About

Wormholes and Swords is a blog dedicated to Science Fiction and Fantasy, with a bit of real world technical stuff thrown in from time to time. It is managed by T.D. Wilson, author of the Science Fiction book series, The Epherium Chronicles.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

New Review of Crucible on Goodreads


Another great review of Crucible, the second book in my series The Epherium Chronicles, was just posted to Goodreads(review link).  The buzz about the series continues to grow and I am excited that readers can immerse themselves in the story.  For those of you not on Goodreads, here is the review from Greg Dragon.


's review 
Jun 29, 14

Read from June 22 to 29, 2014

Though I have not read “Embrace” the first book in this series, I found The Epherium Chronicles: Crucible to be an enjoyable read on it's own. The attention to detail given to the situations, the military protocol, and the world in general was very impressive. What was even more interesting is that at no time did I feel lost or confused for not having read the first book.

For lovers of the classic style of military science fiction, Crucible will not disappoint you as it has all of the ingredients that we love, items like: space jumping, protecting clueless colonists, extending age through experimentation, and of course space marines kicking ass.

The author has a real talent for setting the scene, and it allows you to put yourself in the situation of Captain Hood, and see the action, the dialogue, and the events play out in real time. This is what made it such a fun read for me. The writing and editing is top notch, and while I found that sometimes the descriptions and the military items were a bit too much to keep up with, it was a very easy read otherwise.

The Epherium Chronicles: Crucible read like a well paced motion picture. It gives you time to meet people, form opinions, then have those opinions adjust as you find out more about them from the dialogue and situations that arise. I am a sucker for a mysterious femme fatale, and while I initially rolled my eyes at Lieutenant Maya, she grew on me as she opened up and it didn’t take long for me to become a fan.

There is quite a bit of intelligent dialogue and development through back and forths with the crew, so for readers that love conversation there is quite a bit of it here. Action? It takes a while for the situation to get there--which made me wonder if action-seeking, short attention spanned readers would fall off around chapter five or so--but when the action comes, it freaking comes. I love drawn out, detailed battles and Crucible did not disappoint.

I would highly recommend Crucible to anyone that loves Science Fiction. I can see this series becoming one that will be talked about.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Final Stop for the Crucible Blog Tour, June 24, 2014



Well, we have come to the end of the blog tour for Crucible.  The final stop is Desiree Broussard's blog.  Be sure to stop by and sign up for the giveaway before it ends!  There are three $25 Amazon gift cards.  Don't miss your chance!

Monday, June 23, 2014

Crucible Blog Tour June 23, 2014



Today's stop on the Crucible Blog Tour is Memories in a Box.  Check out my guest post and don't forget to sign up for the giveaway!

Saturday, June 21, 2014

The Epherium Chronicles Top 100 Space Opera on Amazon Canada


Every now and then I check other retailer sites to see how The Epherium Chronicles is doing.  On Amazon's Canada site, www.amazon.ca, I noticed that both books were in the top 100 of the Sci-fi space opera categories!  Does that make the series and international Amazon Best Seller?  Hmmm.. I'll take it!

Here are the links to the books for all my friends and readers in Canada:

Embrace Amazon Canada Link

Crucible Amazon Canada Link

Let's keep it going and spread the word!

Friday, June 20, 2014


The last stop on Crucible's Blog Tour for this week is Cat's Pajamas Book Haven.  Be sure to check it out and sign up for the giveaway!

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Crucible Blog Tour, June 19, 2014


Today's stop on the Crucible Blog Tour is Horror and Slasher Films and Books!  Can a science fiction space opera post survive on a horror site?  Stop by and check it out!  Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway!

Wednesday, June 18, 2014


Today's stop on the Crucible Blog Tour is Homesteading for the Zombie Apocalypse!  Come on over and sign up for the giveaway!

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Science Fiction Reddit AMA June 18, 2014


Tomorrow, Wednesday June 18th,. 2014, I will be hosting a Reddit AMA (ask me anything) session about my Science Fiction series, The Epherium Chronicles.  The AMA will be hosted on Reddit's science fiction subreddit (www.reddit.com/r/sciencefiction).  I will be online taking questions from 12-2pm Eastern time, 3-5pm, and later at 10-11:30pm.

