Friday, June 30, 2017

Mid Year Reflections of an #Indie #Author

 Grand Masters

What have I accomplished in the first 6 months of 2017?

Writing Progress:

May 2017 marked the third anniversary of publishing my first full-length novel, The Lady is Blue. By now, I have published ten novels and several shorter works. You can see the complete list HERE on the new website (www.auroraspringer.org) devoted to my stories. 

 Secret Supers

This year, I rebranded my two longer series, Secret Supers (3 books) and the Grand Masters’ Galaxy (4 books), with super new covers from Danielle Fine. 
Also, I published a box set of the first three books in each series. 

I have recovered the 2 books in Atrapako on Eden, and the stand-alone novel, A Tale of Two Colonies.

 Atrapako


After writing a couple of short stories to offer my newsletter subscribers, I decided to compile several of my shorter works in an anthology, Comet Tales, with the common theme of adventure and romance in other worlds. 
 Comet Tales


This month, I’m celebrating the release of Cosmic Rift, Book 4 in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy. This story has a whirlwind tour of more than a dozen planets as the galaxy-trotting heroine searches for her psychic mate, while tending to their baby son. 
 Cosmic Rift

Next, I’ll return to writing my new SciFi story set on Europa. This story will expand into a second book, and hopefully, into a new series. 

Newsletter Subscribers
Following the advice of many indie authors, I have worked to increase the number of subscribers to my newsletter. At this point, I have accumulated a total of about 7000 subscribers. My main strategy is to use instafreebie promotions and giveaways of kindles or ebooks organized by groups of authors. Note, these avenues result in many duplicates and a small percentage will unsubscribe after each newsletter. Also, readers may become tired of receiving so many emails. Genre-specific promotions are probably the best.

Social Connections:
My twitter followers have grown to >9000. http://www.twitter.com/AuroraSpringer
I am climbing toward 1500 likes/follows on my Facebook Page.
I have created a new website: http://www.AuroraSpringer.org with separate pages for each of my series and individual books.  

 My Books


You can find my books on BookBub and Amazon

Sign up for my Newsletter for a FREE eBook and advance notice of my new releases, sneak peeks at my stories and giveaways by multiple authors.  

Thursday, June 29, 2017

The Lady is Blue #SciFi #Romance

 Lady
The Lady is Blue

5 Star Review: A sassy human female and an arrogant, scaled alien spaceship Captain collide. What could possibly go wrong? Or go right?

What color are your scales? Intrepid scientist solves mystery of scaly aliens.
Dr. Lucy Stannis leads a quiet life as the chief biologist in the remote human colony on Eden, until an alien vessel makes first contact with the colonists. She is thrilled to meet the spaceship captain, the impressive Blue, Sa Kamizan Veedak, despite the scaled bodies and sharp claws of the formidable Atrapako. Conflicts arise, threatening the whole colony as well as Lucy’s tenuous friendship with Sa Kamizan. Lucy must employ all her skills to discover their secret and save the colony.
If you like feisty heroines and mysteries where deceptions abound, then you’ll enjoy this science fiction adventure with a surprise twist at the end. Start this tale of culture clash and sweet romance today. Book 1 of Atrapako on Eden.   

FREE June 29th to July 3rd and always FREE with Kindle Unlimited


Dragons of Vkani 
 Vkani

Rescue mission to hostile planet of scaly aliens
When the Atrapako Blue, Sa Kamizan Veedak, and Dr. Lucy Stannis receive a distress call from his sister, they must undertake the dangerous mission to rescue her from the war-torn planet of Vkani. As an exile, Sa Kamizan risks death if he is recognized. Their motley crew of Atrapako and human scientists will need all their skills to combat treachery by brutal warlords and survive the hostile environment.
If you enjoy science fiction adventures with battles and betrayals mixed with romance and scientific explorations, read Book 2 in the series, Atrapako on Eden.

Buy Links:


Monday, June 26, 2017

Major Sapient Species in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy #SciFi Series


 GMGalaxy

This series has many alien characters on a variety of planets or moons. 

