Kate Sheeran Swed's Blog, page 7
April 5, 2021
Books That Blend Sci Fi & Fantasy
But first, I feel like we need to define ‘sci fi’ and ‘fantasy.’
I know, I know. Can open, worms *all* over the floor.
Arthur C. Clarke said that “…science fiction is something that could happen – but usually you wouldn’t want it to. Fantasy is something that couldn’t happen – though often you only wish that it could.”
That’s not a bad definition to start with. This is probably why, if you ask me, Star Wars falls closer to the realm of fantasy than sci fi. (I do not pretend to be the fi...
March 25, 2021
Bypass the Stars – Sneak Peek!
Bypass the Stars is coming April 16th, 2021! Click here to pre-order your copy today!
Bypass the Stars – Chapter OneOf the thirteen methods Frankie Hartiger had perfected for breaking into Sublevel D of Pathbound Enterprises Tower, scrambling the facial recognition panel on the Warren-700 security bot was usually the simplest.
Tonight, Frankie had been hunched in front of the malfunctioning heap of junk for so long that her legs were going numb. The new interworld transport operato...
February 2, 2021
Mastermind Release Day!
MASTERMIND is out today! In celebration, all three League of Independent Operatives books are on sale! You can find them all at your favorite online bookseller.
As always, you can also find all my books in print — and support your local store at the same time — through Bookshop.org.
PLUS: I’m offering an exclusive PDF full of bonus materials for anyone who grabs a LIO book this week. (If you pre-ordered Ma...
January 22, 2021
Kobo Deal Alert!
If you’re a Kobo reader, there’s an AWESOME buy one, get one FREE sale happening this weekend on digital box sets — and my Toccata System novella trilogy is part of it! Scroll down for more information about the series.
—
Enemy assassins unite to stop the AI-led attacks on their star system.
From Book One, Parting Shadows:
Raised by a heartsick AI, she’s programmed to kill. And desperate to f...
December 20, 2020
Best Sci Fi & Fantasy Reads of 2020
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ll know I’m terrible at picking favorites. Movies, TV shows, books. I just can’t choose. How can I number my list of top sci fi and fantasy reads for the year in a way that makes sense? How can I reasonably rank wham-bam action against beautiful, lyrical writing and still share the books I loved with people sure to geek out with me about them?
So this year, I’m categorizing my favorite reads a little differently. I’ve been thinking of i...
December 2, 2020
Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Secret Hideout
Last time, I wrote about how I created a car chase through Santa Monica without ever having, um, been there in person. (If you missed it, you can catch up here.)
If you’ve read Alter Ego, you know that Niagara Falls plays a central role in the book. Every superhero organization needs a secret hideout, after all, and the League of Independent Operatives makes theirs behind the falls.
Unlike Santa Monica, I have been to Niagara Falls. My sister and I road-tripped it almost ten years ago, i...
October 29, 2020
Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Car Chase
What does a writer do when she can’t visit the place she’s writing about?
A lot, as it happens. Alter Ego takes place on Earth, and while I’m familiar with many of the real-world settings, I haven’t visited them all. I wrote the majority of it long before the ability to travel diminished for so many of us, but my personal ability to travel was hampered by a student budget, shortly followed by a young-family budget.
Not one to be discouraged, I decided to forge ahead with my plan to write...
September 15, 2020
Short Story: Monument
You never expected to leave Earth this way. In fact, you protested the addition of the spaceport in the neighborhood, what was it—five years ago? Ten? Your memory is blurry. You know that you rallied alongside your neighbors, digi-signs burning over your heads, chants ringing in your ears. Earth is Enough and Our World Needs Us and Keep Your Sky, We Won’t Fly.
For weeks, you protested. As they carved the foundation. As the glass walls rose. Only when the ships began to arrive did you hang up ...
July 20, 2020
New (FREE) Release: Don’t Look Back (And Other Stories)
As of today, you can grab my new release, Don’t Look Back (And Other Stories) from your favorite online retailer. And you can get it for FREE!
Click here for links to Nook, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Amazon, and more 
May 5, 2020
Anti-Hero Release Day!
Im excited to announce that Anti-Hero (League of Independent Operatives Book 2) is now available from your favorite online retailer! Grab it here!
Print distribution is a *bit* delayed from some stores, but should be available everywhere (including via your favorite independent bookstore) very soon.
Book description appears below the cover image, but careful! It contains spoilers for the first book. If you havent read Alter Ego, you can check it out here!
Careful! Book 1 Spoilers Ahead!!...
