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Newsletter 2023-03-17: Cover Reveal, AI, booktips and a weirdly wonderful music tip

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Not showing correctly? Missing images? Click here for web version. <https://koenmartens.nl/20230317newsletter.html?mtm_campaign=nl&mtm_kwd=nl23…> Ancient palace against backdrop of modern cityscape with big planet in the sky and a rockt soaring up <https://koenmartens.nl/pages/ein-1-the-ein-particle.html?mtm_campaign=nl230…>Cover Last week I received the cover design for The Ein Particle <https://koenmartens.nl/pages/ein-1-the-ein-particle.html?mtm_campaign=nl230…>. I've been so eager to share it with the world, but wanted to give my newsletter readers the exclusive so kept it to myself until today. It's been done by MiblArt <https://miblart.com/>, a Ukrainian company. They've been a real pleasure to work with. From my description they managed to capture the exact feel I was looking for, and then did two more revisions to make it perfect. Curious to know what you think. Just reply to this email and let me know! Yellow and red geometric shapes with indecipherable words in them <https://koenmartens.nl/20230317-will-ai-make-authors-obsolete.html?mtm_camp…><https://koenmartens.nl/> Will AI make me obsolete? You can’t open a browser or go through your social media timeline without reading about AI these days. From proponents to opponents, everyone has a strong opinion and isn’t hesitant to share it with world + dog. Myself, I’m still not convinced whether we are indeed dealing with a revolution here or whether this is just a passing fad. However, I have been thinking a lot about OpenAI’s GPT language model and what this means for my ambitions as an author. Will I become obsolete? Or will this, as some authors propose, be a great tool to help me write better stories faster? Read more... <https://koenmartens.nl/20230317-will-ai-make-authors-obsolete.html?mtm_camp…> Futuristic city scape with flying spaceships <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/3ed09434-94d6-11ed-979b-aba1b242a9b0>The Halden Army Keyla Damaer /A dramatic sci-fi short story/ A coward is not the one who is afraid. It’s what we do about fear that makes the difference. Cadet Draken Kosset is getting ready for his final exam to become an officer of the Manderian Halden when his body reaches sexual maturity. He should focus on the exam, but all he can do is think about sultry Zamal and the recurring nightmare tormenting his nights since his childhood. Get it for free! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/3ed09434-94d6-11ed-979b-aba1b242a9b0> Woman, tiger and man with gun <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/fbf0cf86-7d87-11ed-b072-cba52703c543> Undead Menagerie A.M. Geever /When the world ends, you adapt or die. Can two strangers trapped in a zoo survive as zombies close in around them? / Zookeeper Imogen is flying high. She loves her work caring for endangered Iberian Lynxes and a promotion is on the horizon. Then a colleague throws her under the bus and her entire life goes into free-fall. Mike dropped out of college to raise his sisters. Now, twenty years later, it’s time to live for himself. First step of his new life: marry his girlfriend. But an unwelcome surprise derails his proposal, and the future he’s longed for slips from his grasp. When the zombie apocalypse strikes, Imogen and Mike are trapped inside the zoo. If Imogen wants to protect her lynxes, she’ll have to adapt. If Mike wants to find his family, he needs to survive. Together, they must find a way out of the zoo—before it becomes as deadly as the ravenous hordes beyond its fence. Get it now! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/fbf0cf86-7d87-11ed-b072-cba52703c543> Five superhero playmobil figurines <https://apparatorganquartet.bandcamp.com/album/apparat-organ-quartet>Apparat Organ Quarted OK, honsetly, I'm running out of time on this newsletter, so I'm just going to leave you with this. It's Icelandic, it's weird, it's wonderful! Enjoy :) Check it out on Bandcamp <https://apparatorganquartet.bandcamp.com/album/apparat-organ-quartet> or Spotify <https://open.spotify.com/album/0H3QNvA8LeogksjVwoFtWT?si=SQT-1OMsTe-jWCbqpv…>. Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Mastodon icon <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

1 week, 2 days

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Newsletter 2023-03-03: Excitement, reading update, book tips and a music tip

