Broadcast 16: Hunters Is Out And Doing Well!

 Spinward Fringe Broadcast 16: Hunters has had a great first week, taking the number one spots on Apple Books SciFi / Fantasy category and on Smashwords. It also got to the number two spot on Amazon (US and UK) in the Science Fiction / Space Opera category.

I have you to thank for this, and I hope you're enjoying the book. If you have time to leave a short review, that'll help other readers decide whether or not to take the plunge, especially since many of them check reviews on later books in a series before starting the first one.

This was a challenging but enjoyable book to write where I got to tell parts of the story that I've been hanging on to for a while. I'm looking forward to writing Broadcast 17 after I finish work on NEM: Crimson Shores.

Just in case you're wondering where to pick Spinward Fringe Broadcast 16: Hunters up, or this is the first you've heard about it, here are links to most of the retailers who carry it.

Google Play / Google Books
Apple Books / iBookstore
Smashwords
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Kobo
Barnes & Noble

Thank you again for picking my book up and showing that it can rise to the top even so late in the series!

RL

The Serials For April and May - Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories!

I've doubled down on writing during this period of social distancing. I love writing, and I'm happy to use it as an escape as I write two novels at the same time.

One is the latest Spinward Fringe book: Pursuit. The focus is back on futuristic exploration and adventure as characters old and new face interesting challenges.
Here's the link to the index with several free chapters: https://www.patreon.com/posts/35195847


The other is NEM: Awakening, an experimental fantasy novel about a man who gets sucked from our time into a fantasy world. The ways that this connects to Brightwill and Highshield are subtle, but they're there, watch for them and please give me your feedback on the overall experience if you have time.
Here's a link to the index which features many free chapters.  https://www.patreon.com/posts/35194741

I hope I can entertain you a little while you're cooped up or stressed out. If the above links aren't enough, many of my books are still free and the rest are discounted right now at Smashwords. You can find the full list here: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/randolphlalonde

RL

Spinward Fringe Rebel Will Be Released On March 21, 2020

That's right, the release date is being moved up by months, since this book was finished on time and is already in the hands of some Patreon Subscribers. They had the pleasure of reading two chapters a week as a serial until the book was completed a couple weeks ago.

On March 21, 2020, the full EBook will be available everywhere quality ebooks are sold. You can already preorder the book everywhere to make sure you have a copy as soon as possible. (Except for Amazon, who will have the book on the 21st, there just isn't a way to preorder it through them).

Spinward Fringe: Rebel takes the series back to its roots, offering minute by minute action while exploring what makes the characters tick. It's an action packed adventure that brings storylines, characters and enemies together in an epic conflict.

You can preorder here:
SMASHWORDS
APPLE BOOKS (iBookstore or iTunes)
BARNES & NOBLE
KOBO
GOOGLE PLAY
AMAZON

I hope you enjoy the ride!

- RL

Everything I Released Is On Sale

I don't normally announce this sort of thing here, but Smashwords is having an end of year sale and I had to join in. All my books are discounted this week,(Until January 1). If you're missing something, want to look at my whole library, to see what's free today or would like DRM free backups of my books, now is the time. If you stop in, please add me as a favourite so you get notifications whenever a new book appears. There will be a few this year. :)

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/randolphlalonde

RL

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 13: Warriors Is Out Now

I'm proud of the new pace of writing I've managed to hit. This is the third novel I've published in 365 days (Broadcast 12: Invasion, Savage Stars, now Broadcast 13: Warriors). Before publication these books were available through Patreon at a pace of two chapters a week for subscribers with few breaks. I think it's been a great year, and I hope to keep it up for years to come.

Today I'm happy to present all of Broadcast 13: Warriors in one ebook through all major platforms. This series is a dream project to me, even now, eleven years later. Without any further delay, here are some of the links that will take you to the book.

