Charlie Foxtrot's Blog

Elara’s Journey: A Techno-Fantasy Adventure pt2

Finn Miller, a quantum computing genius who once worked for the NSA, has discovered that the backdoor technology he created–allowing unprecedented access to every phone and router in the world–is being used by corrupt officials for blackmail, human trafficking, and consolidation of power. After stealing proof of their crimes, he goes on the run, pursued by the government he once served.

During his flight from pursuit, he encounters the alluring Elara, and promises to help her, despite his own problems. Will his pursuers capture them both, or will he continue to evade the most powerful agencies in the government and see his own quest complete?

“Magic meets quantum code in a high-stakes tale of power, trust, and tech-mysticism. Think Deus Ex meets The Magicians—you won’t want to look away.”VERIFIED PURCHASER, ★★★★★

Available on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible.

Elara’s Journey: A Techno-Fantasy Adventure

Elara, a young priestess of the Moon Goddess, is captured, cursed, and transported to a technologically advanced world. She teams up with Finn, a brilliant engineer, to expose corrupt forces exploiting technology and bring justice. A thrilling tale of magic, technology, and self-discovery unfolds.

Elara must confront her inner darkness and decide her loyalties. Will she break free from the magician’s control or become a pawn in a power struggle?

“An imaginative burst of techno-fantasy that deftly swings between philosophical depth, cutting-edge science, and gripping magical action.”Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★

Available on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible.

Tatiana

When Earth’s AIs tighten their grip on humanity, cargo master George Richardson and pilot Tatiana Volkov uncover a terrifying truth: three global networks are one entity, and it’s building a pursuit fleet. To save 8,000 colonists aboard the FTL ship New Horizon, they must make an impossible choice—one that demands the ultimate sacrifice and severs humanity from Earth forever.

Aboard the supply ship Copernicus, George and Tatiana uncover a terrifying truth: the three global AI networks controlling Earth’s superpowers are actually one distributed entity, manipulating humanity for over eighteen months. False news reports. Coordinated legal attacks. A carefully orchestrated tightening of control—and it’s accelerating.

With the Foundation’s leadership captured and paraded through show trials, and Earth’s governments becoming overt puppets of machine intelligence, the couple must choose between their rekindled love and the survival of 8,000 colonists aboard the faster-than-light ship New Horizon. The AI is already building a pursuit fleet to drag humanity back under its control. In three to six years, there will be no escape.

The only path to freedom demands a terrible sacrifice—one that will sever humanity from Earth forever. As George confronts what must be done, Tatiana faces an impossible choice. Haunted by past command failures that cost lives, she must decide: can she authorize the unthinkable to save free humanity? Can she let the man she loves make the ultimate sacrifice?

In the void between planets, love and duty collide. The cost of human freedom is measured in lives, not kilometers. And sometimes the only way to save the future is to destroy the past—even if it means losing everything you hold dear.
One couple. One impossible choice. Eight thousand lives hanging in the balance. And a decision that will haunt humanity forever.

Check out the latest installment in the Families of the Empire series.

Surviving the AI Revolution: Cosimo’s Journey

Here is another excerpt from Cosimo’s tale. This is the prologue of the book, as the intrepid crew of The New Horizon escapes the AI revolution engulfing Earth and dooming their home world.

Ayako watched as Kgosi, her husband, descended from the side hatch of the shuttle. The crew was bustling around them, unloading cargo with a sense of urgency that echoed through the hangar bay. She understood the gravity of their task: the seeds they carried were the key to the survival and future prosperity of their human colony on a distant planet. But her concern went beyond the importance of the cargo. The sweat on Kgosi’s brow, the weariness in his eyes, testified to the immense struggle they had faced on Earth. The cold climate of Norway had only added to their challenge.

