Ben Archer and the Toreq Son

publishes on March 4th!

Dear friends,

Ben Archer's adventures are coming to a close.

That's right: Ben Archer and the Toreq Son (The Alien Skill Series, Book 6) publishes on March 4th, 2021 - that's three days away! Are you ready for it?

While you go ahead and discover this heart-pounding story, I'm going to CELEBRATE and then, REST! Editing the Toreq Son was particularly exhausting. Not because of the editing itself - this is is a normal part of the process - but because spending large amounts of time on particularly stressful scenes turned out to be pretty taxing!

You'll understand what I mean soon enough.

Also, I'd never written a story with such a large amount of characters and locations, so that was a new and rewarding experience for me.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HWQYPH5

The Alien Skill Series News

I'm so glad you're on my mailing list right now. You see, I wonder if The Alien Skill Series is going viral? I'm probably just making this up, but if I'm not, then you'll be able to say you were here from the beginning!

Here's why I think The Alien Skill Series is going viral.

First, The Alien Skill (book 2) was voted a finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2020! The finalists were selected by 10 UK schools. The winners will be announced on April 1st!

Competition is fierce and I'm proud to be in this incredible list of finalists. Check them out here:

https://www.thewsa.co.uk/finalists2020/#Category_4

Second, The World Beyond (book 4) was selected as a 2021 Feathered Quill Book Awards finalist (Category Young Readers (8-12 years))!

https://featheredquill.com/feathered-quill-book-awards-2021-winners/

Third, The Cosmic Fall (book 1) got 100 positive reviews on Amazon in 1 1/2 months. Any author will appreciate how mind-boggling that is! To give you some perspective: I get approximately 1 review for every 50 copies sold. Yup. So, getting 100 reviews in such a short time is heartwarming to say the least. Thank you!

Fourth, The Cosmic Fall (book 1) has had an Amazon bestseller tag for the better part of three months, while The World Beyond just hit a bestseller tag this week.

And fifth, the Toreq Son (book 6) has had more preorders than any of the previous ebooks so far, which is amazing considering its the sixth book in a series.

ARC-readers are currently reading the Toreq Son for the first time, ahead of publication. Watch for their reviews to see what they think about it.

NOTE: The paperback and hardcover versions are ready to go and the BUY button will show up on Amazon sometime on March 4th. I'll add the links in my next newsletter, or you can follow me on Facebook and I'll post them there.

Also, check my next newsletter for giveaways! :)

New stories

What happens after Ben Archer? I get asked this question a lot.

The answer is: LOTS is going to happen. I've got 6 stories lined up in my head and just can't write fast enough. Some stories are series, some are standalones. I'll keep you updated in my newsletters of course, or you can press the FOLLOW button on Amazon or Goodreads to find out when I'm publishing something new.

Talking about new stories, maybe you'd like to join in the creative process?

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Come up with cool, science-fiction/fantasy names for characters

in upcoming Rae Knightly books!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15Ad2O22ktyVUkSkvf2VintWe-ox1WPyAYpOWJ-7xVxo/edit?usp=sharing

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Type in your character name ideas. You can also vote for your favourite name by placing an X in the voting box.

WARNING: Some characters may end up as evil, malignant villains the likes of Darth Vador or Gollum, so make sure to comment if this is the name of your sweet grandmother or your cute dog!

What's up in the neighbourhood?

Same old... Same old...

As far as we know, my family and I will be vaccinated around the end of August, so we still have a long way to go. We've also barely had any snow this winter (at sea level, I mean), so we haven't been able to enjoy much winter activities. But that's fine. We're getting to know our neighbourhood instead; discovering little beaches, rivers and hiking trails...

We can't really complain: I mean, just look at these views which are 15 minutes away from our home near Vancouver, British Columbia!

March 2021 reading list

Wands Upon a Time by Giselle Jeffries Schneider

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FWYL6NF

Stars Hollow Paranormal Mysteries: Book 1

Hello, my name is Robyn Salem, and believe it or not I am in an interesting situation. To begin, I have autism (shh, don’t tell anyone. It is a secret between us.). Anyway, autism is hard, particularly with a mentally abusive family that really knows how to get into your head and make you feel sorry you exist. There is also the physical abuse, but that is all in the past now I hope because I packed up and left. It was a hard decision as I don’t make enough money to survive on my own. I also have a dog and cat with me, and there is the fact it is a super-hot summer day. And no, I can’t go to a friend’s because I don’t have any. Things can’t possibly get worse…

I may have spoken too soon.

