Bookcovers, GIMP, Sekmet, Keeper of the First Fire, and an Ice Storm. All this week’s Secret Knowledge is below…
No book events this weekend.
It looks like Lovecraftian Lore will be a full novel, 40,000+ words. So it’s cover will probably be for paper as well as ebook. I’m going to try my hand at designing it myself this time. But that means learning a whole new set of skills. I’m going to keep trying to do this with GIMP, but if I don’t have a breakthrough pretty quick, I may just give in and have it designed by GetCovers instead.
I finally took the time to create a reference image for Sekmet as a little girl. It took an amazingly long time. The AI tools kept wanting to make her dress look like an adult woman’s fitted bodice or give her both lion ears and human ears… or both.
The reason for the reference image is I wanted to create this image for Weird The Third V: The Oldest Story. That is Keeper of the First Fire. Yes, another Keeper, and he is specifically a keeper of stories…
I also decided to make this image for Weird The Third IV: The Broken Seal. Yes – it takes place in modern day… kind of. In an ice storm, that makes the movie Groundhog Day look like a Romantic Comedy…
Progress this week: Weird The Third IV: The Broken Seal – finished Weird The Third V: The Oldest Story Weird The Third VI: Choose the Right Door – started
Word Count is 10,704 in 3 chapters of an estimated 70,000-80,000 in 16 chapters.
Since Artemis Rising was originally published in the middle of the month, my sales cycle ends on the 20th. Sep/Oct Sales: Artemis Rising sold 1 ebooks, 1,000 pages on Kindle Unlimited, and 2 paper books off Amazon. Celestial Accord sold 1 paper book in-person. Forging the Chain Breakers sold 3 pages on Kindle Unlimited, and 1 paper book in-person. Selene Unchained had 398 pages on Kindle Unlimited. Antarctic Honeymoon sold 1 book in-person.
High Adventure is available as a stand-alone novelette. It is #2,984 on Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #3,388 in Steampunk Fiction, #4,997 in Action & Adventure Short Stories (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Goth Galore is available as a stand-alone novella. It is #2,731 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Kindle Store), #4,347 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Books), and #12,793 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Antarctic Honeymoon is #1,534 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,672 in Steampunk Fiction, and #4,533 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. 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 #248 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #300 in Steampunk Fiction, and #884 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 and eight ratings 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 #1,340 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,358 Steampunk Fiction, #4,064 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 and three ratings so far. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Forging the Chain Breakers is #905 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,044 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,968 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. One review and they didn’t like it much. One additional rating just as bad. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Selene Unchained is #1,357 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,481 in Steampunk Fiction, #4,101 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books). 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 #2,999 in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads, #6,945 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #8,065 in Colonization Science Fiction. 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.
Chainsaws, Halcyon House, and Pot-bellied Stoves. All this week’s Secret Knowledge is below…
This weekend I’ll be at two locations with books: Friday and Sunday at Octoberfest Southlake, and Saturday at Huffines Harvest Fest in Richardson. 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.
In Weird The Third IV: The Broken Seal, they encounter John who is carrying a chainsaw. Can you image how hard it is for Walter to classify such a strange machine?
I finally settled on where Walter & Eleanor’s Galveston house would be and what it will be called. Since it is intended to be a town-house and Lionsgate Ranch/Estate will be their primary residence, it doesn’t and is never intended to compete with Gresham Castle. It is still a very impressive house. https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Halcyon_House
Another small piece of interesting scenery – the potbelly stove. Walter recognizes it as similar to the ones on trains and in train stations because those are some of the places they showed up frequently in the 1890’s. More information here: https://goodtimestove.com/potbelly-stoves/
Progress this week: Weird The Third IV: The Broken Seal – progress
Word Count is 5,290 in 1 chapter of an estimated 70,000-80,000 in 16 chapters.
High Adventure is available as a stand-alone novelette. It is #2,731 on Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #3,100 in Steampunk Fiction, #4,557 in Action & Adventure Short Stories (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Goth Galore is available as a stand-alone novella. It is #2,676 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Kindle Store), #4,228 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Books), and #12,534 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Antarctic Honeymoon is #1,240 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,416 in Steampunk Fiction, and #3,897 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. 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 #497 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #547 in Steampunk Fiction, and #1,663 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 and eight ratings 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 #1,157 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,183 Steampunk Fiction, #3,710 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 and three ratings so far. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Forging the Chain Breakers is #905 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,044 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,968 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. One review and they didn’t like it much. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Selene Unchained is #1,138 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,304 in Steampunk Fiction, #3,639 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books). 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 #2,468 in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads, #6,059 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #7,224 in Colonization Science Fiction. 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.
