A 1970’s artist depiction of a ringstation (from https://settlement.arc.nasa.gov/70sArt/art.html).
Becoming a published science fiction author was a jubilant moment for me, and I coasted on that high for a long time.
But of course everything that goes up must come down. I’ve found my mood and attitude regarding my nascent writing career to be significantly less jubilant now that I’ve struggled with the problem of how to sell more books.
Yesterday I sent my editor Don D’Auria a very-close-to-final version of the manuscript of The Guardian, sequel to The Sky Woman and Book 2 of the Reclaimed Earth Series. I’ve been working on revisions for the past couple of weeks, and it’s been gratifying to re-immerse myself in the minds and lives of the characters (including Tem, the ten-year-old son of Car-En and Esper, and Umana, aka the Squid Woman, the novel’s archvillain).
Here’s the cover!
You can preorder the book here, or at your local bookstore (most Barnes and Noble locations carry the Flame Tree line). The novel (hopefully) stands on its own merits, regardless if you have read The Sky Woman, so you can jump in wherever.
Please feel free to share the word on social media!
In the year 2737, Earth is mostly depopulated in the wake of a massive supervolcano, but civilization and culture are preserved in vast orbiting ringstations.
Tem, the nine-year-old son of a ringstation anthropologist and a Happdal bow-hunter, wants nothing more than to become a blacksmith like his uncle Trond. But after a rough patch as the only brown-skinned child in the village, his mother Car-En decides that the family should spend some time on the Stanford ringstation.
Tem gets caught up in the battle against Umana, the tentacle-enhanced ‘Squid Woman’, while protecting a secret that could change the course of humanity and civilization.
The Guardian, the sequel to the The Sky Woman, is a story of colliding worlds and the contested repopulation of a wild Earth.
Nobody listened.
Just a few things to mention today:
OK — that’s everything I have to promote. Thank you for any links you may have clicked on!
Unrelated to the post, but Bumblebee was parked in front of my house yesterday.
I got back from my uncle’s funeral service a few hours ago. It was belated for various reasons — he died over a year ago — but the service was well-attended, in a beautiful location, and I feel as if we did right by him.
Both my father-in-law and my uncle passed away around the same time last year. For a few months my stress levels redlined and I had difficulty sleeping, but after I’d had a chance to grieve and the bulk of the end-of-life logistics were handled for both family members, I settled into a more reflective state. It’s been good to consider my own mortality, and the mortality of my friends and family. It’s easier to prioritize what’s important when I consider the relative imminence and unavoidability of death. I frequently let my family and friends know that I love them, I work on my big ideas, and I do the things I would regret not doing were my life to be cut short.
But I hope that my life continues for a very long time, because I’m enjoying it immensely. In terms of external life metrics such as finances and career, I’m doing fine, but what’s really making me happy are the following:
Nominations are now open for the 2018 Nebula Awards, for SFWA members (including Associate members). This post lists my fiction eligible for the 2018 awards, and includes reading links. If you read and enjoy a story, please consider nominating it (I can’t nominate my own fiction, nor can the publishers).
I’ll write a follow-up post in a few weeks about the fiction I’ll be nominating myself — lots of great choices this year.
2018 Nebula and Hugo Eligible Fiction
Novel category
The Sky Woman (Flame Tree Press)
“wonderfully entertaining debut novel” – Compelling Science Fiction
amazon link
audible link
SFWA member forum link (Ch.1-2)
Novelette category
The Icelandic Cure (Omnidawn)
“a strong, thoughtful story that inspires hope for the future” – Publisher’s Weekly
amazon link
SFWA member forum link
Short Story category
The Equationist (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)
“emotionally affecting and thought-provoking” – SF Crow’s Nest
SFWA member forum link
Purchase back issue
Targeted Behavior (Compelling Science Fiction)
read online for free
Money in the Tortoise (Intergalactic Medicine Show)
IGMS subscription link
SFWA member forum link
Plastic Eater (sfreader.com)
read online for free
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