Rob Rowntree's Blog
June 11, 2015
Kindle Countdown for Unbound Brothers
My novel, Unbound Brothers is available 11th June, through 18th June, with some great savings. Get it early as there's a huge dicount of 81%!
April 30, 2015
Unusual anthology for budding writers
Those nice people over at Manchester Speculative Fiction are putting together an anthology where the only story criteria is that the story must use the city of Manchester in some way.
Revolutions anthology has a new deadline of June 1st 2015.
Go check out the FB site and if you have a story that'll fit or want to write one there's still time.
Here's the link. - https://www.facebook.com/revolutionsanthology?fref=ts
Revolutions anthology has a new deadline of June 1st 2015.
Go check out the FB site and if you have a story that'll fit or want to write one there's still time.
Here's the link. - https://www.facebook.com/revolutionsanthology?fref=ts
February 8, 2015
Europa Clipper
There's a great little article over at io9.com here http://io9.com/mars-will-test-our-capabilities-but-europa-is-the-priz-1684408795
About future missions to Jupiter's moon Europa. I love the romanticised name, Europa Clipper, but at this stage it's all on the drawing board. The concept looks at 40 odd flybys as the craft orbits Jupiter with various instruments.
I realise it's a feat just to get to Jupiter, and this plan is possibly more difficult to pull off than I know. But if you want to go study Europa why not get in close and orbit the moon itself?
Perhaps the radiation is too high or something. But whatever the reason I'm glad they are thinking of sending a mission at all. Just think what some startling results might bring the world.
We'll just have to hope we don't receive a message from HAL.
About future missions to Jupiter's moon Europa. I love the romanticised name, Europa Clipper, but at this stage it's all on the drawing board. The concept looks at 40 odd flybys as the craft orbits Jupiter with various instruments.
I realise it's a feat just to get to Jupiter, and this plan is possibly more difficult to pull off than I know. But if you want to go study Europa why not get in close and orbit the moon itself?
Perhaps the radiation is too high or something. But whatever the reason I'm glad they are thinking of sending a mission at all. Just think what some startling results might bring the world.
We'll just have to hope we don't receive a message from HAL.
Bugs -The writing kind
I seem to have rediscovered the writing bug.
Currently working on my as yet untitled new novel 10k and rising, and I'm also busy crafting a new short story too, Eranthis.
The short deals with two young women seperated by the gulf of time, but both discovering a strength they didn't know they had.
Novel's more of high concept, space opera, dealing with Artificial Intellegent Sentients, alien invasion, and our place in the grand scheme of things. It's proving tricky, and I'm learning far more than I want to about quantum physics.
I feel more enthused than I have in long time, and both projects appear to be growing nicely.
Currently working on my as yet untitled new novel 10k and rising, and I'm also busy crafting a new short story too, Eranthis.
The short deals with two young women seperated by the gulf of time, but both discovering a strength they didn't know they had.
Novel's more of high concept, space opera, dealing with Artificial Intellegent Sentients, alien invasion, and our place in the grand scheme of things. It's proving tricky, and I'm learning far more than I want to about quantum physics.
I feel more enthused than I have in long time, and both projects appear to be growing nicely.
January 4, 2015
Writing
Just a little update.
3000 words into my new work and it's going well. As usual I've started with only a vague idea of where it's going and who/what the protagonists/antagonists are. But equally, as I'm writing ideas are springing up all over. It's starting to get wild.
Back with more later.
3000 words into my new work and it's going well. As usual I've started with only a vague idea of where it's going and who/what the protagonists/antagonists are. But equally, as I'm writing ideas are springing up all over. It's starting to get wild.
Back with more later.
December 31, 2014
Pulling Finger Out
Okay, 2015 is just around the corner and it's time to put up or shut up. I will be writing another novel, working title The Broken Path, although I suspect it'll end up with the word Quantum in it somewhere.
Big spaceships, big physics and big plot. Darkness and mayhem.
Wrote 1k today and feeling energised.
Big spaceships, big physics and big plot. Darkness and mayhem.
Wrote 1k today and feeling energised.
November 19, 2014
Immortal Clay by Michael W Lucas - a review
A while back I used to belong to a really tough critiquing group, SFFEditors. They are still going and as soon as I have enough material together I'll be going back to knock the shit out of my next novel.
There are some great writers there, and one of them, Michael W Lucas has just released his first novel, Immortal Clay.
Here's my short review...
Michael W Lucas has crafted one hell of a ride. Immortal Clay is SF, horror, Stephen King small town America, and twisted New Weird - but most of all, it’s great entertainment.
In a world invaded by an alien entity known as Absolute, Kevin Holtzmann, or what used to be Holtzmann, tries to understand what has happened and more importantly, how he and the few people allowed a second chance fit into the new order.
