Especially when the first novel that I ever published, Escaping Infinity, landed on the finalist list for the 2017 Dragon Awards. Of course, every other finalist for Best Science Fiction that year, as I did, instantly knew we were battling for runner-up as soon as we saw the list included the novel from The Expanse. That series was all the rage then and stormed to victory that year in Atlanta.

Still, just being a Finalist was amazing. Hearing that more than one member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Association had nominated it for that year’s Nebula and Hugo Awards was just the cherry on top.

So here we are, nearly a decade later. I’m a small publishing house now with 10 authors under the Tuscany Bay Books banner.

I’ve also written what will be my last sci-fi novel under my name, Of All The Gin Joints In The Universe. No, I’m not retiring as a writer. I’m just taking a hiatus from novel writing for at least the next 2-3 years. I’m going to turn my attention to some screenplays that I’ve been wanting to develop. I may, or perhaps I may not depending on how things, come back to the books later.

So, if Gin Joints is to be my last hurrah, I’d like to go out the same way I came in. With at least a Dragon Award nomination. And here’s where you come in, my friend.

The 2026 Dragon Award nominations are still open through July 12, 2026 and I’d like to ask you to consider nominating Gin Joints for Best Science Fiction Novel.

It is free to nominate and you can even check a box under where you enter your e-mail address to sign up to receive a ballot a few weeks later in August. It will also be free to fill out and submit your ballot.

Please go to this link and fill out your nominations when you can: Dragon Award Nominations

Thank you for helping out!

An excerpt from The Timeless, on sale now for $0.99 as part of [@lampwright4](https://x.com/lampwright4) ‘s Based Book Romance Sale through 11:59 PM on Wednesday:

[https://amazon.com/gp/product/B07HCNWBYW](https://t.co/DzZkBAlzFB)

“I’ll tell ye a story. Every day ye come back here and me number’s not drawn for the hangman, I’ll tell ye another.”

“About your ship, the Timeless?”

“Aye.”

“And your Captain, Rock Congo?”

“Aye.”

“And Duchess Moran?”

“Aye,” Singapore all but spat out the word.

“They say she is quite the beauty,” Carver ventured cautiously, not certain of the reason behind the emotion.

“Aye, she is,” Singapore admitted with a sigh. “Face and body of an angel that one. Hair as red as a home fire’s flame. Eyes as green as any emerald. And a heart as black as the Devil herself.

“A witch that one is,” Singapore continued as he turned back to reclaim his seat on the bed, motioning for Carver to sit on the chair. “She bewitched me ship, me Captain, and me crew for sure and certain.”

**************

An excerpt from Far Away, The Pale Blue Dot, on sale now for $0.99 as part of [@lampwright4](https://x.com/lampwright4) ‘s Based Book Romance Sale through 11:59 PM on Wednesday:

[https://amazon.com/Far-Away-Pale-Blue.../dp/B0C5H82LX6...](https://t.co/E8IyAFEs0x)

Mac eased his way into his small cabin, a hammock bed and a storage trunk for clothes and other items. The hammock bed was anchored to the walls to keep it from floating around. He slipped into the mesh netting that kept the sleeper in the hammock and closed his eyes, asleep in seconds. It seemed only seconds had passed before he heard a gentle tapping at the door.

“Come on in, Doc,” he invited groggily. “I wasn’t expecting you…”

The person who entered the cabin was not Clancy.

“Aiko? I thought the Doctor had you under house arrest down in sickbay. How are you doing?”

“I’ll be fine,” she said, drifting over to the hammock. “He said I didn’t need to take up a bed down there. I wanted to come check on you.”

“Well, battered and bruised, but I’ll be fine too,” Mac replied as she reached out and gently touched his chest, where the bruising had already started to form. Mac became aware of his heart hammering away as her hand explored the injured area. He figured she must be able to feel that given where her hand was.

“You said you wouldn’t let me go,” she said looking at him intently.

“Yes, I did.”

“Why did you say that?”

And Mac, a man who’d made his living as a wordsmith for decades, found himself struck dumb. Not because he didn’t know the answer, but rather because the real reason why he’d said those words hit him like a ton of bricks. Fortunately, she let him off the hook when she leaned in and kissed him.

*****************

An excerpt from Phantoms’ Lodge, on sale now for $0.99 as part of [@lampwright4](https://x.com/lampwright4) ‘s Based Book Romance Sale through 11:59 PM on Wednesday:

[https://amazon.com/gp/product/B0CDRC6CTJ](https://t.co/MJcWHQduhR)

“Thank you.” She beamed. “I want my last night as a single girl to be perfect.”

“Well, I can assure you that you are off to a great start.”

His parents had thrown soirées like this one when he was younger. He was never much for the party scene, then or now. But, on this night, the locals knew him because he was from here and the attendees from the City knew him from his work at the Telegraph. He found himself the center of attention, especially with Lisa constantly at his side.

