Transcendence progress ground to a screeching halt last week for an epic drive across most of the United States (twice), but now I am back in the thick of it. Lots of news to share.

• I'm thrilled to announce that Starshine has been included in the newly-released anthology Stars & Empire 2: 10 More Galactic Tales. Better yet, it's available at the unbelievable price of $0.99.

Stars & Empire 2 includes the first entries in some of the most popular and highest rated space opera and military sci-fi series of the last two years.

I'm honored to be included alongside such highly-regarded authors as Endi Webb, Raymond L. Weil, Jay Allan, Edward W. Robertson, Jasper T. Scott, Autumn Kalquist, Nathan Lowell, Chris Reher and Isaac Hooke - and excited at the prospect of putting Starshine into the hands of so many new readers.

To sweeten the deal, Stars & Empire 2 includes an EXCLUSIVE Aurora Rising short story: RESTLESS. It takes place 8 years prior to the events of Starshine, and offers a glimpse at both Alex and Caleb while they were still becoming the characters we know and (hopefully) love.

So even if you've already read Starshine, Stars & Empire 2 is worth the $0.99 solely for a new story in the Aurora Rising universe - not to mention the chance to read 9 more bestselling sci-fi novels.

Other news:

• I've posted the transcript of my Reddit AMA in a new blog post. It was a tremendous amount of fun and very rewarding to talk with so many readers. Occasionally serious, often humorous and full of Aurora Rising tidbits, you should check it out :).

• The excellent indie-author-focused site authorRise interviewed me on their "Talking Shop" blog. Feel free to give it a look (unlike the AMA, this one's short and sweet).

• The Best Sci Fi Books named Starshine the 14th best science fiction novel by a female author...ever. I was blown away and humbled to learn about this when a reader sent me the link. The inclusion alongside such sci-fi masters (female or not) as Ursula K. Le Guin, Lois McMaster Bujold, James Tiptree, Jr (Alice Sheldon), C.J. Cherryh and others is an unbelievable honor.

• Oh, and I've started a Tumblr blog, Supermassive Black Holes. It was the only major social media site I wasn't engaged in, an oversight which has now been rectified. So if you Tumblr, drop by, follow me, and I'll return the favor.

Today I want to highlight a new release from EJ Fisch, a terrific sci-fi author, awesome beta reader and talented artist. Nexus is the sequel to her excellent debut novel Dakiti. Nexus features quite possibly the most bad-ass, tough-as-nails, take-no-prisoners heroine I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It's also a thrilling tale of survival, murder, conspiracy and redemption.

*

I hope all my American friends had an enjoyable Thanksgiving, filled with family and pumpkin pie. Especially pumpkin pie.