The slaves stole an ore carrier and escaped, and after failing at trade, desperation and hatred drove them to piracy. John was a hugely successful pirate, until forced to confront the horrors committed by his men. He grabs a ship and a bag of gems, and runs away, determined to regain his self-respect. Pursued by his former colleagues, he flees across man-settled space. Along the way, he learns that his ship is much more than a simple yacht, deals with a stowaway girl, almost accidentally buys an orbital scrap yard, finds himself responsible for a beautiful young woman, fights off a pirate attack, falls in love, makes a friend, and learns that his refuge has been invaded by another planet. John, now Cale, and his friends plan to use derelicts from his scrap yard to free his sanctuary planet. But can a bunch of resurrected hulks really defeat a planetary fleet? And just what IS a Privateer, anyway?

    Three alien machines descend to the asteroid base of their enemies.  The ensuing battle is short and savage.  The lone survivor hopes either for rescue, or for another chance to engage its enemies.  It will be a long wait…     Wrik Trigardt ekes out a living in the Kandalor system with his small ship, Sinner.  He is caught between his failed past and a grim present in service to the local crimelord, Dusko.  An expedition to the Rift Asteroids promises better days, but when the well of time is disturbed no one can say what will surface.     Set in the same universe as the Robert Fenaday/Shasti Rainhell stories, but decades later, My Outcast State begins a new cycle of exploration of Confederation Space.

    Athena Lee had everything going for her. She graduated the Space academy and had become an Engineer. Her first posting was to an Support fleet building a secret outpost. When her ship is attacked and destroyed she is left alone and forgotten. Athena has to enginner her way home. Rescued many years later. She is arrested for letting an Idiot kill himself by noyt following orders. Now she has a bounty on her head and is beign chased by assassins. Joining a navy not her own she fights for truth while surrounded by corruption and greed. Pirates and bounty hunters bar her way.

    Their objective is classified, marked only by coordinates leading them into a deserted city at the heart of the fighting. From the beginning, everything possible goes wrong. A missile strike rocks the carrier mid-launch, and only a fraction of the unit reaches the surface alive.Outmanned, outgunned, and scattered, with a hard deadline to orbital bombardment looming, it is up to Drop Commander Tyco Hale to rally his troops and reach their objective. But what they find, hidden deep in the tunneled passages under the city, will change everything about what he fights for and what he believes in. With the unit in tatters and loyalties divided, the choice he makes in the dark will seal all of their fates - and much more besides.

     THIS BOOK CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT DANGEROUS BEAUTY... This first novella in an exciting new series will take you to a future unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The world of BRIGAND is as beautiful as it is cruel - a landscape of sharp edges and sharper characters. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes harsh, always sexy, it's a world filled with people who play power games that span multiple planets and the life of a scut can be bought for a few ounces of fresh water. Genetically modified and cybernetically augmented before she even left the womb, Subject 11 was to be one of the Mandate of St. Nicolo's most potent tools of statecraft. With her contract bid out to one of the great families of Marajo Lift, she would become a crucial wheel within the many thousands of wheels that formed the Mandate's legendary engine of intrigue. But 11 had other plans... NOTE: The cover illustration for this novella has been changed to more accurately reflect the main character. DO NOT buy it if you have already purchased The Wraith's Story. ~22,000 words

    Humanity has been enslaved or scattered to the galaxy, hiding out in lonely systems far from home. A cry for help from an enemy ship prompts action from an unlikely group of refugees and a lone fighter pilot. This begins an epic adventure that will unite the remains of the human race and take them into the depths of the darkest soul.The battle for survival is underway and the War for Terra has finally begun.

