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December 2, 2016

Nick Webb’s Constitution deal, and my new book is out next week

One of the stars of the recent boom in science fiction literature is Nick Webb. Now, if your’re reading this, Nick, I would describe you as a very annoying kind of author 🙂 Not only does he sell a gazillion copies of his books, which come out more regularly than mine, but he also has a real job as a space engineer, has a PhD in experimental physics, and finds time to play Lego with his kids. How cool is that? Can this awesome individual possibly be human? I feel suddenly inadequate. I mention Nick because his most famous book, Constitution, is on a 99c special offer for the next 5 days.   I haven’t read Constitution yet, but I have read some of an earlier series he wrote under the name of Endi Webb (Nick’s initials are N.D. Webb), […]
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November 6, 2016

Try out a selection of 0.99 Kindle SF & Fantasy books

Marine Cadet is on a 99c joint promotion this weekend. I expect if you’re reading this, you already have Marine Cadet, but some of the other books in the promotion look very interesting and some of them I recommend because I’ve read them and already know they’re great! Click on the image to go to Patty Jansen’s site to grab books from the full range of retailers.   You only have until the end of today to fill your boots. I’m still not well and didn’t get to my computer to announce it yesterday. Sorry. The promotion was set up by author Patty Jansen and it’s something she does every month in various forms and you can sign for more info here. I’ve read her book Ambassador. She’s a great author. If you don’t believe me, follow this link  to […]
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November 4, 2016

Get yer Crimson Worlds ‘ere. For free

Military SF fans have probably heard of Jay Allan, who has been busy working on his new series for Harper Voyager recently (Far Stars) and most recently his new series Duel in the Dark that came out last week (kicking off at 99c). Jay started off with self-publishing the Crimson Worlds series, which I remember reading as they came out. Good fun and  a more strategic view of the military campaign he describes than most authors use. Last thing I heard, the series had sold 800,000 copies. Not bad! I mention all this because there’s a compilation of the first three books that’s free. At least, it is today and it is in the US and UK. I can’t speak for other regions and it might not be free tomorrow. If you haven’t read one of military SF’s big stars […]
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October 13, 2016

Starship Troopers and Modern Military SF

I’ve been tracking the science fiction bestseller charts on amazon.com since the start of 2011, with particular attention to space opera and military SF. Yes, it is partially professional intelligence gathering to see what is and is not selling, and to get ideas for my next reads, but it’s much more than that. Science fiction publishing is going through its greatest transformation since at least the widespread introduction of the paperback, and as a huge fan I am simply fascinated to watch these changes as they sweep through publishing at internet speeds. For example, I can take the numbers given by Locus Magazine each year for the number of new science fiction titles published each year, extrapolate backward to the days of HG Wells and Jules Verne with a touch of anecdotal evidence and a large cup of coffee, then […]
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September 27, 2016

Corey Truax: Welcome to the team!

I am delighted to welcome Corey Truax to the team. Corey will be taking over editing duties for The Sleeping Legion series by JR Handley. I’ll be withdrawing to take a series editor brief and allow Corey and JR Handley to work together to make these books pop. Before I introduce Corey a little more,  I’ll give you a quick status update because we’ve been a little quiet over the summer and I wouldn’t want you to think we’ve been slacking off! With kids off school and even a vacation, going quiet is inevitable, I guess, but we’re back in the saddle now. Many thanks to everyone who helped out with the Recon Team edition of The Legion Awakes, the first book in The Sleeping Legion. That’s nearly ready to go. A few tweaks and the bonus prequel novella, The Demons of Kor-Lir […]
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September 16, 2016

Why writers pull apart owl pellets to inspect the bones within

I recall at one of the first science fiction conventions I attended, author Ian Watson replied to the question “What work are you doing at the moment?” by saying he was reading a book about clouds. He explained that he would pick up ideas from every source imaginable and anything could be research. He was reading about clouds because they were interesting. Maybe something he read there would turn up in a novel. And maybe not. That’s a pretty cool concept if your job is an author because you can explain away anything you do as research. Just another glass of chili beer… it’s research! So it turned out to me last weekend. Once a month I take my son to Bromham Nature Club, usually held at the old village mill. This month we had a visit from the Mammal […]
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September 16, 2016

Coming soon…

The Sleeping Legion is stirring! Standby for further announcements.     
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September 2, 2016

Introducing Sci Fi Explorations

A new science fiction venture is officially launched today: SciFiExplorations.com. I’m not involved myself, not yet anyway, but it looks good enough that I’ve signed up. So what exactly is Sci Fi Explorations? Well, there’s a website, naturally, and a mailing list. Sign up and receive a short story called Steel Eye from Ralph Kern, a new author I’ve been hearing good things about. “His first novel is a bit like Andy Weir’s ‘The Martian’,” someone told me.  She may have meant that Ralph Kern has an unhealthy obsession with potatoes and duct tape, but it’s an interesting enough recommendation to look deeper. And there is also a free series of Forever Gate stories from Isaac Hooke, whom I remember reaching the #1 spot in the science fiction bestseller charts in 2013.  Then you receive a newsletter with articles from […]
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