So where is the next book anyway?

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It’s update time. I’m currently working on First Colony Book 16 and am halfway finished. I expect to finish the book by the end of the month. Then it will be about 3 to 4 weeks to go through editing and revisions before the book is released. 

Why is this book so late? 

I had back surgery at the end of the December and misjudged the amount of time it was going to take for recovery. That’s the long and short of it. I’m doing great now and continue to improve. Recovery took longer than I’d anticipated, and getting back in the chair to write was extremely uncomfortable. Not so much now, with time and a lot of Physical Therapy. I actually love PT. Before surgery, I had such a decrease in mobility that it was affecting everyday life. Now, I’m able to workout like I haven’t done for years. Between working out and actually being able to walk without pain, my health should continue to improve. 

The surgery I had was spinal fusion, lumbar laminectomy, and discectomy. I had severe compression in an old injury area in my lower back, which was causing intense sciatic pain. I’m paying the price for the dumb things I did in my 20s. 

So that has been what’s going on with me. The plan for 2024 is still the same. I plan to write three books in First Colony this year, and beyond that I’m not sure.

The audiobook version of Fallen Earth will be out in the next week or so. I’ve just heard from Scott Aiello that recording is completed and is going through the review process to get it ready for release.

Thank you so much for reading my books. I hope you're having a great year.

Ken

New Book Release and End of Year Thoughts

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This has been a wonderful year, both for me personally and in writing books. Fallen Earth – First Colony Book 15 is the fourth book I’ve released this year. 

A new mission…

Years after the first interstellar colony ship departed from Earth, a contagion known as the Vemus spread across all mammalian life on the planet, giving rise to monstrosities that nearly wiped out all humanity.

Hundreds of years later, the interstellar colonists sent an expeditionary force back to Earth to help the survivors. Among the refugees were a cadre of human survivors who had adapted to resist the Vemus by becoming a hybrid of both.

Old war machines quarantined the Earth, preventing refugees from returning. Lieutenant Ethan Gates nearly died to save the colonial fleet sent to destroy the blockade. He survived by becoming a hybrid, and now they aren’t sure he could be trusted.

After months of being sidelined, Ethan finally returns to active duty, and makes an unexpected discovery…evidence hinting at the origins of the Vemus.

When detractors hinder unification efforts, causing treacherous divides among Earth’s refugees, a much larger threat looms in the shadows.

Fallen Earth is the 15th book in the bestselling military science fiction series First Colony. Don’t miss out on the next thrilling adventure for those who long to explore other worlds and glimpse a future with hope and hardships that challenge the characters to be more than what they were before.

Grab Fallen Earth Here!

What happened this year?

My plan for 2023 was to write a 3 book series and then go back to First Colony.  I released Space Raiders this year, which was a fun sci-fi that tilts more toward humorous adventure than some of my other work. Nathan Briggs was a fun character to write in a witty and leap first sort of way. It’s a lighthearted series meant for easy consumption. The reaction to Space Raiders overall has been very positive, but if you’re looking for something more serious then I doubt this story is for you. 

Last year (2022) when I’d released Expedition Earth (Book 14), the response had been so strong that it motivated me to keep writing stories in First Colony. It’s humbling to know that there is such devotion to a series that was first released toward the end of 2017. If you’ve read the author’s note at the end of Vigilance then you know the unique circumstances surrounding that. 

What’s in store for 2024? 

My plan for 2024 is to keep writing in the First Colony series. I’ve begun work on Book 16 and anticipate that it will be available by April. If I can finish the book sooner, I will. I had to give myself a little bit of breathing room because I’m having back surgery at the end of this month. Prayers for a speedy recovery are always welcome. 

Audiobook for Fallen Earth – First Colony Book 15 – Status: Scott Aiello is onboard to narrate this next book and the release date for that will probably be in April as well. It’s just how it worked out with Scott’s busy schedule. I’m so glad that he’s going to narrate the next book and hasn’t become tired of it 🙂  

I plan to write and release at least three books in 2024. The first slot is dedicated to First Colony Book 16, and I suspect the remaining two slots will be dedicated to books 17 & 18 in the First Colony series. Plans can always change and sometimes life intervenes, but that’s where I’m at today. If you’ve never read the First Colony series, it’s broken up into separate story arcs. The current story arc began with Expedition Earth (Book 14) and continued with Fallen Earth (Book 15). I plan to continue the series along this vein as it expands beyond the settings of the previous stories in the series. 

Beyond 2024? I’m not lacking ideas for stories, so I have plenty to keep myself busy. I will say that whatever books I write in the future will not be a rehash of the work I’ve done in the previous series. That would be boring for me and not fair to you. I do play with science fiction concepts that appear in more than one series, but I like to tweak them a bit so it challenges the characters and me. This is why I only write an average of 3 books a year. Sometimes I can get that 4th one in, like this year, which is great. 

Thank you to everyone who has read or listened to my work. I truly appreciate it and am humbled by your continued support. 

Merry Christmas and I hope you have a blessed New Year.

~Ken

March Madness 2023

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Update time!

