Adventure Beyond the Stars – Written for Readers Who Want More

Tag: Update

  • AI, War College, and Artemis

    AI, War College, and Artemis

    Something is broken this week and I can’t post pictures. If I can get it fixed quickly, I’ll edit this.

    Artemis Rising is #4,155 in Space Exploration Science Fiction ebooks, #4,205 in Alternate History Science Fiction, and #7,536 in Exploration Science Fiction. 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 so far! If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    You can get autographed copies of both books at the Richardson Farmer’s Market Saturday.

    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.

    I did make some edits on Mirim’s First Christmas, so it is better now.

    I spent a significant amount of time with ChatGPT fleshing out the alternate history of my setting. I have everything lined out from the deviation point of Sam Houston only receiving a minor wound at Horseshoe Bend, to the 1891 inauguration of Benjamin Harrison. As a bonus, I have a history book chapter and War College case study on the Euro-American War and a War College comparison of the Euro-American and Franco-Prussian Wars, both of which are pretty cool. They also very neatly set up the importance of decisive action and naval strength in US military thinking. That will be important by 1900…

    I’ve learned a lot more about AI, mostly how to use it to make really cool video. I also got AI to help me with outlining the rest of Selene Unchained. It did an OK job, but mostly I took only about half what ChatGPT put in the outline, did some rearranging, and a lot of editing to keep the book on track instead of going off in some sort of weird direction. I also asked ChatGPT to actually write a chapter. What it wrote fit the book about like a marine diesel engine would fit in a sports car – but it had a few neat ideas. I suspect it might not have saved me much time, but the additional ideas may have made the chapter better.

    ChatGPT does seem to do a good job of writing marketing copy. I’m much better at recognizing good copy than I am at writing it myself. With ChatGPT doing most of the heavy lifting and me doing the final edit and clean-up, I think I have really good blurbs for all four books and the series in Selene Reborn. I’m not sure changing the blurbs helped. My rankings are worse. But all four books show up as suggestions now. Check them out:
    Mirim’s First Christmas: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GC9XCR2Z
    Artemis Rising: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3K149ZQ
    Celestial Accord: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP72PX1G
    Forging the Chain Breakers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXTFL9K8
    Selene Unchained: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXTJ933V
    Selene Reborn: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3NGXHYH

    The cover for Selene Unchained was started this week. That is the last cover required for the Selene Reborn Series. Once I have it, I’ll get the art for the boxed set.

    I also started a Fiverr project to get an actual illustration of Artemis. Isaac has done a great job of putting together a concept art level version, but I need something closer to photo-realistic for some of the other projects I have planned, including the boxed set graphics. That is proving to be a major headache.

    A new character added to the Dramatis Personae. Sgt Selkoryos – the second in command of the Troll troopers. He appeared first in Artemis Rising but has a little bigger part in Selene Unchained.

    Another productive week for Selene Unchained. At least some of the progress was made in chapters not listed since I put together a more detailed outline for the rest of the book.

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    Eldritch Summit
    A Dream of Import
    Manufactory Defense
    Bally Cluster
    Bloody Endymion
    Smelter Six

    Selene Unchained word count is 69,649, not counting Dramatis Personae (1,315 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.

  • Papa Kòt-Nwa and the Baroness

    Papa Kòt-Nwa and the Baroness

    Artemis Rising is #1,923 in Alternative History, #3,046 in Space Exploration Science Fiction, and #3,092 in Alternative History Science Fiction. 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 so far, thanks Michele! If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    You can get autographed copies of both books at the Richardson Farmer’s Market Saturday.

    Mirim’s First Christmas just went 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.

    I needed another Old Ones daemon. This is what I came up with:
    Papa Kòt-Nwa (fic) – An Old One daemon who grants power to partially possess and trap souls. Feeds off the power of ritual worship, especially rituals enacted out of fear or dread.

    There are three first worshipers of Papa Kòt-Nwa in the story. Baroness Bahah, Qutab’s mother, Sahiqa and Nigarish. I’m actually kind of proud of the description of their dance of devotion to Papa Kòt-Nwa.

    Cover for Forging the Chain Breakers is final. Now I need the cover for Selene Unchained.

    I got a lot done on Selene Unchained this week. Thank you to Deborah who did an excellent job of protecting my writing time.

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    Zafir Burns His Hand renamed Kepler Station – finished
    Laughing Meadows Revisited
    Tunnel 45 Fort
    The Lesson of Forge 27
    Changing Tactics
    The Siege of Kopff Castle
    Raid on Kopff Station
    Battle of the Cloister
    Eldritch Summit – started

    Selene Unchained word count is 57,104, not counting Dramatis Personae (1,301 words).

