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New Time Equation Novel Just Released

I’ve been pretty busy with the writing thingy lately, but now I’m well into my next apocalyptic story Dustfall. It can be described as Boy meets Girl after most humans are mutated by an interstellar dust cloud that contains mRNA. It’s still evolving, so that’s all I’ll say.

After a slow period (writing doesn’t always flow easily), I finished the 4th Time Equation Novel continuing the story of Kathleen and Cadeyrin. Here’s the list of that series’ stories in sequence with their Amazon ASINs. You can find them all on Kindle with the ASINs, so I’m not providing links here.

B01BW17FM6 Heart of Fire Time of Ice (A Time Equation Novel Book 1)

B01IDRYB9W Paradox: On the Sharp Edge of the Blade – A Time Equation Novel Book 2)

B0718YMV3Z All the Moments in Forever (A Time Equation Novel Book 3)

B08FRT9BCT Time Enough to Live (A Time Equation Novel Book 4)

Time Enough to Live brings back the entire list of characters who now face a new problem. Here’s the description:

NO ONE WANTS TO DIE WITH ALL OF TIME AT THEIR CALL
Kathleen’s quantum physics research allowed her to develop a mathematical formula that gave her control of time-travel. Her Paleolithic hunter husband was given a primitive herbal formula by an old Sasquatch. After eating some of the red paste, he discovers a sudden feeling of wellbeing, more energy, and his numerous scars have been replaced with new, smooth skin.
Kathleen’s friends realize that the paste contains the secret of a greatly extended healthy lifespan, if not actual immortality. She takes Professor James Wolf back to the future for a physical and finds that the 90-year-old man now has the physique of a 50-year-old.
That information quickly leaks out setting up one of Kathleen’s greatest challenges to-date as a shadowy group along with elements of her own government do everything they can to possess the secret of long life.
They will stop at nothing in their quest, but Kathleen and Cadeyrin are creative in countering most of the threats. The question is, will they be able to withstand the full might of the forces trying to steal their secret.
Only time will tell.

If you like time-travel mixed with romance, adventure, and odd characters – Try Lolita the talking deinonychus or an ancient Sasquatch with the secret of eternal life and the ability to travel in space-time . Plus, Kathleen Whitby, who has become a tour-de-force in her world along with her prehistoric husband, Cadeyrin – you might enjoy this series. A lot of readers have.

A brief warning – for those who are sensitive to violence, inter-tribal war, hunting, etc. These books are written to be as realistic as possible on the character side. The science, of course, is speculative, however I contacted world-renowned physics researcher Fred Alan Wolf for his input on the time-travel aspect. The anthropology aspect is based on the Solutrean hypothesis. It’s been discounted by some academics for various reasons that I’m not sure are compelling, but there are a number of points on which I think it makes perfect sense. On the romance aspect, it’s a slow burn in the first novel. Kathleen’s personality is insecure and she absolutely must feel that she has value to bring to the relationship before she commits.

Note – If you want to find out more about the Pleistocene, the ice-age world of the first story: Heart of Fire Time of Ice, you can find a series of posts on my author blog site describing my background research, animals, climate, language, and rational for the story. I initially included that information in the book, but a number of readers complained, so I moved it.

Namaste,

Eric

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Preview: Pirates of the Asteroids

All Adam wanted was a girlfriend and his Masters degree. What he got was totally unexpected. Now he has to figure out how to become a space pirate. Unfortunately, there were no courses on that in University.

Video Preview

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The (Not-so) Big Time

Cyber-Witch’s medal made the local paper. I’ll take my kudos when and where I can get them (although it’s a poor substitute for massive sales:-)

 

On another note, I just received the cover art for the sequel to Cyber-Witch. (See below.) Now I have to make a painful decision: What am I going to title this next book?

I’ve thought of Cyber-Magic, Nano-Magic, Cyber- followed by conjurer, shaman, thaumaturge, sorceress, enchanter, magician, witch, warlock, whatever, and nothing seems to work.

This new story has many of the same characters as Cyber-Witch and it takes place some time later after the world has completely changed as a result of what might be termed an AI apocalypse. A new character kind of forced himself into the plot: Snake – a composition of nanobots and biological cells gleaned from his prey. He’s reached a sentient level and is struggling to develop a sense of ethics or a code of behavior for himself.

He is allowing me to play around with what is going to become a very serious real-world question: at what point do we view AIs/robots as deserving of human rights. What are human rights, anyway? How do we interact ethically with other creatures in general? With other humans-especially those that are not in our personal group?

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Snake is a bit of a baby and mostly wants surcease from his personal suffering. He wants someone to be nice to him – in short, he has decided that he – an artificial construct – wants a mother. (Notice the little element of pathos there?) I’ve had a bit of a problem with his speech. He can’t speak terribly clearly and his syntax is lacking, not from ability, but from opportunity to learn, and that poses a challenge to write.

I am enjoying the journey of discovery with him. Will he get what he wants? Will he find a mother? Will he turn out to be one of the artificial constructs we humans use: good or evil?

Still, that doesn’t help me with the dratted name.

