Rainbow's House of Herbs: A Rocks on the Other Side RPG Supplement

 

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

How are you doing, man? No, I mean how are you really doing? Like the real you, man?

My name’s Rainbow, and this is my House of Herbs. Just by looking at your aura, I can tell that you’re in need of some of what I sell. You name it, I have it. Pick me ups, strength boosts, aura enhancements, stuff to treat radiation, yeah, I have it all. So, hey man, please feel free to look around, but I have to ask that you don’t touch anything.

I know it’s a real bummer and all, and I know it’s not like peace and love and everything, but I’ve got a pistol and I’ll have to shoot you if you try to steal anything.

Yeah, sorry dude. I know it’s a real downer, but that’s how it has to be.

Welcome to Rainbow’s House of Herbs, a supplement for the Rocks on the Other Side RPG. Here you will find all kinds of herbs that can give your character a short term boost that they might need. You can enhance attributes, health, even help fight off radioactive contamination. All of this from some tiny little plants.

Order from DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/442659

Order from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3NL5WvR

Order from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1412962

Disharmony of the Spheres is the Deal of the Day

 

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

Today's deal of the day at DriveThruRPG is Disharmony of the Spheres. You can download it today for just $2.00 at https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/224315

Mental illness is very common in our society, but it’s also very misunderstood. Many view those with mental illnesses as being weak, but there is a great deal of strength in those that must battle their own minds on a regular basis.

Disharmony of the Spheres focuses on characters with mental illnesses that are still able to be successful. They may not completely overcome their illnesses, but they are able to beat them back and succeed.

In this volume, you will find the fiction of Ian Brazee Cannon, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, MH Bonham, David Lee Summers, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Kate Runnels, Michael Morgan, L.J. Bonham, Carol Hightshoe, Francis W. Alexander, and Terrie Leigh Relf.

The sequel is in progress

For many years now, people have been asking me to write a sequel to my first contact novel A Problem in Translation. Well, I started working on the new novel today. So, in a year or two, all of you will get your wish, and you'll be able to find out what happens to now Ambassador Shiro Takahashi, the crew of the Astrid, everyone's favorite alien from the book, Grisan, and they pesky and annoying Lemec. Hopefully I'll surprise you with where this one ends up going...

In the meantime, if you haven't read the first book, please feel free to grab a copy at any of the following:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/46c702W

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1010399

DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/306999/A-Problem-in-Translation

 

A surprise in your e-mail every month?

 Everyone likes the surprise of a blind pack, or the surprise of the mystery boxes where you don't know what science fiction item, or Harry Potter trinkets, or whatever you might be getting that month, right? Well, what about a surprise e-book in your mail box every month?

That's right, for just $2 a month, you can get a random e-book delivered from me every month. This could be a novel, an RPG, a short story collection, or even an anthology I've edited. Sounds like a great deal, right? So head over to https://app.gumroad.com/products/bsdkq/edit and start your subscription today.

Aliens and Alien Societies

 

I've decided to start posting about books that have had some kind of influence on me. They might be novels, short story collections, non-fiction books on writing, politics, or books that have just had some kind of emotional impact on me. These will be posted at infrequent intervals...just pretty much whenever I feel like posting them...but it might be a nice break from all of the promotional posts.

This is a book that is an almost must-have for any science fiction authors that want to write about aliens, because let's face it, science fiction readers love to catch authors up in mistakes they might make. There are other books on this subject, but this one is written by Stanley Schmidt and edited by Ben Bova...and any science fiction author should know that they are giants in the field, and so the book deserves some respect just for their names being on it.

The book looks at developing aliens and their societies starting with evolution and moving on from there. The book is a bit science and math heavy, but most science fiction writers should be able to understand it, since let's face it, if you're writing SF, you need to know your science.

Throughout the book, Schmidt uses examples in fiction that demonstrate the concepts he's talking about, and the book features an extensive reference listing at the end that will allow writers to dive even deeper into some of the subjects. The book was written in 1995, so some of the science is a bit dated, but that doesn't take away from the great information that the book will give you.

