Release: Seasons Change (Othersides 01)

It’s been about a year since the last time I put out a free story. This one works because it just doesn’t work anywhere else. Seasons Change, the first of my “Othersides” series, is now available on my Patreon.

The rest of this post will contain Otherworld spoilers, so be warned.

Continue reading Release: Seasons Change (Othersides 01)

Release: Point of Origin (Return to the Otherworld 7)

Part 7 of Return of the Otherworld, Point of Origin, is different in a very important way: it’s all set on Earth. Yes, this entry in the Otherworld series never features the Otherworld. It’s got characters from there, sure, but it’s a bit like the bridge stories “The Control Variable” and “The Candle’s Flame”. Indeed, it connects with the latter of those quite often.

Earth, the cradle of humanity. For the returning members of the second expedition, seeing their home planet once more has left them overjoyed, refreshed, renewed. Now, the vigor of youth reasserts itself. Scarcely any time at all has passed, yet some already plan the next voyage to the other world, while those who never left prepare for new discoveries that will rewrite history.

One among them, however, suspected the truth all along. Now that he has proof, undeniable evidence of his theory, he will bring new players to the table. They have a single goal in mind, and many ways to achieve it. For the expedition, tensions are rising. For the siblings who see Earth as heaven rather than home, their innocence may become their undoing.

This was a tough story to write, I’ll admit. Most of my favorite characters are missing. There’s no Alex, no Amy, no Jeff or Lee or their loved ones. Instead, you get the set-up for one of the major conflicts of Season 3, and a very vague, very oblique tie-in to two of my other series. (I’m not joking there. They really are connected.)

Be sure to head over to my Patreon to check this one out, and get ready for the finale, Future in Sight, coming in November. Until then, keep reading, and get ready for Nanowrimo! Oh, and wish me a happy birthday, because it’s tomorrow. Bye!

Release: Whence We Came (Return to the Otherworld 6)

In my works, I sometimes use “archaic” language. It often feels more appropriate, especially when you’re writing fantasy or something otherwise set in the distant past. Well, the Otherworld isn’t the past, but it’s a little like it, so I went for it. And now you get to see the result: Whence We Came. (For reference, “whence” roughly means “from where”.)

Revelry marks the changing of the season, and many of those visiting the other world fondly recall the celebrations of a year ago. Some seek to rekindle the flames doused when they departed, while others look for a spark to set them alight.

Most of all, they want to go home. Whether that home is on the planet of their birth, or the new one in which they have found themselves, everyone looks forward to the first day of summer. But when the away team returns, they will find that changes await them. Discoveries have been made, alliances forged, and three months in the other world have left the second expedition behind.

In a way, this one’s a lot like Long Road’s End from Chronicles of the Otherworld. I used the same “whip-around” narration for the first few chapters, giving each of them a single day rather than a single character. But the other four aren’t epilogue material. Instead, they set things up for the next two stories.

As always, remember that you can get my Otherworld works over at my Patreon, and they only cost you a pledge of $3 per month. Not to mention all the other great stuff you get.

I hope you’ll stick around for at least a couple more months, too, because it’s time to start wrapping up the Otherworld expedition for this year. The final stories are a bit different, as you’ll see soon enough. Until then, keep reading!

Release: Falling Into Place (Return to the Otherworld 5)

Now it’s time for the fallout. Here begins the second half of Return to the Otherworld, and we start with Part 5, Falling Into Place.

Disaster averted.

The other world, or this part of it, has seen much better days, but all agree that the worst has passed. Now, the members of the second expedition, along with those who have made their homes here, can return to the bigger business of science, learning, exploring.

But all is not well. The stress of the past weeks has taken its toll. The uncertainty of the future leaves some shaken. And further danger lurks beyond the borders of this fair land. As time runs out on their stay, the students, the teacher, and all those closest to them search for the perfect ending to the tale of spring.

Just because the flood’s over, that doesn’t mean our team is out of the woods. Oh, no. That would be too easy. Now, the scope of their effects on the Otherworld are growing. People are noticing. And decisions must soon be made.

You can get Falling Into Place, along with all my other Otherworld works (now that’s a tongue-twister!) over at my Patreon. It only costs $3/month, and there’s so much more left in store. Like Whence We Came, which is only six weeks away. I’ll see you then.

Release: Whence We Came (Return to the Otherworld 4)

Already halfway done. It feels like time’s just flying by, even in the Otherworld.

In the face of a greater danger, lesser arguments are left behind. When disaster strikes, old enmity is forgotten. Nowhere is that more true than in the other world.

The flood continues, submerging the lands of what some may have believed to be their corner of paradise. The secrets of the distant past remain buried, but they are slowly coming to light. And one member of the second expedition chooses a different path, a path that will test her faith in not only the divine, but also herself.

This one’s pretty much a direct continuation of Waters Rising, which shouldn’t be too out of the blue. It’s a nice little arc, mostly self-contained, but I threw in the added wrinkle of a “guest” chapter on Earth. Because our team has been gone a few weeks now, and they left behind some unfinished business.

Otherworld stories, remember, are available exclusively on my Patreon, so head on over that way to pick this one up. While you’re there, make sure to check out all the other great works you can get for the miniscule pledge of only $3/month. And get ready for Falling Into Place, which is only six weeks away. It’s a perfect choice for your Summer Reading List challenge.

