E.M. Hamill's Blog, page 2

Indie Advent Week 2 : The Last Gifts of the Universe by Rory August

A dying universe.

When the Home worlds finally achieved the technology to venture out into the stars, they found a graveyard of dead civilizations, a sea of lifeless gray planets and their ruins. What befell them is unknown. All Home knows is that they are the last civilization left in the universe, and whatever came for the others will come for them next.

A search for answers.

Scout is an Archivist tasked with scouring the dead worlds of the cosmos for their last gifts: interesting technology, cultural rituals—anything left behind that might be useful to the Home worlds and their survival. During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago.

A past unraveled.

Blyreena was once a friend, a soul mate, and a respected leader of her people, the Stelhari. At the end of her world, she was the last one left. She survived to give one last message, one final hope to the future: instructions on how to save the universe.

An adventure at the end of a trillion lifetimes.

With the fate of everything at stake, Scout must overcome the dangers of the Stelhari’s ruined civilization while following Blyreena’s leads to collect its artifacts. If Scout can’t deliver these groundbreaking discoveries back to the Archivists, Home might not only be the last civilization to exist, but the last to finally fall.

This book was unexpectedly emotional for me, while at the same time being an incredible adventure about two siblings, Kieran and Scout, who are Archivists: basically, information archaeologists who fly through the galaxy collecting ancient knowledge their home world can benefit from.

The sibs, and their space cat, Pumpkin (he has his own little spacesuit!) are on a mission and well stocked with pizza as they land on a world for a seemingly routine exploration and retrieval, when they stumble across a universe-ending threat and a bread-crumb trail of clues left by a long-dead leader.

A rival company is trying to outrace Scout and Kieran to the next cache of information and hold it for ransom, but the data inside might very well be the only thing to save the universe.

It’s a book about memory, loss, and how far one is willing to go to save the ones they love. Absolutely a must read.

Indie Advent Week 2: The Necessity of Rain by Sarah Chorn

Since the dawn of time, life has been comfortable and predictable. The gods have wrested pockets of Creation from Chaos, formed civilizations, and built entire realities. Now, the nature of Creation is changing and the Divine are losing their divinity.

Rosemary, daughter of the God of Creation, can no longer deny this when a strange delegation from Dawnland braves the paths through Chaos and survives. Come to negotiate trade and protection agreements with the Divineof Meadowsweet, it is the butterfly woman who so captivates Rosemary. The weight of her sorrow, the heaviness of her secrets.

For the soul is a battleground. Clouds are massing along the horizon, and Rosemary…

She must survive the storm.

This book left me speechless.

This story is beyond anything I have read before. It seeped into me, like a beautiful ache, and I hated to see it end. This gorgeous creation is captivating, sad, and brilliant.

Sarah Chorn is a jeweler, choosing words that glitter and cut and shine for maximum impact and her work shatters me every time. If you don’t know this author, you should.

Indie Advent Week 1: Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in Ryka Aoki’s Light From Uncommon Stars, a defiantly joyful adventure set in California’s San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts.

Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six. When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka’s ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She’s found her final candidate. But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn’t have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan’s kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul’s worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline.As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.

Oh, this book, this book … it is one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read. It’s been nominated and won a ton of Indie awards and was nominated for a Hugo, and if you haven’t heard about this one you need to go find it now.

Every woman in this story (there is a secondary character who makes violins and she was one of my favorite people in the book) is completely realized. Shizuka is a fascinating character, and her mentorship of Katrina is at first coldly opportunistic until she begins to know and care for her. Likewise, her sweet romantic entanglement with the owner of a donut shop–who is quite definitely an alien in the most interplanetary sense of the word–becomes something which causes the cynical Shizuka to reevaluate everything she’s ever done, every drop of blood on her hands, and what the meaning of redemption can be.

Any musician will revel in this book, as music is the primal, driving force for everything Shizuka and Katrina do. It is a magical, satisfying book that keeps you wondering until the very end.

INDIE ADVENT Week 1: The Fall is All There Is by C.M. Kaplan!

Hello! I’ve started too late to do an entire month of my favorite indies, but I’ve read too many AMAZING books this year not to have fun with this again! Book 1 was probably my favorite read this year:

All Petre Mercy wanted was a good old-fashioned dramatic exit from his life as a prince. But it’s been five years since he fled home on a cyborg horse. Now the King—his Dad—is dead—and Petre has to decide which heir to pledge his thyroid-powered sword to.

