C.M. Simpson's Blog, page 98

Today’s First Words: January 2, 2019—C.M. Simpson

Today, I cannot share all the first words I write—some of them belong to a series I’m working on for LMPBN. The first words from the poetry and flash fiction, though, I can, so, without further ado, here are today’s first words: Another 365 Days of Poetry—Death from on High
What is it that roars on high?Why?
Another 365 Days of Poetry—An Incursion of Mist
“The mists are forming out on the plainwhere the rivulets shift and flow.”
“But it’s still midday.Would they come?”
“It’s hard to know.”


Another 365 Days of Flash Fiction—Out of Darkness  Living in the dark was no fun at all, but Renwin endured it. It was better to live in the dark than die in the light. The only question was: For how long?
How long would the raiders stalk the surface world and the day? How long would he have to hide beneath their feet, trying to figure out a way of getting them off his world? How long…
A metallic scrape caught his attention, snapping him from his thoughts.
Another 365 Days of Flash Fiction—Battle TrophiesFelicity woke with a start, pulling her rifle to close as she rolled into a crouch and reached for her helmet. The scaly bastards were fast and quiet and could alter their skin to blend with their surroundings, although they were no worse than the bastards that made up her squad.
If thosebastards hadn’t been human and supposedly on the same side, she’d have killed them long ago… but she couldn’t. They were fighting for Aquapearl, for Earth’s rights to mine it, against a population that shouldn’t have been there.
It made her sick.

Wednesday’s Words—Death from on High

Welcome to a new segment for this year. I'll publish a single poem each week, on a Wednesday. Today's verse was written 'into the dark', and started with the first line, and the genre - and echo verse variant. You can find out about echo verses at: https://www.youngwriters.co.uk/types-echo-verse.

For those wondering where I find the inspiration, sometimes I don't feel inspired when I write and I use the challenge of writing a particular style of verse to get me started.

Here is today's poem:



Death from on High
What is it that roars on high?Why?
I need to know what that shadow casts.To know, though, is to breathe your last.
What is that heat that scorches rooves?Tis fire that flies and sears and moves.
What is that curious whistling sound?The sound of swift death too soon found.
What is that chill that creeps through bone?Tis fear, for we are not alone.
What is that sudden urge to run?Don’t bother, for the dragon comes.

This verse will appear in the upcoming Another 365 Days of Poetry collection. You can find my previous poetry collections: 365 Days of Poetry and 366 Days of Poetry, at most major ebook venues by clicking the links.
Can be found HERE. Can be found HERE 

Today’s First Words: January 1, 2019—C.M. Simpson

It’s the first day of a whole new year. The slate is clean, the board is empty, and the months lie ahead, gleaming with promise. Okay, all joking aside, while the months ahead gleam with promise, my dance card is full and I have a shit tonne to do.I’ve written down a few goals for this year, but I’m not ready to name them, yet. They’re on record, so I can’t cheat, and things have started well, but I’m scared I’ll jinx myself, if I say what they are, so I’ll leave it a bit.No nagging.In the meantime, here are the first words from the writing done, today.Another 365 Days of Flash Fiction—Joshua’s Run Joshua thought the world was ending, but he ran anyway—through the silvered trunks and gilded leaves of the moonlit forest, his boots crunching through the leaves, his muscles trembling with fatigue. His breath came in short, hard gasps and his lungs burned with effort. Behind him, the hoofbeats grew louder, a thundering rumble that shook the ground as the unicorns gained.Another 365 Days of Flash Fiction— From the War Zone to…Karaval thought the sky was about to fall, or, perhaps, just the ceiling. The whole building shook as the bombardment continued around him. Dust and small pieces of ceiling fell around him, as he curled under the desk. He had been meaning to go straight through it to the alley beyond, but now…He listened as something whistled and roared overhead, and wished there was a hole he could crawl into.
Another 365 Days of Poetry—All Hail the Harpy HarpyA hagRelegated to the uglier halls of history and mythAnother 365 Days of Poetry—The Dragon ShinesScales a-gleaming, the dragon shinesBeneath the full moon, silver-dippedit flies, seeking prey in lands belowfirst to feed, and then to feast, it hunts   Miguel Unmade
Compared to the human shell he’d been driving, the shuttle was an attractive option… and he really should have chosen a sportier model. What he could have done with one of those….
He made a note to try it later, and then set about proving Abby had done as promised. By the time he’d returned, he had an escort in the form of several pursuit cars, all promising to shoot him down if he didn’t pull over. When he did, the officer who came to arrest him was very puzzled to find the shuttle completely devoid of life. Miguel wondered how long it would take for them to work it out, as he slid out of the shuttle and back into the hangar… and then the pursuit shuttle caught his eye.
Abby was just a fraction too slow in working out what he was about to do. She failed to make the jump.
And she was plenty mad when he returned.
But not as angry as Manx and Mikalesket were, when he finally surfaced in the human shell.
“That cost you another ten years of service, the initial theft was five, the traffic violations eight,” Mikalesket told him, but Manx caught the captain pressing her lips together to suppress a smile, and Manx ducked his head to hide his expression.
The only ones who weren’t amused were the lizardine bodyguards, and they might have looked intimidating, if he hadn’t realised they wouldn’t touch him unless he threatened their charge. Miguel shrugged.
“I appreciate the learning opportunity provided,” he said, and then looked around. “Where is Abby, anyway?”

