Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program...

Special thanks to everyone who showed their support for the Wikipedia page yesterday. I'm talking about Iamz, Janet, Elross, the anonymous fan and of course, Somacow.

Some fair edits were made and Pete Tillman, the archivist who replied to the anonymous watchdog who brought the article to his attention, approved it after review material and an Amazon.com link was removed. Thanks for listening to the people who support me most and for giving them time to make the appropriate changes.

Regardless of the online drama yesterday I did manage to get some writing done, but now I'm all pent up and I'm sure I'll get a good chunk of work finished today. It's like this story is a hundred raging bulls bashing at the gate trying to get out and, since I can't write a hundred thousand words in a day, I can only let them out a couple at a time.

Spinward Fringe Rogue Element is looking great already, with a focus on characters that I enjoy, a complexity that I don't think I've managed to build into any book thus far, excitement that comes out of character development, interesting situations and a return to the basics as far as the main players are concerned.

Spinward Fringe Frontline was a very serious novel and a different animal from the rest of the books in many ways. I enjoyed the experience even though the dark journey the characters took was at times difficult to write. There are sections of that book I look back on regularly that make me grin. Two readers have contacted me comparing the book to William Gibson's early work and one went as far as to say that I've added something new to cyberpunk. Great compliments, thank you, and very interesting since I don't see this series as a cyberpunk saga at all. I suppose that's one of the reasons why I feel so free to add whatever I feel I need to keep the stories interesting and moving in the right direction.

I realize that Spinward Fringe Frontline is still a new book for most people and people who read print haven't had a chance to get their hands on it at all. To me it's ancient, I started work on it in November, '08 and it's sold 111 copies. Spinward Fringe Rogue Element is the future I look forward to and it returns us to the roots of the series, with the humour and excitement of the First Light Chronicles and the scale and building complexity that the Spinward Fringe series is just now starting to become known for. This book makes me excited, the idea of pushing forward with all the pieces right where I want them is absolutely thrilling.

I certainly hope everyone is enjoying Spinward Fringe Frontline and I look forward to hearing more of your opinions about the book as more of you finish it. At the same time The First Light Chronicles Omnibus has been moved to the General Fiction category (taking the number 1 spot due to a good sales history in Mobipocket science fiction), so we can invite more people onto this journey.

Spinward Fringe Frontline is going to be available on Amazon.com in print sometime next week. The Kindle version is already available.

I'm also working with another large Canadian EBook E-Tailer (Online Retailer), to broaden the availability of the First Light Chronicles and Spinward Fringe series. From the looks of it the books will be sold at a very reasonable price and I like the tools they provide for their readers.

Now, back to writing Spinward Fringe Rogue Element. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline Available on Amazon Kindle

This book has done quite well on Mobipocket with 107 copies sold to date. Now Kindle users, including people who use the Kindle App for the IPhone, will have access to the latest Spinward Fringe book.

I'm very happy with the feedback I've been getting on this book, and since I take some pride in my relationship with my readers I invite anyone and everyone to send me direct email with regards to Frontline or the previous books. I do listen. When Resurrection and Awakening came out I recieved emails from people who had to tell me that their favourite characters were Ashley and Finn. As a result I gladly wrote them in as point of view characters in Triton and Frontline. They happen to be two of my favorite characters too.

On that note, if you feel compelled to write a short review on Amazon.com for anything I've written it would be very helpful.

Thanks for all your support thus far, work on Spinward Fringe Rogue Element is going very well.

RL

As of this writing Amazon has Spinward Fringe Frontline is on sale for $7.99.

Spinward Fringe Frontline: Available at Lulu.com

I had no idea, but there's apparently a demand for the Spinward Fringe Books in .pdf format. That came as a a surprise since I barely ever use .pdf. I find them pretty inflexible.

Regardless of that, I'm happy to announce that Spinward Fringe Frontline is now available in DRM free .pdf format here.

Sadly, Lulu.com has started charging for providing international print distribution, so I won't be able to use that avenue to get printed editions out to people in the UK. I'm still looking for someone to carry my printed titles out there and in Canada, I'm hoping to find a self publishing partner or publisher soon.

If you don't want to wait for Amazon.com to list Frontline, you can purchase a printed copy from Lulu.com for 19.99.

It's always good to see this book appear in different places and different formats. When I think of Frontline I can't help but compare it to Triton where quality of storytelling is concerned. They were both very serious books that moved the characters along quite a bit and it's hard for me to pick between the two when I try to think of which one I like more.

It'll take a while longer for Amazon.com to begin listing this book and I'll announce its availability the moment it appears.

Thank you to the two readers who told me that they were looking to purchase .pdf versions of my work, I'm glad Lulu.com was able to give me the ability to provide.

