Alastair Mayer’s T-Space Blog

So, two-and-a-half weeks into 2023 and — currently ongoing snowstorm aside — it’s looking better than 2022. That saw me in the hospital for surgery twice, once in February for the gall bladder, and again, unexpectedly, in November because, as it turned out, I was bleeding internally from something called a Dieulafoy’s lesion (look it up) in my stomach. A blast from an endoscopic argon plasma torch cleared that right up. Well, that and a transfusion to make up for lost blood. I was recovered enough to do the Christmas Book Nook sale in Georgetown in mid-December, but the writing time definitely suffered.

Not totally, though. Recently I released an updated and expanded version of my short story “Shakeup.” Some of you may have seen a much earlier (and shorter) version of this as a giveaway to my newsletter subscribers a couple of years back. The plot hasn’t changed, but I have fleshed out the main character, detective James Watson, who will play a major role in the upcoming Kakuloa: The Downhill Slide. Shakeup takes place in the same time frame as Alpha Centauri: First Landing, circa 2069. Downhill begins ten years later.

Coming up in a few days (Jan. 20-22) is the Colorado Springs area convention COSine. I’m on several panels, and will have a table for selling books. Come say hi and get something signed.

That may be my last convention for a while. I haven’t heard anything about Starfest this year, and I really do need to get some more books out. (Currently in progress: the above-mentioned Kakuloa: The Downhill Slide; the third Delta Pavonis book, Destiny; the sixth Carson & Roberts novel, working title Return to Reticuli; and at least one more short story (finished, but needs to go to my editor), working title “Roadside Assistance.” There’s also at least one not-a-T-Space-story, currently in submission for another Baen Books anthology. We’ll see.

I’m sorry if “a new T-Space novel” was on your Christmas list; I’m afraid I let Santa down. Unless yet another unforseen complication arises, there should be at least one for the Easter Bunny to deliver, if that’s his thing. What else would you like to see this year? More early T-Space? More Carson & Roberts? Something completely different (I have a couple of ideas for time travel novels, one completely silly)? Let me know.

I guess it has been a hot summer. I have my air-conditioning set to about 77F, and I open the windows at night, but my July electric bill was still almost $200. Ouch! Anyway, whether it’s the heat, or lasting after effects of surgery, or some low grade subclinical Covid infection (the home tests show negative), the works in progress aren’t going as quickly as I’d like. But then, do they ever? They are still going, however. One piece of advice that helps: when you think you’ve hit a roadblock because of a plot hole, turn it into a plot twist.

One of those twists is that much of Delta Pavonis: Destiny (the third in that series) actually takes place on Taprobane, the nominally off-limits planet in the Epsilon Indi system. Here’s the preliminary draft of the cover. The second Kakuloa book, The Downhill Slide, will likely be finished first, but I’m revamping the covers for that series.

The next convention I’ll be at will be Denver’s MileHiCon, toward the end of October. With a bit of luck and perseverence, I’ll have two new books for you by then, as well as a short story or two.

UPDATE (October 2022): I won’t be at MileHiCon this year, or, likely, any conventions or sales events until early next year (CoSine in January, perhaps). I’m still more tired than I should be, and it’s affecting my work. I have a couple of short stories done and edited, I just need to get the covers and formatting finished. Real Soon Now. The novels are nearly done. Downhill is at 80k words, it just needs some detail fill in a few scenes.

So, how’s your summer going?

Forgive me Reader, it has been four months since my last post.

During January’s CoSine convention, I felt increasingly uncomfortable. I figured it was just something I ate, but the abdominal pain grew, and later that week I went to the doctor. Long story short, I was having an attack of gallstones. (Can gallstones attack? Whatever they were doing, it hurt.) A couple of weeks later, instead of attending Writing Superstars, I was in for surgery. It went fine, but then I spent a few more weeks feeling blah and slowly recovering, and not getting any writing (or much of anything else) done. Anyway, that’s all over now, and since the beginning of April, when I started writing again, I’ve got just shy of 18,000 new words done. I’m ba-ack! More about that later.

