Now Available At Smashwords: Spinward Fringe Frontline!

Writing Spinward Fringe Frontline was the greatest writing challenge I've ever undertaken. It's the longest book I've ever written, weighing in at over two hundred thousand words, and the story's layers functioned in a way that closed out a few old plotlines and blew a few new ones wide open.

To date I've never written a more complex book that makes no compromises for the plight of the characters. They get into trouble, they stay in trouble, it's not fun, swashbuckling trouble either and I try my best to drag the reader down into the character's problems (physical and mental). According to a few readers I actually succeeded, while others have enjoyed it as a space opera novel with a much more serious voice than the ones that came before it.

I'm proud to present Spinward Fringe Frontline on Smashcovers today, and I hope you enjoy it.

Here's the synopsis:

Captain Valance and his crew are finally learning to work as a unit. Oblivious to the grander designs of the Order of Eden, they are drawn into a brutal conflict over a planet the Order is depopulating so they can use it for themselves. Who will survive the Frontline?

Smashwords is offering Spinward Fringe: Frontline in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)

This weekend I'll be posting an extensive article here talking about what's going on with the next book in the Spinward Fringe Series: Rogue Element and I'll be talking about the future of the series. It'll be worth checking in for!

RL

[I'm looking for a few readers to post reviews on Amazon.com and Smashwords. Please send me an email after you've posted your review, there will be a free eBook in it for you!]

Spinward Fringe Arrives At Shortcovers!

Some time ago I received an Email from someone at Shortcovers in response to a blog post I made concluding that they weren't ready to do business with independents. I didn't state it that directly, but it was difficult to conclude anything else after reading my comment.
After speaking with someone on the telephone (he was actually one of the top enders), I started the process of listing my work with them.

Even though they don't have an automated eBook conversion system in place yet and things are still in the refinement stage behind the scenes, the people at that company made it work. That's what was impressive about this organization, there are people behind each step of the conversion, listing and posting process. Even though it's frantic over there, it's a new subsidiary of the Indigo / Chapters corporation, they're improving things.

As far as the readers are concerned, they're working with publishers to bring prices down and their site is pretty slick. I have their eBook reader on my iPod Touch and it's very easy to navigate.

They are the best Canadian eBook company around by far, and they're positioned to be one of the top in the world from what I've seen so far. They currently have apps for iPhone, iPod Touch, Google Android (TM), and Blackberry.

You can see my listings at Shortcovers here.

RL

Now Available At Smashwords: Spinward Fringe Triton

Of all the books in the Spinward Fringe series so far, Triton has generated the most email responses. People seemed to enjoy Resurrection and Awakening, but they absolutely absorbed, read, and re-read Triton.

To be honest it was a book with a soul of its own, writing it felt very different from the others. Spinward Fringe Frontline is again very different (Broadcast 4), and it's getting quite a few emails as well, but there will always be something special about Resurrection and Triton.

When I think of Spinward Fringe, those two books are certainly touch stones, they represent the core of the series in some very important ways.

That's why I'm very pleased to present Spinward Fringe Triton on Smashwords, my new iPhone, iPod Touch, Sony Reader, and general distributor. They seem to be able to provide for practically any modern format.

Here's the synopsis:

After narrowly escaping a brush with an old enemy Captain Valance and his crew reach out to their allies for help. Meanwhile, allies and enemies from his past are set to reveal themselves in unexpected ways, changing his life and the galaxy forever.

Smashwords is offering Spinward Fringe: Triton in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)

Friday Spinward Fringe Frontline will launch on the site. I hope this helps everyone out there who have been trying to get access to my work but couldn't do so conveniently because they use an iPhone, iPod Touch or Sony Reader. I'm glad I could finally entertain you. You can download your copy from the Smashwords site or use your Stanza reader and the Smashwords ebook store.

RL

[I'm looking for a few readers to post reviews on Amazon.com and Smashwords. Please send me an email if you're interested, there will be a free eBook in it for you!]

Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening: Now Available At Smashwords

The Smashwords release parade continues.

Today I'm proud to present (not for the first time), Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening combined in one digital file. This is the last collected science fiction book I'll be offering. Resurrection and Awakening were both on the small side, so it made sense to combine them for the Smashwords release. They are available separately as well if you prefer.

