But he returned changed, he had lost one of his AI to rampancy after fighting an Xeno AI Wraith, and his greatest AI, his confidant Commander Sprite had chosen to leave him. He didn't return to civilization alone however. He brought with him over a hundred precious sleepers, officers and enlisted personnel ready to help rebuild the Federation once more, along with petabytes of precious blueprints and data, designed by some of the greatest minds of the Federation. But before they can begin to forge a new fleet they have to stop the rampaging Horathian Empire in it's tracks. Rear Admiral Amadeus White has been assigned to push the enemy back and keep them back while Admiral Irons and Subert work on building new ships. Admiral Subert has his own problems to deal with in Pyrax. He needs time, time to adjust, time to clean up the mess. Time to build more ships. But the enemy within and without won't wait. Napoleon said it best, "You can ask me for anything but not time!" The Battle Lines have been drawn!

    

    He left the violence behind for a life of science, raising a family far from the bloodshed of the Corporation. With his wife, Sarah, and son, Michael, he studied the alien Tyr for years, hidden among their complex societies. Their mission should have ended with the arrival of a replacement team. Instead, the Clays’ corporate overlords choose a death sentence: an invasion fleet to conquer the Tyr.This first contact will destroy the Tyr, and only Daniel Clay and his family can help fight back against the drug-fueled conscripts and military might of the invaders. The Clays must help the Tyr from the shadows or be killed by the Tyr who fear them...or by the Corporation they’ve betrayed.But the Clays aren’t the only hidden power.If you like Avatar or V, you’ll love The Tyr Trilogy, a series that combines the wonder, excitement, and drama of top-notch sci-fi.

    The risk to his friends at the academy is the hidden price. His challenge is how to balance the risks.The final stage of his training is a shakedown cruise on an old minesweeper, barely able to achieve FTL entry and exit.Midway through their cruise, the minesweeper collides with an ancient alien wreck, ripping the sides off the starship. Jack’s team of bots help seal the combined wreck to prevent air loss. Ghost, a nanolife form from the alien wreck, provides assistance.Jack and his girlfriend, Sofia, are the only survivors, and air, food, and supplies are critical.The countdown of days to survive is ticking.No wonder the Royal Family are angry.And there’s still a price on Jack’s head.

    His mother has his life planned out, with a seat by her side, running the conglomerate. Tyler has other ideas. With the help of a great-grandfather who was a United States Marine when there used to be a United States, Tyler changes his face and his identity, becoming Randall Munroe and enlisting in the Fleet Marine Corps, qualifying for the point of the sword, Force Recon. Plunged into an interstellar war against the relentless Tahni Empire, Munroe is stranded alone on an occupied colony and forced to organize a civilian resistance to the enemy. The year of constant violence and death wears him down, yet sharpens him at the same time. After the war, Munroe once again takes up arms, this time against his will, when his uncle, Andre Damiani, the head of the Corporate Council, blackmails him into leading a special squad of trouble-shooters, eliminating threats to Council business among the criminal cabals in the Pirate Worlds. But the real enemy is still the Council, and Munroe vows to take the fight to them, no matter what the cost.

    When he makes his first combat drop, or cherry drop, he’s a know-nothing second lieutenant added to the mission roster as an afterthought. The Space Marines are tasked to support the Galactic Resource Conglomerate (GRC) while they test a revolution in military technology: Precision Crafted Soldiers (PCS). All the Space Marines have to do is kill bugs. Even when a tragic accident leaves Fortis in command, the mission is still an easy breather. When the Space Marines discover proof of a long-buried betrayal, though, friends become enemies, and their mission goes awry. Does Fortis have what it takes to lead the Space Marines to survival in the face of overwhelming odds?

    The enemy warships are seemingly invulnerable and able to act with impunity, killing and destroying at will. Billions of lives are at risk, along with the new technology the Kilvar have come to steal.Against this opponent, the years of preparation seem useless. And yet…the alliance military has plenty of veterans who never learned how to give up.Lieutenant James Vance – a soldier of many past conflicts - thinks he’s seen the worst of the universe. The Kilvar will prove him wrong.Captain William Flint – his heavy cruiser Loadout is about to come face-to-face with an enemy he can’t possibly overcome.Fleet Admiral Carl Recker is the most decorated officer in the alliance. All his experience may not be enough to handle what lies ahead.Hardened by years on the frontline and endless past conflicts, humanity and the Daklan must figure out a way to defeat the Kilvar. The solution will, perhaps, be far more deadly than the enemy. With new technology comes new risks, and what the alliance has discovered may well be the most terrible weapon of all.Dark of the Void is a traditional-style science fiction action adventure and the first in the Forged Alliance series. Inside this book, a reader will find space combat, ground combat, ruthless aliens, incredible tech and lots more.Author’s Note: Forged Alliance is set twelve years after the Savage Stars series of books. Dark of the Void is welcoming to new readers, with no requirement to read the first series, but if you want to learn the history of this universe, by all means start with the Savage Stars Book 1: War from a Distant Sun.