StarFest Denver, 2022
Next up, this weekend (May 13-15), is the StarFest multimedia sci-fi convention. This year it will be at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center, the same place that MileHiCon is usually held. I’ll have a table there, so come out, say hi, and join the festivities.

 
Works in Progress

I have three novels in progress. Crazy, I know. My highest priority is Delta Pavonis: Destiny, the third in the Delta Pavonis series. Ironically, much of the action in this one actually takes place on Taprobane, orbiting Epsilon Indi, for reasons which will become clear in the book. In terms of word-count, I’m actually further along with Kakuloa: The Downhill Slide, but I’ve had to make some revisions since its timeline overlaps the Delta Pavonis books, and I don’t want to mess up the continuity. I hope to have both finished by the end of summer.

Of course I haven’t forgotten about Carson & Roberts, and I’m targeting the sixth book in that series for the end of the year. The working title is Return to Reticuli, so yes, we’ll be seeing the Kesh again.

Somewhere in there I’m planning to overhaul this web site, which is looking a bit dated, and revamp my newsletter system. Stay tuned, and let me know in the comments if there’s anything specifically you’d like to see. Which reminds me, I have a few more short stories in the works, more on that later.

Why do a usual end of the year “year in review” type post? I’m a science fiction writer, of course I’m going to look forward to the year ahead … even if I’m late doing it. 😉

Urgent stuff first: I plan to be at the COSine 2022 convention in Colorado Springs (the hotel situation got sorted) Jan 14-16.

I’ll have books to sell, and a bunch of panels to be on:
(an M means I’m moderating):
Fri. 5pm – Paleontology Update (M)
Sat. 3pm – Best Rules for Time Travel (M)
Sat. 5:30 – Author Reception & Mass Autographing
Sun. 11am – Sci-Fi Predictions
Sun. 2pm – Exoplanet Update (M)

Speaking of books to sell, Volume 2 in the Delta Pavonis series, Delta Pavonis: Expansion, is now available (the ebook is still on pre-order, it will release on the 15th, the paperback is available now.) This is the sequel to Delta Pavonis: Discovery.

 
Also available in ebook form is the Jason Curtis story Steppenwolf, which was first published in The Expanding Universe 7.

That’s January. Conference/convention plans for later in the year include Writing Superstars in February, Starfest Denver in May, and MileHiCon in October, with other possibilities still being evaluated.

Later this year, I am planning the release of the long-awaited (by me, at least) second Kakuloa volume, Kakuloa: The Downhill Slide, the third Paul Fabron novel, Delta Pavonis: Destiny, and, later in the year, a new Carson & Roberts book (title to be determined, but they’re heading back to Zeta Reticuli). More when dates are firmer.

So, what do you guys have planned for 2022?

For those in the Las Vegas area (however large you choose to define that area), on Friday, 12 November, I’ll be at Bally’s for a massive author signing/book sale (20 Books Vegas). Come on by and bring a book or six to get signed. No hardcopy book? I’ll have a few for sale, or a custom label I can autograph if you want to order a book for later delivery.

Speaking of later deliveries, although Gunfight on Europa Station (see below) is now available in e-book from the usual suspects, the print version is not, yet. The books have been printed but, thanks to supply chain problems, are sitting in a warehouse awaiting shipment to Amazon, B&N, etc. I am hoping that Toni Weisskopf (publisher at Baen Books) will have some copies with her at Bally’s next Friday (she’ll be there), but no promises.

Currently in progress: Delta Pavonis: Expansion (sequel to Discovery) is about 75% finished with first draft (I started it after MileHiCon) and I hope to have it out in time for Christmas. The second Kakuloa book, The Downhill Slide, is further along but is slower going (more subplots). Look for it early next year.

Finally, the massive collection The Expanding Universe: Volume 7 (also see below) is doing well, and has some excellent stories in it. Several (many?) of the authors will be at the Vegas event mentioned up top. A great opportunity to collect a bunch of autographs. I’ll have a few copies for sale.