I'm glad to see it finally available for the iPhone through the Stanza reader. There's a Sony Reader format version as well.

Here's the synopsis for Spinward Fringe Resurrection:

Captain Jacob Valance has no memory of his past. Left on a strange ship in an unfamiliar sector of the galaxy, he was forced to begin a new life.

Years pass and after much hard work he's earned a reputation as a man who can recover lost property, hunt down hardened criminals and go where others fear to tread.

All the while he's been searching for clues to his past and a better method of making his way through the galaxy for himself and his ragtag crew. Little does he know great change and the path to his past lay before him.

Here's the synopsis for Spinward Fringe Awakening:

The crew of the Samson are caught up in the problems of their Captain as his past starts to catch up with him. Just as new allies start to fall in line old enemies come creeping out of the shadows, putting everyone at risk.

While the crew struggles to deal with their own problems, Regent Galactic begins putting a plan in motion that will bring about the fourth fall of man and position their Corporation as the sole savior of the civilized outer fringe of space. Their ambition and greed spell disaster for the bulk of mankind.

The threads of Jake Valance's past start to come together in this, the second part of the Spinward Fringe series. He's at the same time to be the benefactor and victim of a personal history he knows nothing about.

Smashwords is offering Spinward Fringe: Resurrection and Awakening in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)


Writing the Spinward Fringe series has been at the same time my greatest writing challenge and a purely enjoyable experience. I've been fortunate enough to have a number of readers (mostly Mobipocket users), who enjoy the series. I hope this fortune continues with Smashwords so I can entertain a broader audience.

RL

[If you're looking for the printed edition of this book, you can find it at Amazon.com]

First Light Chronicles Omnibus: Now Available At Smashwords

Yesterday I released the First Light Chronicles: Freeground free eBook on Smashwords. Today it's the First Light Chronicles Omnibus, which contains the entire trilogy: Freeground, Limbo and Starfree port.

It's finally available for the iPhone (through Stanza, just browse to the Smashwords store), the Sony Reader and any other reader you could imagine.

When will the Spinward Fringe Series appear? Soon. In fact, some of them may already be there.

To celebrate its release to the iPhone and iPod touch I'm offering a 25% discount code [NK87H] until August 7th.

Here's the synopsis:

In the middle of the darkest region of explored space sits one bright beacon; Freeground Station. Serving as a supply and trading post it is home to a select number of human beings that will take an unlikely chance to make a difference in their end of the galaxy.

Jonas and his friends spent their spare time in tactical simulations and drew the attention of Freeground Fleet Command when they hacked into restricted combat scenarios for elite trainees and defeated all comers.

Instead of punishing Jonas and his friends they offered them an opportunity to undertake a dangerous and exciting mission. They were to go out into the Galaxy and acquire any advantages that would improve life for Freegrounders.

This series is about their first voyage together, the challenges they face, and the relationships they forge with each other and the beings they meet along the way.

The First Light Chronicles Omnibus contains the entire First Light Chronicles Trilogy. Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port.

---End Synopsis---

Smashwords is offering the First Light Chronicles: Freeground in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)


I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as I enjoyed writing it over a year ago. My work on the Spinward Fringe Series (which follows this collection), continues and I have to say it's been a fantastic experience so far.

I'll be releasing books on Smashwords throughout the week. When I've finished them all I'll be providing a peek into the upcoming Spinward Fringe book: Rogue Element.

Enjoy!

RL

[If you're looking for the printed edition of this book, you can find it at Amazon.com Oh, and please ignore the signed editions on sale for over $40.00 there, they're all fakes.]

Freeground: Now Available For Everything, Even the iPhone

I've been trying to find a good distributor and conversion service for the ePub format. In doing so I may have found the ultimate distributor.

Mobipocket has been very kind to me, but since Amazon decided that their iPhone reader (said to have been completed in August 2008), would not be released people have been less and less interested. [EDIT: Amazon stopping Mobipocket from releasing their iPhone reader has not been confirmed by Mobipocket or Amazon, they're silent on the subject.]

Smashwords has provided a free conversion and distribution solution that's above and beyond what I could have expected.

