adventure

new book in the Meniscus Series – Meniscus: Reckoning

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The next book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series is now available: #13 … Meniscus: Reckoning. The series tells the story of humans who are brought against their will to the planet Meniscus and are determined to build new relationships, new lives, and new communities. Meniscus: Reckoning continues the story begun in the Rosetta Stone trilogy of how the Humans discover a way to overthrow the dominant alien Dock-winders and their cruel ways.

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Meniscus: Reckoning takes the Humans of Themble Hill on an adventure like no other. In Reckoning, a small group begins the arduous journey to El’ban where Dock-winders are still in control and have captured James, the leader of the Resistance Movement. With them is the Dock-winder child, Don’est, who continues to mystify the Humans with her false-empathy and strange logic. Others in the Resistance Movement, the brilliant Bleth’nan triplets, become part of the group and part of Don’est’s Human family.

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the adventurers travel across the El’ban Elevations

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In the book, you will travel across the El’ban Elevations, and into the Hollows (a landscape made from the discarded cocoons of alien insect pupae). Then, the group must find a way to rescue James from the layered city of El’ban and its inescapable prison.

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a map of the El’ban area of planet Meniscus

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Many of the main characters of the first twelve books in the series have returned to this story: Odymn, expert at parkour, Daniel, the Slain (a genetically enhanced Human), Belnar and his ridiculous ways, Kotildi, wolf-like and loyal, and the evil Dock-winder Garg who has antagonized the Humans of Themble Hill though all their adventures.

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Daniel, the Slain

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Meniscus: Reckoning is available on Amazon.ca (click here) and from me, as I travel the three upcoming Book Fairs in Moncton (July 27, 2024), Saint John (September 14, 2024), and Fredericton (October 19, 2024). And the e-book will be available soon.

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Enjoy the upcoming days of summer when reading is one way of escaping the black flies and taking yourself on an adventure out there among the stars.

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All my best!

Alexandra (a.k.a. Jane)

Cover Painting for ‘Meniscus: Reckoning’

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In preparation for the release of ‘Meniscus: Reckoning,’ the next book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series, I have finished the painting for the cover.

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The painting is based on the pencil drawing ‘Travelling the Lip.’ It shows six travellers as they cross the treacherous El’ban Elevations, on their way to rescue James, imprisoned in El’ban. The group, in order, are Kotildi (the wild alien ‘wolf’), Belnar (one of the Slain), Odymn (heroine of many of the stories), Daniel (also a Slain), carrying Danny (Odymn and Daniel’s baby), and Don’est (the Dock-winder child, with her long neck).

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To be consistent with other covers, I need a distant view of the Meniscus moons (Cardoth roe and Cardoth grill’en), a mid-range view of the travellers, and a nearer scene from the book. Campfires are a common theme in the story and who better to sleep by the fire than wolf-like Kotildi?

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I was pleased with the painting. For a couple of days, I showed the travellers as black silhouettes against the Elevations. In the end, I gave them some colour, to suggest clothing and hair. I love the browns, blues and yellows in the painting. 

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To make the painting fit the space on the book cover, I made some alterations in GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). I brought the moons closer to the mountain silhouette and moved the fire and sleeping Kotildi closer to the travellers. In the end, the image fit well with the cover design. Here is a sneak peek at the final cover.

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I am now re-reading Meniscus: Reckoning for the last time, making a few revisions as I go. I have also sent the proof to my beta-reader for her reactions.

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I plan to release Meniscus: Reckoning in early May. I am looking forward to my reader response!

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All my best!

Alexandra (a.k.a. Jane) 

Coming Soon!!!! Meniscus: Reckoning

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Today, after many hours of editing and formatting, I sent for a proof of my new book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series. Meniscus: Reckoning will be out in early May. This will be the story of a perilous journey to a distant city, over difficult alien landscape, to rescue a member of the Human Resistance. The book is set in the El’ban District of Meniscus, a city mentioned but not visited in other books in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series.

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map showing the landscape of the El’ban District and the path the people of Themble Hill must follow (dotted line)

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Preparing for independent publishing of a book involves many steps. After finishing the final draft of a book, there is still a lot of work to do.

