G.S. Jennsen's Blog, page 2

The Clock Is Ticking

THE UNIVERSE WITHIN is almost here! Last time, I promised you I would tell you a little about Alex and Caleb’s new friends in the book. The Elakri are a fascinating species. Closed off from the rest of the universe, they’ve forgotten the heights to which they once rose (see Extinguishing the Stars). Yet within their prison, they shine so brightly.

Laurent is a physicist who unexpectedly finds himself at ground zero of a murderous conspiracy as he scrambles to uncover a secret that will upend every Elakri’s world.

Deunan is a truva (a rebel / hacker / thief / general troublemaker) whose attempts to keep Laurent alive bring her face-to-face with her own buried secrets.

They are both fantastic, and I hope you come to love them as much as I do.

PREORDER THE UNIVERSE WITHIN (EBOOK, AUDIO AND SIGNED PRINT)

That awesome StoryBundle I told you about last time? It’s only available for THREE MORE DAYS. Don’t miss out on this one:

In the Sci-Fi Exploration StoryBundle, you can get up to 12 exciting novels of sci-fi adventure and exploration by top indie authors (plus The Thief, which I hope you already have) at a stellar price. What’s special about StoryBundles? For one thing, the books are hand-selected and participation is invitation-only, so you’re guaranteed to get high quality stories. For another, you get to pay what you want (starting at $5 for the core bundle). Want to reward the authors and encourage more independent authors by giving a little more? We love you for that. On a budget and need to save some money? You’ll get a tremendous deal for these books. As a bonus, you can (if you choose) support Girls Write Now, a wonderful nonprofit that helps mentor girls so they can develop writing skills, with your purchase.

CHECK OUT THE STORYBUNDLE

As part of planning the next trilogy, I’ve been rereading all the Riven Worlds novels. I’ve had a blast writing these stand-alone adventure novels, but it’s so wonderful to be back with the full cast. Which Amaranthe characters are you looking forward to seeing again and finding out what they’ve been up to these last three years? What personal story arcs are you excited to see continue, or enter a new phase? Let me know!

Get Your First Teaser for The Universe Within, Plus a Special SciFi Exploration Bundle

First, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. THE THIEF won 2nd Place in the Best Alien Sci-Fi Novel of 2024 competition, and it’s 100% because you made your voices heard. And it lost out on 1st place to David Weber’s newest novel, which in my world counts as its own honor! (See what I did there? 😄) You can read more about all the winners here: “15 Must-Read Best Sci-Fi Books of 2024”

But now it’s time for the next book, isn’t it? THE UNIVERSE WITHIN will be in your hands before you know it (aka, February 20th). It’s been such a joy to hang out with Alex and Caleb again (and their new friends, but more on them later). Here’s your first teaser of their adventure: the hidden world they discover lies beyond a barrier not even Akeso can cross, and once there, Caleb finds himself with nothing but the residue of Akeso that resides in his cells.

PREORDER THE UNIVERSE WITHIN (EBOOK, AUDIO AND SIGNED PRINT)

I’ve got a really special promotion for you today. The new StoryBundle has dropped, and it’s all about sci-fi exploration. For the next three weeks, you can get up to 12 exciting novels of sci-fi adventure and exploration by top indie authors (plus The Thief, which I hope you already have) at a stellar price. What’s special about StoryBundles? For one thing, the books are hand-selected and participation is invitation-only, so you’re guaranteed to get high quality stories. For another, you get to pay what you want (starting at $5 for the core bundle). Want to reward the authors and encourage more independent authors by giving a little more? We love you for that. On a budget and need to save some money? You’ll get a tremendous deal for these books. As a bonus, you can (if you choose) support Girls Write Now, a wonderful nonprofit that helps mentor girls so they can develop writing skills, with your purchase.

