First Time With John Rosenman

Now that got your attention didn’t it 😉

I’ve been part of John’s MuseItUp editing team for about eight books now. Each completely different and each time John keeps asking me how my own writing is doing. My answer each time…slowly, very slowly. What can I say…I enjoy editing.

Now, it wasn’t through MIU where I first met John. Nope, he actually sent me a review request a year or so beforehand…one I was late getting to and I believe something else happened which cancelled that out, but my memory’s fuzzy there. Who knew I would end up working with John on that book (to be highlighted a little later) and his other works.

I hope you’ll give MORE STATELY MANSIONS a try.

Captain Temple leads an expedition to K22, an exotic, tropical planet, hoping to create a great new market for the Merchants Guild. But why are the beautiful cities empty? Where are the inhabitants, and what terrible secret does this world conceal?

Blurb: 

Captain Temple leads a mission to K22 and finds a beautiful planet with magnificent shining cities.  It appears to be a lucrative new market for the Merchants Guild.

There’s just one problem: the cities are mysteriously empty.  He can’t find even one survivor, which means the planet is off-limits to commercial exploitation and cannot be used to achieve financial profits in any way.

Soon Temple discovers an even greater problem, one that is strange and ominous and threatens his crew’s very survival.

Not only that, it is an incredible cosmic mind-stretcher that strains sanity to the breaking point, not just the characters’ sanity but the readers’ as well.

 
Excerpt: 

“The city appears vacant, sir,” Lieutenant Harper said. He craned his head to look up at a slender, elegant white pillar. “Our men have reported there’s not a sign of life anywhere.”

Captain Temple squinted in the bright yellow glow of the sun. “Like the other cities, huh?”

“Yes, sir.”

Frowning, Temple glanced about the city. It looked almost as if it had been occupied yesterday. Where had the inhabitants gone? From space this planet, designated as K22, appeared beautiful—even alluring. Yes, it was true ships from the Traders League had visited it a century before. However, they never returned or beamed any messages. Since the League was known for its ruthless factions, authorities assumed betrayal was involved.

Whatever the case, K22 was too tempting to pass up. Though there were no radio or heat waves, it possessed cities, indicating intelligent life and a rich new market for the twelve-worlds’ Merchants Guild. Even conservative estimates were positive. Later, when their contact ship landed to explore, there had been a problem.

“There’s no sign who lived here?” Temple asked. “No holos or pictures?”     

Caldwell, the crew’s xenobiologist, shrugged. “Not even one, Captain.” He smiled. “It’s the same as the rest—a veritable ghost town.”