Nathan Lowell - Full Share

Michael Sullivan, bestselling author of the Riyria Revelations

My overall recommendation is to give this story a try, no matter what your preconceived notions of the sci-fi genre are. Leave your normal sci-fi genre expectations at the airlock and travel a bit with Ish, Pip, and the rest of the Lois McKendrick crew as they travel the known trading routes in search of profit. This one is well worth the time! You wont be sorry.
One of those books you can be lost in. You have ownership with each person Mr. Lowell brings to the story. A great read, about someone you wish could be a close friend. Sail away with this set of books.
My favorite thing about these books is the gentle but fantastic and believable world-building. Mr. Lowell just sucks you in and mkes you feel at home with these characters both on the ship and off.
Nathan Lowell is a brilliant storyteller. The Trader Tales do not need battles, murder plots or evil villains to keep the story moving. What it has is the most amazing characters who will become your friends and family! Thanks, Nathan, for hours and hours of pure pleasure!
This is a good old-fashioned SF coming-of-age story and Nathan Lowell presents it with a masterly hand.
This whole series is phenomenalI loved everything from Quarter Share to Owners Share. The later books are available in PodioBook format (podcasts), and are wonderfully read by the author.

This book and parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law.
Ridan and its logo are copyrighted and trademarked by Ridan Publishing. All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual persons, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
A Ridan Publication
www.ridanpublishing.com
www.solarclipper.com
Copyright 2011 by Nathan Lowell
Cover Art by Michael J. Sullivan
Formatting by Robin Sullivan

Release Date: May 2011

Trader Tales

All children, except one, grow up. While I had never considered that the one might be me, recent events had punctuated that reality. The thing to keep in mind about up is that it isnt a destination like grandmothers house or a condition you arrive at like growing bored or becoming hungry . Up is a process that endsas the Bard has saidgravely. I was reflecting on this idea while on the afternoon watch and, to be truthful, more than a little remorsefully. The Lois McKendrick was three days out of port, clawing her way out of Dunsanys gravity well bound for Betrus. Our stay at the orbital had been so surreal and bizarre that I wondered idly if someone had laced the air supply with an aerosol hallucinogen.

The console jarred me out of my reverie by initiating an Automated System Integrity Check. The status message blinked Running for less than a tick before changing to Air Systems Nominal and under that Water Systems Nominal . I acknowledged the message and went back to my funk.

The rollercoaster of the last week had been emotionally exhausting. It started with my self-absorbed exhibitionism at Chez Henri, continued with a rendezvous with the Second Mate of the Duchamp , and ended with my pathetic debacles with three of my shipmates. The fact that they were, as Henri Roubaille had said, three of the most delightful and strikingly beautiful women on this end of the galaxy, made me feel even more like a mooncalf. I was left with the singular and distinct impression that whatever else might have happened I had been an idiot. Given my gendermaleand my ageeighteenthat should have come as no surprise, but I had hoped for better from myself.

Even with all this berating, I had to admit that it hadnt been all bad. I think I helped the new mess deck attendant, Sarah Krugg, come to grips with years of abuse she had suffered on St. Cloud. She was shaping up to be a crackerjack cook and might very well be the best natural born salesperson in the galaxy. As for her practicing a little South Coast shamanism on the side, well, we all have our individual faiths.

Pipthats Phillip Carstairs, cargo geniusand I had made a tidy profit on our last leg and we had some interesting cargoes for Betrus. The McKendrick Mercantile Cooperative, a trading club for the crew that I helped to setup, was going great guns. The group who was becoming known as the co-ed crochet team was seeing fantastic success. They bought yarns in one port, crocheted their goods in the Deep Dark, and sold the completed products at our next destination. Theyd just been getting started going into Dunsany Roads and I was glad to see my little idea was working out so well for them.