Progress! Razvitia!

Finally! At last. After all these months. The Girl From the El Dorado Star System, Book One: The Man Who Had to Die, will be on Smashwords by the end of the month. It is in the hands of my e-editor now. The two chapters I had published on Smashwords as previews just didn't fly with the Smashwords powers-that-be. Previews, even completed chapters, are not allowed. (But they said they now accept serial versions of novels...) So this, and life, threw a monkey wrench into things for a little while. It did give me the chance to do some more writing and rewriting. The first ten chapters of the story I set aside as "Book One," thinking to publish the story in serial form. Then I began revising the material, splitting chapters like amoebae, and adding several new ones. The result is that what was once the first ten chapters of the story is now the first eighteen chapters. Over 59,000 words. This better qualify as a "completed book" for Smashwords purposes. What were originally the next ten chapters of the story, the original Chapters 11-20, are going to be Book Two: The Girl Who had a Mission, Chapters 19-34. (More writing and rewriting and amoeba chapters.) That book will be completed probably by early July. That will pretty much take me through the original Volume One. Book Three: Appointment at Calaverras will follow.

Also, I have a new cover for the series of books. I highly recommend http://www.selfpubbookcovers.com. They're reasonably priced for low-budget writers. Most covers are available for $69, with some going for $89-$99.  The art work is good and original. And you get to design your book cover - basically arranging your title, author, and by line on a pre-made cover, prior to buying it. Once you buy the cover it is removed from the website and is not available anywhere else.

Here is the cover for The Girl From the El Dorado Star System, Book One:

 I have also started working on a companion guide to the story, with glossary, characters, ship names, places, and notes on languages, society, etc. That really won't be finished until the story runs its course.

Spin-off stories are in the works.

Peace, J.