T.W. Iain's Blog, page 2

Grim Khonsu – Chapter 2

Sci-fi /detective noir series Grim Khonsu continues with Chapter 2, available to read for free on Substack at https://twiain.substack.com/p/chapter-2. And if you missed the opening of the series, you can read that at https://twiain.substack.com/p/chapter-1.

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Explore the dark side of Khonsu: a sci-fi detective story

A city-sized generation ship tearing through the void of space, seeking planets for humanity to colonise. But onboard, life goes on, as it has for a couple of millennia. And life on the vast craft known as Khonsu is far from perfect. While the authorities do their best, the dark underbelly of Khonsu’s society churns away.

Such a place needs a dark hero. Investigative consultant Grim (don’t call him a detective‌—‌he doesn’t like it) isn’t a hero, but he’s the closest Khonsu’s got.

Grim K...

Get the complete Shadows trilogy for a special low price

For a few more days, Shadows: The Complete Trilogy is only 99c (or your local equivalent). Three books of exciting sci-fi with a sharp dash of horror to see you through the end of the summer.

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Routine is good. Until it isn’t.

I’ve been in a rut recently. Yes, I’ve been struggling with this space-opera project, but that’s only part of it. I’ve lacked motivation. I’ve been far too easily distracted. While I’ve made progress with both the main Unity book and the first Chronicles of Seraph story, that progress has felt far too slow.

I used to be more productive. Back when I grew serious about writing, I was able to release about three books a year. But since releasing the final ShadowTech book last year, I haven’t put...

More free sci-fi and fantasy books

Got more books than you have time to read? Got a TRB list that never seems to reduce? Then what you need is more books.

This promotion has almost 150 titles, covering all kinds of science fiction and fantasy. You’ll find full novels, novellas, short stories and even bumper collections. It runs until the end of the month, so don’t hang around!

Why climb? Why write?

Over the last few years, as I’ve worked on improving both my climbing and my writing, I’ve seen many similarities between these activities. I’ve detailed my thoughts on this over the last few posts, but here’s a quick recap.

Progress isn’t linear. There are jumps alternating with plateaus of consolidation, dotted with the occasional dip. But over time, progress happens.Sometimes things don’t work out, for reasons we can’t (yet) understand. Accept this and carry on.Deliberate, focused...

Knowing and doing are not the same

This is the fifth of a short series on lessons learnt from climbing and how they relate to writing. Click on these links for the introduction, a look at progress, my thoughts on practice, and how individuality plays a role.

I sometimes wonder if my body and mind are operating in totally different spheres. Too often, I understand how to do something, and know in my mind exactly what I need to do, but my body simply doesn’t get the message.

This always leads to frustration when trying to...

Explore almost 200 free sci-fi & fantasy books for the holidays

If you’re looking to stock up on reading for the holiday season, you can’t go wrong with this book promotion‌—‌almost two hundred sci-fi and fantasy books, all free. You’ll find short stories, full novels, and even a few box-sets. But don’t hang around, because this promotion only runs until the end of the month.

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Every climber is different, every writer is different

This is the third of a short series on lessons learnt from climbing and how they relate to writing. Click on these links for the introduction, a look at progress, and my thoughts on practice.

Routes in climbing walls aren’t random. Setters position each hold precisely, leading to a sequence of moves that provide a satisfying climb.

A part of the challenge of climbing is ‘reading the route’. If you’ve watched climbing competitions you’ll have seen the climbers studying the wall, reachin...

‘Tales of Dominions’ funded!

We did it! The Tales of Dominions Kickstarter reached its funding goal.

But if you missed out, I have you covered. I’ve set up late pledges, and I’ll leave them open for another day or so. Click here to see what it’s all about. But don’t hang around‌—‌when we hit the weekend, there will be no more late pledges, and no opportunity to get the special edition paperback or hard-cover of Tales of Dominions.

Click here to learn more.