I’m dying to tell you about what might be the most amazing experience of my life, but first here’s a heads up about this month’s boxset discount: Star Mage Saga books 1 - 3.

Carina Lin is a slum brat turned space mercenary—with a twist. She’s also a mage, and she’s about to risk everything.

Her merc band, the Black Dogs, is assigned a suicide mission. A young boy has been kidnapped by one of the galactic sector’s most powerful clans, and the Dogs’ task is to rescue him.

Carina faces an impossible decision. To save the boy she must Cast, but if her powers are revealed she will be tortured and enslaved.

When she makes her choice and rolls the dice, the fallout is beyond her imagination.

So begins the first trilogy of the dark, exciting science fantasy, Star Mage Saga, discounted for a very short time.

Pick up books 1 to 3 at the ship’s store or your favourite bookstore today!

(The complete, nine-book series is discounted at the ship’s store too)

SHIP’S LOG

I’m sure you can guess from the photo below what I’m about to tell you.

A couple of weeks ago, the starship took a trip to Bilbao, Spain, in order to fulfil an item on your captain’s bucket list.

All my life I’d wanted to witness a full eclipse, but I’d never been in the right place at the right time. So when I heard there was to be an eclipse visible from northern Spain, I decided to give fate a helping hand.

I booked somewhere to stay in Bilbao, and then, later, flights from the UK.

It wasn’t until after I did more research that I discovered Bilbao is situated in a valley and the eclipse wouldn’t be visible from many parts of the city.

So on the day itself the chief engineer and I took the subway to the end of the line at Plentzia, on the northern coast of Spain, then walked another half an hour to Gorliz Beach.

All in all, it was quite a trip, flight included, but the experience made it entirely worth it.

We waited hours, checking my phone app, Sky Map, to watch the Moon’s movement as it drew nearer the Sun.

Cloud cover began to roll in, and we feared the eclipse wouldn’t be visible. But in the end, all it meant was that the spectacle was sufficiently obscured for our phones to be able to take photographs.

I can’t describe the feeling of witnessing such an amazing event. Somehow, those distant astronomical bodies became real, majestic and awful—in a good way, if that makes sense.

If you ever get the opportunity to see a full eclipse, grab it with both hands. You won’t regret it. I’ve added another photo at the bottom of the bulletin and you can see more on the shipmates’ Facebook page.

PROMOTIONS

Now I’ve finished gushing about the eclipse, it’s time to tell you about two promotions. The first is the awesome Science Fiction Series Sale…

…and the second is this fantastic Science Fiction book giveaway.

Take care and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SPACE COLONY ONE - THE COMPLETE SERIES: £34.99 £14.99

SHIP’S STORE: AUGUST BOOK BARGAINS

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2 SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: STAR MAGE SAGA BOOKS 1 - 3: $9.99 $2.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: STAR MAGE SAGA BOOKS 1 - 3: $19.99 $2.99

My author friend C. Gockel has concluded her excellent trilogy, Archangel Project, Convergence III, and it’s so good I want to tell you about it!

The thrilling conclusion to Beasts in the Garden and Intelligent Design

The floating colony of Twilight was meant to be humanity’s future—engineered, orderly, and invincible. But its designers built a genetic monoculture destined to fail. Hana Morgenstern and John Miller fled before the collapse, seeking refuge among the North Polars, a breakaway society as devout as it is durable.

But even on the frozen side of Dawkins, danger lurks. Hana’s discovery of time gates offers both salvation and ruin. These portals can reconnect lost human colonies…or unleash extinction from across the stars.

As a deadly storm brews and old enemies close in, Hana, John, and their adopted wolf Haiiro must choose: die where they stand—or leap, once again, into the unknown.

They will wind up where no man has gone before.

They will not be welcomed.

This is not a standalone novel. Reading Beasts in the Garden and Intelligent Design first is highly recommended. Beasts is only 99¢ for a limited time!

Snap up Noble Savages here.

SHIP’S LOG

I had a lovely day meeting new shipmates at the Geek Mart in Birmingham on Saturday. The event hosted two special guests: Katy Manning, who played Jo, assistant to Jon Pertwee’s Dr Who, and Wendy Padbury, who played Zoe, assistant to Patrick Troughton’s Dr Who.

The two retired actresses gave talks. Sadly, I couldn’t attend because, as usual, I was stuck behind my table.

As you can see, I tried something a little different this time to entice browsers to come over. I set up a couple of visual aids to help describe aspects of two of my series.

Can you guess what I was representing?

The display on the left features matches, a piece of wire wool, a cup of water, a small bundle of sticks and a handful of earth.

The display on the right is a depiction of three hares running in a circle.

Any guesses?

While I was in Birmingham I popped in to see Cabin Boy No. 1, his wife and their delightful latest family addition, D’Artagnan.

He’s a beauty, isn’t he? Much changed from when they found him as a small kitten last winter, wet, freezing and covered in fleas.

PROMOTIONS

Have you heard of Kobo Plus?

It’s a subscription reading and listening service, similar to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited and Audible but cheaper, and it doesn’t require authors to be exclusive with their books.

So it’s a win-win!

This promotion highlights some of the best fantasy and science fiction Kobo has to offer, and it’s all free with a subscription.

And if you prefer to shop elsewhere, you can check out these amazing deals at other bookstores.

