Writing Colonies XXXI: "Libran" is finished; starting "Scorpia"

That was fast.

Graphic:

Book Nine comes right after the events of Book Eight and deals with the creation of the first (failed) uniting of the colonies, as well as the establishment of the inter-colonial courts on the neutral world, Libran.  Because that planet has no culture of its own, no "natives," etc., it was a fairly short jaunt (47 pages, for those keeping count), but I got to do a little bit more politics without dwelling on it, and I created a pretty terrifying jungle creature.

Book Ten: Scorpia also follows, narratively, right after the events of the previous book.  This wasn't really planned, but that's where the writing took me.  The nascent League of Colonies is fractured and withers because Leonis won't stop its stranglehold on its vassal, Scorpia.  This book will see Scorpia freed and that agrarian world struggle as it tries to become more technologically advanced so it can trade with the other worlds.  (Yes, expect to see the start of the famed orbital shipyards as well as another surprise.)

Thanks for reading.

Writing Colonies XXX½: Poll on the cover for "Libran"

UPDATE: The winner was number three.  Thanks!

I was creating Book Nine: Libran the other day and I inserted the pic of the cover (not the flag one; that's the flag so there's no changing that).  Just then I realized that I didn't really like it.  Can't say why ... just don't.

So I'm going to ask you, loyal reader: which cover version do you prefer? *  

Here's the cover that started this, ONE:

Here's TWO:

Here's THREE:

(All three are of an Athena statue in Greece via pics from the free image site, Pixabay.)

Thanks.

* Disclaimer: I may decide to overrule the poll results and choose what I like best anyway.

Writing Colonies XXX: "Picon" is finished, Starting "Libran"

 Handy-dandy graphic:

Picon was a load of fun, starting with a chase across the ocean with sailing ships in the Napoleonic style and finishing with a glance around the colonies during the collapse of the Virgon and Leonan Empires to see what's what, and culminating in a massive battle in orbit of Picon.  Very enjoyable to write.  (And I hope so to read.)

With the completion of Picon, that means I'm three-quarters done with Colonies.  Maybe.  I won't know 'til it's over.  Regardless, Book Eight totaled 118 pages, for those keeping track.  The total thus far for Colonies of Kobol is 1,830 pages.  That's ... a bunch.

I've already outlined Book Nine: Libran.  It picks up mere months after the end of Picon as the various colonies try to find their footing without the Empires to support them.  It also marks the creation of the first (short lived) inter-colonial government.  To this point, Libran had been a nature preserve, of sorts, and the jungle world was chosen to be neutral ground.  I don't imagine this one will be terribly long, but it will again bounce around the colonies for different points of view.

Thanks for reading.  More to come, as always.