Summers coming- writing season.

With my second laptop now working, I can now move out of the lounge- once the rest of the house warms up. Hopefully the wireless network will operate out in the garage.

Away from the goddamned noisy-box and the gibbering classes that worship it!

Encourgaed by favourable comments on my first book, I want to get on with writing the next one down- I have about 1/3 typed up, another third in my head and the story outline of the rest in a couple of exercise books.

The next one is the back story on the first (actually two books rolled into one) and as happens in time travel- is set in the 35th century. This one is space opera in the finest traditions of the old masters!

It was to be called 'Catspaw', but on doing a little research I found that this was used as the name of an old Star Trek episode!- so it's now 'Meddlers in Time- Catspaw'

This follows the adventures of the lead characters of Meddlers in Time through the 35th century, as they infiltrate the ranks of an intersteller empire to carry out a deep cover secret mission.

My mission is to redefine space combat in a novel!

You heard it first here!

The Standard All Persons Fictitious Disclaimer

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or otherwise able to take legal action against me, is purely coincidental.

All the names were pulled out of my memory and applied more or less at random. You ain't that character just because you share a first name and a trade.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Quickly!

Only nine copys left at the budget price for the FIRST Wairarapa -based science fiction novel!

The way of the future

An unsolicited plug for Bookhabit- a NZ website.

Brought a novel lately? They ain't cheap, even second-hand.

It's not like the days of my youth, when I would go into town on a Friday and come home with a bag full of books.

I still have many of them- I admit to just plain having a thing for paper copy- I prefer reading from real books.

But along the way I brought a lot of lemons.

Now there are ebooks- for only a couple of dollars through PayPal, I can try more new material than otherwise.

Hell, the US $2.50 would hardly pay for the petrol to get to a library!

And there is the matter of Bookhabit giving wannabes like myself a chance!- Which is very much appreciated. I can decide if it is worth paying (about a grand) to get a professional print run done.

A Sample

6 k Words available Here

Synopsis

Meddlers In Time- A Synopsis

The story starts several years before the main tale, with two of the main characters narrowly escaping from a trip to their near future, gone wrong.
They decide to create a new, and hopefully more friendly universe, by causing a split in time, back in the 9th century.

In order to advance the technology of the 9th century and build a power base, They set about recruiting a team of down-on-their-luck engineers and adventurers, with the lure of large sums of money, adventure and the chance escape their lives! For a one-year tour and a return to the same time and place, they are offered information worth a great deal of money, namely winning lotto numbers and sports betting information!

The reality of the mission sets in for the team, when they find themselves on another planet, Transit, hundreds of light-years from home. Here they train for the mission and learn how to use the time/space gateway to acquire all manner of equipment, from pistols to trains.

Training completed they jump back in time to 9th century England, landing in the Derbyshire area with a huge store of supplies and equipment. They set up a prefabricated stronghold and in their first few weeks save a local village from sure destruction. Soon the local people start to accept these strangers, who turn out to be not so terrifying as they first seemed. Soon fields are being ploughed, timber milled, wells drilled and even telephones are installed. Trade flourishes, thanks to the new roads and a few bloody executions of robbers and bandits.

Meanwhile, a more deadly game is being conducted from Transit, as the city of Rome is destroyed and the 9th century religious leaders are systematically and sometimes spectacularly assassinated.

Expecting to winter over quietly, they are surprised by the arrival of a large invading army from Europe. Despite being short on numbers, they utterly rout the invaders, at the outskirts of the city of Sheffield.

Local workers are recruited- reluctantly at first, but they soon adapt to, what is for them, a life of relative comfort and ease. Before long, working for the strangers brings high status. As the best of the local workers adapt to modern life, they are being groomed to be the next generation of leaders.

Another stronghold is established, in a more remote area out of sight of the locals. Here more material and reinforcements arrive. They set about improving the basic facilities of the original stronghold and adding a few home comforts! The district warms more and more to the mysterious travelers as they build roads, provide medicine (compliments of a medical team rescued from a Afghan jail) and bring law and order to a wild time and place.

Word reaches the King, who sends men to investigate these stories from the north. This band of soldiers are meet by the time-travelers and left in no doubt that the stories of their power are true. The Kings men are feasted and sent back loaded with gifts of swords and tools, having also had some spectacular demonstrations of 20th century weaponry.

Appeased by treasure but also made all the more curious, the King decides he must see for himself. He rides forth with his horsemen to see the steel fortress and ‘thunder bows’ with his own eyes. He has decided that an alliance would be the prudent course of action and readily grants the request for all lands ten miles around, in exchange for protection from the north.

Over the winter months, a local militia is equipped and drilled, while the tradesmen of the district come to learn the secrets of the strangers. The future leaders of tomorrow begin their education. Roading and mineral exploration continue and as the team get to know each other better, the stories regarding how the time/space gate generator was obtained and the effects of using it are revealed.

As the end of a one year tour of duty draws to an end, most of the team have elected to stay on, while those who have decided to leave the 9th century, start to prepare to return to their old lives-and their new beginnings.

Meddlers in Time Part two- A Synopsis

The story starts with three of the characters persuading their wives to travel back in time with them.other of the original group are signing up a permanent members of the group.

Not everyone is happy about the arrival of the strangers and there is a shift in the balance of power with the king deposed. Now is the time for a show of power- with 2th century weaponry and the devestating power of gate technology.

After the fate of their enemies is settled, the story jumps back four years in the baseline time, to a camp in New Zealand, 790AD. This gives a bit of background on some of the characters, as they start the first practice run for the 9th century operation. Some of the technology not revealed in the first book is used here.

In the next part, an ambitious plan to hijack a ship at sea is carried out and a new crew member is gained. A colony site is prepared in New Zealand and the story of how the gate generator was acquired is told in more detail.

A brief covert mission is carried out in the 21st century, to deal with a personal problem, with unpleasant consequences for an unwanted boyfriend. The second engineering team arrives and a spacehip makes its first appearance.

Loose ends are tied up, back in the 21st century, as team members travel back to the time and place we first proposed the mission. Meanwhile, colonists are selected for the one-way trip to 9th century New Zealand and their leaders are shown their new home. Along the way we find time to build a holiday home- in a most unconventional way.

The new technology is taking hold and the nearby citys are benefiting. Wayne tell the storu of how he destroyed a world and a local worker joins the team.of travellers and visits the 21st century. More high tech equipment is coming into use, with memory implants being used on talented locals.

The colonist are more or less willingly moved around the world and the team prepares to snatch a busload of engineers from plumetting over a cliff. The locally trained army prepares for two battles and there is an unexpected turn of events when a set of memories is misplaced.

The narration is taken over by a newly-sentient computer and some of the 52nd century characters are revealed. Another interesting character comes onto the scene and an intricate scheme for a staged 'death' on 21st century earth is carried out.

Bodies are cloned and an unexpected price is demanded for this service.

The book finishes with a wedding and the story of the third book is started at the wedding party.

Where