Finally, the ship’s bulletin wouldn’t be the ship’s bulletin without some free books.

Take care and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SPACE COLONY ONE - THE COMPLETE SERIES: £34.99 £14.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2 SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: STAR MAGE SAGA BOOKS 1 - 3: $9.99 $2.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: STAR MAGE SAGA BOOKS 1 - 3: $19.99 $2.99

It’s so nice to speak to you again!

As the month of Space Colony One draws to a close, I thought it was time for a quick reminder that the complete 9-book series is heavily discounted at the ship’s store, but only for the next few days. (At the checkout there’s an option to add the complete audiobook, too, free of charge.)

Space Colony One is a multi-generational, epic space colonisation adventure follows the stories of the heroes and heroines who fight to keep the flame of hope for humanity alive, travelling across galactic space, battling aliens, sabotages and disasters as well as their own inner demons.

And if you’d only like a taster of the story, you can download the free prequel, Night of Flames.

SHIP’S LOG

Phew!

That isn’t a phew of relief, it’s a phew of blimey, isn’t it hot again?

As the UK heads into another heatwave—I’ve actually lost count of how many we’ve had this year—it’s with trepidation I anticipate something that’s going to mean an encounter with even hotter temperatures.

I can’t tell you what yet. That’s a subject for a later bulletin.

But I console myself that there’s a bright side to everything if you look hard enough.

Take, for example, this sunflower.

I love sunflowers.

I’ve tried to grow them, off and on, for years, without success.

After this year’s failure, I’d concluded that I must have done a terrible harm to sunflowers in a previous life or that they simply didn’t like me.

However, it turned out that I have a very particular personal method for growing sunflowers. First, I fill a feeder with wild bird seed. Then, I do absolutely nothing else except to witness the single flower of a volunteer plant that sprouted from a fallen seed in a crack between paving slabs.

Who knew it could be so easy?

PROMOTIONS

Another way to read the complete Space Colony One series, my other complete series, and many, many excellent books by other authors is to sign up to Kobo Plus.

Kobo Plus is a subscription programme like Kindle Unlimited, except it’s cheaper and it doesn’t require authors to be exclusive with Kobo.

So it’s a win-win!

And if you only want to try some new authors before laying out any cash, do take a look at these Free Sci-Fi & Fantasy Reads.

Take care and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SPACE COLONY ONE - THE COMPLETE SERIES: £24.99 £9.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2 SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: THE CONCORDIA DECEPTION: $2.99 $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: $19.99 $2.99

You may remember that the last ship’s bulletin was late because I’d been ill with a nasty chest infection.

I’m pleased to report that, after suffering a relapse, I now seem to be completely better.

If you were one of the many to write wishing me a speedy recovery, thank you. As I’m sure you can guess, receiving well wishes when at a low point means a lot.

I hope you downloaded the free prequel to my Space Colony One series, Night of Flames, if you haven’t already read it.

Now it’s time to introduce you to the first trilogy of the series, which is also free!

Space Colony One books 1 - 3 follows the stories of the generational colonists, the founding scientists (who spent the journey in cryo), and the mysterious Guardians, who arrive from Earth on an FTL ship not long after the original starship, which set out from Earth 189 years ago.

Alternatively, you can download the entire series at a special discount at the ship’s store, for a short time only.

SHIP’S LOG

I don’t think I was really up to it, but I’d made a promise to attend the Beach Reads Book Festival in Stowmarket last Saturday.

Stowmarket is a small town in Suffolk, East Anglia, and the venue for the event was the John Peel Centre.

I’m not sure how far John Peel’s fame spread while he was alive, but in the UK he was a well-known and well-loved disc jockey. His other claim to fame was miming playing the mandolin on Rod Stewart’s Maggie May performance on Top of the Pops in the seventies (sadly, he wasn’t the recording artist).

John Peel had excellent taste in music and popularised Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody when other DJs refused to play it due to the song’s length.

The Beach Reads event was very quiet, though I think I made a few new shipmates. On the plus side, the background music was amazing.

PROMOTIONS

Maybe you’re a Space Colony One veteran, in which case you’ll be in need of some new summer (or winter) sci-fi reads.

Ever since Ellen Ripley and Sarah Conner hit the cinema screens, cool women in fantasy and sci-fi have never gone out of fashion. To meet some new heroines, take a look at these free stories.

Take care and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SPACE COLONY ONE - THE COMPLETE SERIES: £24.99 £9.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: STAR MAGE QUEST: BUY 3+ SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: THE CONCORDIA DECEPTION: $2.99 $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: $19.99 $2.99

The ship’s bulletin is four days late, so apologies from your starship captain!

A nasty chest infection laid me low all week, and it’s only thanks to the work of Sir Alexander Fleming, Howard Florey, Ernst Chain and Norman Heatley that I’m well enough to finally get back on duty.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, but I also wanted to give credit to the team that isolated the active compound and helped develop the system to mass manufacture it.

Without anitbiotics I would have spent many more weeks sick as a dog and possibly shuffled off this mortal coil long before I was willing to go.

Has modern medicine come to your rescue, too? Tell your story in the comments so we can celebrate the work of all the scientists, doctors and other health care workers who help us stay healthy and alive.

Now, back to work.

This month’s focus is Space Colony One, my nine-book, multi-generational, interstellar space colonisation series.

