Kris Longknife's Replacement: Admiral Santiago on Alwa Station

by Mike Shepherd

Sandy found herself half wishing that this bailiwick still belonged to Kris Longknife, but she couldn’t really do it. Kris had been on this hot seat long enough. She deserved time to watch that sweet baby grow into a woman. With any luck that might save her from going down the path that Ray Longknife had stumbled onto.

  Santiagos paid a high price for the Longknife legend. That didn’t mean they believed the damn thing. The Santiagos were probably the only people who saw the underbelly of the Longknife legend, and it wasn’t pretty.

  This one I’ll do myself if all of you damn Longknifes will stay out of my way.

  Chapter 40

  A week later, the Birmingham lead BatRon 18 through Alpha Jump into the Alwa System.

  Sensors slowly built up a picture of normality. No alien reactors in the system. No curdling screams for help. They accelerated for Alwa at 1.25 gees.

  Then the message traffic began to come in.

  Sandy opened Admiral Kitano’s first. She’d left the woman in charge of the Alwa Defense Sector in her absence.

  “Boy am I glad to see you back. Granny Rita is on the rampage and she’s got everything in an uproar. We need you down here desperately.”

  Oh damn, another Longknife problem!

  Mentally, Sandy reached for her Viceroy hat. Whatever the problem was, this was one she’d have to solve without blowing anything up or creating any bodies that needed hiding.

  Coming Attractions

  In 2016 I amicably ended my twenty-year publishing relationship with Ace, part of Penguin Random House. In 2017 I will begin publishing through my own independent press, KL & MM Books.

  I have high hopes of bringing a lot of fun stories to you in 2017, and then again in 2018 and 2019.

  We will kick off the year with Kris Longknife’s Replacement. It will be published as an e-book January 5, 2017 at Amazon, B&N, D2D, Kobo and, I hope, ibooks. Audible has agreed to produce an audio book. The exact date is to be announced. Later in the summer, I hope to produce a trade paperback.

  Kris Longknife’s Replacement tells the story of Grand Admiral Sandy Santiago as she discovers whether a mere mortal can fill a Longknife’s shoes. Especially Kris Longknife’s shoes. Sandy has problems galore: birds, cats, vicious alien raiders. Oh, and she’s got Rita Longknife as well!

  Rita Longknife - Enemy Unknown is the first book of the long awaited Iteeche War series. It will be out in e-book March 5, 2017 from your favorite source. Audible and trade paperback to follow.

  Rita has had enough of Ray Longknife gallivanting around the universe. No sooner is little Al born, than ships start disappearing. Is it pirates, or something more sinister? Rita gets herself command of a heavy cruiser, some nannies and heads out see what there is to see.

  Kris Longknife - Emissary begins an entirely new story arch for Kris. It will be out in e-book May 5, 2017 from all your favorite sources.

  Here is the story of what it takes to get Kris out from behind a desk. And for those of you betting in the pool, you’ll get your answer. More I cannot say.

  July 5, 2017 will see another book set in Alwa as Sandy Longknife continues to battle aliens of various persuasions and not a few humans.

  September 5, 2017, Rita Longknife - Enemy in Sight will resolve the unknowns left by Enemy Unknown as humanity slips backwards into a war it does not want and may not be able to win.

  November 5, 2017, Kris Longknife - Admiral will see Kris up to her ears in warships, enemy and friendlies maybe not so friendly as battlecruisers square off against battlecruisers. A fight where both sides are equal is a bloody fight that often no one wins. In Admiral, that is exactly what Kris faces.

  Each month that a book isn’t published, a short story or something from the cutting room floor, a scene that had to be cut from an overly long book will be published. Some will be just .99 like Ruthie’s wonderful story.

  I have secured the services of Scott Grimando who did the wonderful Kris Longknife covers for Ace to provide the new covers for all the books going forward. It truly will be art to enjoy.

  Stay in touch to follow developments by following Mike Moscoe or Kris Longknife on Facebook or checking in at my website www.mikeshepherd.org.

  I hope to soon have a mailing list you can sign up for, but it’s not there yet.