G. S. Jennsen

Big News: The Thief Has a Release Date

GS Jennsen — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 06:15:00 -0600

…In which Eren follows a hunch one afternoon and wanders off, lands 135 megaparsecs from Concord space, meets a perplexing species as old as the Anadens, and gets tangled up in a nefarious murder mystery - and that’s just the first day. Bar fights and explosions are also rumored to occur, because where Eren wanders, chaos usually follows. Mr. Jennsen, first reader and relentless truth teller, has proclaimed The Thief “the most fun book” I’ve ever written. Considering that was my goal, I’m pretty stoked to see if you all agree with him.

THE THIEF will be released on *** FRIDAY, MAY 31st *** in ebook, hardback and paperback. You can order the ebook from your favorite retailer right now:

PREORDER THE THIEF

Want a signed, personalized hardback or paperback? Pre-order one today! Note, pre-ordering is the only way to get a signed hardback.

PREORDER A SIGNED COPY

Want to listen to the audiobook as Pyper Down records it? Sign up for my “Buy Me A Coffee” program (Concord level):

Buy Me A Coffee

The Thief takes place three years after the end of Duality (and more or less concurrently with Medusa Falling). It’s a fun, fast-paced adventure (that clocks in under 100k words!) and is intended to be a new entry point for readers - so if you have someone you’ve been trying to convince to read the Amaranthe novels, this is an excellent opportunity to get them hooked.

* A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe *

The Hesgyr are thieves. “Scavengers,” to hear their victims tell it; “repurposers” by their own reckoning.

As Chief of Intelligence for Non-Anaden Affairs, Eren Savitas’ job is to protect the Advocacy from all manner of alien threats: sabotage, assassination, insurgency and, way down the list, theft. So when he spots a Hesgyr running off with valuable technology, he follows the alien home—and discovers a civilization unlike any he’s ever encountered.

Yes, the Hesgyr are thieves. But they are also being hunted. Systematically exterminated by an insidious enemy they can’t see, touch or find. Eren finds himself drawn ever deeper into the Hesgyr’s fascinating yet labyrinthine world as he races against time to solve the mystery of the deadly attacks. What he discovers is a complex web of loyalties and betrayals, of grudges and grievances millennia old—and beneath it all, a secret that may hold the key to the survival of more than one civilization.

The Thief is a humorous, pulse-pounding sci-fi adventure about alien culture clashes, the flaws and foibles that transcend species, and the satisfaction that comes from breaking all the rules to save the day.

Time Flies When You’re Saving the Universe

GS Jennsen — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 06:05:00 -0600

Ten years ago today, I hit the ‘publish’ button on Starshine and unleashed Alex upon an unsuspecting public.

At the time, I had no idea the impact this one act was going to have - on my life, on hers, on the multiverses of Amaranthe. But in the years that followed, a story about a starship pilot with dark red hair that came to me in the shower one morning (you’ve all heard that story by now) became so, so much more. Over the course of 2,227,818 words(!), 20 novels and 10 short stories, it has transformed into an epic tale of humanity (and our allies) putting aside our squabbles to rise above our deepest fears and come together to do what we must to survive, then thrive.

Amaranthe is, above all, an optimistic vision that dares to believe humanity will prove to be both stronger and better than we believe ourselves to be - and that’s the story I was driven to tell when I started typing on a keyboard ten years plus nine months ago….

It was the summer of 2013, I had no idea my life was soon to change.

To be fair, it had already changed quite a bit. I’d walked away from a successful corporate legal career to seek a better life in the mountains of Colorado. I was doing freelance coding and editing work, desperately trying to reach a tiny fraction of the lofty heights of my former law firm salary.

And all I wanted to do was write.

I’d gotten back into fiction writing after a long absence from it about two years earlier, my creative tendencies having been nudged back to life by the imaginative worlds such video games as the Mass Effect trilogy, EVE Online and The Old Republic games offered. Now I started hearing whispers of a new manner of publishing and a new breed of writer: one who eschewed the old gatekeepers in New York and London and used the power of technology to share their books with the world—and the readers—directly. Already a computer geek, my ears perked up like a dog hearing the crinkle of a cheese wrapper, and a radical thought occurred to me: I could do this. The business and technical aspects of independent publishing, that was. I still had to write a book worth reading. So I got to work.

It took me nine months to write, edit and prepare Starshine for release. I was still doing freelance work as well, because bills, but all my creative energy and free time, I threw into the book.

I sold eight copies on release day. Of course, I’d given away the book for free to everyone who had subscribed to my website, which represented the sum total of my family, friends and existing readers from my fan fiction days, so, hey - eight brand new readers! Over the next ten days, I sold between two and six copies a day. Not half bad for a brand-new indie author no one had ever heard of, who had done everything from cover design to formatting to ‘marketing’ (lol) herself, but let’s not kid ourselves. The book wasn’t lighting the world on fire.

Then I woke up the morning of April 3rd (the day after my birthday) to discover I had sold 20 copies overnight. I was elated, of course, though I had no idea the reason for the dramatic uptick in sales (to this day, I still don’t). By noon it was 74, and Starshine was #19 on the Space Opera Bestsellers list. Mere presence on such lists increases sales as a book becomes far more visible to browsing shoppers, so sales were now feeding on themselves. By the time I went to bed that night, Starshine was #4 in Space Opera and in the Top 500 of all books on Amazon.