Keep reading!

Release: Waters Rising (Return to the Otherworld 3)

Here we go with another Otherworld story, Waters Rising:

In either world, the forces of nature are far beyond the power of a single person to deflect. Here in the other world, where life is already fragile beyond any experience of the second expedition, danger comes even from the skies above.

While some choose to delve into the ruins surrounding their point of arrival, others must fight a true disaster, a flood that threatens not only the scientific endeavors they seek here, but also the homes, the health, the lives of those they have come to love. Unlikely heroes will rise, unexpected aid will arrive, yet all eyes turn to the river, to the rising waters that form their shared foe.

It’s about a flood, obviously. A flood that takes place in a land without modern conveniences like trucks full of sandbags, but that’s what makes it fun!

As always, you can pick up all my Otherworld stories on my Patreon for the low, low price of $3/month. Keep watching for Part 4, What We Leave Behind, coming in June. Until then, keep reading!

Release: Alignment Adjustment (Return to the Otherworld 2)

And here we go again. Return to the Otherworld continues with its second installment, Alignment Adjustment.

Things have changed.

The other world isn’t the same, nor are those whose lives have been touched by it. To truly understand how best to live in this new land, those who came from another must accept that first impressions are not everything. Only by recognizing their mistakes will they have the chance to avoid them in the future.

For the second expedition, readjustment is a necessity. Now that they have begun to dive deeper into the cultural waters of this world, they can no longer deny their place in it. Some may not like that place. Some may struggle with the preconceived notions of their new neighbors, their friends and lovers. But even that forces them into the mold they so desperately wish to escape.

Not a lot happens in this one, I’ll admit. It’s more getting things set up, moving people around, and a lot of character interaction. The expedition was gone for nearly a year, after all. It’ll take time to get back in the saddle.

As ever, Otherworld stories are Patreon exclusives for the time being. That means you can head on over to my Patreon and pick up Alignment Adjustment for a pledge of $3/month. And the list of things you can get for that low price keeps on growing.

Coming up next is Part 3 of the series, Waters Rising. Look for it soon, and remember to keep reading!

Release: The Second Crossing (Return to the Otherworld 1)

It’s a new year, and that means it’s time for a new season in the Otherworld. 2019 brings Return to the Otherworld, a new eight-part series following the further adventures of those who have visited this strange land, those who stayed behind a year ago, and the new faces seeking their first opportunity to glimpse the alien world for themselves.

Opening up this time is The Second Crossing:

A year ago, eleven college students stumbled into another world by virtue of an accident. An unforeseen, yet ultimately beneficial, accident. Now, they plan to return, this time with purpose.

New faces will join them. Old friends will welcome them. Enemies will show themselves. And the second crossing will test this expedition in ways they never anticipated. What new discoveries await? What new dangers lurk on the other side of the strange, inexplicable portal between worlds?

None can say, but the students and their companions know one thing for sure: they must return to the other world.

It’s going to be a fun ride, and you can see it all through the year over at my Patreon. All I ask is a simple pledge of $3/month, which gets you access to Return to the Otherworld and the previous series, as well as much more. How can you go wrong?

Look for Alignment Adjustment in six weeks. Until then, have fun and keep reading!

Release: The Candle’s Flame (A Bridge Between Worlds 6)

And so we come to journey’s end.

In the entire history of her people, Etanya was the first to travel to another world. Her new friends, including one who had become somewhat more, all came from theirs to hers, but she went the other way. No story, no tale, could prepare her for what she saw. Surrounded by unfamiliar faces, strange machines, and things she can only describe as magic, she wants nothing more than to find her place. That place, she well knows, is at Ramon’s side, but can he take that final step?

This is the end of A Bridge Between Worlds, but it’s far from the last you’ll see of the Otherworld setting. No, I have greater things in store for it. Season 2 of the main story, titled Return to the Otherworld, will debut in early 2019. Until that time, you can get all of my novels and novellas in this setting, plus the many other works I’ve written, at my Patreon. All it takes is a pledge of a few dollars a month. You can cancel anytime, and you get to keep anything you’ve downloaded. No DRM, no fuss. It’s almost too easy.

Whatever you do, I’d like to thank you for traveling with me down this strange and wonderful road. I’ll see you again soon, so keep reading!

Release: The Lessons Learned (A Bridge Between Worlds 5)

We’re almost done. Here’s Part 5 of 6 in A Bridge Between Worlds.

Summer vacation has to end sometime, even in the other world. Jeff understood that, and he accepted it. The coming of fall brings him a new sort of college experience, something he never could have imagined. Together with the woman he loves, he hopes to find first his feet in this new life, then answers to the greatest mysteries of all. Yet even in this place, he learns that some judge solely by appearance, never considering actions.

Remember, you can download this story, as well as the rest of those in the Otherworld setting, exclusively from my Patreon. It’s only a few dollars a month, and you get access to far more than just a single novella.

On November 20, this series comes to a close with the release of Part 6, “The Candle’s Flame”. Stay tuned for future plans, because the Otherworld endures. Until then, keep reading!