As an additional note, I'd like to thank the recent donor and everyone else who has purchased copies of my work and gotten others interested. I would be in a call center cubicle if it weren't for you guys! Keep spreading the word and there's no limit to where this series can go!

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline Hits Number 1 and Four More Months...

Thaaat's right, after selling 97 copies in under three weeks on Mobipocket, Spinward Fringe Frontline is now the number one book on the site. The First Light Chronicles Omnibus (where this whole series found its beginning), is number four.

Being number one anywhere is a telling sign. For a new stand alone book (one that isn't part of a series), it means that publicity, author popularity and word of mouth worked. For a book that's at the far end of a series like Spinward Fringe Frontline is, it means that there were enough people looking and waiting for it to propel it to the top of the list. For that, I thank you!

Omnibus being at number 4 on the Mobipocket overall top ten means that the word is still spreading, that you're still talking about your experience with that and the Spinward Fringe series. I have to take a minute to thank you for that as well. The glowing testimonials on the site are a huge help too.

While I'm on the topic of reviews, there's something I've been meaning to mention. If you have a blog or website or have seen a review done on any of my work, please drop me an email or leave a comment on any of my blog posts so I can link to it from my websites. If someone takes the time to review one of my books I'll gladly take the time to share my audience with them by adding a link here. I have to take a moment to thank the SomaCow crew, who haven't seen me lately because I've been rediculously busy as of late, thanks again for continuing to mention me and for looking forward to the printed edition of Frontline.

There's one other thing I really have to talk about before I go. Most authors see the topic of money as taboo, but then, most authors with an audience also have an agent and publisher(s). If you haven't guessed already, I do things a little differently than most. So, on to the topic of money. Thanks to the people who have been buying my books and the two donations I've recieved over the last two and a half months I'll be able to keep writing full time for another four months by the end of this quarter (July 1, 2009 is the beginning of the next quarter). There is a minimum I have to earn so I don't have to go find a part or full time job and I'm glad to say that as of yesterday I hit it! With only two weeks left in this quarter that's cutting it a little close, but I'm not complaining. Thank you everyone, I hope you're all enjoying my work!

What's going on right now? Well I've also socked away just enough to put my order in with Amazon.com so they'll start digitally stocking the master files for Spinward Fringe Frontline and print copies as people order them. There's no fee for them to do this for me, but shipping the proof (which I have to review before anyone can order a copy), costs more than you'd expect.

I'm also finishing work on a supernatural short today. I don't know if it's any good, but it's controversial and very cinematic in nature. It's not unussual for me to be unsure of a work's enjoyability as I finish it, that's one of the reasons why I have test readers. I'll have much more info on this as my proof readers and editor gets through with it some time next week. Hopefully I've written something decent and not given birth to a great big turkey. (Turkey = Boring, cheesy, silly piece of work that isn't worth saving).

After that I'm back to work on Spinward Fringe Rogue Element full time, which is looking pretty good so far.

Thank you again for four more months of writing full time. Everyone who bought a book (on Mobipocket, Kindle, Lulu, Amazon.com), or spread the word had a hand in it and I'd shake every one if I could reach far enough. You'll have to settle for more fiction as your reward.

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline: Now Available From Mobipocket.com

Since Mobipocket users have been the most supportive Spinward Fringe Frontline is available there first. Right now, in fact.

People who have sent me emails over the last year with regards to my writing got first crack at it yesterday when I sent them each a message telling them how to get it the day before release.


Spinward Fringe Frontline is a novel that I've been eager to finish, not for the relief of completion, but so I could share this story with everyone whose been following the Spinward Fringe series. There is no shortage of answers in this book and it brings the whole series up to the epic scale many people expect from Space Operas. I like to think there's something more between the covers as well, questions about personal identity and how different types of personalities react to prolonged pressure. There's more, but I can't go into it without giving something away.

Suffice it to say I'm excited. I've been living with this novel and this story for nearly six months now and as I start working on the next book I hope to hear back from some of you through reviews on Mobipocket and possibly email. Thank you for coming on this journey with me, I truly hope you enjoy the bumpy ride as much as I do.

You can find Spinward Fringe Frontline on Mobipocket here.

Spinward Fringe Frontline will become available on Lulu.com, Createspace.com and Amazon.com in print and Kindle editions over the next month to six weeks.

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline Release Date: Monday, June 1, 2009!

Finally! The final edit is complete and my editor has given me the all important thumbs up to proceed to release Spinward Fringe Frontline.

I'm not waiting long. On Monday, June 1st Frontline will be available on Mobipocket. Since I recieve the most support by far from Mobipocket users I'm more than happy to make it available to them first.

