ereading and group promo➕

Hello,

Happy belated Independence Day and Canada Day to my American and Canadian readers out there!

In this edition, I have: more to say about ereaders, a Kobo Plus group promotion, a writing update and an excerpt from The Conquest of Kiynan.

*Note that there are a couple of affiliate links below.

Ereading

In my last newsletter (which you can refer back to on my Substack or on my website), I wrote about discovering and falling in love with ereaders, ebooks and audiobooks.

I currently read on a Kobo Libra 2 (which now has a colour version), and while it was everything I wanted in an ereader when I got it, I recently read about new gadgets that I’m in danger of obsessing over. A company called Boox is selling devices with E Ink screens that run Android! That means you can install the free reading app from every digital marketplace (e.g., Kindle, Kobo, Google, etc.) and read all of those books on the same device. But you can also surf the web with your choice of browser, play interactive fiction games, and so much more… Any apps that rely on a high screen refresh rate (e.g., videos) won’t work well, but that is actually kind of a bonus to avoid unintended distractions.

Unfortunately, I can’t justify replacing my Kobo yet (because it is fantastic at what it does). When I can though, my next device will probably be something like the handheld Palma (I hope they eventually make a version with colour).

Of course, even without being forcibly tied to the Kobo store anymore, the first app I will install on my future device will be their app, since I plan to continue doing most of my reading and book shopping on there regardless. I guess I just really like their store.

Which brings me to…

I’ve joined a group promotion of indie authors to showcase epic fantasy in Kobo Plus, the unlimited eBooks and audiobooks subscription program. If you’re already a subscriber, please check out these great summer reading options: https://book.ericpcaillibot.com/koboplusepicfantasysummer/b3f89que7d

If you’re not a subscriber, you can read up on Kobo Plus here.

Naturally, the above includes my Kiynan Chronicles trilogy! Read on for a teaser (or reminder if you’ve already read it) of The Conquest of Kiynan.

Writing Update

I’m still editing Apollo Cup and wading through the feedback on my second draft. Working on this story has taken much longer and has been more challenging than I had expected…

I remember when I started my bachelor’s of aerospace engineering, I told myself that I would use everything I learned to write great, hard SciFi. I’ve been realizing that my background is as much an impediment as it is a benefit though, since I end up worrying about far too many technical details. Most of them don’t even end up having any impact on the plot!

I will get through it though, and send it out to beta readers! Or die trying…

The Conquest of Kiynan Teaser

“We are entering the ruins of the great citadel of Lethe,” announced Abron. “Ahead is the Crystal Tower, which our ancestors helped to construct.”

“It is the only thing still standing,” Marax sneered, "and yet people say the Letheans were superior to us!"

Marax was mistaken though. Moments later, the small group passed by an enormous statue, unlike anything any of them had ever seen; even the Necromancers seemed taken aback. The wraiths momentarily forgotten, they gawked at the enormous monument. The statue was of an asexual muscular giant, but with no face, ears or hair. Where its face should have been was one enormous circular eye, with no pupil. One of the massive arms had broken off the statue, and lay in pieces on the ground. As they walked around the broken stone near the base of the monument, Kayla noticed some flecks of blue pigment on the statue’s foot. She looked up at the giant, imagining it whole, and covered in blue.

They passed by and through the ruins of dozens of buildings that once made up a vast city. They walked by a freestanding façade, the rest of the building lay as a pile of rubble behind it. Along the arches of the façade were five detailed, engraved effigies. Kayla recognized the one-eyed giant they had just passed, peering intently at the world, which it held in its hands. Behind the giant was a baroque winged beast, holding a star in each of its eight claws. Before the giant, was a leviathan serpent, its body lined with dozens of fins of various shapes and sizes. Adjacent to the serpent was a monstrous bird with four wings, beating the air around it, creating a violent whirlwind. Beyond the bird were a score of small, imp-like creatures cavorting around each other. Kayla stared in fascination, wondering what these mythical creatures represented to the long extinct Letheans.

They continued toward the ruined citadel that lay at the city’s core. As they approached it, intermittent inhuman roars and shrieks complimented the whispering of the ghosts. The sounds brought all too vivid images of the battle at Castle Malice to Kayla’s mind. Unconsciously, the group slowed their pace. Chyryl and Dessa threw back their capes to free their hands, and Marax drew his swords.