    I worked on training ChatGPT to be my line editor. I added the style sheet from Celestial Accord to its training and had it review Mirim’s First Christmas. This is ChatGPT’s analysis:

    1. Narrative Voice & POV

    Style Sheet

    • Past tense
    • Omniscient narrator with selective interiority
    • Authoritative but restrained
    • Moral and cultural confidence without polemic

    Mirim’s First Christmas

    ✔ Exact match

    How it manifests in the manuscript

    • The narrator moves freely between:
      • Mirim’s perceptions
      • Observed social behavior
      • Cultural explanation
    • Interior thoughts are infrequent and purposeful
    • Moral judgments are implied through tone and consequence, not stated

    Notable reinforcement

    • The narrator never apologizes for tradition, faith, hierarchy, or ceremony.
    • Cultural authority is assumed, not argued.

    Conclusion:
    Mirim’s First Christmas is a textbook execution of the style sheet’s POV doctrine.

    2. Sentence Structure & Cadence

    Style Sheet

    • Medium-to-long sentences preferred
    • Subordinate clauses encouraged
    • Rhythm valued over brevity
    • Fragments allowed for voice, not laziness

    Mirim’s First Christmas

    ✔ Perfect alignment, with added sophistication

    Observed patterns

    • Frequent use of:
      • Parallel lists (foods, customs, people)
      • Clarifying clauses (“which,” “that,” “since”)
      • Gentle temporal framing (“After,” “As,” “When”)
    • Sentences often accumulate meaning rather than rush to a point

    Manuscript adds

    • A slightly more Edwardian hospitality cadence than the style sheet explicitly calls out
    • A strong “host explaining traditions to a guest” rhythm that recurs scene after scene

    Conclusion:
    The manuscript doesn’t just follow the rule—it teaches the reader how the rule feels in motion.

    3. Dialogue Philosophy

    Style Sheet

    • Dialogue serves culture, not conflict
    • Polite speech default
    • Humor through understatement and social friction
    • Dialogue punctuation follows Chicago with voice exceptions

    Mirim’s First Christmas

    ✔ Exemplary execution

    Key observations

    • Almost no confrontational dialogue
    • Characters explain, reminisce, instruct, tease
    • Humor arises from:
      • Cross-cultural misunderstanding
      • Generational differences
      • Gentle irony (especially Dolores, Eleanor, Nikola)

    Important nuance

    • Dialogue often carries exposition that would normally be narration
    • Speakers are trusted to be intelligent and articulate

    Conclusion:
    The manuscript is a model for how to embed exposition into dialogue without didacticism.

    4. Exposition & Worldbuilding

    Style Sheet

    • Embedded exposition preferred
    • Lists acceptable if contextualized
    • Worldbuilding revealed through lived experience

    Mirim’s First Christmas

    ✔ Strong confirmation

    How the manuscript uses exposition

    • Food as cultural memory
    • Ritual as theology-in-action
    • Architecture as values made physical
    • History revealed conversationally

    Where the manuscript goes further

    • Uses ritual density as pacing rather than plot
    • Treats traditions as events worth dwelling on

    This is not just allowed by the style sheet—it is its natural consequence.

    Conclusion:
    The manuscript validates that your style sheet supports “ceremonial fiction,” not plot-driven minimalism.

    5. Capitalization, Religion, and Terminology

    Style Sheet

    • Capitalize divine pronouns
    • Respect doctrinal distinctions
    • Precise theological language
    • Period-appropriate usage

    Mirim’s First Christmas

    ✔ Exact compliance

    Notable strengths

    • Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant distinctions handled carefully
    • Theology explained respectfully but confidently
    • Religious language is normal, not exoticized

    Important note

    • The manuscript proves that faith language can be frequent without becoming preachy when handled through tradition and lived practice.

    Conclusion:
    Mirim’s First Christmas is a working proof that the style sheet’s religious rules are narratively sustainable.

    6. Tone Toward Progress, Tradition, and Family

    Style Sheet

    • Civilization is inherited, not reinvented
    • Family and clan matter
    • Progress is additive, not destructive

    Mirim’s First Christmas

    ✔ Thematic alignment

    Observed emphasis

    • Marriage as covenant
    • Multi-generational continuity
    • Hospitality as moral action
    • Technology coexisting with ritual

    The manuscript does not merely obey the style—it embodies its worldview.