Versions will also be appearing on Lulu.com and Amazon.com shortly afterwards electronically. A print version will be available from Lulu whithin the next few weeks with the Amazon printed edition appearing within the next six weeks.

Spinward Fringe Frontline is my seventh science fiction book to date. Weighing in at four hundred seventeen pages, it's a full blown epic novel with a full cast of characters that originated in the First Light Chronices and Spinward Fringe Series'.

Here's the synopsis!

Set in the distant future, this book takes the main characters into the dark heart of the galaxy, where the fourth fall of man is well underway. What at first seemed to be a chaotic uprising of machine against man is becoming a controlled event, destroying the lives of billions and hurling the known galaxy into a state of utter dischord. The Order of Eden seems to be the only force for order and peace, offering a place in thier new society in trade for a large cash investment and their freedom.

Captain Valance and the Triton crew are finally learning to work as a unit. Oblivious to the grander designs of the Order of Eden and their leaders, they will inevitably be drawn into the center of a galactic conflict over a planet that contains a prized secret that's remained buried for decades. The question put to them is not if they can prevail, but if they can survive.

-End of sysnopsis-

I'm eager to present this, my largest and most ambitious work. I know the wait has been long, but I have no regrets. This is a full blown Space Opera novel that takes the Spinward Fringe series to an epic level. This is my best work, and even though I've been working on this one book for the better part of six months I'm not tired of the story, the characters or the setting.

Thank you very much for your support so far. I've said it before and it's worth repeating; you pay my rent, put food on my table and keep me writing full time. I hope you all enjoy reading this book as much or more than I enjoyed writing it.

RL

Spinward Fringe: Status Report

The road to Spinward Fringe Frontline has been long and filled with obstacles. To write Frontline I typed over seven hundred pages and came out with four hundred and nineteen including rewrites, three prologues that in no way resembled each other (only using one of them), and several other cut chapters that just didn't fit right. A lot of authors go through that, even with the kind of careful planning that went into this book.

The end of that road is in sight. I just finished working with my editor on the first three hundred pages now she's running off with the last bit and we'll be working on it later this week. So far she's been very pleased with the book, in fact she's read some chapters more than once because she found them so interesting and enjoyable. A point of pride for me, you can be sure.

I'm on edge. I honestly love this book. There are layers that call back to historical events, character interactions that play over and over in my head because I love how they turned out and creative bits where I can't help ask myself; "where the hell did that come from?" Imagine something as fast paced as Spinward Fringe Resurrection only its over four hundred pages long. My last pass on this book had me waking up at six am and working on it until midnight, the word driven doesn't begin to describe my mentality. I literally disappeared from the world and am still winding down weeks later.

Since then I've pumped out over ninety thousand words while detailing the background universe of Spinward Fringe, performing character studies and finishing several self imposed challenges meant to improve the quality of my descriptive and characterization abilities. I learn and improve by doing and those thousands of words have done wonders.

Where has the last few weeks (while I've waited for my editor to get through the book), taken the Spinward Fringe series? There's this prologue idea that I've been dreaming of using for the last eight months, like a milestone that has waited way off in the distance. It's explosive, unrestrained, universe changing and it's been written. As I wait for the verdict and notes to come back from my editor on the last quarter of Frontline I've been crafting the fine details of the next book in my head and my excitement has been building. The weeks I've spent working on my skills and distancing myself from the Spinward Fringe universe have taken the series far and I can tell you for certain that there are two more very good books back in the works right now.

Spinward Fringe Frontline is the best book I've written. That includes the Fantasy, Horror and all the Science Fiction I've released and kept to myself over the last five years. When I announced Frontline I promised a lot. At this point I can say that I feel I delivered. Somehow I also managed to include some decent humour in all that drama, which surprises even me.

Frontline is a collosal chapter in exactly the kind of Space Opera I enjoy, it's set my personal benchmark much higher than anything before it and I can't wait for you all to dig in. The next time you see a post here it'll be announcing the final release date and it won't be far off.

RL

Thank you for continuing on this journey with me. It's about to get very interesting.

The Verdict Is In On Podcasting

The results of the poll are pretty conclusive. People who follow my blog are much more interested in seeing me concentrate all my efforts on writing new material as opposed to splitting my time between that and audio books or podcasting.

There was a little interest in hearing me podcast, so I'm not going to completely rule that out. If I ever have something that would be best presented verbally instead of in a typed format I'll do it, but for the time being you'll have to read what I'm thinking instead of listen to it.

What was surprising about the results was how few people were interested in audio books. Considering I don't have what I see as a good reading voice, I'm not disappointed.

Polls are fantastic, they give me the opportunity to get an idea of what you want and whenever necessary I'll continue to check in and give you the chance to shape what I produce.