As the youngest in a set of quadruplets, he’s all too aware that the line of succession is murky. His siblings are on the precipice of power grabs, and each of them want him to pick their side.

If Petre has any hope of preventing civil war, he’ll have to avoid one sibling who wants to take him hostage, win back another’s trust after years of rivalry and resentment, and get an audience with a sister he’s been avoiding for five years.

Before he knows it, he’s plunged himself into a web of intrigue and a world of strange, unnatural inventions just to get to her doorstep.

Family reunions can be a special form of torture.

This book was fantastic! It has steampunk/science fantasy kind of feel, and the main character is so compelling I was immediately invested in his narrative. An autistic MC from an autistic writer, add one hell of a story, and you get The Fall is All There Is , the first book in The Four of Mercies series.

Petre Mercy, self-exiled prince, has been living quite satisfactorily away from all the intrigue and noise of court. His father the King deemed him the least “useful” of his quadruplet heirs, but he likes his life as a soldier for hire and has people he cares for. Suddenly, his father is dead, two of his siblings are battling for the throne, and everyone wants Petre on their side when he just wants to be left alone. But the stakes are rising too high for Petre to ignore.

The world building is awesome. Set after two apocalypses, it’s a blend of fiefdoms, noble houses, morally questionable organic technology, and supernatural ghost fog which can infect hapless travelers with the obsessions of the dead if they are not wearing a gas mask. For those playing representation bingo with me, it’s got plenty of lovely queer characters including Petre himself.

I can’t say enough good things about the book. Give it a chance and you won’t be disappointed. It’s a finalist in the 2023 SPFBO, and a strong contender in my opinion.

The Gauntlet Runner by J. Scott Coatsworth

Congratulations to my friend Scott on the release of his sequel to The Dragon Eater!

A GUARD AND A THIEF. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

Aik has fallen hopelessly in love with his best friend. But Raven’s a thief, which makes things… complicated. Oh, and Raven has just been kidnapped by a dragon.

Now Aik is off on a quest of his own, to hunt down the foul beast and make them give back his … friend? Lover? Soulmate? The whole not-knowing thing just makes everything harder.

Meanwhile, the world of Tharassas is falling apart, besieged by earthquakes, floods, and strange creatures no one has ever seen before. Aik’s ex, Silya has gone back to Gullton to do try to save her people as the Hencha Queen, and Aik’s stuck in a caravan with her mother and a damnable magical gauntlet that won’t let him be. He has to find Raven, before it’s too late.

Things were messy before, but now they’re much, much worse.

Series Blurb:

The Tharassas Cycle is a four book sci-fantasy series set on the recently colonized world of Tharassas. When humans first arrived on planet, they thought they were alone until the hencha mind made itself known. But now a new threat has arisen to challenge both humankind and their new allies on this alien world.

Both the prequel and book one are on sale for just 99¢:

Tales From Tharassas: https://www.otherworldsink.com/book/tales-from-tharassas/

The Dragon Eater: https://www.otherworldsink.com/book/the-dragon-eater/

Non-Exclusive Excerpt:

Chapter One

Like Fire and Ice

 

He has to be here. Aik searched frantically through Raven’s pack as the early morning sunlight slipped across the stone windowsill and across the floor, a long, green-tinged ray of light.

He was anxious to be on his way after Raven. His heart was pounding, his thoughts skipping like a spinning stone off hard waters. No one else was awake yet, as far as he could tell, and he wanted to be in and out of the room before anyone was the wiser. Aik glanced at the unmade bed and blushed at what they’d done there the night before. He could still feel Raven’s touch, their bodies entwined….

The sooner he set off, the sooner Aik could rescue him from those awful creatures. The verent must have coerced him; Raven had all but said so. If he could just find Spin, the little familiar could guide him.

He doesn’t love you.

“Shut up.” Knowing that Raven had chosen the verent over him still burned. And that he didn’t say ‘I love you.’ But surely, he wasn’t allowed to be angry about that in the face of what had happened.

His mind was spinning, looking for answers, scared for his love, returning to old, stupid wounds and weaknesses.

