Adventure Beyond the Stars – Written for Readers Who Want More

Tag: characters

  • Antarctic honeymoon is Out

    Antarctic honeymoon is Out

    You can get autographed copies of the first three books in Selene Reborn Series (Artemis Rising, Celestial Accord, and Forging the Chain Breakers) at Granbury Memorial Day Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

    During the rewrite of the end of Antarctic Honeymoon, I got to write a chamber for chapter 21 – The Sleepers. I decided to get ChatGPT’s new image generator to make a picture. Not too bad…

    I finished the rewrite of the end of Antarctic Honeymoon. Since the cover was the correct size, I finished it all up and got it published as well.

    As part of the “Story Continues” for Antarctic Honeymoon, I suggested Riddle of the Sphinx. I have a rough version of the cover now.

    That was so interesting, I did the same thing for Secrets of Kilimanjaro.

    Since I’m done with those two, I’ve started work on Martian Phoenix again. One of the things that came out was the idea of Poise and Grace being a catechism or touchstone for Martian noblewomen. They wear gowns that are scandalously revealing to Victorian eyes, but not for sexual purposes, but to draw eyes. How well it is worn, Poise and Grace, command the attention. https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Poise_and_Grace

    I came up with a new minor character. Since most of what she is won’t be in the book, the secret knowledge about her is here: https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Soft_Footsteps_Beside_Still_Water

    Another minor character, which may get nothing more than her name in a book, is the current Queen of Seven Canals, Moonlight Upon Flowing Glass: https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Queen_Moonlight_Upon_Flowing_Glass

    At least the upper class of Galveston would take frequent sponge baths through the day, especially in hot weather. When Beulah asked about washing all over at the Shrine of the Mother of Waters, she knew exactly what that would look like. How did women take such frequent sponge baths and maintain Victorian propriety? Well, first of all, Victorian propriety had to bow to practicality. That is why Victorian weddings in the hot climate of the south started in the evening (when it was getting cooler) instead of midmorning. If a woman was sure of her privacy—she would sponge off nude. If she was being aided by servants, or there was a chance of someone walking in, she would wear something, a light linen chemise, a thin cotton shift, or a loose white lawn wrapper. No that last isn’t something you wrap lawns in. It is made from cotton lawn, a soft, semi-sheer fabric. If Beulah had her lawn wrapper with her, this might have been what her purification ritual looked like.

    Another example of why I do these posts – Clarence Cory. He was an amazing person in real life, and he will be an amazing person in this universe. https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Clarence_Cory He is mentioned in passing in Martian Phoenix.

    Another example of both why I do these posts and why the world feels so detailed. The details behind the brief descriptions of the Martian Elves. https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Gravity_and_Physiology

    A little progress on Martian Phoenix. Chapters this week:
    Meeting Aliens – finished
    First Impressions
    Correction – started

    Word Count is 17,989 in five+ chapters of an estimated 80,000-95,000 in 24+Epilogue Chapters.

    Advertising: Between May 1-20, I sold 1 ebook for $4.99 in revenue. Since I spent $42.46 on advertising, I’m still upside-down there. Still, every book sold is the chance of getting another review, the more reviews the better the chance of making sales, the more sales the closer I get to break-even…

    Antarctic Honeymoon is out, but no rank yet. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, or the kindle version here. Audiobook is coming soon. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Artemis Rising is #502 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,674 in Alternate History, and #2,715 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books). 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 (thank you Emily!). 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. #543 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #672 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,803 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 #1,009 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,397 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,937 in Galactic Empire Science Fiction (not sure how that happened). 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 #871 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,775 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #3,550 in Alternate History. If you don’t have yours yet, you can get the paper version here, or the kindle version here. Audiobook is coming soon. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here

    Mirim’s First Christmas is #7,343 in Colonization Science Fiction, #10,726 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #13,640 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.

  • Forging, Alligatormen, and Advertising

    Forging, Alligatormen, and Advertising

    As announced yesterday, Forging the Chain Breakers will publish Friday. Get yours at the Granbury Founder’s Day Jubilee Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

    Somehow I messed up the paleo botany and paleo zoology of the central basin. Had to do some rework of that.

    I have another race – this one definitely not human.

    Alligatormen are an intelligent, semi-aquatic crocodilian humanoid species adapted to life in warm swamps, rivers, and coastal wetlands. Standing taller and broader than most humans, they possess powerful tails, thick armored scales, and long, tooth-filled jaws capable of crushing bone. Their society is primitive but organized: they build crude huts, maintain fires, and craft weapons from materials taken from the creatures they hunt. Their primary armament is a heavy macuahuitl-like club edged with shark teeth, used for brutal close combat, along with javelins tipped with dimetrodon teeth. Patient ambush predators both in water and on land, alligatormen rely on stealth, sudden violence, and their formidable physical strength, making them one of the most dangerous indigenous threats encountered by explorers in the swamps they inhabit.