The next poll will help me decide which book I'll be working on after Spinward Fringe Frontline is out. I have a few outlines and am doing research on several possibilities, including another 2-3 Spinward Fringe books. I love writing and have a few projects ready to start right after I finish organizing my Spinward Fringe notes and making sure Frontline is as good as it can be before it gets posted on Mobipocket or submitted to Amazon.com.

Thank you for voting and for supporting me. Without you I would be working in a call center somewhere instead of writing full time. In return I'm happy to make you all as much of a part of the creative process as is possible!

While you're waiting for Spinward Fringe Frontline to be released, I'm wondering if there are any other topics you'd like to weigh in on. If you have an idea for a (non-spoiler), poll, leave a comment!

Spinward Fringe Frontline: The Wait

So, the 1st of May is almost upon us and Spinward Fringe Frontline is still with the editor. I could give you a lengthy explanation with a few excuses mixed in but I'd rather just come out and say it; it's my fault.

Some books take longer to put out, it's true. There are a lot of reasons for it, and thankfully there are a few simple ones behind the delays with Frontline. This is a large book for the series in size and plotline scope. Some of the characters undergo subtle transformations, others aren't so subtle. The story takes a new turn and you get to discover a lot about why things are the way they are, who was involved and even where the story might be going. In terms of actual physical size this book currently stands at 419 pages and there's still a chance my editor will tell me to expand in certain areas that move more like a high budget action film than a novel. Then again, she may just tell me to keep everything as is (with a few gramattical tweaks I'm sure).

I am sorry this book isn't coming out tomorrow, and I hope to have it out by the middle of the month, but if we need more time to polish this so you'll enjoy it more, we're going to take it and I'll make sure you know about it. My fingers and toes are crossed as I hope this draft passes muster. I like this one so much I've lost all objectivity, but that's why I'm thankful I have a good editor and you can rest assured that anything she does will only make things better.

The book is coming, it's my favourite of the series right now, and that's saying a lot. Frontline is epic in scope, our characters get into more trouble than ever and if you've been reading along so far this is one to look forward to.

Spinward Fringe Frontline: Nearly At An End

Spinward Fringe Frontline is unlike anything I've ever written. I'm almost finished my last draft and my editorial pass and I've tried to call this book a war novel, an adventure novel, a hard core science fiction novel and even a space opera novel. After reaching page 370 of 410 the best conclusion I can make is that it's a Space Opera novel that contains strong aspects of all those other things.

This book is 410 pages after cutting 68 pages out and without the last chapter. I've also scrapped three prologues, two of which were good enough to be prologues, one of which was good enough to be its own short story, but none of them were what I wanted. I have a 1.5m by 2m story board covered in post its that failed to contain what was happening with all the characters, the details of the plotlines and the overall movement of this piece. I'm not saying that writing and editing this book was a nightmare or that it's a mess, but it certainly was an unprecdented challenge for me. Thankfully this book came together as a very linear, clear telling of intertwining plotlines.

Before taking on the topics and stories of Frontline the largest book I had written was a fantasy novel called Fate Cycle: Sins of the Past. That book covers several weeks worth of events and builds a world complete with a history, system of mysticism and several other basic components nessisary to a conventional fantasy world. In comparison Spinward Fringe Frontline is much larger and yes, it addresses the weeks between it and Spiwnard Fringe Triton, the timeline of Frontline covers a week or less. In contrast to the fantasy novel I put out five years ago Frontline doesn't have to establish a universe or introduce a multitude of characters, so the four hundred ten pages (so far), are all plot, character development and action. In terms of television, this book would take about six full length hour long episodes to cover and you could easily stretch it to eight with the right special effects budget. (GRIN)

A lot of our favorite characters grow over the course of this book. At the same time the whole thing occurs during a period of adjustment, things are still developing and I enjoy some of the unexpected challenges the characters face. Other characters embark on a journey that changes them in a lasting way. I have to say that I enjoy this book, partially because of its differences from everything else I've done.

I love the dialogue in this book because it's beyond being functional, the characters are really asserting differences in their manner of speech. The story in Frontline goes a great distance to advance things while it brings a lot from the past into focus. I've lost all objectivity again and that's why I'm so happy to have a good, honest editor who will be able to tell me if my work is done or if I have to do another draft. My test readers will be able to sound alarms if I'm missing something or going in the wrong direction.

Having said that, I certainly hope she and everyone else enjoys this book as much as I have. It's complex, it's epic in scale and I'm at the same time looking forward to finishing the drafting and editing process as well as dreading the end because leaving this book behind is hard. I've lived in it for over five months now and the longer you spend with a work the harder it is to let it go.