Why?

The question reverberated again and again, but not even Aik knew what he was asking. His panic stripped away reason and maturity, and left him dizzy and afraid.

He got to the bottom of the pack, finding nothing but clothing and some toiletries. Farking hell. Where are you?

He started opening some of the side pouches, checking through each one before tying it closed again. Maybe Raven had taken Spin with him?

“Searching for this?”

He spun around to find Tri’Aya leaning against the doorway, looking as fresh as if she’d just slept ten hours, though she couldn’t have gotten more than four at best. How does she do that?

She held Spin’s silver sphere between two fingers.

 

Universal Buy Link:

The Gauntlet Runner

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196861173-the-gauntlet-runner

Giveaway:

Scott is giving away a $20 bookshop.org gift card with this tour:

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47297/?

Author Bio:

Scott lives with his husband Mark in a yellow bungalow in Sacramento. He was indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine. He devoured her library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were.

He decided that if there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.

A Rainbow Award winning author, he runs Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, and Other Worlds Ink with Mark, sites that celebrate fiction reflecting queer reality, and is the committee chair for the Indie Authors Committee at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

Author Website: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com

Author Facebook (Personal):https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth/

Author Facebook (Author Page):https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworthauthor

Author Mastodon:https://mastodon.otherworldsink.com/@jscottcoatsworth

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jscottcoatsworth/

Author Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392709.J_Scott_Coatsworth

Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com):https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/

Author QueeRomance Ink:https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/

Author Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Scott-Coatsworth/e/B011AFO4OQ

WROTE Podcast interviews me!

I had the best time hanging out with Vance and Baz. Everything you wanted to know about my Dalí Tamareia Missions series, upcoming projects, and stuff you probably didn’t want to know about butts.

The Dragon Eater by J. Scott Coatsworth – and a FREE second book with purchase!

I’m helping my friend Scott celebrate the release of his new science fantasy book (think McCaffrey’s Pern books, and if you haven’t read Scott’s incredible Liminal Sky series, check my review HERE). Scott’s not only got a new book out, but if you purchase The Dragon Eater during the next week or two, you’ll get Tales From Tharassas FREE with proof of sale. You can’t beat that kind of bargain!

Raven’s a thief who just swallowed a dragon. A small one, sure, but now his arms are growing scales, the local wildlife is acting up, and his snarky AI familiar is no help whatsoever.

Raven’s best friend Aik is a guardsman carrying a torch for the thief. A pickpocket and a guard? Never going to happen. And Aik’s ex-fiancé Silya, an initiate priestess in the midst of a magical crisis, hates Raven with the heat of a thousand suns.

This unlikely team must work together to face strange beasts, alien artifacts, and a world-altering threat. If they don’t figure out what to do soon, it might just be the end of everything.

Things are about to get messy.

The Tharassas Cycle is a four book sci-fantasy series set on the recently colonized world of Tharassas. When humans first arrived on planet, they thought they were alone until the hencha mind made itself known. But now a new threat has arisen to challenge both humankind and their new allies on this alien world.

Giveaway With Purchase:

I’m giving away the prequel, Tales From Tharassas, with all preorders and immediately after release day- it contains The Last Run, The Emp Test, and a brand new short story the Fallen Angel. Just order the book and email me a proof of purchase at scott@jscottcoatsworth.com, and I’ll send you the book on release day (March 16th).

Excerpt:

Spin’s voice echoed in his ear. “This is a bad idea, boss.”

“Shush,” Raven whispered to his familiar.

He needed to concentrate. Cheek and jowl against the smooth cobblestones, he held his breath and prayed to the gods that no one had seen him duck under the sea master’s ornate carriage. The setting sun cast long shadows from a pair of boots so close to his face that the dust and leather made him want to sneeze. Their owner was deep in conversation with the sea master, the hem of her fine mur silk trousers barely visible. The two women’s voices were hushed, and he could only make out the occasional word.

Raven rubbed the old burn scar on his cheek absently, wishing they would go away.

“Seriously, boss. I’m not from this world, and even I know it’s a bad idea to steal from the sea master.”

Though only he could hear Spin’s voice, Raven wished the little silver ay-eye would just shut up.

