The last time I was here, the place was packed. Hundreds of people from all over the world were waiting anxiously for their flight to space. We were all making history, going to Elderon. The collective optimism was contagious.

That day feels like a lifetime ago. Many of those people are dead. The rest are trapped in space with a madman, cowering inside their suites. I feel their fear in the wide empty space as I walk across the carpeting. The terminal was designed to hold thousands of people bound for colonies in space. Now Strom is gone — his company in shambles. The Maverick dream is dead.

Hey friends,

It’s been a while. I’ve been hard at work on Colony Assassin — book three in the Elderon Chronicles.

As you might have guessed, the book picks up right where Colony War left off. Silicon Valley is reeling from the recent attacks, and Jonah and Maggie have made a horrifying discovery. Old characters will be forced to take on new roles in the fight against the bots, and a compelling new character will be introduced for the very first time.

Colony Assassin will be available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited by December 27, but my Patreon subscribers will get the book a week EARLY!

That’s right — if you sign up on Patreon, you’ll get book three December 20 AND all the Colony One bonus short stories that you can’t get anywhere else. (That’s NINE short stories, people!) If you buy all my books anyway, this is a fantastic deal. The book will still only cost you $4, but you’ll get all those amazing extras.

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up. If you just can’t wait for December, you can read chapter one here.

Hey friends,

Today’s the day! Colony War, book two in The Elderon Chronicles, is finally here! Book two picks up right where Colony One left off, and the action does not stop!

I had so much fun writing the sequel, and I still have not decided how many books are going to be in the series. I’d like to write five or six, because I love these characters and this universe is BIG!

The book is available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. (If you’re bummed because you read on Apple or Nook, check out my Patreon page. I release all my books a week early there, and you can get all my upcoming books in whichever format you please.)

If you grab the e-book within the first week, you’ll get access to special Colony bonus content:

• Designing Tripp’s House and Meditation Garden
• Will Humans and Robots Ever Coexist?
• Is It Possible to Digitally Disappear?
• Plus all the extras from Colony One

If you’re in the middle of another book and you think you might want to wait to get this one, here’s a little teaser that might change your mind…

An army of bots is roaming the space station — hijacked by a terrorist inside BlumBot International. The bots share a hive mind that learns and adapts, making them the most deadly adversaries Jonah has ever faced.

Jonah and Maggie are prepared to fight alongside the Space Force, but how can they defeat an army that never eats, never sleeps, and never grows tired?

To protect the colony, they must join forces with Tripp Van de Graaf — the cocky young executive with dimples for days. Tripp makes no effort to hide his attraction toward Maggie, and Jonah hates him instantly. But Tripp’s company holds the key to defeating the bots: their human creator, Ziva Blum.

When Maggie, Tripp, and Jonah learn that more humanoids are hibernating on Earth, they must race to stop a madman bent on destruction and save the world from a robot apocalypse.

You can read the first chapter here.

So what are you waiting for? Go grab the book today and see what’s next for Maggie, Jonah, and Tripp!

Hey friends,

Get excited. Colony War is almost here! Check out the awesome cover designed by Slobodan Cedic.

I wanted something creepy and unnerving, and I think he definitely delivered on that.

The official digital release date is August 30, but you can read the book A WEEK EARLY when you sign up on Patreon.

Patreon is essentially a subscription that allows me to deliver the book directly to you in whichever format you wish. It’s the same price as an e-book, and you are only charged when I deliver a new novel (about every four months).

Patreon also gives me an exciting new way to deliver fan extras as a way to say thanks. For Colony War, I’m giving away three short stories starring Tripp and Ziva. They reveal new insights about the characters and the world, and I am so thrilled to share them. Patreon subscribers also get all the new portal extras!

If you want to get the book early and gain access to the bonus shorts, be sure to sign up by end of day Monday. After August 20, you can still subscribe to my books, but the first you receive will be book three in The Elderon Chronicles. (Remember, you’re only charged when I deliver a new book.)

If you prefer to download the book on Amazon but still want the short stories, you can subscribe on Patreon at the $1 level. This will get you the shorts from books one and two, and you won’t be charged again until I release new shorts with book three. Or you can go hog-wild and get a signed PRINT copy of the book by upping your pledge to $25.

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up! Colony War simply can’t wait. Once you start reading, you won’t want to stop.

 

Hello friends!

It’s been a long time. I’ve been hard at work crafting the second installment in the Colony One series, and I am delighted to say that I am putting the final touches on the manuscript!

Colony War picks up right where book one left off. It’s nonstop action and surprises, and I had a blast writing it. Colony War will be available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited August 30, but you can get it a week early when you sign up on Patreon!

Read the first chapter of Colony War here.

Patreon subscribers get all my books early for the same price you’d pay on Amazon. They also get access to exclusive short stories and bonus content related to the series.