Early release of Palestine’s Ghosts—kind of, two volumes, line edits is all this week. All this week’s Secret Knowledge is below…
No signings this weekend.
Since Palestine’s Ghosts is already standard novel length and is only half done. I’ve decided to publish it in two volumes. Not divided into books in a miniseries, but one book in two volumes. I’m thinking of ending volume 1 at the end of Wrong Palestine and releasing it on October 31 or so. I’m also thinking of having some release celebrations at some bookstores. Too bad Palestine doesn’t have an independent bookstore.
In preparation for submitting the manuscript for Palestine’s Ghosts Vol I, I did some grammar clean-up for Goth Galore and High Adventure – those ebooks are updated now as well.
Progress this week: Finished Vol 1. Word Count 88,017, 17 chapters. Weird The Third III: Wrong Palestine – finished
High Adventure is available as a stand-alone novelette. It is #2,355 on Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,694 in Steampunk Fiction, #3,964 in Action & Adventure Short Stories (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Goth Galore is available as a stand-alone novella. It is #2,508 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Kindle Store), #4,047 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Books), and #11,842 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Antarctic Honeymoon is #645 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #735 in Steampunk Fiction, and #2,144 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. 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 #968 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,059 in Steampunk Fiction, and #3,120 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 and eight ratings 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 #687 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #830 Steampunk Fiction, #2,212 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 and three ratings so far. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Forging the Chain Breakers is #984 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,139 in Steampunk Fiction, #3,159 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. One review and they didn’t like it much. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Selene Unchained is #940 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,106 in Steampunk Fiction, #3,039 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books). 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 #1,524 in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads, #4,240 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #4,473 in 90-Minute Literature & Fiction Short Reads. 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.
Dark Library, writing progress, and Funnel Cakes this week. 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 Octoberfest Celebration at the Granbury Square on Saturday or Sunday. https://malcolmupton.com/events/
Walter, Eleanor, and Sekmet are moving through the interior of the Impossible House. Actually, the corridor they are in long ago exceeded the dimensions of the house. This is one of the doors they looked through without entering. After all, there was a portal made of dark stone with arcane sigils on it and you could see Saturn from up close through it. And something vast and Old and evil. Walter documented the coat of arms on the door just in case he needed to recognize it sometime in the future. You have to ask yourself. Am I in the habit of planting Easter eggs that don’t pay off in the book they’re planted in?
Walter, Eleanor, and Sekmet visit a version of the 2026 Dogwood Festival in Palestine Texas. Sekmet catches the scent of funnel cakes and hears that you can get them with chocolate. After declaring “I need one” the next quest is for funnel cake. Can you imagine Walter’s response when he learns how much they cost?
I tore my feet up with more blisters than I’ve ever had at one time, but it gave me more writing time, progress this week: Weird The Third III: Wrong Palestine – progress
Word Count is 85,807 in 15+ chapters of an estimated 70,000-130,000 in 32 chapters.
Since Artemis Rising was originally published in the middle of the month, my sales cycle ends on the 20th. Aug/Sep Sales: Artemis Rising sold 2 ebooks, 1,477 pages on Kindle Unlimited, 2 paper books off Amazon, and 7 in-person. Celestial Accord sold 1 ebook, 157 pages on Kindle Unlimited, 3 paper books off Amazon, and 4 in-person. Forging the Chain Breakers sold 1 ebook, 181 pages on Kindle Unlimited, 1 paper book off Amazon, and 3 in-person. Selene Unchained sold 1 ebook, 126 pages on Kindle Unlimited, 1 paper book off Amazon, and 3 in-person. Antarctic Honeymoon sold 2 books in-person.
High Adventure is available as a stand-alone novelette. It is #2,121 on Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,425 in Steampunk Fiction, #3,592 in Action & Adventure Short Stories (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Goth Galore is available as a stand-alone novella. It is #2,508 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Kindle Store), #3,876 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Books), and #11,313 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Antarctic Honeymoon is #2,798 in Steampunk Fiction, #10,287 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #15,273 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 #175 in Steampunk Fiction, #197 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), and #631 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 #687 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #830 Steampunk Fiction, #2,212 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 #690 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #840 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,215 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 #680 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #835 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,185 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books). 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 #632 in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads, #1,744 in 90-Minute Literature & Fiction Short Reads, and #2,151 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.