Having said that, I hope that in a few days I'll be posting my editor's approval as well as an opinion or two from a test reader. If the feedback tells me I have more work to do, I'll tell you as soon as I know and I'll pin down another release date. I'll see you then!

RL

What are you looking to see in Spinward Fringe Frontline? Leave a (spoiler free) comment below!

If I Were To Podcast, Would Anyone Listen?

So, as most of you know I'm editing Spinward Fringe Frontline. What you don't know is that I'll be recording a whole lot of dictated notes about the entire series thus far so I can keep the last 1500 pages or so straight.

I have the encyclopedia for the Spinward Fringe series, but the recordings will include everything I couldn't in the typed "guide to the books" I have roughed out. I'll be calling the recordings the "Spoiler Files", and I hadn't planned on making them available to the public.

The more public recordings will be a reading of the First Light Chronicles Freeground novella. I'll be making the chapters available here for free so you'll get a chance to hear me drone on gratis.

Recently I've had more than one request to actually podcast instead of blogging. To be honest I have no idea how that would be different from what I'm already doing in text (blogging), but if there's a demand I'll be willing to try. So, that's what the next survey will be about.

I need you to tell me if you want to hear me start talking. Don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings if you want everything to stay just the way it is, with me cleverly typing out every blog post and keeping things prosey. On the other hand if you want me to start podcasting instead, well, me and my production team of one could give it a go and see what happens.

So vote, vote like you've seldom voted before!

RL

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)?

The Spinward Fringe Test Readers

Lately I've gotten a few emails from people who are very interested in becoming test readers. Sadly, I had to turn them all down and it's not because they were unqualified.

Typically the interested parties are well educated (engineers, teachers, other writers and more), but sadly, I still can't take them on. I wish I could, but there are a lot of reasons why I just can't include them.

So everyone understands why, I thought I would enlighten people on how I put a test group together.

The first thing I do is watch for people who I've met personally and have known for a while. I don't tell anyone that I'm looking for test readers. At least a month before I'm ready I take account of who has read all the books preceding the one I'm finishing and then choose people who don't know each other, aren't prone to posting spoilers on the Internet, are trust worthy, I've known for a while, are educated or well read and I get along with.

When I finish my drafts and my first editorial pass I send copies of secure files out to each test reader. They don't get to know who the other readers are, how many there are or where they are. My editor gets her copy at the same time and she doesn't know any of the test readers either. I have test readers in three countries right now, and the select group are all fantastic people. They'd probably get along famously if they ever got to know each other actually, but sadly, it's a blind reading.

So that's how it works. How are the results from this kind of group? Well, I'm always surprised at what people notice, of their very unique opinions and what they commonly mention. They help me improve as a writer and story teller and with a book as complex and as large as Frontline, they also make good watchdogs, pointing out problems with continuity, characterization and even turning points in the plot.

I'd love to take on more test readers, but as you can see it's hard to find people who fit just right into a blind reading.

The first quarter of Spinward Fringe Frontline has been sent out to the Editor and all the test readers, and I'm eagerly awaiting their comments as I continue to edit the rest of the book. I'll be posting their general impressions as they come in, so check back!

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline: The Cover and Progress

With 74% of voters in favour of the blue lettered Frontline cover featuring Pandem, the planet that most of the book takes place on, I think it's pretty certain that readers have told me which cover I should use. Thank you for voting everyone, you can check back soon for another poll.

So, with the cover chosen and editing well underway Frontline is a near inevitability. Unless the test readers and my editor have serious problems with the plot and character development I don't see any delays.

As I'm editing this book I'm actually rebuilding several chapters so there's even more focus on the characters and the personal challenges they face in this book. With so many characters vying for attention in this volume I'll admit it was difficult to decide on where the focus should be, but I'm confident in my decisions. I like where the story takes these characters, their journies, and even though I've written three completely prologues for this book so far I'm fairly sure I've got a good book on my hands.

So far the book is 396 pages thick, and when editing is complete I'm fairly certain it'll be over 400 pages long and the fastest paced piece of work that I've ever put out. I start reading this and have difficulty putting it down myself, so I hope that's true for everyone waiting for this volume.

There's more good news.

As Spinward Fringe Frontline wraps up several storylines, it also begins a new era in the Spinward Fringe series. When I started writing Science Fiction on January 1, 2008 I had a number of ideas and mental images that still haven't been used in the series. Not only that, but new material, new characters and ideas have all come up since then. There's so much more story to tell that I'm absolutely certain that I have enough for three more very good books, exciting books.

Beyond that there may be more. As I said over a year ago, I'm writing this series like a television series or large collection of serialized movies (which Hollywood simply doesn't know how to make), so as long as readers are interested I'll continue writing these books. Spinward Fringe Frontline is looking like a great foundation for the future and a fantastic story on its own.

