Realm of Elinth: Now Available!

The story of HMCS Borealis continues in the fourth book Realm of Elinth, which is now available on Amazon.

Time is running out for the Milky Way. 

The galaxy continues to be overrun by the invading Horlan.  Hundreds of worlds are being consumed, and entire civilizations are threatened. 

On the other side of a jumpgate, three science vessels are stranded in another galaxy.  Their research could mean the difference between victory and extinction, and HMCS Borealis is being sent to bring them home.  But one science ship has its own agenda, one can't be found, and one doesn't seem to want to be found. 

Isolated and alone, the Borealis crew wonders if it's already too late for their homes and loved ones.  Nerves fray and tempers flare as they struggle with the prospect of being humanity's last hope.  Dillon and his battered crew must navigate not only the dangers of a long-dead civilisation, but the dangers they pose to each other. 

Their chance to save humanity will come in an unexpected form, and at a high cost.

Their story will conclude in the fifth book in the series.  If all goes well, it will arrive in Spring 2018.

Realm of Elinth on Amazon:

.com .ca .uk .de .fr .es .it .nl .jp .br .mx .au .in

Realm of Elinth: Cover Image

I now have the final version of the cover for Realm of Elinth:

Realm of Elinth is the fourth book in the series of HMCS Borealis.  The final edits are just about done, and I'm on course to release it next week.

To everyone near and far, Merry Christmas!  Or Festivus.  Or, as the Dosh might say, Primary Gift Exchange Event.  Or, as the Freem might say, [moist slurping sound].

Summoned: Now Available!

Realm of Elinth, the fourth book in the story of HMCS Borealis, is out with the Readers Of The Apocalypse for some final edits and comments.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they have to say.

In the meantime, it gives me some time to take care of another project I've been working on.  My fantasy book from last year, previously titled Magic Comes to Whiteport, has been given a new title and a new cover!

Summoned is now available on Amazon.  I'm delighted with how the cover has turned out.  The great people at Deranged Doctor Design have done a fantastic job of bringing Katryn to life.  Well, not 'life' per se, because... well, necromancy complicates things.

Here's a teaser for Summoned:

Something's wrong with magic. Powerful artifacts are vanishing. Magical gear can't be trusted. Spells are failing. Without magic, the Empire will collapse.

Katryn Windhelm was murdered. Now she comes to Whiteport set on revenge against its lord, who ordered her family killed. With her is Donza, the necromancer who gave her new 'life' after death.

The Nick is the greatest thief in the western Empire. He's inherited his mother's title and magical gear, making his life of burglary an easy one. But then a ring failed, and a job went wrong.

Anson the knight has spent her life protecting her lord, who has powerful Seer abilities beyond his control. Along with her apprentice Howe, she must shepherd her tormented master toward the destiny he has foreseen.

Three paths in pursuit of revenge, artifacts, and magic. All paths leading to Whiteport, the city on the sea.

Available on Amazon:

  .com  .ca  .uk  .de  .fr  .es  .it  .nl  .jp  .br  .mx  .au  .in

Stuff's Happening

The fourth book in the story of HMCS Borealis is being edited, and it's going well.  I'm very grateful for the feedback I've received so far from the Readers of the Apocalypse and the Primary Litho-Kinetic Technician.  They're awesome.

This fourth book now has a name:  it will be called Realm of Elinth.  It'll be a familiar reference for those who have been following the series, though the Freem won't let me say anything more.

As the release of Realm of Elinth draws nearer, there are giveaways going on for the members of the Fancy New Newsletter.  Copies of Chosen were recently given away to some attractive and intelligent people, and it's very possible that another giveaway will happen soon.

In other news, my fantasy book Magic Comes to Whiteport has been well-received at the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) for 2017.  It made it to the semi-finals and while it didn't proceed further, the judge Ventureadlaxre had nice things to say:

Personally… Magic Comes to Whiteport remains in my head as something I simply liked. The characters, the plot, the writing… all together, it’s just a nice, enjoyable and entertaining read. It was what I wanted at the time, and if I had time to read any of these again on an empty afternoon, it’s the one I’d pick up.