Spooky Spectacle report, dissected puzzles, Tea Cakes, academic institutions and the Little Rock Bible. All this week’s Secret Knowledge is below…
No author appearance this weekend.
Spooky Spectacle was a disappointment in sales at the show, but most of the books improved their sales rank, so there may have been some significant Kindle and/or Audible sales after the show. Something improved the ranking.
After their visit to Visita de San Miguel Arcángel, Sekmet observes that they have the edges, but not the center of a dissected puzzle. You see, in 1894, they weren’t called “jigsaw puzzles” yet, because the jigsaw was too new. They also didn’t have the peg and notch arrangement that modern puzzles have. They did have pictures, or often maps, called “dissected puzzles” – like the pictured ones about Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show pictured.
Walter, Eleanor, and Sekmet have a discussion in The Corridor That Wasn’t about what they might find behind various doors. Sekmet and Eleanor decide a room full of tea cakes would be nice and Walter has a difficult time being the stern father figure, especially after Sekmet invokes his favorite type of tea cake. (Hint: it has pecans…)
The new job is really eating into my writing and the Universities project didn’t help, progress this week: Weird The Third I: The House of Doors – finished Weird The Third II: The Corridor That Wasn’t – progress
Word Count is 70,260 65,096 in 15+ chapters of an estimated 70,000-130,000 in 32 chapters.
Since Artemis Rising was originally published in the middle of the month, my sales cycle ends on the 20th. July/Aug Sales: Artemis Rising sold 6 ebooks, 776 pages on Kindle Unlimited, and 3 paper books off Amazon, 1 in-person. Celestial Accord sold 1 ebook and 599 pages on Kindle Unlimited. Forging the Chain Breakers sold 1 ebook, and 735 pages on Kindle Unlimited. Selene Unchained sold 1 ebook, and 523 pages on Kindle Unlimited. Antarctic Honeymoon sold 3 pages on Kindle Unlimited and 1 book in-person. Mirim’s First Christmas had no sales. Surprisingly, Goth Galore sold 1 ebook.
High Adventure is available as a stand-alone novelette. It is #1,755 on Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,014 in Steampunk Fiction, #3,087 in Action & Adventure Short Stories (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Goth Galore is available as a stand-alone novella. It is #2,337 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Kindle Store), #3,541 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Books), and #10,219 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Antarctic Honeymoon is #2,673 in Steampunk Fiction, #9,721 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #14,705 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 #240 in Steampunk Fiction, #281 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), and #759 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 #509 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #573 Steampunk Fiction, #1,671 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 #535 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #636 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,744 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 #514 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #613 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,676 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books). 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 #6,920 in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads, #12,306 in Colonization Science Fiction, and #12,758 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.
First video created, Spooky Spectacle, Austin 1894, Gov Hogg & Ima, Visita de San Miguel Arcangel, Sekmet Valkyrie, the Impossible House revealed, Eleanor’s pistols, Chekov’s Exits, Visual reference cards, Artemis’ cockpit, Steam Traction Engine, First Hangar, Tesla bench test, Selenite Tunnel, Zafir, Freeze Cannon, Moonblossom arch, Selenite Vacuum Suit, Selenite Utility Carrier, Tunnel 16 Entrance, Transit Tube System, Hardcovers. All this week’s and last 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 Downtown Arlington Farmer’s Market on Saturday. https://malcolmupton.com/events/
Walter, Eleanor, and Sekmet flew to Austin to consult with the Texas State Geologist. Landing Endeavor in the middle of Austin would be a bad idea, so Walter contacted Gen. Mabry of the Texas Guard to use the parade field at the brand new Camp Mabry northwest of Austin. It was only 18 months old at the time, but was already raising money for expansion by staging mock battles for people in the summer – hence the grandstands. When they took the carriage into town, the passed the main building for the fairly new University of Texas on its 40 acre campus. They ended up at the new Capitol building, completed only 6 years previously.