Fast forward ten amazing years. Starshine has been read by over 300,000 people; twenty books on, so many of you are still here, as excited for the next adventure as you were for the first. I’ve heard from countless readers about how much the series has meant to them; I’ve made wonderful new friends and been enriched by their stories. I’ve had fantastic adventures myself (admittedly, many of these still happen in my own head). My life has changed, in the best ways possible, and it’s all because of you (with a small assist from Alex and Caleb and Miriam and Nika and their wonderful friends and families). Today, perhaps more than any other day, I’m so thankful to each and every one of you. Thank you for allowing me to write for a living, and for sharing this incredible universe with me.

Here’s to the next decade!

The Thief Cover Reveal, Plus the Best SciFi Sale of the Year

GS Jennsen — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 06:05:00 -0600

You’ve waited long enough to see this positively kick-ass cover for THE THIEF, haven’t you? I think so. I’ve also got an expanded blurb for you. I can’t wait for you all to come along for the ride as our favorite ex-anarch bites off more than he bargained for….

I’ll be announcing the official release date very soon (May/June), but you can pre-order the book today at your favorite retailer.

* A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe *

The Hesgyr are thieves. “Scavengers,” to hear their victims tell it; “repurposers” by their own reckoning.

Now I have another treat for you. I’ve teamed up with dozens of today’s most popular indie scifi authors to bring you an epic collection of over 100 novels, box sets and short stories, all for the low price of FREE - but only for the next two days (MARCH 15-16), so don’t dally. SCI-FI BOOK BLAST

An Akeso Christmas Tale & a Big Ebook Sale

GS Jennsen — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 04:33:00 -0700

Merriest of Christmases and Happiest of Holidays to you! I hope you are heading into a festive week full of friends, family and joy - and some much deserved reading time with great books, of course. ;)

A quick note: this is the first newsletter I’ve sent using a new system, so it might look a teensy bit different - not too much - and there could be some glitches. If you see anything wonky or run into any problems, hit “reply” and let me know.

Everyone seemed to get a kick out of the Halloween ghost story I shared, so I’ve written another little flash story - more on that in a second. First, I’m running a big sale on ebooks from my direct store. Now through January 1st, you can get 30% off every ebook you purchase directly from me. Use the coupon “HOLIDAY23” as many times as you want, for as many books as you like.

EBOOK SALE: HOLIDAY23

Now, about that Christmas flash fiction. A VERY AKESO CHRISTMAS takes place a few months after Duality; as such, it does contain some spoilers for the Riven Worlds novels. As befitting a Christmas tale written by someone who grew up on the likes of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, it is heartwarming, a little silly, and terribly sappy!

I scribbled it out in about two hours earlier this week, and it’s only been edited for spelling errors. At fifteen hundred words (a shortish chapter in one of my books), it’s a super-quick read, and I hope it gets you in the holiday spirit as you go into this special week. Here’s a tiny excerpt from the story:

The house was decked in an extravaganza of greenery and shining balls and red bows and bright artificial stars; the two largest trees situated off the porch bore matching attire. “What is this?”

Alex appeared from Eren’s left as the wormhole faded away. “It’s Christmas.” She extended a hand to him. “Come inside.”

What in Athena’s name was ‘Christmas’? A quick query told him it was a Human holiday with religious roots that centered around gift-giving, decorating trees, singing carols, lighting things up, something about reindeer and…possibly snowball fights?

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A Very Akeso Christmas

GS Jennsen — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:36:00 -0700

A VERY AKESO CHRISTMAS

This story takes place a few months after the events of Duality (which means it includes some spoilers for the Riven Worlds novels).

Eren sat on the balcony with his back against the wall and his legs stretched out in front of him. The air was filled with scents of clover and damp wood after an overnight rainfall. A trio of birds sang their usual morning melody overhead, and the muffled, rapid thumps of a cervinae chasing its prey echoed through the weald.

Another perfect day on Hirlas. In the weeks following the Rasu attack, various groups had bandied about adopting a new name for their awakened planet, but in the end none of them stuck. After all, Hirlas had always been alive for the Naraida and Volucri who called it home.

He sighed and sipped on his tea, trying to will the melancholy away. And failing.

The one-year anniversary of Cosime’s death had come and gone last week. He’d taken a few days off work for it, and hadn’t yet been able to convince himself to return. He’d been doing so well recently, too. But the arrival of the dark date had whacked him over the head and sent him into a proper tailspin of grief and despair, and now all he wanted to do was sulk for the next hundred years.

The telltale glow of a wormhole forming on the balcony gleamed against the high emerald leaves, and he forced himself to his feet to greet his unannounced and not particularly welcome guest.

A few seconds later, Caleb walked through wearing a friendly smile.

Eren couldn’t quite muster the same. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

“We’d like for you to come over for dinner. Or, breakfast in your case, I suppose. Doesn’t really matter.”

“Thanks for the invite, mate, but I’m not feeling up to it today.”

“Which is exactly why you should come. Please? For us? You don’t have to stay long. We’ll understand.”

“Ahhh…fine. Okay.” Not long ago, Caleb had saved not just his and Felzeor’s lives, but the lives of millions of Hirlas’ inhabitants, so it was mostly a sense of duty that forced him to agree. “Let me change into something more appropriate—”

“Don’t worry about it. Just bring yourself.” Caleb gestured to the wormhole. “After you.”

He gathered up his meager strength and stepped through the wormhole onto…was this Akeso?

Snow covered the ground in every direction and hung in ivory dollops from the tree limbs, where Akeso-birds fluttered about stringing silver garland from limb to limb. The stream running in front of the house had frozen into a meandering ice rink, and the night air glittered with pinpricks of red and green light. He shook his head, confused. He’d never seen snow on Akeso before.

