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 Frontline Release Date: Monday, June 1, 2009!

Finally! The final edit is complete and my editor has given me the all important thumbs up to proceed to release Spinward Fringe Frontline.

I'm not waiting long. On Monday, June 1st Frontline will be available on Mobipocket. Since I recieve the most support by far from Mobipocket users I'm more than happy to make it available to them first.

Versions will also be appearing on Lulu.com and Amazon.com shortly afterwards electronically. A print version will be available from Lulu whithin the next few weeks with the Amazon printed edition appearing within the next six weeks.

Spinward Fringe Frontline is my seventh science fiction book to date. Weighing in at four hundred seventeen pages, it's a full blown epic novel with a full cast of characters that originated in the First Light Chronices and Spinward Fringe Series'.

Here's the synopsis!

Set in the distant future, this book takes the main characters into the dark heart of the galaxy, where the fourth fall of man is well underway. What at first seemed to be a chaotic uprising of machine against man is becoming a controlled event, destroying the lives of billions and hurling the known galaxy into a state of utter dischord. The Order of Eden seems to be the only force for order and peace, offering a place in thier new society in trade for a large cash investment and their freedom.

Captain Valance and the Triton crew are finally learning to work as a unit. Oblivious to the grander designs of the Order of Eden and their leaders, they will inevitably be drawn into the center of a galactic conflict over a planet that contains a prized secret that's remained buried for decades. The question put to them is not if they can prevail, but if they can survive.

-End of sysnopsis-

I'm eager to present this, my largest and most ambitious work. I know the wait has been long, but I have no regrets. This is a full blown Space Opera novel that takes the Spinward Fringe series to an epic level. This is my best work, and even though I've been working on this one book for the better part of six months I'm not tired of the story, the characters or the setting.

Thank you very much for your support so far. I've said it before and it's worth repeating; you pay my rent, put food on my table and keep me writing full time. I hope you all enjoy reading this book as much or more than I enjoyed writing it.

RL

Happy Holidays! Spinward Fringe Triton Gets Thicker!

Spinward Fringe Triton has undergone its final edit just in time! My plan was to finish all this editing before Christmas and add two chapters from the next book: Spinward Fringe Frontline as a Christmas gift to everyone on MobiPocket who has been reading all my science fiction work so far.

I managed to not only complete my editing, but to edit the chapters I've added as a preview, so if you update your copy of Spinward Fringe Triton you'll have a bigger chunk of the following book. I hope you enjoy the preview, I'm looking forward to finishing work on Spinward Fringe Frontline.

Have a safe, happy holiday season!

RL

Spinward Fringe: There Will Be No Omnibus

The Spinward Fringe series is just that, a series of novels and novellas. Just as the title says, I won't be collecting two or more parts in one edition for eBooks. There are a number of reasons why, the first of which is that the novellas are already continually on sale for a reduced price. Another point on this is that the Spinward Fringe series contains novellas and novels.

There are other creative reasons, like Triton being such a stand apart novel in quality and story content. That opinion comes from my Editor and Proof readers, who nearly slapped me when I told them I was still considering including Triton in an omnibus. After some consideration I have to admit they're right. There are other factors that influence me and benefit my readers, like being driven to make each book as good as it can be because I know that at any point in time a reader can just stop buying the books if they feel it's not worth it. A publisher would shudder at this thought, but as an independent, all I have is my readers, and if you're unhappy I haven't done my job, I haven't adequately entertained. If this direct accountability weren't enough, leaving each book to stand on its own inspires me to make each volume longer with story lines that run their course under one title as well as plots that run through several parts of the series.

There's an exception to this "no omnibus" rule, and and that is the print editions. Since Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening (Broadcasts 1 and 2), were novella size I'm combining the two of them in one printed volume. This cuts down on the expense for me and my readers and it'll make the books available on Amazon.com sooner, maybe even in time for Christmas but don't hold your breath, Amazon's subsidiary that handles print self publishing accounts is prohibitively expensive and atrociously slow for Canadian customers. Until that mini collected volume is on Amazon, Lulu.com will be carrying it soon and they ship for reasonable rates in the US. Again, the only reason why I'm putting Resurrection and Awakening together in print is because they're small and I want to save my customers shipping charges.