    When the Intergalactic Empire has a tough mission, they send in a wizard scout. When they have an impossible mission, they send in Wizard Scout Trinity Delgado. The planet Cavos is on the verge of civil war. Only an outmanned, outgunned force of Empire peacekeepers prevent an outbreak of bloodshed on a global scale. When the peacekeepers’ commander requests an armored regiment as reinforcements, the Imperial High Command sends him Wizard Scout Trinity instead. With only a fresh out of the university grad student and a half-crazy old pilot as allies, Trinity has to find the source of Cavos’s troubles before the Empire becomes part of a disaster far greater than a mere local civil war. Caught between the peacekeepers’ resentful commander and suspicious local government officials, Trinity and her battle computer, Jennifer, have their work cut out for them. Together they must weave their way through one mystery after another leaving a trail of bloody bodies along the way until they find the answer. That is, if they can remain alive long enough to find it.

    A mindless alien race has swept across the colonies, consuming structures and people along the way. As humanity stands on the brink of destruction, we have one hope to preserve what’s left of our culture and very lives. The Passage.One of the greatest scientific achievements of humanity, a gateway that will hyper-accelerate our faster than light drives so we can cover an unimaginable distance. A new home waits beyond, one far from our aggressors. But can we escape the desolation of our old empire before it’s too late?

     That means taking almost any job that comes his way, no matter the situation. So long as he can keep his ship floating, he's free to live the life he wants. But that all changes when he meets Abigail Pryar, a nun looking for safe passage out of the system. Too bad there's something off about the cargo she's carrying. Jace knows he shouldn't ask too many questions, but when odd sounds start coming from inside the large, metal box, he can't help but check it out. Big mistake. The Renegade Star boxset includes the first three books in the series.

    7th Fleet discovers that one of those races is moving to attack. In a moment of panic, the commanding admiral orders the fleet to attempt a risky jump through hyperspace. They miss hitting their target star’s gravity well and end up deep in unexplored space with a shockingly long trip home and not nearly enough food to last that long. With war now raging in their home systems, the officers of 7th Fleet must find a way to put aside their egos, ambitions and fears in order to make it back, and they know that not all of them will. Scimitar’s Glory is the first book in a new, fast-paced, action-packed military SF series: Swordships Odyssey. The second book, Excalibur's Quest, is already available for pre-order. Excerpt: With a long, risky jump like this, Dejanus would have expected Corregidor’s astrogational AI to take at least ten minutes to aim the ship as precisely as possible to the distant star’s center. She was therefore surprised and somewhat alarmed when the flagship signaled to the rest of the fleet that they could start to match her trajectory after only half that time. “Goddammit, what’s the rush?” she said to Koenig who was the only other human on the Bridge. “There’s no possible way the Jab fleet can catch us before we jump, even if we take another hour to do it. Why not take a few extra minutes to get the most accurate trajectory possible?” When it became clear that Koenig had nothing to say, she continued. “Astro, I want you to check the flagship’s alignment with Alpha9 while we match vectors. Let me know if you think the flagship’s vector could be better.” That extra task delayed Excalibur’s alignment, and therefore she became the last ship in the fleet to signal her readiness for the jump. “Fleet Commander on Tac2, Commander,” said the com AI. Dejanus switched channels to her Command Pod. “Excalibur Actual speaking,” said Dejanus in the formal form of address that ship COs normally didn’t bother with. “What’s taking your Astro so long to get aligned, Commander?” Rostov didn’t bother to hide his annoyance. “Just double-checking the overall jump trajectory, Admiral.” Dejanus thought she heard Rostov swear under his breath, but it could have been her imagination. “You tell your Astro that if Excalibur isn’t aligned in the next two minutes, I’ll order him replaced and transferred to a cargo hauler. FC out!” The astro AI managed to get the ship aligned within the deadline to no one’s surprise. With all ships in the fleet now aligned perfectly with the flagship and jump velocity attained, the order was given to enter hyperspace. It was 131.3 hours later when both Koenig and Dejanus were on the Bridge again watching the jump chronometer countdown to the second when the ship should drop back down into normal space. Koenig watched the countdown clock hit zero and then start counting up again. After ten more seconds, Dejanus began shaking her head. She had a horrified expression on her face. “We’ve missed. That bastard has killed us all.” Genre categories: space fleet, military SF, space opera, galactic empire, alien invasion, first contact, space exploration.