Smashwords | Amazon | Apple Books | Google Play | Barnes & Noble Nook | Kobo

This novel is less action oriented than Broadcast 12: Invasion, with more intrigue and a deeper dive into some of the character's personalities as they face challenging situations with potentially dire consequences. I hope you enjoy it!

RL

Celebrating 10 Years and 1 Million Downloads of Spinward Fringe With a Summer Sale

I didn't think I'd get the chance to write this blog post when I set out on this journey. I started writing Spinward Fringe as a fun Space Opera adventure that I wanted to see but couldn't find. Science Fiction television shows were ending and being cancelled: Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, Universe, and Farscape were all either over or ending. Battlestar Galactica (Ronald D. Moore's reboot), ended in lacklustre fashion and the spinoff, Caprica, failed to live up to fans' hopes. Star Wars was hibernating for the most part, Star Trek was back in reruns and I'm pretty sure I'd seen everything at least five to ten times, and newcomers like Firefly didn't last.

It was a dark time for SciFi, and it wasn't the first time in my life when the force was weak with the serialized, space bound science fiction adventure sub-genre. Instead of weeping in front of more reruns or seeking out obscure box sets of more obscure series, I decided to try writing my own with the purpose of entertaining myself.

I wrote fantasy before that along with a little horror but took a couple years off after my first self publishing adventure in 2004. In 2008, starting on new years' eve, I dug into a Space Opera idea that I had been daydreaming about for a year. That became the First Light Chronicles, which was eventually collected into one volume and renamed Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins.
I released it in eBook form on a site made by a company in France called Mobipocket, unaware that Amazon already bought the company and was using the tech to develop the now dominant Kindle platform. A year later, I was firmly making a living and spreading my books out to Amazon, Smashwords and other retailers.

It's with gratitude and a little disbelief that I look back at the decade that followed. I've written and published twenty-two novels in that time, twenty-one of which can still be downloaded. Last year I verified that over a million copies of my books were downloaded legally with at least six times that number pirated (that's a gross underestimation).

Granted, many of those legally downloaded copies were free, but it's still a number I wouldn't have dreamed of hitting when I started out in 2004 with my first in-print self published novel, then started writing and releasing SciFi in eBook format.

Starting today, I'm celebrating ten years of successful self publishing. In that time that's all I've been doing to earn my living, and to kick it off I'm participating in the Smashwords Summer sale. All my books are on sale or free there now, and I invite you to take a look, leave comments on your favourite books, maybe follow me there as a favourite author if you like and be a part of it because they have been a part of my success. Here's a direct link to my page there.

I'm also having a poster made and updating most of the formatting for all my books while I correct errors throughout the series. The updates will be free for everyone, available through your dashboards wherever you purchased or downloaded them.

I'm wondering if you have any other ideas to celebrate this anniversary. Please, leave them in the comments, but don't forget the Smashwords Summer Sale, especially if you missed Highshield, Brightwill, Dark Arts, Spinward Fringe Broadcasts 6.5 or 10.5.

Thank you very much for reading and buying my books through the years. I hope I can do this for the rest of my life. I love creating this kind of entertainment, first for myself, then for you!

RL

It's Out! Broadcast 12: Invasion Release Day Is Here!

It is my pleasure to announce that Spinward Fringe Broadcast 12: Invasion is out everywhere in Ebook form!

It took longer than expected to write this novel, especially since it explores an event that most of you saw coming. Of course there would be an invasion, when your main characters plant a flag so close to their enemies, there will be a confrontation eventually. Making that story interesting and engaging was a great challenge.

This is the story of that confrontation. We also follow Alice, move the story that began in the Chaos Core Crossover forward, and see how things have developed in the Haven System. The story is also told from the eyes of new citizens, to the Admiralty and the challenges they face as they look out towards the stars for aggressors who could arrive at any moment.

After being serialized on Patreon in first draft form, this edited and revised edition is finally going out, so everyone who waited instead of reading two chapters a week can enjoy it their way. The copy editors and first readers who read the book whole has said it's fast paced and engaging, so I hope you have the same experience when you read it, and that you get swept up in the characters' plights as I did when I wrote it.

