A NEW BOOK FROM JEMIMA PETT: THE QUEST FOR ORICHALCOM

Author Jemima Pett is a long-time blogging buddy of mine. She’s a really good writer, having started writing stories when she was eight, designing fantasy islands, complete with maps and railway timetables by the age of ten. She took the science route through university and went into a business career, then retrained for environmental technology and started writing again, reports, papers and briefings. When she adopted her guinea pigs, they inspired her to write The Princelings of the East.  Now she designs planets and their civilizations, with occasional forays into spaceship design. Her science fiction novels are part of The Viridian System Series.

The Quest For Orichalcum is a prequel to the Viridian System series, with the subtitle  ‘An Asteroid Miners’ Memoir. The book recalls how it all started – the revolution that transformed the galactic economy and space travel.  It is a memoir of how the two asteroid miners in the Viridian System met, got together after a bit of life experience, and decided to go and hunt for this stuff that might make them rich.

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

Peter Monk’s investigations of the detailed space ship workings were interrupted by a ping from the inboard messaging system. ‘Incoming for you on the bridge.’

That was from the captain, a genial but stern Scanian, as were most of the crew. Since his crew discovered Pete, stowed away in one of the smallest lockers on the Doris Jury, which fortunately he fit with enough air left to breath, Captain Grazki had been remarkably helpful. Pete worked at what he could, they taught him about the world outside his home planet, Corsair, and eventually he accessed the ship’s computer to pass the exams that he’d need to get into college. 

The only likely ‘incoming’ for him would be about his application.

Stomach churning, he sauntered to the bridge.

The door slid open, and the Scanians beyond chorused ‘hah’. 

“I win,” said the second engineer. 

“What was the time?” another asked.

“Forty-three seconds. You were one second early.”

Grumbles and mild swear words accompanied the handing over of small tokens to the winner.

“You ran a sweepstake? On me?” Pete’s astonishment was obvious.

“Yes, you were remarkably slow, I thought.” Captain Grazki grinned at him, and waved him to his comms screen. “Read, digest, and tell us all the news. Pray to Odin that it is good. If not we will have to plan some other way to get rid of you.”

********

For lovers of science fiction, this book and the series it precedes, are sure winners!

Since I am posting this before the launch date, anyone can buy the ebook early at Smashwords. Just click this link to go to the Presale page, and get it early, and for only $2.99 (published price will be $4.99).

 While the launch date is August 12, between August 12 and 16, Jemima is offering a rafflecopter (closes August 16, 11:59 pm, 15th NY time.) To enter the rafflecopter, just click http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/af859da971to get an entry onto the rafflecopter form.

Also, you can enter for a chance to win a US $20 gift card, or an e-book copy of the Viridian System series (3 e-books), or a copy of Quest for Orichalcum (1 e-book).

Entries close at 11:59, 15th August, New York time. Open for entries in all countries and states where this type of raffle is legal. Some additional entry options may be added: please check back if this is important to you.