Category: Blog

With the Saga of a Space Freighter Series (aka the Matilda Series) completed, I have been floating in a sea of ‘what to do now’. It’s weird to think about having closed a chapter of my life that has been part of me for close to a decade. So, I’ve been trying to figure out the next step. And by step, I mean the next Grand Step.

I’ve been catching up on other non-writing projects that have been cluttering my mind. I’ve gotten some reading done (which is really nice since my “to be read” pile was getting enormous), caught up on some tv shows, and been catching some new (to me) bands at different venues. It’s been a lot of fun, but none of it has helped me figure out the next thing.

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t been idle. I’ve been working on research for a couple of projects, and some of that research has given me the impetus to change tracks on at least one writing project. But all in all, I get the feeling those stories will either be big steps that end quickly or little steps that stay with me for a long while.

In other news, I’m working on getting the Saga of a Space Freighter up at other vendors, but nothing seems to be as simple as I try to make it. Setbacks are points of learning as frustrating as they can be sometimes. Audio versions are still on the horizon, and stepping back from the series for a bit is a good idea. Either way, I still have plenty to do.

Maybe I don’t have to find that Grand Step, though. Perhaps the smaller steps are what I need.

Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay

They say, don’t judge a book by its cove, but my book, Waltzing Matilda (Matilda Series Book 5), has been picked to be one of the contenders in the Cover of the Month contest – April 2023 on AllAuthor.com!

The contest has 4 rounds:

• First, all the selected entries will contest for the next round. (Duration 1st – 7th)
• Second, 100 top-voted covers will compete to enter the third round. (Duration 8th – 14th)
• Third, top 50 book covers from the previous round. (Duration 15th – 21st)
• Fourth, top 24 book covers will play the last round in the chase. (Duration 22nd – Month end)
• The 3 winners will be announced on the last day of the month.

If you want to vote for Waltzing Matilda, click on this here link:
https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/15246/

I hope you’re ready because today is the day!  Waltzing Matilda is now available at Amazon in both Kindle and Print!

Smuggler.  Fugitive.  Cyborg.  Bounty Hunter.  Ex-Freedom Fighter.  Butcher.

Far off into the future in a distant part of the galaxy, the Consortium controls the human colonies held together by the jump gates.  Where the Consortium doesn’t hold sway, crime flourishes.  Through the use of a hellish engine that goes where no one should, the crew of the Matilda slips its way between the two.  But now they’re stuck on a backwater asteroid and time is running out.

Rumors drift of jump gates falling to rebel forces while other systems succumb to the alien invasion.  The crew knows where Galena is being held but have no way to get there.  Making dark deals in the folds may get them a way out.

Will the terrors from outside space lay claim to more systems?  Can the insurrection prevail?  With the universe against them, can Jacquotte Delahaye rescue Galena from this war-torn galaxy?

Loosen that pistol in your holster and prepare yourself for the fifth and final book of the series, Waltzing Matilda.

Oh 2022, what a strange year you have been.

I don’t know if it was the same for you, but I achieved a lot more than I thought I was capable of and I didn’t get as much done as I’d hoped.  What did I do and not do, you ask?

As far as non-writing stuff goes, I’ve got more miles under my belt in my obstacle course pursuits, and I had to travel quite a bit to do it!  If you do any of the Spartan races, you’ve probably heard of the Trifecta at least once.  For everyone else, a Trifecta is when you complete three different race lengths in a calendar year: the Sprint (4+ miles), the Super (6+ miles), and the Beast (13+ miles).

Now, I’d completed one of these back in 2017 (I think) and the Beast alone broke me.  I swore not to do another one and… that did not happen.  Instead, I did three of these things this year!  I even did all three in one weekend! On top of that, I even threw in a Tough Mudder for the first time and did a local one called the Big Dog Brag.  All in all, I got pretty close to running 100 miles and completed over 300 obstacles (I didn’t beat them all… curse you rope climb, and Mount Olympus!)  Considering that at the beginning of the year, walking a mile equaled a bucket of pain, I am pretty damned proud of this accomplishment.