I'm happy to announce that it's already the number one Science Fiction Novel on the Apple iBookstore, so it joins almost every Spinward Fringe book in earning that accolade.

Here are a few retailers who are carrying the book right now:

Amazon (American)
Amazon (UK)
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
iBookstore (By Apple)
Kobo
Smashwords
Scribd

Thank you for supporting this series. Just like a television show, Spinward Fringe is only as successful as you make it by turning up for each Broadcast. It's been a great decade for me and it will only get better. On May 14th (this Tuesday), the Spinward Fringe story continues in Broadcast 13: Warriors, as a serial on Patreon.

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10: Freeground Has Arrived

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 10: Freeground is finally available at all major EBook Retailers. I'm happier than I can say to see this get into people's readers. I've been eager to share the story in this book. I've already started working on Broadcast 11.

So far, the book has charted very well.

#1 Space Opera Novel at Barnes and Noble.

#1 Science Fiction at the iBookstore.

#1 Science Fiction at Smashwords. (#1 Site wide for non-free books)

#2 in the Space Opera and Military SciFi at Amazon UK

#26 Space Opera at Amazon USA

Thank you for your support over the last year, I'm happy to see that the early reviews who read it overnight are great, please keep reviewing if you have time. Working on this book has been a fantastic journey for me.

RL

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 9: Warpath Release Date

The release date for the next Spinward Fringe Novel - Broadcast 9: Warpath, is September 7, 2015. Preorders are available now through smashwords here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/558258

I'm having so much fun writing this book that I'll probably have mixed feelings when it's finished. That's just more motivation for me to work on Broadcast 10 though, so it works in your favour all around.

I hope you've been enjoying the preview, you can look forward to the next chapter this Sunday. Until then, I'll announced when different retailers make preorders available.

Thank you so much for your support!

RL

[If you haven't read any of this series, you can get the first novel, Spinward Fringe Origins, free anywhere quality Ebooks are sold for free.]

Brightwill Is Now Available In EBook Form!

I had a great time writing this book, and I can't wait to share it with everyone. The short novel was an experiment in writing that I can say I enjoyed from beginning to end, and I hope you agree.

Here's the synopsis!

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 bastion 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’s twin was his best kept secret for good reason.
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.

---

The printed version is on the way, due later this month, but the EBook edition was released on November 7, and it is now available for free anywhere quality Ebooks are sold.

Here are the vendors I'm aware of so far:

Amazon

iBookstore (Apple)

Smashwords

KOBO

Barnes & Noble

Free samples should be available at all these stores as well, so you can try before you buy. I hope you enjoy it!

RL

EBook Preorders Are Now Open For Brightwill!

As if writing the book wasn't enough fun on it's own, I get to share it with everyone with a taste for fantasy fiction. I dreamt of writing this short novel for over four years, and the writing portion of the journey was fantastic. With my cousin, Luke Alberon, staying at my place for this summer, he got to read the pages as I completed them, and I got nearly instantaneous feedback from someone who is fairly choosy with his entertainment.

Then the editing chain began, and everyone involved with that seemed pleased, with surprisingly few notes to offer, so the writing of this book has gone so well. Now I can't wait to get it in front of you.

Even though my distribution partners advise that I should put this up for Pre-Order for six weeks, I'm not going to delay, because the book is finished, after all, and you should be able to read it as soon as everyone has started listing it. That's going to be in about seven days.

So, you can preorder as soon as the EBook is available at your favourite seller until November the 7th, when the book should be available pretty much everywhere. You can also read previews of the novel wherever it's being sold. Here are the links:

AMAZON KINDLE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P2Q5RFK

US APPLE iBOOKSTORE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/brightwill/id935771816?mt=11

CANADIAN APPLE iBOOKSTORE: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/brightwill/id935771816?mt=11

SMASHWORDS:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/489351

Print edition preorder link. (Each copy is signed). http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Brightwill-by-Randolph-Lalonde-Signed-by-author-/171515338241?pt=US_Fiction_Books&hash=item27ef1c5e01

Thank you so much for your interest in my work and your support so far. This is one of those ideas out of a dream that became a novel projects, and I had so much fun writing it. I hope you enjoy it half as much!