There's more news coming, so stay tuned!

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline: It's Finished.

The definitive draft for this book completed a few days ago, and now that I've taken a couple days off and let it all sink in for a while I can say I'm comfortable with the risks I've taken plot-wise, the journeys the characters have taken and I'm ready to begin editing and refining this draft.

Now that pile of pages (about 400 high), isn't so much a mark of progress as it is another mountain to climb as I edit my way through it.

What do I have to say about it now that it's finished?

The plot is simpler than I had expected, the journey far more complex and certain characters get a lot more exposure than I thought I would ever give them, but they move the big picture story along a great deal.

Am I certain that this is the best book I've ever written? Will people enjoy this one as much as or more than the ones that have come before? As with every work I've completed in the last year and a half or so I've lost my objectivity. I know I like what's been done here, that the stories go in the right direction and that I've been true to the characters but I can't be sure if it's in need of another revision. That's why I've brought a few more test readers on board. None of them know each other, I've known each of them for quite some time, they won't get a chance to discuss what they're reading, and they're all more well educated than I am.

My Editor is at the fore of this group, and after I finish editing large sections of this book they'll be sent off to her and the other test readers. The whole process takes a few weeks for a book this size if I've done my job well and there's no need for massive revisions. If all goes well you'll be seeing this book on Mobipocket by the end of April and on Amazon.com by the end of May.

I'm very excited about this book even though it is much darker and riskier than the ones that came before. I'll keep everyone updated on how the editing and test readings are going as the work is done and the results come in. Thank you all very much for your support and for spreading the word. Without you I wouldn't be able to do this full time and Frontline would not only be a different book but it would have taken a year to complete, perhaps more.

The journey continues, and believe me when I tell you it's extremely difficult to restrain myself from skipping my part of the editing process to move on and write the next book in the series. I was supposed to take a break and write a horror novel, but the journey ahead in the Spinward Fringe is so compelling to me that I'm going to put that on hold and write another SF book as soon as Frontline is released.

More news coming soon!

RL

Spinward Fringe Frontline: The End Is Nigh!

Before I get into the main topic of this post, thank you to everyone who voted for the cover of the upcoming Spinward Fringe book: Frontline. You can still vote above (as of the time of this posting), and look at the different choices here. You don't have that much time left, however, since I'm almost finished writing this book.

For the first time since I started writing religously at the beginning of 2008 I've spent a massive chunk of time on just one book. This novel has been months in the making and it's size, complexity, setting and characterization are made to show it. As of this morning Frontline grew to a size larger than the entire First Light Chronicles Omnibus, and that's after I pulled about 20 pages that I didn't think had a place in this book. (Some of that stuff will appear in the next book).

The crazy thing is I'm about to start work on the ending today, so it's going to grow. The story in this volume is advancing further in this one book than in any of the others. I won't lie to you, I love writing in this setting, I enjoy the characters, and this story is as addictive to me as it is to anyone out there, probably more so.

Once I finish writing this draft I'll start polishing the work, and thankfully that won't take nearly as long as it has to write it (over four months). If all turns out well with the ending and I get the thumbs up from my editor and test readers (you know who you are!), this book could be out within a month in EBook format. I would like to say that I'm sorry this book took so long, but to be honest I'm not. This kind of book, with it's interwoven plotlines, sensitive timelines, high adventure and characterization that demands attention and detail takes time, and when you read it I hope you feel that it was worth the wait.

What's the plan after I finish this book?

I'm going to take a few weeks off to write a few short stories, develop another book and then it's straight back into the next Spinward Fringe Broadcast. Plans are quickly coming together for the next few parts of this series, and as long as there's a demand for them I'll keep turning them out to the absolute best of my ability. Oh, and expect at least one of those short stories to be available here for free.

Thank you very much for reading, waiting and passing the word. Without you this book would have never happened the same way. It's time to get back to work.

RL

Calling All Readers! Choose The Next Spinward Fringe Cover!

With the impending completion of Spinward Fringe Frontline I've come to a point where I can't decide which cover I want to go with; the red lettering or the blue lettering. There's a third option that I'm really not sure of, but I find it striking. That is a cover featuring Ayan.

So, I put the question to you, dear readers and friends: which cover do you like best? It's important to know that this is a professional decision, and the final tally of the vote on the day of release will determine what cover I go with! It's simply not up to me anymore, it's all you. Keep in mind that whatever you choose will be seen by literally thousands of people across the globe, no pressure.

So vote once, then get your friends to vote once even if they don't know anything about the series, this is a purely aesthetic decision at this point. Thank you for your help on this and for your support thus far.

I'm enjoying writing the third act of Spinward Fringe Frontline and I can't wait until everyone gets a chance to sink their teeth into this book!

