Nestled deep in the Saddleback Mountains, Glimmer Vale is a patch of civilization in the wilderness.  Perched on the shore of Lake Glimmermere, the town of Lydelton makes its living by fishing the lake and as a stopping point for caravans carrying trade from Mangin City on the east side of the mountains and Caras, on the west.

It's a quiet, peaceful place.

Or it was, until a band of deserters turned brigands decided to make it their home, terrorizing the inhabitants and demanding exorbitant tribute.

It was into this situation that Raedrick Baletier and Julian Hinderbrook, soldiers fleeing from war in the west, rode on their journey home.  With no option of turning back and no way through the Vale, the two friends accepted an offer of employment from Lydelton's mayor.  Their mission: drive off the brigands and restore peace to the Vale.

Outnumbered, and with the demons of their own past pressing upon them, it would take all of their skill and wit, and no small amount of help from the locals, for Raedrick and Julian to have any chance of success.

Thus begins the Glimmer Vale Chronicles, a heroic fantasy series set in a world of valor and magic.  From the initial struggle of that first adventure, the series has continued into a seven volume epic filled with intriguing characters, enticing mysteries, and edge-of-your-seat action.

This campaign introduces Rifts, the eighth volume of the series.  If you enjoy fantasy adventure with a western feel, this is the series for you!

Whether you're new to Glimmer Vale or are a returning reader, we've got reward perks to cover you.

Those who back the campaign in the first 48 hours will get two novellas for their extra reading pleasure.

Debts and Obligations 

When Ben, a ranger in the Jarl's service, finds his friend's isolated cabin raided and burned, he must get the lone survivor, an injured young boy, back to town and safety.

But the perpetrators remain nearby, and present a danger greater than Ben has ever faced, or even imagined.

Passing In The Night

A year-long shift in the middle of the interstellar void can get pretty boring. For the Fourth shift crew of the starliner Pericles, enroute to Earth from one of the colony worlds, the passage could best be called routine.

Until the forward sensors detect an unknown and unexpected object ahead. What they find there, in the endless night of space, will forever change the universe, for them and for all mankind.

Assuming they survive to tell anyone about the encounter.

New to the series?  Get started with Glimmer Vale, Glimmer Vale Chronicles #1.  Purchasing the paperback includes the ebook, in your choice of format.

Returning to the Vale?  Rejoin the adventure with Rifts, Glimmer Vale Chronicles #8.  Purchasing the paperback includes the ebook, in your choice of format.

Start the series right with the first three novels of the Glimmer Vale Chronicles.  Purchasing the paperbacks includes the ebooks, in your choice of format.

Get the entire Glimmer Vale Chronicles.  Purchasing the paperbacks includes the ebooks, in your choice of format.

Have you ever thought it would be cool to be a character in a story?  Now you can!

Michael will name a character after you in a future work of his.  You can decide what kind of character, whether hero or villain, and whether the character survives or not.

And you'll get the entire Glimmer Vale Chronicles in your choice of ebook format.

Michael will write a story (up to 15,000 words in length) to a prompt of your choosing.  He will deliver it to you in mass market paperback and ebook formats for your own enjoyment, but he will retain all copyright to it.

And you'll get the entire Glimmer Vale Chronicles series in your choice of ebook format.

Michael has written many other books besides the Glimmer Vale Chronicles, primarily in the fantasy, science fiction, and mystery genres.  In addition to the above perks, you'll be able to add on selected stories from his portfolio, for your greater reading enjoyment.

Available titles include:

Glimmer Vale Chronicles

In case you want to get the Glimmer Vale books piecemeal, or want multiple copies, you will be able to add them to your pledge as needed/desired.

Warfare Qualified 
 
Join the Navy. See the Galaxy.

Every newly-minted officer of the Icaran Confederation Navy has one goal: to earn the golden warfare device of a fully qualified Stellar Warfare Officer.

In pursuit of that goal, Ensign Matthew Gilbert looks forward to a grand adventure together with his friends on the newest, most powerful ship in the fleet.

Instead, a last-minute change in orders sends Matt, alone, to a backwater station and an aging ship he never would have chosen.

Far from home and surrounded by an unfamiliar culture, with a crushing workload and little chance of seeing any real action, he finds himself embarked on the adventure of a lifetime, on the pointy end of his nation’s spear.