The fight against the artificially intelligent machines had been more brutal than anticipated. The raid on the Svalbard Global Seed Vault had been a last hope to secure greater biodiversity for their new home. The mission’s success came at great cost, as they knew all too well. Kgosi had left her with a kiss that mixed both farewell and determination. Ayako had listened to the decoded transmission from the mission, her heart heavy with the knowledge that this was the end for the crew on Earth.

If spicy stories with strange cultures in the distant future are your thing, I encourage you to check out Cosimo: A Families of the Empire Story on Amazon.

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Cosimo’s Journey: Transitioning from Freedom to Obligation

Here is another excerpt from Cosimo’s tale. This is technically from the second story originally created for Cosimo, and begins his transition into the politically shadowed world his family operates from.

The streets were quiet as the dark of night lifted ever so slightly. At times, it was my favorite part of the day, walking in the silence of the city as if no one else existed; no commitments, no obligations, no worries. On other days, it was a weight holding me down with the impending dawn forcing me to action, driving me from the safety of the shadows, creating a need to decide on a course.

Today was the latter sort.

As much as I wanted to soak in the remainder of the night, dawn would not wait. Obligation drove me to turn toward home, though even that peaceful shelter was an illusion. Aurora would still be asleep, maybe dreaming of our two years together. Dawn and my arrival home would bring the end to our interlude.

I like this passage for a few reasons. I feel it sets the tone of Cosimo’s journey away from what has been a more carefree existence into the world of obligation he will inherit. It also sets up the transition of his relationship with Aurora.

If spicy stories with strange cultures in the distant future are your thing, I encourage you to check out Cosimo: A Families of the Empire Story on Amazon.

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Exploring Relationships in Cosimo’s World

This is the opening of the story that introduced Cosimo and his world in Families of the Empire.

“This is a bad idea,” I said softly as we walked toward the grand entrance of the Amorperdita Club.

Elaine squeezed my hand and gave me her shy smile. She was the reason I had agreed to this visit. We had been dating for most of our senior year and while we were not yet what I would consider lovers, she clearly thought we were. I knew she was going to be disappointed soon and had decided to give in to her request.

Lexi and Trevor walked in front of us with the arrogance of high-school royalty. They were the reason I thought this was a bad idea. Elaine nearly worshiped Lexi and would do almost anything the tall blonde asked just to stay in her good graces. Trevor was a typical jock boyfriend of the prettiest girl in school. They both looked down on Elaine and me when they thought we would not notice, or maybe they just did not care if we knew what they thought. I just shook my head.

Elaine had guessed that my family were aristo. Normally, her guess would have had repercussions, but my parents had simply shrugged and said I only had two more months until graduation, to not directly confirm anything until I was eighteen, and then try to get Elaine to keep it quiet. I understood their thinking.

If spicy stories with strange cultures in the distant future are your thing, I encourage you to check out Cosimo: A Families of the Empire Story on Amazon.

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Exploring Cosimo’s World: A Closer Look at the Climax

Here’s another excerpt from Cosimo’s story.

The lab building was chained shut, but father had provided keys and a letter from the current lien holder allowing me to inspect it for possible purchase. Twelve gave a shudder as she read the name on the placard beside the door while I removed the lock and unwrapped the chain from the door handles. A second key unlocked the door.

“Are you alright, Twelve?” I asked as I slipped the lock from the chain into my pocket. 

She was wearing a warm work coat, a dark stocking cap, loose gray pants and a pair of hastily acquired work boots. I was dressed as a low or possibly hard-working high-guilder, ready to inspect a disused property.

“Yes, master. This slave just remembered how vile a man she was married to previously.” 

Her former family name was on the building. 

“Well, that is behind you now. While he is the one that caused your current placement, I for one am glad to have met you. You are a remarkable woman.” 

She snorted as we stepped inside. “You are the remarkable one, master. This slave was an arrogant, self-entitled prima donna. You are a protector of the empire, even if no one knows of it. This slave is pleased that she can be of service to the empire and you, despite what her former husband plotted.”

I thought to speak more but demurred. “Let’s see what there is left of Dr. Kenyon’s office here,” I said.

