CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

 The Unwanted , the second book of the Strays of Lunar One series is the second release for the year, and goes live, today. What's it About? Exiled by his pack—and on the run from one justice system, two vindictive companies, and a vigilante cruise-line company bent on bringing them in, Oliver and Lewis take a contract to get them off-planet and away from their pursuers. But all is not what it appears, and they do something they regret. Can they prove they were tricked into a grave mistake, and, more importantly, can they make it right? Where Can You Find It? This Books2Read universal link will connect you to the various e-book stores where this book can be found: https://books2read.com/u/bwalJO .    

Yesterday saw the end of the first month of a brand new year, and I have been working hard on the writer side of things. Yes, some gaming happened, too, but mostly the focus was on writing, as I have some books I'd like to see released this year. So, what did I get up to, you ask? Well, it certainly wasn't mischief...or not much of that, anyway. Writing Ghost writing took up a lot of my time, and I completed 129,690 words across multiple projects. It was a LOT, but buying a house and moving interstate late last year coupled with two week-long reactions to my covid vaccinations slowed me up some, so this took priority. Work on The Undiscovered , the third novel in the Strays of Lunar One series , recommenced very late in the month and received a full revision. Writing commences this month. Work on A Year of Practicing Poetry, the first book in my Playing with Words series commenced with a revision of what I already had and 1,427 words. Editing continued on Another 365 Days of ...

When we write, the language we use reflects the things that have shaped us as a writer. It draws on the world around us, the places and situations in which we grew up, our native language, and how we're used to hearing it used - and all these things impact on our stories. But...that's...not a bad thing, right? It helps us connect to our readers, lets us write more efficiently, and gives more depth to our characters, doesn't it? The answer to that is both 'yes'...and 'no,' because language and how we use it are full of choices - and not every choice is the right one for every situation. Take idioms, since they're the reason for this post. They're a phrase whose meaning has become established through usage...and whose meaning can be lost when that usage wanes. They also don't carry over well between different cultures, even if those cultures have the same language background - and that's because the situations they arise from are often cultural...

Coming hard on the heels of The Unwanted , is Book 2 of the Strays of Lunar One series, The Unwanted . It releases on February 1 (United States time), and is currently available for pre-order at the stores found at this Books2Read link: https://books2read.com/u/bwalJO In this release, Oliver and Lewis's adventures take an unexpected turn as they are forced away from the home they'd thought they'd found. Here is it's cover, created by Jake at JCaleb Design .      

I'm running a little late with this one, but I had a deadline to meet and things were tight, so some things were let go in the streamlining process. Now, I'm picking them up, again. This release was one of those. The Unwilling is 2022's premier release and the first book in a brand new science fiction series The Strays of Lunar One .  What's it about? The short version: Werewolf mercenaries on the run - in space! The longer version: Bite his friend—and be branded a criminal—or let his friend die, it’s a decision that has Oliver and Lewis running for their lives—and not just from the Lunar One Justiciars. The job went south, their client wants them to join up or die…and their target is out to get their data back—along with a side of revenge. With bounty hunters on their tails, Oliver and Lewis make for the shelter of lupari territory, but will the space wolves take in two stray weres, or will they turn them over for the bounty on their heads? Set in the same univers...

Today's reading consists of a short post-apocalytpic piece about the beginning of a road trip:

Daryon, Selene & Ysoris hit a snag in their transport plans and Selene reveals one of her argument-winning strategies. Come join me as we take the terrible trio across the not-so Elysian Fields.