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While writing a presentation for my Substack, it struck me that all my recurring characters (Reikk, Varushka, Laroch, etc.) star in epic fantasy stories. I won’t deny a special fondness for the genre, but I’d like to have a more balanced output between fantasy and sci-fi.
There is, of course, the "traveler of a thousand worlds" I’ve mentioned before, but I am still stuck with that one. I also have a team of time travelers (I call them the Cyrusians) who have yet to make their debut. Still, if I have 4 or 5 epic fantasy characters, I feel I need an equal amount of SF characters.
So I will be writing stories featuring a duo of spies set in the far future. These should be fun. And I’ll try to come up with further concepts in the near future, we shall see.
And then, there is Silius... I’m not sure whether his stories would fall under fantasy or science-fiction, as they have more of a historical feel to them (they are heavily influenced by the Roman Empire). But yes, all things considered, I would say they lean more toward SF.
Writing news
Now that I’m done editing “Everlife,” I’m going to start writing again. Was about time as I was starting to fall behind on my weekly space opera! I’m still about a dozen chapters ahead, but it used to be a lot more, ha!
I’ve already completed a short story I submitted to an anthology and will soon start writing a non-fiction book for a change!
Speaking of change. I’ve also decided to write… westerns! Well hey, I just learned there’s an audience for them and I do enjoy the genre, so why not? I’ll write those under a pen name, to keep things tidy.
Coming up this month
There will only be two stories this month, though I’m not sure yet what the second one will be. The first one is called “Our Secrets Died With Us.”
You know that Silius character I mentioned above? Well, this is the first installment in that particular series. It’s a really old concept that’s been haunting me for years. I finally wrote this in 2020 and really like how it turned out. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you all.
“The Silius Chronicles” are designed to include 12 installments which I plan to eventually collect into a book. Each one can be read individually, although there will be some recurring elements and minor ongoing plots in the background.
I’ll likely post this on July 19.
On the 26th will come the other, as yet undetermined, story.
Books to read
Here is a selection of books that might be of interest to you. All of these are free to download, though you’ll have to sign up to the authors’ newsletter to grab your copy.
Servant of the Crown by Paul J. Bennett
An old warrior, too stubborn to die. A royal heir, hidden since birth... Can they save a realm on the brink of war?
Tragedy tears Gerald's world apart and only his unwavering loyalty saves him. After serving as a soldier for years, a single act of self-sacrifice thrusts his future into the world of politics.
Cut off from all he knows, he becomes no more than a pawn to those in command. Banished with little more than the clothes on his back, he seeks a new purpose, for what is a warrior who has nothing left to fight for?
A fateful meeting with another lost soul unmasks [… read more …]
The Blackmail Job by Shane Shepherd
Jason “Key” Rokku has just been released from prison after 10 years. Dumped back on the moon, Izanami, of his origin planet (Izanagi) he struggles to make it back into society. No one is willing to handle an ex-convict. That is except Apollus Tuck, a businessman who owns a few restaurants across the resource rich moon. Key comes to Tuck's attention when he prevents a kidnapping and as a result Tuck offers him a position as a bodyguard.
Tuck's political ambitions are in jeopardy when he is blackmailed by [… read more …]
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Copyright (c) 2022 by Alex S. Garcia.
Really enjoyed my first issue of your newsletter and I'm looking forward to catching up on previous stories. I was also intrigued by your branching out into westerns. I love the genre, but I've never committed much time to writing in it because finding the audience was too difficult. Have you found other Substacks or online publications dedicated to the western genre?