Ahead, the house was decked in an extravaganza of greenery and shining balls and red bows and bright artificial stars; the two largest trees situated off the porch bore matching attire.

“What is this?”

Alex appeared from his left as the wormhole faded away. “It’s Christmas.” She extended a hand to him. “Come inside.”

In the nearby meadow, Kennedy’s two kids were engaged in a high-pitched battle of dueling snowballs, pelting each other over and over in the face and chest as they drew from ever-growing piles of perfectly formed balls of snow. Because Akeso was creating the weaponry for them; as each ball was retrieved and thrown, a new spot of snow rolled itself up into an orb and deposited itself in the stack.

He chuckled in unexpected delight and stooped down to scoop up a handful of snow, which he packed into a haphazard ball. “It’s not as geometrically perfect as Akeso’s creations, but….” He drew his arm back and lobbed it gently into the back of Jonas’ head.

Both kids spun in surprise, then ran over, stumbling through the powdery snow and cackling. Braelyn slammed into his legs, arms wide. “Come play with us! Be on my team!”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Eren’s going to come inside and say hello to everyone first.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Everyone?”

She flashed him a grin. “I told you—it’s Christmas. Kiddos, fresh cookies will be ready in about five minutes. Don’t miss them.”

“We won’t!” Jonas palmed a new snowball Akeso had served up for him and pelted his sister in the head, then ran off, her hot on his tail.

Caleb opened the front door, and a deluge of delightful aromas washed over Eren. Cinnamon and nutmeg and apple spice and definitely cookies baking rode a wave of warmth and chatter.

David Solovy stood in the kitchen wearing a bright green apron and two oven mitts decorated in red holly. He reached in the oven and removed a pan full of chocolate-crusted cookies, then picked one up and held it out to Eren. “Be my guinea pig and try it. Are they ready?”

“Uh….” He took the cookie hesitantly, as he wasn’t exactly a connoisseur of baked treats, and bit into it. His mouth filled with warm, melting, sugar-laden gooey goodness, and he moaned in pleasure. “Unph-huphf.”

“Skazochnaya! Alex, grab me a plate, will you?”

Caleb tilted his head toward the living room, and Eren followed. A roaring fire decorated the corner of the room, with old-fashioned lit candles lining the mantle. His eyes scanned those gathered there with interest. All the usual suspects—Kennedy and Noah, Mia and Malcolm, Isabela and Marlee, as well as Valkyrie and Thomas sporting their Human-like dolls—were gathered together in small groups, chatting and laughing. Miriam sat on the couch talking to Richard and Will; an open box sat on her lap, shiny, torn paper dangling off of it.

They wore slacks and sweaters and even a touch of silk here and there, and he suddenly felt horribly underdressed in his linen knickers and plain knit shirt. Why hadn’t Caleb let him change clothes? Possibly because he’d likely have used it as an excuse to beg off the invitation?

“Oh, good, you made it.” He turned toward the familiar but unexpected voice, and Corradeo clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m not certain precisely what’s going on here, but it’s all simply delightful.” He handed Eren a steaming mug. “Try this. It’s mulled cider with cinnamon and a dash of rum. When you drink it, you believe you will never be cold again.”

“If you insist.” He took a small sip from the mug, and had to agree. Heat spread through his chest and into his limbs…and, in the sappiest of all metaphors, began to warm his heart. A smile lit his face, all the way to his eyes. He hadn’t realized how lonely he’d been, and how being alone had made his sorrow so much worse.

Then a dash of panic descended, and he laid his free hand on Caleb’s arm. “I don’t have any gifts. If you’d warned me—”

“Don’t be silly.” Alex materialized at his side. “Christmas isn’t about gifts. It’s about being with family.” She reached onto the plate she held balanced on one palm and offered him a cookie. “Fancy another one?”

“Yes…thank you.” He absently took it from her, his mind glitching over her use of the word ‘family.’ Did she mean to say…? Suddenly overwhelmed with an irrational swell of emotion and gratitude, he spread his arms wide and did his best to wrap Alex, Caleb and Corradeo all up in a giant hug. “Thank you.”

“We’re glad you’re here.” Alex gave him a peck on the cheek before disentangling from his ridiculous hug. “More cookies to deliver.”

A shout erupted from Braelyn as she bolted into the room. “Come quick! You have to see!” As quickly as she’d arrived, she vanished back out the front door

Caleb arched an eyebrow and gestured grandly toward the entry. “It seems we have to see.”

Everyone filed outside into the cold night air, plates and mugs in hand.

Above the frozen stream, just beyond the tree tops, a dance of lights soared across the sky. They took the shape of…Eren tilted his head curiously. Reindeer, pulling a sleigh. The outline of a rotund man with a long, flowing beard wearing a fur-lined coat held the reins atop the sleigh.

“It’s Santa, it’s Santa!” The kids sang in unison.

Eren nudged Alex. “That isn’t Mesme, is it? It can’t be. Mesme would never engage in frivolity.”

“Oh, but it would. I just had to ask sweetly.”

“Yes, Mesme was so blown away by the once-in-a-lifetime occurrence of Alex being sweet, it was completely disarmed and had no choice but to agree to a performance.” Caleb kissed Alex atop the head, then draped an arm over Eren’s shoulder and raised his voice above the joyous din. “Merry Christmas, everyone.”

A Halloween Ghost Story, Audio Shorts, and a Great SciFi Sale

GS Jennsen — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:26:07 -0600

Happy Halloween! I’ve got a fun—I mean spooky—bit of flash fiction for you today starring Nika and Dashiel. But first….