While I was researching the Texas Geologic Survey and Texas State Geologist Edwin Dumble, I discovered that the Texas Geologic Survey had been partially defunded in 1893 and completely defunded in 1894. That led to trying to find out why. It appears that when Texas Governor Jim Hogg was trying to deal with reduced revenues due to the Panic of 1893, he was convinced by some of his advisors to stop wasting money on unnecessary luxuries like scientific inquiry – including the Texas Geologic Survey. Governor Hogg later told geologists that cutting spending for the Survey was one of his most regretted decisions. And yes, his only daughter was named ‘Ima’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ima_Hogg She would have been 8 going on 9 when the Selenites visited Galveston. I wonder what a meeting between the child Ima Hogg and the adult Ima Wenizasdautr would be like…
I needed a location and some background for the scene that convinced Walter & Co to enter the Impossible House. Before everything was said and done, I had a little information for the chapter, more information for the rest of the book, and a lot more information that may never come out. Note: There are definitely spoilers in the link, and they might not all be spoilers for Palestine’s Ghosts, but if you want to know: https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Visita_de_San_Miguel_Arc%C3%A1ngel
I may be writing myself into something of a corner. I really need to be careful, because I do want to write the story where Walter and Eleanor are Vikings and Sekmet is a Valkyrie…
The time has come for Walter, Eleanor, and Sekmet to enter the Impossible House. Of course it isn’t as easy to describe their entry into the Impossible House if I don’t have a clear idea of what the place looks like. So I got ChatGPT to find me some period-appropriate floor plans and picked this one. Got a colorized version for Saturday morning when they arrive, and three versions of how it might look on a spooky night.
Whovians will recognize that there is a difference between something being bigger on the inside and something being smaller on the outside. The Impossible house is that way. Maybe…
By the time of Palestine’s Ghosts, Eleanor has been in too many situations and seen too much… stuff to go around unarmed. She is still a lady, however, and doesn’t do the whole Annie Oakley thing. Instead, she carries a .32 caliber Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless Revolver (developed early) for everyday carry. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_%26_Wesson_Safety_Hammerless It fits in a pocket Argos specifically makes in her dresses to hold it. For expeditions where she might need a firearm, she carries a Colt Model M. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Model_1903_Pocket_Hammerless It is also a .32 caliber, but has a 8-round detachable box magazine. She normally carries it in a shoulder holster under her coat with three loaded magazines in holsters on the other side. Of course Argos ensures that both the holster and the coat are designed so that her firearms don’t detract from her lady-like appearance.
Some of you may be familiar with the idea of “Chekov’s gun” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov%27s_gun In Weird the Third, we actually have two instances of Chekov’s exit. And… I don’t think I’ll explain any more – Spoilers…
I’m working on a video ad for Artemis Rising. Part of the reason is that I’m competing in an AI video ad competition. Part of it is that I have access to an AI marketplace that gives me access to a bunch of stuff. I might even end up redoing the narration on my books and using AI voices since I’m not confident in my ability to do them myself. As part of the work on the ad, I needed high quality reference cards on Walter, Eleanor, and Nikola.
I also needed a reference image for Artemis.
And these went into the reference image of Artemis’ cockpit.
So in the 1890’s Case Manufacturing made a lot of steam-powered traction engines. But Lee Ironworks in Galveston made boilers, steam machinery, and such. There is no reason they couldn’t have made a steam traction engine for Gresham Steamship Co.
I needed an image of First Hangar in Texas City on the morning of Artemis’ launch on her first trip to the Moon. It is surprising how much work went into this set of images, and they likely will only be used for about 5 seconds or so.
Tesla testing his drive pod will also show up in the ad.
I’ll also need the Selenite Tunnel where Artemis was repaired.
It wouldn’t be a good ad for Artemis Rising without Zafir. I must admit, he came out more creepy than I expected.
And I will probably even get to put the Freeze Cannon into the ad.
These are a couple of images from the agricultural cavern of Tunnel 16 Entrance Community.
Another element I needed for the ad was the vacuum suits the Selenites use. I even considered how to make them “off the rack” and able to fit women’s anatomy into the chest area.
I also made a set of references for the utility vehicle that Eli had. I finally have a reference image of the lunar all-metal wheels. If I use it consistently, that should help the AI keep from getting confused.
Tunnel 16 Entrance. The first significant location on the Moon. I had to create the crater wall, scale it, get an entrance and then spent hours getting the Artificial Idiot to put the entrance in correctly. But it is there now.
I needed the cars, station, and tunnels of the Transit Tube system. These are basically what I was thinking of, although they came out a bit brighter and lighter. Which isn’t a bad thing.