That doesn't mean I'm abandoning the format, in fact, Mobipocket readers will always have access to my work at Mobipocket.com or from Smashword's site. There are differences between the two sources. Mobipocket's files come DRM protected and have an index. Smashwords books are not DRM protected but don't have an index. Smashwords is working on a good indexing system, and considering how quickly things are developing over there I'm sure it's coming soon. This is NOT me announcing a switch to Smashwords. All my work will continue to be available from Mobipocket, Amazon.com (printed and Kindle), and Lulu.com. I'm not dropping any distribution avenue, just adding a very good one.

I'll write more about Smashwords and what I'm doing there over the coming week.

For now, the free eBook that stands as the beginning of the First Light Chronicles and Spinward Fringe Series is available at Smashwords for free. You can access the book using your Stanza reader on your iPhone / iPod Touch, just head over to the Smashwords store and get your free copy.

Here's the synopsis:

Large enough to support an entire civilization, one of the last free ports all alone in the dark, Freeground Station is about to come under siege. Able to fight off periodical assaults and attempted takeovers in the past, they are losing ground technologically and with no nearby allies they find themselves resorting to unorthodox methods to improve their situation.

Jonas Valent, once a former engineer with the Freeground Fleet has been reduced to a trade and supply agent, a glorified port traffic director. In his spare time he and his friends engage in anonymous combat with anyone who opposes them in station wide simulations. Their success rate and original thinking have earned them a great deal of attention. Fleet Command has no choice but to send them on a very real, very dangerous mission: to go into the galaxy and acquire allies and technology on their behalf.

Smashwords is offering the First Light Chronicles: Freeground in:
Online HTML reader
Online Java reader
Kindle (mobi format)
Epub (Stanza, other)
PDF
LRF (Sony)
PDB (Palm)

Smashwords is a distributor made for indie writers and so far they've treated me extremely well while barely lifting a finger. I hope this makes for a good place for everyone to pick up my books and I'll announce the arrival of each one as they're adapted. Now is a great time to spread the word about the First Light Chronicles and the Spinward Fringe Series. I have to give everyone who reads my work credit, they've been very supportive and adept at making my work more well known.

More to come...

RL

[Meanwhie, work on Spinward Fringe Rogue Element continues!]

Spinward Fringe Frontline Available on Amazon Kindle

This book has done quite well on Mobipocket with 107 copies sold to date. Now Kindle users, including people who use the Kindle App for the IPhone, will have access to the latest Spinward Fringe book.

I'm very happy with the feedback I've been getting on this book, and since I take some pride in my relationship with my readers I invite anyone and everyone to send me direct email with regards to Frontline or the previous books. I do listen. When Resurrection and Awakening came out I recieved emails from people who had to tell me that their favourite characters were Ashley and Finn. As a result I gladly wrote them in as point of view characters in Triton and Frontline. They happen to be two of my favorite characters too.

On that note, if you feel compelled to write a short review on Amazon.com for anything I've written it would be very helpful.

Thanks for all your support thus far, work on Spinward Fringe Rogue Element is going very well.

RL

As of this writing Amazon has Spinward Fringe Frontline is on sale for $7.99.

Spinward Fringe Frontline Hits Number 1 and Four More Months...

Thaaat's right, after selling 97 copies in under three weeks on Mobipocket, Spinward Fringe Frontline is now the number one book on the site. The First Light Chronicles Omnibus (where this whole series found its beginning), is number four.

Being number one anywhere is a telling sign. For a new stand alone book (one that isn't part of a series), it means that publicity, author popularity and word of mouth worked. For a book that's at the far end of a series like Spinward Fringe Frontline is, it means that there were enough people looking and waiting for it to propel it to the top of the list. For that, I thank you!

Omnibus being at number 4 on the Mobipocket overall top ten means that the word is still spreading, that you're still talking about your experience with that and the Spinward Fringe series. I have to take a minute to thank you for that as well. The glowing testimonials on the site are a huge help too.