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Not showing correctly? Missing images? Click here for web version. <https://koenmartens.nl/20230303newsletter.html?mtm_campaign=nl&mtm_kwd=nl23…> Big letter 'beta' Personal update I'm excited and can't wait to release The Ein Particle <https://koenmartens.nl/pages/ein-1-the-ein-particle.html?mtm_campaign=ein&m…>. I've received a first draft of the cover this week, and it's almost perfect. I'm now eagerly awaiting a second draft with a few tweaks. Can't wait to show it to you all! Meanwhile, I've sharpened up the blurb <https://koenmartens.nl/pages/ein-1-the-ein-particle.html?mtm_campaign=ein&m…> a bit after consulting with a blurb writer. What do you think, does it fancy your imagination? And last but not least, the manuscript is now out with my beta readers. They are the first to read it apart from myself and my developmental editor, so yeah, I'm pretty curious to know what they think of it! Spaceships in purplish space Reading Update I've been reading. I've recently finished /Waste Tide/ by Chen Qiufan, which I found rather enjoyable. You can find a review on my website <https://koenmartens.nl/20230222-review-waste-tide-chen-qiufan.html?mtm_camp…>. I also finished /Artificial Condition/ by Martha wells, which left a bit of a bitter aftertaste <https://koenmartens.nl/20230301-review-artificial-condition-martha-wells.ht…>. I've now started /The Caledonian Gambit/ by Dan Moren. It's the first in the many-part Galactic Cold War series. I'll let you know what I think about it when I'm done! It's a hefty volume though, might take a while. What are you reading right now? Hit 'reply' on this email and let me know! A patterned gold coin against a background of dark blue landscape <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/c1cb1942-a76c-11ed-9814-9f7bcf361cb2> Cryptic Magic Lily Skyy *He’s a mystical bounty hunter. She’s a magical anomaly destined to destroy his world.* Zaid has one mission: hunt down rogue Anunnaki and bring the magical beings to justice. Kinza's wild gifts could either destroy the world – or lead to its salvation. Thrown headlong into a deadly new reality and hunted by evil rogue Anunnaki, Kinza must learn fast if she wants to stay alive. Zaid is used to dealing with powerful magic. But this time, he may have bitten off more than he can chew… /Step into a thrilling urban fantasy novel that artfully combines hair-raising danger and suspense with exotic locations, powerful magic, and larger-than-life characters./ Buy from Amazon! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/c1cb1942-a76c-11ed-9814-9f7bcf361cb2> Subdued light blue network of tendrils suggestive of neural networks <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/55b96aa6-ad6b-11ed-9019-4ba88f0a0968>Awake As A Stranger - Awakening Diane M. Dresback What if you woke up in another person's body? When Treaz awakes, the mirror is wrong. A stranger stares back and mimics her every movement. That is not her body. Those are not her eyes welling with tears. She had dreamt of a different life, but now she lives a nightmare. This trilogy follows the journey of Treaz and Omani. Six thousand miles lie between them yet they both are trapped in a deplorable reality. Along with unlikely comrades, they struggle to gain control over their lives from those holding them captive. The courageous sacrifices these unassuming women make have a lasting impact on each other, those they care about, and their own worlds. Get the free preview! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/55b96aa6-ad6b-11ed-9019-4ba88f0a0968> Album cover of "Speak no Evil" showing Wayne Shorter and his first wife <https://open.spotify.com/album/27Rl7A8jXEQOkIfUKOa6ZU?si=F1MCElVNSqGOLqluRI…>Speak No Evil Wayne Shorter Sadly, another "in memoriam", for yesterday one of the giants of jazz has passed away. I'm talking about saxophone player and composer Wayne Shorter of course, whose career is too long to summarize in a few paragraphs. Instead of attempting and failing, I'll just leave you with his 1966 album Speak No Evil. It is but one of many masterpieces he leaves behind to enrich our world. Check it out on Spotify <https://open.spotify.com/album/27Rl7A8jXEQOkIfUKOa6ZU?si=F1MCElVNSqGOLqluRI…> or Youtube <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJoSrQ6iP0c&list=PLL-NbN8uTOih2uI8vdKaB0Vb_…>. Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Mastodon icon <https://chasmcity.net/@gmc>Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

3 weeks, 2 days

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Newsletter 2023-02-17: chaos and disorder, two book tips and a music tip

