Artemis Rising is #690 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), #947 in Steampunk Fiction, and #2,030 in Alternative History. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here or the kindle version here. Four customer reviews now, but 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.

Celestial Accord isn’t ranked yet. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here or the kindle version here. One review, thanks Michele! If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

Saturday I’ll be in Galveston doing research for Mirim’s First Christmas, so no autographing possibilities this weekend.

Another version of Forging the Chain Breakers cover. Now the Troll is fine, but both Poot and Regdar need fixed.

I’ve done some major rethinking about aether and “magic”. Check it out here.

I got an invitation to try out Audible’s beta AI audio book creator. I’m also working through a course on using AI to help content creators. Between the two, I’ve decided to alter my production plans a little. I’m going to get a final version of the cover for Forging the Chain Breakers, then get the cover for Selene Unchained. When I have the covers for all four of the books in the series, I’m going to get boxed set art for the series, Selene Reborn. As far as writing goes, I’m going to finish Selene Unchained first. That way it is ready to go to Sandra in March. Forging the Chain Breakers is ready to go to Sandra in February. While I’m waiting for them I’m going to go back through Artemis Rising and do as much review and improvement as I can. Then I’ll send it to Michael for line editing. Once it is through line editing, I’ll either get Audible AI Beta to turn it into audio recordings – and an audiobook, or I’ll use some of the tools I’m learning in the AI Content Creation course to get audio recordings. Once I have the recordings, I’ll turn the recordings into YouTube videos without much of a graphic, then videos with B-roll images, then, maybe, videos with AI generated moving pictures. Once I get into that area, I will re-establish my Patreon page. $5 Cheering Section $10 [Midtier] and $100 Patron. I’ll post everything to the Patron level as soon as it is ready. I’ll post top level video (whatever that is) to Midtier one chapter per week and leave it for a while before retiring it. That way you have to be a Midtier member for more than one month to see the videos for an entire book. I’ll post top level video in Cheering Section a week after Midtier, but it will stay up only half as long. YouTube will get the first half of a book and only the first chapter at top level video. It will stay up all the time, but you can never get the whole book just on YouTube. Cheering Section gets audio and information on behind the scenes. Eventually there may be recordings from on-line get togethers with Patrons and Midtiers. Midtiers get longer, more complete access to stuff and eventually live get-togethers and recordings with Patrons. Patrons will get on-line get togethers sooner and/or more often. They will also get information about what specific things their contributions are paying for (editing, covers, etc.). Patrons will also be mentioned in the Acknowledgements. I’m also planning on using AI to improve my marketing materials and start more actively marketing my books as soon as I learn enough from the AI content creator course. At least all that is my current thinking.

I decided to put everything on hold and put together a 7k-8k story of Mirim’s First Christmas. This will be the freebe (at least for a while). The reason for the size is that it will allow me to print a booklet version that the Galveston Historical Society can sell in their gift shop at Bishop’s Palace. I have about 7,500 words, but that includes notes and doesn’t include a lot of the story that the notes will be folded into. It also includes some recipes that may or may not end up in the final version.

As part of the AI Content Creator course I’m working through, I uploaded Celestial Accord to ChatGPT and asked it to analyze my style. Results:

• Omniscient but disciplined narration: clear viewpoint control, smooth transitions between exposition, dialogue, and interior reflection.
• Intellectual density without haste: ideas, politics, technology, and theology are unpacked carefully, not rushed.
• Competent characters: people think, plan, explain, and reason; conflict comes from circumstances and values, not stupidity.
• Measured, classical prose: modern readability with a late-19th/early-20th-century cadence; restrained metaphors; clarity favored over flash.
• Dialogue that carries ideas: conversations advance worldbuilding, strategy, ethics, and relationships simultaneously.
• Implicit moral framework: faith, duty, hierarchy, and responsibility are present but not preached—shown through choices and consequences.

That’s pretty cool.

Selene Unchained chapters this week:
Qutab’s Revelations
Zafir Plots Revenge
Zafir Takes a Hand – started.

Selene Unchained word count is 40,310, not counting Dramatis Personae (1,251 words).

If you want to get early access to Book 3 chapters, write a nice review for Artemis Rising or Celestial Accord on Amazon or Goodreads, and email me that you’ve done it.