CHECK OUT THE STORYBUNDLE

We’re firmly into 2025 now; the Christmas decorations are packed away (probably), and the daily routines have returned. I’m fascinated by the many ways we choose to reinvigorate our lives with the turning of the calendar. Are you a formal New Years Resolutions person? Did you maybe create a “25 for 2025 List” instead? Or come up with a One-Word Theme for the year? Let me know!

Me? Well, I did all three. Best to cover all the bases, right?

THE UNIVERSE WITHIN Release Date & Cover Reveal

…in which Alex and Caleb do what they always do: fly the Siyane directly into a mysterious hole in space while having no idea what awaits them on the other side. Come join them on the adventure when THE UNIVERSE WITHIN arrives on ** FEBRUARY 20, 2025 ** in ebook, paperback and hardback.

You can pre-order the ebook from your favorite retailer today, and it will be waiting for you in your ereader / app on the 20th:

PREORDER THE UNIVERSE WITHIN

Want a signed, personalized hardback or paperback? Pre-order one today:

PREORDER A SIGNED BOOK

Want to listen to the audiobook as Pyper Down records it? Sign up for my “Buy Me A Coffee” program (Concord level):

BUY ME A COFFEE

Feast your eyes on this bombshell of a cover, accompanied by a proper blurb:

* A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe *

Thousands of years ago, the Elakri were a galaxy-spanning civilization—until one day they vanished. Forced to hide themselves away in the folds of space to escape an unstoppable foe, what was once their salvation soon became their prison.

Alex Solovy and Caleb Marano search the cosmos for signs of an ancient enemy’s return. When they detect a breach in the fabric of space, however, they discover something wholly unexpected: a people lost in time and space, who have forgotten all they once were.

Now Alex and Caleb must navigate a labyrinth of deception and danger on a world on the verge of collapse, as their mission to return the Elakri to their proper place among the stars becomes a desperate race against time to save everyone—including themselves.

The Universe Within is a thrilling sci-fi adventure overflowing with mysteries, conspiracies, and secrets within secrets. On a world where splendor is sovereign and myth is power, truth is the most dangerous weapon of all.

The Universe Within takes place three years after the end of Duality (and concurrently with both Medusa Falling and The Thief). Like the other Cosmic Shores novels, it is a stand-alone story and a great entry point for new readers - but it’s also more closely tied-in to the Amaranthe meta story arc than the first two books were (it’s Alex and Caleb - how could it not be?). So if you’re invested in What Comes Next™, you don’t want to miss this one.

There are only a few days left to vote for the best sci-fi books of the year over at Discover Sci-Fi. THE THIEF has been nominated in the “Best Alien Sci-Fi Book of 2024” category; if you’re so inclined, head over and make your voice heard before the voting closes. Note: this category is on the second page of the ballot, so make sure to click through. You don't have to vote in any of the categories on the first page to do so - but if you've read and enjoyed any of the nominees, I hope you will.

You have my thanks.

VOTE for the best scifi books of the year

Finally, I've got a new interview up with Joy On Paper, a fantastic podcast that celebrates all things books. The interview is about an hour long; we mainly talk about The Thief, but also the larger Amaranthe Universe, Concord, and how we got here over 21 books. Also where ideas come from, convention experiences and more.

If you enjoy the interview, I highly encourage you to hit "Subscribe" on the YouTube channel and drop a quick comment on the video. This helps Joy On Paper reach more listeners - and more celebrations of books is always a good thing.

JOY ON PAPER INTERVIEW

P.S.: I hope you enjoyed the “Extinguishing The Stars” short story! Though several thousand years pass between ETS and The Universe Within, the stories interweave in several intriguing ways that I can’t wait for you to discover. :)

My Christmas gift to you

Just in time for the holiday, I’m thrilled to share that my latest short story, “Extingiushing the Stars,” is now available as a stand-alone story - and is FREE in ebook and audiobook. Merry Christmas!