Be sure to come out submit your questions to me about the series, science fiction, fantasy, games, technology, or most anything within reason.

Today's stop on the Crucible Blog Tour is Alpha Male Books.  Come on over, say hi, and sign up for the giveaway!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Crucible Blog Tour, June 16, 2014 Two stops!



There are two stops today on the Crucible Blog Tour.  The first is Tome Tender.  The second stop is Peace, Love and Writing.  Come on out and check out the posts.  Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway!

Friday, June 13, 2014

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

My Interview with Carina Press Author Sheryl Nantus

My author interview series continues with a terrific creator of science fiction romance novels, fellow Carina Press author, Sheryl Nantus.  Sheryl recently released In the Black her first book in a new series called Tales from the Edge.  It's already received several fantastic reviews and it is a solid opening book for her series.




Now, lets get to the questions.


T.D. Wilson: Sheryl, what was your journey to become an author?  Was it something you always wanted to be?

Sheryl Nantus: I've been told by my mother that I was reading at the fine age of three. When my grandfather challenged this I promptly sat down with the comics page and read them to him. So I've always been a reader… and it was natural to move toward being a writer as I got older.



I really found my footing when I started writing fanfiction in the 1980's. I wrote well over 200 fanfics for X-Files and found my future husband when he wrote me a fan letter. So always answer your fan mail!

T.D. Wilson: I loved the X-files.  I liked Mulder, but all my friends loved talking about the Cigarette Smoking Man. Now, when you start a new novel project, what is your process?  Can you walk through how you plan or orchestrate what you’re about to create?

Sheryl Nantus: I usually come up with what I want accomplished by the end of the book and then work backwards. It sounds easy but it's not—for example, getting Sam and Daniel together by the end of In the Black while capturing the murderer and setting up future stories… it takes a lot of backtracking. And rewriting when I lose sight of the ending and have to refocus myself.

T.D. Wilson: What inspired you to write In the Black?

Sheryl Nantus: I've always been a fan of Firefly and specifically the courtesan character, Inara as well as an avid reader on geisha girls. I wondered how that would translate out into space travel as men (and women) were working out on the edge, alone in mining colonies where hooking up with someone else wasn't an option. In my world courtesans offer not only sexual favors but also the chance to sit and be comforted in safety and security, to work on your chess game and learn new skills in the privacy of the Bonnie Belle, the ship you see on the cover. And, of course, great sex if you want it.

T.D. Wilson: I loved Firefly and Inara had that exotic enchantment about her that was such a good contrast to Captain Reynolds.  Can you give us some background to your two main characters, Sam Keller and Marshall Daniel LeClair?

Sheryl Nantus: Sure! Sam Keller has recently taken command of the Bonnie Belle, a Guild Mercy ship. She's signed on for five years of basically being a babysitter with the ship's AI running itself. As a military vet she could have gone anywhere with her pension and her skills so it's a mystery why she's chosen five years of exile.

Daniel LeClair is a marshal's marshal. He's a by-the-book man who has law enforcement history going back generations—but sometimes he's a little too by-the-book. If he were willing to compromise his morals he might have a higher rank but for now he's running patrols out on the edge. Until he gets assigned to investigate a murder on Mercy ship and not only has to find the killer but deal with his attraction to the good captain.

T.D. Wilson: What are you working on now?

Sheryl Nantus: A few projects but I'm brainstorming for book four (yes! I said four!) in the series. Book three of Tales from the Edge is basically done but we'll see when it's ready to come out to the public. (hint: sales matter!)

T.D. Wilson: Who is your favorite author (or authors)?  Were they an inspiration for you in your writing?

Sheryl Nantus: Oh, goodness… there's so many. Kipling's Jungle Book for one, IvanhoeLord of the RingsThe Hobbit… I read all genres. And all of them are inspirations because all of them had to be brave at one time and hand their work to the public and see what happened.