    As grateful as Priloe might be, he can't imagine why Hoffen would give up his family to go careening around the stars, when family is all he's ever wanted.A chance encounter with Silver, Liam's mother, offers Priloe a new life on the family's asteroid mining operation. He seizes the opportunity, not realizing that trouble is just around the corner. Before he has his feet under him, he's dragged into a mystery at an abandoned mining claim.Though just a kid, Priloe has a lifetime of difficult decisions behind him, but those he faces now could well separate him from the family he's desperate to join. When another's life hangs in the balance, he must make a choice, no matter the consequences.Life of a Miner is a quick, enjoyable read that was originally conceived, written, and released on Jamie McFarlane's blog at fickledragon.com.Interview with the AuthorQ - What exactly makes the Privateer Tales series special?A - When I set out to write Privateer Tales, I wanted to create a modern take on the SF books I read as a teenager and that I still love reading today. My focus is, therefore, space opera with a heavy emphasis on starships, pirates, space combat, inter-galactic travel and exciting, sometimes unexpected technology, all with a strong sense of exploration and discovery.Privateer Tales stories have a strong component of evolving relationships between the members of the crew and the people they encounter. Throughout the series, we continually pick up new crew members; some stick around while others are only aboard for a short time.Mostly, I want to feel like I'm right there with my characters - exploring new worlds, interacting with alien species and sailing through the deep dark of space on an important mission.Q - What order should I read the books in?A - While each story is written to be a complete, no-cliffhanger adventure, following the numeric series order will be helpful. We're constantly adding crew, switching ships and discovering new planets and species. There are several shorter stories that are quick reads and focus on specific events outside of our hero's view. The following order is recommended: Rookie Privateer Fool Me Once Parley Big Pete (order is unimportant) Smuggler's Dilemma Out of the Tank Cutpurse Buccaneers A Matter of Honor Give No Quarter Q - So, why should readers give these books a try?A - Privateer Tales stories are a great mix of space opera, exploration, fleet combat, colonization and just plain old action and adventure. Listen to what other readers have said:"The books are well written, highly entertaining, and the plots are both interesting and imaginative." - Amazon Reader"Fun stories, interesting characters, action and best of all, some fun to go with the drama and serious situations. " - Amazon Reader"Good basic science fiction which is hard to come by these days." - Amazon ReaderQ - Can readers try the series before fully committing?A - Sure.

    Military science-fiction adventure at its best!---GABRIEL'S REDEMPTION, Book OneNorth American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel was dishonorably discharged after losing his covert team on a far off world called Eden. Now, he’s being offered an opportunity to command a new team, on a new world, with a new mission, but the true motives behind the mission are unclear.From the decaying Caribbean to politically-charged South America, from the slums of Mars to a tiny colony on a planet six hundred light years from Earth, Gabriel's Redemption is a near-future military science fiction story of a personal journey seen from the perspective of a soldier who has lost everything; one who desperately needs to redeem himself not only in his government’s eyes, but also his own. Interstellar action and political intrigue mix with one-on-one battles on the surface of a frozen planet in this exciting tale of salvation.Approximately 66,000 words.GABRIEL’S RETURN, Book TwoOn the far-off icebound planet of Poliahu, North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel suffered the loss of several team members in order to free a native species and save his brother. Now he is being called away on a new mission by a friend in trouble, and by a name from his distant past. He and his surviving team must again travel across the galaxy to the planet where he lost his naval command, and his original team, so many years ago: Eden.Evan Gabriel must face three distinct threats on Eden: the well-armed terrorist group that has been raiding Eden City, the dangerous planet itself, and his own haunting memories of his past.Gabriel's Return continues the epic science fiction/adventure trilogy with characters new and old, devious political intrigue on the moon and Mars, and deadly jungle combat on Eden.Approximately 87,000 wordsGABRIEL’S REVENGE, Book ThreeA missile has no conscience. It is an inanimate steel object: cold, emotionless. But once ignited, it burns white hot inside, and cannot be shut off. Fired in combat, it has but one objective: the total destruction of its intended target. And it will only stop when its objective has been achieved, or it runs out of fuel.Not all missiles are made of steel.North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel thought it was over. Returning from a mission on the far-off world of Eden, he finds that Mars is in a state of political upheaval. Two major dome cities are now under the control of ambitious and ruthless men backed by the scheming South American Republic. Friends are in trouble, Renay Gesselli is missing, and the future of a world is in flux while rival governments bicker behind closed doors. From the ice-bound planet of Poliahu, to the dangerous jungle world of Eden, and back to his adopted home of Mars, Evan Gabriel has witnessed death follow him. Now, he's turning the tables, and no force would stand in his way.Approximately 80,000 wordsREVIEWS:“The action in this series rocks, complete with super-cool weapons and technology. Umstead takes a complex cast and gives them each a distinct personality that makes the team dynamic just great.” - L. Petersen“I am a huge fan of well-written science fiction, and the Evan Gabriel series hasn't disappointed... layered with dimension and feeling unlike quite a few other sci-fi titles out there.” - N. Holderby“Umstead has created what I can only describe as a Tom Clancy-esque world a few hundred years into the future.” - W.E. Linde

    In the Military, if you screw up, you either get busted or promoted. Sergeant Phelan Oscar Piran, formally of the Galactic Council Marine Corps, discovers that both can happen. If it wasn't difficult enough trouble being the oldest Ensign in the Galactic Council Navy, call sign J-Pop, the Druids have plans for him. He's not a Druid, having failed the Ritual, but his parents are Druids. ‘On Station’ is an adventure encompassing a Galactic Empire, Space Cats, Martial Arts, Marines, Navy Aviators and the unfolding story of the Galactic Council Realm. ‘On Station’ is the 1st book in the series with ‘On Duty’ and ‘On Guard’ continuing the story of Phelan Oscar Piran and the Galactic Council Realm.

