Ending a trilogy…
I’d always intended to finish “The Last Humans” trilogy. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond my control affected the second novel and delayed my writing of the third. To describe what occurred, I’ll just quote from the “Notes” section that will appear at the end of the recently published third novel, Menace from Moscow:
“…the trilogy has endured a troubled publishing past. It almost seemed that it was jinxed. The ups and downs I experienced in publishing it were largely beyond my control. You see, a while ago I had this crazy notion that I had to try traditional publishing again to have the full experience as an author. (When I began my publishing career, only traditional or vanity presses existed—today’s self-publishing options aren’t vanity presses!—and I was soon self-publishing my stories because I’d quickly tired of traditional publishing’s oppressive bureaucracy.) After first publishing Rembrandt’s Angel [2017], “Esther Brookstone Art Detective,” Book One with Penmore Press , I wanted to publish Penny’s first novel traditionally as well, but Penmore doesn’t publish sci-fi (even though Rembrandt’s Angel took place in the near future as well—they didn’t realize that, I guess). So, I tried another small press, Black Opal Books. Their acquisition editor loved that first novel [The Last Humans, 2019], so I thought the stories of Penny’s adventures had found a good home. That didn’t happen! I submitted the second novel [A New Dawn] to them; Black Opal was sold; and the new owners sat on the novel for over a year. I finally got disgusted, withdrew the novel, and self-published it [2020]. Then the Bezos bots at Amazon confused the second novel with the first (that’s not been fixed to this date!), one reason I’m now boycotting Amazon as a retailer for all my future books!
I consequently said, “To hell with it!” about completing the trilogy for a long time. Even though I had lots of ideas for the third novel (hints are found at the end of the second), I abandoned the project. But Covid validated my ideas about how a worldwide pandemic could have disastrous effects in our world. (Covid-19 might not have even been made in a Chinese lab, and certainly not one in the PRNK, and it wasn’t dispersed by an ICBM, which might have let it propagate even faster [if that was what the Chinese had intended], but it still efficiently killed millions as it moved around the globe.) Wasn’t it time to finish Penny’s odyssey?
An author’s travails on his road to publishing a novel aren’t that interesting to most readers, but they’re common enough that the NY Times not long ago published an article (Art Section, August 26, 2022), “Finished Writing a Novel? Now’s the Tough Part,” that offers an example of the problems another author had in running that gantlet of traditional publishing. In my letter to the editor that followed soon after, I argued that the author from the article should choose self-publishing the next time because it facilitates the whole process. But enough about authors’ publishing woes! Frankly, I only mentioned them here to explain the delay in publishing this third novel.
In any case, I now therefore feel a great sense of satisfaction after all these “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” because I finished the trilogy. Sure, they’re just three novels among many in my oeuvre, but they’re all special because of the problems I had with publishing them, more than with any others. I wanted to tell the world about Penny’s remaining adventures. I’m sure she wanted that as well. I’ve done that, and she can now have a well-deserved rest with her family….”
There you have it: The sad saga describing one author’s journey to finishing a trilogy!
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Menace from Moscow. In this third novel of this post-apocalyptic sci-fi trilogy, the critical and difficult management of geopolitics in a post-apocalyptic world caused by a worldwide bioengineered virus continues: Survivor Penny Castro and her friends’ new task is to recover nuclear-armed missiles aboard a US submarine that sunk off Cuba’s coast at the beginning of the pandemic. As if the train trip from Colorado to Florida across a dangerous, desolate, and devasted US isn’t enough, what awaits them in the Caribbean and beyond will put any fan of sci-fi thrillers on the edge of their seats. From SoCal to Cheyenne Mountain and on to Florida, Cuba, and what remains of the Russian Federation, Penny’s adventures are full of mystery, thrills, and suspense. This novel will be available at most online retailers (but not Amazon!) and at most library and lending services. For your consideration and enjoyment: The end of Penny’s post-apocalyptic adventures.
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