Ever been curious about my audiobooks and all the fuss over Pyper Down, but not ready to commit to Audible or another audio app? Good news - I've put all the Amaranthe short stories up on my YouTube page, where you can listen to them for FREE.

You know you already fall down YouTube rabbit holes all the time - might as well fall down this one. Listen to them all here: https://www.youtube.com/@gs_jennsen

I’ve also got a giant collection of over 100 free or discounted scifi and fantasy books for you. Find them all here: SciFi & Fantasy Book Bazaar

Now, about that Halloween flash fiction. GHOSTS OF PROELE takes place three years after Duality, but prior to future books starring Nika and Dashiel. That said, you don’t need to have read Duality or any of the Riven Worlds books to enjoy the story (it is a little spoilery if you haven’t yet read Asterion Noir). I scribbled it out in about an hour last week, and it’s only been edited for spelling errors. At a thousand words, it’s a super-quick read. I hope you enjoy it!

GHOSTS OF PROELE

Proele.

The word whispered through her dream, carried along by an eerie, haunted wind. Wisps of fog obscured any details of where she was, but everywhere she turned, there was only the word.

Proele.

Nika awoke with a start. Silvery moonlight drifted into the bedroom, and she turned to see Dashiel sleeping peacefully beside her.

Taking care not to disturb him, she eased out of bed and tip-toed to the kitchen, where she poured a cup of coffee and took it over to the windows looking down upon Mirai One.

Proele. She knew the word, though not from where.

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~ Image credit: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

Ghosts of Proele

GS Jennsen — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:23:44 -0600

GHOSTS OF PROELE

This story takes place three years after DUALITY, but prior to future books in which Nika and Dashiel will appear.

Proele.

The word whispered through her dream, carried along by an eerie, haunted wind. Wisps of fog obscured any details of where she was, but everywhere she turned, there was only the word.

Proele.

Nika awoke with a start. Silvery moonlight drifted into the bedroom, and she turned to see Dashiel sleeping peacefully beside her.

Taking care not to disturb him, she eased out of bed and tip-toed to the kitchen, where she poured a cup of coffee and took it over to the windows looking down upon Mirai One.

Proele. She knew the word, though not from where. It took only a fraction of a second to delve the history banks and she had her answer, though not her ‘why.’ Proele was the name they’d given to the planetoid where, near the end of their two-century-long Exodus away from the Anaden Empire, they’d first discovered kyoseil. Though the rock wasn’t fit for habitation, they’d paused there for several weeks while a team set up a camp on the surface to extract and study the mineral. After loading up sizeable samples in the holds of their generation ships, they’d continued their journey, and only after settling on Synra had the first experiments integrating kyoseil into their biosynthetic bodies began.

She wondered. Had Magnus Forchelle known as he stood on the planetoid’s surface what he had found?

Proele.

She jumped in surprise. She wasn’t dreaming any longer, was she? She pinched herself. No, she was not. Yet the ghostly voice had echoed anew in her mind nonetheless.

She sighed, sending ripples through the steaming coffee held at her lips. It appeared she was going to Proele.

Nika and Dashiel stepped out of the wormhole onto the planetoid. A pale gray crumble of rocks almost as fine as sand coated the uneven landscape. In every direction, the surface had been upended, and haphazard valleys, mounds and crevices marred the horizon. Asterions had returned here millennia ago to strip the planetoid of every ounce of kyoseil in the drive to sate their ravenous appetite for the mineral—back when they didn’t understand how it was not merely incredibly ancient, but alive.

“We wrecked this place good and proper.” Her voice echoed inside her helmet and was swallowed up by the emptiness surrounding her.

“True.” Dashiel’s voice rang tinny and hollow. “But something tells me it wasn’t much of a scenic vista to begin with.”

“No.” The planetoid exhibited a slow, wobbly orbital pattern, and to their left a sulfur glow from the distant sun peeked over a mound of upturned rock. Shadows raced into the crevices—and in the corner of her eye light glinted off something. She started walking that way.

“Where are you going?”

“There’s something over here.”

“Nika, there’s nothing left.”

“Maybe someone left a tool behind.” The ground sloped down into a shallow bowl, and she slipped and slid down the bank toward the lowest point.

The light glinted again as the sun rose higher behind them, and she dropped to her knees and began pushing away the top layer of sand.

At the center of a jagged hole sat a perfect specimen of pure kyoseil. Amber threads with hints of opalescence threaded in on themselves like an intricately woven knot.

Dashiel knelt beside her. “Impossible. We wouldn’t have left a chunk this large behind. Not back then.”

“Maybe it’s spent millennia traveling up from the mantle to the surface.”

“Kyoseil isn’t usually much for the traveling, but maybe.”

She worked around its edges until she’d dislodged it from its cradle, then cupped it in her hands. The prodigious kyoseil in her body hummed with excitement, as if reuniting with a long-lost friend.

This was what she was here for. But why?

She set the sample back down and began detaching one of her gloves from her suit.

“Nika, what are you doing?”

“I need to touch it. I’ll be fine for a minute or so.” Asterion bodies were designed to withstand the brutality of space for short periods.

Icy daggers burnt her exposed skin, and she quickly picked up the kyoseil—

“Drayden, come look at this!” The ghost of Magnus Forchelle motioned excitedly with his ethereal gloved hand, and a spectral form working at a screen above a large piece of machinery hurried over.

“What do you have?”

