> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Now Boarding for Space Station Hemera - URL: https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/now-boarding-for-space-station-hemera/ - Published: 2024-07-08T16:25:37.000Z - Updated: 2024-08-10T13:26:10.000Z - Description: Moving madness. Timeless Keeper Book 3 update. Character profiles of Enigma's heroines: Britta Silverstar and Crystal Castleton. Book Review: Harrow the Ninth. - Author: Ryan Southwick - Tags: Newsletter, LostColonies We're moving for the first time in 29 years. My life is boxes and trash bags. Why did we keep all this stuff? Oh well. We have 3 days until the movers arrive to finish packing 2 levels. Our kitchen is in the middle of being remodeled, which means no sink, and we already got rid of the food. Come Wednesday, the house will be 98% empty, containing only an air mattress, card table, 2 chairs, toiletries, our laptops, and all the painting supplies in the universe. Charge!! Packing madness and mover deadlines meant I had to skip BayCon this year, which is really sad because I had two new books to share! Oh well, there will be other cons, and being further north means I can explore cons in Oregon and Washington. While the dust settles on the *Project Xerxes* and *Enigma* launches, I've resumed work on Book 3 of the *Timeless Keeper Saga,* which should finish off the series. Seven chapters in and the characters are already starting to surprise me. =\] My team are working hard on editing a video interview we shot in Paris a few months ago. I haven't seen the final results myself, but they say it turned out really well. Look for the full video this month. I know I will be. This month's feature dives a into the protagonists of *Enigma:* Britta Silverstar and her best friend Crystal Castleton. Have your passports ready to visit our first two citizens of the Lost Colonies Alliance! ### In this newsletter - Passport Profiles of Enigma's Heroines - Book Sales and Events - Currently Reading ## Passport Profiles of Enigma's Heroines ### Britta Silverstar ![Mockup of a passport ID page for Britta Silverstar](https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/content/images/2024/07/britta.png) **Role:** Youngest Ambassador in Galilean History, Heir to the Silverstar Legacy. **Setting:** 10,184 A.D., Hemera Station (Space Station Orbiting Planet Enigma). **Background:** - An exceptional diplomat with a prestigious lineage, Britta ascended to her role at a remarkably young age. - Despite her important role, she shares a deep bond with Crystal, a brilliant scientist. **Current Crisis:** - After a drop-ship disaster, Britta is stranded on Enigma, a planet where technology fails. - With only her prized hairpin, she must survive the untamed planet and discover a way to contact the Lost Colonies Alliance before all is lost. **Character Traits:** - *Resilient:* Shows unwavering determination and courage. - *Resourceful:* Uses her diplomatic skills and quick thinking to adapt. - *Dedicated:* Willing to sacrifice her life for the good of the Lost Colonies. ### Crystal Castleton ![Mockup of a passport ID page for Crystal Castleton](https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/content/images/2024/07/crystal.png) **Role:** Brilliant Scientist, Britta’s Childhood Friend. **Setting:** 10,184 A.D., Hemera Station (Space Station Orbiting Planet Enigma). **Background:** - Crystal is a genius scientist, considered the brightest in ten generations. She thrives in solitude, dedicated to her research. - Crystal’s bond with Britta is so strong that she gave up a lucrative career to support her friend’s diplomatic missions across the galaxy. **Current Crisis:** - After a disastrous drop-ship incident, Crystal is on the run, falsely accused of murdering Britta. Her mission to save her colony is complicated by those hunting her. - Her genius is put to the test on a mad flight across the stars, fleeing persecution from every colony, including her own. She must navigate dangerous political landscapes and evade capture, all while trying to stop a plot that threatens the entire Lost Colonies Alliance. **Character Traits:** - *Savant:* Renowned for her scientific knowledge and innovative thinking, few people know she can also perform complex calculations in her head faster than most computers. - *Introverted:* Prefers working alone but is deeply loyal to Britta. - *Determined:* Committed to her research and driven to protect her friend and colony. Look forward to discovering more characters in the upcoming newsletters! [Learn more about