As a curious aside, you all know that I'm an editor as well as an author, so it shouldn't be a surprise that when I read something, I also read it with my editor's hat on, and I did catch several typos in the book. It does nothing to take away from the book, but if these can get past the likes of Stanley Schmidt and Ben Bova, then it makes me feel better about some of the typos I've missed over the years.

To pick up a copy of the book, head to https://amzn.to/42OuYhP

A Problem in Translation is the Deal of the Day

 

DriveThruFiction has selected A Problem in Translation as the deal of the day for today. A science fiction novel that is normally priced at $2.99 can be yours for just $1.50. Download it today at https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/306999

Humanity's first contact with an alien species, the Lemec, is complicated by the fact that the aliens don't use an entirely verbal language…not only that, but the other aliens in their "domain" seem to worship the Lemec as some type of gods, and as they seem to anticipate every move that Captain Shiro Takahashi and his crew make, humanity begins to think that maybe the other aliens know something that they don't.

Hello there

 

Did I just quote Obi-Wan Kenobi? Why, yes, I did. Every once in a while, I figure it's a good idea to introduce myself to some of the people that have found this blog more recently...that way they don't have to go digging through old blog posts to try to figure out exactly who J Alan Erwine is.

So, who am I? I'm a science fiction author and editor, and I'm also a role playing game designer. I've dabbled in fantasy fiction and horror fiction, but science fiction is definitely my main genre. As an author I once had a reviewer refer to me (and I'm paraphrasing) as having the voice of one of the classic science fiction authors, but without the issues of the classic authors. My guess is that they meant that my voice is similar to that of Asimov, Heinlein, or Clarke (which isn't a surprise since they were such a huge influence on me), but that I have a more modern way of writing. And this isn't meaning that they were trying to say (or that I'm trying to say) that I'm as good as those authors. I just think they meant a modern version of their style...but who am I to interpret book reviewers.

As far as my role playing games, I've created, or helped to create three different games...Ephemeris, The Battle for Turtle Island, and Rocks on the Other side. The first is a science fiction game, the second is an historical fantasy game, and the third is a post-apocalyptic game.

If you're interested in checking out my work, you can find it just about anywhere that science fiction is sold, but here are a few places you can check first...

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/J-Alan-Erwine/author/B0035AMA0A

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jaerwine

DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/browse/pub/16618/J-Alan-Erwine

Gumroad: https://jalanerwine.gumroad.com/

Ecotastrophe II will be the deal of the day

 

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

For the next 24 hours, Ecotastrophe II is available from DriveThruFiction for 50% off. That means you can download it for just $2.

More than a decade ago, Sam’s Dot Publishing released a small anthology titled Ecotastrophe that looked at the dangers posed by global climate change.

Now, the planet seems in even greater peril, and maybe we are facing Ecotastrophe, but is there time to save ourselves?

Ecotastrophe II features startling fiction from Tyree Campbell, Dan Rice, Melanie Rees, Robert J. Mendenhall, Gustavo Bondoni, and Mike Adamson.

Order now!: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/216111

 

May's Bestseller

 

Although I don't have access to all of my sales each month until down the road, I can usually still get a good idea of what my bestselling title in each month was, so I'm going to start posting that each month. Not sure why...just think it's fun to keep track of...

The bestseller for May 2023 was my Tales of the Earth and Moon.

Seven stories from award winning science fiction author J Alan Erwine that explore the future of both the Earth and the Moon.
Stranded astronauts, intelligent dolphins being used by the government, a soldier struggling with orders he knows he shouldn’t have followed, lovers waiting for the end of the world, politics even dirtier than what we’re seeing in the modern world (maybe), a man resurrected because he wanted to see the future, but now feeling very much alone, and manipulation on the moon.
These are the stories that are waiting for you in this collection.

Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GNC59GS

Order from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/641482

Order from DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/313303