  1. incorporate the editorial comments of my editor Lee Thompson. He has been with me since Meniscus: Crossing The Churn and through the next twelve books in the Series. He understands what I am trying to accomplish with these stories and has taught me to write my alien characters without using words that feel too Human. For example, when one of my aliens is hungry, he should not want ‘his supper’ but ‘his evening meal,’ his athlan-doe. Lee has also taught my characters to frown less;
  2. read through the entire draft, making minor changes to small words and phrases, looking for inconsistencies;
  3. do a final revision of the Meniscus map and make sure location names match those in the text. I also check the east, west, north and south references to make certain they sync with the map;
  4. add page numbers — very challenging for me. I have learned how to remove page numbers from blank pages and pages with illustrations. However, starting the numbering on the correct page and separate numbering of the front matter (the first section of any book) always gives me trouble. Some of the last edits – to make certain all illustrations are on an even-numbered page (the left side of an open book) and all Chapters begin on an odd-numbered page (the right side of an open book);
  5. position illustrations consistently on the pages;
  6. create a pdf version of the manuscript and follow the steps to download the book to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing where I self-publish my books);
  7. create the main cover in GIMP and download to KDP. For the proof, I am using a black and white drawing. This week I will create a painted version of the chosen drawing in acrylics for the final book cover;
  8. use the KDP tools to merge the cover and pdf document into a print-ready virtual book. This virtual version of the book shows me what the paperback book will look like. In spite of its usefulness, I still need a proof, in real book form, to be sure everything is the way it should be;
  9. fix any final edits; 
  10. send for the proof!!!!
the adventurers rest by the fire

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Here is a first glimpse at what the final book will look like:

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When the proof arrives I will have another chance to scout out any problems before I finally push ‘Publish’ !

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All my best!!!

Alexandra (a.k.a. Jane)

new book released!

jane tims2 Comments

Meniscus: Rosetta Stone is live on Amazon!

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Meet Abra and Trath as they try to rescue a manuscript written in both Gel-speak and Dock-winder. The manuscript is a kind of ‘Rosetta Stone’ which could unlock the mystery of the Dock-winder language. And could contain information to lead to the end of the cruel domination of all sentients on Meniscus.

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Rosetta Stone is the tenth book in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series (eleventh if you count Meniscus: 1.5).

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If you haven’t read any of the Series, Book One (Meniscus: Crossing the Churn), Book Six (Meniscus: Oral Traditions), and Book Ten (Meniscus: Rosetta Stone) would be good places to jump in to the story.

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Each book has a list of characters, a glossary of Meniscus-peculiar plants, animals and items, and a dictionary of Gel-speak. All the books are illustrated with my black and white drawings.

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I hope you will enjoy the new book and the new characters introduced to the stories.

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I will receive my copies of Meniscus:Rosetta Stone by November 15 and, soon after, they will be available from Westminister Books in Fredericton. Copies are also available at Amazon.ca here.

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Keep on reading!

Alexandra

(a.k.a. Jane)

A Trilogy in the Meniscus Series

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Next in the Meniscus Science Fiction Series? A Trilogy. Three books telling the story of how the Humans discover a way to overthrow the Dock-winder overlords.

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The books will be:

Meniscus: Rosetta Stone

Meniscus: The Struggle

Meniscus: Return to Sintha

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The books will feature two new characters: Abra, a translator and historian, who is working to understand the secret Dock-winder language; and Trath, her husband, a Slain, who deals in beelwort, the drug-of-choice on Meniscus.

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Their adventures take them to an amblion mine, a brothel in Bleth-nan, the hide-out of The Resistance movement, and every city in the North and South Districts of Prell. You will meet The Resistance movement in various cities: The Whirlwind in Enbricktow, the creepy triplets (the Shadow Builders) in Bleth, and the ragged members of Curfew Dark in Prell.

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Abra

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Trath, a Slain

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In the world of Meniscus, in the halls of the Museum of Dock-winder Legacy in Prell, is a statue of The Five Planners, leaning over a strategy table, necks entwined. I am certain they did not foretell the clever way Abra will bring the Dock-winder hegemony to its end.

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The first book in the trilogy, Meniscus: Rosetta Stone, will be available at Amazon on October 15, 2021.