He also found himself noticing her. The way her mouth always seemed to have a quirky little smile ready to bloom into a full smile at any moment. How warm her hand was whenever she touched his. Even the faint smell of lilac from her hair.

For a moment, he caught himself wondering what a lifetime of having her at his side would be like and found himself wishing it could be so. Until he remembered a certain engagement event coming up the following night and a promise made to a friend. Daydreaming about a future not meant to be would do no one, especially him, any good.

After a few hours, they finally caught a break and found themselves alone in one of the rooms away from the main party.

“This has been fun,” Collier said. “I’m glad you asked me to come along.”

“Come here,” she said, opening the door to the back yard. “There’s something I want to show you.”

He followed her out toward the guest house the Johnson’s used for extended company to stay in. They had never locked the door when he was younger, a practice they appeared to keep today as Lisa opened the door and stepped inside.

“If you’re expecting me to help you haul something out of here, I’m going to have to warn you, I’m a terrible cat burglar.”

“That’s not what we’re here for, silly,” she said, waiting until he stepped inside before closing the door. Light from the full moon poured through the large picture window. The single room was sparsely furnished, a bed, a chair, and a small chest of drawers for temporary guests to use. There was a small kitchenette and bathroom on one side.

“So, what are we here for then?” he asked as he turned around.

“This,” she replied and kissed him. The depth of passion and hunger in her embrace surprised him and it was a moment before he responded to her. He finally drew back after several seconds.

“Should we be doing this?” he found his mouth to be stupidly saying when their lips finally parted. Some small part of his brain recalled he was supposed to be preventing this, not participating in it.

“Yes, we should,” she answered softly. “Before I say yes and get engaged. Before I promise to love only him, I want to have one night with you.”

Collier thought of at least a dozen reasons why he shouldn’t do this. Why he should listen to the unease in the pit of his stomach that said this was wrong and ignore his hammering heart that wanted this to happen. He knew, in that small portion of his brain that was still capable of clear thinking, that he should walk right back out the door get into his car and hide until his friends were formally engaged to be married.

All of those reasons fell to the floor unheeded along with a green velour dress.

I'd like to ask that my final novel, Of All The Gin Joints in the Universe, earn your nomination for Best Sci-Fi novel.

You can sign up to nominate and vote for the final winner right here:

https://applyto.dragoncon.org/fan_awards/dc_fan_awards_nominations.php

It's absolutely free!

You can check out the first chapters of the book here, also for free:

https://upstreamreviews.substack.com/p/sneak-preview-of-all-the-gin-joints

https://upstreamreviews.substack.com/p/sneak-preview-of-all-the-gin-joints-b9c

https://upstreamreviews.substack.com/p/sneak-preview-of-all-the-gin-joints-164

https://upstreamreviews.substack.com/p/sneak-preview-of-all-the-gin-joints-e02

and you can purchase the entire novel here:

$6.99 via Tuscany Bay Books store: https://tuscanybaybooks.net/of-all-the-gin-joints-in-the-universe

$8.99 (ebook)/ $14.99 (paperback)/ $19.99 (hardcover) via Amazon : https://amazon.com/dp/B0F98C56KY

Based Book Sale

The Based Book Romance Sale!

Note! Some of the books that are slated for this sale have vanished from Amazon. We have removed them, but will put them back if they can be found…

Read more

9 days ago · 26 likes · 10 comments · L. Jagi Lamplighter Wright

Among the many books offered are two by yours truly. While they aren’t romance novels, there is some clean romance in them, enough to qualify for this sale.

You can get both books on Amazon for $0.99 each through 11:59 p.m. on July 1st.

Phantoms’ Lodge

A Haunting Mystery Awaits: Step into the life of Eric Christopher, an heir finder whose latest case leads him not just through the records of the living, but into the realm of the departed. When a search for a missing person turns into an encounter with the paranormal, Eric's understanding of reality is forever altered.

The Ghosts Among Us: You've sensed them—the flicker in your peripheral vision, the unexplained chill, the whisper in a silent room. "Phantoms' Lodge" isn't just a story; it's an exploration of what might be lurking just beyond the veil of our everyday lives.

The Timeless

In the far distant future, with the galaxy locked in an area of dark space where electronics will not work, Little John Singapore sits in a prison cell on Pluto awaiting execution. Singapore is the First Mate of the pirate ship, the Timeless. As he awaits his fate he agrees to tell a young author one story each day about his ship and his Captain, Rock Congo.

Singapore tells how the Governor of the Sol system Garabaldi enlisted the ship and her crew to pursue Duchess Moran. Moran is an infamous interstellar thief tired of her plans being interfered with by the Earth-led Alliance. She has stolen the Amulet of Geraint, allowing her to travel through time at will. Her target is ancient Greece, where she plans to prevent democracy from ever taking hold by stopping King Leonidas from reaching the famed Battle of Thermopylae. By changing Earth's past she hopes to prevent the Alliance from ever forming.