It’s probably my most popular series, but many readers haven’t read the prequel, Night of Flames.

As a shipmate, you can download your exclusive copy free of charge (the only other way to read the story is as a paperback - the ebook is only available directly from me).

So if you haven’t read the details of the First Night Attack, now’s your chance.

Night of Flames

SHIP’S LOG

Before I got sick, I was busy baking my usual supply of sweet snacks.

I started this weekly habit when I was trying to buy biscuits free from palm oil (palm oil cultivation is very environmentally destructive), and I discovered they were nigh on impossible to find. Nearly every biscuit and cake brand sold in the UK contains palm oil.

So I make my own.

These were a slight variation on a recipe for tahini chocolate chunk biscuits on the Tesco Good Foods website.

If you’re a home baker, you’ll know that after a while many additions and substractions are made to recipes as you use what you happen to have in your kitchen cupboards.

In this case, I didn’t have any chocolate - chocolate doesn’t last long around here - and I wanted to use the last of my chestnut flour, so I made tahini raisin and chestnut biscuits.

They were very nice, but now they’re all gone, as is the way with nice biscuits.

PROMOTIONS

I have two promotions for you this week, one apparently set at night and one during the day - just kidding! But both have a selection of great books so check them out.

That’s all for now.

Take care, stay healthy and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: STAR MAGE QUEST: BUY 3+ SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: THE CONCORDIA DECEPTION: $2.99 $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: $19.99 $2.99

If you’re in need of some cheering up this summer (or winter, antipodean friends) - and let’s face it, who isn’t these days? - I have just the thing for you.

Carrie Hatchett, Space Adventurer is my very first series. It’s a humorous sci-fi adventure, and over the last couple of years I’ve been recording the audiobooks and editing as I go along, bringing the series up to scratch.

I’ve also commissioned some cool new covers!

What do you think of this one?

The galaxy’s in crisis, and the last person who should be saving it is Carrie Hatchett.

Carrie’s been a dog walker, ice cream seller and birthdaygram girl—the clean kind. All she wants is a proper job. But Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Officer isn’t what she had in mind. And neither is saving the galaxy.

Book One - Mission Improbable

Carrie is a low-achieving daydreamer. After providing a good home for her butt-ugly dog and psychotic cat, her biggest challenge in life is to avoid being fired—again.

But a strange green mist sucks her beneath her kitchen sink, and an unusual clerical error leads to an offer she foolishly doesn’t refuse.

Book Two - Passage to Paradise

After a successful first mission, Carrie thought her job as Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Officer was secure. But all bets are off when she travels to Dandrobia, a genetically engineered utopia.

Book Three - Transgalactic Antics

Carrie’s impulsive, reckless nature gets her in trouble again, and if she wants to keep her job as a Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Officer, she has to pass remedial training.

Little does she know that her survival and the future of the galactic empire are also at stake.

Join Carrie on the madcap, hilarious, feel-good space adventure, Carrie Hatchett, Space Adventurer!

Snag your discounted copy at your favourite bookstore or direct at the ship’s store.

SHIP’S LOG

The starship took a short holiday of its own, up to beautiful Northumberland, one of England’s most northerly counties.

It was my first visit, and boy I discovered what I’d been missing.

We saw castles, stately homes, stunning forests and beaches. We even visited the Holy Isle of Lindisfarne, the site of the first Viking raid in England. You can only drive to the island by crossing the causeway at low tide, so that was quite the experience in itself.

We stayed in the ancient town of Alnwick. As well as its own castle and gardens, it also has a shop window where glass bottles have sat undisturbed since 1725, believed to be cursed after the landlord dropped dead after touching them.

I’ll put a photo of the bottles at the bottom of the bulletin. You can see more pics on the shipmates’ Facebook page.

PROMOTIONS

With the rise of AI, more and more authors are turning to providing authentic books at their own stores. You can support these efforts and get a 50% discount with HALFOFF code by shopping direct.

And there’s nothing cheaper than free!

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books.

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: CARRIE HATCHETT, SPACE ADVENTURER VOL. 1 - 4: £8.99 £2.99

JUNE 2026 BOOK BARGAINS ROUND UP

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: STAR MAGE QUEST: BUY 3+ SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: CARRIE HATCHETT, SPACE ADVENTURER VOL. 1: $9.99 $2.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: MISSION IMPROBABLE: $9.99 $0.99

You may or may not know that this is my 11th year of self- publishing.

When I started out, going the indie route was what you could have called secondary option. Often, authors only decided to publish their own books after they’d tried the traditional route but hadn’t secured a deal.

That route was never for me. The truth is, traditional publishing usually doesn’t pay well. Trad-published authors rarely earn a full-time living, and I wanted to write full-time.

Also, I knew myself well enough to know I was far too controlling (about my creativity) to allow someone else to decide what edits my books needed, what covers they should have or how they should be marketed.

It took time and I made lots of mistakes, but eventually I found reliable professionals to help me and learned the ropes of marketing.

So I’ve been going it alone all this while, and authorship has served me well.

Except I haven’t quite been alone. As well as professional editors and cover artists, and the loyalty and generosity of shipmates like yourself, I’ve also benefitted from the support and friendship of other indie authors.

I simply couldn’t have made it this far without you and others.

So thank you!