Cheers, belated Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Whatever Other Causes To Celebrate you may have (which reminds me of a story my submariner/Antarctic researcher/writer friend, Robert Williscroft, tells about a certain alcohol supply and some Russian fellow Antarctic researchers, but that will have to wait for another time. He tells it better anyway.) 😉

Or spring line up, for those of you in the southern hemisphere.

A new novel, two new short stories, and conference appearances. Currently available for pre-order:

Releases 31 August, 2021. A new novel of early T-Space.

Releases 12 September, 2021. Includes my new Jason Curtis short story, “Steppenwolf,” and stories by many other fine authors.

Releases 2 November, 2021. Includes my new Carson and Roberts story, “Incident at Raven’s Rift,” and other great new space westerns.

Cover – “Gunfight at Europa Station”

I will have a table at MileHiCon 53, October 1 to 3, in Denver. I will also be moderating a reading of Space Western stories, including an excerpt from my above “Raven’s Rift.”

On Friday, 12 November, I will have a table at the massive author sale and signing at the 20 Books to 50K Vegas conference at Bally’s hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as conditions permit. Stay well!

There’s a lot happening at the moment. Some highlights:
The great folks at Fresh Ink Group have invited me to the Voice of Indie podcast this Wednesday, July 14. Listen and call in if you have questions or comments.

The revised manuscript for Delta Pavonis: Discovery is off to beta readers. The new book, covering the first voyage to Delta Pavonis, should be available for pre-order later this month. Next up in that series will be Expansion, wherein T-Space as we see it in the later Carson & Roberts stories begins to take shape. Delta Pavonis is a strategic gateway to several other systems.

Although I couldn’t participate because of a schedule conflict, authors of stories in the upcoming Gunfight on Europa Station talked about it at LibertyCon. The video is here. The book is now available for pre-order, and includes my new story, “Raven’s Rift,” wherein Carson & Roberts first meet.

Speaking of short stories, the new Jason Curtis story “Steppenwolf” is in final edit and should be available in September. Another short, “Shake Up,” has been rewritten (it was previously released to a limited audience), providing backstory for the main character of Kakuloa: The Downhill Slide, coming this Fall.

Also for my Carson & Roberts fans, I’m currently outlining the next few novels in that series. Yes, they’ll be returning to the Zeta Reticuli system…and going beyond.

Conventions and appearances: In addition to the Voice of Indie podcast mentioned above, I will be at MileHiCon in Denver Oct. 1-3, and at the 20Books Meet the Author day in Las Vegas, Nov. 12. I’ll post details on those soon.

So, what’s happening with you?

I’m not quite sure how it happened (other than “one day at a time”), but almost seven months has passed since I last updated this. My apologies! And, if you posted a comment that got lost in the 2,556 spam posts (I’m not kidding) awaiting moderation, I deleted it. Again, my apologies. And f*k 2020.

I’ll post more in a day or two when I have a chance to organize my thoughts, (I promise!), but meanwhile, a teaser:

The sharp-eyed will notice my name in that list of authors. This upcoming anthology, Gunfight on Europa Station, includes my new T-Space story, “Raven’s Rift.” Yes, it is the Raven’s Rift incident mentioned in Carson & Roberts’ backstory. Release date is November 2 of this year, from Baen Books. I wish it were sooner, but that’s out of my hands.

I will be releasing other books (and possibly short stories) before then. More on that in my next post. Also, MileHiCon will be back this year, first weekend of October (earlier than usual). Of course I’ll be there. Also in Vegas in November. Stay tuned.

Things have certainly been interesting over the last month, and continue to be so. I haven’t been personally impacted much — I was already working from home, and my kids have all moved out — although I am wondering how my planned con attendance will be reduced. I did make it to the Writing Superstars and LTUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything) conferences in February. They were both a lot of fun, and I got invites to write some non-T-Space stories for a new anthology and an ongoing series. (More about that when appropriate.) But Starfest 2020 is postponed, and other conventions will be too. I hope things settle out in time for MileHiCon in October, and for 20Books-Vegas in November.

