Howdy all,

Some of you know I'm a writer, most of you don't, but I basically pay my bills with freelance gigs, primarily through wargames and RPGs (but the occasional PC game sneaks in). I'm branching out this year and getting off my butt to finally make my own setting, instead of telling stories in someone else's sandbox. I've managed successful Kickstarters before, and my work's been a reward tier in several other folks' Kickstarters, but this is my first stab at Inkshares, so hopefully y'all don't mind me beating the drum a little.

Right now Nerdist.com is sponsoring a contest for a crowdfunded sci-fi tale, and I'm putting my name in there: https://www.inkshares.com/books/over-the-stars

Over The Stars has been brewing in my head for a long time (often while working on contracted products). It's from a combination of inspirations going back across decades of sci-fi gaming and reading (not least of which X-Wing and other Star Wars geekery), so if y'all think you might like it, check it out, toss me a preorder (I'd love to get 100 or so by mid-March, putting me solidly in the running for this contest), and share the link around.

Over The Stars is the first planned book in a series exploring a universe split between two ideologically opposed nation-states, both inspired by recurring trends (and recent politics) I've run into as my time as a military historian (not just a geek). There's going to be an oppressive regime spanning whole galaxies in one corner, and infantry veterans and starfighter aces jockeying for corporate sponsorships and media approval scores in the other (and plenty of poor saps stuck in between). Two flavors of dystopia sci-fi future are colliding, and there's going to be sparks and stories a-plenty.

I'm going to be adding updates and improving the funding page shortly (including some cover art), but I thought I'd go ahead and get the ball rolling by posting the link early. Thanks for your time, and I hope some of you are looking for a new book: https://www.inkshares.com/books/over-the-stars

If you have not read any of Russell's work, especially that which is in the Shadowrun Universe, then you should. Great reads and run, characters that you want to follow beyond that first story.

I am backing this new project, and would pick up any of his books without question.

Critics, I know your online handle but never made the connection on these boards.

If you have not read any of Russell's work, especially that which is in the Shadowrun Universe, then you should. Great reads and run, characters that you want to follow beyond that first story.

I am backing this new project, and would pick up any of his books without question.

Critics, I know your online handle but never made the connection on these boards.

Thanks, Tek, for the kind words as much as the direct support. I do my best to tell cool stories.

I try to be consistent about my online handles most places, but I don't go advertising that I'm a writer most of the time, 'cause most of the time it doesn't matter. One day at GenCon I play in X-Wing Nats, the other day at GenCon I get to see my novel or run a game I wrote. Different flavors of geek, that don't always overlap, I guess, so I don't always mention it.

Our latest update includes some intro fiction for the piece itself, and all through this week I'll be releasing short updates with some character information.

Enjoy! If you think it's something you might like, please consider pre-ordering, or at least sharing the link around to your sci-fi loving friends. Every new reader helps us out in the Nerdist contest.

Right now Over The Stars is up to 18th place (out of 85!) in a contest that we started three weeks late; we've been making great progress, and if we can keep this momentum going, we'll place pretty well, for sure.