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Sci Flowers for Mother's Day

A flower-filled Mother's Day edition, containing a scenic excerpt from Angels Fall, more bookish events, a Rhythm of War review (finally!), and more.

Ryan Southwick

May 16, 2023 • 7 min read

Mori Point. Pacifica, CA

Belated Happy Mother's Day! My wife's only ask was to be left alone to enjoy the Diablo IV Server Slam event–and she did. My role was to keep her caffeinated and fed. Mission complete. 😁

The Bay Area outdid itself this year, celebrating this important holiday with an incredible display of color. Here are a few wonderful pics to enjoy from a walk last week around Golden Gate Park.

Any who follow me probably know from my prodigious outdoor posts that I love nature. This month's feature (below) is a serene snippet to celebrate Mother's Day and nature's beauty, sci-fi style. 🌺 + 💕 + 📟 = 😍

This month, I'm participating in a fun event on Mastodon called Writing Wonders, where authors answer a different question every day about their works-in-progress. I've chosen Enigma (Lost Colonies Book 1), although I'm embarrassed to say I have four others in the works (more on those in a bit). It's been a ton of fun so far! You can find all my posts here, no login required.

The New Denver (Timeless Keeper Saga Book 2) beta ends this month. My wife (bless her) is in on the fun this round, and strategizing how she'll get the feedback done by the deadline. The cover art, too, is almost finished. I received the first colored draft this morning. A few tweaks and I think we're there. Can't wait to share!

But the biggest news is about The Z-Tech Chronicles. Angels Adrift (Book 5) is back on track and slated for launch at the end of this month! I've confirmed that Angels Strike (Book 6) is next in line for publishing, so expect to see that later this summer–and, of course, the illustrious cover reveal! José's art, which I'll be sharing next month, captures the story's essence perfectly, and is a marvelous finish to the series.

So yeah, as you can see, I have a serious amount of editing to do this month. 😊

The Meadow – A scenic excerpt from Angels Fall
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The Meadow

A scenic excerpt from Angels Fall

One of my favorite episodes in The Z-Tech Chronicles is Part 1 of Angels Fall (Book 3), which takes place in a remote monastery in China. Being primarily set in San Francisco, this was only the second time the characters had ventured outside of a city setting, and the first time they'd visited somewhere truly lush and green. I became so engrossed that my fingers couldn't type fast enough. Everything just flowed, begging to be put into words.

The result felt like an entirely different story. Layered on top of a breathtaking mountain paradise were the same high-tech characters from previous books: one unexpectedly at home, the other a fish out of water, experiencing nature–and technology isolation–for the very first time. These elements came together to form something... magical that I'm frankly unsure I could ever create again.

The following (mostly spoiler-free) excerpt is from Chapter 5: Meadow, and is just one of many such scenes in Part 1. I like this snippet in particular because it starkly contrasts tech and nature. Enjoy!

– BEGIN –

Across the fields, Master Wung’s flowing robes entered the pine forest. Cappa ran after him, splashing through rice paddies and mud until she reached the tree line. Thermal vision showed the fading heat of his footprints as dark gray against the black of the shaded forest floor. She followed at a brisk pace until she spotted him ahead—a bright white shape among the gray foliage, weaving a path through the trees with grace and ease.

Cappa switched back to normal vision. The world resumed its usual color, and she was once again struck by the beauty around her. Late afternoon sun spun strings of rusty gold through the latticed needle canopy, creating a dazzling display on the dust and pollen that lazily floated by. A breeze rustled the trees with a gentle hush, the only sound other than her heavy footsteps crunching on the dry ground cover. Cappa wasn’t trying to be sneaky. The old man surely knew she was there, but he gave no indication that he cared, so she continued to tail him at a respectful distance.

Deeper into the forest they went. Cappa had once seen Master Wung walk alone into the woods, shortly after they’d arrived. She had been curious about where he’d gone, but no one had followed him, so she and Charlie had simply continued their chores with everyone else.

The answer came when the trees abruptly opened to a breathtaking meadow of poppy and lavender. Master Wung continued his march to the only land feature in the vast sea of color: a large rock near the center, broad and rounded with age, like a gray whale breaching a flower ocean. He walked up the gentle rise and sat cross-legged on one side of the rock, leaving just enough room for Cappa, who obligingly slid in beside him.

They sat in reverent silence among the chorus of crickets and buzzing bees. Cappa was so entranced that she almost felt disappointed when Master Wung finally spoke, his white beard flowing in the breeze.

– END –

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Free Books, Sales, and Events

Now - May 20 – Deliciously Funny Sci Fi & Fantasy. A small assortment of titles to tickle your humerus. (Doesn't have the same ring, does it? Oh well.)
Now - May 30 – High-Stakes Magic (free books). "A fantasy & Sci Fi giveaway where the stakes... are death." Kind of the opposite of the above, like trying to tickle your funny bone, but accidentally banging it on the table instead.
July 1-4 – BayCon 2023: A Night at the Space Opera (Or It Isn’t Over Until the Space Whale Sings). This is the in-person event for science fiction fans in the Bay Area! Star Trek's Robert Picardo will be there, along with a host of other artists and authors. I'll be there as well in the Dealer's Room. Stop by the Water Dragon Publishing table and say Hi!

Currently Reading

Rhythm of War

Finally. FINALLY! After 2+ years of stops and starts, I finished Rhythm of War. It's never taken me this long to finish a book (normally I would DNF after a month or two), but I felt compelled to see this to the end. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed.

Basic problem: it felt like 4 books told at the same time, instead of serially, which created an extremely long build-up (~900 pages worth, yikes!). That said, I don't regret reading it, and I'll be first in line for the next book.

4 out of 5 stars, docking 1 star only for the pacing issues.

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October Eclipse

Last year, the world ended.

I’m trapped on the wrong side of the wall, persecuted for being para.

All I want is to sleep.

Every day, new tech is being developed to hunt us down, new scanners are invading our homes so we can’t hide, and the PPE are getting closer to arresting, killing, or experimenting on us.

I’m a seer who bonded with a tarot deck. I see connections simple visions would miss. I see intentions people would rather I didn’t. I see through masks and deception and desperation. Everyone I know wants to use me to get what they want.

Including one man who hunts me to shape a future no one wants. He’s a shapeshifting siren who could be anyone, anywhere, and he can change a mind with a whisper. He’s using the seers he’s trapped to stay one step ahead of me. There’s nowhere to hide and I’m running out of time.

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My Books

The Z-Tech Chronicles

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.

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