Continuing with my adventure stories just for the fun of it theme, I’m two weeks from finishing Space Raiders 2 – Forgotten Empire. Writing the first draft is among my favorite parts about this whole writing gig. Then I’ll roll up my sleeves and do some revisions and polish. After that, the book goes to my editor and eventually my proofreader, and so the merry-go-round goes on.

Space Raiders 2 – Forgotten Empire will be released on May 4th. 

Here is a taste of what’s in store.

Nathan Briggs left his old life behind, but his thirst for adventure remains the same…

And this galaxy has many secrets.

A chance encounter with a strange creature puts Nathan on the trail of a lost civilization that predates everything else in the galaxy.

For thousands of years, many have abandoned the deadly search, but there are powerful forces that will do anything to possess the promised technological marvels that will change everything.

Determined to uncover the truth, Nathan joins the hunt, but when the race for the ultimate prize turns deadly, it will test the loyalty of his crew. To the victor goes the spoils, while the others become yet another tragic end, lost while pursuing the forgotten empire.

I’m only scratching the surface of the story with that description, but I like getting right to the point.

Space Raiders 2 is available for pre-order!

Audiobook update for this series. 

Books 1 & 2 will be recorded in early summer. I’m excited to announce that Space Raiders will be narrated by MacLeod Andrews, who is extremely talented and has a large body of work. I can’t wait to listen to how he brings the characters of this series to life. 

I’ve been asked why I don’t use the same narrator for all my series? It’s because each of my series is different. They have a different tone, center on a unique set of circumstances, and the characters are a mix up of individuals that I’ve created to be in my stories. 

Connor Gates is a veteran soldier who must not only defend a colony, but also teach it how to survive against overwhelming odds. 

Zack Quick is a hacker who works in the shadows seeking justice, only to be pulled into the forefront of a first contact story. 

Quinton Aldren is a naval commander who trained to fight a war that he missed. His consciousness was secretly preserved on a 3rd tier colony world for a hundred years, until it's mysteriously reactived. 

Aaron Jace is the heir of a fallen kingdom, only he doesn’t know it. 

These main characters in my stories have a uniqueness to them that I believe lends itself to be better preserved in audio using different narrators for each series. This avoids hearing the character voices from one series, in another series of mine. It’s a risk doing this because people get attached to their favorite narrators. I know I do, but I also think that eventually it’s nice to hear someone new. 

Whew! This was a long explanation to say that different narrators for different series is great! 

Until next time.

Ken

Oktoberfest

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September turned out to be a hell of a month, which has put a slight delay in my schedule. Not long after my last post, we had the infamous coronavirus come through the house and it didn’t spare anyone. We’re all fine and recovered. I’ve been vaccinated since May, so my case was considered mild. Ten days of flu-like symptoms definitely didn’t put me in the frame of mind to begin writing Acheron Redemption. So covid-19 put a bit of dent in my writing goals for September. After about two weeks of being ill, I got back to it, and I’m about 30% finished with Acheron Redemption. The release of this book will be pushed back a few weeks as a result. I’m aiming for the 1st week of December to release Book 3 in the Federation Chronicles.

In other news, we’re on schedule to release the audiobook for Impulse – First Colony Book 12 by the end of October.

What’s Next?

The next book I’m going to write is First Colony Book 13. That’s lucky number 13. I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

As always, thank you for reading my work.

~Ken

September, Updates, and News!

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It’s been a while, so I thought I’d give you an update. August seemed to go on forever. It was a great month, but a long one. We moved our youngest child to college, which brought back a lot of memories. It’s so much easier to keep in touch than the way way back, going to school in the 90s. I felt lucky to have a phone card with 30 whole minutes to use! We’re almost empty-nesters, which I’m not afraid to say is just weird. Before we had our kids, there was all this preparation, baby-showers, first full night's sleep, teething, school, teenagerdom, etc. Now the house that was once full of life is changing. I guess it’s a house full of memories now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud of my kids, and I’m happy that they get to make their own way in the world. However, as a parent on the receiving end of my kids chasing their own dreams, means it’s going to be an adjustment. Time really does fly by way too fast.  

September has always marked the end of Summer for me. I’ll miss the sunshine, but Autumn in Pennsylvania is a beautiful sight. I look forward to using the fire pit in the cooler evenings. Chances are that won’t happen until the end of the month.

Status Time!

Aside from moving kids to college and taking my jeep out on some trails, I’ve been working on the 3rd book in the Federation Chronicles – Acheron Redemption. I expect to finish pre-writing tasks by the end of the week, and I’ll begin writing the book on Monday. I allotted more time to plan this book to give me time to reread the first two books in the series. My initial plan for this series was three books, and I’ll be sticking with that plan. For anyone following the series, this book is the culmination that the previous books were building up to. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Impulse – First Colony Book 12 audiobook update – The book is being recorded and will be out by the end of October. 

What’s Next?

I’m happy to report that I will be writing another book in the First Colony series. First Colony Book 13! I’m not done with Connor yet, and if reader feedback is any indication, neither is anyone else. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to exploring a few ideas for new series.

As always, thank you for reading my work.

~Ken