All posts by Lilycat

New Author Interview with Adam J. Whitlatch and a New Vella Episode

Hello, my friends and readers! I am delighted to post an interview with science-fiction writer, Adam J. Whitlatch that I recently did. Adam is the author of the War of the Worlds: Goliath book adaptation of the animated film from 2014. He also wrote The Weller, Vengeance for My Valentine, and the Temujin Saga. In this interview, we talk about the new installment on the saga, War Machines, among other things. Check it out.

I will be doing another interview later this week with a Reno author on a totally different subject, but it’s one that might interest to you.

New Episode of Sorceress Emerging on Vella

Promo image for Sorceress Emerging showing the Cantrese Council Chamber.

I’m winding down on this two-season story that includes Cynara’s Destiny and Sorceress Emerging, with only a few episodes to go. If you have yet to try Kindle Vella, this is a great time to start since the story is almost complete. I don’t plan to release this story as an e-book or printed book, so Vella is the only available place. 

Image and link to Cynara's Destiny.

In case you don’t know, Vella uses tokens to buy each episode of the story.

Image and link to Sorceress EmergingBy clicking on the links (the story titles), you will go to the story on Vella and find a link to purchase tokens. However, the first three episodes of each season are free, so you can check it out.

The image above is an AI-generated picture using Imagine.art. It took many attempts to get an illustration close to what I was trying to achieve when depicting the alien Cantrese race in the story.

I am still working on the third book of the Time Threads series, but progress could be faster. I don’t expect to have this one out until late next year. And I plan to start a new book with NaNoWriMo in November. More on that later.

I’ll be posting my next interview in about a week.

Don’t forget, and this one is on Kindle Unlimited!“I just finished O’Ceagan’s Legacy and enjoyed it immensely!! I enjoyed her smooth writing style and she sucked me into her characters. Thank you for a well written original science fiction story…”     Reader review for O’Ceagan’s Legacy (Book One).

Starting a New Project!

Happy Hot August Nights! In Reno, that means many 50s and 60s automobiles roaming our streets day and night for over a week! It’s so cool to see these restored and beautiful cars from decades ago.

I also have some exciting news! No, I haven’t won the lottery, nor has Hollywood optioned any of my books! But I am bravely stepping out and starting a YouTube channel called Sizzlin’ Book Chat. My plan is to interview two authors a month who have a new release out or coming out soon. I say brave because putting my face and voice on a video is totally outside my comfort zone. By the way, I hope it’s no surprise to anyone that my real name is Rene Averett and Lillian Wolfe is my alter-ego!

The first one features author and entrepreneur Kitty Turner on her debut novel, Zone Trip, which is releasing on August 8th. I have read an advanced copy, and I can tell you, this is a sizzlin’ book! The interview premieres tomorrow at 8 am Pacific. So, please drop in to see it and give it a thumbs up if you enjoy it.

The video link is: https://youtu.be/l9X6UdqhC_8

You’ll also see a short trailer for Outer Rim that I just completed. Hope you like it.

Silver Age Comic Con!

 

 

 

 

I had a great time at the Silver Age Comic Con in Reno last month. Lots of people came out, many in cosplay and it was a fun event. I sold a few books, quite a few baubles, and chatted with lots of folks.

One fun thing is that I partnered with three other Reno  writers, Jade Griffin, Jacci Turner, and LF Falconer so we had a block of four tables in a row with books, jewelry, and furry things. Across from us, writer Stephen H. Provost had his table set up.  A few more authors were in other areas and I’m thinking it would be great to have all of us in one area! Maybe next year.

The cosplay contest looked fantastic from what I could see from where my table was located. Great costumes!

Coming Up in the next few months

NaNoWriMo comes up in November, so I will be buckling down to start a new novel then. I’m in the pre-planning stage this month. I will also be doing a NaNoWriMo workshop at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno. If you live in the area and are interested, contact TMCC for details.

In addition to that, I’ll be teaching a two-hour class on the Amazon Sales Page and the Amazon Author Page for any Reno area writers or budding writers who  are interested and want to learn more about using these pages effectively.

The third book of Time Threads is in progress and is about 60% done. I’ll be working on it for the next couple of months. I will also be finishing up Sorceress Rising on Vella. I’m currently at 26 episodes and have a few to go to complete that one.

 

 

 

That’s all for this update. Be sure to check out my new video on YouTube and leave a thumbs up if you like it. Also check out my new book and Kitty Turner’s book.

Enjoy these dog days of summer with a good book!

