Brent Clay's Blog

The Galactic Now

The Kindle version of book two in the Assemblies of the Living series is now available on Amazon.

The title is The Galactic Now.

I hope you enjoy it!

-Brent

Prelude to Ascension Sequel Update

Just finished reviewing the first draft of the sequel to Prelude to Ascension. It went well. I’m happy with the story and hope readers will be too. In fact, I’m very excited.

Book two is sitting at around 600 pages, not counting the back matter. Using PTA as a guide, I’m guessing that will translate to an audio version of 20 hours or so. It's all subject to change, of course, but that’s where we are at the moment.

In terms of dates, my goal is to release the Kindle version by late June or early July. The print version will follow a few weeks later. I’ll also be working with the narrator by then to get a feel for how long the audio version will take. I’ll share what I find out at the time.

Thanks for your patience. I can hardly wait to get it out there!

Very best!
-Brent

Sequel Status

I just finished the first draft of the sequel to Prelude to Ascension. I'll post updates periodically to keep you informed.

Very best,
-Brent

Prelude to Ascension Sequel Status

I've been asked a few times lately about the status of the sequel to Prelude to Ascension (title to be announced).  I'm super excited about it. I'm on pace to finish the first draft by the end of this month, December 2022. I've also begun talking with Samuel Peery about the audio version.

I've been surprised by the amount of effort it took. Moving the story forward required that I solve a few problems. We're talking to aliens, which meant I had to think about units of measure, time and distance, coordinate systems, and even nuclear notation. I knew it would be necessary but didn't appreciate how much effort would be involved. I wanted the story to seem plausible, and that was the cost of it.

I've also made a judgment call. I wrote Prelude to Ascension and its sequel because I wanted to imagine what could be. We have plenty of stories about aliens coming to steal our water or even our planet. Sometimes, they have battle cruisers, warp drives, and planet-killing weapons. It's not a criticism. Those stories are a lot of fun; I enjoy them myself sometimes. But I also like the idea of thinking a little deeper. 

I wasn't far into this next book before realizing that I had to decide whether to simplify the story for more casual consumption or press ahead with what seems more realistic, even if it may be slightly more demanding for the reader. It's not a light read, but I hope lovers of science fiction will find it refreshingly thought-provoking. It may appeal to a smaller audience, but I hope that those who enjoy the story will enjoy it that much more.

The sequel is also a fair bit longer than the first book, which was also a surprise. I'm looking forward to getting it into the hands of readers who have waited patiently for so long. I truly hope it lives up to your expectations.

Very best,

-Brent

I've been asked a few times lately about the status of th...

I've been asked a few times lately about the status of the sequel to Prelude to Ascension (title to be announced).  I'm super excited about it. I'm on pace to finish the first draft by the end of this month, December 2022. I've also begun talking with Samuel Peery about the audio version.

I'm surprised, even myself, about the amount of effort it took. Moving the story forward required that I solve a few problems. We're talking to aliens, which meant I had to think about units of measure, time and distance, coordinate systems, and even nuclear notation. I knew it would be necessary, but also admit that I didn't appreciate how much effort would be involved. I wanted the story to seem plausible, and that was the cost of it.

I've also made a judgment call. I wrote Prelude to Ascension and its sequel because I wanted to imagine what could be. We have plenty of stories about aliens coming to steal our water or even our planet. Sometimes, they have battle cruisers, warp drives, and planet-killing weapons. It's not a criticism. Those stories are a lot of fun; I enjoy them myself sometimes. But I also like the idea of thinking a little deeper. 

I wasn't far into this next book before realizing that I had to decide whether to simplify the story for more casual consumption or press ahead with what seems more realistic, even if it may be slightly more demanding for the reader. It's not a light read, but I hope lovers of science fiction will find it refreshingly thought-provoking. It may appeal to a smaller audience, but I hope that those who enjoy the story will enjoy it that much more.

The sequel is also a fair bit longer than the first book, which was also a surprise. I'm looking forward to getting it into the hands of readers who have waited patiently for so long. I truly hope it lives up to your expectations.

Very best,

-Brent

I’m working on the final chapters of the sequel to Prelud...

I’m working on the final chapters of the sequel to Prelude to Ascension (title to be announced). It’s been quite a road. While writing this book I’ve felt as though my own life has been rewritten. Since the loss of my wife, Virginia, the biggest challenge hasn’t been in embracing my new life but conjuring the will to embrace it … a different life that I didn’t ask for. The writing has helped. New, wonderful people I’ve met along the way have also helped.

But, enough of that.

I’m very excited about the next book. I’ll admit it was a little ambitious for me. I knew what I wanted it to be, but at times, had doubts that I’d be able to get there. I’m feeling much better about it now. I imagine the story as a fabric of subplots that I’m in the throes of weaving together. I still have a ways to go - apologies for that - and I clearly have room for improvement when it comes to writing speed, but I’m getting there.

Very best,

-Brent

After battling cancer for nearly nine years, my wife, Vir...

After battling cancer for nearly nine years, my wife, Virginia, the love of my life, passed away peacefully in her home early Friday morning, February 5th, with family on hand. We were married 32 years. It seems like three.

Virginia Clay

Prelude to Ascension Sequel Status

I’ve received several questions about the status of the sequel to Prelude to Ascension. It’s moving along well. My original goal had been to release in 2020, but I’m now aiming for 2021. Amazing, how fast the time has gone.

I appreciate everyone’s interest and patience. I’m doing my very best to make the story everything it can be. On that front, I’m very pleased. I’m also extremely grateful for the many kind words I continue to receive from readers. They compel me to work all that much harder.

I’ve settled on a final title for the book. I can’t disclose it at the moment, since it may give away too much about where the story is going. I’ve also sketched some initial ideas for the cover. Simple, but fitting.

For anyone interested, having a software development background, I use Jira, by Atlassian, to project-manage my writing. For those who are familiar – especially with Agile Methodologies – I’ve broken the book into eight Epics. At the moment, there are 69 remaining open stories, tasks, and yes, bugs, across them. In Scrum terminology, which is the flavor of Agile I’m using, you can think of stories simply as open items – it’s not as bad as it sounds, it only happens to be a keyword in the Scrum framework.

For those who use Scrum, you know that the numbers above don’t tell the whole story, but they do provide some insight as to how things are going. I’ll try not to wait as long to give the next update.

Absolute very best,

-Brent

Prelude to Ascension is now available in audiobook format...

Prelude to Ascension is now available in audiobook format. We started the production process back in September 2018, and like virtually everything else related to writing and publishing books, it was a bigger job than expected - but fun.

I'm very pleased with the way the audiobook turned out. It was narrated by Samuel Peery. We entertained many auditioners - virtually all of them good - before settling on Sam. Now that the book is out there, I'm more convinced than ever that we made the right choice. He was great to work with and delivered a quality product.

I've always been a reader. I love printed books, including eBooks, but in recent years I've become a fan of audio. Among its many benefits, the primary one for me is that I tend to get eye fatigue when reading printed materials these days - especially for extended periods. Obviously, that's a non-issue with audio. My hope is that being available in audio format will make the book a little more accessible to people like me who aren't always up to reading a 560-page novel through a set of progressive lenses.

The audio version is available via the following channels:
Audible.comAmazon.comiTunesMany thanks to everyone who has reached out to share feedback and appreciation for the book. My hope is that anyone who gives the book a try enjoys it. That was, and still is my simple reason for writing.
Very best,
-Brent

Audio Version of Prelude to Ascension

Production of the audio version of Prelude to Ascension is complete. We're now into final review. Getting close!