C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 101

September 2018 Progress Overview

September started out well, but hard family news and the need to change priorities meant it finished in a far different fashion—not badlyper se, but very differently to how I envisioned it would. Here’s an overview of what was achieved in that month, including another shot from the road trip - this one from the return journey:
Progress: September 2018New words produced: 51,253Outlines and Notes: 10,469Words compiled: 0Works completed: 0Works edited: 1 (short story submission for Fireside Creations’s Dragonscales anthology)Covers created: 3 (The Dockmaster, Mack ‘n’ Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9, The Songster & the Pirates)Works formatted: 1 (one submissions, The Songster & the Pirates)Works published: 1 (The Songster & the Pirates)Works released: 1 (The Songster & the Pirates)Works submitted: 3 (short story submission for Fireside Creations’s Dragonscales anthology, 2 short story outlines for anthologies)Competitions Entered: 1 (2 entries)Bloggery: 19,247September Hours at Desk (not all recorded): 180 hours, 36 minutesAugust Hours at Desk: 263 hours, 29 minutesJuly Hours at Desk: 264 hours, 18 minutesJune Hours at Desk: 230 hours, 5 minutesMay Hours at Desk: 302 hours, 6 minutesApril Hours at Desk: 167 hours, 41 minutesMarch Hours at Desk: 201 hours, 43 minutesFebruary Hours at Desk: 183 hours, 50 minutesJanuary Hours at Desk: 180 hours, 3 minutes

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘The Burden of Honor’ by Kevin McLaughlin

There are 20 short stories in the latest volume of Craig Martelle’s The Expanding Universe anthologies. Today, with his permission, we are taking a sneak peek at the start of Kevin McLaughlin’s story, ‘The Burden of Honor’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
Sir Drake returns home to rally his people against an ancient enemy. But threats far closer threaten to turn his mission to ashes before he can even begin.
The HMS Armistice broke out into normal space in a blaze of light. For a brief moment it was like a second sun flashed into being, then the light was gone. Transition from warp completed, the ship arced toward the nearby planet at high velocity.
Sir David Drake stood at the ship’s helm, staring at the world below as it grew in the ship’s front window. It all looked green and blue from up here, but the place he was going wasn’t either of those colors. No, he was headed for the center of a massive grey spot on the surface, looking from space like a cancerous bulge on the face of the world.
That was Lusitania, the capital city of both the world Lyonesse and the entire Star Kingdom. It was the seat of Her Majesty’s power, the center around which the rest of their cluster of stars spun. A hundred naval vessels hung in orbit over the world, varying in size from corvettes like his own ship to massive dreadnoughts with world-killing weapons.----------------------------------------------------------------Would you like to read more? 
TheExpanding Universe #4 is now available on Amazon. You can also find Volume 1, The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of Science Fiction Genre , Volume 2, The Expanding Universe: Exploring the Science Fiction Genre , and Volume 3, The Expanding Universe 3: Space Opera, Military SciFi, Space Adventure, & Alien Contact! on Amazon in paperback.

Progress Report: September 23-30, 2018

Last week, I was helping out my parents. They were my main focus so not a lot got done – although I managed to have two short story outlines approved, and start the writing on the first of those. I did not keep my time-sheets up to date, as what was done was done in between a lot of other things - including a bit of a road trip, as you can see from the photos below.Here’s what was achieved: Progress: September 24-30, 2018New words produced: 3,491Outlines and Notes: 1,205Words compiled: 0Works completed: 0Works edited: 0Covers created: 0Works formatted: 0Works published: 0Works released: 0Works submitted: 0Works accepted: 1 (short story for Fireside Creations’s Dragonscales anthology)Competitions Entered: 0Bloggery: 0Hours at Desk—September 24-30: NOT RECORDEDHours at Desk—September 16-23: 30 hours 13 minutesHours at Desk—September 09-15: 74 hours 43 minutesHours at Desk—September 01-08:  84 hours, 17 minutesAugust Hours at Desk: 263 hours, 29 minutesJuly Hours at Desk: 264 hours, 18 minutesJune Hours at Desk: 230 hours, 5 minutesMay Hours at Desk: 302 hours, 6 minutesApril Hours at Desk: 167 hours, 41 minutesMarch Hours at Desk: 201 hours, 43 minutesFebruary Hours at Desk: 183 hours, 50 minutesJanuary Hours at Desk: 180 hours, 3 minutes

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Messenger’ by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne & R.R. Virdi

There are 20 short stories in the latest volume of Craig Martelle’s The Expanding Universe anthologies. Today, with Craig's permission, we are taking a sneak peek at the start of Yudhanjaya Wijeratne & R.R.Virdi’s story, ‘Messenger’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
Am I a man dreaming that I am a machine, or a machine dreaming of being a man?

