Not sure how many of you have heard that saying, but it's something I learned from my grandmother. I must say, most times it is true! So, here's to hoping that the lion doesn't roar too loud!

Up next for me is Tingod, please read on for an excerpt. In the meantime, if you'd like to know more about Eddie, pick up Tinman today on Amazon or free to read in Kindle Unlimited.

Until next time!

Love, CJ

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In a future where Earth’s poverty is as suffocating as its atmosphere, Astin Langlee chooses the ultimate escape: a seven-year contract on the Moon. In the stark, metallic corridors of LunaCorp’s lunar station, Astin earns a reputation as cold and robotic as the machinery he services. They call him “Tinman”—a man without emotion, whose only real connection is with Eddie, a sentient AI.

But as any fan of the classics knows, even a Tinman is searching for something more.

Get it Here!

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Pre-order Tingod today!

Can a Soul Survive in the Machine?

If you thought the moon was cold, the red dust of Mars holds a different kind of chill—especially for those left behind by the corporations that built it. In CJ Dragon’s Tingod, we return to the high-stakes planetary colonies to follow a man who traded his humanity for a chance to breathe, only to find himself an outcast among his own kind.

The Man Who Plugged In

Geoffrey Kingston is a "relic"—a cyber-enhanced survivor of Earth’s collapse. To the residents of Mars’s Dome 2, including his own family, Geoff is a ghost in the shell, a man whose hardware makes him "wrong" in the eyes of the unenhanced. For Geoff, survival came at the cost of total solitude.

Until he felt a pulse in the code.

Pre-Order Here!

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UNEDITED EXCERPT FROM TINGOD

Earth

It started as a normal day for Geoffrey Kingston. He woke, had his usual protein shake in his glaringly white kitchen nook, showered, dressed, and left his apartment unit to walk to his workplace, CoreX Corporation, after donning a mask and protective glasses to protect his lungs from the acrid air and his eyes from radiation.

It was a short walk since his apartment was located in one of the housing blocks owned by the Corporation. He'd been given an apartment there when he'd agreed to undergo enhancement, entering the rarified ranks of those who had consented to that irrevocable change.

Idly scratching over the covered area where the 'port' entered his skull, he grimaced, remembering.

Four years ago, he'd been a new graduate with a prestigious IT degree, qualified to program all computers, even the supposedly quantum ones. Armed with his past work experiences, and letters of recommendation, Geoffrey made the rounds of all the big companies via his computer, only to be ignored or told there were no openings. After a month of no luck finding work, he'd begun to worry about paying rent and eating. Researching other companies, he'd come across CoreX again.

Geoffrey had ruled out CoreX after hearing stories about questionable work ethics, but now he was getting desperate. He had only one more month of credits saved, and when that was gone, he'd be homeless, and starving.

Gritting his teeth, he'd applied, and been accepted, told only to come in to hear about a 'new' program.

That new program was Cyber Enhancement.

He'd sat in a room with ten other candidates, hearing about how 'safe' the procedure was, and how useful it was to a computer professional. No need to do cumbersome coding when you could link directly into the computer and solve the problem. The perks were impressive too. Free housing nearby, food stipend, healthcare for life, and paid vacations. It all sounded too good to be true.

Because it was.

By this time, Geoff was down to two weeks of credits, and felt he had no options if he wanted to live outside a shelter. The horror stories of living in a shelter pushed him into agreeing to undergo a physical to make sure he was healthy and compatible enough to undergo enhancement.

He passed all the tests, and was ruled a good candidate for the implant. Geoff continued to apply to other companies to no avail. The day of his surgery he used his last credits to send a written communication to his family about his upcoming surgery and to tell them that he loved them still.

They never replied, but then, Geoff didn't expect them to. His family abjured tech, especially computers, and lived very simply on the Nebraska prairie. They never understood his fascination with computers, preferring to remain ignorant concerning his work and lifestyle.

The surgery went faultlessly, according to his surgeon. Waking up with the worst possible headache didn't seem that way to Geoff, but he felt too awful to say so. The doctor medicated him for the headache, then had him transported to his new apartment. A nurse would stay with him for twenty-four hours, then he would report to the Cyber lab to learn how to use his enhancement. Actual connection to another computer wouldn't take place for a month, but apparently there was a lot to learn until then.

Giving himself a shake, Geoffrey returned to the present, taking a breath of the stale air. He'd arrived at CoreX Corp. Reaching out, he yanked the door open, only to find it locked. Cursing under his breath, he rubbed his elbow, wondering what was going on. It was a workday, and he was on time. Giving the door another tentative pull to no avail, he tried peering inside, but could see nothing.

Shaking his head, he called the front desk, No one answered, but there was a recorded message.

CoreX has closed to consolidate its resources in the advent of the recent social unrest. Employee accounts have been credited one month of their regular wage. Housing will remain open for that length of time as will healthcare. We thank our employees for their dedicated service. If you are a stockholder, please press one for assistance. Good bye.

Taking a couple of panicky breaths, Geoffrey took several breaths of the awful air to calm his reaction, which also cleared his mind. CoreX had succumbed to the anarchy currently ruling the world. Mentally reviewing the news, Geoff wasn't as surprised as he thought he'd be. The corporations had ruled for centuries, and now their time was past. Poverty was rampant, and the poor were tired of the glaring inequities between themselves, and the corporations. It wasn't unusual for riots to occur, with death and fire in their wake.

He understood that, but now the only thought he had was 'what will happen to me?'.

No answer was forthcoming as he slowly walked back to his apartment through the urban wasteland of burnt out buildings, part of his mind running probabilities, and the rest howling into the abyss.

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UPCOMING EVENT

I'll be attending Queer in the Middle in June this year! Here's all the details, and where you can pre-order your books! I won't be taking but a few extra, so if you want one, it's best you pre-order!

Get Tickets here: https://beventi.co/event/queer-in-the-middle-signing-event-2026-2026-us-412388328421

Pre-order books here: https://beventi.co/orderform/sedex9rxu2