I’m probably going to go with Cyber-Magic for lack of anything better. Suggestions welcome.

Here’s the new artwork:

You can see how it echoes the colors in the cover for the first story.

 

Namaste.

Eric

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Recognition

Cyber Witch thumbnai newlI was pleasantly surprised on July the 3rd by an email that informed me that my last book: Cyber-Witch: The Origin of Magic has been selected as one of the finalists for the Florida Authors and Publishers Association President’s Award. It seems that Cyber-Witch is going to receive a medal in the Adult Fiction-Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy. There has been, to date, no mention of whether it will be awarded Gold, Silver, or Bronze, but I still feel like it’s a significant accomplishment.

I’m working on the sequel to that book. Cyber-Witch spins today’s science (AI, speech-recognition, CRISPR/genetic modification, hacking, encryption) together with a little imagination into a new world where science-based magic is commonplace. The results are nothing short of catastrophic, resulting in an almost complete destruction of the old power structure while forming a new magic-based and almost feudal structure that replaces the old.

The results give free rein to an almost infinite expansion of the author’s imagination and I’m letting mine roam and explore as I write the sequel. At this point, I’m just completing the first half of the book and the threads of numerous conflicts are tracing out their convoluted paths and (hopefully) leading to an amazing conclusion. I planning for the sequel to leave its readers with a feeling of satisfaction as intense as the one experienced in reading Cyber-Witch.

I’d be pleased if some other authors based stories in this new world. There’s plenty of room for fantasy there.

A brief note: Cyber-Witch is adult reading with drugs, violence, and sex.

Thanks to all my readers!

Namaste,

Eric

 

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Brief Update on Writing Activity

Troll and girl
Cover concept for Cyber-Magic

I’m now working on my eleventh book “Cyber-Magic.” <see the cover concept to the left> It’s the sequel to my cyber-punk novel “Cyber-Witch”.  Which hasn’t been getting much attention, by the way, although the people who’ve read it like it (note the clever use of homophonic alliteration;-)

Anyway, this one has become a problem. I’ve ventured away from what I view as hard to semi-hard science fiction and fallen out of cyber-punk gritty reality (with a drug-addicted MC) into a post-modern world where civilization has totally changed due to A.I. mediated “magic.” It’s essentially a fantasy and this is my first foray into this genre. I’m finding it difficult to gather all the strings together.

One of the problems is that “magic” allows the author to define the rules of the world. My version of magic is so powerful that there are few rules. With enough ability, a character can do almost anything. That’s not a good story line. It leads to the reader thinking, “Why not just wave your hand and solve all of the problems in chapter one? Then I wouldn’t have to waste time reading the entire book.”

Well, it’s not really that bad, but I’m seriously having difficulty defining the scope of what is possible.

Today my goal is to get my WIP in progress again.

I’m sitting on 25k words, six magicians (1 evil, 1 bad, 2 neutral or possibly allies, and 2 superstars), trolls that breed like tribbles (for you Trekkies out there), one fairy, a were-bear, an A.I. creature in the form of a snake, and an implacable dark force in the form of a distributed AI and my plot line suddenly seems inadequate, so I’ve been wandering in the wilderness for a while.

Besides paying business has picked up greatly and gets in the way. Then I’m moving. It looks like it may rain and the grass might grow and need attention. <Delete more excuses and cue sad violin music.>

This is what writer’s block looks like and I DON’T LIKE IT. I don’t like it in a box. I don’t like it with a fox. I will not tolerate Writer’s Block. I will not, Sam-I-Am.

More about this struggle to come soon. <Provided the grass behaves.>

Namaste,

Eric

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Cyber-Witch: The Origin of Magic – Review Quotes

Cyber-Witch is now available on Amazon and IngramSpark.

A gritty and dark novel about the real-world AI threat highlighted in a cyberpunk theme, drug addiction, genetic hybrids, killer-drones, nanobots, and the transformation of the world. Warning: adult themes including sex, drug addiction, and violence.

First Review: 5 out of 5 stars Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
“Excellent story that contains a realistic look at where our technology could be headed. The writing is strong and articulate while fully immersing the reader in the story. Grab this book.”

Second Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars A masterful vision well-realized. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
“Sometimes we get ideas, simple ones, that in actualization are difficult. I think this story is of one such overarching idea, but executed well.  I don’t want to give away the big idea, but the bulk of the story builds a long sort of mythology to it, culminating in the battle with the BBEG. The last bit of the story ties it all in together, using the story as a springboard for the grand idea. There were some slowish bits, especially the first three chapters or so before the actual plot really reared it’s head. Once that happened, the story runs full tilt toward the climax. Then the magic happens.”

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Cyber-Witch: The Origin of Magic is now LIVE in the Kindle Store!!!

I just released my latest book today. Here’s the link:

poodle & drone
Cisco & Killer Drone

bit.ly/Cyber-Witch  A story about the real-world AI threat highlighted in a cyberpunk theme, with drug addiction, genetic hybrids, and the transformation of the world, grab a copy. Warning: adult themes including sex, violence, and talking animals:-)