“I’m not certain.” Ghost Magnus knelt and scooped up a handful of the sand-like material covering the chalky surface, then stood. Within it, tiny golden strands gleamed like brilliant stardust.

“Huh. That doesn’t resemble any of the minerals or crystals we’ve identified so far.”

“I know it doesn’t.” Ghost Magnus brought his cupped hands close to his face, his head tilting. “It’s beautiful. I wonder if perhaps we’ve discovered a new element, out here amidst the endless sea of black.”

“How did you find it? I don’t see any other samples in the area.”

“I was scanning the horizon, and I spotted what resembled a flickering of lights in the air over in this direction. As I got closer, the lights dissipated. I looked down, and there it was.”

“I don’t see any lights.”

“Neither do I. It must have been a trick of the eye. Let’s get this back to the camp and see if we can learn what we’ve found.” Ghost Magnus kept his hands carefully surrounding his prize as he trailed the other spectre back to their camp.

Behind him, in the shadow of a boulder canted askew and half-buried in the surface, a cluster of blue-white lights swirled languidly for a moment, then was gone.

Nika dropped the kyoseil to the ground and stumbled to her feet.

Dashiel’s hand grasped her arm. “Are you okay? What happened?”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “I saw the camp. Magnus Forchelle and others working.” She hurriedly reattached the glove over her throbbing, damaged skin, then grabbed his hands in hers. “Dashiel, why was there a Kat on Proele when we discovered kyoseil?”

***

~ Image Credit: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

The Medusa Falling Audiobook Is Now Available

GS Jennsen — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 06:57:27 -0600

I’m thrilled to announce that the MEDUSA FALLING audiobook is now available at all major online retailers! I can’t wait for you to listen to this incredibly fun, exciting adventure, featuring Marlee and a whole new slate of amazing alien voices brought to life by Pyper Down.

SO MANY OTHER RETAILERS

* A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe *

“Can I ask where we’re going?”

“Someplace safe…as safe as anywhere on this broken, fallen world can be.”

A first contact encounter isn't supposed to kick off with a dead body.

Ambassador Marlee Marano has been dispatched to Belarria as part of a Concord initiative to meet new species and build alliances. But when an assassin murders her counterpart in front of her eyes and takes her hostage, she is plunged into an alien world on the brink of collapse.

With no way to contact Concord or get offworld, Marlee’s only allies may be a shadowy band of rebels with a questionable agenda steeped in government conspiracies, mysterious genetic experiments and bloody historical grievances that threaten to boil over. The rightness of their cause is the least of her concerns, though, for she finds herself wanted for murder and hunted by all sides.

Medusa Falling is a heart-pumping sci-fi adventure that will take you on a roller-coaster ride of twists and turns as Marlee races to uncover the secrets and lies of a captivating but deadly alien culture and find a way home.

Dragon Con Schedule + an Epic SFF Sale

GS Jennsen — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 06:42:00 -0600

I hope everyone is enjoying Medusa Falling! If you haven’t grabbed it yet, go ye forth and do so: Medusa Falling retailers.

Dragon Con is next week, and I will be there! It runs Aug. 31-Sept. 4 in Atlanta, and is one of the world’s largest celebrations of all thing sci-fi and fantasy: movies and TV, comics, games, art, of course books, and so much more. Get your tickets here. This year, I will have my own vendor booth in the main vendor hall (3rd floor) for the entire convention. If you're going to be there, come see me! You don't need to buy a paperback, promise - just stop by, say hello, and we'll take a pic together if you like.

Where in all that chaos is my booth?

I leave you with the gigantic annual Indie Author Sale hosted by The Narratess. From Aug. 26-28th, get over 300 scifi, fantasy and horror books for free or pennies: Go to the Sale

Medusa Falling Is Here

GS Jennsen — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0600

Are you ready to go along for the ride as Marlee rocks the foundations of yet another alien civilization? MEDUSA FALLING is now available at all retailers in ebook and paperback.

If you pre-ordered the ebook, it should be waiting for you right now on your ereader device or app. (Note: if you pre-ordered directly from my web store, you should have an email from BookFunnel with a link to download your book; if not, go to my.bookfunnel.com and login with the email you used to pre-order.)

You can get the paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble’s website and many other online bookstores, or you can order a signed copy directly from me. The hardback is slightly delayed for technical printer reasons and will be available soon.

Audiobook listeners: Pyper Down has already started recording! If you want to listen to the chapters as she records them, you can join my Buy Me A Coffee (Concord level).

* A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe *

“Can I ask where we’re going?”

“Someplace safe…as safe as anywhere on this broken, fallen world can be.”

A first contact encounter isn't supposed to kick off with a dead body.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I Have a Question For You

GS Jennsen — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 05:30:00 -0600

Okay, I have two questions. First, have you preordered MEDUSA FALLING yet? It will be here in one short month! Grab it now, and it will be waiting for you on your ereader on August 1st (also, note that preordering a hardback before release is the only way to get a signed copy).

PREORDER MEDUSA FALLING

Now for the second question. Since this is a stand-alone novel, I’m hoping to entice many new readers into the universe of Amaranthe. With that in mind, would you like to participate in the Medusa Falling Launch Team and help me make the book’s release the best ever?

Not sure what that means? Well, you click the link below to register your interest. If you’re a good fit and there’s room on the team, I'll send you the ebook of Medusa Falling before it's released. All I ask in exchange is that at launch you leave an honest review on your preferred bookstore site - be that Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, or Barnes & Noble, etc, along with review sites like Goodreads if you're a member. The more sites, the better! If you post or tweet about books often, sharing news of the book release is also a great way to spread the word.

