Studies and Beta Reading Pieces from my upcoming Thesis Novel, Crucifix
- Reads 34
- Votes 3
- Parts 2
MatureOngoing8m
Last published Fri, Apr 23, 2021
Hi All,
I'm within a year of revising and finishing my MFA Thesis Novel, Crucifix. I am going to place some items and tidbits here, and I hope you wouldn't mind checking them out and providing me feedback.
Please leave feedback as comments, or email them to me: d.graham.cruickshank@gmail.com
Here's a little bit about the novel...
**** *** ****
If at first you don't succeed- there is no second chance.
They were getting bored, charting new worlds for colonization, and then the future came calling...
In the sci-fi novel Crucifix, Lauren is a biologist on the exploration vessel Amazing Grace, which conducts initial planet surveys for colonization. The work was interesting, but tedious, and the crew was looking forward to returning home.
When a distress call comes in from the unregistered Sister of Mercy, Amazing Grace responds to discover all hands mysteriously dead... and that the ship is from their future.
Among the victims is Lauren's apparent descendent, bearing the same identical hand-carved heirloom crucifix around his neck as hers.
To save their present, and Sister of Mercy's future, Lauren and crew mates must outrun growing rifts in spacetime and go beyond explored space to the star system from where Sister of Mercy will start her fateful journey in 100 years.
All Rights Reserved
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
The Box Has Twelve Sides: Thirteen Curious Tales to Delight and Disturb
A homeless man discovers a mysterious box which transports him back to his childhood. On each side of the box, both inside and out, a new world reveals itself to him: He experiences another man's worst day of luck. An old, dying man befriends an alien creature and shares an inexplicable bond. A unique blanket helps a young woman in a time of crisis. Another man's grief of losing his dying wife is tempered by a ghostly haunting. The first manned mission to Mars reveals a personal past for one colonist. An Indian Brave concludes a ritual as a rite of passage to adulthood. The end of the world brings a woman and her ailing father together for the last time. A man has an opportunity to right one wrong from his past and realizes the true meaning of regret. Another man's senses are replaced one by one with something alien. A golfer in the aftermath of the apocalypse sets out on a quest to keep the game he loves alive. A conversation between two sides of one man's psyche reveals something in us all. A snowbound woman holds the fate of the world literally in her hands. Once all sides of the box are revealed, the homeless man discovers the promise of a new future built on memories from a past he never had. The Box Has Twelve Sides is a collection of thirteen stories all connected as visions given to a homeless man in search of his future. I will be posting each story as a chapter every few days until all are published and the book marked as complete. Please check back and pick up the next story in the overall arc.Complete
Last to Fall(excerpt)
Exiled and left to die on a hostile alien planet for a crime she didnt commit, alita is saved by a alien native who wants nothing to do with her... Or so he thought. ~~~ ((limited time read!!!))~~~ Xanadis...A world deemed uninhabitable by humans and made into a penal colony where deathrow convicts are sent to serve out the rest of their lives, forced to fight to survive or subcome to the harsh enviroment and fall prey to the many creatures that live there. After being convicted of a murder she didnt commit alita is left stranded on the hostile world filled with carnivorous plants, ruthless criminals, hostile natives, and bloodthirsty monsters. She comes to realize the world isnt as unforgiving and cold as it seems. She's saved by a native who dislikes humans as much as the next guy but shes intent on sticking by his side in order to survive. The only issue being is the last thing he wants is a pathetic, weak human girl following him around. (Limited time only read!) (Ask about the next free read day) (This story isn't professionally edited yet and im new to writing so sorry for grammar and typos! ) (This story is not edited on this version and will not be edited on wattpad, wattpads version of this story will also update later than the other platforms so if you want to read ahead and see the latest chapters for free with no ads check me out on inkitt and lutionary!)Complete
Fortuna Verto