    7. Where Mirim’s First Christmas Adds to the Style Sheet

    These are not conflicts—these are emergent refinements you may wish to treat as implicit addenda:

    1. Ceremonial Density Is Acceptable
      1. Long stretches with minimal plot advancement are stylistically valid
    2. Lists Can Be Luxurious
      1. Food, customs, and names may be lingered over
    3. Domestic Grandeur Is a Legitimate Setting
      1. Mansions, tables, kitchens, and halls are as important as battlefields

    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.

  • Mirim’s First Christmas

    Mirim’s First Christmas

    Artemis Rising is #882 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,095 in Steampunk Fiction, and #2,414 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 so far, thanks Michele! If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    Mirim’s First Christmas is finished. It is a long short story or short novella – a little longer than one tenth of a novel in length. It is mostly just a ‘slice of life’ story that explores Christmas traditions in the 1890’s. I learned a lot of neat things researching it and plan to make the eBook available for free once I get the final cover.

    The first commercial oil field in Texas was in and around Corsicana in Navarro county. It started as a mistake when the Corsicana city fathers commissioned a water well that produced oil instead. In 1897, it produced 65,975 barrels of oil that year. Now days we talk about millions of barrels a day, but in 1897, that was a lot…

    Gresham Castle takes up most of the lot it is on and didn’t have space for a carriage house. The Greshams did have a phone, however. So what they would do is call the livery stable and hire a carriage for whatever they wanted to do. At least until Eleanor perfects her Air Carriage…

    I always thought the winged lions at the gate to the house were added when Bishop Byrnie moved in. Not so. They were installed as part of the original construction and were named Oscar and Zeke. Apparently the Galveston Historical Foundation have Josephine Gresham’s diaries and so they know for sure what the names were, although the docent said they didn’t know who was who. According to a Facebook post by Ernest McKelroy, the left one when facing the castle is Oscar and the right one is Zeke.

    The enormous front doors of Gresham Castle don’t swing open. They are pocket doors. There are also a second set of plainer pocket doors that can be pulled closed to protect the main doors in a storm, or to indicate the Gresham’s weren’t in residence at the time.

    Nicolas Clayton, the architect, included several interesting innovations in Gresham Castle. One was the book shelves in the library. The shelves are adjustable to accommodate different size books – something uncommon at the time. They also had doors that slide open instead of swinging open. He also designed the house to be able to capture the sea breeze that blew in to the front of the house. The ceilings were high, 14.5 feet on the first floor, 12-12.5 on the second and third floor. The hot air would rise to the ceilings, above where people were, and would circulate toward the grand staircase and rotunda. It would rise to vents in the dome on the third floor and vent into an area above the dome. That area had skylights that could be opened at the bottom to vent the hot air out of the house. It provided some air circulation. In addition to the 2 foot thick masonry walls, the house would have been much cooler than one would expect from a pre-AC house in Galveston, Texas.

    IRL, Walter Gresham Senior was called Col. Gresham. I’ve always assumed this was because he gained the rank in the Confederate Army. In reality, he was only an enlisted man in the army and purchased his commission later after he became a professional politician. In the post-Civil War south, every gentleman of substance needed to have the title ‘colonel’…

    In the Grand Staircase, one of the stained glass windows is of St. Teresa. It was put there by the bishop after the original cherub window was lost in a hurricane.

    The research trip to Galveston and work on Mirim’s First Christmas took up most of my writing efforts this past week, but I did get a couple thousand additional words written on Selene Unchained.

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    Zafir Takes a Hand – finished
    Zafir Burns His Hand – started

    Selene Unchained word count is 42,273, not counting Dramatis Personae (1,251 words).

  • Reading Rabbits and Polearms

    Reading Rabbits and Polearms

    Artemis Rising is #1,820 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,928 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), and #4,772 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. No reviews yet either – if you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    You can get autographed copies of both books at the Keller Indianettes Craft Show Saturday or Sunday.

    I’ll be having an author meet and greet in March at The Reading Rabbit in Azle. Hopefully I’ll have Forging the Chain Breakers available by then.

    Found out a polearm with a hook to pull knights off horses and a spike to finish them off is called a guisarme. Yes, most polearms at least started as peasant tools put on a longer pole to serve as an improvised weapon. The low place in a crenelated castle wall are the embrasiers. Also found out that the effective range of a modern hunting crossbow is about 40-50 yards. Not very useful against a BAR…

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    11: The Chain Breaking Begins – reworked
    12: Refugee Policy
    13: Dark Rituals
    14: Falling Water
    15: Baron Qutab Strikes Back
    16: Laughing Pastures – started

    Selene Unchained word count is 30,440, not counting Dramatis Personae (1,123 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.

