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A collection of 115 posts

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2022 In Review, 2023 Ahoy

As with every year, 2022 had its ups and downs, but I'd like to reflect on the good book-related things that happened, with the hope of doing even better in 2023. My contributions to the boatload of great novels published by author across the world last year included:

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Character Spotlight: Cappa

Name: Cappa Z Series: The Z-Tech Chronicles Occupation: Chief Operations Officer at Z-Tech Enneagram Type: 3 - Achiever Gender identity: Female Age: Appears 30 Height: 5' 7" Weight: Appears 138 lbs. Hair: Dark brown Eyes: Blue Complexion: Fair with pink undertones Q & A What is your perfect

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Enigma officially announced

Two official new book announcements in one week? How is that possible? Did I really write a second book in that short a time? I wish I was that cool. I started Enigma long before New Denver and had mostly finished it, but I put it aside in favor of

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New Denver officially announced

When a book gets a description and its own page on the website, you know stuff is getting real. New Denver (Timeless Keeper Saga Book 2) is heading for second-draft status and will be in the hands of beta readers soon. That means no more procrastinating on blurbs and placeholder

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The Z-Tech Chronicles Rebranded

I'm pleased to finally be able to unveil the rest of April's hard work. The Z-Tech Chronicles has a brand-new, science fiction look! Anyone who's read Angels in the Mist can tell you science fiction and technology play a major role in the series.

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Angels Adrift - Cover Reveal

Artist José del Nido and designer April Klein are on a roll! I'm so happy to finally be able to share this second-to-last cover in the series. I gave José a challenging request for an underwater sinking scene that also fits within the cover design. It took some

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Crossover Character Interview: Seg Holton

Cappa and Zima from The Z-Tech Chronicles interview Seg Holton from the Timeless Keeper Saga. This is the first of hopefully many cross-series character interviews from the diverse universes and timelines that my books span. They're standalone and spoiler-free, so even if you haven't read a

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Author Interview - Small Publishing in a Big Universe Podcast

I'm in a podcast! Thank you Small Publishing in a Big Universe for letting me ramble about my books and writing process, and L.A. Jacob for being such a wonderful host. https://spbu-podcast.com/podcast/ryan-southwick/ Listen to podcast

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One Man's Trash Now Available

One Man's Trash has just been released to all your favorite retailers! "Awesome" and "adorable" are two ways readers have described this uplifting science fiction novella set in the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy universe. Croft is a spaceship mechanic. Maria

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Book Review: The Coaching Habit

In addition to being a science fiction author, I'm also a scrum coach (the software kind) of, well, many years. I've had the good fortune to work with some of the best coaches in the industry and met several who quite literally wrote the book in

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Book Review: All Systems Red

All Systems Red is a wonderful science fiction novella that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The protagonist, self-named Murderbot, is exactly that. Its only problem? These pesky things called feelings that prevent it from not caring about its clients so it can go back to watching serial shows. Wells

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Book Review: Better Angels

Better Angels is a short Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy story, the first scene of which made me wonder if I’d somehow stumbled into the taboo category of Amazon’s adult reading section. Having read other Water Dragon Publishing titles, however, I took a leap of

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Book Review: The Smugglers

At its core, The Smugglers is a heartwarming coming-of-age story that shifts perspectives between the mother, Deralka, and “Boy,” giving tender insights to the challenges each faces during the most difficult physical transitions of any adolescent’s life. How is that science fiction? Neither Deralka nor Boy are human; they

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Book Review: Trade Wars

Trade Wars picks up not long after Foreign & Domestic. It grabbed my attention from the very first paragraph, which also set the tone for the book. Phillips delivers yet another Clancy-esque Navy thriller starring the Texian Armada misfits on another banter-filled, high-seas adventure. The stakes are higher this time,

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Book Review: Storm Front

I first started Storm Front several years ago. I don’t think I made it past the first chapter before quietly yawning and moving on to another book. This time, I listened to the audiobook narrated by James Marsters and wow! I honestly don’t know whether I just hadn’

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The Daily Word Count Conundrum

Authors are repeatedly told that success means writing each and every day. Some have gone so far as to say 3,000 words is the absolute minimum, otherwise kiss your career goodbye. (For the record, my average doesn’t come close to that mark.) NaNoWriMo awards anyone who can scribble

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Book Review: Hunter

Hunter resumes Donovan's exploration of “New Seeking” with the addition of court intrigue and an old flame. The book also shifts to the perspective of Ruben, the aspiring and highly coveted magus boy wielding incredible power in a series of nostalgic training sequences worthy of Feist or any

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Book Review: Sinera

Sinera is one of my favorite characters from the Glass Bottles Series, so as you can imagine, I was thrilled when I discovered she had an entire book dedicated to her. It’s a short book (novelette), but gives great insight into a very complex elf with a quiet but

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Book Review: The Stargazer Gift Shop

“Gentle” is the best way I can describe The Stargazer Gift Shop. The story is told from the perspective of Rhoda, a high-functioning, artificially intelligent robot with a heart of electrum who runs a gift shop on The Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy. What starts as a

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Book Review: Coke Machine

Coke Machine is a delightful little adventure in the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy universe. Marichka is starship engineer working on an ancient machine that doles out a caustic brown, sticky liquid. Things go from bad to warp-core-breach faster than Scotty can say “She cannot take any

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Book Review: Caliban's War

Leviathan Wakes is some of the best science fiction I’ve read in a long time. So, when I picked up Caliban’s War, I was prepared to be let down because nothing could compare to the wonderful book I’d just finished. Fortunately, I couldn’t have been more

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Author Spotlight - Morgan Chalut

Morgan Chalut lives in Dallas, Texas with her delightfully handsome and silly, charming, supportive and lovely husband, Philip. They have two dogs together: Caramel, who absolutely wants to be your friend, and Sammie, who very definitely does not. Morgan has been writing since she learned that just anyone was allowed

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Book Review: Seeker

Seeker has all my favorites aspects of epic fantasy: an engaging and varied cast of characters, a wonderfully developed world, and a unique magic system that is balanced, well defined, and bursting with possibility. This first book of The Unwoven Tapestry series introduces Donovan, a grizzled veteran mage who doesn’

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Book Review: Silence Fallen

Silence Fallen is the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to with 2 different narrators voicing the characters and their respective chapters. I didn’t know that at the time, however, so when George Newbern started talking, I thought for a moment my device had switched to a different book.

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Book Review: Magic Triumphs

I’m glad I took my wife’s advice and read Iron and Magic before tackling Magic Triumphs. Without that little gem, there just wasn’t enough coverage of Hugh and Elara in this book for me to connect with them. So, if you’re thinking of finishing this one