I'd like to thank everyone whose been reading and talking about the series, without you I wouldn't have an audience! If you think this decision is wrong, feel free to EMail me about it. If there's enough of a response I may put a collected edition together for Mobipocket in the very distant future.

RL

P.S.
There will be no changes to the First Light Chronicles Omnibus other than the addition of the Afterword, which is being edited right now and will be added some time next week.

Spinward Fringe Triton: Now Available On Mobipocket.com

I'm proud to announce that the Spinward Fringe Novel (that's right, this one's larger and more well written than those preceding it, moving it up from novella status to novel), is now available. You can download your copy of Spinward Fringe Triton right here.

This book also includes a scene from the book following right after it in the series, we'll call it Broadcast 4 for the time being, since its official title has not yet been announced.

A little more about Spinward Fringe Triton. I started this book with the intention of getting further into the personal details of several characters, expanding the view of the universe and furthering more than one plotline. After my proof reader and editor have both gone through it and given me more praise than I deserve, I believe that I've accomplished that, and more importantly, I've managed to put down a really entertaining piece of fiction. In this book I've taken more risks with the plot, gambles with the characters and even managed to answer questions and wrap up plot lines that have been open for a very long time (one of which started in the prologue of the First Light Chronicles book; Limbo).

I stand behind this book, if a publisher came along and said; "give me your best" this is what I would put in their hands. It's true, you need to read the First Light Chronicles Omnibus and the other Spinward Fringe books, but since this series is written much like I would a television show, I have no regret making that recommendation.

I proudly present you with this experience and hope you enjoy it then talk about it, type about it and maybe even share it if you can.

RL

P.S.
There is SO much more news to come about the next Spinward Fringe Broadcast, the First Light Chronicles Omnibus Afterword, and other things I simply can't reveal just yet. Stay tuned.

SomaCow: The Group Review For Spinward Fringe Resurrection

The guys at SomaCow (Geoff, J and Ross), have been closely following the progress of my little science fiction series and providing honest, sometimes generous reviews. Well, I thought they were generous before but they've gone and one upped themselves.

It didn't seem to be enough to the SomaCow folks for Geoff to give the Spinward Fringe Resurrection novella a well spoken, generous review. They had to go back after J and Ross had read it so they could voice their opinions. I'm thankful and appreciate their insight and the time they give me on air. Their thoughts were useful and highlighted points of interest in the story, characters and universe the whole series is set in. [Listen to the episode containing this review here.]

While I'm here, talking about Resurrection again, I have to say that writing that book in particular was a great pleasure. As in any piece of fiction of worth I took risks with it, tried to tell a challenging story while showing them something they don't nessisarily expect. Whenever I take risks I need feedback. My first line of feedback is my editor and any proof readers I've chosen then the fans and reviewers come next. I don't go back and change a thing, no matter what a reviewer or fan has to say, but the comments and advice I recieve is considered for future work.

Taking a risk character and plot-wise happens at least once per book (more than once in the case of Triton), and that's often what makes or breaks the work. The advice from my Editor, proof readers, reviewers and readers often tells me whether or not the risks I'm taking with the story are worth while, interesting enough or cause enough change for the characters and story for the reader to renew their interest in what's going on. Advice gathered from my Editor, first Proofer, SomaCow and a couple of fans helped me put together Triton, and it also highlighted the risks that no one had seen me take, the real turning points in the novel that would most likely become focuses of attention. What those risks are, I can't say. Spoilers are strictly taboo.

