You can get autographed copies of Artemis Rising, Celestial Accord, or Mirim’s First Christmas at the Granbury Winter Wrap-up Market Saturday.
One location for Antarctic Honeymoon is one of the few islands near Antarctica that was known in 1891. Peter I Island, named after Tsar Peter I and discovered by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen on January 21, 1821.
Also got a lot more detail about liftwood island. I have this entry from the original Earth discoverer. Probably won’t use it in the books.
From the Journal of Giovanni Caproni, 1721
(Translated from the Italian)
The fifth day of September in the Year of Our Lord 1721, in a latitude most inhospitable and far south beyond the accustomed commerce of ships, we encountered a marvel that no chart had foretold.
Toward the second bell of the afternoon watch, while the sea lay iron-gray and restless beneath a sky of low and sullen cloud, a bank of vapor rose before us unlike the common fogs of these waters. It did not drift nor thin as others do, but stood as if rooted in place, ascending straight upward in a white and breathing wall. The air near it grew strangely temperate. I removed my gloves and found the wind no longer cut the skin as before.
Believing we had come upon a shoal or hidden reef, I ordered the helm eased and our speed reduced. Yet as we advanced, the mist parted in tatters and revealed a mass of stone so abrupt and prodigious that the men fell silent.
It was an island, if island it may be called, formed not as other lands are formed, but as though a great massif of black rock had been thrust upward from the sea entire. The outer face rose sheer from the water to a height I judge no less than one thousand feet. No beach, no slope, no indentation offered entry. The waves struck and shattered below, and the spray fell back without gaining purchase.
We stood off and circled at a cautious distance, though the fog clung close about the heights and obscured much of the summit. Once, when the fog broke entirely for a brief and providential moment, I beheld at the very heart of the island a slender spire, pale and gleaming, rising above the hidden summit. It shone not like snow nor like polished marble, but with a luster more akin to silver, though brighter and of more curious aspect. It pierced the mist as a needle through cloth and vanished again as the cloud closed.
The air about the island was warmer by several degrees than the surrounding sea. Our instruments, such as they are, confirmed what the skin already knew. Rain fell within the fog though no storm was present above us. The wind behaved most peculiarly, as though pressing against an unseen boundary and sliding along it.
We made a full circuit of the island, seeking a breach in the encircling wall. None presented itself. The stone ran unbroken and stern. The sea floor near its base dropped away sharply, and we dared not approach too near lest the currents seize us.
I confess to a sensation, most difficult to describe, that this place was not merely remote but withheld. Not hidden by chance, nor neglected by navigation, but veiled as though by intention. The men murmured of enchantments and ancient fortresses, and I rebuked them, though in truth my own mind was not free of wonder.
We took its measure as best we could through mist and uncertainty, though I place little trust in such reckoning under these conditions. Having found no means of landing and our stores not suited to prolonged experiment in these hostile waters, I resolved to record its position carefully and to leave it for another season, should Providence permit.
If this island endures where I have seen it, it stands as a fortress of nature—or of some art beyond nature—set at the edge of the world. Should future mariners read this account, let them approach with caution and with patience, for it does not readily reveal its secrets.
— G. Caproni
Came up with a character bible entry for Ethan Estrada. He’ll be a frequent supporting cast member.
Got a reply from Trinity Episcopal. The sanctuary holds 450 people comfortably. I think I’ll leave the attendance at 300 – that’s 2/3 full. I also put together a wedding photo of Walter and Eleanor.
Got a picture of Endeavor. This is the final.
Antarctic Honeymoon progress got put on hold due to working on integrating feedback from my editor, Sandra, on Forging the Chain Breakers – that is done now, however. She should be able to let me know early next week if I fixed enough.
Antarctic Honeymoon is progressing. Chapters this week:
Lost Island – progress
Word count is 40,940. Aim is 71,000-78,000.
Artemis Rising is #1,362 in Steampunk Fiction, #3,550 in Alternate History, and #4,721 in Alternate History Science Fiction. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here or the kindle version here. There is also an audiobook version here. Five customer reviews. I still need more so other readers can find it, but I may start promoting with these five – 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, the kindle version here, or the audiobook version here. One review so far. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Mirim’s First Christmas is live. You can find the paper version here or the kindle version here. I’m still working on getting free versions to be available on my website.
Celestial Accord copy-edit is available now. The Audible AI audiobook is also available.
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.