Author: Tom

My latest novel, Ruins of Talamar is now out!

In volume 2 of the Syrax Wars series, the crew of the Valiant must prove the existence of the dangerous threat that almost destroyed them.

Available for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback!

Click below to get it now!

I know I’ve been quiet for a while, but that’s only because I’ve been working on a bunch of things! The sequel to The Parnassus Initiative is almost ready to go to the editor and I’ve been working on book three of the Syrax Wars series.

“Book three?” I hear you say. “Why, that must mean book two is almost ready!”

Almost! Which, of course, means it’s time to reveal the cover!

I proudly present Ruins of Talamar!

It’s finally time! Shadows of Arcturus is live!

Available for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback!

Click below to get it now!

Good news, everyone! The paperback proof for Shadows of Arcturus came in and everything is almost finalised!

As a result, it’s time to set the release date and you won’t have to wait long!

I’m happy to announce Shadows of Arcturus will be released Friday, July 31st!

The pre-order for the e-book is now live and it will also be available on Kindle Unlimited! And, if digital copies aren’t your thing, the paperback novel will be released on the same day!

My next novel, Shadows of Arcturus, rapidly approaches release and that can only mean one thing!

Cover reveal!

As I’ve shared previously, a lot of work went into the different components of this cover, especially the ship itself.

The moment I started to think of the cover for Shadows of Arcturus, I immediately knew how I wanted it to look.

I was inspired by many of the sci-fi books I’ve read throughout my life and went with a classic layout.

Here it is!

One of the things that always bothers me with books (sci-fi especially) is when the cover doesn’t match what is inside the story!

To avoid this, I decided the best thing for me to do for my new novel was to custom design the feature ship. In Shadows of Arcturus, the UVS Valiant plays a significant role, and I wanted to ensure it was accurate to what is represented within the story.

I have prior experience with 3D modeling software and Photoshop; although those skills had become very rusty over the years! Deciding Blender was the right tool to use, I went about relearning old skills in new software.

The first thing I did was do a rough sketch of what was in my head. Growing up on sci-fi, I knew what sort of style I wanted the ship to be early on in the process. Instead of the gleaming curves of Star Trek or the battered eclecticness of Star Wars, I wanted the Valiant to really feel like the aging, low-level warship it’s supposed to be – a realistic representation of a near-future military that had seen its fair share of destructive void war.

Once I had my ideas down on paper, it was time to start building out the model in Blender. Blender’s interface took some time to get used to, but soon enough my basic 3D modeling skills started to come back to me!

Now happy with the basic structure, I started adding all kinds of details. Sci-fi model makers know this process as greebling – adding small details that make an object seem more detailed and realistic.

With the ship itself ready, my focus then moved to the texture. This is the first step to take a plastic-looking model and making it look like something that exists in the real world.

The process involves ‘unwrapping’ the 3D features of the model and turning them into a 2D image that can then be painted over in Photoshop.

Using a mixture of stock textures and custom images, adding all the detail, dirt, and grime that makes a vehicle seem as though it’s had a long, hard life in deep space took longer than modeling it in the first place!

Lighting effects were added through the build process, including things like engine illumination, windows, and navigation lights.

Now that it’s finished, the Valiant will take pride of place on the front cover for Shadows of Arcturus.

Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook or Instagram and check back soon for the cover reveal!

So, it’s been a while, but I haven’t stopped writing.

My first solo novel, Shadows of Arcturus is just weeks away from heading to the editor and I’ve begun work on the cover. Stay tuned for some sneak-peaks at that soon!

On top of that, I’ve also finished the first draft of the sequel to Shadows of Arcturus. The second entry in the Syrax Wars series, it’s titled Ruins of Talamar. An exciting follow-on, it greatly expands the universe and characters established in the first book!

But that’s not all! Over the last few days, Ashley and I have begun brainstorming the outline for the sequel to The Parnassus Initiative! As yet untitled, we’re very excited to dive back into the story line of our first novel and see what happens next!

It’s finally live! Buy The Parnassus Initiative now in ebook and paperback formats!

Order now using the below links!

Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/B07WJ72KZB
Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WJ72KZB
Other retailers (Including Apple and Barnes & Noble): books2read.com/u/mKxDo5

The time has finally come!

Our final edit has been locked in and The Parnassus Initiative will be released digitally on September 5th!

You can preorder now at the below links.

Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/B07WJ72KZB
Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WJ72KZB
Other retailers (Including Apple and Barnes & Noble): books2read.com/u/mKxDo5

Not only that but to celebrate, we are releasing our short story, Raider’s Hollow, for free!

Hit the download button to receive your free copy of Raider’s Hollow in Kindle format!

[sdm_download id=”462″ fancy=”0″]

Please see www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle/email for assistance in sending the file to your Kindle.

While waiting for The Parnassus Initiative to return from the editor, Ashley and I decided to write a short story! Set just before our planned sequel novel, Raider’s Hollow follows Mya Malinksy to the dusty plains of West Texas.

As we now have plans to continue the sage of Ryder, Mya and the gang, we also decided upon a name for the series. Introducing the Crystalline Earth series! Keep an eye out for announcements; we have big plans!

Along with writing Raider’s Hollow, we’ve been working on the cover in between editing The Parnassus Initiative. Quite the contrast to its predecessor, we’re pleased with how it came out. As always, click to expand!

If you like what you see, don’t forget to follow TCcraftworks or Ashley Holloway – Author on Facebook!