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Not showing correctly? Missing images? Click here for web version. <https://koenmartens.nl/20230217newsletter.html?mtm_campaign=nl&mtm_kwd=nl23…> Icelandic sheepdog puppy with red coat and black snout standing up with paws on the edge of a shopping cart.Chaos and disorder Who would have guessed: raising a puppy is a lot of work! Getting up multiple times during the night to get him outside to pee, the cat chasing the puppy, the puppy chasing the cat and not to mention puppy-proofing the house. So far, the room that has my writing desk is not puppy-proof, lots of loose electrical cables and other bite-able objects, so when my husband is out at work I am relegated to one of the puppy proof rooms. That includes the day job office, where I sit all day already, and the living room. So I end up slouching on the couch with the laptop doing my writing. Not ideal. I prefer sitting up straight behind my desk having multiple monitors to cross reference notes and research while writing. Regardless, the fourth draft is nearing completion and will be ready for my beta readers any day now. Meanwhile, I'm working hard with a book marketing consultant to set up the launch. And of course, the puppy is a lot of fun too. I mean, just look at that picture. Isn't that the cutest thing you've seen today? Hooded face with glowing red eyes and pixelated skin <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/bfac7196-a1d7-11ed-af98-47cc7ad1f37e>Cyber Angel TJ McKaye /How he became the most feared man on the dark web./ Before he was the feared cyber criminal "Luckee Lynx," Timothy "Ti" Riley was a young computer prodigy who simply wanted to be a good son. Though being the son of a ruthless Wall Street climbing banker would make meeting his Father's expectations nearly impossible. After facing abuse and abandonment, Ti Riley is now on a mission. He wants to use his self taught hacking abilities to seek vengeance on all evil in the world, including his Father. Though is he really some one who is capable of such evil or will he find that he is "The Cyber Angel?" Get it for free! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/bfac7196-a1d7-11ed-af98-47cc7ad1f37e> An orange hanging on a branch with a skull superimposed on it. <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/cafa481c-9f47-11ed-b1ed-8fa732b2e8bf>Death Art Amanda Jaeger /An Emily Ellis Thriller Short./ For the love of art. For the love of talent. For the love of beauty in death. Get it for free! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/cafa481c-9f47-11ed-b1ed-8fa732b2e8bf> Cauldron from which a tree emerges amidst abstract jungle <https://mchuzi.bandcamp.com/album/papara>Papara M. Chuzi I've said it before, and I will say it again: there is a lot of excellent jazz coming from Belgium. This music tip is no exception. This debut album from Belgian group M. Chuzi is full of well-rounded afro beats and groovy jazz funk. A joy to the ear, very uplifting and contagious. I do hope there will be more! Check it out on Bandcamp <https://mchuzi.bandcamp.com/album/papara> or Spotify <https://open.spotify.com/album/6vdPNXfUa8colUXj6ZmWy6?si=l0uXGhRKQAGK84jhWN…>. Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Mastodon icon <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

1 month, 1 week

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Newsletter 2023-02-03: Woof, Cover Design, Lots of free books and a brand new old skool music tip

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Not showing correctly? Missing images? Click here for web version. <https://koenmartens.nl/20230203newsletter.html?mtm_campaign=nl&mtm_kwd=nl23…> Icelandic sheepdog puppy with a light brown coat and black snout Woof! I'd never have thought it possible, but this weekend we'll be driving around Sweden's biggest lake to have a look at this little guy and hopefully take him home with us. Had you told me two years ago I'd become a dog person, I'd have laughed. I always found dogs so dependent, preferring the autonomous nature of cats. But recently I've met lots of nice dogs, and honestly, being out here in the Swedish country side, I can quite see us with a dog. It's almost obligatory really. It's not a done deal though. We'll have to convince the kennel owner that we'll be good carers. It's a bit scary as well. Unlike a cat, a dog really needs to be trained to be a good dog. Are you more of a dog person, a cat person or both/neither? Let me know by sending a reply to this email! Two books with blank covers Cover Design Now that the manuscript for The Ein Particle <https://koenmartens.nl/pages/ein-1-the-ein-particle.html?mtm_campaign=nl230…> is coming along nicely I'm turning my attention towards two other very important aspects of the book: the cover and the blurb. The cover, because that is what people will see when they browse their favourite book vendor's catalog. And the blurb, because if they clicked on the cover, that is what should convince them to get the book. I don't want to give away too much, but I've discussed some ideas about the cover with a book marketeer, and it looks like we'll try and come up with something that shows the skyline of Xin, the capital of the biggest continent in the book's world, with a big planet in the sky and a rocket being sent off towards that planet. These are all aspects of the story that we'd like to highlight. Curious to see what the artists come up with! Banner with group promo title adorned by a robot, stars planets. <https://storyoriginapp.com/to/dtVwRpm>Share the Love... Of Science Fiction I don't know about you, but I absolutely love sci-fi. Under that single umbrella we find a broad gamut of sub-genres, from cyberpunk to post-apocalyptic, from space opera to hard sf. In this give-away, you'll find samples of many of those, and it's all free. All month. So make sure to head over to the group promo page and click those covers. Check it out! <https://storyoriginapp.com/to/dtVwRpm> Out of this World Free Science Fiction & Fantasy Ebooks Knight in armor emerging from a portal onto a jumble of ancient and modern silhouetted city scapes <https://storyoriginapp.com/to/3DlnFr8> And if all that sci-fi diversity wasn't quite enough for you yet, here's another bonanza of free ebooks. This one has a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, so that's even more to enjoy. And again, it's all free and available this entire month. But if you're like me, you're likely to forget about this as soon as you open the next mail. So to be sure you don't miss out before this promotion ends, click through to the group promo page right away <https://storyoriginapp.com/to/3DlnFr8> and claim your downloads. Get the free preview! <https://storyoriginapp.com/to/3DlnFr8> Compact cassette in transparent case with blue banner '2xAA - Alescere' <https://2xaa.bandcamp.com/album/alescere-data113>Alescere 2xAA I was a bit lost what album to feature in today's newsletter when this came along on the fediverse <https://mastodon.social/@2xAA/109799917837171408>. I'm a big fan of music produced with minimal electronic means. Nintentdo's Game Boy or an old 80's home computer like the Commodore 64 or Atari ST500, I'm game! This album, just out, was produced using nothing but a Game Boy Advance. While it's pretty advanced compared to a C64 or classic Game Boy, it's a far cry from today's digital audio workstations. The sound of the dance, techno and drum & bass fusion tracks is darn clean though. Well done, 2xAA! Check it out on Bandcamp <https://2xaa.bandcamp.com/album/alescere-data113>. Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Mastodon icon <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

