Sneak peek

It’s my birthday today. Not a significant one (by which I mean, not one with a zero in it, or an entitlement to a pension or free bus pass or discount at the store on Tuesdays or…) I did, however, receive a wonderful present by way of The Diamond Device advancing to the semifinals in the Self-Published Science Fiction Contest. The 10 judging teams will be posting their semifinalist selections over the next couple of days. If you want to keep an eye on all the contenders, have a look here. It’s a great way to discover new indie authors 🙂

Meanwhile, The Sapphire Solution is about to enter another round of beta reads. I very much hope this will be the last round, and that I can release it soon. Here’s a little teaser from Chapter 1 (subject to change):

He nodded sagely. “You’re learning.”
Still irritated by the customer’s question, she huffed. “I’m always learning. I’ve spent three years learning with you, far longer than a regular apprenticeship. So why will you still not do my completion papers?”
“You’re not ready. Why, the other day, you didn’t even remember all the components for a decoction of—”
“I’m not supposed to carry all this knowledge in my head! That’s what written recipes are for. Anyway, apprentices just need to show they’re competent, not demonstrate professor-grade skills.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I’ve spent decades building my reputation here. What would happen to that if I signed you off prematurely?”
Iggy clenched her fists. This argument always ended the same way. Vernon had never had an apprentice before: at least, not one who’d stayed around.

The cover’s been ready for several months, with another excellent job by Ken at Creative Covers. Keep an eye out for it in my next (fingers crossed!) post 🙂