GET THE EBOOK GET THE AUDIOBOOK

Here’s the blurb:

The fleet rushed to meet the invaders at the edge of the solar system upon their arrival. Every countermeasure was deployed to stall the enemy’s advance—their forces held nothing back.

No soldier who fought on the battlefield today would ever return home.

With an unstoppable foe advancing on the Elakri homeworld, its leaders face an impossible choice: stand, fight and die, or risk everything on one daring, impossible chance to survive the enemy’s onslaught. But when terrorists kidnap the scientist at the heart of their plan, a retired spy must confront the demons of his past in order to give his people that chance.

While Extinguishing the Stars works beautifully as its own story, its true power is as a prequel to the upcoming Cosmic Shores novel. If you have any intention of reading THE UNIVERSE WITHIN (and I certainly hope you do), you owe it to yourself to read this first. Alex and Caleb won’t know the story of Extinguishing The Stars when they plunge into the Elakri’s world—but you will.

 

So…if you happen to fancy getting * me * a Christmas present as well, I’ve got just the gift idea. I’m honored to have THE THIEF nominated for “Best Alien Sci-Fi Book of 2024” over at Discover Sci-Fi. If you feel that The Thief deserves such an award, you can head over and cast a vote for our favorite train wreck of a hero. Note: this category is on the second page of the ballot, so make sure to click through. You don't have to vote in any of the categories on the first page to do so - but if you've read and enjoyed any of the nominees, I hope you will!

You have my thanks.

VOTE FOR THE BEST SCI-FI BOOKS OF 2024

More great news: the cover reveal and release date for THE UNIVERSE WITHIN are coming your way in the next newsletter - expect it in early January. Until then, I hope you all have a beautiful, magical holiday filled with family, friends and good cheer.

Shiny New Audiobook Store, Plus the Best SciFi Sale of the Year

A couple of years ago, I started offering audiobooks directly on my website as a way to offer a lower-cost option to Audible’s often nosebleed prices. And it’s worked, more or less. But to be frank, the whole setup has left a lot to be desired, from the delivery of the audiobook to the listening interface. But it was the best I could do given limited tools at my disposal.

But technology marches ever onward, the options available to indie authors continue to expand, and I’m thrilled to share a massive upgrade to my “direct” audiobook store: AUDIOBOOK STORE.

The store is powered by BookFunnel, just like my ebook store. If you’ve ever downloaded a free ebook when you subscribed to my newsletter, or purchased an ebook directly from me, you already know how BookFunnel works - and you’ve already got a library there!

What hasn’t changed:

Lower prices than the retailers

The ability to listen on the web

The ability to download the MP3 files

What’s better:

PRE-ORDERS! You can pre-order the upcoming THE UNIVERSE WITHIN audiobook today, and it will automatically arrive in your BookFunnel library on release (ignore the listed release date - it’s just a placeholder). Pre-order The Universe Within Audiobook

A web library where you can view and access all your purchases (audiobook and ebook) in one place whenever you like. No more passwords to remember or pages to bookmark. See it here.

A beautiful app to listen to audiobooks (mine and others) on your mobile device and in your car. Get the app here.

   

Not convinced? That’s cool - which is why you can try it out FOR FREE. Use the code “FREEAUDIO” to get your choice of an audiobook from the new store for free. Just enter the code at checkout.

FREEAUDIO

Not into audiobooks? I’ve got a treat for ebook lovers, too. Twice a year, I participate in what is possibly the biggest, best giveaway of FREE scifi ebooks around. Over 100 novels and short stories - and they’re ALL SCIFI. No fantasy, horror or other spec-fic-adjacent genres. Now, 100+ books sounds overwhelming, which is why they’re neatly organized by sub-genre: space opera, cyberpunk, dystopian, military, time travel, and many more. Just head for your favorite flavor of scifi and download away.

BUT, BUT, BUT: this giveaway is only available for 2 days, today and tomorrow (Nov. 14th and 15th), so don’t delay.

