Story of Earth Empire vs. insectoid race will continue in new novella
MOUNT VERNON, VA – aois21 publishing, LLC have secured the rights to release the second book in James D. King’s sci-fi series, HIVE, the novella HIVE: Battle at the Dog Star.
"HIVE: Battle at the Dog Star" picks up the action generations after the events of the first novella of the series, HIVE: First Contact. In this story:
A large Hive fleet is heading towards the Earth Empire, where the Fifth Imperial Fleet is the last bulwark against the insectoids and certain defeat. The Hot Spur, an experimental ship with untested weapons and an unproven captain, is thrown into the battle as a last resort. Now Captain Simba Latrobe must use his ship’s groundbreaking technology to attack the enemy, hoping to take them by surprise. Despite the long odds, Captain Latrobe steels his crew's resolve, ensuring them that, “As long as I have a ship with propulsion I have a weapon.” Thus the future of the Earth Empire, and humankind itself, rests in the hands of a naval officer who refuses to be defeated.
This is the third work by James D. King. He cowrote the true crime story Ghost Burglar with Jack Burch for Savage Press in 2013, and his second was the 2015 novella HIVE: First Contact. King’s writing has also appeared in the 2015 aois21 annual as well as in American School & University and Art Theft Archive newsletter.
The first book in the series will also soon be available in a limited-edition print run that includes a new short story on the origins of the HIVE species. More details to come.
King is a retired police detective and served in the U.S. Navy as an electronics tech during the Vietnam conflict. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Psychology and later embarked on a number of careers, building a wealth of experience in the process. A widower after 38 years of marriage, he spends his time writing, volunteering at a local bookstore, and caring for his children.
"It was great luck that I met Mr. King at last year’s Gaithersburg Book Festival,” said Keith F. Shovlin, aois21’s publisher. "His first entry in the HIVE series has been delighting readers since last fall, and we are excited to see what he has in store for us this next time around.”