Comments: This list is by no means a complete accounting of the species in the stories. In some cases, Violet encountered individuals of undetermined species or questionable sapience. For instance, she met several entities in the oceans of AguaSalva, including one that claimed to be the sole member of its species. 

Aman-ellans: Bipedal feline/humanoid entities with soft fur and cat-like ears.

Brululians: Crustaceans resembling man-sized lobsters with triangular heads bearing eyestalks, ocher carapaces and many legs. Five genders; two compatible genders are required to produce offspring.  

Dragons: Winged reptilian species inhabiting the planet Sythos.

Elyrians: Bipedal, slender humanoids who communicate by telepathy. Each Elyrian bears a colored crystal on its forehead.

Flia: Flightless avian entities with brightly colored feathers, beaks and clawed arms. Only females travel off their native planets.  

Humans/humanoids: Inhabitants of Terra or the many planets colonized by humans over thousands of years. Occur in a variety of sizes and colors.

Ixioths: Giant insectoids with six red eyes, six legs, and a hump-backed carapace with vestigial wings.

Jangalorans: Monkey-like inhabitants of Jangalore with six eyes, six legs and a puff of a tail.

Maanaans: Giant mushrooms with a domed hood and short foot/stalk.

Umloa’s Brood: Giant amoeba-like entities that can assume protean forms and engulf food or enemies.

Wistralians: Plantoids resembling giant flowers with three petals, a short stalk, and trailing roots.

Yelliasts: Entities resemble serpents with three round eyes and three pairs of wings. 


 Grand Masters' Galaxy



Books in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy

Teleport through the galaxy in this thrilling SciFi Space Opera / Epic Fantasy adventure and romance

FREE Short story: Gifts of Jangalore  Amazon  iBooks  B&N  Kobo  Scribd

Short Prequel: Grand Master’s Cat Amazon
When Grand Master Griffin investigates a wrecked spacecraft, his efforts to rescue the survivors lead to feline disruptions of his plans.

Grand Master’s Pawn, Book 1 Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N
One young woman challenges the secret rulers of the galaxy, and risks a perilous love.
Young empath, Violet Hunter, dreams of exploring exotic planets as a Grand Master’s pawn. When life-threatening cracks appear in the teleportal web, she is tasked with investigating the disruption. Suspicions point to the twelve Grand Masters, and she must penetrate their curtain of secrecy to identify the culprit. Her challenges escalate when she meets the enigmatic man behind the griffin avatar. She plunges into a world of deadly intrigues and risks a perilous love. Armed with only her erratic powers and a mishmash of allies, she must battle the most powerful beings in the galaxy.

Grand Master’s Game, Book 2 Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N
Psychically linked lovers fight to save the galaxy.
The rebellious Grand Master, Athanor Griffin, devises a risky plan to uncover the culprits responsible for life-threatening failures in the portal web. His loyal pawn and lover, Violet Hunter, is the key to success as they contend with hostile aliens and Grand Masters. But, she wrestles with her erratic psychic talents and doubts about their unequal partnership. She must surmount her insecurities and recruit allies to survive the inevitable battle with their enemies. Their worst nightmares lie ahead.

Grand Master’s Mate, Book 3 Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N
Young empath, Violet Hunter, and the crafty Grand Master, Athanor Griffin, tackle the villains threatening civilization.
Their worst enemy rampages across the galaxy, while blocked portals prevent normal interplanetary commerce. Compounding their problems, half the Grand Masters on the Council vow to eliminate Violet. To restore peace, Violet and Athanor embark on a hazardous quest for a weapon hidden by the ancient psychic masters. But the weapon proves elusive, dangers lurk in the ancient sites, and new alliances forged with bizarre entities may not suffice to thwart their foes and save the galaxy.

Cosmic Rift, Book 4 Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N
Empath Violet embarks on a new and desperate mission to find her missing lover.
Violet’s happy family is shattered when Athanor Griffin vanishes. The formidable Grand Master might have teleported anywhere in the galaxy. Violet strives to find her psychic partner, while looking after their baby and fulfilling his duties on the Council. Her frantic search uncovers a new threat to galactic civilization along with resurgence of the infamous Ixioth slavers. The Council dithers in response to her call for action, and even her former allies believe the Griffin is dead. She must risk her son, her psi-powers, and her life to rescue her beloved mate in the hope they can unite to fight the menace.


