CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

This week’s verse moves from a science fiction verse about a world being abandoned, to a science fiction poem about a hero returned from a distant war. It is taken from 366 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2016. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Returned from Star Battle Duty’s done, the stars are won, and I return, but I return alone bearing heavy news for home. Many went, returned, but one. To celebrate a victory is hard, when those who won it for the rest remain among the stars, and I, I feel will laugh no more. Gone are the bright lights from our world. Gone to where the flags are furled long after danger is dealt with and gone, they’re gone to where dead heroes roam. So I celebrate and, for you, I’ll smile. That shine within my eyes is tears, of joy and grief, for while you remember them hale and whole, I know...

This week’s verse moves from an eerie speculative piece about a dangerous journey home to a fantasy poem about ending a war. It is taken from 366 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2016. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------   King Ruford's Peace A lternatives were few and far between, B ut we tried, C ourse we tried. D ecided there was nothing in between, E nding or capitulating to our foes unseen, F inally deciding what our fate would be, G oing forward with the plan. H ow could we explain that we, I nstead would fight to our last man? J ust when all seemed bleak and lost, K ing Ruford came through skies storm-tossed L anding lightly a-dragon-back, M eeting our leaders to suggest a different tack. N o-one had fought as long as he, so O f course, he was the one to make us see that there were other P ossibilities. Q uite...

This week’s short story takes us from an undersea adventure on a distant world to one woman's search for a war hero in a war-torn land. Welcome to Jacob's Vision . Erin writes of her earthbound memories of an interplanetary war, of the fate of a war hero, and of the start of re-building. Jacob's Vision is available as a stand-alone short story at the following links: https://www.amazon.com/Jacobs-Vision-CM-Simpson-ebook/dp/B0084RVXA2/ . You can also find Kristine Kathryn Rusch's latest free short story over on her blog: kriswrites.com . Why don't you go and check it out?

When I started this gig, I didn’t have a budget. Things are a little better, now, but still not up to the point where I can hire a cover artist for four covers a month. I’m getting there, but it isn’t, now. However, I have improved my skills in creating my own covers, and some of my earlier stories deserve better. You’ll see more cover upgrades as the year progresses, and I expand out to other sales platforms, but this is the first—for a story that won my heart a second time: Jalaya. Jalaya will be re-released this week, and I’ll announce it here. In the meantime, I hope you like the new cover as much as I do. Michael has helped the villagers survive the invasion for ten years. This year, he cannot. Cut off from escape, their only hope of salvation is to return to the village, and pray. Returning to the village means returning to his fiancé, forced by a secret family tradition to remain, when duty called him to leave. But reunions will have to wait. First Michael and th...

I’ve been wanting to write a story for ANZAC Day for weeks, but just couldn’t think of anything that brought together the ideas that the dead must be remembered, and their deeds not forgotten, that the service of a warrior is not degraded by the fact that he fights in a war, but that a warrior’s honour is upheld by the manner in which he conducts himself in that war and the reasons for which he fights—and by the idea that all wounds heal, that enemies can find a foundation for mutual respect and understanding, even if friendship comes generations later. Today, the scene in the first two paragraphs came into my head and combined with images from the dawn services, the ideas above, and nation-wide memorials to produce this. I can only ask forgiveness that it is not a historical piece. This story is set on Aquamarine, the lizardine homeworld, after the events described in The Reptiles’ Blade .   The First to Remember A shot rang out, earlier than those scheduled to hon...

Spit is the first book in the On Patrol series by Carlie Simonsen. Spit is following a group of Sneakers to see how they are getting into the Border Patrol supply depots, when he is captured—but not by Sneakers. Another group, one that has snake people and lizard centaurs working within its ranks has taken him captive. The question is: Are they friend or foe? Spit has no idea, but when they come across a base under attack from a large group of Sneakers, he has to find out. Spit is the first book in the On Patrol series. Set in the near future, in a world on the edge of war, the series follows Spit and his people in their efforts to protect their homes and loved ones. Spit is currently available on Smashwords , and will soon be available on Amazon Kindle , Create Space, Nook, Kobo, and iTunes . Spit First Chapter : Sneakers Spit watched the Sneakers through the swaying leaves. They all wore black. They all walked without making a sound. He watched as they walk...