Tag: romance

My Journey as a Writer: Updates and Goals

Hello, dear readers, I hope you are all doing well. A quick reminder to consider subscribing to the website to be kept fully updated. It really is the best way.

So what have I been up to? Well, not too much in the last day or two (I’m so lazy). Before then, I did make some steady progress.

Wheelchair Wars – The reworking is almost complete of my far future dystopia, where people with disabilities are forced to fight to the death for entertainment. I’m hoping to have it published (probably self-published), but I’ll try to look for an agent in the new year. I joined an online writing group, and I think I have significantly improved my writing skills. Like everything I do, I will always endeavor to improve.

Pegasus – This action-packed story set hundreds of years in the future recently came to an end. Like Wheelchair Wars, it will be reworked and published at a future date.

Distant Love – I only started this recently. It is still easy to find Part 1. This is my latest story – a sci-fi romance. I’m still working this one out in my head, not sure how long it will be.

General Overview:

I am on track to get a record number of views this year. I’m hoping to break the 2,000 mark. From research, to be a professional blogger would need an absolute minimum of 24,000 views per year. I’m a long way off, but not beyond the realms of impossibility to do it in a few years.

I now have 1,400 followers on Bluesky. My plan is to try and get over 2,000 by the end of the year. Then drive that audience towards here, along with my Twitter and Facebook followers.

Please don’t be afraid to comment. It would be great to have some feedback.

Distant Love Part 2

Will anyone ever tell me I’m pretty?

She was nearly nineteen and her life experience with boys sucked. She recalled her last messages over the moonweb with Derek.

Maeve: Why don’t we exchange photos? Do you look like your avatar?

Derek: Not really. Do you?

Maeve: Yes, a bit. So, will we exchange photos?

Derek: Maybe another time.

Maeve had thrown the mobile onto her bed. It was so frustrating.

She knew she was wasting her time, over four years of it now, but at times, she felt a strong connection. And she can’t be just imagining it. That isn’t who she is.

Derek was smart, razor smart. And they had an interest in many of the same things – chess, music, and Star Systems Regenade War. That’s where they met. He was a dashing commander of the Kuiper Belt Realm, she a General of Venus Command. Their love of conquest helped bond them together.

Her wrist went off. Time to report for duty. She walked out of her room, the automatic doors whooshing open and then closing. This was the main corridor of the spaceship. Not that it looked like one. More like an old folks’ home. It was filled with old people with walking sticks slowly going about their business on the carpet floor.

Distant Love (Sci-fi Romance)

Maeve leans back from her computer monitor. The smell of eaten pizza rafts through the air.

Why did she need to know Maths anyway? Isn’t that what AI was for?

Looking out the window, the blue dot, Earth, is still visible. It is not possible to make out any of the orbiting space stations. The rest is darkness with stars.

She had begun her Maths assignment two hours previously. Most of that time had been spent fidgeting.

Who needs to know about the multiplication of matrices?

She wishes Derek were online. He always knew how to get her to focus. He’d tell her that if she wants to own the family business, she needs to have a grasp of these things. She has to know what to ask the AI.

All very exciting. Did she even want to run the family business? There must be more to life than ferrying a bunch of old people from low Earth orbit to Moon orbit. Like really, that’s all she has to look forward to?

Turning around, she looks at the body-length mirror beside her. Her hand pushes back some of her long red hair over her black uniform, which consisted of a shirt and trousers.

Pegasus (Part 144)

Images of destroyed buildings and women wailing in grief appear on screen. The man began to speak again –

“Similar scenes are being repeated throughout the news. Not only is there this powerplay at the top, but individual habitats and settlements on the Moons, Mars, and Earth are declaring their independence. The Imperial Army has declared that the integrity of the Empire will be maintained. Suzie, it’s hard to see how this ends without much bloodshed.

Breaking news – Nuclear missiles have been launched. It appears the General Atkum has given the authorisation. More missiles have been launched in retaliation. We are minutes from the first detonations. Billions of lives will be lost.”

Tabitha stared into my eyes. My heart was racing, and I was breaking out into a cold sweat.

What had we done?

And was there anything we could do to make amends?

Pegasus (Part 143)

I woke up several hours later. The morning time cycle had started, and rays of light illuminated the room. Tabitha’s arm was resting across my chest. There was only one thought on my mind.

Were there any reports about the death of the Emperor?

I looked around for the remote control. It was resting on the chair beside the bed. It occurred to me that a hotel habitat may not have a great selection of TV channels. Still, those of the nearby habitats are likely to be picked up.

Immediately, I tapped Tabitha’s arm. She looked at the screen aghast, just like me as I turned the volume up. There was an Asian woman in a studio speaking frantically in a language I didn’t understand, but “War” was emblazoned in red along the bottom.

Switching between the channels, trying to find something in English or Irish, I came across 24TVNews. A man in a black suit was speaking to the camera. He was breaking up in tears as he spoke –

“Suzie, the star system is at war. Several hours ago, news was released that the Emperor had died. Almost immediately, power plays among his former generals broke out. Hours later, and the first reports of violence are coming through.”