Next thing I know, I walk into Stars Hollow, Idaho, where life is more than it appears. It turns out not a soul has entered or exited the town for one hundred and twenty-five years, and the reason has to do with a witch ancestor I never heard anything about.

That is correct. You heard right. I am a witch. Don’t worry, I didn’t know, either.

The witch thing, though, just adds to my problems as my arrival breaks some sort of utopian lockdown spell. A spell that had been put up to protect not just the humans but the magical world as well. Everything spirals out of control from there and a human is murdered in the most peculiar manner, leading to the first friend I ever make to be arrested.

This is not the end of the tale, unfortunately.

Who would have thought I would get caught on camera using magic out in the open? I definitely didn’t predict that.

So follow me and my new friends as we use paranormal investigation to solve our first murder and begin the case of a possible Dark Witch who just happens to be related to a very important member of society.

~*~

Note to Readers

Robyn Salem is on the autism spectrum. In fact, she is based on me. My own life and backstory have been used to create hers.

Ethan Murphy and the Quest for the Minal by Anita Mishra

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RWG87LV

A middle-grade action, adventure, and mystery—a must-read!

Thirteen-year-old Ethan Murphy lives with his mother and has little to do with the outside world. He possesses unique puzzle-solving abilities.

When he receives his grandfather's letter, which says, "Your aunt has been abducted just like your father," everything changes for Ethan. He sets out to rescue his aunt, only to learn about his father's secret life and the ROM Agency.

Ethan's team has to solve the most complicated riddles written by his father and find the centuries'-old buried treasure to rescue his aunt from a dangerous gang.

But wait, riddles are not the only thing that blocks their way.

Can Ethan survive outside his comfort zone and rescue his aunt before it’s too late? Can he confront external challenges while still facing his inner demons?

Join Ethan Murphy and his team to solve the codes, unravel the mysteries, and earn a chance to be an agent of the ROM Agency.

Rosco the Rascal - Ghost Town Adventure by Shana Gorian

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084RY4VJW

At times a thrilling ghost story, at times an action-packed adventure!

Will a search-and-rescue mission for a lost cat spell trouble for Rosco and the kids? Inside the dark tunnels of an old silver mine, ghostly strangers and thunderous noises warn James and Mandy to get out—fast. But, as one mystery leads to another, the kids soon have more questions than answers. Will bravery and quick thinking be enough to rescue the missing cat and escape the eerie mine? This sixth book in the Rosco the Rascal series will keep readers guessing until the end.

*Recommended for ages 7-11. Grades 3-5

The Heisenberg Corollary by C.H. Duryea

https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/150cabe8-6cc3-11eb-8f07-ef2f7df301b6

Cutting-edge science. Bloodthirsty aliens. Can this band of nerdy scientists save the multiverse one dimension at a time?

Brilliant physicist Zeke Travers is on the brink of a scientific breakthrough… and a nervous breakdown. So after the beta test of his interdimensional drive goes off without a hitch, he breathes a sigh of relief. But when an alien warship materializes out of nowhere with guns blazing, Zeke and his team must risk using their invention to jump to a parallel universe.

Uncertain how to return to their native continuum, Zeke’s nerd squad must blind-hop across the omniverse from high-tech galaxies to magic-powered medieval planets. Hunted by ridiculously persistent and savage attackers, Zeke suspects the pursuers are only puppets of a far more shadowy evil. And with every roll of the interstellar dice, he fears they’re falling deeper into its sinister clutches.

Can Zeke uncover the dark force behind the attacks in time to save his crew and avoid interdimensional mayhem?

The Heisenberg Corollary is the first book in the hilarious Slagmaster Cycles, a science fiction fantasy mash-up series with an attitude. If you like quirky characters, non-stop action, and geeky pop-culture references, then you’ll love C. H. Duryea’s snarky, laugh-out-loud page-turner.

All the best,

Rae