C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 102

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Daughters of Ayor’ by David R. Bernstein

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 David R. Bernstein’s story, ‘Daughters of Ayor’. Here’s how it begins:
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The SalvationOne’s mission was to find a new home for a dying civilization, but a massive solar flare slowly kills all but one crew member. Cut off from the command bridge for six months, Len Morrow is the sole survivor on an irradiated vessel deep in space, but is he really alone?
Science Officer Log: SalvationOneEntry: 439
I don’t give a crap anymore…
Log that.
-End Log-
***Nearly six months – well, five months, twenty-three days, ten hours, give or take – and I am still here. I look at the time display on the wall. Oh wait, eleven hours now. Great.
Today’s dinner is ration pack B256 – cheese lasagna. Dried, fake cheese. Low sodium. Enough to survive, I guess. My taste buds died of boredom months ago. I guess it’s better than irradiated vegetables from the quarantined hydroponics bay. The system still provides the plants water, which annoys me to no end. How dumb is it that an advanced AI computer system would shut off eighty percent of the ship due to ionized radiation exposure, but not disable water and power systems there? Luckily, my lab has a separate and dedicated H2O system.
Would be fun to see the mutant plants that might have developed though. Maybe I have a new, floral shipmate wandering around. ----------------------------------------------------------------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: ‘Skin Suits’ by Justin Bell

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 Justin Bell’s story, ‘Skin Suits’. Here’s how it begins:

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Centuries after Earth's destruction, a descendent of the ancient planet makes one last attempt to rediscover his heritage, but when an insidious alien army stands in his way, his quest to find out who he was may just end the man he is.

Local airspace near the Darkened Zone at Ultega-4.
Now.
 “Oh, come on you stupid piece of useless junk!” Jed leaned forward into the console, clamping his fingers around the jumping throttle controls, which twisted in his grip, threatening to wrench free.
 “I thought you loved this ship, Jedidiah Kramer?” The narrow, peach fuzz head of Lork Davisk turned towards the pilot, his black eyes narrowing, perplexed.
 “It’s Jed, dammit.  Just call me Jed!” the pilot yelled back, the muscles of his forearms clenching as he drew back, pulling the yolks with as much strength as he could.  “I’d love it a lot more if it weren’t held together with chewing gum and chicken wire!”
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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.

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Darkened Skies: Chancerian 3’ by Drew Avera

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 Drew Avera’s story, ‘Darkened Skies: Chancerian 3’. Here’s how it begins:
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Thrust into a life or death situation, the next decision Tawny makes could cost her everything.
Under the cover of half-collapsed tents sagging in the midday hustle of the open market, Tawny hid as they searched for her. Exactly who they were was a mystery she didn’t have time to solve, but their lack of uniforms forced her heart to pound faster. Uniforms came with a certain set of guidelines, rules of engagement and a relative sense of honor. No uniforms could mean anything, any punishment, and it scared the crap out of her.
Stealing wasn’t a death sentence by law, but who was to say these men with their big guns were on the right side of that law? Her fingers tightened around the device she’d taken, careful not to lose hold of it as sweat drenched her hands. This was her only ticket out of here and the situation had gone south much sooner than she expected. Too soon to be a coincidence.
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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.