If you'd like to take part, simply click here to register your interest.

To whet your appetite, here’s the first teaser quote from Medusa Falling:

Finally, check out this awesome sale - over 75 stellar sci-fi books discounted for the month of July: SCI-FI FOR EVERYONE SALE

Medusa Falling Cover Reveal + Release Date

GS Jennsen — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 07:14:33 -0600

Are you ready to go along for the ride as Marlee rocks the foundations of yet another alien civilization? MEDUSA FALLING will be released on ** August 1, 2023 **, but you can pre-order it right now.

PREORDER MEDUSA FALLING

And now for the big cover reveal - and a proper blurb, too!

* A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe *

“Can I ask where we’re going?”

“Someplace safe…as safe as anywhere on this broken, fallen world can be.”

A first contact encounter isn't supposed to kick off with a dead body.

MEDUSA FALLING takes place three years after the end of Duality. It’s a fun, fast-paced adventure (that clocks in under 100k words!) and is intended to be a new entry point for readers - so if you have someone you’ve been trying to convince to read the Amaranthe novels, this is an excellent opportunity to get them hooked.

Expect a bonanza of teasers and other reveals as we get closer to release. Who’s hyped? (I am, obviously. Hopefully you will be, too.)

Verge Audiobook Is Here, Plus a Huge Audiobook Sale & MisCon Appearance

GS Jennsen — Wed, 24 May 2023 07:06:23 -0600

The Amaranthe VI: Verge audiobook is now available! It includes the audio for the final three novels in the Riven Worlds series: All Our Tomorrows, Chaotica and Duality.

AUDIOBOOK RETAILERS

To celebrate the release of the Amaranthe VI: Verge audiobook, I’m throwing a massive sale on the audiobook collections through June 20. Get 232 hours of audio - 18 novels and 8 shorts - for less than $24. The sale is available on Chirp, Nook and Spotify (sorry, no Audible, as I don’t control the prices there).

*Note: Apple is supposed to be participating in this sale, but they’re being slow, and right now Riven Worlds and Verge are the only audiobooks on sale there. Keep an eye out here.

Live in Montana, Idaho or eastern Washington? Come to MisCon next weekend in Missoula for 4 days of SFF panels, books, swag, conversations and all-around fun. The Guest of Honor is sci-fi legend Robert J. Sawyer, and other SF guests include C.J. Cherryh, David Gerrold...and me.

Here's my schedule for the weekend - come hang with me!

More info: https://www.miscon.org/

Finally, I want to share a giveaway of 50+ SFF ebooks, every single one of them FREE, now through June 6. Check out the Sci-Fi and Fantasy Giveaway.

Next newsletter brings Medusa Falling reveals galore. I’m so excited!

Get the Amaranthe VI: Verge Collection Today

GS Jennsen — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 04:09:00 -0600

Collection readers, you have been so patient, and today that patience is being rewarded. Complete the RIVEN WORLDS saga by downloading the AMARANTHE VI: VERGE collection, which includes Riven Worlds Books Four, Five and Six (All Our Tomorrows, Chaotica and the explosive finale, Duality) from your favorite retailer, at a 45% discount over buying the books individually.

* Need to catch up? All the previous collections are available HERE. *

Humanity has seized its destiny among the stars. But space remains vast and untamed, and nothing has prepared us to face the dangers rising from the deep shadows of the void.

**Includes the final three novels (All Our Tomorrows, Chaotica & Duality) in the RIVEN WORLDS series**

War has come to Concord. Now no one and nowhere is safe.

When indestructible warships and dimension-tearing weapons are not enough to defeat the enemy, how do you protect thousands of worlds and trillions of citizens from a Rasu tidal wave bent on devouring everything in its path?

The Rift Bubbles offer much-sought protection, but is the safety they promise anything more than an illusion? A weapon crafted by the nearly extinct Ourankeli may hold the key to gaining the upper hand—or it may be a doomsday bomb too dangerous to chance wielding. The Asterions strive tirelessly to improve upon and create new weapons that can kill Rasu, even as Nika Kirumase draws tantalizingly close to unlocking the true power of kyoseil.

Yet for every strategic move Commandant Miriam Solovy makes to thwart the Rasu’s advances, the enemy swiftly counters in a deadly battle of escalation.

We don’t need to fear death, for it cannot hold us.

Regenesis, long the exclusive domain of Anadens, begins to take root in human society. But the possibility of immortality for all does not sit well with those who would rather keep it for themselves. When a conspiracy to sabotage the future of regenesis is uncovered, an unlikely advocate decides to risk his one-and-only life to bring the perpetrators to justice.

And amidst all the conflict, the enigmatic Katasketousya have been playing a secret long game with the fate of the universe. Now events race toward a rendezvous with their unfolding machinations, and the resulting collision is going to change everything.

In Amaranthe, where exotic alien life, AIs, wormholes, indestructible starships and the promise of immortality rule the day, no feat seems out of reach for humanity. But when the worlds of Aurora Rhapsody and Asterion Noir collide and the Rasu horde descends upon them both, more will be asked of heroes past and future. More will be given and more taken, and when the dust settles the very fabric of Amaranthe will be changed forever.

The DUALITY Audiobook Is Here

GS Jennsen — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 05:41:09 -0700

I’m thrilled to announce that the audiobook for DUALITY (Riven Worlds Book Six), is now available all major retailers! I can’t wait for audiobook listeners to experience this tremendous finale to the epic Riven Worlds series.

