Angels Adrift Update and New Books from Brandon Phillips
Gratuitous smart device integrations. Angels Adrift first draft submitted to the publisher. Holtondome makes it to BBYNA 2026 Round 2. Leviathan and Haze Grey released.
I'm having too much fun with home automation. I never have and still don't trust Alexis and Google Home, but I'm discovering that many devices expose simple APIs for access, information, and control, which are easy to program against. My latest project reads the battery charge level from our Sigen solar plant and continuously updates the color of a smart light in our living room in a red -> yellow -> green gradient for a quick visual. Necessary? No. Fun? Totally. #living-the-scifi-dream
Big news on The Z-Tech Chronicles! My publisher recently asked for the draft of Angels Adrift (Book 5). I dropped everything (e.g. Peleos) and spent the last 2.5 weeks feverishly editing. I hadn't touched that manuscript in 4+ years, so it needed a LOT of work. I finished it up this past Saturday and sent it over. This hopefully means a Q4 publish date. I'll let you know as soon as I have something definitive, but I'm just excited that it's moving. 😂
To celebrate, my very artistic kids have agreed to allow me to commission some character art. Look for some very fun artwork soon!
Last, but certainly not least, Holtondome (Timeless Keeper Saga Book 1) has made it to Round 2 of Book Blogger's Novel of the Year Awards (BBNYA) 2026! Please think positive thoughts for me. 😇 Here's the official Bluesky announcement, in case you feel like sharing 🙏: https://bsky.app/profile/bbnya.bsky.social/post/3mrb37to75k2d
No feature this month, but I do have two very special "currently reading" entries for you below. Hope you enjoy!
In this newsletter
- Book Sales and Events
- Currently Reading
- Other Authors You Might Like
Book Sales and Events
- August 27–31 — WorldCon. World's biggest science fiction convention, this year in the Anaheim Convention Center. I may attend this one.
- October 22–25 — World Fantasy Convention. Another Oakland event. Lots of them there this year, it seems.
Currently Reading
Leviathan (Texian Armada Book 3)
Another striking entry to this naval thriller series has just hit the shelves. Cam and his irreverent band have split across the Seven Seas. A shadowy kingpin, who I loved to hate, works from the shadows to make their lives miserable by, you know, trying to kill them. The old crew pulls together in an action-packed adventure that spans oil rigs, ships, submarines, deserted islands, scuba missions, cyberattacks, and more. A definite can't-miss.
Haze Gray (A Texian Armada Novella)
This memoir-like story dives into Cam's fascinating beginnings. I blazed through this one in an afternoon. Man, my life is boring by comparison. A great companion to the series that gives key insights into what built Cam and crew into an indomitable team.
My Books
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