TheExpanding Universe #4 is now available on Amazon. You can also find Volume 1, The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of Science Fiction Genre , Volume 2, The Expanding Universe: Exploring the Science Fiction Genre , and Volume 3, The Expanding Universe 3: Space Opera, Military SciFi, Space Adventure, & Alien Contact! on Amazon in paperback.

Progress Report: September 16-22, 2018

Two weeks ago, this was a short week, and full of surprises. I was part of The Expanding Universe 4 anthology that was released, and received notification of a short story acceptance … and then I received some troubling family news that meant I would be travelling to be where I was needed. Things got a tad interesting after that, and not the writing time suffered as I scrambled.Here’s what got done:  Progress: September 16-23, 2018New words produced: 8,438Outlines and Notes: 1,190Words compiled: 0Works completed: 0 Works edited: 0Covers created: 0Works formatted: 0Works published: 0Works released: 0Works submitted: 0Works accepted: 1 (short story submission for Fireside Creations Dragonscales anthology)Competitions Entered: 0Bloggery: 3,749Hours at Desk—September 16-23: 30 hours 13 minutesHours at Desk—September 09-15: 74 hours 43 minutesHours at Desk—September 01-08:  84 hours, 17 minutesAugust Hours at Desk: 263 hours, 29 minutesJuly Hours at Desk: 264 hours, 18 minutesJune Hours at Desk: 230 hours, 5 minutesMay Hours at Desk: 302 hours, 6 minutesApril Hours at Desk: 167 hours, 41 minutesMarch Hours at Desk: 201 hours, 43 minutesFebruary Hours at Desk: 183 hours, 50 minutesJanuary Hours at Desk: 180 hours, 3 minutes

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Sycorax’ by Jenetta Penner

There are 20 short stories in the latest volume of Craig Martelle’s The Expanding Universe anthologies. Today, with his permission, we are taking a sneak peek at the start of Jenetta Penner’sstory, ‘Sycorax’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
An arrogant black market space trader, a broken down ship with an attitude, and a beautiful girl trapped on a deserted space station. What could go wrong? Probably everything.
If I didn’t know better, I’d swear the Tempest just coughed.
My hands fly over her controls, checking that the heading is still correct. The entire ship—who am I kidding? It’s basically a one-man space rowboat—rattles incessantly behind me, but if I get these goods to Taruk’s lair in the Letiri System by tomorrow, I can get her fixed. Again. And have plenty of credits left for me.
“Come on, old girl.”
 “Ferek, if you call me an old girl again, my life support system may suddenly develop a malfunction.” Tempest’s flat, female voice comes from everywhere and nowhere.
I roll my eyes.
“I detected that,” Tempest says.
“Now Tempest, you know I couldn’t do anything without my best girl. Don’t get your thrusters all in a wad. If we don’t deliver this load in time—”----------------------------------------------------------------Would you like to read more? 
TheExpanding Universe #4 is now available on Amazon. You can also find Volume 1, The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of Science Fiction Genre , Volume 2, The Expanding Universe: Exploring the Science Fiction Genre , and Volume 3, The Expanding Universe 3: Space Opera, Military SciFi, Space Adventure, & Alien Contact! on Amazon in paperback.

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Alaska’s Vengeance’ by J. L. Stowers

There are 20 short stories in the latest volume of Craig Martelle’s The Expanding Universe anthologies. Today, with Craig's permission, we are taking a sneak peek at the start of J. L. Stower’sstory, ‘Alaska’s Vengeance’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
It should have been a simple rescue mission, but when an enemy vessel packing heat and a major grudge intercepts the warship Alaska's Vengeance, it's up to Captain Dani Devereaux and her crew to outsmart and outlast their ruthless adversary.
“Brace for impact!” Captain Dani Devereaux called out. The guns on the massive enemy Vaerian ship let loose another barrage of white energy blasts. The attack was in sync with an assault from a dozen single-pilot fighter ships.
Alaska’s Vengeance shuddered as shots made contact with the already weakened shields. Dani relaxed her white-knuckled grip on her console and raised her hand to the communications device in her ear. “Peterson, anytime now would be great.”
“We’re doing the best we can out here, Captain. These fighters are better than any others we’ve encountered.”
Dani watched as Peterson’s red-tailed fighter zipped around the Vaerian destroyer in pursuit of the quick fighter ships. Her own ship focused fire on the enemy’s primary weapons system, the yellow-hued shields lighting up as the attack made contact. The destroyer’s guns began to glow again as they charged for another attack. ----------------------------------------------------------------Would you like to read more? 
TheExpanding Universe #4 is now available on Amazon. You can also find Volume 1, The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of Science Fiction Genre , Volume 2, The Expanding Universe: Exploring the Science Fiction Genre , and Volume 3, The Expanding Universe 3: Space Opera, Military SciFi, Space Adventure, & Alien Contact! on Amazon in paperback.

