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Newsletter Archive
June 11, 2022
2022-06-11
Hello again, Reader.
Since my last newsletter I've been editing some more (and my finger has healed up nicely, thank you). It's still proving rewarding but challenging, and so I'm breaking it up from time to time with outlining the next 'Martians' book. So if you're wondering what happens next, I'm currently working it out!
What do you think life will be like for the protagonists of 'Return of the Martians'? I'm setting up some very interesting challenges for them, and am also exploring what the world itself would look like after the invasion, something that I'm finding very exciting! This is one of my favourite parts of the writing process, brainstorming what can (and can't) happen, exploring ideas to see if they can support the weight of a story or a sub-plot, and letting myself be surprised by what my subconscious comes up with when I'm not looking...
Space News
twitter.com
The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter (and I'm still amazed every time I think about a helicopter on another planet) scouted out the spot on the surface where it came down. The back shell which protected the craft during atmospheric entry and the parachute that slowed it down are both visible in this video.
And some clever chap has rendered it as a 3d image you can fly around! Give this a moment to load, the quality is remarkable. And if you have a 3d printer you can even make your own copy.
Source: twitter.com
Other Books To Check Out
I've gathered a few great books from independent authors like me, I hope you'll check them out.
And let me know if you have any books to recommend! I'm particularly interested in indie authors, but anything you've read and loved would be awesome.
Thread Of Lies
Free
A ski resort murder mystery
A college professor is a primary suspect in a murder investigation at the ski resort. Detective Billy Crow, a relic of the mountains, is leading the case. Can they find the culprit and unravel the digital thread?
Run Red
Amazon
He killed my mother and I will end him if it's the last thing I do.
I was only nineteen when it happened. The feathers, the blood. Him. A hulking onyx male with wings as dark as night.
Then he was gone, and I was left with her cooling body and a hole the size of his fist in my chest.
My uncle saved me that night, trained me, and gave me a purpose. Every step I take, every battle I fight, gets me one step closer to him.
All monsters must die; but he's at the top of my list.
Amazon 99p
Five Stories of Supernatural Carnage
Five stories of supernatural carnage. Including five kick-ass women. With five unique powers. On five different worlds.
KU
In a pulse-quickening science fiction thriller, colonist Jimmy Ray and airwoman Malika El Alami confront a disastrous conspiracy.
Mars, sand refinery, 2102. As colonist Jimmy Ray wants to secure a harvester from a fatal sandstorm, he collapses due to foreign memories. His colleague Malika saves his life at the last moment-in a heroic act.
Reviews really help authors out, I bet you never buy something online without checking the reviews and ratings first, right?
Well here's a great way to do it - a huge list of books in Kindle Unlimited that could use your help. If you have KU, then they're free to read, and it's really easy to leave a review when you're done.
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Once you're in, check out this list of great SciFi books:
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Strange News
Are crows smarter than a seven-year-old?
Crows are often linked with mythology and magic, in part because of their remarkable intelligence. It's been estimated that they have similar problem solving and social skills to a seven year old child.
This video does a great job of summarising some of the surprising ways that crows use that intelligence, such as remembering the faces of those who annoyed or endangered them, constructing tools, and even planning for future activities.
Source: youtube.com
Miscellany
Why Every Writer Should Play Dungeons & Dragons
How storytelling can benefit from roleplaying games. And not just fantasy stories, too!
Don't dip your pen in someone else's blood.
How to (and how not to) approach writing about a culture of which you are not a part.
After Man: A Zoology of the future
This was a fascinating diversion when I tried to imagine what the Earth might look like after the invasion. Obviously evolution won't have had time to change anything over the time scale of my novels, but while this book might not have been helpful, it certainly was intriguing.
And Finally
Why 'The War of the Worlds'? I'd always loved the story, and pretty much everything that H.G. Wells wrote. Living in Woking I heard a lot about him, and a statue of a Martian tripod stalks above the town centre, accompanied by a crashed cylinder and a representation of the bacteria that felled the invaders.
A few years ago, a statue of Wells himself was commissioned, and I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase the maquette created by the artist which won him the job. It's cast in aluminium, and notably the full-size is a mirror image, as they wanted the final statue to face towards the Martian sculpture from its location.
You can see the full size one here:
Source: en.wikipedia.org