indie publishing

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For All The Marbles

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For All The Marbles

From the moment you turned the final page on Duality, you knew this battle was coming. And when you turned the final page on The Universe Within, you learned it was coming soon.

This series has, from the beginning, been about saving the universe from destruction at the hands of the Dzhvar. About a tireless endeavor by Mesme to save not merely innumerable lives but existence itself. (Though you can be forgiven for not realizing any of this when you cracked open a little book called Starshine. I did hide the ball for a while).

As a brief aside: if I could change one thing about Starshine, it would be to put Mesme on the page somewhere. We learn in Vertigo how Mesme was watching all along, but I wish I’d found a way to squeeze them into a scene somehow. Because this is Mesme’s story, at least as much as it is Alex and Caleb’s.

Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes, the Dzhvar. Specifically, the Dzhvar trilogy—or as I like to call it, Shadows & Light.

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THE UNIVERSE WITHIN Is Here

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THE UNIVERSE WITHIN Is Here

It’s time to go hang out with Alex and Caleb again: THE UNIVERSE WITHIN is now available at all retailers in ebook, paperback and hardback!

GET THE BOOK

If you pre-ordered the ebook, it should be waiting for you right now on your ereader device or app. (Note: if you pre-ordered directly from my web store, you should have an email from BookFunnel with a link to download your book; if not, go to my.bookfunnel.com and login with the email you used to pre-order.)

You can get the paperback and hardback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble’s website and many other online bookstores, or you can order a signed copy directly from me.

Audiobook listeners: Pyper Down has already started recording! If you want to listen to the chapters as she records them, you can join my Buy Me A Coffee (Concord level).

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The Clock Is Ticking

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The Clock Is Ticking

THE UNIVERSE WITHIN is almost here! Last time, I promised you I would tell you a little about Alex and Caleb’s new friends in the book. The Elakri are a fascinating species. Closed off from the rest of the universe, they’ve forgotten the heights to which they once rose (see Extinguishing the Stars). Yet within their prison, they shine so brightly.

Laurent is a physicist who unexpectedly finds himself at ground zero of a murderous conspiracy as he scrambles to uncover a secret that will upend every Elakri’s world.

Deunan is a truva (a rebel / hacker / thief / general troublemaker) whose attempts to keep Laurent alive bring her face-to-face with her own buried secrets.

They are both fantastic, and I hope you come to love them as much as I do.

SEE A TEASER EXCERPT

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That awesome StoryBundle I told you about last time? It’s only available for THREE MORE DAYS. Don’t miss out on this one:

In the Sci-Fi Exploration StoryBundle, you can get up to 12 exciting novels of sci-fi adventure and exploration by top indie authors (plus The Thief, which I hope you already have) at a stellar price. What’s special about StoryBundles? For one thing, the books are hand-selected and participation is invitation-only, so you’re guaranteed to get high quality stories. For another, you get to pay what you want (starting at $5 for the core bundle). Want to reward the authors and encourage more independent authors by giving a little more? We love you for that. On a budget and need to save some money? You’ll get a tremendous deal for these books. As a bonus, you can (if you choose) support Girls Write Now, a wonderful nonprofit that helps mentor girls so they can develop writing skills, with your purchase.

CHECK OUT THE STORYBUNDLE

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As part of planning the next trilogy, I’ve been rereading all the Riven Worlds novels. I’ve had a blast writing these stand-alone adventure novels, but it’s so wonderful to be back with the full cast. Which Amaranthe characters are you looking forward to seeing again and finding out what they’ve been up to these last three years? What personal story arcs are you excited to see continue, or enter a new phase? Let me know!

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Get Your First Teaser for The Universe Within, Plus a Special SciFi Exploration Bundle

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Get Your First Teaser for The Universe Within, Plus a Special SciFi Exploration Bundle

First, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. THE THIEF won 2nd Place in the Best Alien Sci-Fi Novel of 2024 competition, and it’s 100% because you made your voices heard. And it lost out on 1st place to David Weber’s newest novel, which in my world counts as its own honor! (See what I did there? 😄) You can read more about all the winners here: “15 Must-Read Best Sci-Fi Books of 2024”

But now it’s time for the next book, isn’t it? THE UNIVERSE WITHIN will be in your hands before you know it (aka, February 20th). It’s been such a joy to hang out with Alex and Caleb again (and their new friends, but more on them later). Here’s your first teaser of their adventure: the hidden world they discover lies beyond a barrier not even Akeso can cross, and once there, Caleb finds himself with nothing but the residue of Akeso that resides in his cells.

SEE THE TEASER

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I’ve got a really special promotion for you today. The new StoryBundle has dropped, and it’s all about sci-fi exploration. For the next three weeks, you can get up to 12 exciting novels of sci-fi adventure and exploration by top indie authors (plus The Thief, which I hope you already have) at a stellar price. What’s special about StoryBundles? For one thing, the books are hand-selected and participation is invitation-only, so you’re guaranteed to get high quality stories. For another, you get to pay what you want (starting at $5 for the core bundle). Want to reward the authors and encourage more independent authors by giving a little more? We love you for that. On a budget and need to save some money? You’ll get a tremendous deal for these books. As a bonus, you can (if you choose) support Girls Write Now, a wonderful nonprofit that helps mentor girls so they can develop writing skills, with your purchase.