Meet the Authors of “The Expanding Universe #4”—Mikey Campling

Today, we meet Michal (Mikey) Campling, one of the 20 contributors the latest Expanding Universe anthology, and author of Changes and the Colony B, The Darkeningstone, and The Downlode Trust series, as well as three collections of short horror, and co-author (with Saffron Bryant) of Prison Quest . Mikey has also contributed to several anthologies, including: Uprising, The God Machine, Ancient Enemies, and The Expanding Universe Volume 3 .Please welcome him to the blog.
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I was only a nipper when the Apollo moon landings took place, but I was old enough to catch the excitement in the air. The launches were my favourite part: the astronauts smiling and waving, the anticipation as they climbed aboard, and finally, the ominous countdown, the numbers enunciated with an authoritarian tone that could not be denied. There was always the hiss and swirl of mysterious fumes that vented from the sides of the mighty boosters, as if the rocket were breathing as it slumbered in its enormous cradle. And then the magic word: Ignition!
What I wouldn't have given to stand and stare up at those great gouts of flame in person. As the rocket climbed into the sky, my imagination soared with it. And I wanted more.
Unfortunately for those of us who craved action in space, NASA missions were few and far between. We knew how to wait for things in those days when there was no Internet, only a handful of TV channels (in the UK at any rate), and no such thing as binge-watching, but even so, our hunger for spaceships needed fulfilling. Star Trek, Space 1999, and The Thunderbirds provided some grist to the mills of our imaginations. Later, I would go on to devour sci-fi novels, but until that happy day, I was happy to watch Captain Kirk, Spock and the crew as they went into action. I was one of those kids that loved science and taking things apart, and here, on the screen, were people who used their brains to solve problems. Star Trek gave me a glimpse of a future in which science would be the answer to almost any problem. Sure, there were times when Kirk had to wrestle with some deranged creature, but there were many scenarios when a quick burst of the warp drive or a well-timed cry of, "Beam me up, Scottie" would save the day. And while Spock could fell anyone with a squeeze on the shoulder, his greatest strength came from being the cleverest person in any room.
You're getting the picture. I've always read widely, and my viewing habits embrace all kinds of drama, but I will always come back to science fiction. As a writer, sci-fi holds a special place in my heart. It gives me the freedom to invent a setting that has never existed and may never actually exist, but which maybe, one day, could exist. For me, a sci-fi story begins with the question, What if...?
For my story in The Expanding Universe 4 , Endpoint, I imagined a future in which cyborgs would be used as soldiers. I'm not claiming that this is any way original, but I wanted to explore the idea in my own way. The bots in Endpoint are largely mechanical soldiers but they have organic neural nets, and they come in a standard range of configurations (M1, M2, M3), each with a set of strengths and weaknesses. It followed that such bots wouldn't just be available to one side, and in the arms race that would ensue, specially trained troops would be needed to combat them. And so the Cyborg Tactical Response Regiment was born—the Cutters!
The Cutters will need to train against bots, and in Endpoint, we see a squad of recruits taking part in a tough mission that tests their skills to the limit. And the stakes are high. Succeed, and they'll join the Cutters; fail and they'll be returned to their units. But the squad, led by Sergeant John Chapman, encounter an enemy that does not match their expectations in any way. Can Chapman and his squad adapt quickly enough to win the day? There's only one way to find out, and I hope you enjoy the adventure in Endpoint.
Happy reading.
----------------------------------------------------------------Would you like to read more?
You can sign up for Michael’s Newsletter and Free Starter Library HERE.  

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.

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Endpoint’ by Michael Campling

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 Michael Campling’sstory, ‘Endpoint’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
One mission will make or break Sergeant John Chapman’s career; it’s just a damned shame nobody told the enemy
Squad Transport Shuttle Bravo-Three-OneTwo hours out from Earth, Sergeant John Chapman glared at the message on his helmet’s HUD, his gaze lingering on the final line: Not everyone has what it takes to be a Cutter. He rubbed his thumb across his gloved fingertip, swiping the message away. Thanks for the pep talk. There’d be more messages from the Colonel during the exercise, and whether the team passed or failed, the debriefing session afterward would make root canal treatment seem like a holiday. It was almost reason enough to make it through this task: succeed and he’d get to walk away from Camp Echo, and Colonel Blende’s tender mercies, once and for all. And the only obstacle between him and that golden day of deployment was an eighty percent score on this exercise: the culmination of three months of blood, sweat, and finely honed aggression. I’ll do it, he told himself. If it takes my last breath. He focused, running through the mission in his mind, recalling his preparatory research: enemy capabilities, theater parameters, threats, and opportunities. It was all in there, waiting to be put to good use.Sitting next to him in the cramped compartment, Corporal Nate Parker nudged his arm. “Hey,” he said, raising his voice instead of using comms. “You read the love letter from our favorite officer?”----------------------------------------------------------------Would you like to read more? 
The ExpandingUniverse #4 releases tomorrow, on September 17, 2018, and is available for pre-order. However, if you’d like something to read, right now, you can 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.

Meet the Authors of "The Expanding Universe 4" - Nathan Mutch

Today, we meet Nathan Mutch one of the 20 contributors the latest Expanding Universe anthology, and author of The Unity Empire series. Please welcome him to the blog.
 
