Cygnus Rising (Paperback) | Released: 19 Sep 2016

From space they came, to space they returned, better than before. The people of the Cygnus system were determined to find other life, maybe even return to Earth as they explored the known galaxy. Humanity would not be denied.And they had the company of the intelligent species humans created centuries past, who evolved and became equals, partners in the journey to a better place. They were all the people of Cygnus VII.From the ashes of their past, Cygnus was rising.The motto of the Space Exploration Service was "the ship is life, save the ship." And the crew had done that, repeatedly, even though it cost lives. Everyone on board the Cygnus-12 volunteered for the Space Exploration Service because they believed that the risk was worth it. For all humanity, they went to space, to find what was out there, return with knowledge to improve their civilization. And if they could return with word that Earth was there, alive and well, then that would make every death that much more meaningful. Cygnus Rising is the first book in a Space Opera series based within the Free Trader universe. Here's what some of the first reviewers had to say: "It's an enjoyable space opera ... fast-moving and with an interesting group dynamic.""Old-fashioned space opera. Good guys, bad guys and only a bit of romance to add to the characters.""This is a great "start point" for people who do not read the original books. Taken from the start of your MC coming into Boot Camp and flowing through all the fun and team building games played there. This will help others to see the characters in their strengths and weaknesses as individuals. I enjoyed that the other characters had a chance to shine too.""Readability... very smooth with good transitions from scene to scene. Build-up was gradual and the philosophy of the parent planet's drive to explore seemed very natural. Failures were also points of learning for the society and the blending of the different cross-species into a cohesive group seemed a natural progression of development.""It has all of the elements a good story should have. The characters are well developed, plot line is smooth and progresses consistently and logically. The action is fast paced and the interpersonal relationships believable. Conflict, fear, and the rest of the human emotions are represented.""The worldview was terrific. Well detailed with enough exploration of a possible future for Vii. I kind of got lost on some of the ship stuff, but that's just me. I could understand it, but really isn't why I read space opera books. Lots of other neat techy stuff going on too.""I also have to tell you one of things I truly enjoyed about this story was it wasn't a typical HEA ending - lessons learned were very painful. Pollyanna was on the ship and died. I did feel that they took off with stars in their eyes and a not very realistic attitude about what kind of dire circumstances, other than ship disasters they could face. They came back much wiser than when they left. Bravo - well done"
About the Author: Craig is a successful author, publishing mainly in Science Fiction. He's taken his more than twenty years of experience in the Marine Corps, his legal education, and his business consulting career to write believable characters living in realistic worlds. Although Craig has written in multiple genres, what he believes most compelling are in-depth characters dealing with real-world issues. The backdrop is less important than the depth of the characters, who they are and how they interact. Life lessons of a great story can be applied now or fifty years in the future. Some things are universal. Craig believes that evil exists. Some people are driven differently and cannot be allowed access to our world. Good people will rise to the occasion. Good will always challenge evil, sometimes before a crisis, many times after, but will good triumph? Some writers who've influenced Craig? Robert E. Howard (the original Conan), JRR Tolkien, Andre Norton, Robert Heinlein, Lin Carter, Brian Aldiss, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Anne McCaffrey, and of late, James Axler, Raymond Weil, Jonathan Brazee, Mark E. Cooper, and David Weber. Craig learned something from each of these authors, story line, compelling issue, characters that you can relate to, the beauty of the prose, unique tendrils weaving through the book's theme. Through a bizarre series of events, Craig ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. He never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year. But he loves it there.It is off the beaten path. He and his wife watch the northern lights from their driveway. Their dog has lots of room to run. And temperatures reach forty below zero. They have from three and a half hours of daylight in the winter to twenty-four hours in the summer. It's all part of the give and take of life. If they didn't have those extremes, then everyone would live there.