spaceships – R.J. Sullivan Fiction

Haunting the Red Lotus (a recreated post)

by R.J. SullivanJuly 13, 2023July 13, 2023Leave a comment

This blog recreates a post that originally went up as part of a blog tour in support of the 2016 launch of Commanding the Red Lotus. It was an original marketing short story in script form and appeared on a host site that is no longer live.

View the Commanding the Red Lotus dedicated order page

Setting: RJ Sullivan’s home office

[RJ stares at a blank page on his laptop and wonders what to write about for the Cover2Cover entry of his blog tour. He doesn’t notice the gorgeous ghost Maxine Marie appear behind him]

MM: [Leans forward to whisper directly in his ear] Hello, RJ.

RJ: Yikes! [wheels around] Maxine!

MM: [flashes sexy smile] Doing anything fun?

RJ You shouldn’t be here.

MM: [her smile shifts to a pout] Well….that’s not a very nice thing to say. It’s just that you haven’t asked me about my ghostly existence in months. I was afraid you’d quit writing or something. I mean, I still remember all the success I brought you with Haunting Obsession, and now… [she folds her arms across her chest] now you never call!

RJ: Sorry, Maxine. It’s just I’ve been writing spaceship adventure stories in my Red Lotus universe, and I’ve been having a good time…. I guess I haven’t thought about you—

[Maxine’s eyes widen]

RJ: GHOSTS! I MEANT GHOSTS! I haven’t thought about GHOSTS in a long time.

MM: A likely story. And what’s this Red Lotus? Sounds like a lady ninja assassin I should be jealous of.

RJ: It’s the name of a spaceship.

Red Lotus to Relaunch at Hydra

by R.J. SullivanJuly 23, 2020August 31, 2021Leave a comment

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I’m excited to announce that my Red Lotus series will officially relaunch at Hydra Publications, a publisher that specializes in science fiction and space opera titles and owned by long-time associate Tony Acree. The original ebooks and Commanding the Red Lotus paperback will be re-loaded onto the usual online retail outlets, with new novellas and collections to follow that continue the saga. Watch this space for announcements of dates and links as they become finalized.

RJ Sullivan’s Favorite Spaceship SF Novels

by R.J. SullivanJuly 23, 2019July 23, 2019Leave a comment

First of all, I want to thank SA McClure for asking me to be a part of the Rogue Skies Party Room today. My name is R.J. Sullivan. I write ghost stories, fantasy, and, most notably for this blog, I’m promoting my SF spaceship stories. But as you read this, you might want to call me Old Man RJ, as I will prove not only that I likely skew a bit older than many authors and readers participating here, but that my tastes run “older school” still.

I was a teenager in *mumble*-80-*mumble*. I’d seen Star Wars on the big screen as a kid and lived for Star Trek TOS TV reruns. My parents didn’t understand, but neither did they hold back my interests. I think they were just glad I liked to read.

Once a year when we traveled out of state, we’d pay a visit to my dad’s sister and her nerd husband, my beloved “Uncle Mick”, the only relative in the extended family who “got” me. He ran a used bookstore on the weekends, and had a huge collection of SF paperbacks in his basement.

RJ at InConJunction 2019

by R.J. SullivanJune 12, 2019June 12, 2019Leave a comment

36823155_1993638780646375_4031721397444149248_n Another July, another InConJunction!!

InconLogo-Small-256 This will be my… I don’t know…. several-eth year at InConJunction SF Convention as an author, and nearly thirty years since I attended the con (my first ever) on an early date with the future Mrs. RJ! For all these reasons, and more, the con holds a special place in my heart. If it’s not the biggest, or fanciest, it is the WARMEST con of the year, and I’m not talking about July weather. This convention is run by the sweetest bunch of awesome nerds in the galaxy, and I say that from the bottom of my heart. So without any further ado, let’s get to the details.

InConJunction is on the east side of Indianapolis at the Marriott off Shadeland Avenue Fri, July 5-Sun July 7. Here is the website with all the details.

Read More “RJ at InConJunction 2019”

Pioneers SF Short Now Live

by R.J. SullivanJune 27, 2017November 27, 2019Leave a comment

Pioneers-Cover I’m excited to announce that my short story Pioneers is now up and live on Sci-Phi Journal, an online magazine that publishes tales of science fiction and philosophy. Some stories take awhile to sell, some go pretty quick. Some I am still trying to find a home for, years later. In the case of Pioneers, I had written it for an anthology that turned it down. No hard feelings, it happens, but I knew when I heard the focus of Sci Phi Journal that Pioneers would be a good fit.

Pioneers is the story of Magellan, the artificial intelligence of a deep space exploration ship, and its discovery of a new planet for potential human colonization. Speaking of humans, there are two of those in the story, as much as Magellan would prefer not to acknowledge that fact. This is a quick read, perfect for an online publication, that asks the question: On the final frontier, will human be superfluous?

Enjoy the story by clicking here.

Red Lotus Blog Tour Next Week

by R.J. SullivanJune 21, 2016July 4, 2016Leave a comment

I’m please to announce that Seventh Star Press has organized a blog tour to run all next week, June 27-July 3, in support of Commanding the Red Lotus. I am busy working on new anecdotes and inside stories to share with my readers in support of the book.

Those who have been around awhile know how this works. Below is the full listing of blog stops and dates. As each one goes live, I will turn each listing into a live link, creating a list so you can come back here and review the entries for posterity.

The blogs and dates are scheduled as follows:

Mon June 27 Sheila’s Guests and Reviews Guest Post: Anatomy of a Dedication
Tues June 28 Deal Sharing Aunt interview
Wed June 29 Cover2Cover Guest Post: Haunting the Red Lotus
Wed June 29 I Smell Sheep Guest Post: Sayuri Arai and the Little Mermaid
Thurs June 30 Jordan Hirsch Review
Fri July 1 Jorie Loves A Story Guest Post
Sat July 2 MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape Interview
Sun July 3 Swillblog Review
Sun July 3 Jorie Loves A Story Review

Thanks to all the bloggers, old and new, for participating in this event. Here is Seventh Star Press’s announcement to the same tour.

Also note that Seventh Star is holding a Giveaway on Goodreads in which they are … uh… giving away two free copies of Commanding the Red Lotus. The giveaway is going on now and runs through June 30. Click here to enter the giveaway.

And if that doesn’t sound like a busy enough week, I’ll be at Inconjunction SF and Fantasy Convention in Indianapolis with several other local authors the weekend of July 1-3. Watch for a separate blog detailing the upcoming fun.