RL

The Smashwords Interview

David Weir interviewed me for Smashwords recently. I think it turned out well, and the timing couldn't have been better with The Expendable Few doing well with several EBook retailers.

I discuss some of the struggles I've had as a writer and how I came to write Space Opera.

You can find the article HERE.

RL

Don't Resist The Reader

The release of The Expendable Few has become a massive learning experience. Even with extra editing work, the cooperation of a digital formatting house and the announcement of the location and timing of the launch, there were difficulties.

Someone launched a fake version of the book on Amazon, a few people still had difficulties with their own devices, and there were a couple other problems that kept this from being a completely smooth launch. The funny thing is, those negative parts of the experience didn't detract from the marvellous success that the Expendable Few has become early on.

Amazon was quick to respond to reviews and complaints from readers about the fake copy of Expendable Few. It happened so fast that, by the time I got in touch with Amazon Legal, their only response was; "We know - see? It's already disabled." They are refunding payments to anyone who bought the book and reports a problem. Readers also helped each other read the book on their devices properly when there were problems. They even helped each other find the download page.

As of this writing, The Expendable Few is the best selling book in the last 90 days on Smashwords.

What's even more surprising is that you readers put Spinward Fringe at the top in a more general sense. Not only is Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments the number one best selling novel of all time on Smashwords, but a total of 7 Spinward Fringe novels occupy the top 25 all time best seller list. You readers did that, I'm more grateful than I can express.

That's why, when pressure to distribute the Expendable Few outside of Smashwords didn't let up after release, but increased, I had to rethink my promise to offer the book there exclusively for 30 days. I have the files required to offer the book on Amazon (US, FR, UK, etc...), and Mark Coker has made it absolutely clear that he and his staff are eager to distribute the book to B&N, the iBookstore, KOBO and numerous other retailers, so there's no reason not to put the book in the pipeline earlier than planned.

I don't even think Mark Coker would be offended. In fact, I really hope he won't be, he's been good to my readers and I.

The files are ready, you readers have demanded broader distribution and are responsible for my success, so I'm giving you what you want. Starting on March 9, 2012, The Expendable Few will begin appearing on Amazon and other retailers. By March 14 it should reach most retailers, but it could take weeks longer, so be patient. Everyone is working as fast as they can to get this out.

There is a negative side to this, however. Thanks to the way the ebook market works, and the contract I have with distributors like Amazon, the price of The Expendable Few will change on Smashwords to $2.99 as of March 9, 2012. That's over $2.00 below the average readers elected to pay when they used the option to name their own price when buying the book.

My hope is that this book gets out to all of you the way you want it, and that you enjoy it even more than the previous Spinward Fringe novels.

What's next? I'm currently working through an edit of Broadcast 5 in preparation for a return to work on Broadcast 7. Broadcast 7 is currently 110,000 words long, and I think I may be half finished. I expect to be writing more new material for that by the end of next week.

Once I'm finished with my run through of Broadcast 5, it'll see more work from an editor and 52 Novels, the formatting company I use before getting updated everywhere. The update will be available for free if you already own Broadcast 5: Fracture.

Thank you for your support, there's more Spinward Fringe on the way!

RL

For anyone who doesn't want to wait, here's the link to the book on Smashwords! I'd like to thank Mark Coker and everyone at Smashwords who helped make my overall experience there fantastic.

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments - Best Update So Far!

Three drafts now, and I finally have something I feel good about. Now it's time to go back to the beginning, write a couple of chapters in and rewrite a few things that need heavy tuning. While this sounds like a lot of work, it's really only a week's worth.

