Tailspin, page 84
By only the light of the moon, I read that letter:
Rock Bottom
My dear sweet boy, my brightest joy.
If I know you, I know you’ll have fought opening this for a very long time.
This is for the days you need us the most. Know that we are right there with you. We stand beside you, always.
If you are reading this right now, I know how sad you are and how hurt you must be feeling.
We instilled in you the strength to get through almost every trial life will throw at you, but sometimes even we can’t help.
Just know that the young man we have raised and witnessed growing is more perfect than we could ever have imagined.
The work you do every single day is so very needed.
Trust in yourself; trust in those around you.
And know more than anything in this world how proud we are of you and that we love you.
You may feel this is it, rock bottom, and maybe it is.
But listen to me, just this once.
There is only one way to go from here.
Look up.
Love, Mom & Dad
I did. I looked up into the night skies and saw the stars twinkling above.
Joe’s words from back with the Black Bears also reverberated in my mind: Make that difference, Joe. Promise me. Work your fucking ass off, and you make that difference.
Niko would say exactly the same thing, Apex whispered.
I folded the letter back up and slipped it inside the envelope again, caressing the fold back over. “My mom would have said exactly the same thing too. She could have written this very letter.”
Yes, she could have.
I thought to every time we’d been out in the helos, from those dusting crops to those patrolling at the wall.
I pushed myself up and looked back to the bar. I wasn’t sure I could go in just yet.
Malaki was standing there, waiting for me. The light of the bar illuminated her tired, worn-out frame. She needed me, and I needed her.
I thought briefly about the others too; we were all grieving. Walter, Declan, and Ren. I then thought to Justin, Silao, and his fireteam. I swallowed. I needed them too. CO O’Conner was right and if we had to face something as powerful as that hesacha king in our future, we needed to be much stronger than we were right now. All of us needed to be stronger.
I felt like a failure.
You are not.
Deep down I knew I wasn’t. None of us were.
We would struggle to find our feet again, but we would find them.
We would make that difference.
We had made that difference. Apex, I said. Both of us have.
And we will continue to make that difference, Apex replied. All of us.
Yes, we will and one day I look forward to taking out the new king together.
END OF BOOK X
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Ruslan and Malaki’s adventures continues in StandOff
& if you would like a freebie from Lacy and Niko – Sigh up for Wait for Me at my website!
In Memoriam
For those who don’t know, November 2022, I lost my mum, and I miss her terribly.
In April 2023 I also lost one of my closest friends and also my editor, Briar Rose.
They were two of the closest people who influenced my books a lot, and it hurt.
It’s been a constant beat down, and I almost gave up.
April to June were my lowest months ever. I won’t lie, both health and mentally.
So, this is a special heartfelt thanks, from me to you.
To those who took the time to check on me while my husband was away,
To those that kept my spirits lifted when they felt like lead,
You made me matter.
Thank you.
And I shouldn’t have to say it, but I will,
if you ever feel as low as I have.
Please reach out to someone, it doesn’t matter who, just anyone.
Because you matter too.
x X x
World of Artem
Here’s the other amazing books from the authors.
Rise of Oshbob by Kevin Sinclair
The thing about Artem, it’s a damn hard city to live in if you haven’t got creds, and for creds you need opportunities.
The thing about opportunities is that they’re thin on the ground for Orcs. One of the most reviled races in the sprawling city. And if you happen to be an Orc, stranded outside of the immense city walls, left for dead on the front lines of Artem’s roving monster problem, then you’re doubly screwed. Like Oshbob.
The thing about Oshbob, he’s tough and he's pissed! Missing a couple of important appendages, but with a will to survive like few others, if he can make it back to the city, he’s determined never to be subject to the whims of the elite ever again.
He’s gonna make something of himself, no matter the cost to those around him.
***
Revenant by Jez Cajiao
Blood, chrome and betrayal.
Sergeant Harry Kabutt has seen better days. He's been shot down, blown up, and then tossed to the wayside by the corporations, left to rot in a ratty apartment in gang territory.
His own limbs? Shredded, cut away, and left to rot on a mountainside. The replacement mods? Likely to fall apart or leave him to die in sepsis.
No longer an operator of the feared APS mecha, Kabutt has hit rock bottom. But he’s on foot, he’s armed, and he’s in serious pain…
…so, now it’s time to take that pain and spread it around the mega-city of Artem, see who flinches first.
***
Underdog by Lars Machmüller
Start from behind? Cheat the system!
Out of credits, with trash-tier mods and no hope, Bowdoin Katamari resides at the bottom of the pile in the city of Artem. A place where megacorporations, merc guilds and inner city pricks live like royalty while the rest suffer.
In spite of his poor prospects, this self-taught hacker does have a few things left. A seething hatred for the upper castes, a mind bursting with plots, and a like-minded crew determined to get ahead.
Down with the corpos – let the towers burn!
Acknowledgments
Some extra, extra thanks to my wonderful friends who helped not only pick up the pieces of 2023 but helped get the latter half of this book edited as much as we possibly could.
Aven, I adore you!
Stephanie, you are Malaki’s voice!
Neill, looking forward to this!
To those in the Helicopter Pilots Facebook group, and those on RR who really made that difference. PJ, Kleggt, Anthony and Leisel Volski, Arexack, Wootbeer, Winthrow and all the reviewers who stepped up and made me work harder. It’s not perfect, it’s the best I got, and we worked dang hard for this.
To my other editors, Jami, and Evan and my proofer Gennifer.
Without all of you amazing people this would not be as polished. You rock.
There are also some extra people I want to thank in my wonderful discord groups. Neil H, Steve C, Miss Pinkeye, Travis B, Forthright, Sass, Shmoo. Booty, Orla, Ariel, Fox, and from my server, LFB, Chauf, Dame, and my mods, Carl, Zeb, and Richard, to those who support me on Patreon too, love you all!
Finally, to all who chat to me daily, and whom I adore, (Kristen) and to the extra special people in the office you all know who you are, and working alongside such professional people, is the best. I couldn’t ask for more.
See you at Dragon Con 2023 with more than a bit of luck needed!
By hook or by crook, right?
x X x
About Dawn Chapman
Dawn has been creating sci-fi and fantasy stories for many years. Until 2005 when her life and attention turned to scripts, and she started work on The Secret King, a 13-episode Sci-Fi TV series, with a great passion for this medium.
In 2015, Dawn returned to her first love of prose where she reveled in the world of The Secret King, Letháo, and First Contact, as an epic prose space journey over 3 generations.
This year her experience of working with others expanded. From Drama, Sci-Fi, Action, to LitRPG/GameLit. Dawn has built a portfolio of writing, consulting, publishing, and audio proofing.
Connect with Dawn Chapman using:
Facebook.com/Kanundra
Twitter.com/Kanundra
Instagram.com/Kanundra_
DiscordApp.com/invite/3tmdnRE
Other Recommended books
Here’s some of my favorite authors! Check them out!
Michael Chatfield
Luke Chimilenko
Alex Knowles (my pen name)
K.T. Hannah
Dawn Chapman, Tailspin
