As I mentioned in my previous newsletter, I spent some time during my vacation revamping my home workspace. I’m pleased with my new setup of two standing desks that replaced a bigger bulkier desk. I lost some desk space in the process, but I enjoy switching between sitting and standing positions throughout the day. Now I have one desk/monitor where I complete work for my regular job, and another desk that has the computer that I use for writing. The shift in position/computers is helpful in cueing my brain for when it’s “work” time and when it is “writing” time.
It turned out that I tackled and completed the office project at the exact right time, as later that week we experienced more weather in California than we are used to. I know we have it tough out here when most of the year our weather is wonderful. This year, however, we experienced some big storms in January, which led to the start of a wildflower explosion (beautiful, but not great for allergies!) but then, we continued to get storms throughout February, especially the last few days of the month. The rain is nice, but more important is the snowpack in Northern California as that helps replenish the aquifers throughout the state. As a state, we are almost always in, or close to, being in a drought, so the record amounts of snow and rain will help us out over the next few years.
At our house, we received plenty of rain and one lightning strike nearby. The thunderclap that accompanied it was the loudest I’ve ever heard. It shook the windows, freaked out the dogs, and set off car alarms throughout the neighborhood. While it tried to snow a few times, it never accumulated, just a few flurries and some visible snow on the mountain across the freeway. The fluffy white stuff piling up on the ground surprised many nearby cities, though. Local mountain communities received more snow than they’ve seen in decades, which is continuing to cause quite a few problems.
March has begun with unseasonably cool weather, however I know within a few months we’ll start complaining about the heat! With all this extra rain and snow, there is a good chance the hills will stay green through May. I can guarantee we are going to have super-blooms of wildflowers throughout the state. This will be an amazing site to see, but I’ll need to keep regular doses of allergy medicine in my system to keep me functional.
Mechhaven Missives
- I finished my second editing pass of Mechhaven Book 4: Rally Point! The only thing left in this phase is for me to add two more scenes. One is in the final chapter, the other will be earlier in the book. After that, it should be good to send to my editor.
- I hope to wrap up the two final scenes this weekend. While I send this off to my editor and wait for his feedback, I’ll start plotting Book 5! I also have a couple of novellas and short stories I want to work on before I fully dive into Book 5.
Mech of the Month
A new feature I’m adding to this newsletter is the Mech of the Month. The first Mech of the month will be announced in the next newsletter. I have a couple of cool candidates in mind, but I can use more. I’ve received a few good ideas from all of you, but if you have any other nominations for Mech of the Month, please send them my way.
Remember, my definition of “mech” is pretty loose. These can be mechs piloted by humans, sentient robots, or other AI’s. They can appear in books, comics, cartoons, movies, etc. I’ll accept any nominations. I plan to keep this up at least through the release of Mechhaven Book 5, so I’ll be able to feature a lot of different mechs of all different types.
Featured Authors
This week’s featured authors are Kate Kyle, Rock Forsberg, and Frank Kennedy
by
Kate Kyle
A newbie pilot with a secret, broken comms, alien artifact, viral code, empty space. What can go wrong?
Jax, a freshly minted spaceship pilot had a simple job: taking a group of sick people to Rebels’ Republic space station to have their brain implants fixed while keeping her secret – secret. She had a smart plan to get it done: just some tweaking of the comms to make it look like an accident.
But her ship had some surprises aboard: two healthy passengers, who weren’t who they claimed to be, a real emergency, and a piece of virally spreading rogue code. Then… came some more problems…
by
Rock Forsberg
A flat-broke captain. A deadly cosmic device. It’s his time to save the universe.
Tredd Bounty’s life hasn’t been the same since he was kicked out of the Navy. And bouncing between shady jobs and risky missions barely keeps a roof over his head. So when he picks up a rich gig to capture a deadly device that could tear the stars apart, he keeps his incredible power at the ready: the ability to stop time itself…
With his eccentric team of misfits by his side, Tredd flies up against an old sweetheart, a vindictive former commander, and a shadowy force racing toward the same artifact. As they hunt for the extreme weapon, the captain uncovers a dangerous secret that could send them crashing into a fiery supernova. It’s a good thing Tredd isn’t the only one with hidden abilities.
by
Frank Kennedy
Lose everything. Save everyone.
Kara Syung leads a life of privilege on the ringed world Hokkaido until her brother whispers his final warning: “They’re going to burn it all. Be a soldier.”
His death sets Kara on a mission for justice and the truth. Yet powerful forces stand in her way – starting with her family and others who control the planet’s food supply. She has few weapons: A lifelong best friend, a murderous immortal on a crusade of his own, a rogue from an old galactic empire, and a snub-nose laser pistol. Moreover, time and conscience works against her.
Featured Promotions
I love when I look at these promotions and see a number of books that I’d like to read. Please check these out and support any of these authors that you can!
Kindle Unlimited
A Plethora of Stars (Kindle Unlimited)
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books For Sale
Until next time, have fun and read a lot of books!
Greg Sorber