This is a middle book, sitting between the first and last part of a trilogy. After working on this for about 10 months, I can say, middle books are bloody hard. They have to be interesting in their own right, but connect nicely with the first and third. I think I like the way Tolkien did it a lot more, write one long volume and cut it into three pieces. In the future I think that's what I'll end up doing if I ever do another trilogy again.

Anyway, back to the good news. The story is laid out, characters have challenges that they overcome or don't, a villain makes an appearance, and the whole crew goes through various trauma. Now that sounds like a Spinward Fringe book to me, and I know I'm going to really enjoy this last bit of writing.

When that writing is all finished, I'll be editing the book myself twice - once on screen, then on paper - making my changes and then handing it over to my editor. She'll work her magic and tell me if I actually have a good book, and where there might be problems. The necessary tuning will take place and normally I'd send it off to the distributors. Not this time, however.

No, this time I have a secret weapon! Three fantastic, qualified proof readers have accepted my request to work on this book after the normal steps have been taken. They live in three different countries, don't know each other, and have no idea who the other person is. It's a blind beta read so I can get three different opinions from three very different people. Their primary job will be to help with the polish of the book, but since they're all long time readers, their opinions about the story and character movement will have a great deal of weight too. No one will know who these Beta Readers are until they appear in the acknowledgments at the front of Broadcast 6. Even then, they may decide to use code names, prolonging the mystery.

Once they've finished and I've used their notes to improve the grammar and remove typos it'll go to the distributors. This one will appear on Smashwords first and it'll be the first Smashwords Spinward Fringe release with a full table of contents.

How long will all this take, you ask? Well, if I haven't written a great big turd, it shouldn't take longer than 4 weeks. I like what I have here though, even though the style is quite different from what you may expect, so I don't foresee a pile of problems.

I expect this book to weigh in at about 100,000 words, and it'll be priced at about a third of a new release eBook.

RL

[Thoughts? Rants? Manifestos? Go ahead and post them below!]

Read an E-Book Week, March 7-13, 2010

Mark Coker of Smashwords made all his authors aware that we have reason to celebrate. E-Books are being celebrated from between March 7-13, 2010 and I'm sure we'll have another week next year.

This celebration has led to a huge event on Smashwords, where thousands of books have been heavily discounted, either by 25%, 50% or more.

How is the Spinward Fringe series participating? Until March 13, all Spinward Fringe titles are 50% off.

When someone asks me; "What do you do for a living?" I answer; "I write E-Books." From the outset of the Spinward Fringe series I wanted my work to be easier to read in short bursts while keeping people coming back to whatever screen they were enjoying my work on. It's been a difficult goal to meet at times, but when I plan chapters and later edit them I'm not thinking of paper pages turning. I'm thinking of fingers sweeping across screens and tapping forward buttons as they turn digital pages. I think about giving my readers in the London Underground, the New York Subway, the Sunbus in Rockhampton, Austrailia or anywhere else in the world enough story in 10 minutes for them to feel that they've been somewhere else, that they've been entertained.

As many readers have told me, they love flipping their phones open, reading for ten minutes in the queue, during their coffee break, or listening to a text to voice of a book in the car before getting on with the next segment of their every day. I remember the time I spent working in call centers very clearly. The long stretch between calls some days, and the frenzied wall to wall customer queries and complaints others. There was nothing like being able to get away for fifteen minutes, and reading a good book was a great way to do just that.

I'm not going to compare myself to the books I read then, I don't think I'm in their sand box just yet, but I'm happy the rising popularity of E-Books makes me a convenient choice for hundreds of people across the world.

That's why I'm celebrating E-Books this year. They have given me the wonderful opportunity to entertain you, and soon, very soon, I'll be back with another book. Then another, and another. As of this moment my work is on over 19,000 devices. When you really think about it, few people who actually want to entertain their fellow human beings reach that many people outside of YouTube. The majority of those devices only contain the free version of the First Light Chronicles Omnibus, but many of those people who will be, have been, or are being entertained by something I created and made available as an E-Book.