And be sure to check out all the other excellent books in the sale, including another Tuscany Bay Books’ offering:

Far Away, The Pale Blue Dot by Lucca DeJardins

Michael "Mac" McMullin, a seasoned journalist turned astronaut, finds himself on a mission that defies all odds. When offered a spot on the first manned mission to establish a colony on Mars, Mac leaps from his quiet seaside life into the vast unknown, driven by a legacy of storytelling and an unquenchable thirst for adventure.

Mac navigates the perils of space, the challenges of Martian colonization, and the heart-wrenching tragedies that test the limits of human endurance. Experience his bond with his crew, his love, and the sacrifices made in the name of discovery.

From Tuscany Bay Books:

“Starting Dec. 21st and through Jan. 1st you can get the e-book copies of our two best sci-fi/fantasy novels of 2025 for $0.99 each.

Of All The Gin Joints In The Universe: https://www.amazon.com/dp/…

Read more

Especially when the first novel that I ever published, Escaping Infinity, landed on the finalist list for the 2017 Dragon Awards. Of course, every other finalist for Best Science Fiction that year…

Read more

One little reply to a post on X started an avalanche that will take at least until the end of the summer of 2026 to clear out. And that’s assuming something else doesn’t spring out from a dark corner while my back is t…

Read more

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F98C56KY

Check out this latest 5-star review it just picked up and then go buy your ow…

Read more

Two of my mystery-thrillers are on sale as e-books this week.

Of All The Gin Joints In the Universe, my detective noir/sci-fi mash-up which hit best seller status on Amazon in its first week out, and Reservations, my mystery-thriller with a hint of the supernatural, ca…

Read more

The cancel mob came for her because one of the reasons was that she was a straight, white, female.

You might be surprised to learn that she is actually correct in her assumption that her being a white, straight, fema…

Read more

Today we were informed that they were passing on a review. So, why make my readers wait ano…

Read more

I’ll still be using Substack for my newletters though. So you don’t have to worry about signing up for anything new.

As for the other, I was playing around with the newest toy from Elon Musk. Look what Grok Imagine did …

Read more

Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F98C56KY

Here’s the blurb:

Murder is cold-blooded in space…

Samuel Archer Spade is a private detective on Space Station 1964, known as Norma to the …

Read more

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,” he says at one point in the film. While I’m not the patriarch of a criminal empire, I’m really feeling that line this week.

For those of you who have known me for several years, you know the story. I’m going to brief…

Read more

The Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers for the second straight year in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals. This year they only needed six games to do it, unlike last year’s seven game series.

The victory makes it 32 straight years that a team from Canada has failed to win the NHL Championship. I posit that the streak …

Read more

Samuel Archer Spade is a private detective on Space Station 1964, known as Norma to the locals, on the other side of the Milky Way galaxy. He's a former investigator for Galactic Justice, but now he works for himself.

Sam is at his "office" inside The Galaxy's Edge, a bar on the station. when a knockout blo…

Read more

But what if we really could trave…

Read more

If you haven’t already, you should check out the first two books: Galen’s Way and Galen’s Blade. They are a prequel series connected to John C. Wright’s amazing Starquest series. The third book in…

Read more

My first sports assignment was a high school playoff game in Odessa, Texas. I still have the press pass for that one laying about somewhere. I covered two golfing events that included then PGA stars in M…

Read more

The late afternoon sun beat down upon the driver of the covered wagon as he approached the outskirts of Tenaxx. The villagers had better sense than to be out in the heat, so he aimed his wagon for the hut at the far edge of the gathering of small dwellings. There a boy worked, forking hay into an open stall.

The boy looked up from his task as the driver pulled up and approached as the driver stepped down from his seat. Although he had the appearance of a younger man, strong and sure in his step, the driver’s face displayed a weariness that belonged on one much older.

“I seek the home of Arexnar,” he said. “Can you tell me where I might find it?”

“You have found it,” the boy exclaimed, reaching for the edge of the tarp covering the wagon. “Have you brought a new thing for my master…”

The boy’s speech cutoff with a strangled cry as he suddenly found the point of the driver’s sword at his throat.

“You will not touch this wagon or I will have your head, boy,” the driver snapped.

“And I,” a voice calmly said from the direction of the hut, “will thank you not to threaten my apprentice. Palat may not look like much, but he is the only one I have.”

The driver turned his attention to the old man standing a few feet away.

“You are the wizard, Arexnar?”

“I am Arexnar,” he admitted, waving Palat to stand aside. “As to my being a wizard… well, there are those who say I am such. Please, put away that sword and tell me why you have come looking for me.”

Read more