NEW YEAR PLANS FOR 2024

 

The year 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of my foray into publishing novels. I published my SciFi novels: The Lady is Blue, Dragons of Vkani, A Tale of Two Colonies, and Captured by the Hawk in 2014. Also, I published my young adult fantasy novella, Rosemary’s Quest, although with a different title. This prolific output was because I had written The Lady is Blue, Rosemary’s Quest, and parts of A Tale of Two Colonies some years earlier. Later in the year, I hope to celebrate my tenth anniversary as an author by making a special edition of at least one of these stories.

 

This year, we celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Dragon. In honor of the Year of the Dragon, I am planning a Kickstarter campaign to create an Art Book, Whimsical Creatures, with images of mythical animals and short poems or pithy messages. The book cover(s) will feature dragons. Other images will have unicorns, anthropomorphic cats and dogs, fairies, merfolk etc.

Please join my campaign at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/auroraspringer/whimsical-creatures-an-art-book-of-fantastic-animals

 

NEW STORIES/BOOKS

1. I will continue work on the third book in my new epic fantasy series, the Oakenwald Chronicles. For the fourth book in this series, I plan to revamp a different unpublished story.

2. Next, I have some ideas for novella-length stories in my SciFi/Space Opera series, Second Chances in Space.

3. I will continue making beautiful books with illustrations of my stories. AI-art plus photo-editing can provide fantastic images of characters, scenes, and simply pretty art. You can see examples at WhimsicalArt. Two of my special illustrated books (Super Starrella and the Oakenwald Chronicles) were published in 2023 as a result of successful Kickstarter campaigns. 

 

DIRECT BOOKSTORE

All my stories are available at a discount from my virtual store https://payhip.com/AuroraSpringerNovels.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

I post images and videos about nature, my travels, my books and art on Facebook,  Twitter/X,  YouTube, and Instagram 

 

Report on my Writing and Art for 2023

 

In 2023, I published a SciFi novel, an epic fantasy story, and ran two Kickstarter campaigns for special illustrated hardback editions of two books. Also, I created and polished digital art images for print-on-demand.

 

NEW BOOKS

I published two novels in different genres and series.

In March, I published Karrik, Book 6 in Taxyon Space, near-future Sci-Fi adventure and romance. 

The fates of six people are at stake. 

Karrik Kenton Tallis, Third of the Flaming Comets, endures a miserable existence in a hospice on his home planet. Unable to walk or speak more than a single word, he misses his older brothers and is unaware of their sacrifice to ensure his care. He cherishes a faint hope of recovering his health.

Karrik’s life improves when his brothers return to Rishalt with their human companions. Alarik, First of the Triad, is escorting Phoebe Wong with her brother and a mysterious alien object for an audience with Prime Jadel. The middle brother, Baswin, is traveling home with Holly and Rosie Moon. The Moon sisters are enrolled in an experimental program to train human psychics to navigate in hyperspace and relieve Earth’s governments of their onerous reliance on Warrish tripilots. Rosie, a psychic healer, desires to help Karrik despite the conflict with her duty to humanity.

But the water world of Rishalt holds many hazards, both above and beneath the waves. Can the alien treasure help the three brothers to conquer the challenges and unite with their chosen partners? Read the scintillating story of the Flaming Comet brothers to learn the answers.

https://www.auroraspringer.org/p/karrik.html

 

Early in December, I published Bridget Bramble and the Dragon Ship. This book is the sequel to Bridget Bramble and the Wandering Elf and establishes my new epic fantasy series, Oakenwald Chronicles. 

 Step into the fabulous realm of Oakenwald with Bridget Bramble and the Dragon Ship!

Bridget Bramble hopes to make a home with the elf, Windswift, in the peaceful land of Oakenwald. But, her hopes for a peaceful life are crushed when news arrives of a fleet of enemy ships threatening the southern shores. The enemy’s pincers are closing about the enchanted land. Once a humble herbwife and button maker, Bridget and her elf partner are recruited into a perilous mission to scout the roads to the southern port. The perils increase as they travel farther from the elf queen’s domain. Will Bridget’s handful of spells and Windswift’s keen sword be sufficient to defeat the invaders and ensure the safety of the warded land?

https://www.auroraspringer.org/p/bridget-bramble-and-dragon-ship.html

     

KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGNS

This year, I ventured into Kickstarter and ran two low-key, yet successful campaigns for illustrated hardbacks of different books. My third campaign is at the pre-launch stage.   