1 month, 3 weeks

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Newsletter 2023-01-20: Writing updates, join my launch team, two book tips and a flippin' music tip

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Not showing correctly? Missing images? Click here for web version. <https://koenmartens.nl/20230120newsletter.html?mtm_campaign=nl&mtm_kwd=nl23…> Snow-covered tree in a snow-covered garden Prepping for launch I've just finished going over the feedback from the first round of editing on The Ein Particle <https://koenmartens.nl/pages/ein-1-the-ein-particle.html?mtm_campaign=nl230…>. The first draft came in at 98k words, and I had hoped to edit that down to around 90k, but ended up with 101k. Mind you, I did remove a lot of words, but I also added some on the advice of the editor, improving the structure and narrative arcs. The manuscript is back at the editor for a second round, and then it's ready to go out to my beta readers. I'm getting quite excited about this novel, and am slowly gearing up for launch (even though that's still months away). Getting a cover, writing the blurb, and everything else that needs to be in place, it's so energizing to get near the finish line. At the same time, lots of ideas for the sequel are bubbling up. Ideas that will take the characters beyond their original environment, into space, to explore more of their world (taking me along with them). Meanwhile, we had about 50 centimeters of snow here a few weeks ago. That all melted away, but then it started to snow again, and we now have 10 centimeters. Enough to make everything pretty. AI generated book with a rocket on the cover against a backdrop of shelves filled with books Join my launch team I'm expanding my launch team, so if you're interested in getting a free Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of The Ein Particle <https://koenmartens.nl/pages/ein-1-the-ein-particle.html?mtm_campaign=nl230…> and are willing to leave a review at the launch date, let me know! Getting enough reviews on launch date is very important to make sure Amazon will actually try to sell the book, and that will help me out immensely to attempt to recover part of the more than €10.000 I invested in this book (not to mention the countless hours I spent writing it). The review copies will go out in the second half of April (after copy-editing, but before proofreading). With the launch date set for June 17th, 2023, that's a good two months to read the book and write a review. Want to join? Let me know! Just hit reply on this email. <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/167457a6-9273-11ed-ba1c-2b44d05aba54> Cliff Hock: Infestation Nation M. Rothmus /Who controls the universe?/ It's the distant future. Humanity has built a Dyson Sphere around the sun, which encompasses the inner planets. Cliff Hock is back to bounty hunting, but a strange case of amnesia has him questioning the events around him. Cliff Hock is caught in a "whodunnit" mystery that sends him into pocket dimensions he didn't know existed. But who is doing what? Who is Nexus Tobbs? And how did Cliff Hock know to travel 1,000 light years and through a wormhole to find him? Is the Dyson Sphere acting unlawfully? Why are the Contra Krugs involved? Are the people around him his friends or enemies? Cliff must unravel who is behind the puzzle, but he must also figure out what the puzzle even is. Where others have failed, Cliff Hock must succeed. Cliff is shown how to travel into echoes of the past. But this only presents him with fake Nexus Tobbses, who are mere memories of the actual person. The echoes are compromising Cliff’s own past. Buy from Amazon! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/167457a6-9273-11ed-ba1c-2b44d05aba54> Silhouette of humanoid looking out from viewport to a planet surface <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/a5373a14-9208-11ed-955c-cb10ad430f4a> The Neighbor You Don't Know Shane Shepherd /Who controls the universe?/ After countless years of preparation Mission Terra Firme One is finally ready to commence and give Earth the answers it has long waited for, about the planet Neighbor. The TSS Cartographer is about to arrive and its First Officer Baldwin “call me Win” Tavares believes that he might just be able to touch his hand to that rocky ground and that’d be enough for him to learn everything there is to know about their old Neighbors, the things they’d done and what they’d left behind. But not everyone is as kind-hearted or has such noble intentions, and Neighbor holds more mysteries than anyone could have imagined. Exploring it might open the gates for a flood that threatens to drown everything, and Win must make decisions that hold his life, and that of all around him, at stake. Get the free preview! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/a5373a14-9208-11ed-955c-cb10ad430f4a> Cartoon girl with purple hair, red jacket with high collar wearing headphones and an eighties retro title <https://scottdanesi.bandcamp.com/album/total-nuclear-annihilation-expanded>Total Nuclear Annihilation One of my hobbies is pinball. And one of my all-time favourite pinball games is Total Nuclear Annihilation <https://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=6444>. It's a relatively recent game, released in 2017, but everything about the game breathes retro. You know, that nostalgic throw-back style to the 80's, with the purple tones and computer-generated grid surfaces. For modern standards, the game is relatively simple. No ramps, no gimmicks, just a single-level play field. Yet the game is one of the most thrilling I know. Part of the excitement of playing this game is the soundtrack. With a deep bass thumping from the game's built-in sub-woofer, the music is an integral part of the experience. So if you play this, make sure you play it loud and with a good set of bass speakers (or indeed, a hefty sub-woofer). Check it out on Bandcamp <https://scottdanesi.bandcamp.com/album/total-nuclear-annihilation-expanded> or Spotify <https://open.spotify.com/album/0aOWrCBwtkGSsq8HA25rVW>. Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Mastodon icon <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

