This email disappeared when my new email sender went on the fritz. I’ve posted it here for posterity.

A Name Change and Two Bits of Good News

So, it turns out that the word “Droid” is trademarked by Lucasfilm, and they protect their trademarks fiercely. A friend pointed it out on Facebook when I mentioned progress on my next book, which at that time was a name that could have gotten me into serious trouble.   You may say to yourself, “Was Star Wars really where the term ‘droid’ originated?” No. It originated in a short story by Mari Wolf titled Robots of the World! Arise! written in 1952. But to the one with the most expensive lawyers go the spoils.  (Jokes about evil empires practically write themselves here.)   I had to go back through Darkness Rising and The Defiant and change all instances of the word. I also had to do an emergency cover modification Book 7. I hope at most I only get a cease and desist. I have ceased and desisted, but some of you may be looking for a different title for book seven. Archangel Project Book Seven is now Android General 1. 

Let’s move onto some good news. The Defiant broke even less than two weeks after release! I hope you enjoyed it. I loved writing 6T9, Volka, and Carl of course, but I also loved writing Alexis’s tricky mind–the tricks it plays are mostly on her, of course. She is so clever, but also so broken. I know a few readers have written to tell me that they are now rooting for Alexis and Alaric, and I’m glad of that. 

I love writing–and probably always will–but I could not continue to publish without fans buying my work. I appreciate your support, and am honored that you want to spend time in my day dreams.

I am almost done with the rough draft of Android General 1. I have just a little bit of the last two scenes to write, and then I have to wade through the rewrites. I actually like cleaning up the rough draft–finding plot holes, figuring how to fix them, and expounding on things that should be clearer. That part is a fun puzzle. It’s the comma catching that I do not like. I do not like it at all. 

More good news! Starship Waking has 35 Reviews

Reviews on Starship are especially important because it is a series starter. At a certain number of reviews, the big advertisers start paying attention. If you review just one book, reviewing this would be the most helpful. 

If you could leave a note at Amazon US, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, or GooglePlay it would be most appreciated. Audible reviews are great, too!

Thank you so much to everyone who has read it and reviewed it already! 

All the Other Stuff 

I am almost done with the rough draft of Android General 1. I have just a little bit of the last two scenes to write, and then I have to wade through the rewrites. I actually like cleaning up the rough draft–finding plot holes, figuring how to fix them, and expounding on things that should be clearer. That part is a fun puzzle. It’s the comma catching that I do not like. I do not like it at all.