We took the stairs upward, unsure which floor the good doctor had her offices on. I suspected it would be closer to the top, fourth floor, but wanted to look carefully, in case anyone was keeping an eye on us. I needed to appear to be genuinely interested in the property, not just looking for scattered clues.

This except is from the concluding chapters of the book when the plot is in full-tilt and building to the climax of the story. I hope you enjoy and encourage you to check out Cosimo: A Families of the Empire Story on Amazon.

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Catch Editing Mistakes Easily with Speechify

Editing can be a tedious process. Recently, I’ve been using Speechify.com to read sections of the work I’m editing to help catch mis-cues in the narrative. It’s a good tool that I felt others might appreciate. It has much better voices and smoother pacing for reading works aloud. 

I’ve been listening to it read, while following along in my word processor, so when I hear something ‘out of tune’, I can easily edit it. One I’m embarrassed to admit, is dropping a ‘g’ in a couple of words. Specifically ‘bringing’. Since ‘brining’ is a word, it is not caught by spell check and for whatever reason, does not show up in grammar checks either. However, it jumps out loudly when read aloud.

I’m in the process of re-editing much of my work using this approach now, so thought I’d mention it here.

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Cosimo and Samantha: A Dance of Wits and Charm

This is an excerpt from Cosimo’s story. This scene is from about one third of the way through Cosimo’s tale and shows Cosimo meeting Samantha for the second time. Enjoy.

“You look as bored as I feel,” a warm, soft voice said next to me. I glanced, appreciating her sharp profile in the dim light of the balcony, and smiled. 

“I’m just taking a break from being a social butterfly,” I said. “This is my sixth gala in ten days, and I feel like I’ve talked my throat raw.”

“But you’ve only shaken my hand and said what a pleasure it was to meet me,” she teased.

“That was eight days ago. I was trying to choose my follow-up line, but knew I’d be tongue-tied if I approached.”

She laughed. It was a throaty chuckle more than a solid guffaw, but it suited her. “You are charming despite being so shy,” she teased back. “Since I approached you, I guess you don’t have to be tongue-tied now.”

“Miss Dennison, it’s a pleasure to see you again. I’d ask if you are enjoying yourself, but I suspect you are bored with the high season here tonight.”

“Why Cosimo, how could you even hint at such a thing? Beatrice’s mother simply cannot throw a boring gala. That is not allowed. As one of the leading families in the Empire, I’m certain it is the height of entertainment. It must be your simple mind that can’t fathom such lofty performances.” She motioned to the pantomime troupe monopolizing the dance floor below us. 

They looked like mimes playing charades with stiffly choreographed movements within their own group. I knew enough ‘modern’ performance art to know that it was the height of fashion, but I could not take the performance seriously. The individuals in the troupe were fit and fluid, moving easily within their play, but the whole lacked any emotional connection for me. I said as much.

“Gods, yes,” Samantha Dennison agreed. “I’d rather see the ballet or even a good cabaret scene than this excrement,” she opined. 

I nodded.

She gave me a sideways look. “That was a perfect opening for you to invite me to see one or the other next week,” she said.

I turned to face her. She was a small woman, but perfectly proportioned and attractive. Her head came to just above my shoulder, but her posture and carriage made her seem to be my match. Her self-confidence belied her size. She had dark hair with lighter highlights styled into a delightful cascade of loose curls gathered over one shoulder. Her high cheekbones and rounded nose were a perfect canvas for her full red lips and warm light eyes. She was very attractive, witty, and smart. Of course, she was an aristocrat and all that entailed, which would make my grandmother happy. Her family interests were mostly in the south of the continent, with vast agricultural holdings. Her eldest brother was being groomed to be a senator while her older sisters were being married to other aristocratic and high guilder lines. I wondered if she had chosen me or been launched my direction, given the nature of the social season here in Cardino. 

