July 2025 Update and a short story.

 My word processor died several months back and I had not been able to do much writing other than in notebooks. But yesterday afternoon I was finally able to fix the "Typewriter" and to try it out I typed up the following short little story. Enjoy.

The Derelict

By J.L. LaMastus 07/2025

The ship was a derelict, floating in the asteroid field. How long it had been there, none could say. The crew, they were long dead. So the ship just floated along, waiting to be discovered. Though it wasn’t to wait much longer.

A small cruiser entered the field. “This seems like a good place to lay low for a while.” The pilot observed. “At least until those scaly goons take a break.” He glanced at his monitors and noticed some odd readings. Grinning, he examined them more closely. His instruments had detected the derelict. A perfect hiding place, just waiting for him.

Drawing close to the ship, he could make out the name, The Harpy. He also noted the large hole in the hull. Quite big enough for his little cruiser to enter. “Williams my friend,” speaking to himself, “you just found yourself a new home.”

As the cruiser settled in, Williams donned his space-suit. “Time to do a little exploring.” The ship’s interior was lit by beams from the two shoulder lamps on his suit as he drifted across the gap deeper into the ship. What had happened here anyway? That breach in the hull was no accident. Ahead of him it seemed there was a glow. Could there be some life here after all?

He advanced to see if he could find out. Cautiously, of course. No signs of life, be he couldn’t be for certain. Turning a corner he discovered the source of the light. There was a control panel that still functioned. This could prove enlightening. He stopped at the controls and typed in a command. Soon the ship filled with light. No life perhaps, but power at least.

Tapping in a few more commands he called up the ship’s records. Maybe they would hold some clue as to what had happened here. His eyes grew wide with shock, then fear as the last video entry played back. Quickly he shut off the power and turned to get his butt back to his cruiser. As fast as he possibly could.

It wasn’t fast enough. In the dying light he saw them now. “I shoulda taken my chances with those scaly freaks.” He lamented. Too late he learned that this derelict, The Harpy, was to truly be his home. His last home.

 2025

January the 1st

It being a new year I am reviving this web-site. I haven’t written here in too long. July of 2023 to be precise. But I am going to do better about that.

Mainly due to the changes going on with my writing. Some things are still up in the air. But there are others to be discussed.

The main thing right now is a book that was just published. An unexpected, answered prayer for me. To go back to the beginning, in 2019 I started writing a story for an upcoming anthology. The Moon Man Vol. 3 from Airship 27. While I was writing it Mom passed away and I nearly gave up and didn’t feel like finishing the story. But I pushed through and got it done and turned it in. Unfortunately one of the other writers didn’t turn in his story and the book didn’t get published. That hit me pretty hard and took the wind out of my sails for a couple years.

Fast forward to 2024. I found out that Amazon would be shuttering the Vella program. That being how I’d been mainly publishing my writing I was hit hard once more. I am still searching for an alternative that I feel will work for me. But on December 5th, the last day to upload episodes for the Vella, I received an email from Ron at Airship 27. It let me know that the Moon Man book was going to be published at last. After five years the story I wrote was finally going to see the light of day. A week later I got a proof copy to review. I went over it and was happy with it, so I responded that it was fine. Then it was time to wait once more.

I didn’t have long to wait however. Last night, on New Year’s Eve, I got another email informing me that the book had been published and was now available on Amazon. What a great and blessed start to this new year. I am thankful to God for this and now am feeling pretty optimistic for the year to come.

I still need to figure out how I’ll be publishing my stories going forward. But I have faith that when the time comes the answer will be there.