Second Draft Time for Starveyors

August 27, 2012 KenMcConnellLeave a comment

The third and final book of the Star Trilogy, Starveyors is about to go into the Second Draft stage. I’m supposed to start it Saturday, but I might dive in a week early in an effort to get it through the grinder faster. Second drafts are where things get polished and typically for me, that means more words added, some scene shifts and technical details get corrected.

I’m giving myself a few weeks to do this. After that the manuscript is off to my Beta readers. When I compile their comments and adjust D2 to reflect that, it’s off to the editor in mid-October. Still shooting for a late November release for the ebook. Also, I’ll be reissuing the first two ebooks with fresh new edits and layouts at the same time.

I’m also planning on making a three-in-one book featuring extras that will include some art and a few short stories. Not sure what the pricing will be on this omnibus edition, but I doubt it will be up in time for Christmas.

In the Spring of next year, I’ll hopefully have some paperback versions of all three novels. I’d like to see them on my shelf together. The cover art might make more sense to readers when they see them all together. There is a method to my madness regarding cover design.

The Star Trilogy Explained

May 28, 2012May 29, 2012 KenMcConnellLeave a comment

The Star Trilogy is a trilogy in that the books are connected in thematic ways, but they are not related in characters, at least not for the most part. Confused? Me too. I’ll try again.

The main characters in Starforgers are both human and android or my specifically sentient androids called Silicants. Humans don’t live forever, but Silicants can. So some of the Silicant characters introduced in Starforgers will come back in Book Three – Starveyors. But the main focus of the story is the start of a millennial war between the humans and the bad guys, the Votainions. So Book One is about the start of this Great War.

Book Two, Starstrikers takes place nearly 500 years later or about mid-way through the Great War. The human characters in Starstrikers are not related to the characters in Starforgers. The war has raged for 500 years and the whole Alliance is structured to make weapons and fight in this interstellar war. Therefore we follow the lives of warriors in Starstrikers. There are very few if any politicians or non-military personnel. It’a all about fighting and countering the newest weapon in the Votianion military arsenal. There are no Silicants in this story. (This is not an oversight, but I don’t explain why there are no Silicants. That will be revealed in the next book set in this universe – XiniX.)

In Book Three, Starveyors, the Great War is nearing an end. The Alliance has already started absorbing the planets once ruled by the Votainion Empire. The Empire is shrinking and so is their warship armada. The main characters of Starveyors are peace makers, trying to bring about the peaceful end to the long, bitter war. It’s about 500 years after the events of Starstrikers. The galaxy has changed. The Silicants have returned and are insisting on being a part of the peace process. Some of the same Silicants we met in Book One return in Book Three. There are revelations about Humans, Silicants and Votainions in Starveyors that I can’t reveal right now. But you can rest asure that it will be interesting.

So even though characters change for each book, all three books are related in that they act as a kind of book ends to the entire universe that I created for the stories. The only common thread between all three books is the war itself. In Book One, we see how it starts, in Book Two, we see it being fought and in Book Three, we see how it ends. As a trilogy, these three books are kind of unique in that they are so different from each other.

I’ve created a vast universe from which to write in and there are many books planned in every time frame, pre-war, mid-war and post-war. Once you read the trilogy, you will understand the overall framework of the universe. So when I start writing the filler books, it will all make even more sense and become more interesting. There is one such filler book available today and that is Tyrmia. Tyrmia is set in the same time period as Starveyors, so it happens after the Great War.

Starfighter in Profile: Spieron

March 28, 2012March 27, 2012 KenMcConnellLeave a comment

The P-44 Spieron Starfighter from Trestar Aerospace.

The Spieron was the largest mass produced starfighter during the middle of the Great War. It served in every theater of the war and was used by the Surface Army and the Stellar Fleet. After a rocky period of instability when it was first released to front line units, the Spieron quickly smoothed out and became the most popular allied starfighter in history. Pilots loved the speed and maneuverability of the fighter in nearly any environment it was deployed too. Compared to the other starfighters in the Alliance stable, the Spieron was clearly the most elegant design.

The Spieron seemed to get more adoration than the Tache and Arcon starfighters. It was sleeker and sexier than the other fighters and pilots just seemed to develop closer a bond with it. Perhaps it was the tiny wings of the Spieron that reminded pilots of aerofighters from the past. The stablemate of the Spieron was the Tieron fighter. Heavier and slower, despite having increased power from larger engines, the Tieron was a respected attack fighter, but not as well loved by the pilots. Both starfighters were built by Trestar Aerospace and were often deployed alongside each other as a complete pursuit and attack package.

The primary opponent of the Spieron was the Votainion Triak starfighter. Alliance pilots often referred to the menacing fighter as the Tri-Death, because there were three ways the fighter could beat you in combat. It could out turn you, out run you and usually, out shoot you. Pitted against the Spieron though, given equal pilot skill, more often than not the Spieron pilot would prevail.

The secondary threat that Spieron pilots faced was the Votainion KIV-9, Terror Diver. Not as fast as the venerable Triak, the KIV-9 was deployed nearly as much and was well respected by Spieron pilots. The huge, twin barreled canons that extended from the engine nacelles of the KIV-9 gave it an aggressive appearance. Many of the best Votainion pilots preferred the KIV-9 for its agility and firepower.

“Never lets you down!”

Free Short Story on Kindle

March 23, 2012March 25, 2012 KenMcConnellLeave a comment

Today and Saturday you can pick up my free short story – A Night at Downers on the Kindle. After a long day at work, Ranger Devon Ardel finds her off-duty time is equally trying. This story is set on Ocherva, and features the Stellar Ranger unit seen in the novel, Starforgers.

If you enjoyed Starforgers, you’ll love this back story about Devon and her Rangers.

Thoughts on a Novel’s Theme

March 22, 2012March 22, 2012 KenMcConnellLeave a comment

Photo Credit: buddawiggi via Compfight

Starveyors is the first novel I’ve written where pretty much every main character will have some kind of personal reconciliation, which is the overall theme of the novel. Each character’s individual arc will reflect that theme and so will the overall plot of the book. This is no easy task. It means I have to become very familiar with each character and keep his or her personal reconciliation in line with the main plot.

To be sure, good writers do this all the time in their novels. Usually they focus on just the main character whose arc follows the theme of the novel. But I’m taking it a step further with this one as a personal growth moment in my writing career. Those characters who are unable to reconcile will die. Those who are able to change will change in some small way.

At this point, mid-way through the first draft, I don’t know how this is working. When I come back at this in the second draft, I’ll be looking for these things, among others. Until then, it’s in the back of my mind as I write each scene.