Many of those authors have contributed their books to this free giveaway.

It will cost you nothing to check them out, and you might find some new favourite writers.

SHIP’S LOG

If you gave me feedback on the blurb for my next book, Augur’s Eye, thanks very much. I did end up making some small edits.

Naturally, I’ve been cracking on with writing the book, but I’ve been working in a new office.

Here it is.

Yes, it’s my back garden.

We had a heatwave, and it was more comfortable to sit outside to write.

I grew to enjoy it so much I decided I might sit in the garden to work whenever the weather allows it (it’s started raining since - a mixed blessing).

What you can’t see in the photo are the magpies and crows I’ve been feeding with dried mealworms.

I’m hoping to make new friends. One can never have too many, right?

PROMOTIONS

I love the covers in this selection of Sci-Fi & Fantasy books. Check them out.

Take care and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: CARRIE HATCHETT, SPACE ADVENTURER VOL. 1 - 4: £8.99 £2.99

JUNE 2026 BOOK BARGAINS ROUND UP

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: STAR MAGE QUEST: BUY 3+ SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: CARRIE HATCHETT, SPACE ADVENTURER VOL. 1: $9.99 $2.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: MISSION IMPROBABLE: $9.99 $0.99

Three ships

Many destinies

Ghosts from the past threaten the future of the Fleet

Within the mysterious Red Zone, a strange vessel is trailing the Interstellar Fleet.

The flagship’s skein mapper, Ignatius Robins, must use his predictive powers to deal with the threat.

But a dark secret burdens him, sapping the old man’s remaining strength and jeopardizing his relationship with his only helper.

As Ignatius tries to overcome his difficulties, the danger to the Fleet’s ships and their crews escalates, and his fight becomes a matter of life and death.

Augur’s Eye is book five in the enthralling space-mythic adventure, Interstellar Fleet.

After several months on preorder, the blurb for Interstellar Fleet book 5, Augur’s Eye, is ready!

Or nearly.

What do you think of the blurb? Whether you’ve read books 1 to 4 or you’re completely new to the series, I’d love to hear your opinion. Is the description clear? Does it entice you to read the book?

Please let me know by posting a comment (scroll down to the very bottom and click on the COMMENT button).

To celebrate writing the blurb, I’m discounting the entire series for a short time.

Talman Prime is 99 cents or 99p, and books 2 - 4 are reduced at most online bookstores, or you can pick up all four books even more cheaply at the ship’s store.

SHIP’S LOG

If you joined the starship on Saturday, welcome aboard!

It was my first time at the Norwich Independent Book and Zine Fair.

Despite what my face might seem to be saying, I actually had a lovely time manning my stall in Norwich’s Forum building.

It’s always fun at these events to chat with other writers, swap tips and ideas, and support each other in the wonderful independent author community.

A similar fair will take place in the autumn and I’m already looking forward to it.

PROMOTIONS

Check out these exclusive deals from a whole host of sci-fi and fantasy authors.

In case you missed last week’s bulletin, I’m going to take the opportunity to slip in a reminder that I’m Author of the Month at Kobo Plus.

Kobo Plus is a subscription service similar to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, with two important differences: for readers, Kobo Plus is cheaper and, for authors, we are not required to be exclusive to Kobo.

It’s a real win-win!

My entire catalogue is available on Kobo Plus. This link goes to the US Kobo Plus, but the programme is available in many other countries.

Finally, here are some free sci-fi and fantasy reads you’ll love.

Take care and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: INTERSTELLAR FLEET BOOKS 1 - 4: £17.96 £8.99

MAY 2026 BOOK BARGAINS ROUND UP

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

KOBO (GB, AU, NZ): INTERSTELLAR FLEET BOOKS 1 - 3: £14.99 £2.99

BARNES & NOBLE: TALMAN PRIME: $5.99 $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: TALMAN PRIME: $9.99 $0.99

Woohoo!

I’m delighted to share some good news today.

To my complete surprise, I’ve been selected as Kobo Plus Author of the Month!

In case you’ve never heard of it, Kobo Plus is a subscription service similar to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited, with two important differences: for readers, Kobo Plus is cheaper and, for authors, we are not required to be exclusive to Kobo.

It’s a real win-win!

My entire catalogue is available on Kobo Plus. This link goes to the US Kobo Plus, but the programme is available in many other countries.

Find out more about Kobo Plus here.

SHIP’S LOG

I’ve been keeping my nose to the grindstone working on Interstellar Fleet book 5, Augur’s Eye, and it’s shaping up nicely.

I might even be ready to write the blurb soon.

A strange vessel is trailing the Interstellar Fleet as it navigates the Red Zone, and the flagship’s skein mapper, Ignatius Robins, is so heavily burdened by a dark secret he may be unfit to perform his duties in dealing with the threat.

And in my downtime, I’ve been baking.

More than a year ago I was trying to find biscuits or other sweet indulgences that were free of palm oil.

Palm oil production is a blight on the environment and I wanted to do my small bit to help.

But did you know that palm oil is an ingredient in nearly all commercial cakes, biscuits etc?

I soon discovered that fact and, consequently, I decided to bake my own.

Since then, I’ve mostly kept to my resolution and enjoyed many tasty sweet snacks along the way (as well as a few disasters).

Above is my latest somewhat lazy creation: malt loaf made in a breadmaker.