The hencha cloth-wrapped package in the carriage above was calling to him. He’d wanted it since he’d first seen it through the open door. No, needed it. Like he needed air, even though he had no idea what was inside. He scratched the back of his hand hard to distract himself from its disturbing pull.

An inthym popped its head out of the sewer grate in front of him, sniffing the air. Raven glared at the little white rodent, willing it to go away. Instead, the cursed thing nibbled at his nose.

Raven sneezed, then covered his mouth. He held his breath, staring at the boots. Don’t let them hear me.

A shiny silver feeler poked out of his shirt pocket, emitting a golden glow that illuminated the cobblestones underneath him. “Boss, you all right?” Spin’s whisper had that sarcastic edge he often used when he was annoyed. “Your heart rate is elevated.”

“Be. Quiet.” Raven gritted his teeth. Spin had the worst sense of timing.

The woman — one of the guard, maybe? — and the sea master stepped away, their voices fading into the distance.

Raven said a quick prayer of thanks to Jor’Oss, the goddess of wild luck, and flicked the inthym back into the sewer. “Shoo!”

He popped his head out from under the carriage to take a quick look around. There was no one between him and the squat gray Sea Guild headquarters. It was time. Grab it and go.

He reached into the luxurious carriage — a host of mur beetles must have spent years spinning all the red silk that lined the interior — and snagged the package. He hoped it was the treasury payment for the week. If so, it should hold enough coin to feed an orphanage for a month, and he knew just the one. “Got it.”

“Good. Now get us out of here.”

A strange tingling surged through his hand. Raven frowned.

Must have pinched a nerve or something.

Ignoring it, he stuck the package under his arm, slipped around the carriage, and set off down Gullton’s main thoroughfare. He walked as casually as he could, hoping no one would notice the missing package until he was long gone.

“We clear?”

Spin’s feeler blinked red. “No. Run! They’ve seen you.”

Raven ran.

Universal Buy Link:

The Dragon Eater

FREE CODES: THIRD FRONT is now available on Audible!

I am so very pleased to announce the third book in the Dalí Tamareia Missions is now up on Amazon and Audible! You can find it HERE.

AND, if you’re quick, there are FREE UK and US codes available for Audible here for free if you would kindly leave a review? https://theaudiobookreview.com/bookpromo?book=461

PEACEMAKER is out on Audiobook!

Available HERE
For a little teaser, there’s a pinned post on my TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRqxTcUk/

Indie Advent Day 24: Legends and Lattes By Travis Baldree

GET COZY WITH VIV HERE

Yes, yes, I know. Travis Baldree hit the Cozy Fantasy gold mine and gleaned a major publishing contract for Legends and Lattes this summer. However, when I read this book on a train to Arizona in early June, it was still an independently published book, so I’m counting it. Besides, if this isn’t proof how high a quality indie authors produce and HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE MISSING OUT IF THEY DON’T READ INDIE, there really is no other way to convince anyone indie authors ARE REAL AUTHORS and capable of magic. So it’s a fitting end to my Advent series.

Viv is an Orc. She has decided to retire from life as a mercenary sword-for-hire and open a shop with the profits from her career: something her new neighbors are slightly alarmed about, but accepting. Viv plans to bring something new and exotic to the sleepy little town…a coffee shop. To ensure her future, Viv plants under the floor a magical stone acquired in her adventuring days, one that’s said to bring unqualified success to the one who possesses it.

It seems to be working, because Viv’s new business associates are perfect. Cal is a genius when it comes to renovating the ramshackle stable Viv wants to convert. Tandri, a succubus, shows up to answer the help-wanted ad for a barista, and Thimble, the shy rattkin baker, creates mouth-watering pastries the entire village lines up to buy.

Viv has her hands full running the coffee shop of her dreams, trying to ignore the huge crush she has on her beautiful barista, and building her new life. But Viv’s success draws the eye of greedy extortionists looking for payouts, and she’s forced to rely on her old skills more than she likes. Someone seems to know where her uncanny luck is coming from, and they’ll do whatever it takes to acquire the Scalvert’s Stone for themselves.

This beautiful book is so freaking sweet and wholesome, the epitome of feel-good fantasy without being saccharine. I completely loved it and hope Baldree’s book inspires a cozy-fantasy movement, because I would read the hell out of those books. As it is, I’m waiting for the next book about Viv as patiently as I can.