Summer Update and a New Book Release!

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First Colony Book 14 – Expedition Earth is available for pre-order and will be released globally at the end of the month. At long last, the colonists will return to Earth.

One last mission…

After a long and exalted military career, General Connor Gates thought he was finally ready to retire. He was wrong.

When interstellar probes sent to Earth’s star system report back 40 years earlier than expected, the colonists learn that humans somehow survived the cataclysmic events of the past…but so did the enemy. 

The colonists owe their lives to the sacrifice made by the people of Earth, but the survivors are struggling and the colonists have the technology to turn the tide. Someone must lead an expeditionary force back to Earth. Connor might have been ready for retirement, but Earth calls, promising answers to what happened so long ago. 

Can Connor and his friends survive one last mission and pay back the huge debt of sacrifice made long ago?

Available on August 31st, 2022

Pre-Order Your Copy!

Writing Expedition Earth allowed me to explore and answer one of the most enduring questions since the series began. What happened to Earth? Did anyone survive? How did they survive? Who are they, and what are their struggles?

One of the things I’ve enjoyed about writing this series is that it builds on itself. The colonists develop new tools and methods to meet the challenges they face. Those things mature as the colonists master new technology. One of the questions I often get asked is whether I’d planned out the entire series, which at this time is 14 books long. The answer to that is, no, I didn’t. This series was developed in chunks, based on ideas that I’ve had and reader reactions to the story. It’s been a great ride, and I look forward to writing more in this series.

I’d planned to have this book ready for release by the end of July, but as I planned and wrote the book, the story proved to be much bigger than I thought. Expedition Earth is the longest book in the series by a wide margin. It’s a big story and one that I was determined to write well. I’m excited at how well the story came together, and I hope whoever reads it enjoys this continuation of the series.

What comes next?

I will be starting a new science fiction series and plan to release the first book in November. In fact, the next few books I will be writing will be in this new series. I do plan to return to writing another book in the First Colony series next year. 

If you happened to wander here and have never read the First Colony series, maybe give it a try. 

As always, thank you for reading my work.

~Ken

New Audiobook Release!

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Infinity – First Colony Book 13 has been released on Audible. Scott Aiello continues to do an amazing job helping to bring these characters to life by delivering a masterful performance.

Venturing into the unknown means pushing the limits of everything thought possible.

10 years ago, the Ark II departed on a long journey through interstellar space, but shortly after they reached their destination, all communications ceased. All attempts to re-establish contact have failed.

Utilizing prototypical FTL technology that he invented, one brave man will lead a small expedition into the unknown to discover the colony’s fate.

The challenges of establishing the first interstellar colony nearly destroyed humanity. What new challenges will the second colony bring?

Start Listening to INFINITY – First Colony Book 13 Here!

I’m currently writing First Colony Book 14. If you’ve been reading the series, then you’ll have a good idea of what this book will be about. Let’s just say that the colonists are returning to the birthplace of humanity. Some for the first time, and others will be facing an old like they’d left behind.

As always, thank you for reading.

~Ken

Why did I write Infinity – First Colony Book 13?

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The First Colony series has had multiple series arcs, from establishing the first interstellar colony, to fighting for humanity’s very survival from a heinous enemy that followed the colonists from Earth’s star system. This arc was explored in the first three books of the series. Books 4 – 11 explored a second arc where the colonists further explored New Earth and made some significant discoveries. I’m not going to distill a story that took 7 books to write into a few sentences. However, it was the growth and struggles faced by the characters during that second series arc that led me to write a third series arc. Impulse – First Colony Book 12 introduced some new characters, and I was able to explore some of the struggles that the colony faced as it matured into a post-war society. Struggles that included interspecies dealings and diplomacy, or a lack of diplomacy among various groups, both human and not, that struggle to move on from a brutal history. 

Infinity – First Colony Book 13 continues to build on the rich history established in the preceding books, but I think the story can stand on its own. Infinity is an exploration story built around the development of FTL technology. Most technological developments go through a learning curve as it’s perfected, and FTL is no different. What goes hand in hand with this concept is exploring a new planet, encountering new life forms, and a good old fashion adventure story. 

