Adventure Beyond the Stars – Written for Readers Who Want More

Category: Appearances

  • GalaxyCon, Anniversary, 90-minute Reads

    GalaxyCon, Anniversary, 90-minute Reads

    GalaxyCon, 40th Anniversary, Brass Seal, Carfax Abby, Criterion Restaurant, Wedding Lore, Hunting Count Wampyr, Book Crawl Progress, Palestine’s Ghosts progress, 90-minute reads. All this week’s Secret Knowledge is below…

    No book signings this weekend – Deborah and I will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary in Branson, Missouri. Wish us luck. On the way back we are stopping at Crater of Diamonds State Park. Hopefully we can find a diamond or two for an anniversary gift for Deborah…

    I Needed a version of the seal for Weird The First. In that novelette, the seal is only about 3 inches across and it is only a relative of the main seal.

    I got approved for an author table at Galaxycon Oklahoma City. This is the first big con I’ve been approved for. We’ll have to see what it is like.

    The main refuge of Dracula in the story is Carfax, or Carfax House, in Purfleet-on-Thames, Essex, east of London. Likely its location and size were based on Purfleet house, across from what is now the Royal Hotel. It was a great house built by a brewer and Member of Parliament that was torn down in the 20th Century. The asylum (which doesn’t appear in the Weird) was probably based on Ordinance house. https://freerangehistory.substack.com/p/issue-29-how-the-worlds-most-famous Purfleet house didn’t look “haunted” enough for a Gothic romance, so Stoker changed its looks to fit the genre. He used Whitby Abby in North Yorkshire for his visual inspiration. That was the reason that the movies called it “Carfax Abby” despite the fact that Stoker didn’t put that name in the book.

    I needed a place where Walter, Eleanor and company could grab a quick bite of lunch. One thing led to another as it often does when I look for interesting details, and they ended up at the Criterion Restaurant. It is an immensely historic building and institution. Among other things, it hosted the Royal College of Science’s First Annual Dinner, Chaired by H. G. Wells. Another interesting thing: they had a theater in the basement of the building. They decided having a basement room lit by gas lights might not be the best idea, so it closed in 1883 for renovations. It reopened in 1884 with all new, newfangled electric lights instead.

    I had cause to revisit some of the Victorian wedding lore. Specifically the lore about what day of the week a couple is married.
    Monday for Wealth;
    Tuesday for Health;
    Wednesday the Best Day of All;
    Thursday for Losses;
    Friday for Crosses;
    and Saturday No Luck at All

    It’s time to hunt Count Wampyr and Walter isn’t willing to play by the Weird’s rules anymore. By the late 1800s, the “Texas Stock Saddle” was an established saddle design. It was descended from Spanish/Mexican vaquero tradition and modified to meet the needs of a rider that would be in the saddle from dawn to dusk for multiple days at a time. This resulted in a deeper, heavier saddle with more leather, a prominent horn in front, and a rather high canticle in back compared to the typical English riding saddle. With the rest of the equipment Walter sees as minimally necessary, it makes for a great contrast between him and the Englishmen riding with him. Of course Sekmet is just as determined to protect Eleanor and destroy the Count’s evil.

    North Texas Indie Bookstore Crawl visits this week:
    Bibliobar Bookstore, Plano – not my cup of tea
    Neighbor Books, McKinney – This was a wonderful bookstore. I wish it was closer.
    The Plot Twist – Another bookstore specializing in Romance novels.
    Talking Animals Books – Two bookstores in Grapevine. The one on Main is a standard bookstore and coffee bar, definitely worth the visit. The one just off Main on Worth Street is a kids book store. I was so excited to see that Golden Books are still a thing. They have Little Engine that Could and the Pokey Puppy that I remember reading as well as Star Wars and other modern stories to read to kiddos. One of the most exciting finds so far on the Book Crawl.
    Tropes Bookstore – Brand new bookstore in North Richland Hills. The co-owner suggested I have a launch party there when Palestine’s Ghosts is done. I haven’t thought about launch parties, but probably should…

    Good progress this week on Palestine’s Ghosts. Chapters this week:
    Weird The First III: Count Wampyr
    Weird The First IV: Count Wampyr Strikes Back
    Weird The First V – partial

    Word Count is 30,762 in 6+ chapters of an estimated 70,000-130,000 in 32 chapters.

    Mirim’s First Christmas is in a new category: 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads

    June Sales: Artemis Rising sold 1 ebook, 629 pages on Kindle Unlimited, and 1 paper book off Amazon, 8 in-person. Celestial Accord sold 192 pages on Kindle Unlimited and 5 in-person. Forging the Chain Breakers sold 5 in-person. Selene Unchained sold 5 in-person, 2 ebooks off Amazon. Antarctic Honeymoon sold 83 pages on Kindle Unlimited and 3 in-person. Mirim’s First Christmas sold 5 in-person.