1) In May, I ran a Kickstarter campaign to create a Special Illustrated Edition of Super Starrella. The campaign reached the funding goal, enabling me to make the special edition in eBook, Paperback and Hardback formats. Each format includes a special chapter image and 7 color illustrations of characters or scenes from the story. This Special Illustrated Edition of Super Starrella is only available in my WebStore at https://payhip.com/b/Bnh4g.

 

2)   In September and October, I ran a Kickstarter campaign to create a Special Illustrated Edition of the Oakenwald Duology. The Oakenwald Duology comprises the first two books in my new epic fantasy series, the Oakenwald Chronicles (Bridget Bramble and the Dragon Ship and Bridget Bramble and the Wandering Elf). The special edition includes custom chapter headers and 21 color illustrations of characters or scenes from the story. The Special Illustrated Oakenwald Duology is only available in my WebStore at https://payhip.com/b/cYhDJ.

 

3)   My next Kickstart campaign is in pre-launch. I propose to create an Art Book with 100 pictures of Whimsical Creatures. If you love dragons, unicorns, and fairies, follow my project at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/auroraspringer/whimsical-creatures-an-art-book-of-fantastic-animals  

    To celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Dragon, I plan to launch the campaign in the middle of January and run through February.

ART

Find Aurora’s Whimsical Art at her Fine Art Store: https://www.playfulgallery.com/digital-art

Top-quality prints with or without frames, and selected merchandise.

Or at her RedBubble shop for a wider variety of merchandise:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/auroraspringer/shop

 

PRINT

All my books are available in paperback. Check individual titles on my Catalogue.

AUDIO

More than half of my stories are available as Audiobooks.

(See my Catalogue)

 

Direct Bookstore.

My books are available at a discount in my virtual store (https://payhip.com/AuroraSpringerNovels).

 

I invite you to join me on Facebook,  Twitter/X,  YouTube, and Instagram 

The Joys and Tribulations of AI-generated Art.

 

AI-art is fun! I have spent more than a year creating AI-images. Despite significant improvements in the algorithms in the past year, the initial images often contain errors. Undesirable features are common and annoying when creating images of people or mythic creatures.

This post illustrates some common problems and describes the fixes for those errors.

Here is an image of a dragon created in NightCafe Studio. Can you see the problems? 

I’ve outlined three errors in the dragon’s anatomy in the next image. 

These types of errors are relatively easy to fix by photo-editing in software such as Photoshop or GIMP (free). The extra leg and pieces of wing can be erased or replaced by background colors. I also brightened the eye. The corrected image is shown below:

This image and other dragons are available as prints or on merchandise like totes, mugs, and T-shirts at https://www.playfulgallery.com/digital-art

And at https://www.redbubble.com/people/auroraspringer/shop

 

You can find more fantastic animals in pictures and poems at my campaign -   https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/auroraspringer/whimsical-creatures-an-art-book-of-fantastic-animals

Follow the campaign to join the fun and help to choose pictures for the Art Book, Whimsical Creatures.  

The Oakenwald Chronicles - New Epic Fantasy Series

 

The Oakenwald Chronicles is my new epic fantasy series.

See https://www.auroraspringer.org/p/oakenwald.html

This new series evokes the grit and whimsy of old folk tales.

In a world tormented by cruel invaders, Oakenwald, the fabled land where elves and men live in harmony, is a beacon of peace and freedom.

 

Book 1: Bridget Bramble and the Wandering Elf

 

A young witch escapes the destruction of her home and seeks the fabled land where elves and humans live in peace.

In a land threatened by cruel invaders from the east, Bridget Bramble lives in a small village where she barters herbs and carved buttons. When marauders target her village and murder her family, she flees into the woods. Armed with her Granny’s advice and a bag of magic buttons, she sets out on the perilous journey to Oakenwald, the fabled land where elves and men live in harmony. As she travels farther from home, she encounters malicious creatures from the worst kind of folktale. 

Lost in the foothills of the mountains, Bridget meets the elf, Windswift the Wanderer. He offers to guide her across the mountain range. But what is the elf doing in human lands? Can an ordinary, or almost ordinary, human girl trust a cold hearted elf to lead her to safety? 

Epic fantasy adventure and romance with darker overtones. This story weaves elements of folklore and a quest for a safe haven in a land where magic is real and dangerous. 

 

Book 2: Bridget Bramble and the Dragon Ship

 

Step into the fabulous realm of Oakenwald with Bridget Bramble and the Dragon Ship!