It’s pretty nice toasted with butter, though I say so myself.

Are you a baker? What’s your favourite sweet indulgence? I’d love to know! Reveal all in the comments.

PROMOTIONS

Browse the Epic Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Bazaar for some epic sci-fi and fantasy!

Stock up on free ebooks for summer (or winter hols in the southern hemisphere).

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books.

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: INTERSTELLAR FLEET BOOKS 1 - 4: £17.96 £9.99

MAY 2026 BOOK BARGAINS ROUND UP

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

KOBO: MISSION: IMPROBABLE: $3.99 $0.99

BARNES & NOBLE: TALMAN PRIME: $5.99 $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: TALMAN PRIME: $9.99 $0.99

Do you love where you live?

It’s only since returning to the UK after periods of living abroad that I’ve grown to truly appreciate the country of my birth.

I spent much of my youth and working life hankering to be somewhere else and not seeing the rich history and quirky culture right here on my doorstep.

Part of my love for the UK is focused on its mythologies, particularly the Arthurian legends, which provided the inspiration for one of my most successful series, Star Legend.

At first look, you might not think that science fiction and King Arthur, Morgan le Fay (no, not Morgana - don’t get me started!) and accompanying cast of characters would work as a story.

After reading books 1 - 3, you might hold to your opinion.

Regardless, I invite you to find out by taking advantage of the discounted boxset that tells the first part of the story of Taylan Ellis, guilt-ridden mother on a search for her lost children, and long-suffering Major Wright, her CO when she joins the space fleet arm of the Royal Marines.

Star Legend Books 1 - 3 is discounted for a short time only at most bookstores and the ship’s store, and you can read bonus stories that take place after the main story in Future Worlds of JJ Green.

SHIP’S LOG

Bizarrely, my dragon jumper continues to take Pinterest by storm.

Of all the pins I’ve created, I never would have guessed that a hand-knitted jumper would be so popular.

Which goes to show that I clearly understand nothing at all about marketing, especially as I have no idea how to turn this unexpected success into book sales, lol.

In the spirit of continued sharing of my knitting projects, here’s my recently finished Shona Top by Irene Lin, created from linen/cotton yarn I bought on our trip to Ghent.

Now I just need some warm weather so I can wear it.

In between writing Interstellar Fleet book 5, Augur’s Eye and recording the audiobook of Carrie Hatchett, Space Adventurer book 4, Wrong Side of Time, I also managed to go and see the film Project Hail Mary.

If you love science fiction or even if you don’t I urge you to see this masterpiece of entertaining cinema. It’s exactly the kind of stuff we need in these dark days.

I’ve also been updating the Starship JJ Green website with new series pages and a new, monthly round-up of promotions at various bookstores.

April 2026 Book Bargains

PROMOTIONS

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: STAR LEGEND - THE COMPLETE SERIES (ENDS 30TH APRIL): £14.99

APRIL 2026 BOOK BARGAINS

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: STAR LEGEND BOOKS 1 - 3: $12.99 $2.99

KOBO: STAR LEGEND SERIES & ONE OTHER BOOK: $10

BARNES & NOBLE: THE VALIANT: $5.99 $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: STAR LEGEND BOOKS 1 - 3: $2.99

Just back from an exciting Eastercon in Birmingham! But more on that later.

You may have noticed a pattern in the ship’s bulletins over the last few months.

Now that I have five complete series and another in progress, I’m able to feature a different series every month.

If the first book or boxset is free, then I remind you about it. If it isn’t I offer a discount.

This month’s feature is Star Legend, the story of Taylan Ellis, a young mother tortured by guilt, Major Wright, the Royal Marine unlucky enough to be her CO, and a legendary figure reappearing from the mists of time.

Check next week’s bulletin for Star Legend books 1 - 3 at a special, reduced price.

What’s the spoiler alert about?

In the shipmates’ exclusive collection, Future Worlds of J.J. Green, there are two follow-on stories from Star Legend, but if you read them before reading the series, you will understand more about the ending of the series than you might like.

SHIP’S LOG

Your captain had a tiring but fun Easter weekend manning (womaning?) a dealer’s table at Eastercon, Birmingham. There were about 1,000 attendees from all over the globe, plenty of interesting panels, workshops and book launches, and an art exhibition.

Sadly, I had to spend most of my time in the dealer’s room, and here I am at my table.

As you can see, I have a lot of books, and most of these are just my first-in-series.

Sales were fine, but I’m wondering if I can do better by having a less cluttered table.

I worry that too much choice is a bit overwhelming and puts potential new shipmates off.

I know I can certainly feel that way sometimes.

Should I select fewer books for my display?

What do you think? How do you react when you see the table?

If you’d like to leave a comment, please scroll to the very bottom of the bulletin for the Comment button. (I discovered recently that a lot of shipmates’ email replies had gone into my Spam box weeks ago.)

The pear tree in the ship’s garden habitat is blossoming. Aren’t the flowers pretty?

I planted the tree three or four years ago. It’s blossomed nearly every year since but failed to produce any fruit. This year we’re hoping for our first pears.

PROMOTIONS

That’s it for now.