I finally got the video ad finished Tuesday night. I had 2 hours to spare and just shy of 17% of my AI credits left. Not quite the last minute and last credit, but pretty close. I haven’t had to learn so much so fast in a long time. Now we’ll just have to see how well people like it. https://malcolmupton.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Artemis-Ad-1-v9.mov It will be on the Artemis Rising page on Amazon by the end of the week. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3K149ZQ
I did get the updated covers and hardback versions of some of the books done. Probably by the end of the week hardback versions of all these will be available on Amazon.
Some progress last week on Palestine’s Ghosts before I dived into Video creation and editing: 3: Capital Answers – finished Weird The Third I: The House of Doors – started
Word Count is 63,367 in 14+ chapters of an estimated 70,000-130,000 in 32 chapters.
High Adventure is available as a stand-alone novelette. It is #1,236 on Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,421 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,259 in Action & Adventure Short Stories (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Goth Galore is available as a stand-alone novella. It is #1,962 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Kindle Store), #2,904 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Books), and #8,120 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Antarctic Honeymoon is #2,373 in Steampunk Fiction, #8,454 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #13,178 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 #543 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #606 in Steampunk Fiction, and #1,799 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 #632 Steampunk Fiction, #1,110 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,601 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 #631 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,204 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,600 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 #639 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,241 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,625 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books). 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 #6,862 in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads, #12,118 in Colonization Science Fiction, and #12,495 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.
High Adventure Novelette published, The Walter and Eleanor Adventures, Aerokraken, Giant Amazon, Rapiers and Jians, Palestine’s Ghosts preorder, Texas Geological Survey. 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 Downtown Arlington Farmer’s Market on Saturday. https://malcolmupton.com/events/
One of the challenges the crew of Endeavor faces during Weird The Second. An aerokraken…
Jin Tao’s stronghold bristles with Dragon-Slayer Cannons, at least on the eye side approaches. But they need at least one Dragon-Slayer that can traverse enough to take care of aetheric monsters that come out of the storm. The answer is the Grand Dragon-Slayer. Of course the Endeavor Crew call it the Giant Amazon because it can shoot and, like the Amazon’s of ancient Greek legend, it only has one bazoomba… https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Grand_Dragon-Slayer
The High Adventure Weird is an Aerosphere/Pirate/Swashbuckling adventure, but it also has a nice leavening of wuxia in it (think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). So of course we have rapier’s and Chinese jian’s as weapons…
I’ve decided to put Palestine’s Ghosts up for preorder. I don’t have a final cover, or even an idea of the final cover and I’m more than three Weirds away from having a manuscript, but if I’m going to continue releasing the novellas/novelettes independently, having the link to the overall book will be a good idea. I’m also far enough along to put together a cover for the High Adventure Novelette. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HGCMWF8W
I needed a geologist for the chapter between Weird the Second and Weird the Third. Once more using actual history whenever possible made for a much better story. If I’d been writing in a completely made-up world, I would have had some geologist show up in town, possibly associated with the railroad, to explain the stone of the seal from Weird the Second. Instead I found two real people to fill that role. John R. Hearne was actually a druggist in 1890’s Palestine. He was also a pillar of the community as his election as mayor proved. Since 19th century druggists had to be pretty good chemists, and were familiar with minerals, making him a knowledgeable amateur geologist isn’t much of a stretch. And then there is Edwin Theodore Dumble. The actual head of the Texas Geological Survey during the time of Palestine’s Ghosts. He’d actually led a geologic survey of the Palestine area not long before and was very familiar with the geology there. And there are even political shenanigans going on with the Texas Geological Survey during 1894 to add a little spice.
I’ve signed up for another event. Texas Book Lovers Con Plot Tryst in the Quakertown Civic Center in Denton. Actually, I’ll probably be on the covered patio behind the civic center – but in March, that shouldn’t be a problem. https://malcolmupton.com/events/
North Texas Indie Bookstore Crawl visits this week: Monkey & Dog Bookstore, Fort Worth Recluse Books, Fort Worth A House With Books, Keller The Dock Bookstore, Fort Worth Lucky Dog Books, Oak Cliff Whose Books, Oak Cliff Blush Bookstore, Oak Cliff The Wild Detectives, Oak Cliff
Good progress this week on Palestine’s Ghosts. Chapters this week: Weird The Second II: Through the Impossible Storm – finished Weird The Second III: Raiding the Tollbooth Weird The Second IV: Sphere of Worlds Weird The Second V: Advance to the Rear 3: Capital Answers – started
Word Count is 52,987 in 12+ chapters of an estimated 70,000-130,000 in 32 chapters.