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Duty’ by Bill Patterson

There are 20 short stories in the latest volume of Craig Martelle’s The Expanding Universe anthologies. Today, with his permission, we are taking a sneak peek at the start of Bill Patterson’sstory, ‘Duty’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
The greatest problem with doing one’s duty sometimes it deciding exactly where one’s duty lies.
Lieutenant James Benison leaned back in his command chair, surveying the crew of his small corvette.  It wasn't his first command, but a runabout just doesn't count.  Not when your corvette mounts enough weaponry to equal all the bombs released from both sides of World War II.  Sometimes, James marveled that the Grand Fleet of Earth would allow someone of his age to command a vessel capable of such destruction, but the constant war losses had the Fleet really dipping into its reserves recently."Lieutenant, we have a contact at three twenty-one, range ninety-two AU.  Emission lines match known Slorg engine patterns.""Give me a plot, tactical."  The monitor screen at the front of the control room showed a glowing red dot in a moving three-dimensional space."Do you want it in the Tank, sir?" asked the navigator, hands poised over the controls."Do it."  The red spot blossomed in the holographic space occupied by various glowing dots representing known objects within one hundred astronomical units of their position in the outer Solar System.  Earth was a small, blue dot near the bottom of the tank, while Lieutenant Benison was more worried about things within ten AUs of his position.----------------------------------------------------------------
Would you like to read more? 
TheExpanding Universe #4 is now available on Amazon. You can also find Volume 1, The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of Science Fiction Genre , Volume 2, The Expanding Universe: Exploring the Science Fiction Genre , and Volume 3, The Expanding Universe 3: Space Opera, Military SciFi, Space Adventure, & Alien Contact! on Amazon in paperback.

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Tuesday’ by Lyn Forester

There are 20 short stories in the latest volume of Craig Martelle’s The Expanding Universe anthologies. Today, with Craig's permission, we are taking a sneak peek at the start of Lyn Forester’sstory, ‘Tuesday’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
A gambler. A prostitute. An orphan. On a toxic planet where people live in stacked cities, segregated by social status, a lot can happen in one day.

Location: Leton
Season: Winter Cycle: Day 33
Year: 890 PL (Post Landing)
The Hungry Girl
Time: 0145
Like treasure, the crinkled foil wrapper twinkles on the sidewalk. A fallen star that promises to fend off starvation for another night.
Her stomach cramps, a hollow ache just below the ribs. It growls to rush across the street, snatch up the prize, devour whatever contents can be scrounged from inside.
She waits.
The alley snuggles close; narrow, dark and safe. It shields her from passersby. Breath plumes in the air as goose bumps rise on uncovered arms.  One month into Winter Cycle and the Weather Crafters show vicious pride in keeping Ground Zero glacial.
Ice bites at her fingers, nails turning blue as she waits in stillness.   
The hologram starlight can't reach her. The streetlamps look like black spires reaching into darkness. 
Soon, the sky will shut off, too.
Only the desperate or depraved venture out in the space between Star-Light and Quarter-Light. A dangerous time, the black of Lights-Out.----------------------------------------------------------------Would you like to read more? 
TheExpanding Universe #4 is now available on Amazon. You can also find Volume 1, The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of Science Fiction Genre , Volume 2, The Expanding Universe: Exploring the Science Fiction Genre , and Volume 3, The Expanding Universe 3: Space Opera, Military SciFi, Space Adventure, & Alien Contact! on Amazon in paperback.

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘One Last Battle’ by Timothy Ellis

There are 20 short stories in the latest volume of Craig Martelle’s The Expanding Universe anthologies. Today, with Craig's permission, we are taking a sneak peek at the start of Timothy Ellis’sstory, ‘One Last Battle’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
This story occurs 100 years before the beginning of Hero at Large, in the Hunter Legacy Universe. Yorktown Recon fleet, scouting the Cuba system in Earth sector, 2515.
One
I was only on the launch deck for one reason.
The shuttle was taking me to an evac hospital, for invaliding home. I was in the seat, duffel stowed, pondering the end of my flying career. They said I’d never fly again. They said if I ever tried, I'd kill myself doing it. And most likely others as well.
I didn’t get it. I could do everything except run and fight. They didn’t want me. It was easier to train a new pilot. Fleet wanted command officers out of fleet officer school, not battered ex-fighter jocks.
"Now hear this! All pilots to your fighters. Launch by squadrons. This is not a drill."
I didn’t need to see, to know what was happening. I’d lived it so many times, I was out of my seat and halfway to the hatch, before I realized it didn’t include me. The non-com on the door looked at me as if I was crazy. But I didn’t stop. ----------------------------------------------------------------Would you like to read more? 
The Expanding Universe #4 is now available on Amazon. You can also find Volume 1, The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of Science Fiction Genre , Volume 2, The Expanding Universe: Exploring the Science Fiction Genre , and Volume 3, The Expanding Universe 3: Space Opera, Military SciFi, Space Adventure, & Alien Contact! on Amazon in paperback.