Artemis Rising is #2,059 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,550 in Steampunk Fiction, and #5,120 in Alternative History. Still at 3 customer reviews. I need a few more to get Audible to take notice – if you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
A Copy Editor has been chosen for Celestial Accord and the manuscript will be headed that direction in a couple of weeks. Chances are we’ll be finished by October and it can be published by Halloween. OK, so that is 4th Quarter, not 3rd Quarter or mid-2025, but it will be better for the wait, I promise.
The Shadowy Man needed some bribe money. Being a child of the late 20th Century living in the early 21st, I immediately thought of a Franklin, a $100 bill. Thing is, $100 in 1891 was the equivalent of about $3500 today. There were $100 bills, but they were used like bearer bonds are used today – they exist, but you won’t see them in the cash drawer of a retail business. Next thought was a Jackson, a $20 bill. They existed, in fact they would occasionally show up in retail commerce. This was because there was a law that the US government had to buy a certain amount of silver every month and the government printed special bills to make the purchases. They weren’t really common, however. What were common were the various gold coins. A double eagle was a $20 gold coin and these were what tended to show up in circulation.
In the 1780’s John Fitch engaged the services of Henry Voigt to help him invent and build a steam engine to power a water craft. The reason he had to develop his own steam engine is because Britain had a technology embargo against its former colony and wouldn’t let the Watt steam engine be exported to the US. That first steamship in the US was the Perseverance.
In 1891, Patrick “Pat” Tiernan was Sheriff of Galveston County. Richard H. Tiernan was the only deputy sheriff listed in the 1890-1891 directory. I guess there’s nothing like keeping it in the family…
Learned some things about Old German names. Adal means “noble”. Beraht means “bright”. Gunda means “battle”. Hart means “hard, firm, brave, hardy”. Gar means “spear”. Learned Nikkal was a goddess married to the Moon in the ancient Levant. There was an ancient Arab moon goddess known as Al-lat (literally the goddess). The Arab female name, Hala, means “moon’s halo” representing ethereal beauty. The Arab female name, Mayar, means “glow of the moon” representing radiance and warmth.
Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, has features such as the Spock, Kirk, Uhura, Skywalker, Organa, and Vader craters. I guess they ran out of gods and old dead guys…
Finished Forging the Chain Breakers this week:
37: The Marine Council (most of Military Pow-Wow moved to chapter 40)
38: Once More Into The Cave
39: Gaisarix Roll-Out
40: Military Pow-Wow
41: Plans for Selene Unchained
42: The Baron Raises The Stakes
Forging The Chain Breakers final word count is 72,567, not counting Dramatis Personae (2,629 words). Developmental Editing scheduled for February.
Selene Unchained chapters this week:
Prologue: Zafir Needs a Replacement
1: Planning to Break the Chains – started
Selene Unchained word count is 1,600, not counting Dramatis Personae (295 words). Developmental Editing is tentatively scheduled for March because Sandra is such a professional.
If you want to be a beta reader and comment on Book 2 chapters, write a nice review for Artemis Rising on Amazon or Goodreads, and email me that you’ve done it.