SCIFI BOOK BLAST

We’re heading into the holiday season, and I’m heading into the home stretch of editing The Universe Within. I’m super stoked about both. I’m so excited for the holidays in the new house, I’ve already started decorating for Christmas. How about you? Are you a “never until after Thanksgiving” person, or did you trade out your Halloween skeletons for snowmen and reindeer?

Life News, Plus a Cool SciFi Holiday Bundle

We interrupt this regularly scheduled newsletter with breaking news - I caught my first aurora borealis last night! I took these pics from my new front yard. They’re really terrible, aren’t they? I obviously need to learn how to take proper nighttime photos with my phone. But they’re mine. :)

So as I was about to say, new front yard. About that. If you’ve been around here for a little while, you might recall my epic move from Colorado to the wild mountain reaches of Montana three years ago. Well, the pictures above are definitely not taken in the wild mountain reaches of Montana, so what’s the deal?

Tl;dr: We've moved down the road to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho!

The rest of the story: Actually, we moved a year ago. But we were camping out in an apartment while we built a house, and that was just so very uninteresting, I didn't mention it. But now things are exciting again.

First, why the move? A couple of reasons, but to encapsulate them, a beautiful view does not a life make (who knew?).

While wandering the woods was lovely, after a while I chafed against the isolation and lack of access to the trappings of modern life. Mr. Jennsen sucks at early retirement and, after two years chopping trees while wearing flannel, decided he was bored and wanted to get back in the engineering game. A series of frustrations when too much snow and impassable roads kept me from getting to the (distant) airport to travel for some family medical emergencies brought the problems into sharp relief.

Luckily, just a few hours down the road existed the equally lovely (if less wild) city of Coeur d'Alene. It, too, has mountains, rivers and lakes (Lake CDA is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen). But guess what it also has? Coffee shops and boutiques and theaters and a Best Buy and, well, people!

So here we are. I’m stoked about all of it, so have a few pictures of my working space:

My working space. The desk is a motorized standing desk, so I don't turn into a sloth while writing. That banner is just ridiculous, isn't it? Mr. Jennsen insisted on hanging it there. Swearz.

What I see when I'm *standing* at my desk. Gaming, comics, collectibles, science/space books, duplicates of some scifi books and, in the bottom right corner, a bit of a TBR stack. (Note: the rest of the scifi books will be going in the library - more on that soonish.)

The view out the window by my desk.

Lake Coeur d'Alene (about 15 minutes from my house), because I love it.

But enough about me upending my life again—let’s talk sci-fi books. I've teamed up with four other awesome scifi authors to offer a paperback book bundle. Each book is the first in a multi-book sci-fi series, and the bundle comes with bookmarks, stickers and space-ready freeze-dried candy.

Grab it for yourself, or if you have another scifi fan in your life, this would make a great holiday gift.

Expedition by Rachel Cheríe (Dekra 9-2-6 series)—join Elise and Rick as they find themselves in a new galaxy loaded with allies, enemies, and lots of drama along the way!

Night Owls by Stephen Gay (Night Owls series)—all Ethan wants to do is throw an underground party. But someone wants to throw him out of an airlock.

Dakiti by EJ Fisch (Ziva Payvan series)—fly with Ziva and Aroska as these two enemies race to save their people and…each other??

Isolating Contact by Ash Remington (The Contact series)—follow five strangers as their lives intertwine in an attempt to save the world.

Starshine by yours truly (Amaranthe series)—while on a routine scouting job, Alex makes a discovery that will change everything for humanity. (Admittedly, you might already have this one. 😊)

At $59.99, this bundle is an absolute steal, and it would make a great Christmas gift for yourself or another scifi lover in your life. You can pre-order this collection from now through November 7th, so we’ll have time to order books and get them out to you in time for the holidays (apologies, but we can only ship within the US). Get more details about each of the books and pre-order the bundle at the link:

Learn more

Finally, just a quick reminder about The Expanding Universe Vol. 10 anthology. TEU is curated by Craig Martelle, sci-fi superstar and tireless indie author advocate. My story in the anthology, “Extinguishing the Stars,” is a prequel to my upcoming novel, The Universe Within. Read it now and get a sneak peek at the world Alex and Caleb will discover early next year.