The voting booth is at the top of this page and the choices are:
Planet Cover With Blue Lettering
Planet Cover With Red Lettering
Ayan Cover With Blue Lettering
Ayan Cover With Red Lettering























I look forward to seeing the results!

RL

One more thing: Don't worry about Ayan's hair colour.

Spinward Fringe Frontline: The Work Continues

I've never read or written anything like this book. After taking a day off and reading the manuscript so far I have to say there's no faster paced work of its size that my editor or I have ever seen. It kept her up until two in the morning three times and I didn't put the manuscript down for anything while I was reading it. I wrote the thing, I already know what happens but I was still glued to the pages.

I read through the manuscript so far because I wanted to make sure I was going in the right direction, that the three intertwining plotlines were all necessary and that there was no filler. What I realize now is that this book is divided into three very important acts and I'm just about to start on the third one.

As a writer quantity doesn't matter nearly as much as quality. I ask myself; is everything here important to the story? Characterization? Is it entertaining? If something doesn't make the grade it gets cut, it's that simple. So far Frontline has had about 37 pages cut (not included in the image above), and I'm keeping about 290 so far because that's what's required to tell the story this book contains. The thought of breaking the work up into two or more novellas crossed my mind, but sadly this work doesn't allow for that. You can feel when one act ends and another begins, but if I were to separate the book into different sections it would seem more like a frustrating money grab than an artistic choice, and even though I do this for a living (a job I absolutely love!), I don't like the idea of doing something solely for cash.

More about the progress of the book: I'm writing one large chapter or two or three short ones a day, six days a week to get this one finished. Research, planning, conceptualization and day to day business all happens around that. I have the third act almost entirely in mind and it feels like my brain is about to bust. I wish this novel were already a movie, I would love to see this broken up into six episodes of good television because when I think of this book the images start rolling and I can't type fast enough.

I haven't told a truly epic story for years, not since my foray into fantasy (Fate Cycle: Sins of the Past), and this book makes everything before it feel like nothing but build up. I am sorry it's taking longer to write this book than any other in the series, but from what I read in that manuscript and what I'm writing right now I can tell you that it'll be worth it. This is an Epic Space Opera, and even though it completely closes off one of the most important plot lines of the series (you know, the story that started at the end of Starfree Port), this book expands the universe, explores the characters and sets down a very solid foundation for so many books to come.

What's the tone of the third act of this book? I'll give you a hint; I've been listening to a lot of Danny Elfman (best known for soundtracks for movies like Night Breed, 90's Batman, Hellboy, Wanted, etc...). The more demented the soundtrack feels the better.

When do I expect to be finished? I hoped to be finished by the end of February, but I can't really tell. There's a lot of story left in this final act of the book and I'm afraid that quality demands that no completion date be set. The first two acts of this book were about 150 pages each, and took about a month each to complete (Christmas and a family matter added an extra month and a half to that). Most of the conceptualization and planning is finished though and that's the really good news.

Am I enjoying myself? Immensely! I honestly wish someone else had already written this and put it on the silver screen or television somewhere so I could just sit back and watch! That's not the case, however, so I have the rare honour of closing my eyes and adapting the movie as the reels roll on in my head.

Well, it's time for me to go back into the Fringe, to start work on the final act in this three act performance that is Spinward Fringe Frontline. Before I get lost in that universe, however, I need to thank everyone whose been buying the books, supporting me and spreading the word. Without you these books wouldn't be the same; I'd be writing around a full time job somewhere instead of making writing my main gig. Thank you for your help, as I said long ago the readers will determine if and when Spinward Fringe ends and so far (Triton sold it's 210th copy yesterday), the majority of my small but very kind audience seems to agree that Spinward Fringe shouldn't end anytime soon.

RL

Spinward Fringe: Over 1400 Books Sold

Pictured Above: Ayan, by Marc Froment

I know, in the publishing world selling fourteen hundred books doesn't count for much at all, but as an independent author with no advertising budget it's a real big milestone. Here's the interesting part;over twelve hundred of those books were sold on MobiPocket. I owe a lot to that site. They didn't give me preferential treatment, I didn't get onto their front page unless I was out selling other books honestly, and they didn't give me a banner or other special real estate on their pages unless one of my books earned its way there.

Mobipocket did, however, give me the opportunity to post my work on their site. Then some of my fans (as few as they were back then), posted reviews and thanks to that some of the science fiction fans on MobiPocket noticed my work. From there things started to grow, and since August the First Light Chronicles Omnibus has held the number one spot in the Science Fiction section. For that I only have the readers to thank, and boy am I thankful! Only one book has sold through Amazon.com, but I'm hoping that will pick up in time.