Have the checked out my blog post on what comes next in the Amaranthe universe? It’s free of major Duality spoilers, so go ahead and check it out, even if you haven’t read Duality yet. What are Cosmic Shores and Medusa Falling? What comes after the new trilogy? And after that? Best of all, I want your input on the answers to these questions. So please give the post a read and make your voice heard.

READ: THE FUTURE OF AMARANTHE

What do you want to see next from Amaranthe? Plus new preorders & exciting news

GS Jennsen — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 08:33:18 -0700

First off, know that I have been blown away by the response to DUALITY, which has been everything and more than I could have hoped for. It makes my heart happy that you all love it so much! Thank you for trusting me to bring those long and winding plot and character arcs to worthy, compelling conclusions.

Now for the big reason we’re here: I have a new blog post up today, and it’s all about what comes next in the Amaranthe universe. It’s free of major Duality spoilers, so go ahead and check it out, even if you haven’t read Duality yet. What are Cosmic Shores and Medusa Falling? What comes after the new trilogy? And after that? Best of all, I want your input on the answers to these questions. So please give the post a read and make your voice heard.

READ: THE FUTURE OF AMARANTHE

In case you missed it, I’ve got two books up for preorder now. First, have you not yet read Duality because you’re an omnibus collection person? Do you scoff at mere single novels and not get serious until a tome tops 400K words?

Then you'll be pleased to learn that AMARANTHE VI: VERGE, containing the final 3 novels of the Riven Worlds series (All Our Tomorrows, Chaotica, Duality) will be released on MARCH 28, 2023.

Second, you already know that Riven Worlds is not the end of the Amaranthe universe. The first novel in a new trilogy of stand-alone adventures, MEDUSA FALLING, is available for preorder now (the 9/6/23 release date is a placeholder; it will likely come out sooner).

PREORDER AMARANTHE VI: VERGE PREORDER MEDUSA FALLING

I am over-the-moon excited to announce that EXIN EX MACHINA has been named a Semifinalist in the 2022 SPSFC (Self-Published Science Fiction Competition)!

Out of 300 initial entries, Machina is one of only 30 books remaining. You can read the book bloggers' lovely thoughts on the book HERE.

SPSFC is the brain child of sci-fi superstar Hugh Howey and Duncan Swan, and is modeled after the enormously successful Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. It's a year-long competition involving 10 teams of respected book bloggers, 300 books, a cover competition and much more.

So what happens now? Now, the 30 semifinalists are handed off to fresh teams for more reads. The 7 finalists will be announced at the end of April, and the ultimate winner in July. So, ah, stay tuned.

You can learn more about the contests and the other semifinalists here : https://thespsfc.org/the-competition/2022-semi-finalists/

I am ALSO thrilled to share that the Dragon Con 2023 Page to Stage Cosplay Competition has chosen our very own Onai Veshnael (Novoloume) as a one of the characters competitive cosplayers can choose to portray in this years epic event.

What does that mean? Well, the Invitational Division of the contest is where Page to Stage invites 10 competitors from the best of the best who have competed in regional and international cosplay events to vie for the grand prize. Those invited can choose from a pre-approved list of 40 characters from SFF novels - and Veshnael is one of them!

There's also an Open Division competition that anyone can register for (until the slots are full), so...fancy yourself a cosplayer? Going to Dragon Con this year? Want to try your hand at those shimmering, elegant Novoloume robes and opalescent skin? Go for it!

Learn more about this awesome contest here: https://dcpagetostage.com/.

PS: Yes, I’ll definitely be at Dragon Con again this year.

***

THE FUTURE OF AMARANTHE - MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

GS Jennsen — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 08:28:54 -0700

I’m going to avoid significant spoilers for Duality as I talk about what comes next, so feel free to keep reading if you haven’t finished it yet.

Was Riven Worlds an epic saga, or what? Telling a single story arc over six doorstopper books was, honestly, the greatest challenge I’ve faced as a writer so far. I hope I delivered.:)

Our intrepid heroes deserve a break now, don’t they? My goodness. So let’s all take a deep breath alongside them, exhale…and forge ahead into the stars.

Because guess what? The story of Amaranthe is STILL just beginning.

Next up is a series called COSMIC SHORES, and it’s going to be a little different from what’s come before. I’ve colloquially been referring to this series as “adventure novels” for a while, and it’s an apt descriptor. My vision for Cosmic Shores is three (for now) independent, stand-alone novels that can be read by newcomers and Amaranthe veterans alike, in any order.

Each novel represents a fresh entry-point into this universe and an opportunity for new readers to discover its wonders. Each one will be a self-contained story with a complete resolution at the end, free of cliffhangers—isn’t that a crazy notion? They will be shorter than the Riven Worlds novels by a fair margin (I’m targeting 70-90K)—not because they won’t be as deep, but rather because they will focus on a single main plot and 1-4 POV characters. This will be a new experiment for me, but I never want my books to become dull, repetitive or predictable. It’s time for a new challenge!

So what are they about? Well, following the events of Riven Worlds, some of our most beloved characters are going to venture out beyond the safety of Concord’s borders, encounter new and exciting alien species, and get themselves into bucketloads of trouble.

Here’s a brief, preliminary blurb for Book One, MEDUSA FALLING (you can preorder it today):

A first contact encounter isn't supposed to kick off with a dead body. But when Deputy Ambassador Marlee Marano arrives for an all-important first meeting with a newly discovered species, she unwittingly enters a world on the brink of collapse. Government conspiracies, ruthless terrorists bent on revolution, historical grievances boiling over and mysterious genetic experiments are the least of her concerns, however. For she finds herself wanted for murder, trapped in a dangerous alien society and hunted by all sides.

