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Category: Writing news

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The Prodigals — Available for pre-orders

I’ve released The Prodigals for pre-orders until April 28, 2023. It will be available from Amazon in eBook format.

So, click on the image below and order your copy. The Prodigals will also be available in paperback soon.

The Prodigals

In the midst of an interstellar war, three people find themselves facing a long road home.

Roger Blankenship fled his home when the EarthGov tyranny drove the Thirty Houses from SolSystem. Blankenship placed his small group of warships between the EarthGov dominated System States Alliance and the Thirty Houses, fleeing to a new home.

Marcus Tolliver fled his home to escape the machinations of his father, a Magnate of Endicott’s World, to join the Confederation Navy. After the death of his older brother, Marcus refused his father’s demand to leave the navy and return home to be his father’s heir.

Katje Kappel had her life planned out. She wanted to enter the naval academy and be like her older sister, and her father, a naval ship’s captain.

However, events forces change. Roger Blankenship, after the warships of the Thirty House navy is turned over to the Confederation Navy, finds himself leading a small Confederate task group returning to SolSystem and finding human life on the verge of extinction. Marcus Tolliver finds himself given a task to deploy a new technology assisted by a young woman who is not what she appears. Katje Kappel, not meeting the requirements for entry into the Naval Academy, finds herself on an alternate path. One she hadn’t expected or wanted.

With the spread of war, each faces unexpected tribulations, danger, and uncertainty of their return home.

“This full-bodied work of military science fiction threads a touching story of a young woman’s growth, advancement, and family through its many scenes of space-marine action. Fans of the subgenre will be more than satisfied.” Virge B. Red Adept

“The war is officially over, but the action hasn’t stopped for the Tri-Cluster Confederation military. New technology is being developed, new soldiers are being trained, and new military units are being built in anticipation of future conflict in this exciting sci-fi saga.” Brittany M. Red Adept

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IASFA – The Independent Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors

At one time, for several years, I was a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America. The dues ran around $100 a year. I thought it would be a valuable membership. I was wrong. You had to be of a particular political and social bent. Else, No soup for you!

I have since joined the IASFA. Here’s a blurb from their website. If you’re an independent writer, come take a look and join us.

For lovers of Science Fiction & Fantasy – a monthly delivery of FREE Sci-Fi and Fantasy books. Share your email address with us and we’ll send you a link each month. Sign up here.

https://iasfa.org/get-free-books/

If you’ve already signed up, hang loose because you don’t need to sign up again. You’ll be getting an email shortly from us with the link to this month’s offering.

February’s books are Epic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, and High Fantasy – valiant heroes braving evil villains. Dragons and magic. Enchanted swords and hidden treasures. Read books from an all-star cast of Epic Fantasy scribes who have created intricate worlds, daring characters, and fantastic quests.

Exclusive from February 10th through the 14th, Epic Fantasy. A lot of books. Free to own. You get to pick and choose which books you want so you aren’t spammed with a bundle of stuff you never have any intention of reading. Choose wisely and you may just find your next favorite author.

Next month, Alien SciFi. Want more? Join us and reap the rewards.

The Independent Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors (IASFA) is a professional organization focused on matching readers with authors. We are building the organization that currently numbers 464 authors published within the SFF genres. Stay tuned as each month we’ll offer full book samplers for free. Help yourself to find your next favorite author.

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Wow! What a review and 5-Stars, too!

I love surprises. What I like is that they are unexpected and unanticipated. That just makes everything better.

I received a message this morning notifying me that I’d been awarded a 5-Star award and review from the IHI Book Review Project. Here’s the link to the review.

What is best, in her last paragraphs of the review…

This fast-paced, fascinating tale will enthrall sci-fi enthusiasts from the very first paragraph to the last. “The Beacon at Barrington Light: A Novella of the Trilogy-Cluster Confederation” strongly appeals to Hard Sci-Fi and Sci-Fi Mystery enthusiasts, ages 13 and up. This novella can be read in one sitting, and I highly recommend this read to anyone who loves Hard Sci-fi Action and Adventure Mystery Thrillers.

“Congratulations to the author on this award-winning story! This novel will be permanently featured on my website at AuthorJBRichards.com under IHIBRP 5 Star Recommended Reads!” — JB Richards

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Dundee Orbital update

Dundee Orbital

I’ve been working on a collection of short stories and a novella for my second book in The Tri-Cluster Confederation series. This is a possible backcover blurb.

 

Dundee Orbital is the mercantile hub of the Tri-Cluster Confederation. Millions pass through the station and each has a story.

  • The Face on the Barroom Floor. Donal Harris has a mystery on his hands. He has a murder victim with no fingerprints, no hair, eyebrows, ears and only a smooth oval head with no identifiable features. Who killed his, why, and who is he?

  • Homegoing to Hollowell. Dee-Ell Davies wants just one thing—to go home to Hollowell and he’ll do anything, even defy death, to make that happen.

  • The Fenian. Fen is a naval intelligence agent who has chased his quarry, a spy, across human space to Dundee Orbital. Is this the end of the chase? What does the spy want here? Fen, Donal Harris and Elspeth Harris are determined to discover why and thwart the spy’s plans.