New Cover and Completion—Miguel Unmade

Today, I finished a new short story for the Lunar Wolves and Odyssey universe. I started it in November, but only completed it, today, so I decided the cover should be created, too. It’ll go up for release in the next couple of days.
The excellent artwork is from PhilCold at Dreamstime. I only had to add the words and choose how much to show.  
Captured by the space wolves and held aboard their battle cruiser, Miguel doesn’t think things could get worse—and then he discovers he’s sharing his cell with the two psychopaths he’s been trying to avoid. Dragged into their next deadly scheme, he faces two choices—do what they want and live as their captive, or save Earth and die horribly as a result. Either way, he loses. Just how much he loses is up to him.

New Release—Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour

Waaay back in June I released a short story called The Depredides Dance , because those events happened straight after the ones in the novel, Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins . In today’s release, Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour , those events come back to bite the crew of the Shady Marie, and form the basis of the story. However, as one of my beta readers told me, you don’t need to have read either of those two stories (or even books two or three) to enjoy this one—although you might find yourself wanting to read all of them, afterwards.


Abby hauled me off the ship before Tens had a chance to stop her—and that’s okay, because I already owed Abs a favour. In fact, it was better than okay, because it showed us how much trouble we hadn’t known we were in. But going against the Star Shadow hunt pack? Nullifying their contract to keep ourselves unchained and at large? That was gonna be something else entirely.
Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour is the fourth science-fiction novel set in the Odyssey universe.
NOTE: The main character swears like a sailor, and the support cast aren’t much better. If swears bother you, this this story may not be to your taste.

Submissions Update—Home Aboard the Heartbreak Accepted for Fireside Creation’s next Apocalyptic Space Anthology

Home Aboard the Heartbreak is a science-fiction short story based in Fireside Creations’s The Lost 77 Worlds setting , and it was recently accepted for the next Apocalyptic Space anthology.
I wrote Home Aboard the Heartbreak in early December, and received an acceptance shortly thereafter. You can FIND OUT MORE about The Lost 77 Worlds Setting HERE and the Apocalyptic Space anthologies HERE .
AND you can order the first Apocalyptic Space Anthology HERE.

Pre-Release Available—Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour

I’m excited to announce that Mack ‘n’Me: The Transporter’s Favour, the fourth book in the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series will release, in ebook form, four days before Christmas. You can PREORDER IT NOW from most major ebook retailers.



Abby hauled me off the ship before Tens had a chance to stop her—and that’s okay, because I already owed Abs a favour. In fact, it was better than okay, because it showed us how much trouble we hadn’t known we were in. But going against the Star Shadow hunt pack? Nullifying their contract to keep ourselves unchained and at large? That was gonna be something else entirely.
Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour is the fourth science-fiction novel set in the Odyssey universe.
NOTE: The main character swears like a sailor, and the support cast aren’t much better. If swears bother you, this this story may not be to your taste.

Submissions Update—Pre-Release Available for The Lost Bells of Angarune in the Dragonscales Anthology

The Lost Bells of Angarune is a fantasy short story set in the world of the Dragonscales RPG . I submitted it to Fireside Creations in September, was excited to have it accepted into the Dragonscales Anthology, Volume 1 in October, and have just learned that it will release in January 2019.
Talk about an awesome way to start next year!The Dragonscales Anthology is the only place you'll be able to find The Lost Bells of Angarune. The Dragonscales Anthology will be available in both paperback and Kindle ebook formats, and you can PREORDER the paperback NOW from THIS SITE.

November 2018 Progress Overview

November had a tricky start, and was spent writing the second novel in the current fantasy series, as well as writing a piece of flash, and two short stories: one for December (coming out this Friday), and one for Fireside Creation’s upcoming Apocalyptic Space Anthology, Vol. 2 , which was accepted on Monday, making a great start to the week and the month of December:

Progress: November 2018Administrative Hours: 25 hours, 23 minutesAcceptances: 0Bloggery: 0New words produced: 90,979Outlines and Notes: 14,697Words compiled: 273,574 ( Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey Omnibus #1 )Works completed:4 (1 short-story submission, one novel under contract, 1 piece of flash, Where Else but Waverran )Works edited: 3 (1 short-story submission, 1 novel under contract, Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey Omnibus #1 )Covers created: 2 ( Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey Omnibus #1 , What Happens on Axis 58…)Works formatted: 4 (1 short-story submission, 1 novel under contract,  Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey Omnibus #1, What Happens on Axis 58… )Works published: 2 ( Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey Omnibus #1 , What Happens on Axis 58… )Works released: 2 ( Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey Omnibus #1 , What Happens on Axis 58… )Works submitted: 1 (1 short-story submission)Competitions Entered: 1 (1 entry)November Hours at Desk (not all recorded): 174 hours 36 minutesOctober Hours at Desk (not all recorded): 205 hours, 41 minutesSeptember 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

New Release Today—Where Else But Waverran?

Today’s new release is a short story set in the Mack ‘n’ Me section of the Odyssey universe. It takes place after Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour , the fourth book in the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series, which will also be released this month. Where Else but Waverran can be found at most major ebook retailers AT THIS LINK:

Snow, trolls, dustrunners, blackmailing werewolves, and mercenary elves…From the sun-drenched outback to the snows of a distant world, Mathilda Mathieson is in trouble. Dodging a drunken promise to a werewolf while trying not to coerce the love of her life, and rescuing pixies from dustrunners on a distant world are just the start. . The stakes are high. If she gets it wrong on Waverran, the unicorns and pixies won’t be the only ones to lose it all.