The alien and craziness of Lucas’s ideas would fit neatly into the New Weird pages of Interzone and Black Static. His imagination takes you to places at once bizarre and frightening. It's made all the more scary because he manages to evoke the everyday setting of small town America in loving detail. Lucas has a nice economic style and his description is first rate, sometimes stunning.
There were a couple of things that detracted - in a few places, a tendency for too much internal dialogue interrupted flow, and I was frustrated by the ending. That said, there’s scope for a sequel and I’ll be keeping my eye out for it. Well, worth a read. Recommended.
The novel is fast paced and real page turner.
Now, I know what you are thinking. They were in the same crit group, they're friends, blah, blah, blah...
Well, Michael Lucas would be the first to admit that we didn't always see eye-to-eye on things and to be honest, when I started to read Immotal clay I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it. But you need to give things a chance right? And boy am I glad I did; I'll be able to say I was there when it all started, I read his first book.
Treat yourselves and grab a copy.
http://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Science-Fiction-Alien-Invasion-ebook/dp/B00P8ACXDO/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_1#_
There are some great writers there, and one of them, Michael W Lucas has just released his first novel, Immortal Clay.
Here's my short review...
Michael W Lucas has crafted one hell of a ride. Immortal Clay is SF, horror, Stephen King small town America, and twisted New Weird - but most of all, it’s great entertainment.
In a world invaded by an alien entity known as Absolute, Kevin Holtzmann, or what used to be Holtzmann, tries to understand what has happened and more importantly, how he and the few people allowed a second chance fit into the new order.
The alien and craziness of Lucas’s ideas would fit neatly into the New Weird pages of Interzone and Black Static. His imagination takes you to places at once bizarre and frightening. It's made all the more scary because he manages to evoke the everyday setting of small town America in loving detail. Lucas has a nice economic style and his description is first rate, sometimes stunning.
There were a couple of things that detracted - in a few places, a tendency for too much internal dialogue interrupted flow, and I was frustrated by the ending. That said, there’s scope for a sequel and I’ll be keeping my eye out for it. Well, worth a read. Recommended.
The novel is fast paced and real page turner.
Now, I know what you are thinking. They were in the same crit group, they're friends, blah, blah, blah...
Well, Michael Lucas would be the first to admit that we didn't always see eye-to-eye on things and to be honest, when I started to read Immotal clay I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it. But you need to give things a chance right? And boy am I glad I did; I'll be able to say I was there when it all started, I read his first book.
Treat yourselves and grab a copy.
http://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Science-Fiction-Alien-Invasion-ebook/dp/B00P8ACXDO/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_1#_
October 16, 2014
Price Reduction
Everyone likes a price reduction. Right? Oh well, for a while I've reduced Unbound Brothers to just $1.99 or £1.28. Go check it out and grab your copy if you haven't got one yet.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA4V8YA
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA4V8YA
September 25, 2014
It's been a while since my last post...
Summer came and went. We vacationed and the kids drove us wild - when don't they, the boys started achool again and life drifted, as it is won't to do, back around...
And it struck me that it's been just over a year since I self published Unbound Brothers. It's been an average year by all accounts. I shifted around 120 paid copies and 1500 give aways, a common occurance for epublished self published authors.
On reflection it's not good enough.
Like many a SP author, I have done the rounds with promos and interviews etc. It seems the field is saturated to breaking point and it's no wonder only a very small percentage of authors make a killing.
So, I have decided that my next novel, The Narrows, will be shopped around the trad publishing houses first. I'm resolute in my ambition and I will get that elusive contract.
More later.
And it struck me that it's been just over a year since I self published Unbound Brothers. It's been an average year by all accounts. I shifted around 120 paid copies and 1500 give aways, a common occurance for epublished self published authors.
On reflection it's not good enough.
Like many a SP author, I have done the rounds with promos and interviews etc. It seems the field is saturated to breaking point and it's no wonder only a very small percentage of authors make a killing.
So, I have decided that my next novel, The Narrows, will be shopped around the trad publishing houses first. I'm resolute in my ambition and I will get that elusive contract.
More later.
Kindle Count Down and free bonus
Unbound Brothers is on Kindle Countdown 25th September through October 2nd.
Huge savings on original price. And while you are at it why not add a bonus read and pick up my short story Silver absolutley free. It's free to October 2nd on Amazon.com and .co.uk.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA4V8YA and http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IZLK93O
Huge savings on original price. And while you are at it why not add a bonus read and pick up my short story Silver absolutley free. It's free to October 2nd on Amazon.com and .co.uk.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IA4V8YA and http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IZLK93O 