  • Li’l Annie. Annie Griffin is a bounty hunter who arrives at Dundee Orbital with four fugitive warrants. Senior Patroller Henry Hillman is assigned to observe her pursuit and insure the proper protocols and procedures are followed. However, propinquity leads to a growing relationship. When Henry and Annie are wounded capturing their last fugitive, that relationship deepens.

    If Annie wants to stay on the station, she needs a new job. Her tenure as a bounty hunter is over and it’s time for her life to take a new direction.

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Émigré: A Novel of the Tri-Cluster Confederation

Émigré: A Novel of the Tri-Cluster Confederation has been released and is available for pre-orders on Amazon.com.

Émigré: A Novel of the Tri-Cluster Confederation by [Watson, Mike]

When Fabien Loche arrives in the Confederation as SolSytem’s newest Liaison, his government believes he’s a broken man sent into exile. But the new job, and the new culture, are far more strange and welcoming than either had anticipated. With the help of the local Chief Inspector, and his headstrong niece Molly, Loche plunges headlong into exploring and learning everything on the station above and world below.

More is riding on his assimilation than his future. He’s also the vanguard of the spaceborne Houses of SolSystem, who are preparing to flee the reach of an increasingly unstable and aggressive Earth. But the Confederation is far more fragmented and factioned than he expected. The scramble to control the highly advanced technology that the Houses will bring, and the fear of losing it, may be the wedge that drives Confederation and Sol System alike into war…

Émigré will also be available in paperback. Please subscribe to my mailing list to keep up to date on future activities. A collection of short stories and a novella in the Tri-Cluster Confederation is in development. Join my mail list and don’t miss Dundee Orbital (coming 2Q2020.)

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The Beacon at Barrington Light

I’ve just pushed the publish button for this novella. It’s available for pre-order, now, from Amazon and will be available on February 7th, 2020.

Please help an old writer and tell your friends. Spend $0.99 and have a good read.

Ping-Ping, Ping-Ping! The alert woke Captain Charles LeMont of the buoy tender CNAS Halcyon, a naval auxiliary ship. He slapped the link on his wrist to shut off the pinging and sat up in the dimness of his cabin. His eyes felt gummy; he rubbed them, trying to remove the sleep grit that had accumulated since he had gone to bed.

“Go ahead, Comm.” LeMont’s head throbbed. How long had he been asleep? Not long enough for his nanites to purge him of the effects of a hangover.

“Barrington Light is offline, again, Captain. We’ve received another maintenance call,” the communications watch officer announced via the ship’s interlink. “Mission order sent to your link.”

LeMont yawned. Geez, again! “Roger,” LeMont replied. “Give me five minutes for a shower. Please have coffee and breakfast sent to my cabin; following that, contact Dundee Orbital Control for a departure time-slot for…” His head was pounding. Oh, hell. The Engineer was there last night, too. “Check with the Engineer first. Tell him I want us ready to undock in two hours. If two hours creates issues, have him call me.”

“Uh, Captain, System Control wants an ETA and estimate to repair.”

Idiots! We just got the mission order. “Tell them they’ll know when—no…tell them we’ll provide one as soon as we can.” LeMont calmed down. The hangover boosted his irritability level to new heights.

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

“Oh, tell Dave Fuentes I’ll meet him on the bridge in half an hour.” David Fuentes was the Halcyon‘s First Officer.

“Will do, Captain.”

The Halcyon was just coming off a thirty-day R&R—Refit and Replenishment. The traditional crew party, marking the start of their next cruise—or the end of R&R depending upon your perspective, ended only a few hours ago.

“Lights, fifty percent.” LeMont suspected he wasn’t the only one waking to a pounding head. He headed for the ‘fresher feeling his medical nanites dealing with his hangover as the cabin’s overhead brightened.

The Beacon at Barrington Light

https://www.amazon.com/Beacon-Barrington-Light-Tri-Cluster-Confederation-ebook/dp/B084CVC7YW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Beacon+at+Barrington+Light&qid=1580496369&sr=8-1

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Coming soon! Émigré

I’ve been writing fiction for some time and have made over a dozen sales. Initially, I wrote Alternative History, writing in Eric Flint’s 1632 universe. I’ve had two novelettes purblished in Eric Flint’s Grantville Gazette plus a 33K word novella in . My fourth story will appear in an upcoming issue of the Gazette.

My big announcement is the publishing of my first full-sized novel early in 2020. The cover and back cover blurb is shown below. I’ll add an Amazon link when it’s published.

Emigre front cover
Dundee Orbital over Inverness.

When Fabien Loche arrives in the Confederation as SolSytem’s newest Liaison, his government believes he’s a broken man sent into exile. But the new job, and the new culture, are far more strange and welcoming than either had anticipated. With the help of the local Chief Inspector, and his headstrong niece Molly, Loche plunges headlong into exploring and learning everything on the station above and world below.

More is riding on his assimilation than his future. He’s also the vanguard of the spaceborne Houses of SolSystem, who are preparing to flee the reach of an increasingly unstable and aggressive Earth. But the Confederation is far more fragmented and factioned than he expected. The scramble to control the highly advanced technology that the Houses will bring, and the fear of losing it, may be the wedge that drives Confederation and Sol System alike into war…

Émigré will be available in paperback and as an ebook.


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