Light at the end of the tunnel. Image (c) Algol/ shutterstock.com

Update: the sign up period has now closed, and initial Recon Team candidates are being contacted. Stay sharp, though, in case we need to call up the reserves 🙂

Human Empire is the fourth book in the Human Legion series.  If real life behaved itself, the book would be available to buy now.  But no plan survives contact with reality, as you know. Ours certainly hasn’t, but we’ve never stopped re-knotting our plan in a way that would make the Duke of Wellington proud.

And it’s worked!  We pulled some time back, and we’re just days away from finishing.

We’ve had some wonderful messages of support from fans, but I’m sure for some that it’s been such a long time since the last book came out (June 6^th) that the Human Legion has eroded into a half-forgotten memory.

So, let me tempt you with some things you will find in the new book:

• Battles between rival space fleets.
• New alien races.
• Sparkly vampires with six packs and no shirts.
• Holy war.
• Bloody leadership contests.
• Dark deeds inspired by love.
• Xin and Springer going head to head, fully armed.

OK, I admit, I did make up one of those items. I like to say that you have to read the novel to find out which one, but I suspect you’ve already guessed.

More to the point, we’re ready to start recruiting a Force Recon Team for the new novel.  For those on the squad last time, once again I thank you for your input, and we will assume you would like to be involved with the Human Empire team unless you tell us otherwise.  For those who weren’t, the Recon Team scanned the draft version of Renegade Legion for booby-traps: inconsistencies, clumsy or confusing wording, heathen Britishness, contrived characters, and any sign of dullness.  (see this post from last time for more details).

Given that we’re so late with this release, we are going to do things a little differently.

1. We will have a much shorter time for feedback. We’re aiming for a 10-day period between releasing the Recon Edition and publishing the final version on Amazon. That doesn’t give you much time. Of course, the final release date does depend on what people tell us.  If you’re telling us something is seriously wrong, then publication will have to wait until we have addressed that.
2. This means we’re probably only going to provide the Recon Edition in eBook format (unless you tell us you can read and comment on a paperback in 2-3 days. It takes time to print and post).
3. There will be no Amazon pre–orders this time, but there will be a special launch price. And the new book will be available through Kindle Unlimited which is free for you (beyond your monthly subscription fee), and actually pays us more than if you bought the book.
4. We will have a smaller team this time around, and we already have more volunteers than before. I have a randomizer to select names, but it looks like not everyone will get on the team. Sorry.
5. There is quite a bit of work involved in answering queries, sending out the books, and collating feedback, and so on. My friend and partner, Ian Whates, will be leading the Force Recon Team this time around, though we will both be looking at your reports.

So, the takeaway…

• 

  Book 5 in time for Christmas? Maybe.  Image (c) The Life Tre-e Project / Shutterstock.com

  Human Empire is coming soon. We don’t have a firm date for when the Recon Edition will be ready, but it will be in the next few days.

• If you have not volunteered for the Recon Team before, and would like to do so now, please tell us through a comment on this post.
• If you have volunteered before, but would not be available for the Human Empire team, then it would be very helpful to tell us in a comment on this post.
• If you have volunteered before, and would like to do so again for Human Empire, then you don’t need to do anything. We already have you in the list of candidates 🙂

Finally, thank you for all your messages of support during which had been a difficult time for us.  It has really helped.

Tim & Ian