    Jiden wants more for herself and she is ready to step into a bright future, one which may lead her far from the frontier world of her birth. She has no dreams of following in the footsteps of her military family's heritage, no desire to live a life of hardship.She's just got one obstacle in the path to her dreams: five months of military school. She'll be away from her friends, subjected to long hours and a crushing work load. She'll learn to shoot, to fight... and how to kill.Jiden will need every skill she's learned, because her family's enemies have put her in their sights. She's going to have to rise to the challenges in order to survive. She soon learns that her dreams might not be as good as she imagined. With her life on the line, Jiden will need to fall back on the skills she learned and prove that she's a child of valor.

    A new commander. His ship catapults uncontrolled through space. Now the aliens want him and his ship dead. Anderson Cross and Kate Flynn are in the crosshairs of the alien invasion. Their ship bears the hatred of an entire species.  It will take all they can give to survive. It will take even more to win. The enemy has more ships and better technology.It’s life or death for them.For their ship and crew.For all of humanity.It’s the human fleet vs. the aliens in run-and-gun battles for survival. Can Cross and Flynn rise above his mistake and slow the alien advance? There’s only one way to find out. Get it now. If you loved Old Man’s War and the Honor Harrington series, you’ll love the five-book Chaos Shift Cycle. It is a powerful new addition to the military sci-fi adventure tradition of David Weber, John Scalzi, and Robert Heinlein. It is perfect for fans of Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, and Battlestar Galactica. The Chaos Shift Cycle:Book 1: TrespassersBook 2: DefendersBook 3: ProtectorsBook 4: Deliverers Book 5: Victors (coming March 2018)

    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

     "An epic space opera adventure" The 1st 8 hit space operas from The Pike Chronicles. Book 1: Sol Shall Rise The Sol System was conquered and humans lived as slaves for 500 long years. Now, after years of brutal warfare, humanity has been liberated. Liberation, however, comes at a cost, and the Sol System has become nothing more than a puppet state for a vast galactic empire. For Jon Pike, a war hero who has lost everything, there is no substitute for freedom. He blames the aliens for humanity’s troubles, especially the one living inside him. But when he is sent on a top secret mission into unexplored regions of the galaxy he discovers that humanity’s troubles are just getting started. Can he find freedom for himself and humanity? Book 2: Prevail A battle weary Captain fighting for redemption. An impossible search for a scattered crew. Marines pushed beyond their limits. A heinous alien race bent on annihilation. When all is lost, a brave few dare to hope, and continue to fight for freedom. Do they struggle in vain? Or will they prevail? Book 3: Ronin A tenuous alliance. A brazen power play. A looming alien threat. A planet's future held in the balance. In a galaxy where danger waits at every turn, will former enemies be doomed by their past? Or can they fight together in the name of freedom? Book 4: Ghost Fleet A planet surrounded. A homeland in peril. A fleet outgunned. A prophecy to fulfill. With half the galaxy on the brink, can a fledgling alliance offer hope? Or is it doomed to perish in the pyres of war? Book 5: Interstellar War A homeland in ashes. A merciless ancient enemy. A vicious new foe. A galaxy convulsing with war. With humanity on the brink of annihilation, only one option remains, Interstellar War. Can Jon Pike achieve victory, and revenge, for himself and humanity? Book 6: Vanquish The battle for humanity has just begun A brutal attack. A deadly alliance. An alien conspiracy. A galactic invasion. As the prophecy unfolds, Jon Pike discovers that everything is not as it seems. With his life and the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, can Jon Pike survive long enough to vanquish his enemies? Or will a new dark age descend, yet again, on what's left of humanity? Book 7: Galactic War A devastating invasion. A supremely powerful enemy. A journey into the unknown. The future of the galaxy hanging in the balance. The Erinyie have returned, and despair is spreading throughout the galaxy. Admiral Jon Pike and his forces are helpless against this new, all powerful enemy. Desperate to find help, Jon Pike is forced to undertake a perilous journey, to find the fabled builders of the jump gates. Will he and his team succeed in their quest? Or will the galaxy once again be plunged into darkness? Book 8: Armada A devastated galaxy. A mythical quest fulfilled. Mysterious new friends. Ruthless enemies. A young Emperor finding his way.