As the Spinward Fringe series continues, as I reach and surpass 20,000 devices, and when a brand new fantasy novel emerges later this year I hope to entertain a greater multitude more vividly, and with greater skill. I can't wait.

For everyone who hasn't read all the books, now is a good time to follow your interest. Here's a full list of my books on Smashwords. The 50% off code is listed on the individual page of each title and will be valid until the end of E-Book Week, March 13.

RL

- Now, back to work on Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments

Spinward Fringe On Smashwords: January Coupons!

After dealing with many distributors, Smashwords has become my favorite. Mobipocket is still a great place to release a book, but thanks to the Digital Rights Management Copy Protection, glut of XXX covered erotica, periodical down time that denies readers access to their libraries, and growing negligence on the corporate side, it was in my best interest to look somewhere else.

Along came Smashwords, a place for Indie authors to release their work in many formats DRM free. It's a friendlier place to be with large book samples available for download or online viewing. I first discovered them when I was trying to find a way to release my work on the Stanza Reader, a popular iPhone eBook reader app.

How have things been going with Smashwords? They've been going well enough for me to offer The First Light Chronicles Omnibus there for free (over 6,700 downloads since August), and to list the entire Spinward Fringe series there as well. The only complaint I've had regarding Smashwords is that their system doesn't allow for navigation menus inside eBooks, and I'm told that the feature is coming. They'll roll it out when its ready and anyone who bought the books previously will be able to update to the indexed version. For now I use word search to return to "Chapter ?" (replacing the ? with a number), whenever I intend to continue reading from where I left off. Most quality eBook readers also have a book marking system so you can mark your last page or even create your own index. I'm too lazy when I'm reading on my iPhone, to be honest, so I word search for chapter numbers.

On the positive side, one doesn't have to worry about compatibility if they move to a new device or need one document on two platforms. With no DRM and multiple versions available when you buy a book you can use that piece of property wherever you like. You can also download each version and back them up so you never have to visit the book's site again, or add them to your online library. To me, that's actually a fair trade for limited formatting and no indexing. I strip formatting from most of the ebooks I read anyway. I like to read text my own way using features in Stanza so the book suits my device properly, not as determined by some over zealous designer. There are other reasons why I like Smashwords as a reader and as an Author, but I'll get into that in a future post.

Now, on to what many of you are here for; coupons for the Spinward Fringe series. This is an experiment, so I don't know if I'll be offering them in the future. These expire on Feb 2, 2010.

First Light Chronicles Omnibus: Free!
Spinward Fringe Resurrection: No coupon, the price was reduced to $1.99 instead.
Spinward Fringe Awakening: No coupon, the price was reduced to $1.99 instead.
Spinward Fringe Triton: [From $7.95 to $4.99] RE56H
Spinward Fringe Frontline: [From $7.95 to $4.99] BG73S
Spinward Fringe Fracture: [From $7.95 to $4.99] MH48Z

Click here to go to my bio and full book list at Smashwords.

A few of you may be asking where my fantasy novels are and why I haven't adapted them to Smashwords yet. Well, the Fate Cycle books; Dead of Winter and Sins of the Past (Click here for the Mobipocket Links), aren't going to be sent over to Smashwords until The Sons Of Brightwill is out, which will launch on Smashwords first.

The Sons of Brightwill is a stand alone fantasy novel that is unrelated to my previous works, and in an effort to keep them separate the Fate Cycle books will not be launched on Smashwords until later this year when Fate Cycle: Exodus, the last book in that set is ready.

I hope you enjoy reading my work, please feel free to leave a comment or rating whenever you like!

RL

Now, back to work on Spinward Fringe: Fragments and the Sons of Brightwill.

Spinward Fringe: Now Available At Barnes and Noble

Barnes and Noble recently became active in the eBook market, partially by making their own reader, the Nook available to combat Kindle.

The good news about Barnes and Noble's eBooks is that they sell in multiple formats. You don't need the Nook to read any of the eBooks they offer.