Thanks again to Ventureadlaxre for their kind words; I'm happy they enjoyed it.  I enjoyed writing it, and I might return to look in on those characters again someday.

Borealis 4: First Draft Complete

After several weeks of intensive (obsessive?) effort, the first draft of Realm of Elinth is complete.  This will be the fourth book in the story of HMCS Borealis.  At the moment, it weighs in at a little bigger than the third book (Loyalties), but that will change during editing.

The next stage of book creation involves a printed manuscript, a red pen, and a lot of scribbled notes.  Once I've done my initial editing, I'll be sending it out to the Four Readers of the Apocalypse (and other noted stone-throwers) for their feedback.

In the weeks before the release of the fourth Borealis book, I'm planning on doing some giveaways of the previous books in the series, so that attractive and intelligent people can catch up before Realm of Elinth hatches.  Everyone who is subscribed to the Fancy New Newsletter will be eligible.

In the meantime, it's the start of autumn here in rural Ontario: the season of village fairs, warm clothes, and pumpkin-spice-flavoured everything.

Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off

I'm happy to report that Magic Comes to Whiteport is one of the titles being considered in the 2017 installment of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) on GoodReads.  Whiteport's initial review can be found on GoodReads and on the reviewer's own blog Ventureadlaxre.

Thank you to SPFBO readers for your support!

Rural Life

Status Report:  Borealis 4 first draft now ~40% done.

---

Earlier this year, I packed up my Secret Lair and moved away from the city.  Far away, beyond the gangrenous hell of the suburbs, and into the lush green fields of the countryside.

I had certain expectations about the whole thing.  For one, I expected there to be less traffic.  Big checkmark there.  I also expected it to be quieter.  Boy howdy, is it quiet.  And dark.  Night time in the countryside is so much more night than it is in the city.  It's dark, and quiet, and I can see the stars again.  It's magical.

There are other magical things, too.  Like raccoon crap on the front step, a calling card from a nocturnal visitor.  Or the dead skunk in the middle of the road, which needs to be nudged to the shoulder before a car runs over the weaponized end.  Allergies are magical, too:  some days, the air is filled with sparkling dust as millions of trees and plants have sex.  A bit later in the year, some farmers will spread manure on their fields, using clever machines with spinning tines that fling the manure in the air like a glorious fountain of excrement.

But then, the day will end with a breathtaking sunset that fades into a glittering star-filled night, and everything seems okay again.  Until you step in raccoon crap.

Borealis 4: Outline complete

I'm pleased to report that Loyalties is doing well.  Quite a few people have picked it up and are following the ongoing story of the Borealis and her crew.

Two more books are planned for the series, and the fourth one is already underway.  Just today, I've put the finishing touches on the outline, and am ready to grab my pen and get started on Chapter 1.

I've decided (quite cunningly, I think) to use the working title of "Borealis 4".  It's catchy.  Not as catchy as "Everything Asplode", but that would be giving away too much of the plot.

In other news, the Instafreebie giveaway for Burnt Worlds has been a success.  Quite a few attractive & intelligent people have chosen to take home a copy for themselves and join the Fancy New Newsletter at the same time.  In fact, the giveaway has been going so well, I've decided to extend it until the end of June.  You can find it here:

https://www.instafreebie.com/free/s5RKI

I had lunch today with one of the Four Readers of the Apocalypse.  Pestilence said to say "Hi".

A Newsletter and a Giveaway, at the same time. Coincidence?

There's always a few moments of panic trepidation when publishing a new title.  Will people buy it?  Will people look at it?  Will there be an angry pitchfork-wielding mob?  It could happen.

Loyalties is out in the big world now, and is doing well.  People are indeed checking it out, and the initial feedback has been positive.

To celebrate the lack of pitchforks, I'm starting a giveaway.  For the rest of May, Burnt Worlds will be available for free via Instafreebie:

https://www.instafreebie.com/free/s5RKI

Feel free to share the link.  In order to get a free copy of Burnt Worlds, all you have to do is sign up for my fancy new newsletter.  I'm hoping a few as-yet-unmet friends will check it out and start enjoying the series.