And to get all these races done, I had to travel (which, to be honest after Covid was incredibly nice).  Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, Colorado Springs, Hawaii, Orlando, San Luis Obispo and Denver.  For a full-on geek out, I got to go to Galaxy’s Edge!  Spaceships and blasters and sabers, oh my!  It exceeded my expectations, and I am still as giddy as a schoolchild.

On the writing side, I didn’t get as much done as I wanted, hoped, and dreamed.  Overall, it was still a great year for me.  I was able to be a part of a few conventions and talk about my book series to a whole slew of people.  I am still figuring out my approach to getting the books done for Audible.com, but I’m closer to the next step. 

And lastly, I couldn’t get the last book in the series, Waltzing Matilda, done in 2022, but I have an update!  The book will be released on January 17^th, 2023!

Not too shabby, 2022.  I’m looking forward to 2023 and the new adventures, both literary and life, that are just around the corner!

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Hannukah is in full swing, and Christmas is just around the corner!  I hope everyone is having a grand time with friends, and family and keeps warm as the snows roll in (it’s close to negative 30 out here!).

I do have a bit of bad news, though.  With the holidays and crazy travel, Waltzing Matilda’s release will be delayed until mid-January 2023.  The book is almost ready but the windows in time are a little too tight to get it out before the end of the year.

This isn’t the way I wanted to end the year, so I’ll take it as a grand beginning in 2023!

See you in the future!

Image by Jensen Art Co from Pixabay

As the day for the release draws ever closer, how would you feel about a quick sneak peek of the shiny new cover of the Waltzing Matilda?

Oh?  Do you want to see it?  Here it is!

Isn’t she a beaut?  Isn’t she?

As the end of this adventure comes closer to completion, so too has the chapter list been completed… a playlist of songs that inspired me.

Has it been on your mind to know what Luli Qing has in her repertoire for the final book of the saga?  If you’re a Spotify user, you can check out the Chapter List for Waltzing Matilda.  You can even give it a listen.

Waltzing Matilda

Where are the playlists for the other books?  Look no further as they are below!

The Matilda

Twistin’ Matilda

Black Matilda

Secret Matilda

Almost ten hours of tunes for a five-book series that’s taken nine years to write. What an adventure! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Umm… you know how I said the story was done? 

Let’s just say I received heavy criticism about the ending and that it better changed.  I know what you’re thinking, ‘didn’t you have the ending of the whole story written forever ago?’  And you’d be right.

 I had that ending in mind when the characters were still partially formed in my head.  I wrote that ending in its completion about 4 years ago.  But it doesn’t fit the story anymore and I was already working on a replacement.  In my opinion, it’s a much better ending and suits the overall arc of the crew of the Matilda.  I dare say, I am rather proud of it.  I think you’re going to love it, too.

And it is done!  As I wait to receive the edits for most of the book, the final rewrite (given the stamp of approval by my alpha reader) is in the mail and on its way to my editor!

It’s only a matter of time now.

Image by Лариса Мозговая from Pixabay

My final convention for the year has been completed!  And it was a grand time.  First off, I wanted to say thank you to all the people who came by my table.  There were quite a few familiar faces at Mile Hi Con and I had a grand time getting to hang out with folks I haven’t seen in a long while.

I didn’t get to participate in as many conventions as I wanted this year, but overall, it was still a successful run.  I had a few firsts at this one too!  I was finally able to drop a story I’m working on in the blind slush pile challenge.  There wasn’t a single change mentioned when mine was read out loud and I felt pretty dang cool for the rest of the day. 

I was also able to model some of my T-shirt designs for the Matilda Series (you can find them here). And I must say, I looked pretty sharp in my Anton Roane shirt.

I picked up a few more tricks and nonsense to make the whole process go even smoother.  As 2023 creeps ever closer, my plan is to attend more conventions in new locations… you know, while also writing another Nun With a Gun story or two.

What about the final Matilda story?  That will be completed and available before the next set of conventions roll in.  My editor is wrangling paragraphs on pages while I am busy rewriting the end of the series.  Once those are done, it’s almost a walk in the park to print!

I am excited to be a part of Mile Hi-Con 54!

Come on by and say hello from October 21^st to the 23^rd!  I’m looking forward to meeting you there!