T.D. Wilson's Blog

 

Fighting a losing war against an alien menace may be hell, but for the Black Watch Regiment, it was only the beginning of their problems.

Originally published in The Expanding Universe Volume 10 Anthology, the novelette, Titan's Hell, is the first of a new series of stories by T.D. Wilson.  It released on July 29, 2025.

War threatens humanity's existence, and the Earth Defense Forces struggle to stop the powerful alien invaders. Fresh out of the academy, Lt. Arlen McGregor and Lt. Garrett Michaels take over a company of Marines in a new elite EDF Regiment determined to take the fight to the enemy. They are the Black Watch.

Titan's Hell can be found as an ebook at all your favorite retailers.

The Reader Views awards are out! Smuggler's Valor placed Silver (second) in the Short Story/Novella category!

I took Smuggler's Guilt into the broader Science Fiction category, and it was a finalist!

www.readerviews.com/2024-classics/

I am super stocked about these awards.  I want everyone to know that the 4th Reese Daniels story is coming soon.  It's titled Smuggler's Loss.  I am also currently working on the next Black Watch Regiment story, Return to Ariel.

Everyone, The Expanding Universe Volume 10 is on sale through December 6, 2024.  You can get the Kindle version for only $0.99.  On December 7, the Kindle version will be taken down and only the print version will be available.  This allows all the authors to retain their digital rights to their stories.
If you haven't purchased a Kindle copy or read via Kindle Unlimited, be sure to head to Amazon to get yours before it disappears.

 

It's that time of year again.  That's right, it's time for another Sci-Fi Book Blast.  Over 90 authors are offering over 100 free Sci-Fi books in this promotion on Nov 14 and 15, 2024.  Yes, two days, over 100 amazing free Sci-Fi books, including my story, Smuggler's Valor!

Travel to this site and check out the books available and take a gander at the video one of the other authors created:

Sci-Fi Book Blast

I wanted everyone to know that Smuggler's Guilt, the 2nd story in the Reese Daniels Smuggler Series, will be moving a wide distribution very soon.  My current KDP Select period on Amazon ends on Oct 23, 2024 and I have decided to move this title to wide, joining the 1st book, Smuggler's Valor.
I have already prepped everything, so Smuggler's Guilt will be showing up on Apple Books, B&N, Google Play, Kobo, and others between Oct 24 and 25.
I will post links on my blog, have the website updated and broadcast via X and FB.

 

Today is release day for Smuggler's Love, the third installment of the Reese Daniels Smuggler Series. I love writing Reese's character. His personality pops off the page and allows readers to connect immediately. In this story, there is a lot of interaction with his new girlfriend, Irina Almora.  Yes, the niece of the head of the Almora Cartel, who Reese was coerced into bringing down.
More of the harsh environment of the smuggling/criminal world is put on display and I introduce two new characters, Jax, Reese's fixer, and Grimm, his former boss and man responsible most of his training as a transport pilot.
An interesting fun fact about Grimm.  I named this character after a online gaming friend of mine.  I asked if I could promote my stories on his discord channel to all our fellow gamers.  He said sure, as long as you create a character based on me in the next one.  And so I did...lol.  I also told him that Grimm is not a one and done. He and Jax will return.
Smuggler's Love is already gaining tremendous reviews on Goodreads and three five star reviews on Readers Favorite.  Let the blurb below whet your appetite and grab a copy today.

Love and smuggling are a bad mix, like an unstable explosive.
Relationships and smuggling are tricky business, and for Reese Daniels tricky is a steep slope to disaster.Enter Irina Almora, niece to mobster Gideon Almora, the same man Reese helped bring down a few months ago. While on a simple delivery to Mars, Reese and Irina become the targets of assassins, security, and other unsavory types who want Irina for who she is and what she knows.Short on friends and his enemies list growing, Reese must navigate a tangled web of intrigue and ruthless gangsters to keep them both alive.

 

There are four seasons for tremendous Fantasy & Sci-fi free book promotions.  This fall, a new promotion involves over 100 authors and 300+ free fantasy and sci-fi books, including my story, Smuggler's Valor, the first book in the Reese Daniels Smuggler series.  Check out all the great books in this promotion and load up on your fall reading. SFFBOOKBLAST is here.  There is also a tremendous video that highlights the great books involved.  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MtMjlf85xlo

 