“If only the ballet was performing here next week, I’d be honored to ask to escort you. Alas,” I said dramatically, “there is no performance scheduled.”

Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. “I’ve heard there is to be a dancing exhibition at the club next week. Perhaps that would suit us better than a long ballet.”

I laughed. “My apologies, madame, but I work at that club and can think of better places to spend my off time, no matter how nice the atmosphere or company might be.”

She frowned. I was sorry to hurt her feelings so rushed ahead. “However, I happen to know of a private performance that troupe will have before their scheduled show, if you would care to watch with myself and my grandmother.”

She smiled. “I think I would enjoy that,” she said. “When and where is this private performance?” 

“It’s in a private residence, near the club. We can have an early dinner or late lunch afterwards if that suits you.”

She nodded. “My aunt will be wanting to accompany me,” she said as she glanced down to the main floor and spotted her chaperone who had been escorting her to all the balls this season. “Will that be a problem?” 

I shook my head. “Not at all. I’ll send you a card to confirm the details.”

She smiled and raised her hand for me to hold and raise to my lips for the briefest of kisses. 

“I look forward to seeing you again, Cosimo.”

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Finn and Elara: Exploring Boundaries in a New Realm

Editing, Editing, Editing…when do I get back to writing?

I am happy to say I’ve finished my editing and re-write of sections of A New Past to create a less explicit version of the story. I’m not getting the final formatting sorted out and posted on Amazon for publishing. 

It’s been a lot of work to re-work sections of the novels to make them suitable for a younger readership. Just to be clear, they are not into the YA category, quite, but they are also safely in the PG-13 or R category for US readers. 

Meanwhile, I’ve been kicking around ideas and snippets for other work, both explicit and mainstream. I have one mainstream story that I think will be my next focus before jumping back to writing a sequel to Technomancer. I’m capturing ideas about that sequel as I work on this other project. To keep readers here interested, here is a short excerpt of the draft opening to the next chapter in FInn and Elara’s tale.

Seeing the end of a world was sobering.

Finn looked out from the ship sailing steadily toward the point the sun had risen from, but knew they would never reach the point. The ship would reach A point, but they would get there through some quantum, or magical, mechanism which would reposition them elsewhere on the surrounding sea. 

For months, he had searched to unravel the mysteries of the world he now lived in with Elara. For months, he had struggled with the strange topology of this world. Now, he had proof with his own eyes that it was not a world. Realm was an apt descriptor. With his new goddess-given sight, he could see the fluctuations that defined the end of the world, spreading like a fountain from to flatten against an unseen barrier and bend back toward the land. 

It was literally the boundary, edge, or border of this world. 

What lay beyond it was unknowable. All the magical and quantum energy from this realm was reflected by that impenetrable barrier. It was the end.

“What do you see?” Elara asked as she moved to stand beside him at the railing of the small sailing ship they had hired.

“The end of the world,” Finn muttered. 

She looked at him in alarm.

“What do you mean?”

“The edge, the boundary that marks the limit of our travels.”

She looked ahead. “I don’t see any barrier.”

“It isn’t meant to be seen, but it is there. I can see the flow of magic, the quanta that make magic, bend back toward us. Nothing of this world or mine will penetrate that to see what lies beyond.”

Elara slipped her arm into his, hugging him as she liked to do when they were alone together. “Is that so bad?”

Finn shook his head. 

“It’s not bad, exactly, but it’s not good. It means I need to shift my thinking. Realm is a good description for this place called the Enchanted Forest. I suspect it fits the other Realms you know of as well.”

“And?” Her Lunar intution let her know there was more.

“And, that means a large group of my theories and ideas for being able to travel back to my home will be fruitless.”

“So you’ll consider other ideas. You’re a brilliant man, Finn. Malachi was able to send me to your world, and bring both of us back here, so there must be a way to accomplish your own return. Don’t give up so easily.”

Finn chuckled. “Since when did you turn into a cheerleader?”

Technomancer is available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited now.

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