Conquest: Amazon Release
This month’s novel.
Two months ago, I completed my first book series. Between the publication of the second and third books, I wrote a spinoff novel set in the Fossil Saga universe and serialized it here. That novel became more than a promotional tool. It became more than a side project. It became a story I enjoyed immensely, and I’m excited to share it with you in a far more accessible form.
I talked about the possibility of moving the story over to Amazon while I was writing it. I’m very passionate about the book and the characters, and I’d love for others to have a chance to lose themselves in this story, too. But I didn’t have enough funding for an extra book this year, and it seemed out of the realm of possibility.
But that was before I delayed the last three Eorum stories indefinitely. I had another three months to fill with stories I was excited about. I began working on a cyberpunk litRPG series that started with my short story The Arena, but that’s taking longer than anticipated due to some personal struggles outside of my writing life. That left me without a book to publish this month, and I had previously dedicated myself to publishing a novel every other month for a year. After all that hard work, I was going to fail my goal.
Except I have a novel I wrote months ago, ready to format and release. Plus, the final installment in the trilogy was my last release, so Fossil is still relatively fresh. It’s perfect!
This novel is filled with pulse-pounding action and interesting characters who are constantly challenged. They’re given impossible choices and must figure out what their real values are before everything is lost. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s got heart.
The novel is set between books two and three of the Fossil Saga. Humanity is at war with the Esslarians, and the Human Federation has an advantage to press. But what the Esslarians lack in numbers, they more than make up for in weapons and technology.
Kronos Squad has been on hundreds of successful missions, but none of them are like this. Dropped from orbit and stranded on an alien world, the four soldiers must hold true to each other as they gather information about the Esslarian colony before the Federation invades. But not everything about these aliens is as it seems.
This is a very different book from the main Fossil novels. The trilogy is a large-scale, epic sci-fi story about empathy, love, and forgiveness. Conquest is a short, fast-paced, boots-on-the-ground story about trust, sacrifice, and duty. If the Fossil Saga were the Star Wars series, then Conquest is Rogue One. A small group of soldiers fighting against insurmountable odds, with everything on the line.
The cast of characters is relatively small. We follow a squad of four soldiers who stick close to one another and have no contact with any of their superiors. They’re stuck on an alien world, but they’re stuck together. I didn’t want to add too many members of Kronos Squad. I only had four because A) that’s how I pictured them, and B) I wanted to get to know them without slowing the story too much.
These four soldiers began as simple archetypes. The determined leader, the aloof sniper, the goofy muscle, and the geeky tech expert. They were heavily inspired by the Bad Batch from Star Wars and Noble Team from Halo: Reach. But as I wrote this story, they grew into real people with their own goals, motivations, and beliefs. They weren’t archetypes anymore. They took action, they made choices, and they didn’t always agree with one another. But they were still a family, and they still trusted one another.
I love these characters. I love the journey they had together. I hope you find yourself standing as the fifth member of Kronos Squad as you open this book, and I hope you get something out of their story. While it started as a book about awesome space marines fighting menacing monsters, it became much more than that. As strange as it might sound, these soldiers inspired me, and I hope they inspire you, too.
You don’t have to read the Fossil Saga before reading this book. It stands on its own and can serve as a great entry point into the trilogy, kind of like a teaser of what’s to come. It’s a fun story which I’m very excited about, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, too.
Thanks for reading! You’re dismissed, rookie.
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This novel wouldn’t be possible without the support of readers like you. Thank you for all you’ve done. It makes me so happy that you enjoy these stories. You’re the best!
But to be completely honest with you, I need your help. Hours have been scarce at my job, and I’ve been trying to find something else to help with that so I can continue to afford book covers. But while I’m working on that, any help with the cover of Conquest would be super appreciated. Thank you!
You can also read the main Fossil Saga books here, along with my other novels. After the release of Conquest, I’ll be moving on to another big project, so follow me on Amazon and subscribe here to stay updated with that.
Thank you again for your incredible support and for showing your interest. I love writing, and you make it so, so worth it. Every second and every penny given up for this craft is made precious because of you. Thank you.