Dramatic reading

For anyone who is thinking about buying the book, but hasn't yet, here is an excerpt from the book, read by me:

Upcoming titles

Hey there, Star Travelers.

In about a week or so, I will be publishing a short novelette which takes place between Books 2 & 3 of "The Star Travels of Dr. Jeremiah Fothering-Smythe".  It's a stand-alone story showing one life-threatening incident in the life of Jeremiah.

It is called "Introduction to Danger" because it serves as an introduction to Dr. Jeremiah's world - for the first 5 days it will be free, and I will announce its publication here so no one will miss it.  Thereafter, the novelette will retail for the price of 99c (or 99p in the UK).

Following that, toward the end of July, Book 3 - "Beyond the Frontier" - will find its way into the world.  That one is a Star Trek style adventure aboard a freight vessel which encounters a mysterious and powerful being bent on their destruction.

I think it's a good one, and I hope you will, too!

Distress call from Jeremiah

Just for fun, I made this little promotional video for the series.  Do you like it?

"The Savage Planet" now available!

For everyone who's been looking forward to the next installment, here it is:

$1.99 from Amazon US

£1.49 from Amazon UK

In this adventure, Dr. Jeremiah Fothering-Smythe finds himself stranded on a primitive world where he is captured and forced into single combat.  Even if he can defeat his opponents, and even if he can subsequently escape, where is there to run?

And how can he get home?

Planning ahead

Book 2 of the series is getting close to being finished, and my thoughts are already very much caught up in what yet lies ahead.

Next up will be a free promotional short story (which takes place between the second and third books) designed to give people a taste of what the series is like - and hopefully to encourage them to purchase at least one of the novellas as a result!

I have a good idea of the shape of Book 3 - if not all of the details yet - and a vague conception of Book 4 (the locations, and little else).  I know what major event needs to happen in Book 5, and vaguely who the two most important guest characters are.  I also know what one version of Book 6 is (depending on various factors, this may not happen and I may substitute an entirely different storyline altogether).

What I greatly enjoyed was, while waiting for the movie Spy to begin yesterday, realizing that I know exactly how Book 4 ends, and how it leads into Book 5.  The concept was already in place; I just didn't know until that moment that it was the cliffhanger.

So how much should each story actually lead into the next?  By and large, I want the series to be more-or-less continuous - although it is true that there is a gap between Books 2 and 3.  (Which is why the free short story can so easily slot in there.)  I'm unsure for a few of the upcoming stories just how much they should be linked.

Is it better if a novella picks up exactly where the previous one left off?  I seem to prefer that approach, though I can see where there may be drawbacks.  Perhaps I should build in at least a few gaps - just enough to allow some breathing space for the primary character, instead of him constantly hurtling from one crisis to the next.

And yet, that momentum is what I like about the format...

Lots to think about for the future.