In addition to my story, it features a tale by Martelle plus 18 more stellar stories from well-known authors to rising stars. You don’t want to miss it.

…and if you have picked it up, and have read a couple of the stories, I and the other authors would so greatly appreciate it if you shared a quick little review. No need to have read the whole (hefty) book - you can just call out any stories you hopefully enjoyed. You have my thanks!

GET THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE

Until next time!

The Expanding Universe, plus a new way to read SFF books

THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE: VOLUME 10 is out in the world! Have you picked it up yet? If not, you can grab it from Amazon (or in Kindle Unlimited) today:

Get The Expanding Universe

The Expanding Universe Vol. 10 is curated by Craig Martelle, sci-fi superstar and tireless indie author advocate. My story in the anthology, “Extinguishing the Stars,” is a prequel to my upcoming novel, The Universe Within. Read it now and get a sneak peek at the world Alex and Caleb will discover early next year.

In addition to my story, it features a tale by Martelle plus 18 more stellar stories from well-known authors to rising stars. You don’t want to miss it.

…and if you have picked it up, and have read a couple of the stories, I and the other authors would so greatly appreciate it if you shared a quick little review. No need to have read the whole (hefty) book - you can just call out any stories you hopefully enjoyed. You have my thanks!

Now I want to share with you an awesome selection of scifi and fantasy books that Kobo has curated to help spotlight its awesome subscription program, Kobo Plus.

What’s Kobo Plus, you ask? Well, it’s a sort of “Netflix for books.” Much like Kindle Unlimited (KU), except it’s cheaper for readers ($7.99 vs $11.99 in the US), it includes audiobooks as well as ebooks, it’s available in a bunch of countries, and it’s fairer to authors. How? Well, in order for a book to be in KU, Amazon requires it to be published exclusively on Amazon (this is why The Expanding Universe isn’t available on other retailers; I’m not the publisher, so it wasn’t my call). Kobo Plus, however, has no such requirement. This means all my books and audiobooks are available in Kobo Plus - and so are offerings from a ton of talented authors.

Best of all? The first month’s free, so you can try it out and see if you like it. Kobo has a great free reading app you can install on your phone, tablet or computer, just like Kindle. So check out these featured scifi and fantasy ebooks and audiobooks on Kobo Plus today (just a small samplling of the many titles available). Click on a book that catches your fancy, and you’ll be prompted to start your free trial. Enjoy!

SFF BOOKS ON KOBO PLUS

Who Wants a New Short Story?

When I created the setting for the next book, The Universe Within, I pretty quickly realized it was so much bigger than I was going to be able to cover in the fast-paced, focused format of the Cosmic Shores novels. So I promptly scribbled out a short story that deep-dives into the Elakri’s world. “Extinguishing the Stars” is a prequel to The Universe Within, and it is the lead-off story in the new anthology THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE Vol. 10!

The anthology will be released September 9, but you can pre-order it today from Amazon. The Expanding Universe Vol. 10 is curated by Craig Martelle, sci-fi superstar and tireless indie author advocate. In addition to my story, it features a tale by Martelle plus 18 more stellar stories from well-known authors to rising stars. You don’t want to miss it.

PRE-ORDER THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE

As a refresher, here’s the (draft) blurb for The Universe Within, which should be released early next year:

Thousands of years ago, the Elakri were a galaxy-spanning civilization—until they were forced to hide themselves away in the folds of space to escape an unstoppable foe. But what was once their salvation soon became their prison.