Third Book of the Body - Celesi Veil Trilogy A girl's luck changes when her world changes upon itself, sending her back and forth between a world she knows and another that shouldn't even exist. Working with her parallel self from that other world, the two must adjust to their alternate form when visiting the other's world, as they search for a way to escape the chains of misfortune they are bound to. **{While this story is the conclusion of the trilogy, it is also fully capable of standing alone in its own light, taking place on a completely new world far from Celese that returning readers will be otherwise incapable of recognizing. However, it is highly recommended to leave the final "Trilogy Chapter" until the entirety of the trilogy is completed.}** _____________________ Arcs (Much like the first book): * Arc - / Chapter 0: Teaser * Arc 1 / Chapter 1-10: Breaking the borders of existence * Arc 2 / Chapter 11-20: Lost between uncertainties * Arc 3 / Chapter 21-30: Learning secrets from the void * Arc 4 / Chapter 31-40: A coordinated approach to chaos * Arc 5 / Chapter 41-50: Unmaking undesirable futures * Arc 6 / Chapter 51-60: Exploring the expanse of the self * Arc 7 / Chapter 61-70: Beyond the scale of worlds * Arc 8 / Chapter 71-80: Collision of historical futures * Arc ∞ / Chapter ∞: Endlessly beyond eternity (Trilogy Chapter)Complete
The Carriers
Completed! #1 in government conspiracy as of 10/19/18 #6 in outbreak as of 10/10/18 #7 in corruption as of 8/12/18 #62 in apocalypse as of 8/7/18 #11 in government as of 8/9/18 The year is 2213. Everyone was evacuated from the home planet over 150 years ago. Our planet was dying, it was only a matter of time before our race was wiped out. We now live on a synthetic planet designed and built by our ancestors who came together from all parts of the globe to devise a plan to save us. We have lived peacefully for over a century.. Until now. Our lives were threatened when a mysterious and deadly virus broke out, killing entire communities at a time. The council says that they have a plan; they said that in order to prevent the death of more innocent people they will test every man, woman, and child for signs of the virus. Any person found to have been infected will be quarantined, the ones who die will be given a proper burial while the ones who survive are deemed carriers and are to be sent to the home planet to prevent further outbreak. I was prepared for the people I know and some I love being taken away for the greater good, but I never would have expected that among the list of people being taken from my community, that I would be one of them.. I survived the quarantine. Now for the survival of my planet I, and the other Carriers must be sent to the home planet. I'm going back to Earth. (This is not based on The 100 but there are similarities.) (Some violent themes, but other than that is entirely clean.) Please comment if you have any questions or concerns. This is a first draft so it is definitely not perfect yet.. Thank you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Where'd you learn to do that?" I asked about the intricate knots that he had tied so swiftly. He paused. "Jail." I glared at him in shock at what had just come out of his mouth. "Seriously?" His straight face broke into a grin. "No. Boy Scouts."Complete
The first of it's kind ~ Awakening in B - 094 263
A static noise echoes in my ear, then an indistinct silence announces itself. "...Holt! Can you hear me? Answer me! Mr. Holt!" I want to say something, but all that escapes my lips is a groan. I feel like throwing up right here and now. "Mr. Holt, answer me!" "What..." I gasp and blink. "There he is, sir. He's answering," it crackles in my ear and I raise my hand to my temple with a groan. ------------------------------------------ America in the year 2095: A convicted murderer is offered freedom. In return, however, he must carry out a reconnaissance mission that turns out to be a true horror. He is catapulted through a portal into another world and discovers firstly that he has undergone a devastating change and secondly that America in this other world is more like a dictatorship. With a ruler who thinks rather inferiorly of his and other cases and abuses them as test objects. ------------------------------------------- Trigger warning: chapters may contain intense violence, blood and profanity (...) ------------------------------------------ The book contains two parts. The first has already been completed, the second is currently still in progress. ------------------------------------------ Cover and title as well as the content itself are first drafts. I am therefore open to suggestions, comments and criticism and hope to be able to improve this book.