Take care and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: STAR LEGEND - THE COMPLETE SERIES (ENDS 30TH APRIL): £14.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

KOBO: THE VALIANT: 80% OFF

BARNES & NOBLE: THE VALIANT: $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIO: STAR LEGEND BOOKS 1 - 3: $2.99

If you commented on the cover for Starbound in the last bulletin, thanks very much!

As an indie author, it’s so important that my book covers are appealing, and though some of you didn’t like the new cover - and some hated it - most shipmates liked it, which was reassuring.

Unfortunately, pleasing everyone is impossible. I can only try.

Now, before we get on to my invitation to meet up, I just want to let you know that my entire Space Colony One series is discounted for a couple of days.

You can download the whole series at the ship’s store, or go to your favourite online retailer for books 1 - 3, books 4 - 6 & books 7 - 9.

SHIP’S LOG

Will you be at this year’s Eastercon?

It’s at the Birmingham Metropole Hotel, and I’m going to be there!

This year’s convention promises to be better than ever, with plenty of cool writers to meet, entertaining workshops and fascinating talks about all things science fiction and fantasy.

I will be in the dealer’s hall on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of April, and there’s nothing I like better than meeting shipmates, so if you’re attending, please pop along and say hi!

You might find me knitting. After writing, it’s my favourite occupation these days. I’ve been uploading photos of my finished projects to Pinterest, just for fun.

Bizarrely, this one has gone viral. (Well, as viral as I’m ever likely to go.)

It’s an amalgamation of two patterns. I explain the details in the post, if you’re interested.

PROMOTIONS

Even if you have to sadly miss out on Eastercon, you can still discover some awesome new authors at this Sci-Fi & Fantasy Deals promo.

Don’t you love the graphic for the Epic Sci-Fi & Fantasy Giveaway? Get your free books here, and don’t forget to check out my promos below too.

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books!

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SHADOWS OF THE VOID - THE COMPLETE SERIES (ENDS 28TH FEB): £2.49

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: SHADOWS OF THE VOID: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

KOBO: TALMAN PRIME: 80% OFF

BARNES & NOBLE: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 4 - 6: $2.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

AUDIOBOOKS: IT’S THE LAST FEW DAYS OF MY BIG CHIRP SALE

MOST AUDIO RETAILERS: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: $.0.99

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been updating my book covers. Some were 10+ years old! One cover I decided to change was that of the Shadows of the Void free prequel, Starbound.

The old cover was very cheap and featured a starship. Space travel doesn’t figure much in the story—the protagonist of the series, Jas Harrington’s, character-forming traumatic experience in Antarctica while training to be a starship security officer—so I felt it was a little misleading.

But I’m not sure the new Starbound cover is appealing. What do you think? What impression does it give you?

Please let me know in the comments (scroll down to the Comment button at the very bottom).

SHIP’S LOG

One benefit of returning to the UK after eight years in Taiwan has been the greater proximity to Europe.

For example, Ghent, Belgium, is only a little more than 4 hours’ drive from Cambridge, as we discovered last week.

Of course, when you factor in the Eurotunnel crossing, the journey itself takes longer, but it’s still surprisingly short considering you have to pass through France too.

What a beautiful, interesting city!

I confess I was quite ignorant of Belgian history, particularly anything more distant than the World Wars, but I improved my knowledge vastly wandering the ancient streets.

Naturally, there were plenty of waffles, fries, and delicious Belgian chocolates eaten too.

You can see a pic of Gravensteen, Castle of the Counts, at the bottom of the bulletin, and more pics on the shipmates’ Facebook page.

Following on the sad news that YouTube has demonetised my channel, causing me to cease uploading there, I’m making sure to provide plenty of audiobook discounts.

The latest is Talman Prime, currently on offer at Chirp, along with most of the rest of my catalogue, and The Galathea Chronicles, which is discounted to $0.99 at many audiobook retailers.

PROMOTIONS

What brilliant writer thought up this advertising copy for Alien? Hats off to them. Reading the space-themed books in this sale is definitely the safer option.

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books.

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SHADOWS OF THE VOID - THE COMPLETE SERIES (ENDS 28TH FEB): £2.49

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: SHADOWS OF THE VOID: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 4 - 6: $2.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

MOST AUDIO RETAILERS: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: $.0.99

But before we get onto the bad news, here’s the promised discount for the first boxset in my Star Mage Saga series.

The mage in the Star Mage Saga is Carina Lin, and her story includes performing old magic from Earth, her fight to live a free life, her search for her family, battling the galactic sector’s most powerful clans, deep space voyages on ancient, mysterious starships, fighting creepy aliens and much, much more.

Books 1 - 3 are discounted for a limited time, and you can snap up your copy at the ship’s store or your favourite online retailer.

If you think you will really love this series (you won’t be the first!), take advantage of this month’s ship’s store offer of the entire series, which ends very soon.

Alternatively, if you want to get your toes wet before diving in, download the free prequel, Daughter of Discord.

SHIP’S LOG

You may remember from the previous bulletin that YouTube demonetised my YouTube channel, and that I’d lodged an appeal.

To be clear, my problem isn’t losing the income. Unless your content is very popular, earnings are negligible. But demonetisation means losing control over ad placements. As YouTube’s default process is to insert ads every five minutes, I object to the loss of quality in the listener’s experience.

As you might have guessed from the downbeat title, YouTube refused my appeal.

Consequently, I’ve decided to stop uploading audiobooks there.