It's important to mention people who go the extra mile before I go on; the donators, of which there have been three very minor ones and one very major. These people's donations go towards computer repair, sending promotional copies of books out to reviewers (SomaCow being a great example), and this month's donation will be going to next month's groceries.

What do I consider a fan? Well, that's simple. A fan is someone who posts a review on Amazon.com, Mobipocket.com or on their blog with a link leading back to my site. I also consider people who donate (even a little), and people who take the time to send in an email with their opinion on something in the books. Geoff, J and Ross of SomaCow are fans (especially considering the great efforts they put in to pull more aboard!), Dee is a fan, Neil is a fan (Dee and Neil's reviews can be seen on the First Light Chronicles listing on MobiPocket along with a few others) and anyone whose bought the First Light Chronicles and all the Spinward Fringe books are fans. Also, anyone who tells someone else they're a fan is a fan. It's not a very exclusive club, and membership is as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be and I am truly greatful to each and every one of you for buying the books, enjoying yourselves, supporting me and spreading the word!

For anyone who is curious, 194 people have purchased all the science fiction books released in 2008. That's the First Light Chronicles Series (either seperately or in the Omnibus), and the Spinward Fringe Series. Looking at that number, even though it's small by modern publishing standards, reminds me daily of how many people who have followed me and my characters through this turmultuous journey thus far. I have very good news for all of you: This is where it gets interesting. Just look at the next book; Spinward Fringe Frontline.

Spinward Fringe Frontline is taking a long time to write and I can tell you why. There is room for the characters to develop, villains finally tell a major part of the story and the plot moves with the overwhelming violence and speed of an avalanche. Until now I've kept a few notes on the technology and characters, but with the increase of scope and activity in this book it's been nessisary to begin work on an actual encyclopedia (currently named OMGENCYCLOPEDIA), just to keep track of the developments in this book and how they're attached to previous work. My goal is to provide a new example of what a true, complete Space Opera is in one book. Thank God I thrive on ambition. So far I'm very happy with how this book is turning out and I can't wait to see it finished even though I still have a lot of work to do yet.

A word about Spinward Fringe Triton: A week after the book was released the emails started coming in about this book. Fully a quarter of the people who purchased this volume sent emails in, and none of them had a single negative thing to say. That book brought many people to tears, got them funny looks on the tube as they laughed aloud, and left them feeling as though there was great promise for more at the end. To be honest, that's exactly the kind of journey I had while writing it, so I couldn't have been happier at its reception. On the other hand, I believe that every book has to equal or surpass the last, so I when I think of Triton I immediately think of the challenge I face in Spinward Fringe Frontline and how well I'll have to develop that book for it to be a worthy volume.

Moving on...

As if you couldn't already tell, my Muse is my only mistress. Writing is what I love to do above all else, and even though 1400 books sold over a five month period barely provides a living, I'll take living on the absolute minimum and being able to write full time over working a job I hate and having more money than one person generally needs. At one time I got a hell of a rush from playing drums in front of hundreds (thousands once), of people but these days I feel really high when I know I've had an emotional affect on someone. I wouldn't trade this for anything, and you people make it possible. If you keep spreading the word there's no telling what could happen.

Now, back to work on Spinward Fringe Frontline.

RL

Feel free to leave a comment here about the portrait of Ayan above, I'm sure Marcus would love the feedback. Just don't mention the hair colour...

Wondering What I'm Up To? Follow Me On Twitter!

A lot of people are eagerly awaiting the release of Spinward Fringe Frontline and what I can tell you right now is that I'm working to write a fantastic story. I can't release the book yet, it's still in the works, but one thing you can do it satisfy your curiosity by following me through your Twitter account or by looking at the upper right hand corner of my Night By Night Blog.

At first I wasn't sure how much I'd like this social networking tool, but I decided to give it a fair shake and before long I was interacting with two of the guys from SomaCow, keeping a few fans current on what was going on, updating my status on Facebook and keeping a mini-journal of my writing habits all at the same time. Now, I'm generally no big fan of social networking tools, but this one does help me keep everyone aware that Spinward Fringe Frontline is in the works and I'm enjoying the writing. It's an uncommon reassurance, and sometimes I wish that George RR Martin or any of my other favourite authors used such things. It might also be interesting to see what someone like George Lucas, Joss Whedon or Eric Kripke (creator of Supernatural), was up to from day to day.

So, my life may not be nearly as interesting as the entertainment icons listed above but if you want to know more about what I'm up to and how Spinward Fringe Triton is coming along from one day to the next, Twitter is the most direct way!

For those of you who don't have Twitter and don't want to sign up, I'll have an update on how things are going with the latest Spinward Fringe book right here tomorrow, so stay tuned...

RL