The Expanding Universe Volume 10: A Science Fiction Exploration is LIVE!  My new story, Titan's Hell: A Black Watch Regiment Story, is a part of this fantastic anthology.  Pick up a copy today in Kindle format, paperback or on Kindle Unlimited. 
Just look the list of authors and new stories that will leave you in awe. Over 500 pages of fantastic Sci-Fi!
Extinguishing the Stars by G. S. JennsenTo save his people from an alien threat, one man must face the demons of his past.
Hard Fall by Andrew P. McGregorAs if reaching for the stars weren’t hard enough; the Assessors have chosen to test us.
Echoes of Exolife by J.C. GemmellJohanna Thorne seeks the truth behind the demise of every alien civilization. Humanity will never accept what she discovers.
Confluence of Destinies by Marie-Hélène LebeaultBefore the stars aligned, their destinies were already written.
When the Devil Drives by Mark HenwickFor any merchanter, safe options are few in the depths of the lawless Frontier. Very few. And as a female, solo merchanter being hunted by the violent criminals that she's tricked, Samsara has none.
Hope Blooms by Peter J. FooteWhen Liam and Rosario get blackmailed to explore the Jupiter interstellar gate, they discover something that could upset the balance of power in Sol system.
The Plumber by Steve RuskinAncient pipes. A ruptured alliance. Can one man fix them both, or is the damage beyond repair?
Elysium Burning by J. RawlinsonQuinn builds the deadliest mech ever known, then witnesses its theft. Will he kiss his retirement goodbye and do the right thing?
Honey of the Hive by Nicholas LicalsiAdmiral Galderman rescued Delilah and the other refugees from the hive, but is he ready for the swarm that follows?
Yginda by J A MortimoreThe Yginda system holds secrets and danger for the crew of the Guppy.
Loneliness by Jay Veloso BatistaFacing both work and interpersonal pressures, a solitary exobiologist evaluates an important specimen critical to the success of their interstellar mission, but is it more than it seems?
The Cold Spot by Robert G. WilliscroftJust what is The Fine Structure Constant, anyway?
The Little Ship of Horrors by A.C. WilliamsRongo and his mercenary crew are always looking to make a quick buck, and harvesting the rare Crimson Sundew from a newly discovered world sounds like easy money. But when their old ship malfunctions enroute to deliver their pilfered plant-based cargo, will they be able to regain control before they crash?
The Spear of the Unchosen by John W. McIntireWhen a team of Marines faces their greatest threat yet, they must rely on their skills and each other to survive.
Remora Reward by Lawrence M. SchoenThe greatest mass murderer in the galaxy returns home. The whales want a word with him.
Titan’s Hell: A Black Watch Regiment Story by T.D. WilsonFighting a losing war against an alien menace may be hell, but for the Black Watch Regiment, it was only the beginning of their problems.
Six Degrees by C.M. SimpsonSpace rabbits, pirates, and a lost colony going to war for the first time.
First: Do No Harm by Jerry ShepardWould you sacrifice one life, to save millions?
Relic by Alastair MayerWhat you find may not be what you were looking for, but it might get you there.  A T-Space story.
Mossberg by Craig MartelleWhat does a hero look like?

Hello everyone! Ihave a new group of author interviews for the launch of The Expanding Universe Volume 10: A ScienceFiction Exploration, a great anthology filled with stories from twentydifferent authors. It includes my new story, Titan’s Hell: A Black WatchRegiment Story and releases Monday, September 9, 2024 in Kindle andpaperback formats.

Joining me today isJA Mortimore, one of the terrific authors from this anthology. She is a spaceopera/fantasy author with many of her stories offering a romance element. Shelives in Gloucestershire, UK and like me, she is a cat parent. Her new story, YGINDA,is part of this anthology. Set in her UNCHARTEDseries universe, it is a fantastic story.

Let’s get startedwith the interview:

T.D. Wilson: In a few paragraphs, describe your writing journey and how manystories/books you have written.

JA Mortimore: I was ‘writing’ adventures for my dolls before I could actuallywrite, and once I learned how, I progressed to writing fan-fiction.  This was in the days BEFORE theinternet.  I was involved with severalunofficial fan clubs.  We used stencilsand duplicators to produce our zines to sell at conventions, long before ‘selfpublishing’ was a thing!  I continued toscribble fanfic for many years.

In the late ‘90s Iturned my attention to writing my own fiction, just as a hobby, and accumulateda lot of unfinished stories.  When I retired,I decided it was time to actually finish and even publish some of the manymanuscripts cluttering up my shelves.

I currently haveshort stories in two anthologies – TEU 10, and The Rebel DiariesAnthology.  I have five books of mysix-book UNCHARTED seriesavailable from Amazon KU, and two fantasy novels written with Penelope Hill, TheVanished Mage, and The Harlequin: the Draper’s Reel (launched at theSF Worldcon in Glasgow earlier this year). There is an introductory novella to the UNCHARTEDseries available at my website, jamortimore.com.

T.D. Wilson: Can you provide a brief summary of your story, YGINDA in The Expanding Universe Volume 10?

JA Mortimore: The cover image fitted my UNCHARTEDuniverse so well I couldn’t resist submitting to this anthology.  My Interstellar Union of Planets is linked by‘substreams’ accessed through gateways. In this story, set in a different part of the universe to the series, anindependent trader’s attempt to rescue a stranded pilot goes very wrong.  It’s first person, whereas the series isthird person.  I couldn’t resistincluding a cat in this story.

T.D. Wilson: In addition to TEU10, doyou have any new releases this year? What are they and what inspired them?

JA Mortimore: Book four of the UNCHARTEDseries was released in February this year, and book five in May.  I’m currently working on the final edit forbook six, which concludes the first ‘season’. I should add that I am not this fast a writer – I have a manuscriptbacklog!

T.D. Wilson: Do you enjoy writing novel length or short fiction?

JA Mortimore: I much prefer novels.

T.D. Wilson: Why?

JA Mortimore: Short stories actually take me a lot longer as every word needs tocount.  Novels I can start on page oneand write until the end before worrying about editing.  My normal length for novels is around 76,000– so I’m not writing door stops.

T.D. Wilson: Do you have any unusual writing habits?

JA Mortimore: I work best in a silent environment as I’m easily distracted!  So no playlist for me.  I am a ‘pantser’, but need time to intellectbefore setting pen to paper on the setting and characters for the nextbook.  I am a consistent NANOWRIMOwinner, but occasionally write a book at another time of year if I’m inspired.

T.D. Wilson: What authors, or books have influenced you?

JA Mortimore: Although I’ve read thousands of books, my main writing influence isprobably 1980s TV SF – think original Star Trek, and original BattlestarGalactica.

T.D. Wilson: What are you working on now?

JA Mortimore: I’m editing book six – the final book of season one of the UNCHARTED series. Although I no longer support NANOWRIMO, I'll still be writing a novel at the end of this year, and I'm intellecting on that now.  It's going to involve archaeologists.

T.D. Wilson: What are you reading now?

JA Mortimore: Non-fiction: The Antidote to Overwhelm: Becca Syme

Fiction: ThreeMen in Orbit: Sandra Bond.

T.D. Wilson: You write a lot of Space Opera. What elements do you believe arethe most important for a writer in that genre?

JA Mortimore: Space Opera is a wide genre. It covers everything from light character-driven stories toheavy-on-the-tech fiction.  Both militaryand adventure come under this broad umbrella. 

T.D. Wilson: What do readers look for in Space Opera?

JA Mortimore: Some space opera includes romance, which some readers are lookingfor and others aren’t (although it’s hard to find an SF book that doesn’t havea romance in it somewhere, even if it’s very low key and background!)  I think the majority of readers are lookingfor a good story that feels original, with likeable characters and a satisfyingending – but that’s true of all fiction.

T.D. Wilson: What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?

JA Mortimore: You can’t edit a blank page.

 

T.D. Wilson: What hobbies or activities do you enjoy when you’re not writing?

JA Mortimore: Reading and walking. Sometimes both at the same time.

 

T.D. Wilson: Lastly, imagine you’re going to be stranded on a desert island andyou’re allowed 3-4 books to take with you. What would they be?

JA Mortimore: On the non-fiction side, Making Myths and Magic by ShellyCampbell and Allison Alexander.  It hasso much in it!  (Can I also have anunlimited supply of paper and pens, please?)

Non-fiction … Iguess Victoria Goddard’s Hands of the Emperor, which I praised on arecent podcast which can be found here: https://beyondcataclysm.co.uk/podcast/the-hands-of-the-emperor-with-judith-mortimore/

Tolkien’s Lordof the Rings trilogy (hopefully asking for a trilogy isn’t cheating!) so Ican read my favorite bits.

Finally, AlfredBester’s Demolished Man.  I’vealways loved this book, and was thrilled to discover it won the first ever Hugofor a novel in 1953, coincidentally … brace yourself … the year I was born.

 

That’s all we havetime for today and I want to thank JA Mortimore for her time to give herinsights on writing and current/future projects. Remember, The Expanding Universe Volume 10: A ScienceFiction Exploration releases Monday September 9, 2024.  Get your copy now and be ready for tsunami offantastic science fiction stories.  Don’tforget to check out JA Mortimore’s website, jamortimore.com and all her works, especially her UNCHARTEDseries.

Smuggler's Love ARCs Now Available

Advanced Review Copies are now available for Smuggler's Love, the third installment in award-winning Reese Daniels Smuggler series.  Please leave reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, your blog, or other social media.  You can obtain an ARC at Book Sirens.

You can also request an ARC from me at [email protected]