2 months

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Newsletter 2023-01-06: happy new year, home automation, a book tip and a synthy music tip

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Not showing correctly? Missing images? Click here for web version. <https://koenmartens.nl/20230106newsletter.html?mtm_campaign=nl&mtm_kwd=nl23…> Narrow snow covered road winding its way through pine forest.Happy new year! I was going to write a pessimistic bit here about how 2022 was pretty shit, as far as the state of the world goes, and 2023 will be even worse, so why celebrate this arbitrary moment in time? I'm not one for making new year's resolutions anyway. Mind you, I do some goal setting now and then, and take stock of where I am with respect to those goals periodically, but it generally happens around spring time. Anyway. I realized pessimism is hardly going to entertain my dear readers now is it. So without further ado: All the best for 2023! Despite not having new year's resolutions there are some things I look forward to in the coming year. One of those is publishing my current WIP: The Ein Particle. I'm so looking forward to sharing that with you all. I'm wrapping up the first round of edits after the feedback from my editor, and will send the revised manuscript off to her for a second pass exactly ten days from now. Something else I'm looking forward to is extending our family of three (my husband, myself and our kitten Wifi) with another pawed critter. We're planning on getting a dog this year to complete the farm-house experience. Expect cute puppy pictures somewhere along the line. What about you? Do you have anything to look forward to in the (near) future to brighten up your live? Let me know, always eager to get to know my readers! Screenshot from home assistant app showing a graph of the heat pump's supply and return lines and brine in/out temperatures. Home Automation I thought I'd let you in on one of my (many) hobbies: home automation. Over the years, I've installed little gadgets all over the place to switch on and off lights, appliances and what more, connected together through Home Assistant, a free, open source and self-hosted home automation solution. It knows when we leave (by checking whether our phones are connected to wifi) and switch off the soldering iron in case I forgot, or starts to simulate our presence by turning on lights in the evening to thwart burglar's attempt at figuring out the coast is clear for them to plunder our stuff. We recently had a heat pump installed to keep us warm during the winter. I have that integrated with the home automation setup through the manufacturer's cloud server. What that means is that the heat pump will connect out over the internet to someone else's server somewhere in the world to upload its readings and download instructions. My home automation, in turn, goes out over the internet to connect to that same server, collect the readings (so that I can have pretty graphs) and sends instructions, such as setting the desired temperature (which, by the way, it bases on sixteen wifi-connected thermostat valves on the radiators in the house). This is all very round-about, and if the internet breaks, so does the whole thing. Also, I'm keen on keeping everything local for privacy reasons. I'm not interested in Amazon Echo's that record everything we say and relay that to Amazon's servers, nor do I want the heat pump's manufacturer to see when we take a shower or when we're on vacation. I was delighted therefore to find out that the heat pump has a secret menu, reserved for the company that installed the thing, in which I could enable a local protocol (modbus-tcp, if you're interested and into these things) that lets me cut out the middle man. With this, my in-house home automation server can connect directly to the heat pump over the local network without a need to involve the internet. Not only that, it offers far more detailed insights into the heat pump's operation and finer grained control of its functions. It's little things like this that get me excited. I agree, it all sounds a bit nerdy, but hey. As I said, I'm always curious to hear more about you and learn about my readers, so therefore I'll end with a question (or two). Are any of you into home automation? What does your setup look like? Let me know! Space-suited man against backdrop of planet and space <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/2e01825a-7ff3-11ed-a32d-67be111e8b7a> Dropnauts J. Scott Coatsworth /It's time for mankind to go home. Diverse hopepunk sci-fi./ // Over a century after the end of the Earth, life goes on in Redemption, the sole remaining Lunar colony, and possibly the last outpost of humankind in the Solar System. But with an existential threat burrowing its way into the Moon's core, humanity must recolonize the homeworld. Twenty brave dropnauts set off on a mission to explore the empty planet. Four of them—Rai, Hera, Ghost and Tien—have trained for two-and-a-half years for the Return. They're bound for Martinez Base, just outside the Old Earth city of San Francisco. But what awaits them there will turn their assumptions upside down—and in the process, either save or destroy what's left of humanity. Get this short story for free! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/2e01825a-7ff3-11ed-a32d-67be111e8b7a> Gray background with album and artist names in futuristic font <https://open.spotify.com/album/0BpEmLQOLxfaFVGw0gdcnc?si=e0JEfZVwQ6CSMZ-7Bq…> Music Inspired By Mega-City One Drokk Alex Ball's latest video on Oberheim's first synthesizers <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOCMNVOLkxM> made mention of a soundtrack composed for one of the Judge Dredd movies. The soundtrack was never used, but released as a stand-alone album. What makes this album intriguing is the exclusive use (if you discount the drum tracks that are present in some of the compositions) of the Oberheim Two Voice. Three of them to be precise. This is not background music. It's music to sit down for, dim the lights, close your eyes and imagine the narratives that could inspire this soundtrack. It's full of analog arpeggio's (recently re-popularised by the Stranger Things' theme), gloomy drones and gritty sounds. I've never seen any of the movies, nor have I read any of the comics, but this soundtrack does it for me. Check it out on Bandcamp <https://drokk.bandcamp.com/album/drokk-music-inspired-by-mega-city-one> or Spotify <https://open.spotify.com/album/0BpEmLQOLxfaFVGw0gdcnc?si=e0JEfZVwQ6CSMZ-7Bq…>. Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Mastodon icon <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