I am currently working on First Colony Book 14. Yes, I’m continuing the series. No, I don’t have any number of books planned. However, I do think that there is potential for a few more books in the series. I have several ideas written out, but this will depend on whether there are enough readers interested in keeping this series going. The stories I’m writing in the First Colony series have moved beyond the initial characters established in the earlier books, although they still show up on the center stage. I never enjoyed reading stories that felt like a rehashing of earlier events. In my mind, characters grow and change over time. It’s been twenty or thirty years since humans arrived on New Earth. Plenty of time for characters to evolve and, in some cases, regress, but the problems they face also change over time. The story for Infinity seemed like a natural progression of this series as the characters learn and adapt for what may come in the future.

I’m extremely excited about the upcoming release of Infinity – First Colony Book 13, and I hope that whoever reads it, enjoys a little escapism for a jaunt through interstellar space. There definitely will be a few bumps along the way.

Happy trails.

Ken

Venturing into the unknown means pushing the limits of everything thought possible.

10 years ago, the Ark II departed on a long journey through interstellar space, but shortly after they reached their destination, all communications ceased. All attempts to re-establish contact have failed.

Utilizing prototypical FTL technology that he invented, one brave man will lead a small expedition into the unknown to discover the colony’s fate.

The challenges of establishing the first interstellar colony nearly destroyed humanity. What new challenges will the second colony bring?

Available on APRIL 2, 2022

Pre-Order Your Copy!

Happy New Year and a New Audiobook Release

Posted on by Ken

First, thank you to everyone who read Acheron Redemption – Federation Chronicles Book 3. Feedback has been very positive, which is always appreciated. The audiobook was released just a few days ago. Phil Thron did an amazing job bringing these characters to life. A link for the audiobook is below.

Quinton thought the Sentinels were malfunctioning fleets of warships left over from the Federation Wars, but they’re much worse.

The Sentinels are a menace, terrorizing spacers across the galaxy in their hunt. But change is coming, and spacers across the galaxy will have to choose whether to fight for their future.

With Sentinel fleets preparing a major incursion, Admiral Quinton Aldren must get the new Alliance space navy into fighting shape. But how can he build an armada when most spacers believe he’s the enemy?

Start Listening to Acheron Redemption Here

This year I plan to release at least 3 books. I will probably get a 4th book written, but it won’t be released until January next year. I will write two books in the First Colony series back to back. After that, I will write a new series. So there you have it. Target dates are listed below. I usually have a story planned before I come up with a title, hence the TBDs.

INFINITY – First Colony Book 13 – April 2022. Pre-order will be up soon.

TBD – First Colony Book 14 – July 2022

New Series – October 2022

I’m hoping for the best in 2022, and to provide a little escapism throughout the year. Thank you for all your support, and I hope you all have a safe and healthy new year.

Looking back at 2021, I’m pleased with the three books I released. I’ve increased my exercise routine because being healthy is the best way to fight off any disease. I also learned that I have arthritis in my big toe! Who knew that could happen. I thought I broke it. No more lunges for this guy. 

I plan my books before I write them. This usually takes me anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks. Then it’s another 5 weeks to write out that first draft. Editing and revisions take another 3 to 4 weeks after that. Revisions don’t take up as much time as they used to and that’s because of the planning I do ahead of time. Experience also helps. I’ve written 26 books that comes out to 2.2 million words published. I do still work to improve my craft because that’s just the way my mind works. I know I can do better, so I seek to keep pushing the bar for stories higher and higher. It’s one of the things that I see in reviews and when people reach out to me. Thanks for noticing 🙂 

I’ve pulled back my time on social media. It seems like a growing trend for people, which I think is a good thing. It’s just not as fun as it used to be. I still check-in with the Facebook group. I’ve been reading more books lately and even binged watched a few shows, but there is definitely a lack of options finding something good to watch and get invested in. But, there isn’t a lack of good books to read!

I generally don’t share a heck of a lot about my personal life. I’m a proud papa of two boys (Young men now) who are both away at college. I guess this makes my wife and I empty-nesters. I honestly can’t believe how fast the time goes by. It’ll be an adjustment, much like everything else. Maybe I’ll write more! I know I won't worry any less. So that’s it from me. Plan, write, exercise, learn, and probably a few things I’m forgetting. Rinse and repeat for 2022.

