Since it was Professor Tolkien’s birthday this month, we have invited Christopher Ruocchio back to the stream to talk about Tolkien, fantasy, and whatever else we get into (you know how it is). Come and join us. (It was brought to my attention that Rumble’s subscriber requirement for livestreams is no longer in effect, so we’re going to be on Rumble, as well.)
Been a bit busy lately, but I thought it was time to update everyone. The word mines are unrelenting. I’m working on finishing up the second book of a new military science fiction series for Wargate Press. The first one, Spheres of Influence, doesn’t have a release date just yet, but it should be out in Q3. I’m hoping that this first trilogy will be a springboard for more in that universe. It’s been kicking around in my head for over twenty years. Steve Marvel has Non-State Actor in hand, and we’re looking at a potential April release for the audio. Speaking of audio, KDP is rolling out a beta program of using “virtual voice” for audiobooks. That appears to be a fancy way of saying AI generated audio. While that could be more cost effective, I currently have zero plans to do anything with AI. I prefer working with real people. Moving forward, I’m looking at returning to Brannigan’s Blackhearts next, after I finish up Cascade Effect. I’ll have a release date for Brannigan’s Blackhearts #13, Legacy of Terror, once I get it outlined and the schedule figured out. After that, I’ll wrap up the Spheres of Influence trilogy, get that turned in, and then the next
Today is the day. Frontiers of Chaos, the fourth book in the Brave New Disorder series, has come out on audiobook, read by Steve Marvel. A killing in Seattle A massacre in Northern California A mysterious new client In the aftermath of what appears to be a targeted killing, a mysterious billionaire approaches Pallas Group Solutions with a new job. He seems to be more interested in their intelligence gathering capability than security. None of them are prepared for what they find. In a whirlwind of violence and intrigue, the contractors of Pallas Group plunge into a world of human trafficking and elite capture. And find themselves on the hunt for an underworld facilitator who’s closer than they expected. It’s a pursuit from the Pacific Northwest to the Tri-Border Area of South America. And as the bodies pile up, things can only get darker. Get it today. (Steve has Non-State Actor in hand, and will begin production when he can. Schedules being what they are, it will probably be a couple more months.)
We are joined this month by former infantry officer and science fiction author Rick Partlow, author of the Drop Trooper and Taken to the Stars series. We’ll be talking science fiction, the military, and whatever else comes up along the way. (If you’ve watched any of these streams, you know where they can end up going, which is why we haven’t really set on a particular topic lately.) Come join us.
The Rubicon Has Been Crossed The war came back at Pallas Group Solutions. Chris and Nick both found themselves fighting for their families’ lives. In response, they struck back. Now, with two major underworld figures dead, who had facilitated crimes for the People’s Republic of China, the cartels, and others, the war has entered a new phase. There’s no going back. There is only the fight. As Pallas Group Solutions becomes a Non State Actor. Get it today in ebook and print. So we come to the end of the Brave New Disorder arc. This won’t be the last we see of Pallas Group Solutions, though. There will be more to come in the future. The world continues to change, but the war in the shadows goes on.
Tonight, we are joined by Ian McMurtrie, aka LawDog, retired Sheriff’s deputy, writer, and SPOTREPs contributor. We’ll talk about his background, experience, and writing, but as should be SOP by now, expect things to go interesting places. Ian’s been places that we haven’t, and I’ve only heard a couple of his stories, so this should be good. I also owe him for the turn of phrase, “monkey with a screwdriver” in regards to stabbing people (in fact, I’ve learned a couple of such colorful wordings from him). Come and join us.
Somebody had heard something. I heard a voice speaking Mandarin on the other side of the door. And he didn’t sound like he was unconcerned. After all, a garage door isn’t silent when it goes up. They had to know that somebody had just broken in. The question was, how ready were they? The door ahead of me opened, and the light flashed on. Fortunately, while I’d been keeping to the shadows as much as possible, my night adaptation hadn’t kicked in all the way, thanks to the porch lights, so I wasn’t blinded, as the short Chinese man with a Glock in his hand peered out through the door. The pistol was all I needed. His eyes widened as he took in the three figures moving toward him with purpose, and he hesitated for just a second before lifting the gun. He should have dropped it and run. In that split second of hesitation, I already had my sights on him and my finger tightening on the trigger. The gun barked in my fist, and his head snapped back a little as my 9mm hollowpoint punched a puckered hole in his forehead. He stiffened, then fell down the steps
This was not a neighborhood of Colorado Springs that I would ordinarily have been comfortable walking through, alone, at night. Even strapped—there was no way any of us were going anywhere unarmed anymore, especially not after the attempts on our families recently—there was a significant threat to worry about, and that had nothing to do with our target. After all, there had been an armed robbery right on the street only a few blocks away, only a few nights before. It wasn’t so much that any operator who worked for Pallas Group Solutions had much to worry about from an armed robber—not that any such criminal encounter couldn’t go horribly wrong in seconds—but that it was probably going to result in that operator having to break off, reducing the number of guns we had on target. If it didn’t canc the mission altogether. I turned a corner and scanned the street ahead of me. On the surface, it looked like an ordinary residential street. There was nothing visible to point out the gang presence there. Even most of the yards were reasonably well kept up, though there were still a couple with more than one vehicle pulled up on the
Tonight, Brad Torgersen, Army Warrant Officer, Baen science fiction author, and SPOTREPS contributor, joins us for a bit of a chat, about SF, writing, culture, the wasteland that is the internet, and whatever else comes up. (You know how these streams go by now.) Brad’s become a bit of a controversial figure in certain interweb circles, mostly Culture War related, so tonight Mike will be asking him the most important question of all: “Brad, why are you so terrible?” Come and join us.
Military contractor Dav Toron left the Legion to avoid the incompetency of its growing number of points. There’s no avoiding the chaos of his next mission. Running protection for a House of Reason Special Aide turns into a kinetic nightmare as a corrupt local government, intergalactic rebels, and violent pirates converge to plunge a backwater edge planet into utter violence and chaos. With his team cut off from all support, Dav falls back on his Legion training to keep those around him alive. But when he forges an alliance with a stranded Legion squad and planetary natives looking to stand up to those seeking to topple their government, an opportunity to save the small planet presents itself…if Dav and his ragged team of outnumbered and outgunned warriors can survive long enough to take it. Best-selling author and veteran Peter Nealen teams up with Anspach and Cole and draws from his own experiences as a paramilitary contractor to deliver this thrilling tale of sacrifice, determination, and combat. Always Legion is a stand-alone novel set in the period between Legionnaire and Galactic Outlaws. Get it on Audible or Kindle today. *** So, almost a year ago, Jason Anspach approached me about doing a Galaxy’s Edge project. The Lost was