Back to this second review, and my point. Hearing more from the guys on this book, in which I take huge risks with characters people became invested in over the course of the First Light Chronicles, only helps that much more. It also makes me all the more eager to hear their opinion on the Spinward Fringe Awakening novella and Spinward Fringe Triton novel. I treat my readers like they're intelligent lovers of action adventure, not like they need to be led by the hand to a predictable, comfortable ending that won't offend. I enjoy entertaining people in a memorable way, and the more feedback I get, the less I'll draw my plotlines from what I call the Vanilla Plotline Playbook. Let's face it, a novel or novella isn't worth the paper it's printed on or data storage medium it's occupying unless it can be considered art, and something isn't art unless it demands interest or evokes an emotional response. I accomplish that by challenging myself and taking risks with the story and characters.

I like going off the map, and SomaCow is located in a nice spot off to the side of the legend somewhere. Give them a listen this Saturday live by clicking on the UStream link to the right between 1pm and 4pm EST. You can also tune in during the week for hour long portions of the live show. It's worth mentioning that this show is intended for adults, sorry kids.

Thanks for the entertainment and the review guys, Saturday is SomaCow day.

RL

Spinward Fringe Triton: Release Date Pushed to the 7th Of November

This wasn't a decision we made lightly, but sadly the release of the third book in the Spinward Fringe series, Triton, will be delayed until Friday, November 7, 2008. It's not that there are problems with the work, it's simply that there's more of it and there are family matters that are a higher priority at the moment.

Sadly, this is the kind of thing that happens when you release a book every 4-6 weeks on average. When things get complicated at home with people who are essential to the work (myself and my editor in this case), things get slowed down. I do apologize, if there was something I could do to speed things up without making sacrifices I couldn't live with, I would.

On the brighter side, the afterword for the First Light Chronicles Omnibus will be coming out with Triton, and there will also be a preview chapter for the book following immediately after at the end of Spinward Fringe Triton for Mobipocket customers.

The final announcement on the title of the fourth book in the Spinward Fringe series will follow soon after the release of Triton, and I'm continuing my work on that book so I don't fall behind. I'm also enjoying the work immensely and believe that the fourth Spinward Fringe book (and my seventh science fiction title this year), is the best yet. Again I'm writing in territory that's new to the series, putting my characters in difficult situations and revealing great big chunks of the various plotlines. This book is fun, interesting, and I think it will be the perfect follow up to Triton.

Again, I'm sorry for the delay, but as a friend of mine reminded me not long ago, normally publishers take between six months to two years to put out a book, so I'm hoping that after eight or more weeks of waiting everyone will still be there, happily digging into Triton when it comes out.

RL

Triton Cometh: The Release Date Has Been Set!

On November 3, 2008, Spinward Fringe Triton will be released on Mobipocket.com. No other site has provided a better home from these books, so it's only fitting that the most anticipated book in the series is available there first. I also like the fact that hundreds of people are reading these books on their own versions of Command and Control units; their cell phones, PDA's and eBook readers. Now if only someone would build one with a holoprojector...

I believe Triton has the depth of a novel and the scope of a space opera film. Now that a very well respected proof reader has had time to go through it and give me the thumbs up, I feel comfortable releasing it as everyone recovers from their October 31 sweet tooth fulfillment hangovers. This is the most serious book in the series, it answers some questions head on and brings some plotlines to a conclusive end. As those plotlines close out others strengthen, deepen and the epic plans I had for this series finally start coming together.

The little universe I created for this series grows and starts to shake in the most abrupt and violent ways in this book. Just what the story needed.

Thank you to everyone who has read the series thus far, I wish I could tell you more about the story in Trition, but I honestly can't because of all the new readers who have been hopping on board. I'd hate to give anything away.

RL

Thank you for following me on this journey thus far, you won't be disappointed.

Mobipocket: Aaaaand We're Back...

I'm just not used to a major website disappearing for the weekend without warning. Neither are other eBook publishers I spoke to. We're all happy to have Mobipocket back up and running again though, and I hope they don't have this kind of difficulty again.

I half expected Mobipocket to be back to work on Monday morning, and I'm glad to see it back up, especially since Spinward Fringe Triton will be released with Mobipocket before any other retailer. I know there are Mobipocket users watching for it and I'd hate to let them down just because their servers are having issues.