Alex Solovy and Caleb Marano hunt the cosmos for signs of an ancient enemy’s return. When they detect a breach in the fabric of space, however, they discover something wholly unexpected: a people lost in time and space, who have forgotten all they once were. Returning the Elakri to their proper place among the stars seems the least they can do, but first they have to survive a strange and dangerous world where none of the usual rules apply.

“Extinguishing the Stars” tells the story of how the Elakri vanished themselves from the universe. Even Alex and Caleb don’t know this story when they plunge into the Elakri’s world, but you will.

Dragon Con was amazing this year! The panels were so much fun (I got to meet Hugh Howey in person on the “Books That Inspire Us” panel, which was quite the treat - he was gracious, humble and kind). I was honored to meet several of you, and to talk with so many enthusiastic sci-fi fans. Here’s a couple of pictures, but images cannot convey what an insane, overwhelming, incredible experience Dragon Con is. If you’re curious, visit the Dragon Con Facebook Page and check out some of the wild videos they posted. There are few if any SFF fan conventions like it in the world.

Will I See You At Dragon Con?

Dragon Con is next week, and I will be there! It runs Aug. 29-Sept. 2 in Atlanta, and is one of the world’s largest celebrations of all thing sci-fi and fantasy: movies and TV, comics, games, art, of course books, and so much more. Get your tickets here.

This year, I will have my own vendor booth in the main vendor hall (3rd floor) for the entire convention. If you're going to be there, come see me! You don't need to buy a paperback, promise - just stop by and say hello. I’d love to meet you.

Okay, but where in all the chaos is my booth?

By the way, I finished that first draft of The Universe Within, and am now furiously slaying brackets and…well, this meme says it pretty well. CurrentMe is most annoyed with PastMe. ;)

THE THIEF Audiobook Is Here, Plus a Thank You

I’m thrilled to announce that the THE THIEF audiobook is now available at all major online retailers! I can’t wait for you to listen to Eren being his most Eren as he follows a hunch one afternoon and wanders off, lands 135 megaparsecs from Concord space, meets a perplexing species as old as the Anadens, and gets tangled up in a nefarious murder mystery - and that’s just the first day.

SO MANY MORE RETAILERS

* A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe *

The Hesgyr are thieves. “Scavengers,” to hear their victims tell it; “repurposers” by their own reckoning.

As Chief of Intelligence for Non-Anaden Affairs, Eren Savitas’ job is to protect the Advocacy from all manner of alien threats: sabotage, assassination, insurgency and, way down the list, theft. So when he spots a Hesgyr running off with valuable technology, he follows the alien home—and discovers a civilization unlike any he’s ever encountered.

Yes, the Hesgyr are thieves. But they are also being hunted. Systematically exterminated by an insidious enemy they can’t see, touch or find. Eren finds himself drawn ever deeper into the Hesgyr’s fascinating yet labyrinthine world as he races against time to solve the mystery of the deadly attacks. What he discovers is a complex web of loyalties and betrayals, of grudges and grievances millennia old—and beneath it all, a secret that may hold the key to the survival of more than one civilization.

The Thief is a humorous, pulse-pounding sci-fi adventure about alien culture clashes, the flaws and foibles that transcend species, and the satisfaction that comes from breaking all the rules to save the day.

And now, a huge “Thanks!” to all of you. Without any prompting or nudging on my part, you voted The Thief the 2nd Best Sci-Fi Book of 2024 (So Far) over at Discover Sci-Fi! I’m honored to receive your votes, and it makes me happy to know you’ve enjoyed this book so much. It is, at its heart, a love letter to one of the greatest characters in Amaranthe; I had so much fun writing it, and I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it.

Just a quick note to say that I’m almost finished with the first draft of THE UNIVERSE WITHIN, and I am so excited about this book. It’s amazing to return to Alex and Caleb, but I’m also stoked about the fascinating world and characters at the center of the story. Stay tuned for more details soon.