    I also have a minor character that is going to be fun. “Am I A Mouse?” marks the third chapter the Black Ocelot has appeared in.

    I have a new poster and table sign for this weekend.

    I heard about another location that I might use at some point. Ubar—Atlantis of the Sands. This is what we know in real life: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis_of_the_Sands so if I use it, it will need some… poetic license applied.

    Advertising: 9 sales in the past 14 days. $120.02 in spend, $24.91 in revenue. Still upside down there, but that may change if I can start getting sales at full price instead of just $0.99. When I get five reviews for Celestial Accord, I’ll add that.

    Antarctic Honeymoon is progressing. Chapters this week:
    Alligatormen – Finished
    Am I A Mouse?
    Clash of Titans – Started

    Word count is 54,381. Aim is 71,000-78,000.

    Artemis Rising is #147 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #446 in Alternate History, and #814 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books). 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. Six reviews for Artemis Rising—thank you Diane. 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 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.

  • Characters, Endeavor, and Weddings

    Characters, Endeavor, and Weddings

    You can get autographed copies of Artemis Rising, Celestial Accord, or Mirim’s First Christmas at the Downtown Arlington Farmer’s Market Saturday.

    Got Fiverr folks to start work on an illustration of Endeavor. She will likely figure prominently on Walter & Eleanor book covers, so this will need to be pretty high quality.

    A new character – no plans on her being more than a background character right now. But I figured it would be better to have a complete character outline of María Esperanza Gresham (née Carrillo) and not need it than otherwise. Also her sister-in-law Carmen Gresham (née Salazar). I also needed Thoma’s children so did an entry for him and his family.

    On a lark, I decided to get Midjourney to generate a wedding picture of Eleanor. It came out pretty good, I think.

    I also learned that wedding month and day had some folk rhymes around them.

    Monday for Wealth; Tuesday for Health; Wednesday the Best Day of All; Thursday for Losses; Friday for Crosses; and Saturday No Luck at All

    Marry when the year is new and he’ll be loving, kind and true,
    When February birds do mate, you wed not or dread your fate.
    If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow you’ll both know.
    Marry in April when you can, and joy for maiden and for man.
    Marry in the month of May and you’ll live to rue the day.
    Marry when June roses grow and over land and sea you’ll go.
    Those in July who do wed must labor for their daily bread.
    Whoever wed in August be many a change is sure to see.
    Marry in September’s shrine your living will be rich and fine.
    If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
    If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
    When December snow falls fast, marry and true love will last.

    Monday wedding in August can be seen as foreshadowing the rest of the book.

    Did Character bible entries for Walter, Eleanor, and Walter & Eleanor as a couple. Also got AI generated pictures of them. I also decided to get an image of them in adventurer clothes for Antarctic Honeymoon

    Antarctic Honeymoon is progressing. Chapters this week:
    Earth Wedding
    Southward Bound
    Lost Island – started

    Word count is 38,266. Aim is 71,000-78,000.

    Artemis Rising is #1,314 in Steampunk Fiction, #4,135 in Alternate History Science Fiction, and #7,570 in Exploration 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 now (thanks Rick). 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.

  • Cover, Editing, and the Berghaus Star

    Cover, Editing, and the Berghaus Star

    Artemis Rising is #2,057 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,138 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), and #5,430 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 has a finalized cover. It took a lot more time and effort this time than the previous three times I’ve used GetCovers.com. I must have had someone new or something. For the first time I had someone use one of the image slots for images that I hadn’t approved and they charged me for additional ones. The cover artist also seemed to have trouble following directions. Oh well, the final product looks fine.

    Michael, my line editor, finished his edits and returned the manuscript to me to approve/disapprove edits. I’m going to review them and we’ll have a conversation about word/style choices before he finishes the cleanup. That is where all my effort is going to be focused until it’s finished. That should put Celestial Accord on track for release at the end of October. Even if we are a little late for that, with the cover, I’m releasing the current version on October 31. Available for ebook pre-order now at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP72PX1G

    I’m working with some other artists on two additions to the front matter. One is a Gresham family tree, since the various in-laws, brothers, cousins, etc. have such a significant impact on the story. The other is a map of the American Commonwealth. I’m working with Tomas again on that. I’m hoping he can base it on the Berghaus Star projection of the world map.

    A new, probably minor, character for Selene Unchained:
    Name: Commander Hrodger, Commander of the 1st Company of the Defender Marines. Age: 97 earth years (appears Late 40s) Race/Species: Human (Defender Base Selenite) Physical Appearance: Broad-shouldered and stern-faced, Hrodger has close-cropped iron-gray hair and a jagged scar bisecting his left eyebrow. He wears his Jager battle suit with the comfort of decades of experience in one. https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Commander_Hrodger

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    9: Kepler Cluster

    Selene Unchained word count is 15,669, not counting Dramatis Personae (890 words).

    If you want to get early access to Book 2 chapters, write a nice review for Artemis Rising on Amazon or Goodreads, and email me that you’ve done it.