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All my best,

Alexandra

(a.k.a. Jane)

Meniscus: Meeting of Minds

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When Daniel, the Slain, rescues his wife, Odymn, from the clutches of the Dock-winders, he is bewildered to discover: Odymn does not know him. She does does not remember the last twelve years of her life.

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For the reader, Meeting of Minds means seeing the alien planet of Meniscus through Odymn’s eyes as if for the first time.

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For those who have read the earlier books, this means knowing more than the protagonist. The reader knows Odymn should not wander by herself in the woodland. She should not eat that weird plant. Water will not go down the throat so easily as on Earth. If she only knew, she can trust Daniel, the Slain.

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For those who have not read the series before, this is a great book to break in to the story. You can see this weird, dangerous world through Odymn’s eyes and get to know the characters she meets.

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Meniscus: Meeting of Minds is the ninth book in the science fiction series. It is now available through Amazon (just click here) or, if you live in the Fredericton area, in Westminster Books.

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All my best,

Alexandra ( a.k.a. Jane)

Meeting of Minds

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You wake.

You are in an unfamiliar world where the trees have glandular bark…

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and the plants on the forest floor drip acidic sap…

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there are two moons in the sky at night…

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you try to take a drink of water, but it effervesces in your throat and refuses to be swallowed…

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and the man beside you claims he is your husband, but you have never seen him before…

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you do have vague memories of a purple creature with a long neck, speaking in rapid clicks and consonants, stealing your memories…

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So you can empathize with Odymn,

and look forward to seeing how she reacts to the strange world of Meniscus…

A quick read, illustrated, lots of romance and adventure…

Meniscus: Meeting of Minds

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book nine of the Meniscus Science Fiction Series

a dystopian saga, on a planet far from home…

paperback or ebook available here…

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all my best

Alexandra (a.k.a. Jane)

Reminder: Free e-book science fiction

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Get your free e-ook copy of Meniscus: Oral Traditions on Amazon.com from December 7 (Monday) to December 11 (Friday). The book is written in narrative poetry and is illustrated with my drawings. It is a quick read and includes maps, a glossary and a Gel-speak dictionary. Just click here.

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This is a story about Tagret who is waking on the alien planet Meniscus for the first time. Perhaps strangest of all her encounters is with the Slain, Rist, who saves her from an unsavory attack by a Gel-head. Rist is likeable and someone Tagret thinks she could make a life with. But Rist has a secret.

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All my best. Hope you enjoy the story!

Alexandra ( a.k.a. Jane)

Free E-book Promotion: Break into the Science Fiction Series Meniscus

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Want to give yourself a free gift during this Christmas season? If you are staying at home and would love some down-time with a good book, here is your opportunity.

The Meniscus Science Fiction Series follows the adventures of humans trying to build a life and a community in an alien, dystopian world. The first five books focus on Odymn and Daniel the Slain as they flee from the Dock-winders and find love in the strange Meniscus landscapes. Book 6 … Meniscus: Oral Traditions … introduces two new characters and the unique problem they encounter as they get to know one another in the streets of the alien city Sintha.

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The story focuses on Tagret, newly kidnapped from Earth, as she opens her eyes on Meniscus and tries to understand the weird world she discovers. A world where taking a drink of water is a challenge and the local sentients are purple Dock-winders and transparent green Gel-heads. Then she meets the Slain, Rist, and comes to understand what those tattoos on his arms really mean.

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Get your free ebook copy of Meniscus: Oral Traditions on Amazon.com from December 7 (Monday) to December 11 (Friday). The book is written in narrative poetry and is illustrated with my drawings. It is a quick read and includes maps, a glossary and a Gel-speak dictionary. Just click here.

Enjoy your reading.

All my best,

Alexandra (a.k.a. Jane)

Meniscus: The Knife now available in e-book

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Meniscus: The Knife, next book in the science fiction series about planet Meniscus, is now available in paperback and e-book. Just click here to order the book on Amazon.

This is the story of Tagret and her quest to save Rist, the man she loves, from certain death at the hands of the Brotherhood.

On her journey, Tagret will encounter dangerous geysers and the half-inundated city of Nebul-nan. As always, the book includes maps, a glossary, a Gel-speak dictionary, a character guide and my original illustrations.

a map of Tagret’s travels

I hope you enjoy the book!

All my best,

Alexandra (a.k.a. Jane)