For just $4 per book, you’ll get Colony War August 23, as well as access to short stories from new perspectives. You can also support me on Patreon for just $1 per book and gain access to all these marvelous shorts! Take a look:

Colony One Shorts

Five Thirty: Ziva wakes up from a car accident that will change her life forever.

The Graduate: Ping interviews for a job at Nike, only to discover they no longer make shoes.

Delivery: Kiran is a bike messenger just trying to survive New York City until he meets Pocket Square Guy on a delivery.

Colony War Shorts

Molasses: Nineteen-year-old Tripp returns home from a backpacking trip…with a Buddhist monk.

Family Business: Ziva learns she will inherit her father’s company for the first time.

And a special surprise short story!

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up on Patreon, and start reading the book one shorts right now!

Hey friends,

Today’s a big day. Today I officially launch Colony One into the stratosphere! It’s the first book in my awesome new space saga, and I had a blast writing it.

If you liked The Fringe, you’re gonna love Colony One.

It stars Maggie, a spunky, down-on-her-luck journalist trying to make it in an era when robots are taking over the world, and Jonah, a disgraced ex-army operative whose job was once to track down and kill the world’s most notorious cyberterrorists. Now Jonah is a trainer who spends his days toning the asses of LA’s elite.

These two unlikely heroes are strangers from opposite coasts, but their worlds collide when they’re offered the chance of a lifetime — to live and work aboard the first civilian space colony.

Aboard Elderon, you’ll enter a world where humans and bots work side by side and meat is grown in a lab. Jonah is part of the Space Force — a private military group designed to protect the colony from foreign cyberattacks and physical assault. Maggie was brought on as part of the galactic press corps to make Elderon look good. The problem? Maggie is sort of a conspiracy junkie.

You’ll meet Tripp Van de Graaf, son of the legendary space architect whose company is primed to take over the galaxy and get inside Maggie’s head as she explores the dark side of her utopic new home.

There is so much to love about Colony One, and you can read it now on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

If you download the book within the first week, you’ll gain access to the Colony One fan portal. Inside you’ll find casting photos, the secret history of Maverick Enterprises and BlumBot International, and an in-depth profile on a very special character. You’ll get the link and password in the back of the book, but you MUST download it by May 1.

So what are you waiting for? Get the bonus content before it’s gone! Go grab your copy of Colony One, and prepare to get sucked into your new favorite space conspiracy.

Hey friends,

Love my books but short on time to read? Never fear — you can now pick up the ENTIRE Lawless Saga in audiobook format!

Dauntless is now available on Audible.com. If you’re still on book two or three — or if you haven’t started the series yet — you can pick up one of the books for FREE with a 30-day trial of Audible! Or just use this month’s credit to continue Lark and Soren’s journey.

Lawless is great in audio because it’s a production of Podium Publishing — an author-focused audio publisher that has truly been amazing to work with. Jennifer O’Donnell performs the series, and I could not have found anyone better. She brings the characters to life in such a way that I can actually stand to listen to my own books! Amazing!

I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that summer is just around the corner. That means vacation and ROAD TRIPS, which means you need good listening material!

With 40+ hours of audio in the series, you have enough to get you through the drive from New York to LA! No more crackly radio stations or long stretches of silence. Instead, you can get sucked into a story of adventure, disaster, heartbreak, friendship, and guts.

So what are you waiting for? Go grab Dauntless on Audible. It’s an epic ending to the series, and I know you’re gonna love it.

Hey friends,

Today’s the day…I’m finally ready to unveil the cover of Colony One.

This one took Slobodan and I a long time to work out because I had to decide how to best convey the story I was trying to tell. We played with putting people on the cover, not putting people on the cover, and finally settled on a view of the EPIC space colony.

Even if you’re not typically a “general” sci-fi reader, you’re going to fall in love with Colony One. It stars Maggie, a gutsy young journalist who’s struggling to make it in a world dominated by algorithms and robots, and Jonah, a disgraced ex-Army special forces guy with a chip on his shoulder and one last chance to make it in his career.

These two are strangers from opposite coasts, but their worlds collide when they’re sent to live on the first-ever civilian space colony. Mind-bending future technology, conspiracy, deception, sexual tension — this book has all the things you’ve come to expect from my books. It’s more like The Fringe than Lawless, so if you’re hungry for something like that, you’re going to devour this series.

Get Colony One Early

One more thing: If you LOVE my stories and want to get this one early, don’t forget to subscribe to my books on Patreon. You only have until Tuesday, April 17! Here’s why you should:

• You only pay when I release a new book. Never miss a new release again.
• You get cool bonuses. For Colony One, I’m giving my Patreon people three free short stories.
• You get the book early (usually about a week before it goes live on Amazon).
• You get the book in any format you want. (Read on an iPad or Nook? No problem. BookFunnel supports those, too. Plus, you own the book. You’re not “borrowing” it from Kindle Unlimited.)
• You get to support me directly. I pocket about 90% of the profits generated by Patreon (rather than the 35-70% I keep from Amazon).

