Mid-June 2024 - The Lost Star Chart
Mid-June 2024 - The Lost Star Chart
the upcoming novel and a few other, quirky things
Hi Everyone,
Check out The Lost Star Chart cover above - I love it!
Here’s the book description:
Uncovering ancient secrets, evading certain death—welcome to Darla’s daily grind.
Reclusive treasure hunter Darla Oswiu is closing in on the relic she covets the most, the lost star chart to Old Earth— but she’s not the only one who’s after it.
When she discovers someone planted explosives on her spaceship, it's clear that her life of quiet anonymity is over. But Darla is cunning, curmudgeonly, and perhaps a bit paranoid—traits that have kept her alive on the lawless fringes of the galaxy.
To get her relic, she takes on a job that forces her to face her past. Even worse, her newest contact breaches her emotional defences and makes her care—something she vowed never to do again.
With her history haunting her every move, and her isolated heart at risk, can Darla stay one step ahead, or will her past finally catch up with her?
The book is Indiana Jones in space combined with Murderbot—plus there’s a hippo.
Darla is my favourite (so far) character to write because she’s a grumpy curmudgeon with some very quirky habits. I want to step into her world and hunt for Old Earth artifacts with her.
The Lost Star Chart is a stand alone novel set in the Encoded Orbits universe—which means there are a few Easter eggs buried in the book from the other novels in that universe. But, The Lost Star Chart is complete story that can be read on it’s own (and it doesn’t end in a cliff hanger, I promise).
I’ll be running a Kickstarter for the book starting 19 August 2024.
Why Kickstarter?
I probably should back up and tell you what Kickstarter is.
Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that helps creators fund projects through contributions from backers. Projects include tech gadgets, art, comics, boardgames (I’ve gotten some great games this way) and books, with backers often receiving rewards or early access. It uses an all-or-nothing model, meaning creators only get funds if their project meets its goal within a set timeframe.
Backers get to contribute to the development of unique projects that might not exist without their support. At the end of the campaign, backers will receive their reward once it’s made.
I’m using Kickstarter for The Lost Star Chart for a couple of reasons. The biggest is: it will allow me to put out physical books at the same time as the ebook (I haven’t managed that in the past). And for the first time for me, I’m creating a hardcover copy complete with a lovely dust jacket.
Kickstarter will also give a wider launch for the book and maybe a wider audience. I’m also testing the waters a bit as I have some quirkier projects that this platform might provide a great way to bring them to life.
If you are interested in the book, I’d really appreciate your support for the Kickstarter. Clicking on ‘notify me on launch’ just means you’ll get an email when the campaign goes live (it won’t commit you to anything more than that).
The Lost Star Chart will be launched onto all the usual channels on 10 March 2025.
Something you may or may not want to know…
Now onto my promised quirky fact:
If you are thinking of setting up a substance colony on the moon (because aren’t we all laying awake late at night thinking about these things—or maybe it’s just me), there is almost no carbon available. And carbon is what our food is made of.
All the carbon on the moon is contained in six small caches—the Apollo landing sites. These include 96 bags of feces, urine and vomit.
This delightful fact was found in A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through? by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. Overall, it was a great book.
Cheers,
Jeannette
My Books:
The Lost Star Chart - Kickstarter or Preorder
Hope is the Thing With Feathers - direct or from the shops
Encoded Orbits
Fractured Orbits - direct or from the shops
The Alien Algorithm - direct or from the shops
Subject 34 - direct or from the shops
Settler Chronicles
Day 115 on an Alien World - direct or from the shops
Far Side of the Moon - direct or from the shops
Abandoned Ships, Hijacked Minds - direct or from the shops
The Alien Artifact - direct or from the shops
And if you aren’t already a subscriber, what’s stopping you (especially if you have read this far)?