Speaking of fancy new newsletters, I have a fancy new newsletter.  There's a link to join it near the top of the page, in the sidebar.  The newsletter will be infrequent -- a few times a year -- just to let all you attractive & intelligent people know about when a new book is about to be released into the wild.

In the meantime, I've started the outline for Book 4 of the Borealis series.  It's going to be a busy time on the ship.  Very busy.

Loyalties: Now Available!

I'm delighted to announce that Loyalties is now available.  It's my fourth book, and the third in the 'HMCS Borealis' series.

The story isn't done yet!  The fourth book in the series is already underway, with publication planned for summer/fall 2017.  The story will conclude in the fifth book, which will follow this coming winter.

If you haven't checked out the series yet, I hope you'll give it a try.  To mark the occasion of Loyalties becoming available, I'm reducing the price of Burnt Worlds (the first book in the series) to $0.99 (USD) for a limited time.

Loyalties (HMCS Borealis, Book 3)
.com .ca .uk .de .fr .es .it .nl .jp .br .mx .au .in

Loyalties: Teaser

I've moved house, and spent the next couple weeks rummaging through boxes, trying to find things.  I managed to find my desk, my computer, and a pen, and now I'm back at work.  Speaking of which...

Coming very soon:  Loyalties, the third book in the story of HMCS Borealis.

Humanity is in retreat.  The relentless Horlan have returned, invading deep into human space.  Entire colonies are being harvested into the holds of their living ships. 

Since leaving the navy, Eric Cho and the mechanic Saparun Vish have lived a simple life, farming on a distant colony world.  But now the war has come to them, and they must find a way to escape their doomed colony. 

Commander Dillon is the reluctant captain of HMCS Borealis.  An old ship relegated to the sidelines of the ongoing conflict, her crew is restless to get into the action.  Dillon knows their chance will come soon enough, and with it will come pain and sacrifice.   

Fate has chosen the fiery Heather Gibson to be a spiritual leader of the alien Palani.  An old civilisation in decline since the last war, the Palani now teeter on the edge of extinction.   Along with her bond-mate Elan, Heather must prepare the Palani to face their nemesis once more, or face their own extinction. 

For a chance to defeat the ancient evil, humanity will pay a heavy cost.

A life made of cardboard boxes

Back in January, I mentioned that I had begun packing in anticipation of moving house at the end of March.  Packing has been been a long and eventful voyage of discovery.  Specifically, I've been discovering just how much stuff one person can accumulate while living in the same place for twenty years.  It's astonishing.

The new place needs a ton of work before it's ready for me to move in, but it's almost done.  At the old place, the vast piles of stuff (books, mostly) continue to be packed in anticipation of moving day.

Unfortunately, this has been swallowing up so much time that I have fallen behind my self-imposed schedule.  I could push ahead with Loyalties at the same time as the other stuff I'm doing, but I don't want to rush it based on my self-imposed (and, when it comes down to it, arbitrary) schedule.

I'm now aiming to publish Loyalties in April.  I'd rather it was a great book published late, than a mediocre book published on time.

And remember, pack boxes by weight, not by volume!

Loyalties: Cover Image

I'm happy to share the final cover art for Loyalties.  This will be the third book in the story of HMCS Borealis.

Loyalties is still on schedule, aiming for release in February 2017.  I'll post a summary shortly but, for those who have asked, some favourite characters will definitely be returning.

A busy year ahead

2017 has arrived.  It still looks like a science-fiction sort of number, like it ought to be far in the future somewhere.  We were supposed to have flying cars by now.

Things have been very busy for me.  In addition to the holidays, I have started packing in anticipation of moving house by the end of March.  It's astonishing how much stuff one can accumulate just by living in the same place for a few years.

Nevertheless, I still anticipate being able to publish Loyalties by the end of February.  After that, I'll settle into my new place and then get down to work.  I intend to have the fourth Borealis book out later this year, and hopefully the fifth (and final) book as well.

Best wishes to everyone for a great new year!