Anyway, it's back to business as ussual as they say. This weekend I worked on the Spinward Fringe book following Triton, and I have to say I'm quite happy with it so far. Things keep moving on my end uninterrupted for the most part, so there's a lot to look forward to.

More to come on Triton and the book following it soon!

RL

Mobipocket's Site Is Down! Day 2

First two of my books disappear from the top 400 only to reappear as one of their customer service reps simply say; "Look, there they are, you must have been viewing our site in the wrong language or something," the next morning. (Trust me, I would have noticed), and now their eBook servers, back end and retail sites are all down.

This happened before in 2007 according to many well known eBook forums and news sites, and I hope it's just a hiccup that will be corrected by the end of the weekend.

I'm surprised though, Mobipocket has been a fantastic partner for months now, this last week just seems like one issue after another, at one time I thought that was unusual for a site owned by Amazon.com. Sadly, I've had serious issues with another subsidiary of Amazon.com over the last few weeks, so I'm starting to get the impression that when Amazon buys another company that entity's quality of service takes a dive.

Suppositions aside, I apologize to any of my readers who find themselves inconvenienced by this down time. If you're in the middle of the Spinward Fringe series or were looking for something else to read, be aware that I offer all my books through Lulu.com as well (check the links to the right), DRM free and in eBook or print format. The shipping is actually quite reasonable if you live in the US.

Here's hoping that Amazon and Mobipocket get their act together and we're back to normal by the end of the weekend. I have a book realease coming up and a few hundred people who have been waiting for it...

RL

Sweeping Improvements to All Books

After receiving a great deal of advice from many of my eBook readers, I've made a number of changes to all the eBooks offered on Mobipocket. Here's a list of the changes.

The First Light Chronicles Freeground eNovella is once again free through Lulu.com. Mobipocket administration has informed me that they don't allow free eBooks to be added to their Freebooks program any longer, so I've reduced the cost of Freeground to $0.10 there.

All of the First Light Chronicles books (including the Omnibus), and the Spinward Fringe books now include links by chapter so Mobipocket readers can easily navigate through them. This is something that wasn't in place before because I honestly didn't expect to do so well in the eBook market. Now that so many of you have proven me wrong (thank you!), the table of contents are in place.
When the Spinward Fringe Triton novel is released there will be a new Afterword added to the First Light Chronicles Omnibus. In the afterword I discuss how the books came about, some of the more drastic twists in the novels and some of the surprises that crept up on me while I wrote them.

In the book Spinward Fringe Triton there's a preview of the following novel, the fourth book in that series. (eBook version only, sorry. I just have to save paper).

I'm also working on getting the First Light Chronicles Omnibus listed on Amazon.com. I'm hoping to make the printed copies available through their site (supersaver shipping, yay!), by Christmas. Other than that I'm looking for popular places to review my work, so word can spread beyond Mobipocket, SomaCow and this site. I love you guys, but for me to make a career out of this I need a few thousand more readers.

These changes and improvements have all come about thanks to you, dear readers, and I'm happy to make them. I've had a fantastic time writing these books and meeting people who are interested in the world I'm creating and expanding. I truly hope it never ends.

RL

Spinward Fringe Triton: Update

Triton is twice the size of Spinward Fringe Resurrection, it's also a very different kind of story. It took a while to write, I'll admit. After that it took a little while to edit, and I'm afraid that due to a family emergency things have been set back a bit.

I don't know exactly how long this will last, but even though things have slowed down on the finalizing of this book, it's still coming.

Since this family matter is going on I'm writing the book following Trition, so once the air clears things should be right back on track.

The popularity of this series continues to rise, and thankfully I had plenty of ideas stored up long before I started writing it in January of this year, so there's more to come. I thank everyone whose supported me, enjoyed reading and donated to the cause or purchased my work. I can't say how much I appreciate your patience, it'll be worth the wait.

RL

Spinward Fringe Triton: Now We Wait

What's with the title you ask? Well, I've finished my editorial pass on the newest book and all of you get to wait on my Editors final word.