I’ve created several different tiers on Patreon so you can get exactly what you want:

• $1 –  Short stories ONLY (no e-book)
• $4 – E-book (delivered via BookFunnel April 18), short stories, plus any other digital bonuses I come up with.
• $25 – SIGNED PRINT COPY (delivered via snail mail a few weeks after the digital launch), e-book (delivered via BookFunnel April 18), short stories and digital bonuses. This option is only available in the U.S., but there is an international fan tier above this one.

You can cancel or change your pledge at any time. You just have to sign up by April 17 to get Colony One. Otherwise, you’ll have to buy it on Amazon with everyone else on April 24.

Questions? Head over to my page to read more about Patreon. You can also shoot me an email at tarahbenner@gmail.com.

Happy reading!

Hey friends,

I’m finishing up edits on my upcoming book, and I’ve been busy developing something cool. It’s a new way to get my books out into the world that allows me to reward my readers for being awesome.

• Have you ever wished that you could get a signed copy of one of my books?
• Do you ever wish that there was more story at the end of a series? 
• Have you gone to buy one of my books from Nook or Apple and been disappointed that it wasn’t there?

If any of this sounds like you, keep reading!

I just started a Patreon page, which allows readers like you to subscribe to my books. Yep, you heard that right: You can now become a patron and get my books before they’re released.

For the cost of one of my e-books (just $4), you can get each new release about a week early, along with exclusive Patreon bonuses such as short stories and deleted scenes. When you sign up, you’ll get the e-book via BookFunnel in whichever format you choose. Whether you read on Kindle, Apple, Nook, Android, etc., you can get it in a way that works for you.

So what is Patreon?

Patreon is a website that makes it easy to pay authors for their work. It also allows authors to give their readers more cool stuff. It’s basically a subscription content service, but instead of paying every month, you just pay when I release a book.

If you REALLY like me, you can sign up as a Super Fan and get a SIGNED PAPERBACK COPY with each new release. You’d still get the digital version early and all the cool bonuses — I’ll just mail you a signed copy when the print book comes out.

If you want to buy the books on Amazon after they come out or read with Kindle Unlimited, you can still show your love with just $1 per book release. This will get you the bonus content — you just won’t get an e-book.

Sound good? Sign up here.

So why am I doing this?

Well, for one thing, Patreon puts more money in my pocket. Instead of earning 35 to 70 percent of the list price, I get to keep about 90 percent.

Patreon also means that I can serve my readers on Nook, Kobo, and Apple — not just Amazon Kindle. Being part of Kindle Unlimited means I MUST be exclusive to Amazon, and I don’t like that. I feel as though I’m leaving readers behind, and it also means that 93 to 99 percent of my income comes from one source each month.

If Amazon ever changed the rules, I’d face serious financial trouble. Patreon allows me to develop a more direct line to my readers.

Sound cool? To learn more about Patreon and all the cool things you get when you become a patron, hop on over to my page to check it out!

You can also email me with any questions at tarahbenner@gmail.com.

I hope to see you on Patreon soon!

Hey friends!

Big news! Ruthless is now available in audiobook format. You can grab your copy today with your Audible credit or get it for FREE when you start your 30-day trial. (If you haven’t started the Lawless Saga yet, now is the PERFECT time to do it. Books one and two are also available, and book four is coming soon to Audible!)

I cannot say enough good things about Jennifer O’Donnell, the talented narrator, or the wonderful people at Podium Publishing. They have created an experience that is simply out of this world. I wrote the book, and I found myself getting sucked in. Jennifer really is that good.

If you’re like me, you probably made a New Year’s resolution to read more — or, in my case, to read more consistently. Audiobooks are a great way to accomplish that goal. I listen to audio content while I’m making breakfast, getting ready, and cleaning the house. It’s also a nice way to share your favorite books with your spouse or family members by forcing them to listen in the car. Haha! Dystopian ambush.

So what are you waiting for? Go download Ruthless on Audible. And let me know what you think! You can shoot me an email via the contact form in the menu or leave a note in the comments below!

 

 

Hey friends,

I hope you all had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

It’s been a crazy month for publishing — even by my standards. I released Dauntless on December 19, and Lifeless came out in audio on December 26!

 You can download the audiobook version with this month’s Audible credit, or you can listen to the book for free when you start your 30-day trial!

If you haven’t gotten into audiobooks yet, I highly recommend it. They are a great way to consume stories while you’re driving, working out, or just cleaning around the house. And Jennifer O’Donnell’s performance of the Lawless Saga is truly out of this world. Collaborating with Podium Publishing has been an amazing experience, and they have produced a performance that I am so incredibly proud of.

For those of you just getting into the series, don’t worry. Ruthless will be out January 31, so you won’t have long to wait.

Happy reading (and listening)!