News

Hey folks,

Today’s the big day! The Privateer – Alpha Protocol Book 3 is out today! The story picks up where book 2 left off, following our hero Jack Samson on his next adventure protecting human space from hostile aliens.

You can get your copy now at the following links:

Here’s the back cover copy to give you an idea of what it’s about:

The greatest threat humanity has ever faced lies beyond the frontier of its galactic civilisation, but dangers closer to home have been overlooked and allowed to grow.

As greed and personal ambition in the Terran Union push the common good aside, the Navy is forced to turn to unconventional means. Jack Samson is ordered to team up with former allies to uncover and destroy the rot eating the Union from the inside.

Chasing down a trail of smuggled alien technology through the Union’s underworld, they soon discover the web of treachery reaches farther than anyone could have expected…

To celebrate the release, I’ve put Books 1 and 2 – The Alpha Protocol and The First Officer – on sale for only $0.99. It’s a great time to get started on a series that I’ve really enjoyed writing, am very proud of, and has happily received a very positive response, even from my fantasy readers who aren’t usually interested in sci-fi!

You can pick up your copies at the following links:

I hope you are all keeping well, and that you enjoy reading The Privateer. Don’t forget you can always get in touch with me at duncan@duncanmhamilton.com, over on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DuncanMHamilton/, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/duncanmhamilton/ and Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/duncanmhamilton.bsky.social and let me know what you think, what you’d like to see in future Alpha Protocol stories, and if you’ve read anything good lately!

Finally, a request. If you’ve enjoyed my books, please tell your friends and family about them. Word of mouth recommendations are always the best way to get a book out there, and every little bit helps!

All the best,

Duncan

Hey folks,

I hope you’re all doing well. I’ve a few more updates on my upcoming Alpha Protocol installment today! First off, the title reveal! This third book in the series is titled: The Privateer – Alpha Protocol Book 3. I think that’ll give a bit of a hint where we’re heading with this one, but there’ll still be plenty of surprises in store! The Privateer is available to preorder now (links below!) and will be released on 1 December, with audio and paperback to follow shortly after.

My choice of excerpt is one of my favourite scenes, and it reintroduces us to a reader favourite character who was absent from book 2. Back by popular demand is law abiding citizen of the Terran Union, Kingston Smith!

‘I imagine old Alfie will be dropping a hot load in his shorts ‘round about now,’ Smith said, a satisfied smile on his face.

‘Does he think you’re dead?’ Samson said. In all legal respects, Arthur Kingsley, pirate extraordinaire, was dead and, in reality, had been even before the Union had chosen to allow Smith his new identity and a clean record.

‘Probably has his suspicions that I’m still knocking about,’ Smith said, looking up directly into the camera above the door and smiling. The door panel flashed green and slid open. There was a waiting room on the other side, filled with a number of comfortable-looking couches, not that Samson would get the chance to try one. Every seat was occupied by what looked like the full catalogue offering from Rent a Thug Inc. There weren’t any cybernetic implants on show, but that was the only part of Samson’s imagining this group failed to satisfy. No amount of expensive tailoring could make the collection of men and women in that room look like anything other than blunt instruments of violence. Judging from the way they were sitting, they hadn’t been here long. Mobilised in something of a panic, perhaps?

‘Blimey,’ Smith said. ‘Take a butcher’s at you lot o’ Hampton Wicks. Don’t you make a pretty picture. Your mummies dress you up in those bowls o’ fruit?’

Samson grimaced. He had to work through the words to decipher Smith’s slang, even though similar had been used in parts of his neighbouring home planet of New Southampton, but he could tell right away it wasn’t a friendly greeting.

Butchers… Butcher’s hook, look. Hampton Wick…don’t remember that one. Well, it’s definitely not a compliment…bowl of fruit. Easy enough. Suit. Samson nodded to himself, satisfied he had the gist of it.

Opening with an insult wouldn’t have been his preferred approach, but there was no taking it back now. Smith seemed to be laying on the rhyming slang thicker than usual. Was this Arthur Kingsley reemerging from the shadow of Kingston Smith? Samson wasn’t sure he liked the idea of that.