 

“Outer Rim” Release & Silver Age Comic Con

Hello, friends…

Whew! I saw Ringo Starr and his All Star Band on Friday and I’m still recovering from the high of that show! What a great evening and so many terrific songs that I actually know! It was so good. If you get a chance to see this band live, do it!

Now, I am excited about both of these book events  and eager to share the information with you.

First, my sequel novel to O’Ceagan’s Legacy is now out and available here on Amazon in both eBook and paperback. This novel picks up where Legacy left off and is an exciting adventure that takes Captain Grania O’Ceagan and her crew to the edge of the galaxy. If you like space stories with a bit of fantasy, this is a must-read!

Next, I will be at the Silver Age Comic Con in Reno Nevada with a booth on Saturday, July 8th from 10 am to 5 pm at the Reno Sparks Convention Center on South Virginia St. This is a fun convention with lots of guests in the comic book and television media from a few decades ago. Also lots of cosplay going on, so come join the fun. I will have books and jewelry items at my booth.  In addition to my books, I will also have some from Angelina Fasano and Brian Cave to sell.

Some of the titles I will have are O’Ceagan’s Legacy, Outer Rim, In Strange Waters (O’Ceagan Saga),  the entire Funeral Singer series (5 books),  Time Walker, Splintered Time (Time Walker series),

Funeral Singer: A Song for Marielle Time Walker (Time Threads Book 1) O'Ceagan's Legacy (O'Ceagan Saga)

Alpha’s Song and Beta Rising (Les Loups-Garous series by Angelina Fasano)

Alpha's Song (Les Loups-Garous)   Beta Rising: A Les Loups-Garous Novel

Old School Evil and Old School Evil The Rejects by Brian Cave.

Old School Evil   Old School Evil: The Rejects

In the same group of booths, we also have Jade Griffin with her Lacy Moore books and furries, Jacci Turner with her books, including The Tree Singer, and LF Falconer with her latest book, The Star Catcher and others, along with her Le Fey Jewelry offerings.

So, please stop by and see us and chat for a bit. I’m looking forward to meeting people!

Lily

 

“Outer Rim” release date!

When Captain Grania O’Ceagan takes her recently-repaired space freighter out for a shakedown run, she and her crew expect an easy trip. Deliver a few passengers and cargo, then reload for the return to Erinnua with a nice profit.

However, a government agency taps her ship for a special delivery to Desolation, an Outer Rim planet way beyond her flight plan. Problem is: she can’t refuse, and the promised payment will more than make up for her losses while her vessel was being repaired. Still, the job has risks and a tight deadline. Plus, the new crate in her hold is top secret, and other people are interested in it, including a PPG agent who boards her ship at Earth’s space station, ostensibly to help protect the shipment.

Crew problems and delays tighten her timeline, but the cost of failure is too high. They must make the delivery on time. Grania doesn’t have any other options.

The sequel novel to O’Ceagan’s Legacy is finally coming out with a release date of June 9th! The eBook version is in presale now on Amazon. Click on the book cover image to go to the presale page.

This contains two separate but connected novels, Errand to Earth and Desolation. I had debated releasing them separately, but decided, they were better together. No waiting for the continuation novel.

Haven’t read the first book? You can get it at Amazon also.  Just click  this linkO’Ceagan’s Legacy is also available at Kobo, Nook, Apple and other booksellers through this link.  

To give you a peek of the new book, I’ve included an excerpt from it below.

 

Excerpt from Outer Rim:

As the sails dropped and the ship slid as easily as butter into the docking slot, Grania jumped to her feet to get to the station master and check for any anomalies in the space lanes ahead that they would need to avoid or adjust to handle. Likewise, she glimpsed Rory reviewing the reports coming in from the station for other information as well as requests for outbound cargo. Business as usual. It felt great to be back at it.

“We can get a departure slot in three Earth hours,” Rory called out as she went out the door.

Stopping just outside the bridge, she asked, “Think you can load cargo by then?”

“Umm, I have four prospects lined up, so I think so.”

“Take it then.” She grinned as she went to the lower level and down the ramp to the station. At once, she saw a pair of young men with shaggy dark hair who sat on one of the few passenger benches near the port. These might be their other travelers for the trip.

“Hello,” she said as she walked up to them. “I’m the captain of the Mo Chroidhe. Might you be looking for me?”

Both rose to their feet. One was a shade taller than the other, but from their looks, they could be twins. “Ethan Jones,” the shorter one said, offering a nod. “This is my brother, Conan. We’re bound for Earth’s station.”