Enigma](https://www.ryansouthwickauthor.com/books/enigma?ref=newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com) ## Book Sales and Events - **July 10 —** Moving day. Our stuff will be in Eureka while we finish getting the house ready to sell. (Not book related, but ouch!) - **July 18–21** **—** [Smashwords Summer Sale: Science Fiction and Fantasy](https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ryansouthwick?ref=newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com). Get all my Water Dragon Press titles (Z-Tech Chronicles, One Man's Trash) for 50% off. And oh yeah, there are [other books, too](https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos?ref=newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com). - **July —** Video interview release. A fully edited video interview shot in Paris. Get the inside scoop on the makings of *Enigma* and other juicy tidbits, coming soon! ## Currently Reading I'm between books right now. If you have any suggestions for fun, light-ish sci fi or fantasy reads, please [send them my way!](mailto:me@ryansouthwickauthor.com) ![](https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/content/images/2024/07/book-review-harrow-1.jpg) #### Harrow the Ninth **Harrow* was a bold experiment in second-person perspective that ultimately failed primarily (IMHO) because it sacrificed honest narrative just to maintain an air of artificial mystery. I enjoyed aspects of it, such as Muirs trademark turns of phrase and witty dialogue, but it lacked 93% of its predecessor's charm with 200% more confusion. I only finished it because a friend warned me it would be a slog and I had spent a whole year preparing myself. Sadly, she was bang-on. Cannot recommend. 😔 [Read full review](https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/book-review-harrow-the-ninth/) ## My Books [!["Lost Colonies". 2 book covers: "Project Xerxes" and "Enigma" by Ryan Southwick](https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/content/images/2024/07/lost-colonies-all-books.jpg)](https://www.ryansouthwickauthor.com/series/lost-colonies?ref=newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com) Enigma is an epic science fantasy adventure that fans of The Expanse and Lord of the Rings will enjoy. Download Project Xerxes Free! [!["Timeless Keeper Saga". 2 book covers: "Holtondome" and "New Denver"](https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/content/images/2024/07/timeless-keeper-all-books.jpg)](https://www.ryansouthwickauthor.com/series/timeless-keeper-saga?ref=newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com) On a war-ravaged Earth no longer able to sustain life, a half-blind dome farmer and a mysterious city dweller may hold the keys to humanity's fate. A science fiction dystopian thriller series about forbidden love, mysterious ancient artifacts, hidden powers, and the indomitable human spirit. [!["The Z-Tech Chronicles" featuring 6 techno book covers. "Save the waitress, save the world."](https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/content/images/2024/07/Z-Tech-covers-save-the-waitress.jpg)](https://www.ryansouthwickauthor.com/series/z-tech-chronicles?ref=newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com) In the face of a rising, ancient evil, a traumatized San Francisco waitress may be the only thing standing between humanity and oblivion. **The Z-Tech Chronicles* is a science fiction / urban fantasy saga that follows Anne Perrin on her journey from a traumatized waitress to becoming more than she ever imagined. Download Once Upon a Nightwalker Free! [!["One Man's Trash by Ryan Southwick". Robot hand holding a coin with treasure coins below.](https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/content/images/2024/07/One-Man_s-Trash--social-media-image-.jpg)](https://www.ryansouthwickauthor.com/books/one-mans-trash?ref=newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com) Love collides with adventure when one couple’s romantic getaway turns into a high-stakes journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and the enduring power of connection amidst the stars. [!["Dragon Assassin by Ryan Southwick." Beach and sunset.](https://newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com/content/images/2024/07/dragon-assassin-now-avail-pb-hc-beach.jpg)](https://www.ryansouthwickauthor.com/books/dragon-assassin?ref=newsletter.ryansouthwickauthor.com) Lust and duty tangle inextricably when Charon meets the assassin of her dreams. A steamy dragon shifter romance. 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