Getting close to the end of the first draft of Agetor, and our team of intrepid operators is adpating to a rapidly changing Galaxy.  I want to give kudos to the talented Tom Edwards, who has nearly completed the cover art! 

I expect to release the book in April, more details to come as I get a feel for how editing is going to go.

Now, how about a planetary spotlight, to get the juices flowing?

PLEXUS ENTRY: Teegarden II (Umbra)

Teegarden System | M-class stellar primary | Tidally locked | Classification: Marginal-Habitable (Restricted Surface Operations)

Teegarden II, colloquially known as Umbra, is the second planet orbiting Teegarden's Star, a red dwarf located approximately 12.5 light-years from Sol. The planet is tidally locked, resulting in a permanent daylight hemisphere, a frozen dark side, and a narrow habitable twilight band characterized by dim, unchanging illumination and persistent seismic activity.

Climate & Geology

Umbra's terminator zone experiences extreme volcanism driven by tidal flexing. The Selene Rift, a geothermal fissure system extending several hundred kilometers along the southern twilight band, remains the planet's most prominent geological feature—and its most hazardous.

 Atmospheric composition is breathable with supplemental filtration, though sulfur dioxide concentrations spike unpredictably near active vents. Surface operations require thermal-rated equipment and real-time seismic monitoring.

Indigenous Biology

Umbra hosts limited endemic life, most notably the chimeric organism classified as Pyrocorallium umbrae (common name: Ash-coral). This unique lifeform exhibits fungal, coral, and lichen characteristics, forming dense colonies along rift walls. Its graphite-colored fronds are known to produce faint audible resonance in ionized atmospheric conditions. Research into its metabolic processes remains ongoing, though funding has declined since the system's reclassification.

Settlement & Infrastructure

Eos Station (CCRA Outpost E-9) was established during the first wave of extrasolar colonization as a forward research base. Initial projections anticipated significant expansion; however, the advent of second-generation Quantum Fabric Drive technology rendered Umbra's strategic value negligible. The system was reclassified from Priority Development to Administrative Maintenance in 2257.

Present-day Eos Station supports a rotating skeleton crew of traffic control and emergency medical personnel, supplemented by transient academic researchers, independent prospectors, and occasional corporate survey teams. Infrastructure reflects the colony's fitful development: original modular habitats sit alongside geopolymer bunkers and improvised corrugated outbuildings of varied provenance. Visitors are advised to confirm berthing availability in advance; amenities are limited.

Travel Advisory

Surface excursions require registered guides and current seismic clearance. Emergency extraction services are available but response times vary. Travelers with respiratory sensitivities should consult medical professionals before arrival.

— Plexus Interstellar Reference Database, 7th Edition

I am about 30% through the first draft of "Agetor", and so far I feel pretty good about it. Some sneak peeks ahead...stay tuned!

Happy Halloween! Today is the day Agamemnon goes live on Kindle Unlimited, as well as traditional eBook and Paperback. I am very excited to share the universe of the Commonwealth with you, I hope you enjoy it.

I’m thrilled to announce that my debut science fiction novel, The DHARMA Directive: Agamemnon, is now available for pre-order. The book officially drops on Halloween — Friday, October 31, 2025.

Set in the twenty-fourth century, Agamemnon follows Senior Warrant Officer Robert Garnett and his covert team as they investigate the destruction of a research vessel and uncover a conspiracy that reaches from the heart of the Commonwealth to the edge of known space. Genetic pariah Enora Anthem and former Ranger Casamir Broz find themselves drawn into a conflict where loyalty, survival, and the nature of humanity itself hang in the balance.

This is the first novel in The DHARMA Directive series — a blend of hard science fiction, espionage, and psychological thriller, exploring ideas about what what it means to be human, and what distinguishes us from them. 

Pre-order your copy today, and join the mission when it launches on Halloween.

Well, a milestone has been reached in my journey as a writer: DHARMA Directive Book 1: Agamemnon, is in the hands of my editor, and the cover art is underway. I am so excited to share my debut novel with everyone! Let me tell you a little about it.

Captain Ada Faulkner of the CNS Agamemnon thought her assignment was straightforward: ferry a small team of investigators to a frozen corporate colony and offer naval support while they poked through the wreckage of a supposedly tragic accident. But the freighter Euphrates hadn’t simply been lost—it had been silenced. And the truth about why would lead her crew far beyond the edge of official orders.

The investigators—an unlikely mix of gendarmes, conscripts, and specialists—are led by Senior Warrant Officer Garnett, whose calm discipline masks the fact that he’s been tasked with finding something the Commonwealth Navy would rather not talk about.
Cassimeer Broz is a former lawman driven by his brother’s unsolved murder. Enora Anthem is the wayward daughter of a Commonwealth ambassador, reluctantly drafted into service to avoid prison for piracy. Atsuko Hirayama is young, gifted, and hides a secret that could shake worlds.

What begins as an accident investigation turns into a chase across star systems, drawing the team into a shadow war with the New League—a secretive network of corporate powers, mercenary fleets, and covert labs willing to cross every line in pursuit of dominance. Along the way, they’ll uncover a terrible crime, and the uneasy truth that the Commonwealth’s reach ends far sooner than its leaders admit.

https://www.howtogeek.com/no-an-em-dash-cant-help-you-detect-ai-text/

I don't mind saying, I feel targeted. 😀

I love em dashes. And I am certifiably human.