2022 is a very special year for me, as it marks my first decade of actually being able to call myself a writer. The Empire’s Corps took off in 2012 and, since then, I hope I have kept a few people entertained. (Maybe one or two, perhaps even three or four <grin>)
Anyway, I’m planning to put out a collection of short stories, novellas and suchlike in honour of this milestone. I’ve got a handful of shorts which can be used, now the rights have effectively reverted, and others that might be usable. (I’m hoping to see if I can get back the rights for Alassa’s Tale, which will let me put it in paperback, but no promises about that yet). I also intend to write a set of new things – a Schooled in Magic novella, a The Empire’s Corps and/or Ark Royal novella – some of which are fairly new, others weird ideas that never quite fitted in anywhere else. If it is a reprint, I will do my best to add background material and suchlike, things that might – might – interest one or two readers. (It’s something of a mixed bag for me.)
So … what would you be interested in me adding to this collection? I’m happy to hear any thoughts and suchlike, any suggestions of anything (within reason). What ideas have I mentioned, over the years, that you would like to see? What would you hate to see? What would … well, you get the idea <grin>.
Before I say anything else, you can get some free books 24th-26thHERE.
It’s been a wild year, hasn’t it?
[Insert a lot, and I mean a lot, of grumbling here]
Anyway, the good news is that I have finished the first draft of The Stranded on Monday and am currently waiting on the edits. It’s been fun to write, seeing it is a very different universe and I have big plans for the two remaining books if it takes off. Provisional titles are The Land of Always Summer and The Reality Bubble. I don’t know when The Stranded will come out, but I hope it will be soon. My editor has been unwell, so things have slowed down a little.
The bad news is that I’ve had to change computers (again). I ordered a top of the line machine and discovered, as always, that beating it into submission – and some kind of usable condition – is taking time. The latest version of MS Word is even worse than the previous version, which I would have thought was impossible, and the screen is giving me headaches I can’t avoid and can’t do anything about. I’ve adjusted the brightness and messed around with the resolution and, really, the results have been poor. I’m still not used to it, which leaves me with a problem – my old machine was falling apart, which is why I changed in the first place, and my emergency backup machine isn’t designed for long-term use. Sigh.
And I’m still feeling unwell. My doctor gave me more antibiotics yesterday, after the last two sessions didn’t take. (Apparently, I’ve got something bacterial.)
My current plans for the early months of 2022 start with Endeavour, a new Ark Royal book that may either be the start of a trilogy or stand-alone, depending on how it shakes out. It’s set in the post-war universe, with the human race discovering the remnants of a fantastically advanced race that may be dead and gone … or maybe not. Then there will be the start of a new series, hopefully part of a shared universe, followed by The Infused Man. And then … well, we’ll see.
It’s my son’s birthday today, so I have to go make a cake. See you all later.
And if I don’t post again, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers.
FREE BOOKS! (And, now I’ve got your attention, FREE BOOKS!)
Hi, Everyone
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
As a treat to my readers, and hopefully new fans, I’ve put a handful of books – all the first books in ongoing series or trilogies – up for free, between 24th and 26th December. Check out the cover blurbs and details below, then download for free from Amazon!
(Please feel free to share this post as widely as possible)
The Galactic Empire is dying and chaos and anarchy are breaking out everywhere. After a disastrous mission against terrorists on Earth itself, Captain Edward Stalker of the Terran Marine Corps makes the mistake of speaking truth to power, telling one of the most powerful men in the Empire a few home truths. As a result, Captain Stalker and his men are unceremoniously exiled to Avalon, a world right on the Rim of the Empire. It should have been an easy posting…
Well, apart from the bandits infesting the countryside, an insurgency that threatens to topple the Empire’s loose control over Avalon, and a corrupt civil government more interested in what it can extort from the population than fighting a war. The Marines rapidly find themselves caught up in a whirlwind of political and economic chaos, fighting to preserve Avalon before the competing factions tear the world apart. They’re Marines; if anyone can do it, they can.
The battle to save the Empire starts here.
Click here to download a free sample, and then buy it from Amazon here!
Seventy years ago, the interstellar supercarrier Ark Royal was the pride of the Royal Navy. But now, her weapons are outdated and her solid-state armour nothing more than a burden on her colossal hull. She floats in permanent orbit near Earth, a dumping ground for the officers and crew the Royal Navy wishes to keep out of the public eye.
But when a deadly alien threat appears, the modern starships built by humanity are no match for the powerful alien weapons. Ark Royal and her mismatched crew must go on the offensive, buying time with their lives And yet, with a drunkard for a Captain, an over-ambitious first officer and a crew composed of reservists and the dregs of the service, do they have even the faintest hope of surviving …
… And returning to an Earth which may no longer be there?
There is a large sample of the text right here, then you can buy it from Amazon here.
In 1941, Adolf Hitler didn’t declare war on the United States. Now, in 1985, the Third Reich stretching from the coast of France to the icy wastes of Eastern Russia, appears supremely powerful. With a powerful force of nuclear warheads and the finest military machine on Earth, there is no hope for freedom for the billions who groan under its rule. Adolf Hitler’s mad dreams have come to pass.
And yet, all is not well in the Reich. The cold war with the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance is destroying the Reich’s economy, while a savage insurgency in South Africa – a war the Reich cannot win and dares not lose – is sapping its military strength. And, while the Reich Council struggles to find a way to save the Reich from its own weaknesses, a young German girl makes a discovery that will shake the Reich to its core.
But the Reich Council will not go quietly into the night …
When a UFO crashes near a top secret military base, the American Government realises that aliens have been spying on the human race for years. But even as they rush to unlock the technological secrets in the alien craft, the aliens launch the first step in their plan to invade the Earth and enslave the human race. With a giant mothership approaching the planet and the inhabitants promising peace and plenty, humanity must defeat a vastly superior foe with uncertain motives or lose its freedom forever.
Caitlyn Aguirre should have been a magician. Her family certainly expected her to be a magician. But by the time she reached her twelfth birthday, Caitlyn hadn’t even managed to cast a single spell! In desperation, her parents send her – and her magical sisters – to Jude’s Sorcerous Academy, her last best chance to discover her powers.
But as she struggles to survive her classes without a single spell to her name, Caitlyn starts to uncover an ancient mystery that may prove the key to her true powers …
Aimed at younger readers, featuring two short Zero Enigma stories:
Have you ever wanted to go to magic school? To cast spells and brew potions and fly on broomsticks and – perhaps – battle threats both common and supernatural? Come with us into worlds of magic, where students become magicians and teachers do everything in their power to ensure the kids survive long enough to graduate.
Welcome to … Fantastic Schools. In this set of stories, welcoming younger readers but still entertaining to all ages, we look at the lighter side of magic schools. Follow a young girl entering school for the first time – and another, desperate to go to a school that actually suits her. Watch a bully get her comeuppance and accompany young students as they go on a field trip, follow an expelled student trying to build a new life, and others learning the nature of magical creatures …
The Chrishanger 