Anyone who has read the First Light Chronicles and Spinward Fringe thus far know that I'm the master of answering a (plot) question with another question. That's how I do things in general, give you just enough to feel informed while you follow the characters along on a journey that could take you anywhere. In the end there's always a payoff, however.

Triton is different. The location is different, the story is vastly different, even the main characters we follow around are dealing with things that they've never faced before. I've taken great risks in the telling. The major risks involve answers that don't pose questions. Many of the answers to long running plot lines (even going as far back as the First Light Chronicles), are final and satisfying, or at least that's my intention. My Editor will tell me whether I've accomplished my goals and told a good story.

Triton ties up a number of important plot lines because it's time to move on to the bigger story that's been developing in the background ever since the first page of Starfree Port. In Spinward Fringe Broadcast 4 (I can't tell you it's proper name until my Editor has signed off on Triton), the big picture story comes into play and I can't wait to tell it.

Triton is a much more serious book than anything that's come before, and now that I look back on the story I've told I can honestly say I'm proud of the work.

So, like I said before, we get to wait a few days while my Editor makes her educated, well read assessment of the book. Here's hoping I've done my job exceptionally well.

RL

[While you're waiting you could always check out Fate Cycle Dead of Winter or Fate Cycle Sins of the Past if you're looking for a more epic style of fantasy. They're both available at a reduced price on Mobipocket.com]

Spinward Fringe Triton: Now Editing!

This is the largest Spinward Fringe book in the series so far. It goes into more detail with a few of the characters and takes you much further into the developing plot.

At the same time this answers a lot of questions people have been asking themselves about the First Light Chronicles and the Spinward Fringe series.

Editing isn't normally fun. It's not my favorite thing to do, I'll be honest. The good news is that I'm actually enjoying the job this time. Triton is an enjoyable read to me, I'm happy with what I've done with the characters, the chances I've taken and I hope everyone hooked into this story likes what's between the covers as well.

We're still a week or two away from E-Releasing this puppy though. Like I said, I'm still editing and my Editor, who is eager to dig in, still has to do her pass. Then there's another, hopefully final edit if I've done my job well. If I haven't done my job well there will be another partial or full draft. Let's not think negatively though. I think my Editor will give me the thumbs up on this one.

So hang tight, do the survey, make a comment, and you'll see this on your shelf, pda, PC, palm, cell phone or Control and Command Unit before you know it.

RL

Brown liquid anyone?

Annoucing: Spinward Fringe Triton

This is the third volume in the Spinward Fringe series. I'll tell you a few things about this book while sparing the spoilers.

Triton is a longer book with more attention paid to a few characters you've seen but have remained out of the spotlight until now. As the third book in this new series it ties up a lot of loose ends from all the other books, including the First Light Chronicles.

Here there be answers! The First Light Chronicles and especially the Spinward Fringe series are written as a serialized television show in prose. The very nature of that kind of writing demands loose ends but that doesn't mean that I don't get to give you a set of satisfying endings. I'm happy with how these plotlines wrap up, and I'm working to make the entire book as entertaining and gripping as possible so when you're finished you want more. Not because there are a half dozen unanswered questions, but because the universe between the covers is so enjoyable you need more.

Here's the really important bit, the information I want everyone to carry away once you're finished reading this post: - Spinward Fringe is an unlimited series. - There will be more, in fact as I'm writing Triton I'm writing notes on Spinward Fringe Book IV and Spinward Fringe Book V. Like I said, think of this like a television series and the only people who can cancel it are the readers.

Every day more people are buying the First Light Chronicles Omnibus (That includes the Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port books). A lot of those same people are buying Spinward Fringe Resurrection and Awakening. That tells me that people need the third book, that they're entertained and that's where I get my buzz. There's nothing like knowing that someone's glued to your pages, especially when the story you're writing is such a pleasure to pen.

I'm enjoying writing Triton, I can't write the scenes fast enough and I've never been so invested in a story or the characters who are playing it out.

More on Triton coming soon. In the meantime, enjoy what's already available!

RL