Wednesday, July 18, 2012

IN THE END IS THE BEGINNING


"Let me know how he works out. I think that Sten is a boy to watch." (The Eternal Emperor)
*****
Finally Sten turned to Alex, incredulous. "You mean, that's the story I've been waiting for, for the last year?" ... "Aye," Kilgour said. "Dinnae it b'wonderful?"
*****



Epilogue

N-Space—Year One

THE MAN SAT quietly in his seat, watching the color/noncolor through what appeared to be the ship’s port. He was dark and muscular with startling blue eyes. He wore a white form-fitting tunic and soft white slippers. He’d been watching dazzling lights for many… days… weeks… months? The terms made only vague sense.

He never tired of the view, even though it hurt his eyes. It was always the same. But different. Shifting shapes and patterns. Bursting bits of color. It had always been so soothing. But not today. It made him tense. Yearning. The cabin’s womblike coziness felt smothering.

A thought came to him. He peered through the port. The Voice said it was the place where two universes touched. A gateway. Yes, he knew that. But, what was it called? An answer crawled into his brain:… Discontinuity.

Fazlur’s Discontinuity.

He snapped up. Felt the hair on his arms prickle up. Where did that come from? The Voice? No. It came from…

Within!

The man rose and padded to the far end of the cabin. There was a mirror on that wall. He peered into it.

Saw the face. For the first time, it seemed… familiar. As if it didn’t belong to… someone else? Yes. That was it He rusked a hand across the cheek. Again… the sensation was so… deeply… familiar. He looked into the eyes. Saw the sardonic creases at the edges. The blue that could turn so quickly gray and cold. He laughed. Heard the echo of that laugh collide around the room.

God. The sound of it was so wonderful.

He touched the surface of the mirror, trembling fingers outlining the reflection.

He nearly wept to find himself there.

Then he pulled himself together. He stood back from the mirror. Put his hands on his hips… posing for his own benefit. He looked long and hard at the image of himself. Measuring for any sign of weakness.

Finding none. He nodded. Satisfied.

A thought jumped up: The forever king.

He frowned. What was the rest? Back there, when…

He remembered.

“I am the Emperor,” he said aloud.

He grinned at his image in the mirror.

“The Eternal Emperor.”

The Beginning


To see how all this plays out - for good or ill, or even some of both - you'll want to read the eight-novel Sten series, which in e-books, audiobooks and dead tree editions, has sold over twenty five million copies in a dozen languages.

Here are the books:

Sten #1
Sten #2 - The Wolf Worlds
Sten #3 - The Court Of A Thousand Suns
Sten #4 - Fleet Of The Damned
Sten #5 - Revenge Of The Damned
Sten #6 - The Return Of The Emperor
Sten #7 - Vortex
Sten #8 - Empire's End
The Sten Cookbook
The Alex Kilgour Jokebook
Empire Day - A Special Edition



*****
STEN #1 DEBUTS IN SPANISH! 

Told in four parts, Episode One now appearing in Diaspar Magazine, the best SF&F magazine in South America! And it's free! Here's the link. 
 *****
Sten debuta # 1 en español! Narrada en cuatro partes, Episode One ahora aparece en la revista Diaspar, la mejor revista de SF & F en América del Sur! 





*****
EMPIRE DAY 2012 - A COMMEMORATIVE EDITION


Relive the fabulous four-day Stregg-laced celebration.  Alex Kilgour's Worst Joke Ever. New recipes from the Eternal Emperor's kitchen. Alex Kilgour's Worst Joke Ever. Sten's thrill-packed exploits at the Emp's castle. How to make your own Stregg. 
And, did I mention, Alex Kilgour's Worst Joke Ever?


THE STEN COOKBOOK & KILGOUR JOKEBOOK





Two new companion editions to the international best-selling Sten series. In the first, learn the Emperor's most closely held  cooking secrets. In the other, Sten unleashes his shaggy-dog joke cracking sidekick, Alex Kilgour. Both available as trade paperbacks or in all major e-book flavors. Click here to tickle your funny bone or sizzle your palate.    




THE COMPLETE MISADVENTURES: IT'S A BOOK!


THE VITAL LINKS:
The MisAdventures began humbly enough - with about 2,000 readers. When it rose to over 50,000 (we're now knocking at the door of 115,000) I started listening to those of you who urged me to collect the stories into a book. Starting at the beginning, I went back and rewrote the essays, adding new detail and events as they came to mind. This book is the result of that effort. However, I'm mindful of the fact, Gentle Reader, that you also enjoy having these little offerings posted every Friday to put a smile on your face for the weekend. So I'll continue running them until it reaches the final Fade Out. Meanwhile, it would please the heart of this ink-stained wretch - as well as tickle whatever that hard black thing is in my banker's chest - if you bought the book. It will make a great gift, don't you think? And if you'd like a personally autographed copy you can get it directly through my (ahem) Merchant's Link at Amazon.com. Click here. Buy the book and I will sign it and ship it to you. Break a leg!


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