Bestseller for February 2024

We're getting in our "way back machine" for this one! The bestseller for February 2024 was the Ephemeris RPG. Every once in a while I'll get a surge of sales on this title. Not sure what prompted it this month, but who am I to argue with what people want to buy?

The year is 2185. The human race has gone to the stars, and found that they're not alone. Local space is teeming with civilizations, some hostile, some friendly, and some indifferent. This is the universe of Ephemeris.

Ephemeris is a game of galactic trade and galactic conquest; of inter-species conflict and cooperation. Ephemeris is a science fiction role playing game. Here you will be able to take on the role of your favorite alien species and your favorite class. You will be able to trade, fight, negotiate, conquer, whatever you'd like to do with your fellow players. You can play the role of an Althani Trader, or maybe an Arbonix Cyber Wizard, or maybe even a Human Nanist. You can create a party made up entirely of one species and set out to upset the trade routes of a rival species. Or maybe you want to create a party with a variety of species that preys upon the trading routes of the various civilizations. Or maybe you want to explore the ancient ruins on long dead planets, ruins that clearly show that there were other species roaming the spaceways in the past...but where are they now? You can fight in great wars, negotiate grand peace treaties, and explore sections of the galaxy that no sentient has ever explored. Or maybe your party has joined with one of the interplanetary corporations; corporations whose motives are never entirely clear. These are just some of the possibilities open to you.
The universe of Ephemeris is yours to do with as you please. What you now hold in your hands are the basic guidelines for the games. Here you'll find the races, classes, abilities, skills, weapons, and ships that allow you to create your own Ephemeris universe.

Now, step inside for the greatest science fiction adventure you've ever been on...

Order from DriveThruRPG: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/63664/ephemeris

Order from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wp3XXT

Order from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/83508

You still need to get your fifth Taste of the Madness

A collection of six previously published short stories, that are available only for a limited time. Travel to distant planets and travel to different mad visions that prize-winning sf author J Alan Erwine has come up with, but beware, you can never be sure where his weird mind might take you.
Again, this collection is only available for a very limited time.

Order: https://amzn.to/3uDKrqa

RPG sale at DriveThruRPG

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

For a limited time, you can download all of our RPG titles for 33% off from DriveThruRPG. You can save on titles from Rocks on the Other Side, The Battle for Turtle Island, and Ephemeris. Whether you're already playing the games, or you're looking for a new game to play, this is a great chance to add to your library.

How can you pass up one-third off? Download today at: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/2805/

Who wants a free story?

My short story "Origins" is currently available for free from Smashwords. Download it at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/551493

Two men, who can't stand one another, sit down for what seems like innocuous drinks, but will their discussion forever change the future of humanity?

When you're working on a short story, and suddenly it's no longer a short story...

I've been working on a short story, and as I look at it, I've realized that I've almost hit the maximum length for a short story, and I'm nowhere close to wrapping it up. So apparently this short story is going to be a novelette. I don't think it will stretch out to novella length, but I guess we will see in time...

So, look for my first ever novelette probably some time in the Spring...

Have you taken advantage of the DriveThruFiction sale yet?

Many of my titles are still available at DriveThruFiction for 30% off the regular cover price. You can get novels, short story collections, individual short stories, and even my non-fiction writing guide, Do You Really Want to be a Writer? (which is still on their bestsellers list.) Head over to https://www.drivethrufiction.com/saleguide.php?src=sgrc and download any of the titles that you want, and believe me, you want them all!!!

Do You Really Want to be a Writer? is on sale

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

For a limited time, you can pick up J Alan Erwine's Do You Really Want to be a Writer? for 30% off at DriveThruFiction. Download it today at: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/466362/

Do you really want to be a writer? It’s a serious question that anyone thinking about entering the field of writing should ask.
In this collection of essays, prize-winning science fiction author and editor J Alan Erwine uses his usual wit and sarcasm to educate and entertain potential writers as they start their journeys.
You won’t find essays about plot or character development here, but instead, you’ll find 17 essays that talk about the business of writing. Erwine uses his more than a quarter of a century of experience to talk about the submission process, and more importantly, what to do with your writing and career after you’ve started selling.
Do You Really Want To Be a Writer? is a great source of information for the new writer as well as the experienced writer.

Presidential candidates or Lord of the Rings?

As I was in that state between wakefulness and sleep, a weird thought came to me. Here in America we're faced with two presidential candidates, neither of whom are very good choices. It's not just their age, but it's many factors. As I was thinking about this, I suddenly realized that we're actually facing an election between Gandalf and Saruman.

On the one hand, you have Gandalf. He seems like a decent fellow, albeit a bit odd. However, as you get to know him, you realize that he's a bit forgetful and unobservant...well maybe more than a bit. Sure he never realized that the Ring of Power had been in the Shire all these years. Sure he forgets the password to enter the Mines of Moria, and then can't find his way through the Mines very well. And never mind that when he's resurrected, he can't remember his name, but he seems like a decent guy, and his personality wants to make you follow him, although a nagging voice in the back of your head tells you that he's leading you to your death...

