Adventure Beyond the Stars – Written for Readers Who Want More

Tag: writing progress

  • Ads, Hala, and Charlie

    Ads, Hala, and Charlie

    Artemis Rising is #1,987 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,130 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), and #5,325 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.

    I finished the chapter that introduces Hala. I must admit, I’m really disliking Zafir – in the words of the old Texas salt, he needs a good killin’. I really like Hala – if you’ve been reading these you know her name means moon, but has the additional connotation of ‘ethereal beauty’. I thought that was perfect for the character and the role she would play in Book 4.

    I spent some money on ads on Facebook and Instagram. We’ll see if they are worth it. Even if they only make 50% of the investment back, there is enough information about the efficiency of the ads that I may be able to get to break-even on the next round. If I can do that, with some tweaking, I should be able to get beyond break-even. Even if it is only break-even, if I’m selling ten or fifteen books a week, that will help me get some momentum.

    Honestly, I found it really hard to concentrate this week. I was really bummed over Charlie Kirk’s assassination. I know he is with the Lord. I know we will see him again. I know that, like many Christian martayrs, he is likely to have more impact in death than he did in life – and he had a huge, history-changing impact in life. I’m still bummed that one of the biggest advocates for dialoge and free speech, the peaceful exchange of idea, was taken from us. Over and over I thought about Obi-Wan’s words to Vader, “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine”

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    1: An Air Car Ride
    2: Plotting Freedom
    5: Hala – finished
    6: A Sorceress, A Marine, and A Spy – started

    Selene Unchained word count is 9,248, not counting Dramatis Personae (775 words).

    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.

  • Recon Marines, Covers, and Editing

    Recon Marines, Covers, and Editing

    Artemis Rising is #1,822 in Steampunk Fiction, #2,109 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), and #5,282 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.

    I’ve decided that the way the Defender Marines chose their 12 Recon Marines is they first asked for volunteers. Then they had the 35 Marines who volunteered fight their way through a gauntlet of opponents using exercise weapons that assess when a Jager marine is wounded or incapacitated. Then the five lowest scoring were eliminated. Without time to rest, they fought through the gauntlet again and the five lowest scoring were eliminated. Without time to rest, they fought through a third time and the five lowest scoring were eliminated. The remaining 20 were divided into five groups of four and put through seventy hours of capture the flag combat with a only seven two-hour breaks. Before the capture the flag rounds, they were told that the highest scoring troopers would have the opportunity to choose a partner to team up with in future exercises. After the rounds, the trooper with the highest combat score was allowed to choose any other trooper as his partner. The highest scoring trooper remaining was allowed to choose any remaining trooper as his partner until there were 10 pairs of troopers. The pairs then had to fight each of the other nine pairs of candidates and go through the gauntlet as a pair four additional times. In the end, two of the pairs self-eliminated and the two lowest scoring pairs were dropped leaving six pairs of recon troopers.

    Line editing for Cosmic Accord began this week. A slight hiccup – I sent the editor the manuscript for book 3 instead of book 2. He caught that pretty quick and he has the right one now.

    Also had some issues with the Book 2 cover. We’re having trouble finding a photo of someone for Ima. This one is too young and doesn’t have the right hair. Maybe for next week.

    I did get some modifications for the map in Book 2 and my mapmaker is working on an update of the map for Book 3.

    Selene Unchained chapters this week:
    1: Planning to Break the Chains – finished, but will be extensively reworked
    2: Consulting the Mage
    3: Beraht
    4: Hala – started

    Selene Unchained word count is 7,584, not counting Dramatis Personae (775 words).

    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.

  • Finalizing Celestial Accord

    Finalizing Celestial Accord

    Artemis Rising is #1,964 in Steampunk Fiction (Kindle Store), #1,356 in Steampunk Fiction, and #4,795 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.

    Discovered that John Browning invented the guns and Matthew Browning sold them. Kind of like how Eleanor and Walter divide the work. I went back and rewrote the parts with the Browning brothers.

    My editor, Sandra, returned the rewrite of Book 2, so I tied up Forging the Chain Breakers and started working on integrating the edits instead. I have them all integrated now. Title is now “Celestial Accord”. I have an order for a new cover from GetCovers.com. I have a request for copy editing on Reedsy. Release by the end of September if I’m really, really, lucky. Chances are it will be at least October instead <sigh>.

    Forging the Chain Breakers chapters this week:
    36: Browning Assault Rifles
    37: A Military Pow-Wow – started

    Forging The Chain Breakers word count is 65,912, not counting Dramatis Personae (2,506 words)

    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.