    Antarctic Honeymoon is #1,410 in Steampunk Fiction, #4,833 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #8,552 in Exploration Science Fiction. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, or the kindle version here. The audiobook is available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Artemis Rising is #715 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #830 in Steampunk Fiction, and #2,224 in Alternative History. 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. Seven reviews for Artemis Rising. More will help others find the series as well – if you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Celestial Accord is in #1,698 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,827 Steampunk Fiction, #4,560 in Alternate History. 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 but two ratings so far. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Forging the Chain Breakers is #355 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #495 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,097 in Alternative History. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, the kindle version here, or the audiobook here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Selene Unchained is #1,766 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,939 in Steampunk Fiction, #4,682 in Alternate History. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, the kindle version here, or the audiobook here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here

    Mirim’s First Christmas is #6,687 in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads,  #11,875 in Colonization Science Fiction, and #12,033 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books). You can find the paper version here or the kindle version here. One review so far. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

  • Cons, War, and Promoted Ghosts

    Cons, War, and Promoted Ghosts

    Side Quest Con report, Aerosphere voyages, Countess Golden Scales, War of the Worlds, Rubber Tires, Ghost’s got promoted. All this week’s Secret Knowledge is below…

    You can get autographed copies of all four books in Selene Reborn Series (Artemis Rising, Celestial Accord, Forging the Chain Breakers, Selene Unchained), Antarctic Honeymoon, and Mirim’s First Christmas at Richardson Farmer’s Market on Saturday.

    I had my first Con experience selling books. Revenue was more than booth fee, but when you take into account cost of books, I lost money. Maybe not if several of the people who said they’d get the audio or ebook end up purchasing (or at least getting it on their membership). I also checked out the Texas Book Lovers Con Sunday. That looks like a good one to try out, I’ll be keeping a weather eye on when they have it in 2027. I also looked at Cowtown Comic Fest. I talked to most of the authors there and none of them had a super show. I think comic-centered cons might not be good for unillustrated books. Even if the genre overlaps, the difference in format may not. I’m also doing an update for all my covers and will be releasing a hardcover option when that is done.

    Did a little more work on the Aerosphere setting. This might be something someone says: “We sail for the Princeps Mining Ironholm in the morning. We’ll hug the coast of the landshard to Lastpeak Point, then sail south through the Lassiter Aether Reefs for a week.”

    I needed more detail on the third Countess that reports to Viscountess Peacock. This is the woman that keeps the Defiance Merchant Exchange running. https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Countess_Golden_Scales_Beneath_Morning_Light In the picture she is ringing the great bell that opens and closes trading on the floor of the Exchange. Like the whole exchange, it makes the New York Stock Exchange look rather provincial. I wonder if the Texas Stock Exchange will ever get a trading floor and, if so, will it be bigger and grander than the NYSE floor?

    I think after Ghosts of Palestine I’ll do the rewrite of The War of the Worlds. I don’t plan to make much change, just enough that it makes sense for H. G. Wells to have written this version in the Greshamverse in 1894. I also plan to write a companion volume that will be the story of the Deep Martians attacking the New Martian Empire at its capital in Burnished Towers. With Walter & Eleanor in the Ozarks potentially being up to three novels, that means I’ve added 2-5 novels to the list without completing one…

    Rubber tires are really old; apparently there were omnibuses and autowagons running around on solid rubber tires on a fairly regular basis in 1891. But pneumatic rubber tires were just getting popular for bicycles. When Beulah sees pneumatic rubber tires on Martian ground vehicles, it is something she wasn’t expecting…

    I got to looking at the progress on Martian Phoenix and how long I have before I need to have Palestine’s Ghosts done – I may not make the deadline. That said, I’ll finish the Incoming Powers chapter and lay Martian Phoenix aside until Palestine’s Ghosts is done. We’ll see.

    Martian Phoenix chapters this week:
    Incoming Powers – progress

    Word Count is 52,130 in 12+ chapters of an estimated 80,000-95,000 in 24+Epilogue Chapters.

    Antarctic Honeymoon is #1,736 in Steampunk Fiction, #6,143 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #10,488 in Exploration Science Fiction. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, or the kindle version here. The audiobook is available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Artemis Rising is #665 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #715 in Steampunk Fiction, and #1,975 in Alternative History. 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. Seven reviews for Artemis Rising. More will help others find the series as well – if you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Celestial Accord is in #1,151 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,238 Steampunk Fiction, #3,131 in Alternate History. 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.

    Forging the Chain Breakers is #1,474 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,537 in Steampunk Fiction, #3,954 in Alternative History. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, the kindle version here, or the audiobook here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Selene Unchained is #1,002 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,118 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,811 in Alternate History. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, the kindle version here, or the audiobook here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here

    Mirim’s First Christmas is #11,627 in Colonization Science Fiction, #11,683 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #18,681 in Science Fiction Short Stories. You can find the paper version here or the kindle version here. One review so far. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

  • Covers, Cons, and Sartorial Strategy

    Covers, Cons, and Sartorial Strategy

    What was the Ladies’ Mile, Galveston dry goods stores, sartorial strategy, a visit to Mistress Beauty Woven Into Destiny, Texas Horror Lit Fest, Side Quest Con, the four leading couples and the graphic they’re on, Countess Diligence Smoothing the Way, Martian Phoenix progress, Sales Report for June and status on all the books. All this week’s Secret Knowledge is below…