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HOW TO DESTROY A SMALL CITY (AND HOW TO CHOOSE WHICH ONE)
The makers of disaster movies and comic book movies can’t resist the spectacle of a city destroyed by malignant fate, clashing titans, or the clockwork inevitably of an uncaring universe. Cities are easy marks. They are the ultimate innocent bystander. Historical and cultural landmarks, architectural and national monuments, and Paris are the usual suspects when considering your lineup of cities to destroy by earthquakes, meteors, or any other countless acts of god/alien invasions/superhero fights.
But what do you do when Paris doesn’t fit the bill? How do you choose when Hollywood has razed, crushed, and blasted every major monument the world over? I knew from the outset that the kind of story I was considering didn’t require a spectacle. What I needed was a place that existed on the boundary between life and death—a place that teetered on the precipice of the spiritual world, however figuratively.
Enter Medicine Hat.
I considered the destruction of a few other cities in the early stages of writing my latest story, The Spike, but none spurred my imagination more than Medicine Hat.
A picturesque city on the prairies in Southern Alberta, The Hat (as it is affectionately called) is most famous for its giant natural gas fields and Rudyard Kipling’s poetic and chilling description of the city as having “all hell for a basement.”
With the general shape of my story already cementing in my mind, I imagined the hierarchy of Heaven and Hell with our world sandwiched in between. I dismantled that hierarchy of good and evil, looking for the best place to shoehorn both The Hat and an uncaring universe.
I reordered the universe again, not as a strict hierarchy, but as a place where Heaven is a realm that brings destruction—where a peaceful city on the Canadian prairie doesn’t stand a chance when Heaven and Hell collide.
With The Hat firmly set in my new universe, this is what I wrote:----------------------------------------------------------------Of all the places in the world, the falling ship’s trajectory sent it hurtling toward downtown Medicine Hat. In the blink of an eye, the city was leveled. The city that was built on a giant gas field—the city with hell for a basement—was destroyed by a fireball from the heavens.----------------------------------------------------------------
The Spike appears in the science fiction anthology, The Expanding Universe 4, now available in the Amazon Kindle store as a digital download or through your Kindle Unlimited subscription.
In this incredible collection, you will find nineteen other remarkable stories from award winning and bestselling authors. It is an honor for me to be included in such a talented and driven group of writers.
You can look me up at my website, nathanmutch.com, and if you have any comments, please drop me a line at nathan@nathanmutch.com. I am always happy to hear from you, and I will try to answer every email I receive. You can also look me up on Amazon and Facebook.
Amazon -- www.amazon.com/author/nathanmutchFacebook -- www.facebook.com/nathanmutchbooks
My current projects include two co-authored books: a stand-alone fantasy novel tentatively titled, Between Realms , and of course, the third installment of The Unity Empire Series . The first of the two co-authored books is an experimental science fiction mind-bender written (so far) entirely by correspondence. The second co-authored book delves into the Fantasy genre.
Thanks for reading, now go get your copy of The Expanding Universe 4 today!
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Would you like to read more?
The Unity Empire series is currently available on Amazon, and “The Spike” can be found in The Expanding Universe Volume 4 .

















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.

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘The Spike’ by Nathan Mutch

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 Nathan Mutch’sstory, ‘The Spike’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
When John McCormack emerges from the alien wreckage, only he knows what he leaves behind—and what he has brought with him.
This part of the country seems to have all hell for a basement, and the only trap door appears to be Medicine Hat.–Rudyard Kipling

“We were born to die.”
John McCormack knew a thing or two about death. He also knew a thing or two about when to keep his mouth shut. We were born to die—those were the words he spoke aloud just after closing the door to his last session with the military-appointed psychologist.
John recalled what the psychologist had said during their first session—that survivor’s guilt was a natural consequence, especially since he alone had survived. No one could have foreseen that their brief exposure to the crashed alien ship would be fatal—that their hazmat suits would offer no protection.
“We were born to live our lives,” the shrink had said. “The other Marines lived to serve. They died performing their duty.”
John shambled away from the stuffy, claustrophobic office and stayed close to the corridor wall as if he might suddenly need it to steady himself. The faces of the fallen haunted him.----------------------------------------------------------------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.