If you were an avid YouTube listener, I can only apologise.

My audiobooks will continue to be available just about everywhere else, including most subscription services, and I offer a discount every month (usually mentioned at the bottom of the bulletin.

For example, this month’s sale is on Star Mage Saga books 1 - 3.

On a brighter note, the sun came out!

It’s been a terrible winter here in the UK - dark, grey, wet and miserable.

But yesterday I noticed movement in the starship’s pond habitat and, taking a closer look, realised the frogs were back for their annual cavorting and canoodling.

Last year, I counted 13. This year there were at least 26, probably more.

And the frogs must know something because today we finally saw some beautiful, fine, bright sunny weather.

There’s always something to bring joy, right?

PROMOTIONS

I am truly impressed by the wealth of great-quality sci-fi and fantasy series authors are producing these days. Check out some of the best in this sale.

Even if you have no book budget left, you don’t have to miss out. Pick up some gems at the Strange New Worlds book promo.

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books.

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIPS STORE DISCOUNT ENDS SOON!

SHIP’S STORE: STAR MAGE SAGA - THE COMPLETE SERIES (ENDS 28TH FEB): £14.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 4 - 6: $2.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

I sincerely hope life is treating you well at the moment because here on the starship we seem beset with troubles.

I feel like I’ve been complaining a lot lately, but please allow me one additional whinge in the Ship’s Log, then I’ll shut up and count my blessings, which, to be honest, are many.

Before you read the starship’s latest woe, however, spare a second for Carina Lin on her Star Mage Quest.

Carina is a slum brat turned space mercenary—with a twist. She’s also a mage, and she’s about to risk everything.

You can read the beginning of her story free of charge in Star Mage Quest as well as the prequel, Daughter of Discord.

I’m mentioning the stories now because in the next bulletin I will be discounting Star Mage Saga books 1 - 3.

You can also snap up the entire series at a discount this month at the ship’s store.

SHIP’S LOG

On to the complaint.

YouTube has demonetised the starship’s channel. (I don’t want to put a link to it as I think I will end up taking down all my audiobooks.)

I don’t mind the fact that I won’t earn anything from the channel—the proceeds are nothing to write home about.

The problem is, when a channel is demonetised the account holder loses control of the ad placement.

Left to its own devices, YouTube inserts ads every five to ten minutes, which for audiobook listening must be absolutely maddening.

When I had control, I limited the ads on my books to every 45 minutes to an hour.

The listener’s experience is very important to me, so if I can’t provide good quality audiobooks, I’m not interested.

If you’ve enjoyed the channel so far, you might want to listen to any unfinished books over the next month or so.

Thanks for your patience.

Rant over.

PROMOTIONS

On a lighter note, there are always cool stories to escape into. Visit the Epic Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Bazaar to discover new favourites.

When you’ve finished browsing the bazaar, check out the free fantasy and science fiction options next door.

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books.

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: STAR MAGE SAGA - THE COMPLETE SERIES: £14.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: STAR MAGE SAGA BOOKS 1 - 3: $2.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

Life has turned quieter and less ‘interesting’ recently, and so I’m back in the saddle and continuing with writing Augur’s Eye, Interstellar Fleet book five.

As you can probably tell, the main character for this book is getting on in years. Considering the events of the story from his perspective has had me thinking about how our viewpoints change as we age.

My personal experience has been that, while I don’t feel any older psychologically, some things are different. For example, I’m more aware of the finiteness of my life than I was when younger, and I’m more pragmatic and less ruffled when things are going badly. Also, I savour the good times more, knowing my supply of them isn’t endless.

I opened a discussion on the topic over on the shipmates’ Facebook page, but I’m interested to hear what you think, too. If you’d like to comment, scroll to the very bottom of this bulletin and click the Comment button.

SHIP’S LOG

Work aboard the starship has been productive in other ways. The audiobook of Destiny Adrift is very nearly complete. With a fair solar wind, it should go live on YouTube this Friday 6 pm GMT. In the meantime, you can begin listening to the taster.

Like many, I grow more and more concerned about consumerism damaging our planet, and I’ve taken several steps to reduce my own impact. One of these is to avoid fast fashion and, where possible, make my own clothes.

Unfortunately, I’m terrible at sewing, but I can knit. My latest creation is a jumper made from wool I unravelled from another item I made but never wore.

It’s warm and it fits, and I don’t ask any more.

For the knitters, the pattern is Riasa by Alison Green.

PROMOTIONS

It’s the last few days of this month’s special offer at the ship’s store, and you can get more bargains at the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Deals promo.

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books.

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SPACE COLONY ONE - THE COMPLETE SERIES: £14.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: STAR MAGE SAGA: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: STAR MAGE SAGA BOOKS 1 - 3: $2.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

Post-Christmas budgets in mind, I thought it was a good time to remind you about Space Colony One books 1 - 3, which are currently available as a free bundle.

Space Colony One is a multi-generational space-colonisation epic adventure, following the stories of the generational colonists, descendants of their starship’s original passengers, the scientists woken from cryo at the end of the long voyage, and the mysterious Guardians, latecomers who arrive on an FTL ship.

You can download your free copy of books 1 - 3 at your favourite retailer or the ship’s store.

Also, if you don’t already have it, don’t forget to pick up the free prequel, Night of Flames.

