I was a little quiet last week.

This is because the new job is all-consuming; I’m working in a tibanna gas mine, minting fuel for hyperdrives.This week:

1. The latest and last two Empire’s Rogues stories;
2. An interview with Aethon Books;
3. Getting the word out for John; and
4. A giveaway.

And who says nobody gives you anything anymore? Let’s roll.

The Empire’s Rogues

Ganymede Plague released last week without fanfare, because ^^ as I mentioned I’d been sucked into a vortex of horror, otherwise known as working for a living. This week Ganymede Plague’s joined by the fifth story, Dragon’s Rescue. These are the finales for the six-part series.

You might notice a fancy cover ⬅️ over there. This is because of Emily, who mentioned I could do better at letting you know there’s a collected volume. Viola! The Empire’s Rogues Volume 1 comes out March 29, so if you think serials suck, this is for you.

If you want to get Ganymede Plague and Dragon’s Rescue now because, like me, you have poor impulse control, they’re yours for 0.99 US/UK. Clicky below to see how we wrap up Nate and Grace’s adventures (…for now):

[0.99 US/UK]

[0.99 US/UK]

Aethon Books

Some of you know Rhett Bruno. He’s one of the founders of Aethon Books; they help fellow authors get their books out there. It’s by indies, for indies. I got an opportunity to pop three quick questions to him.

You’ve started Aethon as a vehicle to help indies get better work out there. What was the coffee-table conversation that started it all?

Our main goal wasn’t really indie vs traditional, it was to help make the dreams of authors who have no interest in marketing come true. Maybe stuff that couldn’t find a home elsewhere. Weird stuff, like the weird western we published as our first book. Myself and co-owner Steve Beaulieu write together, and we came up with the idea like… a year before we started it! And the name. Then one day we just decided to go for it.

It’s clear the imprint has high quality reads attached to it. I think you’re trying to give readers a higher-quality experience. What are the main drivers from your selection process?

We hope we’re putting our great science fiction and fantasy, with unique, but commercial appeal. That’s the goal at least! And we’re open to all submissions really, but we love things with a distinctive voice because audio is a big deal for us. Character driving stories are our favorite as well.

If you had advice for readers on getting their next best book, what would you say to them? How do you go about choosing the next story you can’t put down?

Oh man. That’s always tough. The simple answer is… look at our catalog! We have a lot coming, with all types of sci-fi and fantasy. But I would say, don’t only scout the books that are on super sales at that moment. And don’t jump at a pretty cover! Really dig into the description, read the sample, and find something you love. Luckily, I got submissions straight to my inbox to read. If I love it, we sign it.

If you want to check out the kinds of things Aethon’s trying to get into reader’s hands, they’re running a sale on The Paths Between Worlds to introduce readers to their stable. You can check it out on Amazon ($2.99, down from $4.99) and Audible (which can be added for $1.99 through Whispersync if you get the ebook first).

John’s Latest Book

You may remember John Hindmarsh; he was the other finalist in our 15-day story challenge (just two of us made it out alive). His book Soul Mayhem went free to fans, and the second is about to arrive on Amazon.

Things are a bit excitable over at Casa du Hindmarsh. His wife Cathy’s mom passed recently, and John is about to hit another round of chemotherapy. I wanted to make sure (since he and I have many fans in common) you all knew his book was due to come out, as his radio channel could be a little less intense because Reasons™.

Sooo… ICYMI, Red Dragon Prophecy is out! It’s on KU for all y’all who roll that way. Basically a parallel universe collapses, dragging down other parallel universes. Also, there are red dragons. What’s not to like?

And now, your giveaway

My internet homeboys over at Sci-Fi Bridge are doing a giveaway. Five winners get over 30 sci-fi space opera and military sci-fi titles (including Tyche’s Flight, from yours truly). One lucky soul will snare a $50 Zon gift card.

What’s cool about this one is you get five reads just for putting your hat in the ring. If that sounds like some action you want, head here to enter:

[www.scifibridge.com]

That’s it from me this week. If you’re curious, despite having a Real Job™ again, the wording continues. But, and there’s always a but, this week was kinda amusing. I sat down yesterday to get back into it, and… totally forgot why two characters were where they were. There was a trail of bodies, a smoking blaster, and snark, but … I forgot why I put them there.

Much hilarious confusion ensued; I needed to remint a part of the story. I’m sure it’s better than it ever was! And if it’s not, no one will ever know, because even I can’t remember WTAF I was talking about.

I’ve had to ease up on my comms channels. This week marked the removal of a bunch of IM apps from my phone (Messenger, Slack, and Hangouts, you’ll be remembered in our prayers), because after backing away from the computer, and thus writerly contact channels, for a few days the notifications on my phone looked like this:

I’ve also archived my Facebook groups, in line with my previously mentioned plans on writing without dying from overload. Tyche’s Crusade will be done very soon. Thanks for your patience; I can’t wait to show it to you.

Keep being awesome.

R