Bridget Bramble hopes to make a home with the elf, Windswift, in the peaceful land of Oakenwald. But, her hopes for a peaceful life are crushed when news arrives of a fleet of enemy ships threatening the southern shores. The enemy’s pincers are closing about the enchanted land. Once a humble herbwife and button maker, Bridget and her elf partner are recruited into a perilous mission to scout the roads to the southern port. The perils increase as they travel farther from the elf queen’s domain. Will Bridget’s handful of spells and Windswift’s keen sword be sufficient to defeat the invaders and ensure the safety of the warded land?  

Look out for Book 3 in 2024!

 

THANKSGIVING SPECIAL for Sci-Fi and FANTASY eBooks

 

Check my books at https://payhip.com/AuroraSpringerNovels

Use Code KWMMPYDROI for 30% discount on any book.

You can choose from 26 books in five different series.

This deal is an excellent bargain for my boxsets. 

Browse my art for prints or other merchandise at RedBubble and WhimsicalArt. 

Book Bargain Bonanza for Fall 2023 #SciFi and #Fantasy

Bargain Bonanza: the first Books in my 4 longest series will be discounted to 99c through October 31^st!

 

GRAND MASTER’S PAWN, Book 1 in the Grand Masters’ Galaxy, Science Fantasy with psychics in space and dragons.

One young woman challenges the secret rulers of the galaxy and finds an impossible love.

Young empath, Violet Hunter, dreams of exploring exotic planets as a Grand Master’s pawn. But breaks in the teleportal network threaten countless lives, and suspicions point to the twelve Grand Masters. Violet 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.

Fans of Anne McCaffrey’s stories will love this epic science fantasy series starring super psychics, dragons and a variety of aliens.

99c at my Webstore and other retailers.

See the complete series (to date) at https://www.auroraspringer.org/p/grand-masters-galaxy.html

 

 

EUROPA, Book 1 in Taxyon Space, Near future Sci-Fi thriller and alien romance.

What alien creatures lurk under the icy surface of Europa?

Dr. Nikki Bell’s plan to discover intelligent life on Jupiter’s moon hits a rocky start when her spaceship crashes on the icy surface of Europa. Seconds before she blacks out, she spies a man’s face in the water beneath the ice. When she wakes on the submarine Station, nobody believes her story. Convinced the mysterious stranger saved her life, Nikki searches for him while she explores the ocean and its alien inhabitants. 

Kiron Arqin Ramis chose exile as a Watcher on a remote outpost to redeem his family’s honor. He never expected to find an attractive Earther woman close to death. He violates the prime policy by rescuing her. Despite suffering the penalty, he strives to warn her about his hostile leaders.

Nikki’s unexpected meeting with Kiron triggers a chain of disasters in Europa’s perilous oceans. Can the daredevil scientist and scarred Watcher forge a new alliance despite their people’s antagonism?   

The stories in this series are set on Jupiter’s moon, Europa, Mars, a near future Earth, and two planets in a remote star system.

99c at my Webstore and other retailers.

See the complete series (to date) at https://www.auroraspringer.org/p/taxyon-space.html

 

 

Super Starrella, Book 1 of the Secret Supers series, Superpowered college students with fantastic animals.

Teen superhero, Starrella, and her flying horse combat vicious killers in the skies of Atalanta.

The quiet summer before her freshman year turns frighteningly weird after Estelle Wright trespasses onto an Army base. Blown into the air and knocked unconscious, she wakes with a nascent superpower. Not to mention a winged horse with a snarky attitude and a mind of her own.

Back home in Atalanta, a serial killer is targeting the students at Goldman University. Before long she must juggle college classes with sneaking out of the house after dark to battle alien monsters. Estelle’s life is in danger, but who can she trust: handsome Mark Copper from military intelligence, or hunky Toby, the tough gangster with a motorbike? Both men have secret agendas, but falling in love is not in their plans.

Superheroes at college, quirky animal sidekicks, and a dash of romance enliven this thrilling adventure. Book 1 of the Secret Supers.

99c at my Webstore and other retailers.

See the complete series (to date) at https://www.auroraspringer.org/p/secret-supers.html

 

 

The Lady is Blue, Book 1 in Atrapako on Eden, Sci-Fi and Alien Romance.

Intrepid scientist thwarts invasion of scaly aliens.