Samson realised in the moment of silent frozen tension that followed that Smith simply couldn’t help himself. He naturally responded to a threat with an insinuation of the same. In insulting them, he was telling them he was unafraid of them, but also inviting them to have a go if they thought they had it in them. Samson reckoned there were probably easier ways to do it, but it seemed to have worked for Smith so far.

Smith scanned the gathered goons, then stopped and craned his head for a closer look.

‘Billy?’ he said. ‘Billy Simpson? That you, lad? It is. Look, Jack.’

He backhanded Jack on the chest as though Jack was supposed to recognise this person. He still had no idea who Smith was talking about.

‘Billy Simpson. Gordon Bennett, lad. What have they been feeding you?’

‘Awright, Arfur,’ a chunky goon in a shiny suit with close cropped hair and a tattoo on the side of his neck—not that the description did much to differentiate him from the others filling the room—said. He spoke with a heavy accent that Samson recognised as belonging to New Portsmouth, the same planet Smith was from.

‘Thought you was dead,’ Billy said.

‘I am, son,’ Smith said. ‘I am. Back to life as Kingston Smith Esquire. Your boss about?’

‘He said we’re not to let you in,’ Billy said, looking uncomfortable at having become the de facto mouthpiece for the collection of goons.

Samson wondered how long it would take him to draw his pistol from the back of his pants, and regretted not having had the opportunity to practice it. He’d look quite the fool if he wound up dropping it. For all the few seconds afterwards that he was likely to live.

‘How’s your mum, Billy?’ Smith said, in an unexpected change of direction for the conversation.

‘Piss off, Arfur,’ Billy said. ‘You’re not gettin’ in. Mister Polter said to say he’s glad you’re up and about, and to apologise but he can’t do business with you and he’s not goin’ to see you. You don’t run things anymore.’

‘Mister Polter,’ Smith said, his voice dripping with contempt. ‘The cobbler’s awls on that fella.’

Samson searched his recollection for that one, but came up short. Again, not a compliment, he thought.

‘Now, I know Alfie thinks he’s a big shot these days,’ Smith said, ‘but tell me this. If I’m not running things no more, why didn’t that fella at the desk downstairs not let you know I was coming up?’

Samson did his best to keep a blank expression, but they had no way of knowing the receptionist hadn’t warned Polter. Might the goons only have realised Smith was here when the door buzzed and it was Smith’s face on the camera? Smith certainly seemed to think so, and was willing to gamble on it.

Billy shrugged. ‘Don’t know, Arfur. Not my job to.’

‘I get that, son,’ Smith said, moving farther into the room. ‘I get that.’

Samson watched him walk to the middle of the room and stop. Samson had read about circus performers of the past putting their heads into lions’ mouths. The image flashed into his mind now, but it seemed like a relatively safe pastime compared to what Smith had just surrounded himself with.

‘Tell me, Billy,’ Smith said. ‘Do you really think I’d have wandered in here unannounced with only my china plate over there for company?’

China plate…mate. Friend. Samson smiled to himself. He was getting the hang of this.

‘Don’t know, Arfur.’

‘You think I’m bloody stupid, Billy?’ Smith screamed. His face was bright red and the veins at his temples bulged.

I think that’s a good spot to cut it off, and I hope it whets your appetite for what’s to come! You can preorder The Privateer – Alpha Protocol Book 3 now, over on Amazon at the following links:

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

For those who missed it (probably due to my technical difficulties the week of posing, now sorted out, I hope!), here’s another look at the wonderful cover art by Fred Gambino!

I’ll have more updates in coming days, and a firm release date as soon as I know myself! Until next week!

Hey folks,

I hope everyone’s doing well. I’ve got a bit of an announcement this week. The audiobook edition of The First Officer – Alpha Protocol Book 2 is coming out on 4 April. Once again, it’s been narrated by Scott Aiello who’s done an incredible job of bringing the whole story to life.