Grand Master’s Trilogy, Box set of Books 1-3  Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N

Friday, June 23, 2017

Released Today - Cosmic Rift, Book 4 in the Grand Masters' Galaxy #SciFi

 Cosmic Rift

Cosmic Rift, Book 4 

Empath Violet embarks on a new and desperate mission to find her missing lover.
Violet’s happy family is shattered when Athanor Griffin vanishes. The formidable Grand Master might have teleported anywhere in the galaxy. Violet strives to find her psychic partner, while looking after their baby and fulfilling his duties on the Council. Her frantic search uncovers a new threat to galactic civilization along with resurgence of the infamous Ixioth slavers. The Council dithers in response to her call for action, and even her former allies believe the Griffin is dead. She must risk her son, her psi-powers, and her life to rescue her beloved mate in the hope they can unite to fight the menace. 

Buy Links: Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N


Saturday, June 17, 2017

Kill them! Snippet from Cosmic Rift for #WeWriWa #SciFi Adventure


Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors. Meet writers in various genres and read 8-10 sentence snippets of their stories.

I’m posting snippets from my forthcoming release, Cosmic Rift, Book 4 in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy.

Blurb
Empath Violet embarks on a new and desperate mission to find her missing lover.
Violet’s happy family is shattered when Athanor Griffin vanishes. The formidable Grand Master might have teleported anywhere in the galaxy. Violet strives to find her psychic partner, while looking after their baby and fulfilling his duties on the Council. Her frantic search uncovers a new threat to galactic civilization along with resurgence of the infamous Ixioth slavers. The Council dithers in response to her call for action, and even her former allies believe the Griffin is dead. She must risk her son, her psi-powers, and her life to rescue her beloved mate in the hope they can unite to fight the menace.

Informal Tag line: Even galaxy-trotting heroines need a babysitter.

I’ve skipped ahead to a new scene and new characters. In her search for Athanor, Violet visits the next place on his agenda, the planet of Ravaleen, Meilai of Marina. Violet learns of explosions and a possible attack on a southern island. She and Ravaleen teleport there to investigate.
Apologies for creative punctuation to fit into 10 sentences.

They emerged on a beach of tawny sand; fragments of shell littered the shore from the tideline above the lapping waves to the base of the craggy cliffs further inland. A line of people trudged toward a spaceship, poised ready for blastoff. Six-legged aliens with glossy black carapaces scuttled alongside the line of thin, hunched figures, the blue-hued inhabitants of the islands. 
Shielding quickly, Violet flung a cloak of invisibility over herself and Ravaleen. Her swift action worked as far as she could tell, no one looked at them or raised an alarm. A small figure caught her attention by the dazed torment of her mind and wobbly legs; the scrawny girl stumbled and fell. The nearest alien lashed an energy whip at the cringing child; whimpering, the girl scrambled back into the line, her pain and misery seared into Violet, hardening her resolve to save them. 
“What are they?” Ravaleen whispered, tilting her dainty chin at the slave masters.
“Voids!” Violet swore, “I’ve seen their hellish kin in Athanor’s memories; they’re Ixioth slavers.”
Her tone rising in fury, Ravaleen hissed, “Kill them!”

Now you have met one of the key antagonists in this story, adding a further impetus to Violet’s search. 
 Cosmic Rift

Cosmic Rift, Book 4 in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy is on pre-order for $2.99 and releases on June 23rd at: Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N

To encourage new readers of this series, Grand Master's Trilogy, the boxset of Books 1-3 is discounted to $2.99 through this weekend. 
 Trilogy

Grand Master’s Trilogy Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N


 Sale
Solstice Special 99c Sale in SciFi Romance runs June 16-19:  http://author.carolvannatta.com/solstice-sfr-99-cent-sale/

I may have to skip the next two weekends since I’ll be in the UK visiting my family and possibly without internet for a few days. 

As always, I’ll be happy to reply to your comments.

Please return to www.wewriwa.com to sample the works of the other writers. 