That's why I'm happy that the Spinward Fringe books have arrived on their site, there are a lot of people who are fiercely loyal to B&N, seeing them as the good guys in the war against Amazon.

I prefer not to take sides, but to make my work available to everyone equally.

You can find the Spinward Fringe Series here.

If you're looking for the First Light Chronicles Omnibus, it's available on Smashwords for free, and there's a format for everyone.

It's nice to see something other than the latest virus spreading around.

More news on what's going on with the series and the status of the latest Spinward Fringe book is coming soon, stay tuned!

RL

Mobipocket: Service Unavailable

It's been impossible for regular Mobipocket users to deny that Mobipocket has had more short term difficulties lately.

I believe some of the problems stem from a mass cleanup they've been doing of their public domain titles. [More on that here]

I'm assuming for now that these problems are temporary. It happens, especially when a major service has to remove thousands of files at a time.

Sadly, the vast majority of my readers are Blackberry owners and Mobipocket regulars, which would normally leave me in a very awkward position. Not this time.

This time I'm prepared. If you have Mobipocket Reader you can still get my books at Smashwords DRM free. They even have work there that isn't available anywhere else, like the Strange Horizons and Close Encounters Living Anthology.

There's better news. Until September 21 my books will be available for $3.95 or less at Smashwords, some will even be free. Why? It's simple: I realize some people are panicking about their Mobipocket bookshelves going away, and I'd rather you didn't. This is also a good opportunity to tell your friends about the series. Smashwords has all my books in every eBook format you could imagine. The First Light Chronicles Omnibus is now free.

The above sale isn't a sign that Amazon is shutting Mobipocket down, in fact, I don't know what's going on over there. It could just be a public domain duplicate cleanup. I hope Mobipocket will be around forever, but I'd rather play it safe.

Thank you very much for being loyal readers, I'll do everything I can to ensure that my work remains available at reasonable prices. I'll update this post when Mobipocket reappears.

[UPDATE: Mobipocket is up again after two hours of downtime (by my rough estimation). The notification that they're still working on eliminating poor quality PD books is still up. My migration sale will continue.]

RL

[Here's the link to my books at Smashwords, the list begins beneath my profile.]

Spinward Fringe: Fracture Now Available!

I love this book, my editor loves this book. This is the kind of writing I wanted to do for the Spinward Fringe series: true space opera. There's a little technology, environmental interest, fantastic environments and a few other points that make science fiction great but the real focus is on the characters.

Why do a trilogy so late in the game?

The answers are pretty simple. It was time to create a new starting point. A lot of new readers will want to start with the First Light Chronicles and work their way through the series, true, but this book provides them with an opportunity to experience just a part of the story and discover the characters in a different way. My writing has come a long way as well and I think this is a very good story to start with for a new reader. Will they want to go back and read from the beginning after reading this book? Possibly, and they'll still have a few surprises waiting for them if they do.

The outline for Rogue Element also put the book at over six hundred pages and I didn't want to keep everyone waiting another eight months for a book. So I split it into three parts. The next one is right behind this book, so there won't be long to wait, trust me. Some of you might not be finished reading this one when the next comes out.

Now that I've told you how crazy about this book I am, and you know why it's the first part of three it's time for me to spill the synopsis and tell you where you can pick it up.

[Broadcast 5]
The crew of the Triton, a rare, Earth built Space Combat Carrier, make their way to Ossimi Station, a safe haven for independent ships and traders. In a galaxy gripped by conflict and teetering on the verge of chaos, Captain Jacob Valance and his crew will be faced with the unexpected, the unknown, and an opportunity to save thousands of lives. Will their sympathy be their undoing?

Recommended for readers who have experienced the Spinward Fringe series from the beginning and for people completely new to the story.