“Captain O’Ceagan. We’ll be pleased to get you there.” She eyed their luggage—backpacks and four cases of musical instruments. All of it could go in their cabin. Pulling out her comm, she signaled her second. “O’Toole, we have our passengers here and waiting. Would you escort them to their cabin?”

“On my way, Capt’n,” O’Toole’s voice came through.

“I’m just going to check-in. But Mister O’Toole, my second officer, will be here shortly to show you to your quarters for the trip. Welcome aboard, gentlemen.”

As they nodded their thanks, she left them to go about her business. She was not the only ship’s captain checking in with the station master and had to wait for almost twenty mites.  The master was a cranky woman who’d clearly crawled out on the wrong side of the bed that morning and hadn’t improved as the day progressed. Her voice was deadpan and irritated as she spoke to the captain ahead of Grania. She braced herself for equal treatment of her questions, but she smiled and greeted the woman pleasantly. “I’m Captain O’Ceagan of the Mo Chroidhe. I’m just paying a courtesy visit and inquiring about anything happening on the space lanes that I should avoid.”

“How would I know?” the master mumbled. “All day, all I get are complaints, questions I can’t answer, and reports of missing cargo.” She squinted at Grania as if she might know her, then shook her head. “Mo Chroidhe. That’s old Paddy’s ship, isn’t it?”

“My granda, yes.”

The woman looked up again. “Oh. How is the old coot? Is he with you?”

She gave her head a shake. “No, he retired and handed the ship over to me. But he’s well and enjoying the land life back home.”

“Ah, that’s too bad. I liked him. Always had a kind word and maybe a bottle of something with a bit of kick.”

“Leprechaun whiskey, I would guess. I might have a bit of it stored on the ship. I can bring you a pot.”

That softened the woman up. “That’s kind of you. I wouldn’t say no to it, but no need to go out of your way.”

“It’s no trouble.” Grania could send Brendan over with it. Sure, this woman would enjoy meeting her handsome young brother.

“Well, thank ye.” Her face split into a smile. Now, as far as I know, there’s no hindrances along the space lanes, no tumblin’ meteor fields or anythin’ like that. Had a comet cross about a week ago, but nothin’ new headin’ this way.”

“Wormhole?” Grania asked with her mind recalling the one from Pelanan Station. It had popped them out into dark space, apparently from a sun flare that caused the tunnel to fluctuate.

“Stable. No variations in two years now. It won’t cause you any trouble.” The station master dropped her eyes to the table behind the counter, and her forehead wrinkled. “Ah, wait a moment. You said you were Captain O’Ceagan, right?”

Grania nodded.

“I have a message here for you. I reckon whoever sent it expected you to stop in. She handed Grania a message tube, which was a confidential message sent by a secure transmission and written into the cylinder, so no one except the sender and recipient could see the contents.

“Odd,” Grania said as she put the tube in her uniform pocket. She’d play it when she was back in her cabin. “Any idea who it’s from?”

“None at all. It’s rare that we get one of those. No indicator of when or where it was sent from, but I see it was logged in here at 0400 hours this morning.” The station master pointed to the line on her log as if Grania might see.

 

 

Christmas Promotion – Lots of Books

I am excited to announce my book, O’Ceagan’s Legacy, is included in the Kindle Book Review Christmas promotion. All you have to do is check out the page, browse any books you might be interested in reading, buy if you wish–not required– then enter the Giveaway for a chance to win $500! Could it be easier?

The link is: https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/%f0%9f%8e%84-500-santas-stash-giveaway/

O’Ceagan’s Legacy is a fun, fanciful space adventure as we join Grania O’Ceagan on her first solo voyage as the family space freighter’s captain. While her grandfather, the usual captain, isn’t on board, her brothers are while they take the ship from their homeworld Erinnua (New Ireland) to Earth’s space station, which is where the story begins. 

Having time for a short trip to Ireland, Grania and her youngest brother Brendan travel to introduce him to the “old sod.” On the way back, they encounter an elderly woman wanting passage to Erinnua.

A short teaser for it is at the end of this blog.

New Book

One reason I am pushing O’Ceagan’s Legacy is the long-awaited second book in the series is nearing release. I’m currently editing it and getting it prepped for early next year. I had planned to have it out this fall, but personal issues changed my schedule, so it’s rescheduled.

Tentatively titled Outer Rim, the book is two stories tied together, so I am considering releasing it in two books rather than one big one. What are your thoughts on that? Do you prefer two smaller books (around 225 pages) or one larger one (almost 400 pages)? Let me know at LillianWolfe.author@gmail.com

New Vella Story Starting

Another book that’s been divided into two stories is my Vella story, Cynara’s Destiny. The first part or season as we call it on Vella is complete. Part 2 is Sorceress Emerging and the first seven episodes are live in the Vella format. I am planning to release a new episode each week.