CHECK OUT THE STORYBUNDLE

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We’re firmly into 2025 now; the Christmas decorations are packed away (probably), and the daily routines have returned. I’m fascinated by the many ways we choose to reinvigorate our lives with the turning of the calendar. Are you a formal New Years Resolutions person? Did you maybe create a “25 for 2025 List” instead? Or come up with a One-Word Theme for the year? Let me know!

Me? Well, I did all three. Best to cover all the bases, right?

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My Christmas gift to you

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My Christmas gift to you

Just in time for the holiday, I’m thrilled to share that my latest short story, “Extingiushing the Stars,” is now available as a stand-alone story - and is FREE in ebook and audiobook. Merry Christmas!

GET THE EBOOK

GET THE AUDIOBOOK

Here's the blurb:

“The fleet rushed to meet the invaders at the edge of the solar system upon their arrival. Every countermeasure was deployed to stall the enemy’s advance—their forces held nothing back.

No soldier who fought on the battlefield today would ever return home.

With an unstoppable foe advancing on the Elakri homeworld, its leaders face an impossible choice: stand, fight and die, or risk everything on one daring, impossible chance to survive the enemy’s onslaught. But when terrorists kidnap the scientist at the heart of their plan, a retired spy must confront the demons of his past in order to give his people that chance.”

While Extinguishing the Stars works beautifully as its own story, its true power is as a prequel to the upcoming Cosmic Shores novel. If you have any intention of reading THE UNIVERSE WITHIN (and I certainly hope you do), you owe it to yourself to read this first. Alex and Caleb won’t know the story of Extinguishing The Stars when they plunge into the Elakri’s world—but you will.

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So…if you happen to fancy getting me a Christmas present as well, I’ve got just the gift idea. I’m honored to have THE THIEF nominated for “Best Alien Sci-Fi Book of 2024” over at Discover Sci-Fi. If you feel that The Thief deserves such an award, you can head over and cast a vote for our favorite train wreck of a hero. Note: this category is on the second page of the ballot, so make sure to click through. You don't have to vote in any of the categories on the first page to do so - but if you've read and enjoyed any of the nominees, I hope you will!

You have my thanks.

VOTE

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More great news: the cover reveal and release date for THE UNIVERSE WITHIN are coming your way in the next newsletter - expect it in early January. Until then, I hope you all have a beautiful, magical holiday filled with family, friends and good cheer.

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Shiny New Audiobook Store, Plus the Best SciFi Sale of the Year

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Shiny New Audiobook Store, Plus the Best SciFi Sale of the Year

A couple of years ago, I started offering audiobooks directly on my website as a way to offer a lower-cost option to Audible’s often nosebleed prices. And it’s worked, more or less. But to be frank, the whole setup has left a lot to be desired, from the delivery of the audiobook to the listening interface. But it was the best I could do given limited tools at my disposal.

But technology marches ever onward, the options available to indie authors continue to expand, and I’m thrilled to share a massive upgrade to my “direct” audiobook store: AUDIOBOOK STORE.

The store is powered by BookFunnel, just like my ebook store. If you’ve ever downloaded a free ebook when you subscribed to my newsletter, or purchased an ebook directly from me, you already know how BookFunnel works - and you’ve already got a library there!

What hasn’t changed:

  • Lower prices than the retailers

  • The ability to listen on the web

  • The ability to download the MP3 files

What’s better:

  • PRE-ORDERS! You can pre-order the upcoming THE UNIVERSE WITHIN audiobook today, and it will automatically arrive in your BookFunnel library on release (ignore the listed release date - it’s just a placeholder). Pre-order The Universe Within Audiobook

  • A web library where you can view and access all your purchases (audiobook and ebook) in one place whenever you like. No more passwords to remember or pages to bookmark. See it here.

  • A beautiful app to listen to audiobooks (mine and others) on your mobile device and in your car. Get the app here.

Not convinced? That’s cool - which is why you can try it out FOR FREE. Use the code “FREEAUDIO” to get your choice of an audiobook from the new store for free. Just enter the code at checkout.

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Not into audiobooks? I’ve got a treat for ebook lovers, too. Twice a year, I participate in what is possibly the biggest, best giveaway of FREE scifi ebooks around. Over 100 novels and short stories - and they’re ALL SCIFI. No fantasy, horror or other spec-fic-adjacent genres. Now, 100+ books sounds overwhelming, which is why they’re neatly organized by sub-genre: space opera, cyberpunk, dystopian, military, time travel, and many more. Just head for your favorite flavor of scifi and download away.

BUT, BUT, BUT: this giveaway is only available for 2 days, today and tomorrow (Nov. 14th and 15th), so don’t delay.

SCIFI BOOK BLAST

We’re heading into the holiday season, and I’m heading into the home stretch of editing The Universe Within. I’m super stoked about both. I’m so excited for the holidays in the new house, I’ve already started decorating for Christmas. How about you? Are you a “never until after Thanksgiving” person, or did you trade out your Halloween skeletons for snowmen and reindeer?