But, much as I enjoy meeting old fans and making new ones at conventions, I already do much of my business and social interaction on-line. So, three things: a new book (“finally!” I can hear some of you saying), price drops, and a free offer from Amazon.

Free Kindle Unlimited offer: The following promo gives you two months of free Kindle Unlimited: AmazonPromoLink For those of you unfamiliar with KU, it’s a subscription service giving you access to thousands of books, including all of my T-Space novels, as fast as you can read them. (The regular price is $9.99/month, so this is a $19.98 value — or considerably more if you’re a fast reader.)

Temporary Price Drop: For my part, I am lowering prices on my books over the next week. [updated] Countdown deals on the first four “Carson and Roberts” novels start at 6am (Denver time, 5am Pacific, 8am Eastern) Saturday 28 March. Price drops to 0.99 each, through the end of the month (Tuesday night), then ramps back to full price over the following few days. The timing is an Amazon limit. (Alas, due to printing and shipping costs, I can only do this for ebooks.)

The Pavonis Insurgence: Yes, the long-awaited sequel to both The Eridani Convergence and The Centauri Surprise is finally available (for pre-order now, live on or before March 31). This book picks up Jordan Burnside’s story as of the end of Eridani, and that of Carson and Roberts as of the end of Centauri Surprise. This is a long one, almost 20-percent longer than The Centauri Surprise (and a few pages shy of Kakuloa: A Rising Tide). It concludes some of the plot threads started way back in the first Carson & Roberts book, The Chara Talisman.

Writing the last couple of books in this series has made me realize that I had let things get too tangled — that’s one reason the sequel to The Eridani Convergence became two books instead of one 150,000-word monster (I write science-fiction, dang it, not epic fantasy! [grin]). Going forward, Carson and Roberts (and we’ll see Marten the timoan again) will follow the trail of the pyramid-building Spacefarers and the mysterious Kesh in one series; Rico, Burnside, and others will be tackling the Velkaryans in another. This will both help preserve my own sanity, and let me release volumes more quickly to keep readers happy. And never mind what Dr. Egon Spengler said; I’ll cross the streams from time to time.

Now, wash your hands, stay home if you can, and go read a book. 😉

A few quick announcements of upcoming conventions and books. First, this coming weekend (Jan. 17-19) I will be at COSine 2020 in Colorado Springs, both on panels and in the dealers’ room.. My panels are “Hard sci-fi” (Saturday, 9am), “When are we going back to the Moon?” (Saturday, 1pm), and “Space and private industry” (Sunday, 2pm). I will also be part of the Author Reception and Mass Autographing on Saturday at 5:30pm. Come on by!

Upcoming conventions include the Life, The Universe, and Everything (LTUE) symposium, Feb. 13-15 in Provo, Utah. I’ve been wanting to get to this one for a while, and this year my friend and co-author Brad Torgersen (on “Strobe Effect” in Analog too many years ago) is Author Guest of Honor. I’ll just be attending this one, I’m not on any panels, but if you’re there and see me, feel free to stop me and say “hi”.

I’m also planning on StarFest in Denver, May 1-3, with both a table and (I hope) panels. Stay tuned.

As far as books go, The Pavonis Insurgence is still fighting to be finished. I’ve revised it a couple of times because I wasn’t happy with it. I started this novel two years ago now, although I did spin off some of that as The Centauri Surprise last fall. I want it done just as much as some of you do (grin). It marks a turning point in both the Carson & Roberts story, and the general T-Space story arc, so I want to get it right. It will definitely be out in time for StarFest, and probably for pre-order before LTUE.

I also have about 50,000 words of other T-Space books done, although that’s split across the next Kakuloa novel and a new trilogy (probably) based on the discovery and exploration of Verdigris at Delta Pavonis. These both introduce some new characters. There are a few other things in the works too, more about those later.

Oh, and happy New Year!