Pegasus (Part 142)

“We are from O451 and on route to a holiday habitat. Currently experiencing technical issues with our ship and wish to rest. Are we cleared to board?” I responded.

There was no reply for a few moments.

“You are cleared to board.”

In truth, I thought little of it. Maybe it was her first day on the job or something like that. A bit overzealous.

The autopilot kicked in as we drew closer. It set the ship down right in front of the hotel.

“Let’s party!” Leanne shouted.

Tabitha frowned, “No, everyone, keep your heads down. We could be the most wanted people there ever were.”

They seemed to take her comments in. We all had rooms in different parts of the hotel building so as not to draw attention to ourselves and set a time to meet up the following day.. Tabitha and I were on the 17th floor. The hotel was modelled on hotels in Cuba from the 1940s, before the rise of Communism in that country, with luxurious wooden furniture in the lobby. I was surprised by how few other people were around, and our floor seemed empty.

The room was compact with a double bed ensuite, and a television set built into the wall. Exhausted, we took off our clothes and fell asleep.

Pegasus (Part 141)

The rest of the crew broke into hugs, kisses, and high-fives, too. We had achieved the incredible; the Emperor was gone. I imagined impromptu celebrations breaking out throughout the solar system. The riches of the Empire could now be shared with the destitute. Democracy could be brought back. My eyes welled with pride.

After a few minutes, Leanne, who had finished kissing her woman, asked, “Where next?”

It was such an obvious question, but one I had never given any thought. I looked at Tabitha, but she raised her shoulders. “Well, let me see if there is somewhere safe close by. Here, T451, only forty minutes away. It’s a hotel habitat. We can lay low for a while, make sure we’re not being hunted before returning to whatever you call home.”

There were no objections, so I took it as a go.

The joyous atmosphere continued till we were close to our new destination.

The ship’s onboard computer tried to initiate the docking procedure but was blocked. Instead, we received a voice communication from what sounded like an anxious woman. “We have no record of your reservation. Please state your business and where your origin point is.”

I look at the rest of the crew holding my finger up to my mouth. I examined the map of habitat locations, trying to determine a plausible origin point.

Pegasus (Part 140)

I brushed past him shouldering him to the ground. “Come on! We don’t have much time.”

The other ran around the frail man and after me.

Another explosion, this time much bigger. I glanced back to see the palace in ruins. The devastation was only going to increase. My heart skipped a beat when I saw troopers under one of the pyramids but they scuttled.

It took another six minutes of hard running before we reached our ship. I was never so happy to see it. The ground shook violently from a further blast. I knew that the habitat would not maintain stability for much longer.

I went straight for the controls, my eyes fixated on the rear camera waiting for my last comrade to board.

A moment later, the ship was lifting off. A blast from the rear pushed the ship forward. I pulled the lever back hard as it skimmed over the surface before rising up through the thin at atmosphere and into space.

Cries of joy erupted. Then a huge piece of space junk flew in front of the ship. I looked into the rear view camera to see the Emperor’s Habitat being blown apart.

We did it. We actually did it.

Tabitha threw her arms around me and planted a kiss.

Pegasus (Part 139)

The corridor turns left, then right. All the time, I could hear the pounding feet of our pursuers. Then an explosion goes off behind shaking the building and knocking us off our feet. The ceiling has fallen in behind us, covering everything in a white dust.

I struggle to my feet knowing that we are now racing against the clock. Tabitha does likewise, her jaw clenched.

A lift is only a few feet away. We get inside knowing there’s no chance we would leave our comrades behind.

I press the button to go down a floor and we go back in the direction from which we came.

As the lift opens, there is another explosion. ab

We run. In front of us are the enemy troops who pinned us down earlier. We start firing hitting them in the back. Only one of them manages to turn around, his eyes wide open as his body is riddled.

Charging down the stars I roared, “Everyone to the ship. It’s going to blow!”

Then came out of their cover positions and followed. Then we all came to an abrupt halt. The Emperor, now a sickly yellow stood in front of us. Barely audible he said, “Whhaat have you done?”

Pegasus (Part 138)

I looked Tabitha straight in the eyes, “You keep them back, I’ll prepare things in here.”

She turned and started returning fire. Her muscles bulged as the heavy weapon went back and forth in her arms.

“Hurry,” she yelled. There are too many.

Sown into the inside of my jacket was the critical device. I took a blade from my side pocket and cut it out. It was a long wire with a circuit connector on each end. I put one side on the mechanical device and the other on the cylindrical device.

A few seconds later, it flashes yellow.

They have to keep it connected for another two minutes for the reaction to become self-sustaining.

I watch in horror as Tabitha falls to the ground, a line of blood coming from her shoulder.

Immediately, I take up her position and return fire. The bodies of dead troops lie on the floor.

“Are you okay, Tabitha?” I shout over the din of my fire.

She gingerly gets back to her feet. “Yes, I’ll live.”

I glanced back at the wire. It flashed purple.

We need to get the hell out of here.

“Are you able to run?”

“Yes, I think so!”

“Okay, on the count of three. One, two..”

I step out into the hall. “Three.”

Tabitha runs. Then I turn and do likewise.