2 months, 2 weeks

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Newsletter 2022-12-16: season's blues (flu), free audio book, book tip and music tip

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Not showing correctly? Missing images? Click here for web version. <https://koenmartens.nl/20221216newsletter.html?mtm_campaign=nl&mtm_kwd=nl22…> Close-up of the moon's surfaceI got nothing Literally. I'm just coming out of a three-day flu-induced stupor, which messed up all plans I had for this week, including this newsletter. I was going to wax lyrically about humanity's return to the moon, with NASA's Artemis mission <https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/> in full swing. It has me excited, I was born just too late to witness the first moon landings, so looking forward to another chance. This bout of non-covid illness has put a dent in my revision schedule for /The Ein Particle/, my upcoming novel. I've processed a few chapters worth of feedback from my editor, but there's so much more and that's before I even scratch the surface of the more structural changes I'm going to want to make. Ah well, the holidays are coming up, so I've taken two weeks off from the day job to retreat back into my writer's den and edit hard. This is my final newsletter this year. Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who signed up this year and all of you who signed up before but decided not to unsubscribe. It means a lot to me! Have a jolly good time, if that's your thing, or enjoy the absence of distractions while you get some work done. In any case, see you next year! Blurred image of two people descending deep concrete stairs Forced to be Free audio book It is with great pleasure that I can finally announce the general availability of the audio book version of Forced to be Free <https://koenmartens.nl/pages/isolated-futures-1-forced-to-be-free.html?mtm_…>. You can find it on a whole bunch of sites and I expect it will become available on a whole bunch more. It's not expensive, but to my loyal newsletter subscribers it's of no cost at all! You can grab your copy directly from my site. Use the email address you used to sign up to this newsletter as the username. Your password is uopl129ac. Let me know what you think. Do you prefer audio books over print or ebooks? What do you think of the narration on this audio book? It's been a first for both me and Maja, the narrator, so we're eager to hear your feedback! Download the audio book. <https://koenmartens.nl/mlonly/Isolated_Futures_by_Koen_Martens_narrated_by_…> Image of jupiter with orbital insertion path drawn in white <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/3f33d972-6a92-11ed-85e8-2716988a047c> Sapience Alexis Lantgen What kind of life will we find in the depths of Europa’s oceans? What kind of life will we allow an AI with human level intelligence? The ten stories in Sapience: A Collection of Science Fiction Short Stories explore these questions and many more. In the near future, humanity builds a colony on Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter. They tunnel into the ice to explore the dark oceans beneath the moon's surface, searching for signs of extraterrestrial life. What they find will change them forever, setting humanity on a path to the stars. But the old conflicts and hatreds of Earth are not so easily escaped. Will human colonists on distant planets and moons create a paradise or a horrifying dystopia? Get book! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/3f33d972-6a92-11ed-85e8-2716988a047c> Cropped image of Santa holding up a vinyl record <https://somafm.com/christmas/> SomaFM Christmas Lounge "Chilled holiday grooves and classic winter lounge tracks. (Kid and Parent safe!" This digital radio station is the perfect sound track for a relaxed Christmas. None of the commercial songs you were sick to death with a month ago already, but an eclectic mix of vintage and modern tracks inspired on the classics. Groovy, jazzy, it's just what you need to chill with some chocolate and a steaming mug of whatever hot beverage you prefer. Tune in to a groovy Christmas now <https://somafm.com/christmas/>. Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Mastodon icon <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

3 months, 1 week

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Newsletter 2022-12-02: Editor feedback, short story tip and punk's not dead!