 MyBooks

Monday, June 12, 2017

Bargain & FREE eBooks in Romance, SciFi Romance, SciFi & Fantasy

 Solstice

June 16-19: Solstice SciFi Romance 99¢ Sale http://author.carolvannatta.com/solstice-sfr-99-cent-sale/

 ShowMe

June 12-16: Show Me the Romance – Bargain eBooks - http://erinbedford.com/romance

 SFF 99c

June 12-18: SciFi & Fantasy 99c - http://sffbookbonanza.com/99c-books/

Sign up for FREE stories

 British

June 12-18: Best of British - FREE eBooks by British Authors http://www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk/p/best-of-british.html

 Mega SFF

June 12-18: Mega SciFi & Fantasy FREE eBooks http://sffbookbonanza.com/freebooks/

 Multigenre IF

June 12-25: FREE eBooks in Multiple Genres - http://www.lincolncole.net/freebies

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Amarylla Threeleaf - Snippet from Cosmic Rift for #WeWriWa #SciFi

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors. Meet writers in various genres and read 8-10 sentence snippets of their stories.

I’m posting snippets from my forthcoming release, Cosmic Rift, Book 4 in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy.

Blurb
Empath Violet embarks on a new and desperate mission to find her missing lover.
Violet’s happy family is shattered when Athanor Griffin vanishes. The formidable Grand Master might have teleported anywhere in the galaxy. Violet strives to find her psychic partner, while looking after their baby and fulfilling his duties on the Council. Her frantic search uncovers a new threat to galactic civilization along with resurgence of the infamous Ixioth slavers. The Council dithers in response to her call for action, and even her former allies believe the Griffin is dead. She must risk her son, her psi-powers, and her life to rescue her beloved mate in the hope they can unite to fight the menace.

Informal Tag line: Even galaxy-trotting heroines need a babysitter.

Violet discovered she has lost the psychic link with her husband, the formidable Athanor Griffin. When her initial effort to restore the connection fails, she sends a message to their ally, Brightness Amarylla Threeleaf. Note, Amarylla communicates by rustling her leaves or emitting scents, and Violet’s translator is not perfect.
(Apologies for slightly irregular punctuation to fit 10 sentences.)

Before five minutes had passed, a pillar of pink radiance appeared in the middle of the library. Spinning to a stop, the shimmering pillar resolved into the giant three-petalled flower of Amarylla. 
Violet sprang to her feet and bowed, “Brightness, you are welcome.”
The scent of roses wafted across the room, and Amarylla rustled, “Peace, friend Violet, Brightness deemed your query urgent.”
“I’m not sure,” Violet admitted, “but, I’ve lost all sense of Athanor. It was sudden, only a few minutes ago.”
“Brightness tastes your acute senses.” Her petals opened wide and the edges crinkled, “You fear the Griffin drifts into danger.”
“But where?” Violet shivered. She reached the tip of her forefinger to touch the edge of a rosy petal, “I have to find him; rescue him if need be.”

 Cosmic Rift

Cosmic Rift, Book 4 in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy is on pre-order for $2.99 and releases June 23rd at: Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N

In my effort to encourage new readers of this series, the boxset of Books 1-3 is discounted to $2.99 this week. 
 Trilogy

Grand Master’s Trilogy - $2.99 at Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N

I may skip some weekends toward the end of June and early July since I’ll be in the UK visiting my family. Possibly without internet – I shudder at the thought of the accumulation of messages. 

As always, I’ll be happy to reply to your comments.

Please return to www.wewriwa.com to sample the works of the other writers. 

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Epic Fantasy and Mythic Elements in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy


The Grand Masters’ Galaxy comprises four full-length novels and a short prequel. The stories in this series combine epic fantasy with space opera and romance. It’s a hybrid of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars with hints of Anne McCaffrey’s stories.