Then you have Saruman, an old man that has only power on his mind. He will do whatever he has to, and sacrifice anyone and anything that he has to in order to gain power for himself. In his quest for power, he creates the Uruk-hai, a group that is so dedicated to him that the only thing they care about is increasing the power of Saruman, no matter what that takes. Saruman will burn Middle Earth to the ground if he has to in his insane quest for power and self-glory.

These seem to be the two candidates that we're faced with, and neither is exactly appealing. But if we want to stretch the metaphor even further, we have to remember that Middle Earth was actually saved by the "little guys," literally. Maybe, We the People, the voters are the hobbits, and we're the ones that can actually save our nation.

Of course, if we want to stretch the metaphor even further, we have to begin to wonder, where is Sauron? Maybe Russia, maybe China, maybe...

A sale at DriveThruFiction

For a limited time, you can save 30% on my science fiction titles at DriveThruFiction. You can download novels, including my most recent, Echoes from the Deep, and short story collections, including my most recent, The Lies of Belial, and other stories. All of these at 30% off their regular price.

And if you've never read any of my work (and why haven't you?) and you're curious about what kind of insanity I create, you can download individual short stories for just 69 cents. That's a deal that you can't pass up...no, you really can't pass it up!

Head over to https://www.drivethrufiction.com/browse/pub/16618/ and start downloading today!

Is there an echo in here?

Yes, it is definitely one of the best lines from Star Wars The Bad Batch, but it's also a great way to talk about my new novel again. There is an echo available, and it's called Echoes from the Deep.

The first human and dolphin colony team has arrived on Epsilon Eridani 2, a planet that was once inhabited by a highly advanced species that has gone extinct.
On this exciting new world, the humans have brought all of their typical problems with them, while the dolphins adjust quite easily to their new home.
All of this changes when bizarre events begin to happen to the colonists. Is the stress of a new colony causing unknown neuroses and psychoses to suddenly surface? Is there something in the atmosphere that the colonists didn’t know about? Or is there something else behind the bizarre occurrences?

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

Order from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1509505

Order from DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/467842/

Don't forget your fifth Taste of the Madness

The fifth volume is here!
A collection of six previously published short stories, that are available only for a limited time. Travel to distant planets and travel to different mad visions that prize-winning sf author J Alan Erwine has come up with, but beware, you can never be sure where his weird mind might take you.
Again, this collection is only available for a very limited time.

And Kindle Unlimited members can read it for free. So, download it today at https://amzn.to/3wk9vCU

The Rocks on the Other Side Gallery of Rogues

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

Do you need a quick ally for your Rocks on the Other Side characters? Or maybe the game master needs to come up with a quick enemy, or the mayor of the local town. The Rocks on the Other Side Gallery of Rogues gives you 50 characters that can be quickly added to your game for whatever reason you might need.
Each listing gives the characters basic stats, their preferred weapon, and a brief description that can help you add them to your game, but feel free to adapt each of the characters to the needs of your campaign.

Order from DriveThruRPG: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/470359/

Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CV97B7MS

Order from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1519579

Rio

 

On Saturday, February 3^rd, our beloved kitty, Rio passed away. She was no ordinary cat, however, and the grief we are all feeling is quite intense. We’ve been lucky to have a few great cats over the years. The type of cats that aren’t just cats, but have their own unique personalities that make them something special. In the past we had K.J. and Mosi, and we still have Stryker, and Rio was one of these special family members.

When she passed, we think she was about 14, and we were lucky enough to have her enrich our lives for ten years. When our girls were younger, Rio would often sit with them while they were playing school or store, acting like she was just one of the girls playing along with them. She would even let them push her around in a little plastic shopping cart. As we all got older, she would sit with us while we played games, like she was waiting for her turn.

When Rebecca was especially sick, Rio would stay in the room with her, trying to take care of her. We always called her Nurse Rio because she really thought she was helping to take care of her, and the truth is, her love really did help. She was just such a good little girl.

When I would be working, she would often lay on the back of my chair, and when she wanted attention, she would tap on my shoulder. I don’t know where she learned this, but she would often tap on us when she wanted something. I’ve never had a cat that did this, and this was just one of the many things that made her so special.

She would often sit with me and Lex as we watched Clone Wars or Bad Batch, never wanting anything more than to love on us and be loved.

She was never the type of cat to get in trouble. She didn’t bite or scratch, she didn’t get into stuff, she just wanted to love and to be loved, and she was loved so much. As Rebecca has said, there is a Rio sized hole in all of our hearts, and we’re all struggling to try to come to terms with this loss.

I know there are people out there that will say she was just a cat, but animals aren’t duplicitous like humans. Their love is so pure, and Rio was an extra special little feline. There has never been a cat like her before, and there will never be another one like her.

