Category: Announcements

Release: The Control Variable (A Bridge Between Worlds 3)

We’re still building those bridges. Here’s the third one, “The Control Variable”:

The other world was exciting, but theirs still has so much left unknown. Amy knows that, yet she finds her thoughts constantly drawn back to her time away from her home planet. She also knows that there are other crossings, other bridges. Even if those won’t take her where she wants to go, they need to be found. Alex can find them. He has the map. All he needs is the time, but that may be running out.

Otherworld stories remain exclusive to my Patreon for the time being, so you can pick this one up there, along with over 20 other stories, for only a few dollars a month.

Next in the series is Part 4, “The Dark Continent”, coming July 24. Until then, have a good summer, and keep reading!

Amazon release: The Shape of Things (Endless Forms 1)

Just a heads-up today, as my latest novel, the paranormal investigation thriller The Shape of Things, is now up on Amazon, in both Kindle and paperback versions. The price is $3.49 for the ebook, $9.50 for the real thing, and here’s the blurb to get you started:

The world is stranger than you know.

Cameron Weir hunts the paranormal. It’s a hobby, a second job, a nice diversion from the rigors of life. Whether it’s ghosts or monsters or aliens, he’ll be there to find the answer. And that answer is never any of those things, because he well knows that monsters don’t exist.

But something is out there. Something lurks in the night. What started as a simple call with a mundane explanation turns out to lead to a much deeper mystery. Glowing eyes in the dark. Strange, animal-like sounds echoing through the night. And then the most monstrous of all: a dead body. In the midst of such weirdness, Cameron questions his own rationality, and that leads him on a trail that will take him to the most fabled monster of all: Bigfoot.

If you’d like to know more, head over to the page for the book, where you’ll find a link to Amazon, as well as my Patreon, where you can get The Shape of Things, as well as DRM-free copies of my other released works, for as little as $1 per month.

Release: The Red Magician (A Bridge Between Worlds 2)

The bridge is still being built, and here is the second step in its construction, “The Red Magician”:

All along, Ayla wanted to do one thing to this world, one thing she never dreamed she could do to the one where she was born. She wanted to make it better, make it into something respectable, rational, modern. She never expected it to be easy, but she always thought she had both the knowledge and the determination to achieve her aims. Now, with the help of her apprentice, Niel, she hopes to carry the light of science across the bridge from her world to this one, as she tries to reinvent a society and herself.

As always, the Otherworld tales are Patreon exclusives, and a pledge of only \$3/month gets you access to “The Red Magician” and a total of 9 other stories in the series. If that’s not enough to convince you to join me on this road, remember that the same money also lets you download DRM-free copies of all my other novels and short stories, including Nocturne, The Linear Cycle, and much more.

Next up is “The Control Variable”, coming May 22. Keep reading, and I’ll see you then!

Release: The Code Breaker (A Bridge Between Worlds 1)

The cycle begins anew…but not really. The Return to the Otherworld won’t come around until 2019 (coincidentally enough, the year in which the original Chronicles of the Otherworld takes place). Until then, you’ll be getting 6 shorter novellas I’ve entitled A Bridge Between Worlds. As the name suggests, they bridge the nine-month gap between Long Road’s End and the next story in the “main” Otherworld sequence, The Second Crossing.

First up is “The Code Breaker”:

Lee never regretted his decision to stay in the other world. He knew it would be hard, but he believed his hard work would be rewarded. Nimiesa left everything she knew behind, and now she waits for the day when she enters a new world of her own: the world of motherhood. Together, they are the first to bridge the stars, but leaving their past behind is harder than it seems.

Once again, the Otherworld series is, for the time being, a Patreon exclusive, and you can get access to it for a pledge of only \$3/month. On top of that, you’ll get the complete first season of the series, as well as many other novels and short stories.

Next up is “The Red Magician”, coming in March. Until then, keep reading!

PPC in 2018

So 2017 has been an eventful year, and that’s just for me. I’ve written more in this single year than in the rest of my life combined, and I’ve found that I love that feeling. I love being able to escape this world and enter those that I create. I love looking over at my bookshelf (or, more often, stack) and seeing my own name on a cover.

There is a problem, though. I want to write more fiction, more stories and novels and books. Yet I don’t want to forsake my posts here. That’s a conundrum, because the schedule I’ve set for myself in 2018 doesn’t leave a lot of room to give this site the attention it deserves. For this year, I cut my posts down from 3 a week to 8 a month, and many of those were simple release announcements. Next year, as much as I hate to do it, I think I’ll have to make further cuts on this side of things.

So here’s how I see it. First off, release announcements are staying. They have to, because this site is my Internet home. It’s where I want to show off my creations. And that does mean I’ll continue linking to Patreon and the Kindle store, but so be it. Also, November Novel Month isn’t going anywhere. That’s my public declaration of my own progress, my single concession to ego.

As for original content on here, though, I don’t see how I’ll have time for too much of it. There are still a few posts I want to do, like more entries in the “Future Past” alt-history series, or more coding posts, or even picking up that “RPG town” thing I did this time last year. However, these are going to be more sporadic than before. There may be months where I make only a single post, others where I throw up 5 or more. I can’t guarantee anything yet, except that the volume will be lower than before. I’m sorry for that, but until I can work through these stories in my head that so long to be released, that’s how it has to be.

Release: Long Road’s End (Chronicles of the Otherworld 8)

So here it is. We’re at the end of our road, our long road. Appropriately enough, Episode 8 of Chronicles of the Otherworld is the season finale, and it’s titled Long Road’s End.

The end is in sight.

