T.L. Ryder's Blog
October 29, 2021
Vallejo Road
I got my paperback copies of Vallejo Road in today. They look great! I really like Amazon's print on demand service.
October 7, 2021
Ran Shaipur Releases Today!
After many rewrites and a long old road, Ran is now out loose in the world. It's clearly Science Fiction, but when we get to the sub categories I don't know what to do with it. Ran's a warlord-- but one with genetically engineered officers and troubles with visiting spaceships. So, some military action, a lot of political wrangling, and a relationship thread that I wouldn't call romance but definitely is about love. Let's just call it Space Opera and be done, then, though we never leave Ran's planet. :D
Happy Launch day, Ran!
Happy Launch day, Ran!
May 19, 2021
Reads, Rereads, Writing!
I have been reading a bunch of stuff on Wattpad. I could drown you in titles, but will resist and shout out the newest one:
Skeleton on the Roof by BriaOlive
This is in progress, so if you're the impatient or suspicious sort (worried that they won't finish {yes, this has happened to me on Wattpad before [yes, it is TERRIBLE when that happens]}) maybe wait until it's finished before starting.
I also just finished rereading Selarial's Song by Laura Brewer. The first of a Trilogy, it deftly combines military space adventure, romance, and psychic talents. Planning on rereading book II Dream Song soon.
On my own writing, I'm smashing through a short tie-in novel/novella. SF-military space opera. Accidental kidnappings. Privateers. Lots of peril, hopefully not of the Pauline type. :D This was one of two attempts at last year's Wattpad Open Novella contest. I finished the other (totally different genre) and now I am finally back to finishing this one.
That's all for now!
Skeleton on the Roof by BriaOlive
This is in progress, so if you're the impatient or suspicious sort (worried that they won't finish {yes, this has happened to me on Wattpad before [yes, it is TERRIBLE when that happens]}) maybe wait until it's finished before starting.
I also just finished rereading Selarial's Song by Laura Brewer. The first of a Trilogy, it deftly combines military space adventure, romance, and psychic talents. Planning on rereading book II Dream Song soon.
On my own writing, I'm smashing through a short tie-in novel/novella. SF-military space opera. Accidental kidnappings. Privateers. Lots of peril, hopefully not of the Pauline type. :D This was one of two attempts at last year's Wattpad Open Novella contest. I finished the other (totally different genre) and now I am finally back to finishing this one.
That's all for now!
May 4, 2021
Wattpad ONC Complete!
Finished my Wattpad Open Novella contest entry. We'll see if she makes the short list! It would be nice, but I'm not expecting much as it's not really a story that would appeal to the userbase of Wattpad. The motivation to finish a story in a specific period of time was great, though.
I'm taking a very short break and then I have stories to finish. And start!
My current reads are:
Selarial's Song by Laura Brewer
No Peace in Death by JD Penley
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Selarial's Song and Tao Te Ching are re-reads. Someone once told me that we're getting too old to re-read. I'm too old to not allow myself to enjoy things I love again if I want!
Happy May to you all!
I'm taking a very short break and then I have stories to finish. And start!
My current reads are:
Selarial's Song by Laura Brewer
No Peace in Death by JD Penley
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Selarial's Song and Tao Te Ching are re-reads. Someone once told me that we're getting too old to re-read. I'm too old to not allow myself to enjoy things I love again if I want!
Happy May to you all!
April 26, 2021
Space Hippy
Science Fiction is a big umbrella. There are a lot of subgenres and books that don't neatly fit into the subgenres. In Russian it's called "Fantastic Literature." For me it is fantastic for at least a couple definitions of that word. I've loved it ever since I graduated from The Happy Hollisters
Really, I loved SF even before then, since my dad had me watching Star Trek with him when I was about four. He would have loved Firefly, combining his two favorite genres, SF & Western.
So, you might be wondering what this all has to do with Space Hippies, assuming you've made it this far. Wattpad (a serial fiction site) has a contest called the Open Novella Contest, in which one writes a 20,000-40,000 novella, writing from a prompt chosen from a long, long list. I settled on #22:
Yeah, I know. Not the most SF sounding prompt. I wanted to write something in my existing universe. None of the SF prompts quite worked for me. You're allowed to use any prompt any way you'd like. And just like that, I found myself writing a story of a grandmother on a colony planet on a mission to rescue her daughter.
As Hanja, or Jaja as her grandkids call her, has hiked her way from her remote village to the capital, I've realized that with her herb lore and spirit-speaking and free-love philosophy, she's basically an old hippie chick. In a galaxy a long time from now and far, far away.
And that is the kind of SF I love to read and write. SF with all the tech and aliens, sure, but with the focus on how people survive and thrive among the tech and aliens.
Hanja and I need to finish her rescue mission (I'm probably going to need all 40K words for that!) by May 2nd. Which is this coming Sunday. Yikes!
Wish us luck in Round #3. We've got a daughter to save and a novella to finish this week.
Really, I loved SF even before then, since my dad had me watching Star Trek with him when I was about four. He would have loved Firefly, combining his two favorite genres, SF & Western.
So, you might be wondering what this all has to do with Space Hippies, assuming you've made it this far. Wattpad (a serial fiction site) has a contest called the Open Novella Contest, in which one writes a 20,000-40,000 novella, writing from a prompt chosen from a long, long list. I settled on #22:
On occasion, an accusation of witchcraft has the power to set one on a wonderful, dangerous path.
Yeah, I know. Not the most SF sounding prompt. I wanted to write something in my existing universe. None of the SF prompts quite worked for me. You're allowed to use any prompt any way you'd like. And just like that, I found myself writing a story of a grandmother on a colony planet on a mission to rescue her daughter.
As Hanja, or Jaja as her grandkids call her, has hiked her way from her remote village to the capital, I've realized that with her herb lore and spirit-speaking and free-love philosophy, she's basically an old hippie chick. In a galaxy a long time from now and far, far away.
And that is the kind of SF I love to read and write. SF with all the tech and aliens, sure, but with the focus on how people survive and thrive among the tech and aliens.
Hanja and I need to finish her rescue mission (I'm probably going to need all 40K words for that!) by May 2nd. Which is this coming Sunday. Yikes!
Wish us luck in Round #3. We've got a daughter to save and a novella to finish this week.