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Not showing correctly? Missing images? Click here for web version. <https://koenmartens.nl/20221202newsletter.html?mtm_campaign=nl&mtm_kwd=nl22…> Close-up of fire in fireplaceAnd onwards! The construction crew has left, the central heating system is operational (albeit in need of some calibration), so time to relax! Not! Right as the installation was being finished, my editor came back to me with the first round of feedback on my current work in progress, The Ein Particle. She had some very good remarks that I now need to process. I have a hard time motivating myself though. It's not that I dread working on the manuscript, but more like Christmas is coming up, and I'm starting to feel like it's time for a holiday. I'll get on top of the work soon though, probably taking an extended leave from the day job over Christmas, new years eve and the week following. In the mean time, the audio book version of Forced to be Free <https://koenmartens.nl/pages/isolated-futures-1-forced-to-be-free.html> is almost ready to be published. The only thing that is holding us back right now, is that we need a cover art version specific for the audio book. Any day now, I expect this in my inbox so that I can upload and publish. Keep an eye on my Mastodon account <https://hsnl.social/@gmc> if you're eager to get your free version (exclusive for my newsletter subscribers). Book cover of All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Marth Wells: a masked figure in armor agains backdrop of dreary trees, all in a green-grayish monochrome. Review: All Systems Red Short but enjoyable, good world-building but an ending that felt rushed. Still, gave it 4 out of 5 on goodreads and have put the second part in the series on my to read list. Read the full review on my site. <https://koenmartens.nl/20221202-review-all-systems-red.html?mtm_campaign=nl…> Starship against backdrop of earth-like planet and moon <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/d99e46ce-7077-11ed-8037-c350f7163e69> Matriculation S.V. Farnsworth Zin Yarl has worked her whole life to make something of herself, and today she's finally done it. She's graduating from the Space Academy with top honors. Just her luck, pirates kidnap her and ruin all her plans. How can this possibly be a good thing? Get this short story for free! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/d99e46ce-7077-11ed-8037-c350f7163e69> Punk band against urban backdrop full of ghoulish humanoid figures <https://open.spotify.com/album/5Fdeu9x15r5y4ddHWEClu1?si=2bhFiZ7sR_C8u7kVqc…> Troops of Tomorrow The Exploited A classic this time, this early 80's punk-rock album from The Exploited contains a good number of excellent songs. The title song is brilliant, with a gloomy intro that has you picturing an army of zombies marching towards destruction. Mind you, this is not at all a happy album. It's aggressive, immediate and raw, evoking a mood that has me wanting to trash the place. Not surprisingly: the band is known for vandalising hotels on tour, inciting riots at concerts and fighting among each other on stage. But hey, what can I say. Sometimes, with all the shit going on in the world, a bit of 'fuck it, burn it all down' is just what you need to relieve some of the pressure. Just remember to exercise enough self restraint to not actually trash your place, that might become expensive. Check it out on Spotify <https://open.spotify.com/album/5Fdeu9x15r5y4ddHWEClu1?si=2bhFiZ7sR_C8u7kVqc…>. Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Mastodon icon <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

3 months, 3 weeks

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Newsletter 2022-11-18: Meet Wifi, follow me on Mastodon, book tip and music tip