 

 

Echoes from the Deep has been reviewed

It's a short review on Amazon, but it's always good to hear that you're a favorite author to somebody. Check out the review at https://amzn.to/3Us4277

Another Echoes from the Deep excerpt

Phineas found the waters to be warmer than he would have expected, but there was nothing strange below the boat, and there was no sign of the probe. He dove as far as he dared, but found nothing, not even a behemoth. Nothing. He began to re-surface when he heard the identity echo of Long Fins from above. He paused in his swim for a few seconds. Long Fins was his favorite female in the pod, and he couldn’t help but feel a slight arousal when he realized how proud she’d be of him if he could learn something. He decided to stay under a little longer.

He suddenly felt a strange sensation in his tail. It was the same sensation he felt when there was a behemoth nearby, or the same feeling he used to feel on Earth when there had been sharks nearby. He spun around, but sensed nothing. The feeling was still there however, so he sent off more intense echoes, but nothing came back to him.

Nothing came back to him! From the south, there were no echoes returning, but there was a reef not more than half a mile from him, but nothing returned. He swam in a quick circle and sent off another series of echoes. Nothing!

“Phineas, what is it?” The call was from Long Fins, but he didn’t respond. There was something to the south. He couldn’t see it or sense it, but he knew it was there. He couldn’t detect anything, and he knew that meant there had to be something there.

The water suddenly cooled to a temperature that he would have expected, so he sent off another series of echoes. This time, the echoes of the reef to the south came back to him. It was then that he realized that his lungs were burning from lack of oxygen. He shot to the surface, shaking his head violently once he was above the water, and gasping for air.

“Phineas, what did you see?” It was Eric’s voice being translated into Delphin that he was hearing.

“Nothing.”

“Did you detect anything?” Eric asked.

“No.” He had no idea why he was lying. He just knew he had to. Of course, it wasn’t really a lie. He hadn’t detected anything, not one damn thing.

Just then, Shark Lover swam up to the boat. Without thinking, Phineas lunged at him, dragging rows of teeth along the smaller dolphin’s dorsal fin. It made Phineas feel better.

“Phineas, stop!” It was Long Fins’ echoes.

Phineas just swam away from Shark Lover, away from the boat, away from the shore, away from the impossible lack of echoes he’d experienced. Phineas just swam.

Order from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OvQd3P

Order from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1509505

Order from DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/467842/Echoes-From-the-Deep

Bestseller for January 2024

It's probably not much of a surprise, but my best selling title to start off the new year was Do You Really Want to be a Writer? Apparently a lot of people do want to write. And it's still holding strong at #30 on the DriveThruFiction Bestsellers list.

Do you really want to be a writer? It’s a serious question that anyone thinking about entering the field of writing should ask.
In this collection of essays, prize-winning science fiction author and editor J Alan Erwine uses his usual wit and sarcasm to educate and entertain potential writers as they start their journeys.
You won’t find essays about plot or character development here, but instead, you’ll find 17 essays that talk about the business of writing. Erwine uses his more than a quarter of a century of experience to talk about the submission process, and more importantly, what to do with your writing and career after you’ve started selling.
Do You Really Want To Be a Writer? is a great source of information for the new writer as well as the experienced writer.

Order from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OfhN5t

Order from Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1503357

Order from DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/466362/

Four novels for $10!

You can download all four of my novels for just $10 from DriveThruFiction at https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/468859/

You get The Opium of the People, Red Moon Rising, A Problem in Translation, and my latest novel Echoes from the Deep. This is an opportunity you don't want to miss!

Have you had your fifth taste of the madness yet?

The fifth volume is here!
A collection of six previously published short stories, that are available only for a limited time. Travel to distant planets and travel to different mad visions that prize-winning sf author J Alan Erwine has come up with, but beware, you can never be sure where his weird mind might take you.
Again, this collection is only available for a very limited time. And if you're a Kindle Unlimited member, it's available for free at https://amzn.to/3Sho9lH

A screenplay?

While going through some files last night, I found a screenplay I had started for A Problem in Translation. I remember starting it many years ago, and I thought I'd written something like five pages. I decided to take a look at it, and was surprised to find that it was actually 75 pages long and about half way done.

I realize that the odds of actually selling it would be very slim, but I'm still wondering if it might be fun to finish it. I only have about half a dozen projects going on...what's one more right?

If you'd like to read the book, please check it out at: https://amzn.to/42jDOWy

Two bestsellers at DriveThruFiction

Two of my titles are currently listed as bestsellers at DriveThruFiction. At the time I'm writing this, Do You Really Want to be a Writer? is listed at #27 and Echoes From the Deep is listed at #33. Check out the complete list at https://www.drivethrufiction.com/top_100.php.

This is the first time in quite a while that I've had two titles in their top 100. Let's see how high we can push both of them! And, of course, thanks for buying my stuff and supporting my writing!