Several Reviewers have enjoyed the fantasy or paranormal aspects of the books:

Fast paced, lots of action and great characters. If you are into fantasy, paranormal and romance then this for you.” https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2D5KTUKGYF3GO/

This was a phenomenal book I enjoyed it so much, it was everything I could wish for in the start of a paranormal series. It left me eager to continue the journey with the grand master and his pawn. Beautifully written, imaginative, romantic and so exciting. I can’t praise it enough.” https://www.amazon.com/review/R221E8NHGJPPS9

“Exciting and vivid sci fi/fantasy/adventure, grounded in real emotions and fully realized characters” http://www.amazon.com/review/R3CANUFT4PBY9D/


Fantasy and Mythic References

You can consider Violet Hunter as a young Elf warrior on a quest. In the course of the first book, she acquires an amethyst crystal, a magic sword, and befriends a dragon, as well as Grand Master Athanor Griffin.  
 
The twelve Grand Masters resemble powerful mages of different species. Some are benevolent, some are malevolent, and others may be indifferent. All Grand Masters emit deadly psychic rays.

The White Mother Tingu is clearly a wise old woman and possibly a witch. She lives in a thatched cottage on the pastoral planet of Avalon.

One of my characters is a dwarf, the Master Smith Stimon, who also shows aspects of the Roman deity, Vulcan. His forge is carved inside a volcanic cone in the mountains of Avalon.  
I don’t have Ents, however, Grand Master Amarylla Threeleaf is a giant flower and glides on thin roots. Eziz often appears as a bunch of twigs, but can expand into a large tree.

The ethereal Elyrians of Erebus resemble elves. They wear gems on their foreheads and communicate telepathically. 


Stories in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy

FREE Short story: Gifts of Jangalore  Amazon  iBooks  B&N  Kobo  Scribd



Short Prequel: Grand Master’s Cat Amazon 

When Grand Master Griffin investigates a wrecked spacecraft, his efforts to rescue the survivors lead to feline disruptions of his plans. 













One young woman challenges the secret rulers of the galaxy, and risks a perilous love.
Young empath, Violet Hunter, dreams of exploring exotic planets as a Grand Master’s pawn. When life-threatening cracks appear in the teleportal web, she is tasked with investigating the disruption. Suspicions point to the twelve Grand Masters, and she must penetrate their curtain of secrecy to identify the culprit. Her challenges escalate when she meets the enigmatic man behind the griffin avatar. She plunges into a world of deadly intrigues and risks a perilous love. Armed with only her erratic powers and a mishmash of allies, she must battle the most powerful beings in the galaxy.





Grand Master’s Game, Book 2 Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N 




Psychically linked lovers fight to save the galaxy.
The rebellious Grand Master, Athanor Griffin, devises a risky plan to uncover the culprits responsible for life-threatening failures in the portal web. His loyal pawn and lover, Violet Hunter, is the key to success as they contend with hostile aliens and Grand Masters. But, she wrestles with her erratic psychic talents and doubts about their unequal partnership. She must surmount her insecurities and recruit allies to survive the inevitable battle with their enemies. Their worst nightmares lie ahead.









Grand Master’s Mate, Book 3 Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N 


Young empath, Violet Hunter, and the crafty Grand Master, Athanor Griffin, tackle the villains threatening civilization.
Their worst enemy rampages across the galaxy, while blocked portals prevent normal interplanetary commerce. Compounding their problems, half the Grand Masters on the Council vow to eliminate Violet. To restore peace, Violet and Athanor embark on a hazardous quest for a weapon hidden by the ancient psychic masters. But the weapon proves elusive, dangers lurk in the ancient sites, and new alliances forged with bizarre entities may not suffice to thwart their foes and save the galaxy.






Grand Master’s Trilogy, Box set of Books 1-3  Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N 


Cosmic Rift, Book 4  Amazon  iBooks  Kobo  B&N  


Empath Violet embarks on a new and desperate mission to find her missing lover.
Violet’s happy family is shattered when Athanor Griffin vanishes. The formidable Grand Master might have teleported anywhere in the galaxy. Violet strives to find her psychic partner, while looking after their baby and fulfilling his duties on the Council. Her frantic search uncovers a new threat to galactic civilization along with resurgence of the infamous Ixioth slavers. The Council dithers in response to her call for action, and even her former allies believe the Griffin is dead. She must risk her son, her psi-powers, and her life to rescue her beloved mate in the hope they can unite to fight the menace.