Since Artemis Rising was originally published in the middle of the month, my sales cycle ends on the 20th. July/Aug Sales: Artemis Rising sold 6 ebooks, 776 pages on Kindle Unlimited, and 3 paper books off Amazon, 1 in-person. Celestial Accord sold 1 ebook and 599 pages on Kindle Unlimited. Forging the Chain Breakers sold 1 ebook, and 735 pages on Kindle Unlimited. Selene Unchained sold 1 ebook, and 523 pages on Kindle Unlimited. Antarctic Honeymoon sold 3 pages on Kindle Unlimited and 1 book in-person. Mirim’s First Christmas had no sales. Surprisingly, Goth Galore sold 1 ebook.
Goth Galore is available as a stand-alone novella. It is #1,604 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Kindle Store), #2,335 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Books), and #6,204 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here. No reviews yet. If you’ve finished the book and haven’t left a review, please do so here.
Antarctic Honeymoon is #1,903 in Steampunk Fiction, #6,725 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #11,177 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 #340 in Steampunk Fiction, #446 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), and #1,336 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 #521 Steampunk Fiction, #544 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,659 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 #604 in Steampunk Fiction, #807 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,358 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 #621 in Steampunk Fiction, #810 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #2,424 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 #6,783 in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads, #12,001 in Colonization Science Fiction, and #12,253 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.
Goth Galore Novella, Merry Men of Endeavor, Master of Nine Winds, Sphere of Worlds, Missouri Terror Birds, Gen Sam Houston for President, 40th Anniversary. All this week’s Secret Knowledge is below…
Goth Galore, Weird the First for Palestine’s Ghosts, is available as a stand-alone novella. It ended up at 26,223 words making it a Novella, not a Novelette. At this rate, Palestine’s Ghosts will be more than 160,000 words – way longer than I’d like. Of course Weird The First used an entire novel, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, as inspiration. I’m looking at short stories or portions of stories for the rest. Maybe I can keep the rest of them a little more focused. I did decide to go ahead and publish it as an ebook. It is minimum price of $0.99 for now. I will probably increase the price after the whole of Palestine’s Ghosts is published.
I also started work on Weird the Second: High Adventure. This is going to be more light-hearted, a swashbuckling adventure with a supporting cast of merry rogues. In fact, they purposefully use Robin Hood nicknames – even if the tie is… tenuous. For example, “The Sheriff” is called that because he doesn’t like to participate in the “foolishness.” The fact that he hates the nickname just makes it stick harder. Besides, Eleanor gets to wear pants and shoot aetheric pistols… https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Crew_of_the_Aerosphere_Endeavour
The Sphere of Worlds is responsible for the Weird goings on in Weird the Second.
A lot of time this week was spent on our 40th Anniversary trip to Branson, Missouri. The intent was to spend some time together – which was accomplished. We wanted to do some things together – accomplished. Deborah didn’t have super strong opinions about what to do – so we saw stuff that was cool and might make good inspiration or locations for a story or two of Walter and Eleanor in the Ozarks. It’s gonna be a challenge finding a place to park Endeavor…
Good progress this week on Palestine’s Ghosts. Chapters this week: Weird The First V: Seals and Good-byes – completed Chapter 2: A Weird Week Weird The Second I: Endeavor’s Merry Men Weird The Second II: Through the Aetherstorm – started
Word Count is 39,337 in 8+ chapters of an estimated 70,000-130,000 in 32 chapters.
Goth Galore is available as a stand-alone novella. It is #1,112 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Kindle Store), #1,631 in Gaslamp Fantasy (Books), and #4,109 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store). It is ebook only available here.
Antarctic Honeymoon is #1,653 in Steampunk Fiction, #5,829 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #10,037 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 #334 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #398 in Steampunk Fiction, and #1,119 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 #657 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #787 Steampunk Fiction, #2,130 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 #570 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #674 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,890 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 #510 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #610 in Steampunk Fiction, #1,721 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 #6,742 in 90-Minute Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads, #11,954 in Colonization Science Fiction, and #12,152 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.