  • Steampunk November, some Progress

    Steampunk November, some Progress

    Artemis Rising is #1,904 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,044 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), and #5,260 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. No reviews yet either – if you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.

    You can get autographed copies of both books at Funky Finds Saturday or Sunday.

    Steampunk November was an excellent chance to sell books – better than any other event so far. I had a chance to talk to several other authors about places they go to sell books. It was also kind of cool to be in a place with a lot of other steampunk fans. I’m looking into other events like it. If you know of one, let me know.

    The cold is still making everything harder than it should be. I did make a little more progress, however. Maybe I’ll be over it by this weekend…

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    11: The Chain Breaking Begins – completed
    12: Falling Water and Laughing Pastures – started

    Selene Unchained word count is 20,714, not counting Dramatis Personae (988 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.

  • Selene Reborn and Kobolds

    Selene Reborn and Kobolds

    Artemis Rising is #1,996 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,132 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), and #5,469 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. 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.

    You can get autographed copies of both books at the Lightning Dancers Craft Show Saturday or Sunday.

    There is a new description of the first series Selene Reborn. Please check it out here and let me know what you think.

    The modifications and additions to Celestial Accord lengthened the book and it needed a very slightly wider spine on the cover. GetCovers.com took care of it for me and the physical book with new front matter and line editing will be available by the end of the week.

    Now that Celestial Accord is put to bed, I’ve been able to spend most of my writing time on Selene Unchained. Some of the chapters I’d already written needed modifications, and some were replaced or massively modified.

    Ima’s son, the Platoon Sargent, talks to his Platoon Commander about Kobolds. I did some research about Kobolds in German folklore and it was really interesting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobold

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    1: An Air Car Ride – minor modifications
    6: A Sorceress, A Marine, and a Spy – minor modifications
    7: Elisha and Mirim Return – minor modifications
    8: Selene Revealed
    9: More Messengers, Better Message
    10: The Lunar Atrium
    11: The Chain Breaking Begins

    Selene Unchained word count is 19,229, not counting Dramatis Personae (975 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.

  • Celestial Accord Complete

    Celestial Accord Complete

    Artemis Rising is #1,992 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,154 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), and #5,464 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.

    Book Signing Saturday 10-2 at the Downtown Arlington Farmer’s Market – both Artemis Rising and Celestial Accord will be available.

    Michael, my line editor, finished this week. I should have the modifications integrated into the master manuscript by the end of the day Wednesday. I’ll integrate the additional map and family tree and get updated versions of the book on Amazon before the end of the week. There will probably be a couple of days delay to the release, but it will be better because of that.

    The complete Selene Reborn series is now visible on Amazon. The publication dates for books 3 and 4 may change, the covers certainly will, but it allows the whole series to be seen.

    Isaac finished beta reading Forging the Chain Breakers. Thank you! I have his comments integrated now. I also started putting Selene Unchained (book 4) out for Beta Reading.

    The first copies of Celestial Accord came in Friday. See me at markets on the weekends to get a signed copy.

    I received the map of the American Commonwealth from Tomas. It will be added to the next printing of Celestial Accord.

    I have the final family trees from all four artists – let me know which one you think should go into Celestial Accord

    Final Family Tree from Olha Maksymtsiv:

    Final Family Tree from Adnan Thana:

    Final Family Tree from Reyhane Hoseyni:

    Gresham Family Tree f

    Final Family Tree from Nadee Diwakara:

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    1: An Air Car Ride – minor modifications
    6: A Sorceress, A Marine, and a Spy – minor modifications
    7: Elisha and Mirim Return – minor modifications
    8: Selene Revealed – begun
    9: Contemplations – may need revisions
    10: Kepler Cluster – may need revisions

    Selene Unchained word count is 17,268, not counting Dramatis Personae (975 words).

  • Editing Celestial Accord

    Editing Celestial Accord

    Artemis Rising is #2,021 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,159 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), and #5,492 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.

    This week was consumed by preparing for a huge weekend for jam sales, a visit to San Antonio to see the new nephew and reviewing editing notes for Celestial Accord. Actually, I did make some progress with the artists working on the world map and family tree for Celestial Accord, but nothing on Selene Unchained.

  • 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.

  • Celestial Accord, Forging, Double Eagles

    Celestial Accord, Forging, Double Eagles

    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.