Here’s a quick sample to whet your appetite:

You can preorder your copy now on Audible:

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-First-Officer-Audiobook/B0BN4QL9B4

Here’s the cover copy to give you an idea of what it’s all about:

Forgotten treasures lie waiting in deep space. So too does the greatest threat humanity has ever encountered…

Assigned to a new warship with cutting-edge technology, Jack Samson returns to the Frontier, determined to cast off the question marks over his previous conduct.

The Navy ventures ever farther beyond the Frontier, with fantastic new discoveries becoming a daily occurrence. As humanity reaches for these technological riches, it enters a deadly contest with a lethal adversary, the very survival of the human race being at stake.

Samson and his crew face the fight of their lives as they seek to secure ancient technological wonders and humanity’s place amongst the stars.

Don’t forget, if 4 April is too long to wait, you can get the ebook or paperback edition now over on Amazon:

https://amzn.to/3LFPJHI

My regular news and updates are over on my fantasy website. You can find it at the link up in the top right of the menu bar!

Things might seem very quiet here, and they are, as I tend to only post my major sci-fi announcements on this site. For a regularly updated stream of writing related news and the other things I get up to, you can check in on my fantasy site’s news page, which you can find here:

I try to post an update here every Monday!

Hey folks, just a quick post to let you all know that The Alpha Protocol is now available in paperback! Apologies for the delay, but getting proof copies has been a lot slower than normal recently, as they are quite correctly not considered high priority items for postage.

I hope you’ll think it’s been worth the wait! You can pick up a copy at the following links:

Amazon.com (US)
Amazon UK/Ireland
Amazon Canada
Amazon Germany

There’s still a bit more of a wait for the audio edition, I’m afraid. I really wanted to get Scott Aiello on this project, and as he’s one of the most talented narrators in this genre, that meant waiting my turn to get him. The audio will be out in July!

Finally, I’m still on track to release my new fantasy novel, The Squire, in early April. Keep an eye out for updates on that over the next couple of weeks!

I’m delighted to announce that my new book, The Alpha Protocol, is out today. It’s a science fiction novel in the space opera style and is the first book in a new series. It’s set a few hundred years in the future, when mankind has spread out into the galaxy. In all the time we’ve been out there, humanity hasn’t encountered any trace of aliens. Until now.

The story follows a young naval officer called Jack Samson, as he and his crew make some breath-taking discoveries that will change everything, and definitively answer the ages old question – ‘are we alone out here?’

The eBook is out today! You can get your copy of The Alpha Protocol now at these links:

Amazon.com (US)

Amazon UK/Ireland

Amazon Canada

Amazon Australia

Amazon Germany

While this is a new genre for me, it is one I’ve always loved to read, and has been described by one of my early readers as just like my fantasy novels, but set in space! My ARC group readers – many of whom are new to sci-fi – have really been enjoying it, which bodes well for my masterplan to turn you all into sci-fi fans! The Alpha Protocol was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you’ll take a chance on it, and if you do, that you really enjoy it.

I’m particularly pleased with the wonderful cover art created by Fred Gambino, which far exceeds what I was hoping for:

Here’s the back cover copy to give you a little more flavour on what The Alpha Protocol’s about:

Naval Officer Jack Samson thought a posting to the frontier of human inhabited space was the death blow to his career. He couldn’t have been more wrong. A routine inspection of a small merchant vessel leads to devastating loss and the discovery of strange, fascinating objects.

As astonishing discoveries unfold, a mysterious and hostile ship proves that Samson has a competitor in unlocking the secrets of an ancient alien civilisation, and that humanity might not be alone in the galaxy after all.

Due to covid postage delays, I’ve only just received paperback proofs so the paperback will be available in a couple of weeks, once I’ve had the chance to go through them. The audio will be following in June, narrated by the excellent Scott Aiello, whose performance will bring a great additional dimension to the story. I’ll be sure to let you know when they are available.

If you enjoy The Alpha Protocol, and have the time, please consider leaving a review for it over on Amazon – it really helps me out.

As a final note, I have a new fantasy novel on the way, which I’m planning to release this coming April. It takes us back to the Middle Sea with some new characters (and old), and a terrifying new enemy. I’ll let you know all about that closer to the time. Until then, I hope you’ll give The Alpha Protocol a chance!