Over two months ago, eleven students found themselves stranded in another world. Now, they have made it their second home, but the time has come to return to their first. Before that, all that remains is a week-long holiday. A festival. Surely nothing can go wrong now, can it?

The trials are not done, and the members of the expedition know that nothing is set in stone. Until they are safely on Earth once more, anything can happen. And what if some of them don’t want to go back?

I hope you’ve had fun. I know I have. I took this journey long ago, but I feel I’ve been reliving it over these past few months, and not only because I’ve reread the series many, many times since then. Whatever your December holiday of choice, I hope you’re having a good one, and consider this last story of 2017 my gift to you. Yes, you have to pay for it, and you can only get it as a Patreon exclusive, but I’d say that 8 novel-length stories (a total of over 400,000 words) for only $3 is a good deal. And if you don’t like them, you can always find a reader in your family who does.

This may be the end of Chronicles of the Otherworld, but it’s most certainly not the end of the Otherworld setting. Join me in 2018 for A Bridge Between Worlds, and keep checking back here and on Patreon for info on Season 2, Return to the Otherworld. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of the year.

Release: A Peace Shattered (Chronicles of the Otherworld 7)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Sure, it’s a couple of days early, but it’s the thought that counts. And if you’re not from the US, then consider this a different kind of holiday, one where you receive the gift of the Otherworld. Episode 7, entitled A Peace Shattered, is out now. Here’s what you’ve got to look forward to:

Nothing can be taken for granted, not when you’re in another world.

Guided by ancient writings, a new excavation is in order, one which may uncover the secrets the expedition has spent two months searching for. But this one will be different. This one will require native and alien hands alike, and it will answer a question no one thought to ask.

Even as some of the students investigate the ruins, the location of their arrival in this other world, others must carry on. There are preparations to be made, loose ends to tie up. And there is a man out there, a man with nothing to lose.

Only a few dollars pledge to my Patreon campaign gets you this story and its six predecessors. That’s less than fifty cents per book! How is that not a good deal? And it doesn’t even count all the other novels, short stories, and novellas you’d be gaining access to.

The Chronicles of the Otherworld finale, Long Road’s End, is coming soon. Only four weeks from today, in fact, on December 19. I hope to see you then.

Release: Situational Awareness (Chronicles of the Otherworld 6)

Six down, two to go. With the release of Episode 6, Situational Awareness, the long-running saga is nearing its inevitable conclusion.

In another world, the strangest thing to discover might be oneself.

Whether caught in the standoff, fleeing the scene, or hiding away in a distant village, the members of the expedition are forced into an uncomfortable situation. The outlaws are not going away. No, they are seeking something, someone, and they have the force necessary to take what they want.

Miles away, down the river, new discoveries are being made. Archaeology it is not, but the research is no less difficult, no less vital to their ultimate goal of returning to their home planet. Yet the ancient writings are not the only object of interest. As ever, the most impact is made by the people of this land.

Not a lot to say that hasn’t been said already, so head on over to my Patreon for more information. A small donation of $3 gets you this episode and the previous five; keep it for the rest of the year, and you’ll have the remaining two parts to go with them.

Episode 7, A Peace Shattered, will come out November 21, so make plans to ignore your turkey and your shopping while you immerse yourself in the Otherworld.

Release: The Bonds Between Us (Chronicles of the Otherworld 5)

We’re on our way now. Today marks the release of the fifth episode of Chronicles of the Otherworld. Five out of eight. You might call it the second half, or the third quarter. Whatever you like, it’s clear that the story is moving towards its conclusion.

Every action has consequences. Some have far more than others.

No man or woman in the expedition ever claimed to be perfect, but now their choices over the past six weeks may be coming back to haunt them. Because not everyone in this other world is friendly to outsiders. And they aren’t all quite as primitive as one might think.

As outlaws threaten their city, their home, the time to act may be fast approaching. For a month and a half, the expedition has called this land home. Now, terror threatens that home, and they must rise to the occasion. For the target is one of their own.

The series is still an exclusive, so you’ll have to head over to my Patreon page for access, but a little $3 pledge gets you the first four episodes, too, so what have you got to lose? And keep watching for Episode 6, Situational Awareness, coming October 24.

Release: The Final Sacrifice

And thus it ends. The concluding part of The Linear Cycle, titled “The Final Sacrifice”, has now been released to all. With that, the story has reached its final chapter.

For this one, the action goes back to Midra, back to where it all began. But everything is different now, thanks to the Touched. The Valtian Empire is a hollow shell of its former self, and its neighbors can see that. The kingdom of Esteca, sensing weakness, wants to strike at its heart. With its population decimated, its best weapon neutralized, can the empire survive?

This part ties up all the loose ends placed by the previous five installments. Dusk is on the walls, defending his home once again. Kalle Varens leads that defense, in what may be his final command. His wife Hella watches and waits, guiding the refugees who are streaming in to the capital in hopes of a better shot at survival. Porter still seeks a way to recover what he has lost, though he wonders how far he’ll have to go this time. Princess Leliya must convince her husband’s people to come to the aid of her half-brother. And Tod, the boy who never knew magic until he found it in his blood…

This one was hard. It really was. In the end, I had to break my word count, going over 20,000 ever so slightly, but I feel that was worth it. This one’s back to the action, but with that drama underneath, and the ending might be one of the wildest things I’ve ever written.

As with the other parts of The Linear Cycle, the link above will take you to the post here. You can also check it out on Patreon or pick it up for the low price of $1.99 on the Kindle Store. However you do it, I hope you enjoy this finale, and I thank you for coming with me on this epic journey.