First Words for Sunday, September 16, 2018—Mack ‘n’ Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9

Last week, I had some good news. It was awesome, but, combined with the short story I prioritised, and a rental inspection—because it never rains, but it pours—it meant a lot of reshuffling, and I didn’t get any words down on Mack ‘n’ Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9 .This was okay, and I caught up the words on Sunday this week… but completely missed it on Monday as I got my head around what to do for a short story release done as part of a group, a short story acceptance, and getting ready to visit my mum. Like I said—rain, pouring—and I’m enjoying the challenge. So excuses aside, when I started the words on Sunday, Cutter

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In the end, Rohan let the cub go, and it was just Tens and one very angry wolfling. I’ll give the Tens this, once the cub took him off his feet, again, he at least remembered he was dealing with a child—a very tough child, who was beating twenty kinds of crap out of his face, but one that was barely a metre tall, and who’d been through Hell.
The fight ended with Tens pinning the kid to the floor and growling into his face.
The kid snarled right back, but he stopped fighting and he wasn’t trying to get away.
“She is my pack,” the technician snarled, clearly referring to me, “and mine to command.”
I raised an eyebrow, and shifted uncomfortably, but, before I could work out a response to that, Mack walked through the door, one very worried girl child by his side. He pointed her to where Tens had the cub pinned to the floor.
“You wanna go explain to him why he can’t eat my tech?”
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Would you like to read more? The first three books and two short stories in the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series: Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins , The Depredides Dance , Mack ‘n’ Me: Blaedergil’s Host , Mack ‘n’ Me: Arach and Cloud Door , are also available. The fourth book, Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour will release shortly.

Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Warp Three’ by David J. VanBergen Jr.

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 David J. VanBergen Jr.’s story, ‘Warp Three’. Here’s how it begins:----------------------------------------------------------------
Even the best pilot in the galaxy can have a bad day when traveling at three hundred times the speed of light.

Chapter 1
Cyrus didn’t remember opening his eyes or waking up, but he was suddenly aware of his surroundings. He was alone in a bright, stainless-steel room, but had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. In fact, he wasn’t even sure he was actually there, but that didn’t make any sense. How could he see if he wasn’t there?
Before he could contemplate any further, everything faded away.***Cyrus Jones stood at attention in the front row with nineteen other IMF starship pilots—at least, soon-to-be pilots. Four more rows of twenty cadets stood behind him. One hundred of the toughest and smartest men and women on the planet. The truly elite of the human race. That was what had been drilled into them for the last eighteen months, at any rate.
Admiral Ablak himself stood at the podium addressing the cadets, imparting words of wisdom to the men and women who would be the next generation of IMF officers. Cyrus didn’t hear a word the leader of the Intergalactic Military Forces said. His attention was focused on the ship the admiral was standing in front of.----------------------------------------------------------------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.

Progress Report: September 9-15, 2018

Looking Back over September 9-15, 2018
Out of last week’s goals, I managed advance the writing on Mack ‘n’ Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9, the fifth book in the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series, the house inspection went well, and I wrote and submitted one of the four short stories slated for completion.
I had rather unexpected writing news last week—that my proposal for a multi-book series had been accepted. So you can guess where a lot of priorities shifted to. It was great news—and I’m still trying to digest it (yes, even though I was 10,000 words in by the end of the week).
Looking Forward to September 16-22, 2018
Out of last week’s goals, I still need to compile the first three novels in the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series, prepare the subscriber gift pack, and upload October’s short story. However, priorities have taken a rather big shift, so I’ll need to reshuffle those.
My main priority, now, is keeping the first novel of the nine-book series on track for completion early next month. I’m going to call it MS01, and, when I can talk more about it, I will. My second top priority is to complete the background reading and outline for the next short story submission—which I want to start writing as soon as I have the approval to go ahead.
Beyond that, work will continue on Mack ‘n’ Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9 , albeit a little slower than anticipated.
Progress: September 09-15, 2018New words produced: 19,480Outlines and Notes: 2,525Words compiled: 0Works completed: 1 (FireSideCreations fantasy submission)Works edited: 1 (FireSideCreations fantasy submission)Covers created: 0Works formatted: 1 (FireSideCreations fantasy submission)Works published: 0Works released: 0Works submitted: 1 (FireSideCreations fantasy submission)Works accepted: 2 (series proposal, ‘Mothers’ in The Expanding Universe Volume 4 )Competitions Entered: 1 (3 stories)Bloggery: 7,888Hours 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