Hello again, {$name|default:'reader'}. Or welcome, if you're new!

And I've done it. The next in the 'Martians' series is completed now, and I'll be sending it out to the beta readers next week. I'm happy with the self-editing I've been doing, and I think the extra time I needed to take has paid off. But that doesn't mean I can stop writing, of course! I'm closing in on 1,250 consecutive days of writing more than 200 words, and that's not a streak I want to break. I have the sequel to 'The Fairies Want Me Dead' already drafted, and in need of an edit - but having just finished a pretty gruelling round of editing, I'm not keen to dive in just yet. And it's too soon to start on book 3 in either series... So I might be starting something else. It would make sense to tackle a short story, something to let me do some fun 'first draft' writing again as a palate cleanser. But I do have a lot of ideas in the drawer, and some of them are crying out to be novels... Wish me luck!

Space News

Water fuelled spacecraft thrusters.

Most spacecraft burn propellant and oxidiser, creating high pressure gases. Those fly out of the back of the rocket, propelling it forwards. Some use ion engines, which throw charged particles out instead - much lower thrust, but much higher efficiency. Somewhere in-between are water fuelled thrusters. From the article:

The company argues that the MET can operate at higher efficiencies than chemical propulsion systems while generating more thrust than typical electric propulsion systems. Using water avoids the cost and handling issues associated with other propellants and creates the potential, in the long term, to refuel MET-powered spacecraft with water extracted from the moon or asteroids.

Momentus have demonstrated that it's working, by raising the orbit of a space tug with their technology. They have run into some financial troubles of late, but hopefully this will be a technology that we see more of in the future.

Source: spacenews.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.

Review copy

storyoriginapp.com

A fresh start on another planet? A wrong start, more like.

A grieving and spiritual young woman called Aedre accepts a job in the Firesnake, five light-years from home. It's a tropical archipelago consisting of volcanic islands. But it's also the most deprived area on Planet Kuanja. It was her only chance to get away and start a new life afresh. She can try to forget her heartache and sorrow.

Unlike her home world, the Firesnake still relies on burning fossil fuels for energy and internal combustion engines to get around. Despite the pollution, she's making friends and starting to learn feigong fight-dancing. Things are improving...

Until everything takes a turn for the worse.

UBL

storyoriginapp.com

Being a teenager is difficult enough

As if growing up in the seventies wasn't difficult enough, teenager Isabell Bertrand is also too rebellious for her parents' liking. A novel treatment with hypnosis appears to be the perfect remedy and Dr. Albrecht regresses Isabell to her early childhood and even further back in time. When she is invited to a wedding in Pakistan, she makes a shocking discovery.

Pay It Forward

Free

storyoriginapp.com

A social worker fighting the good fight. A mousy orphan dodging trouble. Can the public servant find common ground before one of them gets permanently kicked to the curb?

Laurel Caine wants to pay it forward. As a case handler in child protective services, Laurel maintains a professional distance from her charges while using her stash of 'secret weapons' to keep them safe. But after she meets a thin, timid girl named Julia, keeping the child at arm's length is proving harder than resisting the call of chocolate.

So when Julia's current foster home wants to ditch her without cause, Laurel bayonets the rules and goes all in. But Julia is a tough nut to crack and wheedling what Laurel needs to know out of her is like pulling teeth from a bucking bronco.

Strange News

Rescue of Sailing Boat

I can think of nothing scarier than getting into difficulty on the ocean. I'm always very aware of how deep the water underneath is, and once you're out of sight of land it's very easy to get disoriented. So when I heard about this sailing vessel that lost its rudder, I was very glad to hear that it all ended well. But imagine their surprise when their distress call was answered by an 18th Century sailing ship. The Gotheborg, the largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship, happened to be in the area and (as required by the rules of the sea) came to offer assistance.

Or in their own words: "This moment was very strange, and we wondered if we were dreaming. Where were we? What time period was it?"

Source: gotheborg.se

Miscellany

Star Wars by Wes Anderson

I think it's safe to say that Wes Anderson's films have a very unique look. So the YouTube channel Curious Refuge has imagined what the auteur might do if allowed to take a crack at the Star Wars franchise. I am not alone in wanting to see the whole movie now.

Source: youtube.com

Lunar Wristwatch

A few newsletters ago I mentioned the need for a decision on time zones on the moon. Any future base (and its inhabitants) will need to be able to keep track of time in a way that makes sense with the long periods of daylight. Back in the 1960s, one watchmaker decided to make a wristwatch with his own idea.

Source: space.com

The Ordnance Survey maps are a staple for hikers and explorers in the UK, with an unparalleled reputation and place in British hearts.

They sometimes do special edition maps, and this one charts the locations of a variety of ancient sites.

Source: shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

And Finally

We're off to a beer festival today. Or it might be a classic car show. Or possibly a food festival. The Spring Festival held in the nearest town is all of the above, and frankly a great day out. Lots of local food and drink to enjoy, and a remarkable collection of classic cars to ogle and try not to leave fingerprints on. It's not been held for a few years, for obvious reasons, so we're hoping that this year will have that special feeling of getting together with old friends for the first time in a while. Speaking of which, we have some friends staying with us for the weekend, and I should really get back to entertaining them. So apologies for a shorter newsletter this time, but we'll be back to regular service next time.