Home: Interstellar 2nd Edition out May 16, 2017 on Amazon

Drum roll, please!

The 2nd Edition will be posted to Amazon on May 16.

I've taken all the reviews of H:I from Amazon, Goodreads, and elsewhere and tried to address all the comments that might impact the readability of the story. New readers should be pleased, but wait until May 16 if you want the new edition!

It's still the same prize winning story -- history doesn’t change, though how we speak of it might. There is only a little new content. So, if you've already read the 1^st Edition, you may be disappointed. Amazon tells me that if you’ve already downloaded the eBook, you can refresh for free, but you’ll lose the bookmarks.

Enjoy
… Ray

Glossary for Earthers

I included the glossary to the pages to the right because they may not make it into the 2nd edition. I included them in the 1st edition because many readers of suspense are not avid SciFi readers and need an orientation to the anomalies of FTL travel and interstellar time.

The idea of a 'Cruiser,' the Mark IX Cила Грузчик, or Power Loader for cargo handling, also needs some explanation but sounds boring when written into the story.

Meriel's Ten Stages of a Spacers Party

I thought I'd offer these in case they are removed in the 2nd Edition. These are typical for any nerd who visits a space station's Blue-Zone bars (or Chicago's Rush Street) after a long tour of duty. If I remember correctly, Stage 8 follows Stage 7 within a few nano-seconds.

1. uncomfortably shy and distant; 
2. polite or coy;
3. friendly and engaging conversation; 
4. double entendre, puns, and sexual innuendo; 
5. loud and bawdy; 
6. out of control, partial undress, drinking with your worst enemy; 
7. looking for trouble; 
8. finding trouble, confrontation/altercation; for large parties, rioting;
9. nursing wounds; and 
10. Soberall(TM), sleep, or rehab.
 

(c) 2015 B. R. Strong, Jr.

New cover for H:I-1

New cover for Home: Interstellar - Merchant Princess. Nice job for cheap via Fiverr.

Grace

I added the deMerlner essay Grace to the permanent sidebar. I posted it last year, but I like it.

"...It is beyond mere mortals made of heart and flesh to forgive the callous murder of the innocent. And it is beyond us to forgive ourselves for those deepest of sins, those acts of knowing cruelty that warp the bones of our adulthood with guilt. But God can forgive if only you ask. That is why it is called God’s grace, and why it is a miracle.

"And granted that miracle we may live our lives again and benefit others, not to seek forgiveness, but because we’ve been blessed."

(From Home: Interstellar - Merchant Princess)


That and many others will be published separately in de Merlner's diary.

Also, updated schedule for 2nd Edition is in late March. Stay tuned.

(c) 2015 B. R. Strong, Jr.

Delay on new edition of H:I Merchant Princess

Looks like I was optimistic about a December release of H:I Lost Hope.

For those interested in what the plotting process looks like sometimes, I've attached a flow chart with  a small portion of the story. Sometimes it's hard to get all the forces at play to interact in the right way at the right time. (Note: major spoilers, but it's not the final draft.)

New Edition of HI: Merchant Princess

Just an update ...

I'm working on a new edition of the 1st book in the series: Merchant Princess. This update is to remove some annoyances for readers. It's really the same story, so I'd advise not buying the new version.

I expect it to be live by Christmas. The 2nd book in the series, Lost Hope, should be out about then and I'd like to make sure the two books are at the same level.

... Ray