After releasing a book in the Fall, I usually recharge my batteries in preparation for the next novel.  This October, I scratched an itch instead.  I always try to challenge myself with each new book.  I would hate writing the same, tired thing over and over again.  For example, No Way To Start A War focuses on large fleet battles, Loyalty To The Cause is a caper book, Scorched is dystopian and Confidence Game is a low-stakes smuggler’s tale.

For quite a while now, I’ve wanted to write a romantic comedy.  Enter my latest project, Chasing Blue Dots.

I wasn’t even sure if I would publish this novel because it’s admittedly a niche product.  It’s set in the This Corner of the Universe setting and is fully a standalone story about a space traffic controller inside the Solarian Federation.  However, I’m quite proud with how it’s turning out and I want to release it.  The draft is done and we’re in the process of editing it for an early 2018 release.

A note of caution though: this book is a radical departure from my other TCOTU novels.  The writing style is VERY different (it’s first person and with adult language and themes).  It’s also very much a romance novel, albeit an unconventional one.  There is a bit of action but at its core it’s a book about relationships and heartbreak and love, etc.  There aren’t any space battles and I really want my long-time readers to understand what they’re getting into if they decide to read this book.

Don’t get me wrong though.  I love this book very much and I think you’ll like it too if you try it, but I don’t want to dupe readers into thinking this book is going to have the fleet battles that Across the Blue Line will have later in 2018.  I’d rather readers not buy this book than end up feeling cheated.

By the way, Across the Blue Line WILL be released in early Fall 2018.  If you’re looking forward to it, you can expect it then.  This little diversion won’t delay it.

However, if you want a TCOTU fix and you think you might be interested in reading a book that fleshes out the universe while being based on character development and adult relationships, Chasing Blue Dots might be a nice side trip in the TCOTU setting.

Finally, when I say this book is niche, I mean very.  How many other sci-fi romance novels are there about space traffic controllers?  🙂

(NOT the actual book cover!)