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.
Book Crawl, Book Crawl progress, Sekmet vs the Brides, Van Helsing, Consulting Bag Contents, Blaud Pills, Lost Kingdom of Angkor, Palestine’s Ghosts progress. 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. https://malcolmupton.com/events/
In North Texas during the month of August, there is a really cool event I encourage everyone to participate in: The North Texas Indie Bookstore Crawl. You get a passport to take to 33 independent bookstores all across North Texas. The bookstore stamps or signs your passport when you visit. At the end of the month, you submit your passport electronically and get entered into a raffle for bookish prizes. Every visit gives you an additional entry. If you are a reader and like to support local, independent bookstores, this is a great excuse to get to know more bookstores.
North Texas Indie Bookstore Crawl visits this week: Daydream bookstore and coffee bar – Arlington: Specializing in Romance Novels and great coffee Wyrd and Wand Archive – Waxahachie: If you are a Harry Potter fan, you have to visit this one. Paper Leaves Bookstore – Waxahachie: Books and Plants – I also got to talk to a fellow author, JW Jones. O’Brian’s Bookshop – Midlothian: I got to talk with Lisa, one of the owners. She’s a really sweet lady. Same Page Bookstore – Mansfield: This one is in an area with a number of small shops that is really cool.
I had an idea for a scene near the end of Weird The First, so I went ahead and wrote it even if it is ahead of time.
Weird The First II introduces a significant new character – Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. If you don’t recognize the name, you need to read more classic Gothic Horror…
I looked up classifications of fiction by length and discovered this: Flash Fiction – 50 to 1000 words Short Story – 1000 to 7500 words Novelette – 7500 to 17,500 words Novella – 17,500 to 40,000 words Novel – 40,000+ (note: most publishers like 70k-100k, especially for debut authors). I always thought Mirim’s First Christmas was too long for a short story, but thought it too short for a novella – I was right, but didn’t know about the novelette, which is where First Christmas fits. That also gives me a better idea of what the five Weird stories are. They will likely be novelette-length stories stitched together by bridge chapters in Palestine.
Herr Professor Dr. Van Helsing consulting bag became a project all its own. https://greshamverse.fandom.com/wiki/Medical_bag He used a relatively new instrument for his examination of Lucy – the binaural stethoscope. In 1851 either NB Marsh or Arthur Leared (I found credible sources claiming both). Although the stethoscope was originally invented to allow doctors to listen to the hearts and breathing of young women without directly touching or putting their ears to the young woman’s chest, the fact they made such sounds easier to hear meant they were rapidly adopted. The first ones were simple cones, but the binaural stethoscope allowed the blocking of sounds other than what the doctor was listening for, making it even more effective. In 1867, Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt invented a new thermometer for clinical use. Instead of being a foot long, it was only six inches. Instead of taking 20 minutes to get a reading, it only took 5. And because it had a self-registering constriction, the mercury within stayed at the peak measured temperature until it was shaken back down. Dr. Van Helsing also used a rather simple but effective instrument in his examination of Lucy that is rarely seen today—mostly because doctors have more effect tools to do the same thing. A Head Mirror. It was made so the doctor could put it over one eye and place a lamp next to the patient. By adjusting the mirror slightly, the light from the lamp would bounce off the mirrored surface and shine on the patient’s ears, nose, or throat, illuminating the portion the doctor was looking at. Since the light was in the line of sight and slightly concentrated by its concave shape it provided shadowless illumination. Who’s old enough to remember a doctor using one of these?
Even in the 19th century, they had iron supplements to combat anemia.
Had some trouble staying on task Monday. Instead of doom scrolling or watching videos, I came up with some possibilities for future Walter & Eleanor adventures. This was the one that sounds the most intriguing (at least right now).
Palestine’s Ghosts chapters this week: Weird The First II: Van Helsing Weird The First III: Count Wampyr – started Weird The First V – partial
Word Count is 17,710 in 3+ chapters of an estimated 70,000-130,000 in 32 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 #745 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,668 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #5,001 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 #436 in Steampunk Fiction, #949 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), and #1,584 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 #1,540 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,646 Steampunk Fiction, #4,156 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 #1,860 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,896 in Steampunk Fiction, #4,888 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 #1,523 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,664 in Steampunk Fiction, #4,103 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 #11,780 in Colonization Science Fiction, #11,915 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books), and #18,804 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.