Happy New Year!

~Ken

New Book Release!

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It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve released a book—129 days but who's counting? 

I am. 

Tracking things like that is kinda my thing, but I think a few others are patiently waiting for the next book.  

Acheron Redemption – Federation Chronicles Book 3 will be released on December 10th and will conclude this series. My plan for this series was to be three books for the main storyline. However, the universe is always there if I choose to go back to it or if readers demand I write more stories in this series. 

Here is a taste of Acheron Redemption.

Sentinel warships were the answer to the Federation Wars. They brought peace and stability…or so they thought.

The Sentinels are a menace, terrorizing spacers across the galaxy in their hunt. But change is coming, and spacers across the galaxy will have to choose whether to fight for their future.

Quinton thought the Sentinels were malfunctioning fleets of warships left over from the Federation Wars, but they’re much worse. They’re an instrument of control meant to hold the galaxy stagnant in its development.

With Sentinel fleets preparing a major incursion, Admiral Quinton Aldren must get the new Alliance space navy into fighting shape. But how can he build an armada when most spacers believe he’s the enemy?

Quinton will fight. All that remains is how many spacers will join him to fight for humanity’s future.

Grab Acheron Redemption Here!

Prologue

A galactic historical excerpt. 

Personality Matrix Construct (PMC) was first developed by Miles Harding of the Acheron Confederacy to upload a person's mind to an Energy Storage System (ESS). With the help of a highly complex set of virtual intelligences, they manage the human consciousness to machine interface. PMCs augmented existing combat technology, vastly increasing their effectiveness, surpassing traditional cyberwarfare suites. 

PMC technology was first adopted by the Acheron Confederacy to push back against the tyranny of the Jordani Federation. But the technology couldn’t be contained to one federation and spread throughout the galaxy. PMC degradation began to occur with alarming frequency where entire federations lost control of their most powerful warships. Rogue PMCs attacked civilian population centers across the galaxy in an ever-expanding tide of death and destruction, causing the Federation Wars.

Once a highly decorated naval officer in the ACN, Grand Admiral Elias Browning was branded a traitor and war criminal. Browning was believed to be responsible for the corruption of PMCs and the Federation Wars.

To cope with an increasing list of atrocities by PMC controlled fleets, galactic federations devoted their vast resources to the Sentinel initiative to create and repurpose existing fleets. Sentinel warships were operated by highly restricted versions of PMCs, whose only purpose was to hunt down and eliminate all PMCs from the galaxy.

The Federation Wars continued for decades, destroying most federations' core worlds throughout the galaxy. Subsequent skirmishes increased as spacers competed for what little resources were left. All the while, Sentinel fleets roamed the galaxy, hunting for PMCs.

Post Federation War society saw the rise of the salvager unions and mercenary groups. Galactic residents had to adapt to life aboard space stations, colony ships, and planetary habitats on barely hospitable worlds. The central command that controlled the Sentinels had been destroyed during the wars. Attempts were made to disband Sentinel fleets, but all attempts failed, and remnant fleets were no match for Sentinel warships. Spacers soon learned that coexistence with the Sentinels was far less dangerous than resisting them. 

Decades after the Federation Wars, Sentinel fleets continue to send scout forces to patrol star systems. The only communication from the Sentinels were to demand the compliance of space stations and starships alike as they searched for PMCs. Something hidden among the vast reaches of the galaxy began broadcasting PMC activation signals, and much to any spacers’ surprise was that there were PMCs who answered the call.

The Sentinels increased their patrols, hunting for PMCs and destroying them heedless of whatever stood in their way. On the galactic fringe, one PMC reactivated who managed to avoid the Sentinels. His name is Quinton Aldren, a Galactic class PMC with authority to command other PMCs. Since Quinton’s reactivation, startling new discoveries were found about the origin of the Federation Wars. Discoveries that will change the galaxy and expose the true purpose of the Sentinels.

Both the ebook and the print books will be available on December 10th!

Order Acheron Redemption Here!

Final Thoughts.

I hope you consider reading this book and the rest of the Federation Chronicles. It was a fun series of books to write and I’ll miss these characters moving forward. The audiobook version for this book should be available by March.

Happy Holidays.

Ken