    You can get autographed copies of all four books in Selene Reborn Series (Artemis Rising, Celestial Accord, Forging the Chain Breakers, Selene Unchained), Antarctic Honeymoon, and Mirim’s First Christmas at Granbury 4th of July Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

    I needed to know where the ladies of Galveston would go to shop when they made their yearly pilgramage to New York to get the latest fashions before they filtered to the regular people out west. I found out about the Ladies’ Mile, a district in New York that included such names as Tiffany’s and Lord & Taylor – even I’ve heard of those…

    I also needed a dry goods store in Galveston. Some of the candidates: Bonat Bros. Dry Goods (2516 Market), HJ Wilshusen Dry Goods and Notions Store (12th & Market), Christian Henck Dry Goods (1502 Winnie, 3.5 blocks north from Gresham Castle), John Boddeker Dry Goods (1121 Broadway, 2.5 blocks east). There were also a number of Dry Goods stores on Market Street.

    Scarlet’s pentultimate deployment of sartorial strategy—say that five times fast…

    Since I’m writing Chapter 11, I have final versions of the dresses designed by Mistress Beauty Woven Into Destiny. These are the ones Beulah tried on, but not the one that was designed just for her… That also prompted a redesign of the notional cover. This also means I can quit torturing Beulah – yes, she finally gets hit with a big enough clue stick to start growing up instead. That whack really feels bad when it happens, but it is an example of a blessing that comes through tears…

    Visited the Texas Horror Lit Fest Saturday. I’ll definitely want to attend as an author next year. I also found a couple of other events I put on my radar—or is that wirar (wireless acquisition and ranging)? That includes Side Quest Con in North Richland Hills in July, Ama-con in Amarillo in August, The Muses of Storytelling Texas Author Con in Haltom City in September, Plot Twist Book Festival in Longview in May, and Galaxy Con Oklahoma City in May. I might get into Side Quest Con – at least I was able to still fill out the vendor application. I also filled out an interest application for Plot Twist Book Festival. I’ll need to stay on top of everything.

    Good News!!!! – I will be attending Side Quest Con in North Richland Hills July 17-18. It will be my first ‘Books Only’ festival/convention. Come by and visit!

    I needed some images for some marketing. While I was working on it, I realized that my stories tend to be carried by a couple: Walter & Eleanor, Elisha & Mirim, Nasir & Beulah, and Beraht & Hala. That wasn’t a conscious choice, but it makes sense. I believe marriage could be the second most important relationship in a person’s life, second only to their relationship with God. This setting was inspired, in part, by a Space 1889 campaign my wife and I played in. In fact, Walter & Eleanor are based on the characters we played in that setting. Now that I’m aware of it—I don’t think I’ll change it at all…

    It did end up taking all day to get this image. I don’t think I’ll need to change it any time soon, so I guess it was a good investment.

    Another minor character. Countess Diligence Smoothing the Way is the bureaucrat in charge of everything to do with the Defiance Canal Harbor. In Martian Phoenix, she operates as one of Viscountess Peacock’s primary Lieutenants to draw Phoenix into a permanent, subordinate, relationship with Seven Canals. https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Countess_Diligence_Smoothing_the_Way

    Copies of all my stories will soon be found in the Azle Public Library, so if you’d like to read them without paying anything – there you go. https://www.cityofazle.org/203/Library

    Martian Phoenix chapters this week:
    Deciding Poorly – finished
    The Final Dress
    Gathering Storm – started  

    Word Count is 43,272 in 11+ chapters of an estimated 80,000-95,000 in 24+Epilogue Chapters.

    June Sales: Artemis Rising sold 1 ebook, 629 pages on Kindle Unlimited, and 1 paper book off Amazon, 8 in-person. Celestial Accord sold 192 pages on Kindle Unlimited and 5 in-person. Forging the Chain Breakers sold 5 in-person. Selene Unchained sold 5 in-person, 2 ebooks off Amazon. Antarctic Honeymoon sold 83 pages on Kindle Unlimited and 3 in-person. Mirim’s First Christmas sold 5 in-person.

    Antarctic Honeymoon is #598 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,125 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #4,230 in Exploration Science Fiction. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, or the kindle version here. The audiobook is available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Artemis Rising is #814 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #874 in Steampunk Fiction, and #2,371 in Alternative History. 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. Seven reviews for Artemis Rising. More will help others find the series as well – if you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Celestial Accord is ranked now. #1,498 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,950 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #5,030 in Alternate History. 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.

    Forging the Chain Breakers is #1,406 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,693 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #4,436 in Alternative History. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, the kindle version here, or the audiobook here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Selene Unchained is #2,096 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,123 in Steampunk Fiction, #5,319 in Alternate History. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, the kindle version here, or the audiobook here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here

    Mirim’s First Christmas is #11,433 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), #11,466 in Colonization Science Fiction, and #18,392 in Science Fiction Short Stories. You can find the paper version here or the kindle version here. One review so far. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.