So Marlee’s first up. Book Two will follow Eren (with a solid assist from Nyx) on his own sure-to-be-wild adventure, and Book Three will feature Alex, Caleb and Valkyrie doing what they do best.

While this nominally makes Cosmic Shores a trilogy, I’m thinking I’ll leave it open-ended as an avenue to tell more stand-alone stories in the future. With that in mind, who else would you like to see get their own adventure? I’m not even going to make suggestions—you just tell me who you think deserves a book of their own (see the poll below or go HERE to vote).

What comes after the three Cosmic Shores novels? This is still very much in the planning stages, but I’m interested in telling a series of prequel stories—and I need your help to decide which ones. What events in the history of Amaranthe do you want to deep-dive into? You can vote for more than one (but help me out here—don’t vote for all of them unless you really mean it!):

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DON’T FORGET TO CLICK “SUBMIT” WHEN YOU’RE DONE WITH THE POLL (scroll to the end of the widget).

(If you don’t see or can’t interact with the embedded poll above, go vote HERE.)

Depending on which ones and how many of these events I decide to explore, this series might be a combination of lengthy short stories and novellas, rather than full-length novels. It depends on how much space each story needs to be properly told. We’ll see.

Great—we’ve got stand-alone character adventures and prequel stories galore. What then?

Well, then we’ll return to Concord and all our friends for a new, absolutely epic space opera trilogy. We left a couple of loose ends unresolved and one major shadow looming on the horizon at the end of Duality, and if you’ve finished it, you probably have an inkling as to what this trilogy will center around. But it’ll be a couple of years before we get there, so we’re going to let this one sit to the side and simmer for a while while we go off and have some fun.

I hope you all will join me for these and many more incredible adventures.

DUALITY, the Riven Worlds Finale, Is Now Available

GS Jennsen — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0700

The thrilling conclusion to the Riven Worlds saga is here: DUALITY is now available at all retailers in ebook, paperback & hardback.

If you still need to get the ebook, here are your links:

You can get the paperback and hardback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble’s website and many other online bookstores.
Audiobook listeners: Pyper Down has already started recording! If you want to listen to the chapters as she records them, you can join my Buy Me A Coffee (Concord level).

Six epic novels, and it all comes down to this.

Humanity was granted their time to prepare. Now that it has come to an end, all Miriam Solovy wants is one more day.

The Rasu civil war engineered by Alex Solovy and Nika Kirumase has provided Concord the time it desperately needed. Every weapon, every technology, every tactic will be brought to bear in a bid to defend thousands of worlds and trillions of people from annihilation.

The enemy that emerges from the civil war victorious is like nothing Concord has ever faced. A boundless legion of Rasu—now interlinked and of one collective mind due to their integration of kyoseil—prepares to sweep across Concord space in a devastating tidal wave.

But there might be a way to stop them. It will mean two individuals must take upon themselves the burden of committing genocide, so the innocent beings they protect need never know how such an act comes with a price.

“There has never been a timeline like this one before.”

A war has been waged for endless aeons. Our greatest champions fight it again and again across millions of years, in a tireless endeavor to save not merely innumerable lives but existence itself.

With Mesme’s secret revealed, the enormity of the stakes is clear to all, and humanity and its allies are united as they brace for the return of the Rasu.

But the enemy has a secret, too—one that may ensure Concord’s destruction, as it has countless times before.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

DUALITY Is Almost Here, Plus Free Books for Christmas

GS Jennsen — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 08:46:36 -0700

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season, filled with loved ones, your favorite treats, cheer and many books.

DUALITY arrives in less than two weeks, and I am so excited for you to read it! Have you pre-ordered it yet? Have it waiting on your ereader first thing January 5th:

PREORDER DUALITY

Reminder: now through January 1st, get 30% off all ebooks and audiobooks from my online store. This is a discount off the already lower prices you enjoy when you buy direct from me. No limit on the number of uses, so to go town.

Use the coupon code “HOLIDAY30” at checkout to get your discount.

EBOOK SALE AUDIOBOOK SALE

AI art generation has improved an astounding amount in a few short months. Courtesy of Midjourney Zen Master EJ Fisch, I give you some incredible concept art for some of our favorite Amaranthe characters. Who's your favorite?

You can get a closer look at each individual piece in the Concept Art Gallery on my website.

Until Duality arrives, I leave you with a holiday cornucopia of 70 FREE sci-fi and fantasy ebooks to take you through the new year and beyond. EBOOK SALE

Ebook/Audiobook December Sale

GS Jennsen — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 11:03:45 -0700

Happy Holidays, everyone! Now through January 1st, get 30% off all ebooks and audiobooks from my online store. This is a discount off the already lower prices you get when you buy direct from me. No limit on the number of uses, so to go town. Use the coupon code “HOLIDAY30” at checkout to get your discount.

EBOOK SALE AUDIOBOOK SALE

DUALITY will be here January 5th - have you pre-ordered it yet? FYI: if you want a signed Duality hardback, you need to pre-order it, as I don’t keep hardbacks in stock the way I do paperbacks.

PREORDER DUALITY

With the impending end of Riven Worlds, I am already getting a lot of questions from readers about what comes next. Don’t worry - the end of Riven Worlds is not the end of Amaranthe. After Duality releases, I’ll do a blog post talking in greater depth about what the future holds for Amaranthe. Stay tuned. :)

Are you excited yet? I leave you with the first Duality teaser quote. You can see more teaser quotes on my website here as we get closer to release.