Confidence Game – Kindle Pre-order Link and an Update

Posted on July 9, 2017 by BR

August 17th. That’s now the official release date for the latest book in the This Corner of the Universe galaxy. The product page is now up on Amazon (note that the “Free Preview” link below won’t work until the release date):

This means those of you on Kindles can pre-order and be the first to download Confidence Game on that date. The pre-order through Smashwords (feeding iBooks especially) will be up in a couple weeks, well before August 17th. Since that is a separate formatting adventure, we’ll finish that off when we’re no longer tweaking the drafts.

Reading Confidence Game is a great way for new fans to try a standalone book in my science fiction setting.  If you like it, there are a completed series and a spin-off series in progress to carry you forward.  For those waiting for the sequel to Hero of the Republic, I promise I will be picking up that project again as soon as Confidence Game is released.

Please help me get the word out that the TCOTU adventures continue!

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Confidence Game – More on the new story in TCOTU

Posted on June 22, 2017 by BR

I’m feeling pretty “confident” that the new book will be published in August. It’s time to give you more information on what it’s all about. As you know, we’re returning to the This Corner of the Universe galaxy, but in a sector that hasn’t previously been featured. You also know we’re deviating from the military focus of the series books, which necessitated a search for a different sort of cover. A while back you even got a first glimpse at the cargo ship featured in the story.  So, without further ado, here’s the set-up:

In every game, someone draws the short straw.

As a smuggler and con man, Reece Lochlain has always taken care of himself first. When the captain of his latest ship gets busted and everyone but Lochlain takes the fall, he does what he’s always done, looks after himself and moves on to the next scheme. But how can he move on when an entire criminal ring blames him for the bust and is hungry for payback? Running from a corporate-controlled system is rarely wise but running with one of Appiation Unlimited’s infiltration experts by his side could very well be suicide.

Out of money, out of contacts and out of time, Lochlain is desperate to escape and start fresh somewhere new. CSV Zanshin, though old, looks to be a sturdy ship, and Lochlain can get her for a steal. With an entire star system after him, he jumps at the chance to stay one step ahead and sails the aging cargo vessel from her graveyard orbit. He’s confident he can get away if he can find the right crew.

But Zanshin seems to have her own ideas. She’s far from her original home and has a haunting story to tell, one that could risk the lives of everyone aboard her. How can Lochlain protect his crew when his first instinct is to save himself?

One beta reader has mentioned that Confidence Game has a sort of Firefly feel to it. I’m looking forward to hearing what my readers think in August, and whether you want to hear more from this new cast of characters.

(One other note: Scorched is currently available as a free read through Kindle Unlimited.  If you are a KU subscriber, now’s the perfect time to check out my dystopian story outside of This Corner of the Universe!)

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Confidence Game Has Its Cover

Posted on June 16, 2017 by BR

The beta readers have the new book, leaving me some clear time to work on interior images, finding a cover, and describing the new story. As you know, Confidence Game is a standalone novel (or, the first in a new series if the readers want more from these new characters, I’ve certainly fallen in love with them), set in my TCOTU galaxy. This time around, the focus is not *military* space opera, just straight up space opera about a cargo ship and its crew of characters. Each has a different background, and different motives, and they are brought together by one man who’s not quite playing by the rules. As was the case with BRS Anelace, the ship in this story is another character. In fact, I haven’t felt so attached to a ship since Old Ana, and CSV Zanshin has got plenty of character. More on that in a later post.

Today is about finding the right cover. This one was tough, because the book deviates from my military focus. Karen and I searched through a great many cover ideas until finally finding a theme that caught our eye. Then we asked the cover artist to try a couple things, add my star chart (you may have noticed it’s incorporated into every cover for books set in the TCOTU galaxy), and give it her artist’s touch. The result, we think, is perfect for the new story:

Cover by Monika at Ampersand Book Covers

This art is the work of Monika MacFarlane over at Ampersand Book Covers. Not only do we love her design, but I want to say that she was very easy to work with. She was enthusiastic and responsive (aka *fast*), able to make our changes and explore our ideas, and added a great touch and good eye to the project. In addition to her website, you can find her on Facebook. She does great work.

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