The area of space this series takes place in was hit even harder than the Fringe we've seen. In the wealthy core worlds (not near the centre of the galaxy, but where humans thrived the most after leaving earth), artificial intelligences had taken charge of most of the technology that governed every day life. Most people even had their own personal artificial intelligence that assisted them from the day they were born. When the Holocaust Virus struck, they turned on humanity. While antivirus programs were applied quickly, they weren't developed fast enough to save much of the critical infrastructure that kept the Core Worlds running. Law enforcement was almost completely destroyed since much of the "manpower" was robotic.

The only remaining large military organization, the United Core Authority, numbers only a little over a million soldiers strong, though they are growing. They are the driving force against rogue artificial intelligences as they use whatever means necessary to combat them including planet wide carpet bombing (using electromagnetic pulse and conventional weapons). To their dismay, the most lawless elements of society are thriving in the ruins while an old class of ultra-rich aristocracy grows in power at the same time. Meanwhile, in the sections of the Core World territories that no one is brave enough to travel through, Artificial Intelligences that have been each isolated to one memory core by a clever counter-virus, are embracing their new individual experiences. The same virus that isolated them to one body or frame made their bloodlust for humanity optional. New wars between beings led by artificial intelligences have begun. Their motives and ultimate goals vary widely.

The slave trade is the fastest growing industry. Trust in intelligent machines is gone in the Core Worlds, to the point that many people are calling the new phase of existence "the Basic Era" where true power is measured in biological workers, soldiers and slaves. Once the glimmering crown of human civilization, the Core Worlds have become a dangerous, imperfect and strange place to call home.

Trapped is only the beginning, the manuscript for the second novella is almost complete as I spend a little of my spare time on this project. It's time for the Spinward Fringe universe to expand so I can share more stories and ideas with you.

I recommend Trapped for anyone over the age of 16, and it will be released on June 21 and is available for preorder now through these retailers:

AMAZON US
BARNES & NOBLE
iBOOKSTORE
KOBO
SMASHWORDS


Welcome to the Core Worlds

RL