T.D. Wilson: I know.  I have difficulty sometimes really narrowing it down.  So what about this. If you wanted to go to dinner with five characters from fiction, who would it be and where would you go?

Sheryl Nantus: Ooh… Jo March from Little Women, Frodo from Lord of the Rings, Eve Dallas and Roarke from the In Death series and HP Lovecraft… but only because I hear Cthlulu is pretty stingy with the tips.

T.D. Wilson: That definitely sounds like a fun group.  Not sure where you should take them.  Hopefully someplace lite and public if Lovecraft is involved.  Next question and this is one I love to get different perspectives on. As an author, how do you handle reviews, both the good and the bad?

Sheryl Nantus: I love reviews. The good, the bad and the ugly. Because I'm happy as all get-out that someone took the time to WRITE a review, be it a good one or bad. Not everyone is going to like my writing and that's fine. Because we're all different and it'd be a darned boring world if we all enjoyed everything all the time.

But I do love good reviews.

T.D. Wilson: Excellent answer, Sheryl.  What activities do you enjoy outside of writing?

Sheryl Nantus: Gaming, for one. Every year my husband and I go to the Origins Game Fair in Columbus Ohio for almost a week of gaming and fun. D&D, board games, tabletop games… also always up for a game of Go!

I also enjoy reading, getting a good cuppa chai and watching kaiju films.

T.D. Wilson: I have been a gamer for years, but I haven't done much table top stuff in awhile. I used to frequent GenCon and Origins.  It's better now that Origins is in Columbus and GenCon in Indianapolis, but I still have to find time to go.  One of the last times I was at Origins, I met Mira Furlan and Richard Biggs from Bablyon 5.  It was really cool.  Okay.  Last question. If you had one quirk or distinctive trait about yourself, what would it be?

Sheryl Nantus: I'm Canadian. Therefore I'm not only overly polite but also adore my tea. Get between me and my tea at your peril…. but I'll be polite about it.

T.D. Wilson:  Sheryl, that's all the questions I have for you today and I want to thank you again for the interview.

Sheryl Nantus: Thanks.  It was fun.

T.D. Wilson: Be sure to check out Sheryl's latest book, In the Black, available as an ebook at all the major online retailers.



About Sheryl Nantus



Sheryl Nantus was born in Montreal, Canada and grew up in Toronto, Canada. She met Martin Nantus through the online fanfiction community in 1993 and moved to the United States in 2000.
In 2011 she won two Second-Place Prism Awards from the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of RWA. In 2013 she won a Third-Place Prism Award for the first book of her paranormal series, "Blood of the Pride"

Crucible Blog Tour June 10, 2014


The stop of the day for Crucible's blog tour is Musings of a Book Maven.  Come on over and check out my guest post.  Plus, don't forget to sign up for the giveaway!

Monday, June 9, 2014


Crucible's blog tour continues with a stop at Cryptic Reads.  Be sure to sign up for the giveaway and check out their terrific review!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Character Goal Post from Kree


One of the great things I like about my fellow authors at Carina Press is that they love to help each other out. Angela Highland's blog has a segment called Boosting the Signal and I am thrilled to have a piece on it today. She wanted me to express a character goal from Crucible. I could think of no better character to share this from than Kree. Take a look.

http://www.angelahighland.com/category/boosting-the-signal/

Crucible Blog Tour June 6, 2014


Today, there are two stops on the Crucible Blog Tour.  The first is Literary Chanteuse and the second is Diane's Book Blog.  Stop by, sign up for the giveaway and be sure to leave a comment or two for me.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Crucible Blog Tour Stop June 4, 2014


Today's stop on the tour for Crucible is Indy Book Fairy.  Be sure to stop by and sign up for the giveaway!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Crucible Blog Stop June 3, 2014


Today's stop on the Crucible blog tour is Hard Core Books and Readers.  Come on over and check out her site.  Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Crucible Blog Stop June 2, 2014


Today's stop on the Crucible blog tour is Rose Wynter's blog.  Come on over and check out her site.  Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway.