Since I was a kid, I have dreamed of having a book, all my own, with my name on it and my words inside, to put on my shelf and show off to people. I started this particular book in 2019, with the dream of taking the old sailing novels I loved and transmuting them into space opera.

Now I’ve finally sold the book, and its two sequels, to Hansen House. The first book will come out sometime next year. It’s the story of a midshipman in the Martian Imperial Navy, Lucy Prescott, trying to navigate a technologically-limited, feudal future, while war rages and pirates trawl the orbits.

It’s also the story of her friend and would-be lover, Moira, who has become her enemy.

I created this story mainly to play with Napoleonic-era customs and clothing, in space. Then I got caught up in how the technology would work (trust me, I learned physics for this: it would). Then the characters themselves swept me away in their problems. Imperial Mars, as I’ve written it, is a world as broken as our own. Navigating the personal and ethical dilemmas could destroy a person–or be the making of them.

I’m excited to finally be able to share their story.

FAQs:

Is this a real publishing deal? Do you have an agent?

Hansen House is a real, independent publisher. They accept unagented submissions, so I don’t have an agent, but they aren’t a vanity press or anything. They’re fairly new and focus on queer books, which I hope will direct this book straight to the audience that wants it.

Wait, does that mean this is a queer book?

Yes. There is a lesbian romance in it. If that bothers you, you don’t have to read it.

Will it be available in bookstores?

You should be able to find it in hardcover, softcover, and ebook in major online outlets (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo) but it likely won’t hit your brick-and-mortar store or library unless you request it.

Are you going to be rich and famous?

Even the authors who publish with the biggest presses in the industry rarely manage that one!

How many rejections did this book collect before one yes?

Eighty-seven. Not counting all the rejections I’ve collected on my previous books (two hundred twenty-two). It’s been a long road, getting from there to here.

How can I support you?

Just keep following me, here or on Twitter, for further updates. As we get closer to the publication date, you’ll be able to add it on Goodreads, preorder it, share the link, or even request an advance review copy. All of these things are helpful!