If you haven’t tried Vella yet, it is reading a book like a TV show. It’s serialized into 1500 to 2500 word episodes. You can give an episode a thumbs up if you like it, review as you’re reading it, and choose a story as your favorite for the week. The first three episodes are free to read, then you buy the additional episodes with tokens.  If you try it, let me know what you think.

O’Ceagan’s Legacy Story Teaser

Although London’s shuttle port status showed only moderate delays, the check-in at the gate still snaked around several roped stanchions when Grania and Brendan arrived. They didn’t have much time before they needed to board their shuttle, so they scrambled to find the quickest check-in counter they could. Brendan motioned to Grania when he spotted a shorter line near the end of the counters. Even with automated ticketing, it still moved slower than a range tortoise with a bum leg.

As she stepped into the line behind Brendan, Grania noticed an elderly woman standing near the queue. Her pale blue eyes looked alert as she scanned the passengers, appearing to seek a specific person. Around one and a half meters in height, the woman somehow stood out in spite of her petite stature. Flighty white hair formed a halo around her face as it tucked into a thick bun at the back of her head. She wore a shaded blue and green shawl wrapped around her bent, old shoulders. Beside her, a large trunk, about two meters long by one and a quarter meters wide, rested on a lev-dolly. Her eyes met Grania’s and held. For a moment or two, something about her gave Grania a chill, as if she recognized this person, although surely she could not have.

The sensation grew then changed to unease as the woman made her way, with slow, uneven steps, the short distance to where Grania waited in line. When she spoke, her low voice carried with the lilt of the land they’d just left, and with a sense of familiarity that Grania recognized as being like her father’s sister, Aunt Catherine.

“Excuse me, lass,” the woman said politely, “might you be the captain of a ship bound for Erinnua?”

Surprised, Grania gaped at her. “I am. How would you know that?”

The woman returned a kind-looking smile. “I messaged up to the space station to inquire if there might be a ship leaving soon for the Dragon Hold system. The stationmaster replied that there was and described you. He said you were downside, and I might find you here. I very much need passage, you see.”

“Passage?” Grania repeated, still trying to calculate the likelihood of this woman finding her in the crowd of people here. “You want to book a cabin for yourself?”

Nodding, the woman pointed to her chest, “Aye. ‘Tis just me and me travel chest. All I have in the world is in it, and I will not be returning. Just a one-way, lass. I must get there; it is a family thing, you see.”

Grania took a few moments to consider the space on the ship. They had one free cabin in good shape that could be used for a passenger. Unless Rory struck pay dirt on the station, they had room in the hold for the box. “It’s fifteen hundred credits for the passage, plus an extra two hundred for your cargo.”

“Oh, no,” the woman protested, her face falling in sadness. “I have only thirteen hundred credits to me name after the shuttle ticket, and I would be wanting the box in my room with me, not in the cargo. It has all me things in it, you see. Please, Captain, I truly must get to Erinnua. Can you not help an old woman out?”

She felt the tap of Brendan’s fingers on her arm and glanced at him. He dipped his head toward the counter, indicating the line was moving and they needed to keep up.

“Go ahead,” Grania said, snapping her head toward the line. “Keep our place. I’ll be along shortly.” She had it in her mind to say no, it was a set price; however, the bonus of the extra credits earned for a passenger made her hesitate.

“What is your name, ma’am? Are there no relatives here to help you?” She glanced around as if to see someone who might be watching this woman.

“I’m called Moira O’Cairn. And, no, there’s no one now. Just distant relatives on Erinnua. That is why I must get there.” Even as her eyes pleaded with watery-sadness, the woman’s name stopped Grania cold.

“Moira… the same as my twice-great aunt’s name,” Grania mumbled aloud. Her granda would not forgive her if she left this old lady stranded here.

“Thirteen hundred credits, you say? Well, I’ll not take all of your money, for you’ll surely need some when you get to Erinnua. I’ll take you and your chest aboard for twelve hundred.” Fated fairies, indeed. What were the odds of an old woman with her gramps’ sister’s name finding her in a spaceport? Undoubtedly, the fates must be at work, and despite everything, Grania still believed in serendipity.


Get your copy at Amazon or for Apple, Kobo and other devices through this universal link.

Remember to enter the giveaway though. You might win a great Christmas surprise!