Murdering Soulfinder (Finding Sky Fanfiction)
Fanfiction based on the 'Finding Sky' Series by Joss Stirling. Zhalia Benedict: the last and youngest sibling to find her other half. How can they be together if someone special is trying to kill her? Is she dead before a relationship can bloom or is she in a bloody mess soon to be buried and forgotten? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ I know this story could be greatly improved but I feel like it's better if I left it be. Please leave no hate, only good comments and votes. WARNING: Uriel's, Victor's, and Will's soulfinders will have different names and background stories in this book compared to the original series. This is because this story was written before the last 3 books came out.Complete
The Titan of Beltar
When humanity's last colony ship reached Al-Vedroon, they thought they'd found a new home. The locals weren't so keen. Fast-forward a thousand years, and against the backdrop of a decaying technomagic dystopia, a lowly Sorceress becomes embroiled in an epic plot that will shake the foundations of society and put all the world at risk. She believes her destiny is to be the Saviour. Others have a different idea. *** This is a complete novel of 23 chapters, and I'd love to hear your comments and feedback so I can make it even better. I will endeavour to post one chapter every friday as I finish my second edit. Also if you like it please vote and share with your friends! Thanks very much, Fen :#)Complete![Leila of the Woods [Book Five]](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/227662848-256-k813106.jpg)
Leila of the Woods [Book Five]
[18+; Use an age indicator in YOUR BIO to confirm you're 18+ if you want to follow/comment or you'll be blocked for safety purposes] Living in the middle of nowhere, Leila is suddenly woken one morning to the sounds of explosions and doesn't have a clue what's happening- and honestly, she's not sure if she even wants to. She likes her quiet life in the woods, but that day brings a lot of strange new things into her path. Date Published: Jun 01, 2020 ✨~Ranks~✨ #1 NonbinaryCharacter- 4/13/2023 #2 Predator- 3/23/2024 #2 OCxCanon- 3/27/2024 #10 Alien- 5/29/2023 #12 Exophilia- 4/15/2025Complete
Grace of An Elder
Tah'kath was told as a pup that the eyes were a doorway leading to the soul. While responding to a kiande-amedha (xenomorph) attack on a human farming settlement, Tah'kath finds a surviving child whose eyes seem to hold the stars themselves. Against his clans wishes, he decides to take the child as his own. **Mature Rating ~ #1 in Xenomorph (3/10/2020) ~ #1 in Predator (5/10/2020) ~ #1 in Outcast (9/17/2020) Trigger warnings will also be broadcast at the beginning of the chapters, as well as a notification at their beginning and their end. Such triggers include but are not limited to: bullying, and implications of rape. Pictures, artwork, and music attached to this story belong to their rightful owners and creators. The Yautja species belong to their rightful creators.Complete
Forever Ours
Sequel to my yandere xenomorph story. If you haven't read it then you'll be lost. Trust me. Cover isn't mine! Cover is to the artist! Also I don't own the alien/predator universe so credit to the creator!Complete
A homeless man discovers a mysterious box which transports him back to his childhood. On each side of the box, both inside and out, a new world reveals itself to him: He experiences another man's worst day of luck. An old, dying man befriends an alien creature and shares an inexplicable bond. A unique blanket helps a young woman in a time of crisis. Another man's grief of losing his dying wife is tempered by a ghostly haunting. The first manned mission to Mars reveals a personal past for one colonist. An Indian Brave concludes a ritual as a rite of passage to adulthood. The end of the world brings a woman and her ailing father together for the last time. A man has an opportunity to right one wrong from his past and realizes the true meaning of regret. Another man's senses are replaced one by one with something alien. A golfer in the aftermath of the apocalypse sets out on a quest to keep the game he loves alive. A conversation between two sides of one man's psyche reveals something in us all. A snowbound woman holds the fate of the world literally in her hands. Once all sides of the box are revealed, the homeless man discovers the promise of a new future built on memories from a past he never had. The Box Has Twelve Sides is a collection of thirteen stories all connected as visions given to a homeless man in search of his future. I will be posting each story as a chapter every few days until all are published and the book marked as complete. Please check back and pick up the next story in the overall arc.
More detailsContent Guidelines