Dr. Lucy Stannis’ quiet life on the remote colony is shattered when a crippled alien spaceship descends. She is thrilled to meet the captain, the formidable Sa Kamizan Veedak. But, the arrogant scaled Atrapako disdain the puny humans. Their plans for domination threaten the whole colony as well as her budding friendship with Sa Kamizan. Lucy must employ her skills as a covert Terran spy to discover the aliens’ secret vulnerability and save the planet.

If you like plucky heroines and mysteries where deceptions abound, then you’ll enjoy this science fiction adventure and sweet romance with a surprise twist at the end.

99c at my Webstore and other retailers.

See the complete series (to date) at https://www.auroraspringer.org/p/atrapako-on-eden.html

 

 

Captured by the Hawk, Book 1 of Second Chances in Space, Space opera and second chance romance with interstellar spies and space pirates. The books can be read in any order.

Intrepid Irish Spy Tangles with Notorious Space Pirate

Katrina Sligo leads a double life. She works undercover as Grey Kat, the interstellar thief, while she is also Mistress Trina, a welcome visitor in the Imperial court. Grey Kat is escaping with stolen codes when she is captured by notorious pirate, Captain Black Hawk, a stern man who hides his face behind a mask. In order to buy her freedom, she agrees to help him to steal one of the Emperor’s spaceships. But the heist goes terribly wrong. Soon, they are dashing across the galaxy with the Emperor’s troops in hot pursuit. The two fugitives struggle to escape and protect their secrets. Can they reconcile their differences in time to elude their enemies?

Grab your copy and dive into the comic misadventures of Grey Kat and Captain Hawk.

99c at my Webstore and other retailers.

See the complete series (to date) at https://www.auroraspringer.org/p/second-chances-in-space.html

 

The two books in my new epic fantasy series, Chronicles of Oakenwald, are available in my Kickstarter campaign for the Oakenwald Duology. 

My Kickstarter Campaign for the Oakenwald Duology is live!

 

Join my campaign to create a special illustrated edition of the epic fantasy Oakenwald Duology.

The Oakenwald Duology includes two books in my new series: 1) Bridget Bramble and the Wandering Elf, and 2) Bridget Bramble and the Dragon Ship. 

 

The Special Edition of the Oakenwald Duology will have custom header images for each chapter and color illustrations of characters and scenes in the stories. 

Check for more details about the stories and Special Edition at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/auroraspringer/oakenwald-duology-new-series-and-special-hardcover-edition

HOW CAN YOU BACK A KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN? 

1.    Click on “Back this Project”

2.    Select Your Reward from the list.

3.    Click on the Green Button to Pledge

4.    You will need to log in to Kickstarter to provide payment details.

5.    Your pledged funds will be taken at the end of the campaign ONLY if it has reached the total funding goal.

6.    Wait for your reward to arrive.

Note: Kickstarter does not provide the funding to the author until about 2 weeks after the end of the campaign. The author will give updates about the fulfillment of the rewards. 

Please support my campaign by pledging at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/auroraspringer/oakenwald-duology-new-series-and-special-hardcover-edition

 

 

Our Trip to Britain in August 2023: Part 2 Mousehole and Ancient Sites in Cornwall

 

During our stay in Cornwall, UK, we visited several other places after Land's End.

We hiked on steep footpaths down to the small fishing village of Mousehole, pronounced ‘Mouzelle’. The header image shows the view from the hill overlooking Mousehole.

 One morning, we visited the local megaliths, the Merry Maidens stone circle. We often passed isolated megaliths and stone crosses, although we don’t know if they were standing at the original sites.

 

Another afternoon we walked to a hill top with a pile of rocks called Chapel Carn Brea. Five Dartmoor ponies were grazing near the rocks. I took a picture of three horses.

 On the same day, we hiked across footpaths to another hill with an ancient site called Bartine Castle. Most of the stones were deep in the heather and gorse. We found a Holy well on top of the hill. Stones are placed around a well of water from a spring.

 Finally, here’s a hazy view over lovely Porthcurno Beach with light yellow sand and turquoise-hued sea. Two ponies were sheltering in the rocks. The cliffs are steep here and rain was forecast, so we refrained from climbing into the crowded beach.

After our week in Cornwall, we drove to my brother’s house for more family get-togethers. People in their extended family often drop in for a meal or stay the night.  

This will probably be my last post from the UK since we’re flying back to Atlanta in a couple of days. 

If you missed Part 2, look here –

https://auroraspringer.blogspot.com/2023/08/our-trip-to-britain-in-august-2023-part.html