At least, until I get around to putting a link up. Enjoy!
Hidden Page Alert!
Finally!
A decent book description, except it's still too long.
Nobody expects the Sasquatch Intervention.
A Vedic text tells of ancient gods who cast a shadow upon the Earth, shielding humanity from an angry sun. Or, as history books will soon report: when Sol last went micro-nova, Mercury, Venus, and the Anye migration fleet were positioned in eclipse, the latter on purpose.
Earth was scorched — but not destroyed. The event is cyclical, coming around again, and fortunately, Vidura’s furry pilgrims are still living in the neighborhood.
Unfortunately, the fleet is in mothballs. The planets will not be lining up to help. Two million light years away on the planet of the Unseen, a potentially hostile race of bird-folk have demonstrated the ability to get here from there.
Continue reading “Finally!”The Process ~ 3 of n
First chapters are always a challenge, even for authors who sell lots of books. I am therefore unsurprised to find that Maroli Tango ~ A Serial Novel has a reader retention problem.
Not that I can tell from comments. No, y’all are apparently too polite to leave comments … but I can tell from the stats how we’re doing, and it’s not great.
Chapters 1 & 4 appear to be favorites. I agree with the audience — that’s some good work, right there.
I’m cringing on 12, not listed above; not that it should be — it’s unfocused, begging for a brutal edit.
Continue reading “The Process ~ 3 of n”Maroli Tango ~ Chapter 25
https://marolitango.substack.com/s/read-the-book
The menfolk were smoking cigarettes in the castle driveway, accompanied by a non-elevated size-two fighting maroli named Quill.
Quill was 1.75 meters tall, with 2 heavy-lift primary tentacles, 4 lesser ungula, 6 grav-lift pucks around the skirt, 6 more on the capsule, eye dots all the way around, and a shock wand clipped below the plug cavity.
Carmen Benequista gave the machine a wide berth. Marie Jourdain stepped in for a closer look.
She said, “Can I get one of these?”
General Thorson fished a gas-station butane lighter out of a pocket.
He told Colonel Clarke, “You should see if Incredible might come to work for her.”
Clarke nodded. “I’ll ask him.”
“Well, like I was saying …” Thorson lit another cigarette. “Makes a lot of sense. Two forces. Cadre does political and military. Zirna Zapha handles policing and civil order. Good cop, bad cop; only you don’t tell the troublemakers which is which.”
Carmen reached for the pack of smokes. “It worked on Vidura.”
“And see here, it doesn’t matter whether it works on Earth or not.” He tucked the lighter into her palm. “It’s precedent. We get to tell my constituency we’re going by the book.”
Carmen tapped a cigarette on her thumbnail. “Who shall we cast in the role of space pirates?”
Thorson made a possum grin. “I’m looking at your boyfriend here.”
Brandon rubbed at his nose. “CH Banks is a business. We don’t do policing for free.”
“The Cadre doesn’t do military for free.”
“Who’s my customer?”
“Adopt a Zeze militant enterprise model. You know, like Boschert GMBH Zurich.”
“That’s not in our portfolio.”
“You have 3600 employees, old son. Maybe you could be a little more flexible.”
Marie Jourdain said, “It’s after 10:00 PM in France.”
Brandon’s eyes flicked away. “I’m calling our ride.”
Maroli Tango ~ Chapter 20
I would really appreciate feedback on these opening chapters.
Click here to start at the beginning.
Pulina Nava, Planet Jivada
Offshore of PN, a stately Tuscan Renaissance villa drifted at a thousand meters altitude, aimless, nudged along by the wind, meandering on gravitic tensors as though sliding on ice.
SagGha House, built 1438, the work of Italian/AjJivadi architect Mechelozzo, a prototype for Palazzo Medici, Florence, Italy, 1444.
Erected atop a surplus grav-lift marine construction barge, commissioned as an owner-managed airborne luxury residential complex, then serving as a monastery, a college and a reform school.
Until occupied by SagGha Prefect Samuel Orsa — priest, scholar, family man. A furry Anye Mahat Limar, 138 years old, bearlike in appearance, sometimes referred to on Earth as the Space Pope.
Continue reading “Maroli Tango ~ Chapter 20”Start here!
Chapter 1 ~ Carmen
13 chapters posted. More to follow.
https://marolitango.substack.com/p/chapter-1?r=f4ivk
The Process ~ 2 of n
Today’s reset of Maroli Tango ~ A Serial Novel is brought to you by Oupac of Ionia, also known as Homer the Greek, who must surely have edited a chapter or two in his day.
- Chapters 2.1.x are ‘new’.
- Chapters 5 + contain changes
- Chapters 7 & 12 were discarded.
- What was 8 is now 7 and on up the line until 13, all of which are new-ish.
These edits pushed the inciting event farther out, from page 30 to 42. The deliverables are stronger worldbuilding and character development in advance of a fast-paced story.
The cost is a delayed payoff on foreshadowed conflict.
It was a difficult decision to make, but if readers give up on early chapters for lack of explosions and car chases, they’re shopping at the wrong store.
Tell me if you think I'm wrong. That's why I'm here.
By the way, there are explosions, perhaps more than you will expect.
Click here for Maroli Tango ~ A Serial Novel
The Process ~ 1 of n
My ambition for Maroli Tango, the final volume of a triple-trilogy, is to publish a novel anyone will enjoy regardless of what kind of book they’re in the mood for.
From where I’m sitting today, it seems possible; but then, I can see downstream of first chapters where, 2 1/2 years ago, I settled in, hit a sweet spot, and rode it out.
160,000 words later, my 7th draft manuscript is in transition from a collection of ideas implying a novel, to the novel itself; a phase wherein craft is typically applied in private, witnessed only by a handful of first readers.
I’m doing it in public. We’re not versioning. When I reshuffle the deck, what was is no more.
Fair warning — if you’re interested in process, catch up. Tomorrow, first chapters get a facelift.
Something else to take care of
That’s what I get, isn’t it, for being a writer? Projects, here and there, begging to be watered.
Here’s one — https://marolitango.substack.com/ — a serial novel, and if nothing else perhaps it will provoke an intervention by my peers, after which I decide never to do that again.
However, by all means, do stop by — https://marolitango.substack.com/
No; it's the same as the other one. Thank you for asking.
Serialize This — Chapter 7
Maroli Tango ~ A Serial Novel is at the vehicle assembly building on Substack. Find it here.
I enthusiastically recommend you prepare for this epic event by reading the first two installments of the AjJivadi trilogy.
It's like images of fruit on breakfast cereal packages. Serving suggestion. Not included in product.
Chapter 7
Central America
At 10:37 AM Eastern, the historic airborne estate Ruksa Zila emerged from N-Space encapsulation over the Pacific Ocean west of Panama.
RZ wobbled and swayed. Space tugs rushed in. Audiences on 3 planets — Earth, Jivada and the Anye home world Vidura — held their collective breaths.
Live audio from the descent crew reported, “The lift system is testing the curvature of space within the flight envelope … and we’re now told that Ruksa Zila is flying on its own.”
John Dyer Writes 
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