Many Thanks

 I want to share my appreciation with the readers for your support of the latest Dark Empire book Advance and Retreat. I'm delighted so many have enjoyed the latest chapter of the Kalquorian Universe saga. I can't say for sure because I haven't started on the seventh installation of the series yet, but it looks like there'll be one or two more books coming for Dark Empire before the final confrontation between Kalquor and the All. I have a vague idea where this is going, but our fave clans will have to let me know.

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Up next? Well, I've been working on a story featuring the expedition set in motion by Emperor Clajak and the Coydidak. There will be at least two books coming from what is being called Alien Quest. The first, still untitled, will feature Clan Rorix and Laughter Lorenz as the convoy sets off to galaxies unknown. The second will pick up on Toni and Clan Imon. Will there be more than two books in the Alien Quest 'series'? I don't know yet. What I do know is there will be adventure, romance, battles against various enemies and amongst the crew themselves, romance, intrigue, romance...I think you get the picture. 

As we've seen from Advance and Retreat, there's not much love between Laughter and Clan Rorix (though Imdiko Negal harbors plenty of lust). How will their dislike play out? Will we see enemies become lovers? Will the All try to stop this last-ditch effort to save life in the dimension? Will the Coydidak learn to get along with those they automatically distrust, or will the mission fail before it barely begins? 

I wish I could tell you when you'll get the answers to these questions. However, I'm still semi-retired and will continue to be so in the foreseeable future. My time to write is severely limited at this point. I can't answer when the next book will be out. Nor can I tell you when we'll revisit Clan Beginnings, Clan Companions, First Mataras, Clans of Europa, or finish Clan Amgar's story in Clans of Kalquor 14. All I can do is plug along in the few minutes I grab here and there to write and exercise as much patience as I can find.

I will do my best not to go radio silent, as has been the case recently. I'm hoping to post an update at least monthly until the first Alien Quest book is ready to come out. Thanks for your understanding as I navigate the changes life has brought my way.

And again, so many thanks for the success of Advance and Retreat. Until we meet again, take care of yourselves. Much love to you all. 

Time to Retire?

 Hi all. I hope you've been enjoying Dark Empire Book Five: Desperate Measures. I'm delighted your patronage put it on a couple of Amazon's bestseller categories. It means so much to me.

Unfortunately, the time has come to emerge from my beloved fictional worlds and face reality. Since graduating high school, my special needs son, who is currently unable to work or attend college, has been demanding more of my time and energy. I was already overwhelmed by the responsibilities I had, so this has been a rocky adjustment period. 

I live in Georgia, which is sixth from the bottom in the U.S. for disability services. When a child with intellectual disabilities enters adulthood, the situation becomes worse. It's as if the state declares him or her as magically cured at the age of eighteen and leaves them out to dry. There are a few options, but it's a massive bureaucratic fight to access services to assist my son and family so I have the time to devote to writing.

Thus, I'm considering semi-retirement. I can still fit in some writing, but the books would be released at a rate of only one a year...two, if I'm really lucky. In such a case, I'd be doing other work that isn't quite as time-consuming as writing in order to meet my responsibilities as a mother and guardian. 

I am weighing some options that will allow me to earn a livelihood. Among the choices I have, Patreon would give me access to an income while affording readers consistent monthly material to enjoy...and allow me time to meet my son's needs. Using Patreon, I could produce in small but steady increments of writing, blogs, first-looks at books still being written, etc. I might be able to afford a caregiver for a few hours a day, during which I'd be able to write books at the rate we're accustomed to and make semi-retirement unnecessary. It's a thought, and I'm researching it among my other income possibilities.

No decision has been made yet as to where I go from here. I still have books I've begun and plan to finish, such as Clans of Kalquor 13: Alien Haven, the fiftieth book in the Kalquor Universe. I'm hoping to have that particular book out by the end of the year. If I do decide on semi-retirement from writing, it won't come until 2025.

No matter the final decision, I thank you for having followed Kalquor's journey for so long. It is truly a delight to write for all of you. You have my gratitude and love for making my life as an author possible. Thank you so very, very much.

Tracy

Looking Forward to 2024

 Hi all! I hope you're enjoying Dark Empire Book Three: Secret War, the first book from me for 2024. It made it to the Polyamory Romance bestseller list on Amazon, so I'm super psyched for this coming year. Thanks to all the readers for your support...it truly means everything.

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 I have a lot more to be excited for. The books I hope to release this year will contain some surprises. I'm thrilled to let you in on a few of them.

Dark Empire's saga will continue, with Revelations as the fourth book in the series. It's due early spring, and we'll see our heroes come closer to stopping the Darks...but we'll also see the Darks retaliate. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is safe. I'm looking forward to Dramok Ospar's return as a major character and the developing (and incredibly bumpy) affair between spies Clan Deram and reporter Blythe Nelson.

It isn't all Dark Empire this year. Clan Beginnings is back with the tentatively titled Clan and Crave, featuring Clan Erybet, whom you'll remember from Clans of Kalquor 6: Alien Redemption. Who were Erybet, Sletran, and Conyod before the horrific events of New Bethlehem changed their lives forever? We'll find out hopefully late spring.

Summer brings us back to Dark Empire. The fifth book is aptly titled Desperate Measures. Our usual friends from Dark Empire will return, along with some old friends we haven't seen in some time. Want a hint? One had her own series, based on a diary...

If all goes well, fall brings the biggest surprise. After many years, both in real life and the Kalquor Universe, a thirteenth Clans of Kalquor book is coming. Alien Haven will be the fiftieth (50th!!!) Kalquor Universe book, if you can believe it.

To finish out the year is the thus far untitled Dark Empire Book Six. There'll be a desperate rescue attempt, contact with the entities know as the Other in the Darks' home dimension, and the setup of an entirely new Kalquor standalone series that will begin in 2025...thanks to Clajak for sending me into a tailspin on that one. His last sentence in Dark Empire Five was what let me know a new series was coming. Having planned the next couple of years of writing beforehand, I was less than pleased to have my schedule blown up in my face...but when a really good story/series demands to be written, a writer's gotta go with it.

Please note, all these release dates are tentative. Life happens, so I can't guarantee so many books in the coming year, but I'll do my best. I can't wait to unleash so much Kalquor!

Preview entries begin for Dark Empire Book Four: Revelations next Wednesday. Be sure to stop by for the continuing adventure!

TBT - Alien Interludes: Abduction

The man’s voice was a tight growl.  “You will stop fighting or be hurt very badly, Earther.”

“Fuck you,” Jessica’s voice finally offered a thin hiss of sound.  She yanked again, but her strength was failing once more.  She steeled herself for one last burst of energy, for one last attempt.

He carried her outside into the sunshine-drenched loading dock.  Shouts of angry Kalquorians exploded in the air.

“Stop right there!”

“Halt or be shot!”  Bevau’s infuriated roar was the sweetest sound ever.  

Sudden impact knocked the Kalquorian carrying Jessica out from under her, and she spilled onto the stone surface of the dock, her momentum rolling her onto her back.  She finally clearly saw the abductor as he crouched over her.  He indeed wore the red formsuit of the Royal Guards, and his ferocious face was vaguely familiar to her though she didn’t know his name.

One of her sworn protectors had attacked her.  It was a bad sight to see.

The Nobek was showing his fangs to Bevau, who stood only a few feet away.  Her clanmate also snarled around rattlesnake-like fangs, his body tensed for attack.  Jessica wondered why he didn’t let the Guardsman have it for an instant before realizing her would-be kidnapper held a dagger inches from her chest.

The Guardsmen went for his blaster with his other hand.

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