The Series - Books I and II
Book I - The Moon and Beyond
It's the third decade of the 21st century, and a group of people calling themselves the Deep Space Research Institute have made some noteworthy scientific breakthoughs. They've managed unravel the secrets of gravity itself, and have used that knowledge to develop a working gravitational propulsion system for spacecraft... but they aren't telling anyone about it, because their real ambition is to establish a permanent settlement on the Moon.
Of course, the U.S. Goverment (among others) might have some objections, or might simply want to take over the project. So... the DSRI leadership comes up with a simple idea: build their Moon base in secret, move up there, and declare themselves to be an independent nation.
Welcome to the Lunar Free State.
(The Moon and Beyond - 2014 Darrell Award finalist - Best SF Novel by a Midsouth Author)
Book II - Someday the Stars
It's been ten years since the Lunar Free State established itself as a independent nation on Earth's Moon. The "Moonies" have done well, exploiting the mineral resources of the asteroid belt and exploring the outer reaches of the solar system.
On a mission to study Saturn's rings, the LFS research ship Stephen Hawking encounters what appears to be a spacecraft of alien origin. The strange craft leads Hawking on a merry chase before vanishing into... well, for want of a better term, call it hyperspace.
Now the Lunar Free State must deal with two undeniable facts: humans of Earth are not the only intelligent lifeforms in the universe, and travel between the stars is possible. Of course, they also need to figure out what to do if the aliens return...
(Someday the Stars - winner of the 2014 Darrell Award - Best SF Novel by a Midsouth Author)
The Series - Books III and IV
Book III - Valkyrie's Daughter
Meet Carla Greenwood, one of the Lunar Free State's most noteworthy scientists (who also happens to be the daughter of Admiral Lorna Greenwood, commanding officer of the entire LFS Navy).
Carla really isn't into things military, even though the LFS is about to enter into an intersteller war with a race of carnivorous aliens preying on primitive humans in another star system. Carla is quite content to let her mother (and the LFS Fleet) handle these alien nasties... all she wants to do is go out among the stars and unravel the mysteries of the Universe.
But it seems that the Universe has other plans, and Carla keeps finding herself in the wrong place at the wrong time...
(Valkyrie's Daughter - First Runner-Up for the 2015 Darrell Award - Best SF Novel by a Midsouth Author.
Book IV - In the Service of Luna
Lorna Greenwood II is the namesake granddaughter of a legendary military heroine and former CEO of the Lunar Free State. Nova Sakura is the headstrong daughter of recent immigrants to the LFS. Now the two of them are thrown together as they begin their careers as military officers -- Lorna in the Navy, Nova in the Marines -- in the service of the Lunar Free State.
Newly commissioned graduates of the Lunar Free State's Fleet Academy, Lorna and Nova are assigned to the deep space survey cruiser LFS Lewis and Clark. Exploring a star system 47 light-years from Luna, the cruiser discovers an Earth-like planet with a pre-industrial human civilization. Unfortunately, humans on the planet are being used as forced labor by insect-like aliens who are exploiting the planet's mineral resources.
When the aliens discover and attack Lewis and Clark, Lorna gets her trial by fire as the cruiser's tactical officer. Outgunned by the "Bugs" Lewis and Clark is forced to retreat, leaving Nova and a squad of Marines stranded on the planet.
(Now a FINALIST for the 2019 Darrell Award - Winner to be decided in March at MidSouthCon)