Spinward Fringe: Fracture at Smashwords
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Mobi Format (Mobipocket Reader, Kindle)
Epub (Stanza, Android Aldiko, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)

I would prefer you purchase your copy through Smashwords because they don't use DRM (Copy protection), so there's no limit to how you can use your copy or back it up. The only drawback is the lack of an index, but I've made things easier by numbering the chapters, so you can make up for it with a word search. They also pay fair royalties, which is impossibly rare.

Spinward Fringe: Fracture At Mobipocket

Mobipocket Format With DRM (Digital Rights Management - Copy Protected)

Mobipocket readers have been incredibly supportive, so I've released this book there as always. The plus side to this version is that it includes an index with every chapter listed right after the copyright page. Again, if the index isn't important to you, I suggest you pick up the Smashwords edition above.

Spinward Fringe: Fracture At Amazon.com

Kindle Edition With DRM (Digitial Rights Management - Copy Protected)

This version is available through Amazon's Whispernet, and it contains the index. If those points aren't important to you, please pick up the Smashwords edition in .mobi format.

The print edition will be available sometime in the next 30 days, I'll announce its appearance as soon as it pops up!

Thank you very much for joining me on this journey. My long time readers know that your support is what keeps me writing full time. The frequency and quality of these books is fully dependent on the patronage of my audience, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I don't make what most people would call a great living, but I've got a roof over my head, food on the table and my Internet connection is all paid up. I love entertaining and the opportunity you've provided for me to do so!

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please take a moment to post a few words about it wherever you purchase it!

RL

[Now to get back to work on the second and third parts of the trilogy!]

One Year On Mobipocket

Never has one website and its users had such an effect on my life.

Since I uploaded my books on Mobipocket, who I thought would be more of a distributor than a direct conduit to readers, I've gone from working in a cubicle to writing full time. Mobipocket hasn't made me rich, far from it, but thanks to the readers who enjoy my work I have just enough to do what I love without making time for another full time job.

"Why are you leaving Mobipocket?" Someone asked me this week. They interpreted my inclusion by other online eBook retailers catalogs as a move to separate myself from Mobipocket. My answer was simple; "I'm not leaving Mobipocket!"

My books will always be listed there. I've always been treated fairly by the site runners and there are a lot of readers who still very much enjoy Mobipocket, so there's no way I'll leave them behind when I have no reason to, especially after having a great year on their listings. For most of my time there I've been listed as the top selling science fiction author, an honour bestowed upon me by hundreds of readers who wait patiently for each Broadcast and spread the word (most of the time).

The reasons why I'm listing on Smashwords and Shortcovers are many, but mainly it's because Amazon.com, the owners of Mobipocket don't seem to be letting Mobipocket grow or change with the times. Just in case Amazon.com does something that really damages Mobipocket (and I don't know that they will, I hope they don't), I need to know my readers have a place to go to get my books.

There's also a need for more compatibility and people are very irritated with DRM, so there has to be an alternative to Mobipocket for any publisher or independent author. [EDIT: Smashwords doesn't add DRM to their eBooks and are compatible with all readers, even one I saw from Hong Kong recently] Things change, especially in the digital world, and I want my readers to feel confident that they can find my work no matter what reader they're using. I'll be the last person to force someone to buy print.

So, thank you very much Mobipocket, without you I wouldn't have met most of my readers. Thank you readers, without you and your reviews I would still be working in cubicle hell! Here's to another year on Mobipocket, may they remain viable and vital.

There is one more thing I should mention. I'm trying to spread the success I've had on Mobipocket to Shortcovers, Amazon.com and Smashwords. There are a few ways people can help and the one I'd like to focus on right now is getting reader reviews for the First Light Chronicles Omnibus on Amazon.com and Smashwords. I can't send signed copies out to everyone who posts a review, I simply can't afford it, but I can provide free eBooks! So if you post a review, send me an email with a link to it and you'll be rewarded! It doesn't have to be exhaustive, overly long or even an essay. Just a paragraph or two.

RL

Again, thank you readers, I'm a lucky author. Now, back to work on Spinward Fringe Rogue Element!