    Rapid expansion into habitable worlds brings immense prosperity and a new age of exploration unlike any humanity has seen. WAR Conflicts over control of the colonial worlds spawn a massive, generation-long war among humans. Under a shaky armistice, humanity has just begun to crawl out of the shadows of destruction, but suspicion and bitter hostility run deep. INVASION On a rocky, desolate planet, a small band of gold prospectors find themselves making a discovery they never expected—valuable and powerful relics of the galaxy's deep past. The prospectors also discover a hostile alien species, ruthless beings who do not tolerate humans and wipe them out on sight. Humanity's first contact with intelligent aliens becomes a war for survival. The invasion has begun...but the beginning of the invasion is also the beginning of the resistance. "Resistance is a terrific space opera adventure. It combines mystery, heart-pounding action, and a good dose of humor. It's Aliens meets Tremors. I can't wait to read the sequel." -Daniel Arenson, USA Today bestselling author of the Earthrise series

    To find each work in the anthology, you must go to the "Go To" section of your Nook, and then select "Chapter." It might get a blank screen--if it does, then hit the page forward button and the work will appear. Eight works by classic sci-fi author E.E. Smith collected in one book with an active table of contents.Works include:The Galaxy PrimesMasters of SpaceThe Skylark of SpaceSkylark ThreeSpacehounds of IPCSubspace SurvivorsTriplanetaryThe Vortex Blaster

    Dropped in the void and left for dead, lost in survival sleep for centuries, she awakes to find her world has changed and hitches a ride on a decrepit freighter. Tamara and the crew work together to fix the dying ship, try to fight off pirates with a Republic Naval warship captain ruthlessly pursuing them, all while trying to turn a profit. The Argos Cluster is a dangerous place, but some of the worst threats are those left behind.

    Now, the Confederation's crises are spawned from within, and one brave woman struggles against all odds to keep mankind united amidst a hailstorm of rebellion, war, and moral declination.* * * * *The Lucani Ibron have yet to return, but all is not well within the Alpha Sector. Internal strife, terrorism, and ever-escalating conflicts with several neighboring species have spread the Confederation's resources dangerously thin. Captain Anastasia Mason, together with an eclectic group of humanity's most decorated heroes, struggles to hold the Confederation together against powerful forces that threaten to rip it apart at its very core. Then, at what appears to be mankind’s most desperate hour, an old enemy returns from a ten-year hiatus, casting humanity to the brink of civil war... and outright annihilation.

    They say that vengeance is a dish best served cold, but to the men and woman who went with him over the border to deliver that vengeance, it was dish served hot, and out of the barrel of a gun and cannon, and from the air. Yet in victory came defeat as he found three hundred years later in the world he woke up in. One far different from the one he'd left behind when he went into cold sleep. Now he had to find a place in this strange new world, one without the means to wage war against an alien race raping the planet of its young people. First, he had to build an army, navy and air force from scratch while fending off attacks from the aliens and the secret government that wanted to put him and his men back into cold sleep or the grave.

    The individual books in this series have accumulated a total of over 1,800 5-star reviews. Heroic and not so heroic men and women plus their loyal Artificially Intelligent allies fight and die to prevent humanity's extermination at the hands of a shockingly xenophobic alien race. But is there something more going on here than just an irrational alien race lashing out without provocation? One man's uncontrollable, precognitive visions lead him to believe that humans and the xenophobic aliens are just pawns in a much larger conflict and the real stakes are nothing less than the future of all life in the galaxy. If he can use his visions to keep humanity alive long enough, he may be able to figure out the mystery before it's too late. This Omnibus edition also includes sample chapters of the Synchronicity War universe stand-alone novel The Retro War. You can read Part 1 of the Sync War series for free to try it out before buying this ebook. All 4 parts are also available as audiobooks from Audible.com. Genre categories: Space fleet, galactic empire, space opera, alien invasion, first contact,time travel