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Close-up of Wifi, our tabby catA bit of a break! It feels weird. My manuscript is now with my developmental editor for a first round of feed back. Not only is this quite scary, as she will no doubt point out many many things I need to fix, but it's also a bit weird. The thing is, for months, my free time was devoted to writing the manuscript, and every moment I was not writing I had this feeling that I should be. Now, with the manuscript finished and off for review, I can relax a bit again, and it's a whole new experience. I can't relax too much though, as we still have a house to renovate. We're currently working on the kitchen, fitting together the IKEA kit, hoping it will all fit. Meanwhile, after one and a half week away, mice took over our house. That settled it: we needed a cat. So today we picked up Wifi, a thirteen week old tabby. She will hopefully grow up to be a fearsome sight to the mice invading our home. We also intend to get a dog soon, to scare away the burglars. It's nothing to do with cats and dogs being cute, I swear! Blue bird sitting at table with coffee amidst blazing fire, with speech bubble saying 'This is fine' Social Media Strategy If you'd told me a year ago I would have a social media strategy a year from then, I'd have laughed in your face. I've never been a big fan of social media, finding that the 'social' in 'social media' is a bit of a misnomer, and that there's a lot of anti-social going on on those platforms. I never liked twitter in particular, even less so now that some bat-shit crazy billionaire has bought it as a toy. I've been meaning to check out Mastodon for a while now, and triggered by the current mess on Twitter, a few friend of mine decided to set up a Mastodon server. So, you can now finally follow me on Mastodon <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>, my account is @gmc@hsnl.social <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>. As for my social media strategy: I'll be most active on Mastodon <https://hsnl.social/@gmc>, where I'll be posting personal stuff as well as news related to my writing, with Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/> as second. Then there's Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958> and finally Twitter, both of which I tend to ignore mostly. Of course, you can also follow me on Goodreads <https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/596199.Koen_Martens>, if you're curious what I'm reading. Close-up of man wearing uniform with woman watching over his shoulder <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/a57aed98-6550-11ed-b1d7-67a2f7bf0d84> Fallen Patric Abbott Intelligence Officer Brendan Sean Murphy has served his country on the Middle East and Central Asia battlefields. However, his hard-won successes overseas came at the cost of failures at home. These events have drained his soul, leaving him racked with PTSD. However, his life changes when he intervenes to stop an anti-alien terrorist attack on the subway. Now, he is thrust into interstellar politics with the government naming him an intelligence attaché to the Sabia, a race that closely guards its own secrets. Militias, corrupt politicians, and countries seeking military aid from the Sabia challenge Brendan’s mission. On top of this, a medical mystery complicates the balance. Brendan’s only chance at success involves accepting the impossible and unutterable. Only then can he learn the secrets in this Fallen world. Get free sample now! <https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/a57aed98-6550-11ed-b1d7-67a2f7bf0d84> Abstract smears of paint against grey background <https://open.spotify.com/album/0tfDJ7IjZ2pYVB3OPFYyPJ?si=3S7CI1bWTUWmGmYtmw…> Signal Chain Gijs Levelt Spoken Quartet A signal chain is a series of effects applied on an input signal, where each effect's input is the output of the preceding effect. Trumpet player Gijs Levelt applies such a chain to his instrument. Add to it a pinch of Rhodes and a grooving bass and drums, and you get a wonderfully airy sound recorded on the eight tracks on this album, the second of which is titled 'Signal Chain'. Great music to kick up your feet, relax and space out. Check it out on Spotify. <https://open.spotify.com/album/0tfDJ7IjZ2pYVB3OPFYyPJ?si=3S7CI1bWTUWmGmYtmw…> Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Twitter icon <https://twitter.com/koenswriting>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

4 months, 1 week

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Newsletter 2022-11-04: Vacation, Sci-Fi Giveaway, Music Tip

by Koen Martens

Title 'Koen's Bi-montly Mailing' against backdrop of white binary digits on blue background Öresondsbron from a distanceVacation! Now that the manuscript for The Ein Particle is almost done, we're planning a little vacation. I'll still need to do some dotting of i's and crossing of t's, but I will do so tomorrow while we drive all the way down from Sweden to The Netherlands. It's about 16 hours driving, and we take turns behind the wheel, switching every hour or so. During our journey, we'll cross the Öresondsbron -- the bridge over the Öresond Strait. It's a brilliant piece of engineering, part of a combination of tunnel and bridge spanning the distance of more than 15 kilometres between the Swedish city of Malmö and the Danish capital Copenhagen. It's famous from the Scandinavian crime series /The Bridge/ as well (there's a USA adaptation as well, which is interesting but not nearly as good as the original in my humble opinion). Meanwhile, on this last day before we leave, there's three crews of constructors working in and around our house while I'm trying to focus on my day job. So yeah, chaos! I don't know how I managed to send out this newsletter. Science Fiction Giveaway Battling spaceships <https://storyoriginapp.com/to/9C02smo> Get these books fast <https://storyoriginapp.com/to/9C02smo>! This promotion ends December 2nd! Pink Dolphins swimming in a psychedelic sea <https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/pink-dolphins> Pink Dolphins Anteloper I don't quite know how to classify this album (and I think that is a good thing). It's jazz? Probably? Although it's quite groovy as well. And electronic? I think it stands on its own. It's abstract, which, according to Discogs <https://www.discogs.com/style/abstract>, is also a genre, defined as: "Abstract generally describes a type of electronic music that doesn’t fit into any other category." Yeah, I'll go with that. Give this EP a listen. I think it's cool. It's got a strong atmosphere. It's addicting. I love it. And the cover art is amazing too! Check it out on Bandcamp <https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/pink-dolphins> or Spotify. <https://open.spotify.com/album/58rs9tGJvKpCRnuBewxs8w> Find my book, the Isolated Futures Omnibus, on: Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VYFJK15/>Kobo <https://www.kobo.com/ebook/isolated-futures>Barnes & Noble <https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940160945323>Google <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-yBlEAAAQBAJ>Apple <http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1615269317> Instagram icon <https://www.instagram.com/koenmartens_author/>Twitter icon <https://twitter.com/koenswriting>Linkedin icon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/komartens/>Facebook icon <https://www.facebook.com/Koen-Martens-104281962311958>Email icon <mailto:in+newsletter@metro.cx>Link icon <https://www.koenmartens.nl/>RSS icon <https://koenmartens.nl/feeds/all.atom.xml>

4 months, 3 weeks

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2023

2022

2021