While I'm on the topic of reviews, there's something I've been meaning to mention. If you have a blog or website or have seen a review done on any of my work, please drop me an email or leave a comment on any of my blog posts so I can link to it from my websites. If someone takes the time to review one of my books I'll gladly take the time to share my audience with them by adding a link here. I have to take a moment to thank the SomaCow crew, who haven't seen me lately because I've been rediculously busy as of late, thanks again for continuing to mention me and for looking forward to the printed edition of Frontline.

There's one other thing I really have to talk about before I go. Most authors see the topic of money as taboo, but then, most authors with an audience also have an agent and publisher(s). If you haven't guessed already, I do things a little differently than most. So, on to the topic of money. Thanks to the people who have been buying my books and the two donations I've recieved over the last two and a half months I'll be able to keep writing full time for another four months by the end of this quarter (July 1, 2009 is the beginning of the next quarter). There is a minimum I have to earn so I don't have to go find a part or full time job and I'm glad to say that as of yesterday I hit it! With only two weeks left in this quarter that's cutting it a little close, but I'm not complaining. Thank you everyone, I hope you're all enjoying my work!

What's going on right now? Well I've also socked away just enough to put my order in with Amazon.com so they'll start digitally stocking the master files for Spinward Fringe Frontline and print copies as people order them. There's no fee for them to do this for me, but shipping the proof (which I have to review before anyone can order a copy), costs more than you'd expect.

I'm also finishing work on a supernatural short today. I don't know if it's any good, but it's controversial and very cinematic in nature. It's not unussual for me to be unsure of a work's enjoyability as I finish it, that's one of the reasons why I have test readers. I'll have much more info on this as my proof readers and editor gets through with it some time next week. Hopefully I've written something decent and not given birth to a great big turkey. (Turkey = Boring, cheesy, silly piece of work that isn't worth saving).

After that I'm back to work on Spinward Fringe Rogue Element full time, which is looking pretty good so far.

Thank you again for four more months of writing full time. Everyone who bought a book (on Mobipocket, Kindle, Lulu, Amazon.com), or spread the word had a hand in it and I'd shake every one if I could reach far enough. You'll have to settle for more fiction as your reward.

RL

Getting Spinward Fringe and Everything Else on IPhone

I fairly regularly receive emails from people who have left Mobipocket.com because they've traded their Black Berry, Palm or other phone/reader for an IPhone. They just can't find a convenient way to buy my work for their new phone or read their current Mobipocket books on the IPhone.

With the upcoming release of Spinward Fringe Frontline a lot of people want to read it on their IPhone and not purchase their copy from Mobipocket at all. If you're a Mobipocket user and you're wondering what's going on with their promised OS-X (Mac), and IPhone reader, check this article out. It's the best report I've found that summerizes the reasearch I've done that adds up to one thing: Mobipocket has not officially announced the release of a reader for Mac or IPhone and are not interested in liscencing one (there's a freeware version ready, only the creator can't obtain permission to impliment DRM decoding capabilities from MobiPocket).

Sadly it looks like IPhone users won't be able to use Mobipocket which is too bad because I release all my work there first. There's good news for IPhone users, however.

In case you don't already know Amazon has released a Kindle app for the IPhone AND they've been improving it. Upon its first release you couldn't purchase and download amazon books directly to the IPhone, but that changed a little while ago as detailed quite well here. From what I've seen and heard the Kindle App is pretty good, one of the better EBook apps for the IPhone. I know a few people who will be purhcasing Spinward Fringe Frontline when it comes out and trying it.

As far as Shortcovers is concerned, I may not be using their service any time soon since they don't meet the industry standard reporting or usage levels for independent authors. They don't treat us very well over there and that's no surprise considering their parent company (Chapters/Indigo), has never treated me well on the business end either. Since Kindle provides a good reader (I'm talking about their app here, though their hardware is pretty good as I understand it), and all my books are already available I see no real reason to spend hours rebuilding all my EBooks for Shortcovers. Canadian company or not, they don't meet current industry standards for electronic publishing.

So it all comes down to the Kindle App for IPhone as the current choice for getting my work into your amazing little mobile device. I hope that helps some of you out there and I've answered most of your questions!

RL

Where is Spiwnard Fringe Frontline? It's with the Editor, and she's really enjoying it so far. The release of this novel is coming closer and closer.