Now Available: Book 2 in the Captain Quasar Trilogy

Captain Quasar is on a mission. 

Centuries have passed since evil Emperor Zhan attacked Earth and sent humankind packing in a mass exodus. Now the human race is scattered throughout the galaxy, and United World Space Command is no more. 

Captain Bartholomew Quasar and the crew of the Effervescent Magnitude have one purpose: to reunite the descendants of Earth's diaspora and save their planet from the monstrous machines Zhan left behind to ensure Earth's ultimate demise. 

Quasar and his intrepid crew will have to brave dangerous aliens, killer robots, vicious space pirates, and a mysterious artificial intelligence in order to build the United Earth Fleet and return home, where all new perils await.

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Captain Quasar Re-Release Now Available

Captain Quasar is out of time. 

Pursued by vengeful Goobalob toll collectors, savage Arachnoid bounty hunters, and formidable Amazonians, Captain Bartholomew Quasar must do whatever he can to keep the crew of the Effervescent Magnitude out of harm's way. All in a day's work—except time is not on his side. Torn from the present to relive his past, he vows to keep mistakes from occurring the second time around. But is he doomed to repeat history? Or can he erase his regrets? Villains will be vanquished. Lives will be lost. Bonds will be betrayed. Heroes will be heroic. Join the crew of the Effervescent Magnitude for a hilarious time-travel space adventure the likes of which you've never seen! The Hitchhiker's Guide meets Star Trek in this series for fans of Galaxy Quest, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Wars Legends.

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2020 in Review

It's been a weird year, best left in the rearview mirror. But despite all the craziness, I managed to set a goal for myself and stick to it: four novels drafted in twelve months. Only one of them is fit to print; the others are going to need a few rounds of revisions once I'm able to concentrate again. For the first time in thirty-odd years of writing, I found it difficult to focus. But I'm glad I kept at it, forcing myself to string words together even when I didn't feel inspired. I accomplished something I've never attempted before, and I got an inkling of what it's like to be a full-time writer. It's work, more perspiration than inspiration at times. But even a page of something is better than a headful of ideas, and the best writing often shows up during the rewriting — which is what I have planned for most of next year. For now, though, here's a look back at 2020:

Novels Written: 4

Captain Quasar & the Phaze Worlds Dilemma — 80K
Underground (Working Title) — 60K

Aeroship (Working Title) — 60K

Demigod (Working Title) — 70K

Book Deal Signed: 1

Captain Quasar & the Phaze-Worlds Dilemma — Aethon Books

Novel on Submission: 1
BackTracker

Books Published: 5

After the Sky

Tomorrow's Children

City of Glass

Those Who Wait

After Thoughts

Audiobooks Produced: 4

After the Sky

Tomorrow's Children

City of Glass

The Gifted Ones

Audiobook in Production: 1

Those Who Wait

Blog Posts: 19

New Short Story Collection Now Available

 

After Thoughts collects 12 

speculative fiction tales 

you'll never forget: 

All That's Left Behind 

Better View Desired 

Collateral Damage 

Collective Bargaining 

Absolute Magnitude 

First People 

Entrepreneur of the Year 

Danse Nocturne 

Supersonic 

Favorable Winds 

Kagemusha 

Monochromatic Mandate

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New Novel Now Available

Jillian's idyllic vacation has become a living nightmare. 

She graduated from St. Stephen's High School with honors, and after befriending three popular cheerleaders she tutored senior year, all four girls plan to spend an amazing week together at a secluded cabin on Crescent Lake. 

But while jogging through the woods, Jillian takes a wrong turn and plunges down a ravine, injuring herself. Jeremiah Wolfe, a young local, finds her and carries her to his shack deep in the forest. His kindness and care gradually evolve into obsessive control as he refuses to go for help. He tells her that God brought her to be his wife, the helpmate he's been praying for. 

What follows is a harrowing cat-and-mouse game as Jillian attempts to escape only to be thwarted by Jeremiah's uncanny ability to predict her every move. He won't allow anything—or anyone—to come between them. As the body count rises, Jillian realizes no one will be able to rescue her from this psychotic killer. She has to save herself, even if it means disobeying the 6th commandment: Thou shalt not murder.

