There's a certain magic to an audio performance, particularly one that involves strange aliens speaking in ways, well, very much not like we do. With Clarity's Dawn, Mikhaila Aaseng turns in a great, funny, and heartfelt performance that brings you into Kaishi's ongoing adventure and doesn't let you go.
If you've never tried an audiobook, you ought to give it a whirl. While I'm forever going to be a devotee of the printed (or e-ink) page, I've found audiobooks a revelatory addition to a life increasingly spent rocking young children to sleep or driving them to this or that event. In our time-strapped lives, finding ways to keep up with beloved characters and stories is paramount, and audio is just one more way to do that.
You can find all of my narrated novels on all the major retailers, including Spotify, Nook, and Audible, and it's my intention to continue getting them narrated as I write more, just because I love it (and I hope you enjoy them too).
And hey, with Starshot's ebook edition on a free promotion this month, there's no reason not to jump right in.
In other story-telling snippets, I'm closing in on the conclusion to The Seven Isles series, which should be out in the early fall. It'll be called Chains of Hope, and it's been a blast so far. Wrapping up these big adventures means tying up loose ends while letting the characters control their own destiny, and it's always an adventure seeing where they end up. If you'd prefer that series in audio, Jay's working on it right now, so you won't have to wait long.
After that, I'll be spinning up a surfeit of sci-fi, diving back into the Wild Nines series, resurrecting some other stories, and just generally trying to get words down while enjoying our newest kiddo, coming in August.
You'll also notice a new branch below - a link out to a couple of promotions I'm in this month. They're through Bookfunnel, which you might recognize from signing up for this newsletter. Both promotions showcase some awesomely entertaining sci-fi stories both from myself and other authors. The former is all series, featuring fun sagas perfect for late summer reading. The latter includes books in Kobo Plus, the subscription reading service offered by Kobo, so if you're a subscriber, definitely take a look as you'll find some neat stories there.
And now, onto the usual segments:
What I'm Working On: As mentioned above, closing out The Seven Isles. I'm also having fun converting stories into audio for the YouTube channel, so if you want to see what some of these tales sound like with full cast versions, check it out.
What I'm Watching: Netflix's Hit Man, which continues Glen Powell's streak of appearing in just about everything for the last year. It's a good time! Funny, romantic, and close enough to a true story to keep things reasonable. If you're looking for a well-made rom-com with some extra lessons in what hiring a contract killer might mean for you, Hit Man's worth a look.
What I'm Playing: Taking a dalliance with Friedrich on Rally The Troops, a website for digital war games. Playing 1-2 turns a day keeps things at a pace I can enjoy without taking too much time, which is the reality in a life with young kids. Friedrich itself is a fascinating 1 vs all game with card-driven combat and tense bluffs, bravura advances, and more. Really enjoying it so far.
Promos
Sci-Fi Series - All series, all science fiction. From box sets to series starters, if you're looking to dive in deep, here's a great place to look.
Sci-Fi and Fantasy on Kobo Plus (and elsewhere) - Check out all sorts of series and standalones sprawling throughout the multiverse. Every one here is also enrolled in Kobo Plus, so if you're in the program, here's a good way to stock up your library.
Free Ebook of the Month - Starshot, the first book in the Skyward Saga. Aliens, action, and a whole lot more.
And that's it for this one - hope you're all enjoying your summer. Thanks for reading!
~Adam
