Hi ,

Just a quick note to my launch team that my next book, a standalone short story, goes on sale in a week (February 23, 2023). It's set in the same universe as my novel Azureseas: Cantrell's War, but you don't need to have read the novel to appreciate the story or vice versa.

Although the story isn't on sale yet, as a member of my launch team, you can read it now, if you missed it when it came out in Analog magazine last year. Just follow this link:

Return Blessing

The fine folks at StoryOrigin will ask you to verify you're a member of my launch team before you can download, but then you're all set.

Jeffery just wants to have a good time, drinking and partying in the human zone near the city of the low-tech, insectoid aliens native to the planet Valoduria.

His dad disapproves his lifestyle, but the old man is willing to pay for it. As long as Jeffrey transmits amateur xenology videos home every week.

Jeffrey gets along fine with the Valodurians. Sure, they all look alike to him, but humans all look the same to them, right? They give him gifts. They don't even care he can't tell a religious icon from a sex toy, or a brimless hat from a floppy drinking cup.

Now, if only Jeffrey could tell what one particular Valodurian, with unreadable eyes and sharp mouthparts, wants when it asks him to "return blessing."

Though I'd appreciate a review, you don't have to leave one. The book is yours to read for free, as my thanks to you for being a member of my Launch Team. Just click that link and enter your email address when prompted. You get to choose how its delivered, and in either major ebook format. Even PDF, if that's how you roll. I'll remind you on launch day that you can leave a review.

That link again:

Return Blessing

Happy reading!

Raymund Eich