He just has to get qualified first.

Technically detailed and accurate to Naval culture and tradition, Warfare Qualified is a fun and exciting excursion into the life of a junior officer on his first adventure in a large and dangerous galaxy.

Rig For Space 

Day and night, year round, the sailors of the Icaran Confederation Navy patrol the stars, doing their part to defend hearth and home, God and country. It is a challenging, dangerous, and often thankless job that demands all that they can deliver, and sometimes more.

From heroic highs to career lows, from secret operations to surprise birthday parties, this collection of ten military science fiction stories shows what life is like on the pointy end of the spear, where the Confederation’s finest put themselves in harm’s way every day.

Veritas Morte

During his first campaign outside of his Empire's star systems, Lucien Bandemyr, Crown Prince of the Qorathi Empite, looked forward to adventure, excitement, and glory.

Instead he found frustration, and a betrayal that could bring the Empire to its knees.

Only he can save the Empire from its enemies, both outside and within. But doing so could cost more than he ever imagined.

The Pericles Conspiracy

Captain Josephine Ishikawa changed the course of history, but no one knows about it.

She and her crew had an encounter while returning to Earth from the colony worlds, and upon their arrival the government swore them to secrecy about it.

With the powers that be in charge, Jo did her best to put the incident out of her mind and set about getting her starliner, Pericles, through a major overhaul and back out to the stars.

But the circumstances of their return to Earth along with the mysterious death of her Chief Engineer has caused the news media to ask questions, prompting Jo to wonder whatever became of the beings she rescued out in the depths of space, and of the promise she made to their dying parents.

If you like action and intrigue, The Pericles Conspiracy is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, and leave you wanting more.

52 Stories In 2023 

In 2023, Michael embarked on a grand adventure: a quest to create fifty-two stories in a year, one for each week, and collect them into five collections.

He succeeded. and released the stories in five volumes filled with ten stories each, ranging from military science fiction to sweet romance.

If you enjoy engrossing tales that immerse you in imaginative new worlds, you'll love these stories.

We've set a relatively modest initial goal for this campaign, $300, but we'd obviously like to see more than that.  To sweeten the pot a bit, we're planning the following additional rewards as stretch goals.  They will be provided in your choice of ebook format.

$500 - The Road To Mangin City

A short story set in the Glimmer Vale world, set concurrently with book six.  As Julian, Melanie, and Jared travel back home from their quest for The Falconer's Stairs, they have an unexpected, and troubling, encounter.

$700 - The Evening Catch

A short story set in the Glimmer Vale World, set between books six and seven.  Unexpected trouble on Lydelton's docks interrupts Raedrick's planned quiet evening with his family.

$900 - Miss Melody And The Elf-Spa

A short contemporary fantasy story.  Distressed by her numerous troubles, a young woman wanders on her way home, and discovers a mystical cafe that offers her unexpected solace.

$1100 - Naughty And Nice

A short contemporary fantasy story.  Dustin Cofield, Elfsterminator, works for a secret agency to help Santa Claus preserve Christmas against the privations of rogue elves.  When those same elves kidnap his girlfriend, the job suddenly becomes personal.

$1300 - Midwatch Asylum

A short military scifi story.  During what should have been a routine widwatch patrol, two pilots in the Icaran Confederation Navy have an unexpected encounter that could reshape the political situation in the galaxy.  If they survive it.

$1500 - Short Mystery 10-Pack

A collection of ten short mysteries written by Michael Kingswood.

For this year's Printopia event, I'm partnering with J. D. Penndagger.  He writes comedic fantasy, and his latest novel, Tainted, promises to be a lot of fun.

Thor: Ragnarok meets Romancing the Stone in this laugh-out-loud epic fantasy about a perfection-obsessed soldier who spirals through death after death as he tries to undo a single mistake on his quest to rescue the perfect princess.

Check out what he's doing at the link below, and show him some love!

As a little incentive, if you back both our campaigns, we will each give you a bonus electronic short story, and, if your pledge level includes physical items, we'll send you a fun bookmark to go with the stories.

Michael Kingswood has written and published over a hundred novels and shorter works.  He is a 20-year veteran of the US Navy's submarine force.  He lives in San Diego with his four children and trusty canine friend.