Finally, as it happens, the entire complete series is currently on sale this month at the ship’s store!

SHIP’S LOG

Space Colony One has been on my mind recently. My mammoth project for 2026 is to completely overhaul, update, and vastly expand my website, adding tons of information and bonus content such as character profiles, book club discussion questions and glossaries.

I’ve started with book one of Space Colony One, The Concordia Deception.

It’s still a work-in-progress, but feel free to have a look around, click the links, check out the connected pages, and let me know what you think. It always helps to get multiple eyes on projects.

I would like to add maps of the fictional landscapes too, eventually, but that will take quite a bit more work.

Are you ruefully feeling the effects of festive over-indulgence? I can empathise. The fact that I’m the only one still eating the Christmas cake isn’t helping.

But, looking back, it was worth it, right? So much delicious food, and life is for living, so no regrets here.

I’ll start to cut back once all the cake is gone.

PROMOTIONS

If you’re looking for a new story - and, let’s face it, when are we not happy to discover a new story? - take a look at these great first-in-series bargains.

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books.

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SPACE COLONY ONE - THE COMPLETE SERIES: £14.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

KOBO: TALMAN PRIME: $2.99

BARNES & NOBLE: THE CONCORDIA DECEPTION: $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

It’s a bit of a sad bulletin today. Or maybe not sad, but regretful.

You see, I had to close down the paid option of this Substack, where I send out a new chapter of my work-in-progress every week. (All the subscribers have been refunded prorata.)

I wasn’t happy about doing it. I loved sending out those chapters and deeply appreciated the subs’ support. Unfortunately, I have so much going on in my personal life right now that creativity is very hard, and the last thing I want to do is share subpar work.

So, for the time being, I can only offer visuals from Augur’s Eye, Interstellar Fleet book 5, such as this scene of the Red Zone and the mysterious ship following the Bres.

SHIP’S LOG

Though my writing has stalled, recording audiobooks is less challenging. I was able to upload a taster of roughly the first third of Destiny Adrift to YouTube.

The complete audiobook should be finished by the end of this month.

Like many people, I find knitting calming and meditative and especially helpful when things aren’t going too well.

One silver lining around my cloud is that I managed to finish a jumper I’d been working on for months. I used two patterns to make it. For the knitters, I’ll post them in the comments.

What do you think?

It’s a little bit crumpled because I’ve been wearing it non-stop since I finished it. The UK has been cold lately.

PROMOTIONS

Check out the rising stars of science fiction and fantasy in this week’s promo!

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books.

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SPACE COLONY ONE - THE COMPLETE SERIES: £14.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

KOBO: TALMAN PRIME: $2.99

BARNES & NOBLE: THE CONCORDIA DECEPTION: $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE

It’s with great sadness I have to tell you that I’ve decided to stop sending out the latest chapters of my works-in-progress.

You see, in order to write my books I need a humdrum, monotonous existence. I have the kind of brain that’s easily distracted and struggles to focus, and unless my life is boring I find it hard to write.

Unfortunately,…

Read more

Before we get into this week’s bulletin, let me tell you about my writer friend’s new book.

C. Gockel has discounted the preorder of her latest book, Beasts in the Garden, to 99c for a short time, and if you know anything about her great science fiction and fantasy writing, you won’t want to miss out on this deal.

Click here to learn more.

SHIP’S LOG

I hope you had an amazing festive season.

Here on the starship, the Christmas tree lights may still be twinkling, but all the guests have come and gone, the presents have been opened, and the Christmas crackers have been pulled.

All that remains to do is to eat copious unhealthy leftovers that we have a duty to not allow to go to waste.

On to 2026!

I’ve begun work on Augur’s Eye, Interstellar Fleet book 5.

My initial feeling is this is going to be a book about the past as well as the future, particularly how past events ripple through time, causing unexpected effects.

If you’re interested in following along as I write Augur’s Eye, now is the time to take out a paid subscription. You will receive a chapter a week in your inbox, and when the book is finished you can download a free early access copy.

What else can you expect from the starship in 2026? Here’s a tentative forecast.

• Destiny Adrift and Augur’s Eye audiobooks

• Transgalactic Antics and Wrong Side of Time audiobooks

• Interstellar Fleet book 6, Leap Gate

• Opportunities to meet up at Sci-Fi Weekender, Eastercon & Norwich Book & Zine Fair

• Monthly special offers at the ship’s store

• Boxset bundle discounts

• Carrie Hatchett, Space Adventurer exclusive hardbacks Kickstarter

• All the usual promotions and updates on starship shenanigans

I’m really looking forward to spending 2026 with you on our galactic voyage!

PROMOTIONS

If you’ve exhausted your budget with seasonal spends, kick off 2026 with some great free sci-fi and fantasy books.

That’s all for now.

Take care and enjoy your books.

JJ GREEN PROMOTIONS

SHIP’S STORE: SPACE COLONY ONE - THE COMPLETE SERIES: £14.99

ALL STORES: THE GALATHEA CHRONICLES: FREE

GOOGLE PLAY: INTERSTELLAR FLEET: BUY 2+ SAVE 15%

BARNES & NOBLE: THE CONCORDIA DECEPTION: $0.99

ALL STORES: SPACE COLONY ONE BOOKS 1 - 3: FREE

ALL STORES: STAR MAGE QUEST: FREE