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What Are We To Do With This Jesus?

"You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." 

- C.S. Lewis

Re-Release Date + New Cover Art

Just got the word from Aethon Books that Captain Quasar will be greeting the world again on January 5th! Not a bad way to start 2021. It's been five years since The Space-Time Displacement Conundrum was serialized by Every Day Novels (now defunct), so I'm hoping Quasar can grab the attention of a few new readers this time around. And the best part? Two sequels (The Mass-Exodus Reversal and The Phaze-Worlds Dilemma) will be released in the months to follow.

Here's the new cover for Book 1 alongside the original:

 

I'm digging the '90's B-movie / pulp sci-fi vibe. It's FUN and ADVENTURE in SPACE without taking itself too seriously (Because really, how can it?). The original art will always hold a special place in my heart, though; maybe I'll have a chance to use it again someday on an omnibus or some such...

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Q4 Noveling Progress

My fourth novel of 2020 is moving right along. 25K drafted so far, with probably another 75K or so before it's complete. Averaging 1-2K each day, writing whether or not I feel inspired to do so. And every time I show up, the story shows up. (There might be a pithy lesson in there somewhere.) Sure, I end up deleting and revising a few hundred words each week, but I'm making progress, and that's what counts. I'm confident I'll have the sloppy copy finished by the end of this crazy year, and then I plan to focus on editing three novels over the first quarter of 2021.

As soon as I finished writing City of Glass last summer, I wanted to give Sera and Dunn their own book. But I decided to go ahead and finish the Captain Quasar and Madame Antic trilogies before starting a new series. That done, now I can focus on Demigods (working title). The challenge so far has been making it work as a standalone instead of book 4 in Spirits of the Earth. I want it to be able to fly solo and be a satisfying spinoff for fans of the original books. Whether Demigods turns into a trilogy of its own remains to be seen; for now, I'm focusing on putting these characters into one tough spot after another and really testing their mettle. 

Sounds a bit like 2020 in general...

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Three for Three

When I set a goal for myself back in January to write four novels this year, I had no idea that a bizarre pandemic would grip the world, changing the everyday life I took for granted. Or that I'd say goodbye to my job, sell our condo, and move two thousand miles away so that my wife and I could live near my aging in-laws. Or that I'd see cities across the country rocked by so much violence, hatred, and stupidity. (Who's up for a second civil war? Not me.)

Despite all of the distractions, stressors, and resultant anxiety, I've managed to carve out time (almost) every day to write. That's how I've met my goal so far: three novels drafted in nine months. My first quarter novel has undergone final edits and is with my publisher, ready to go. My second and third novels are in need of revisions; but since they're in a trilogy and the first book is currently with my editor, I'll wait to polish them up until we get book 1 in the best shape possible.

Writing takes a lot of concentration, and this year I've found that to be my greatest struggle. I've had to let go of my perfectionist tendencies. Drafts are sloppy copies; they're not supposed to be amazing. But having a complete draft is so much better than just a vague idea for a novel or a few pages of notes. And often the best writing shows up during the rewriting phase.

This year has been a crazy one. If it wasn't for my faith in God, the love of my wonderful wife, and this creative outlet, I'm not sure where I would be mentally right now. I'm really looking forward to drafting my next novel, and I can't wait to see what it's about. Sloppy copy #4, let's go!

Captain Quasar Will Return

Thanks to the fine folks at Aethon Books, Captain Quasar and the Space-Time Conundrum will be greeting the world again via a re-release with all-new cover art and first-time audio treatment. It's been five years since this novel was originally serialized, so I'm hoping to hook a few new readers unawares. (If you happen to own the first eBook or print edition, it might soon be a collector's item!) No release date yet, but when I know, you'll know. And unlike the first time around, now a pair of brand spankin' new sequels will be available as well: Captain Quasar and the Mass-Exodus Reversal followed by Captain Quasar and the Phaze-Worlds Dilemma. Together they make quite the crazy comedic space opera trilogy. Brace for impact!