More Information about the Books

This page may contain spoilers!

It is recommended that you read the books mentioned on this page before venturing forth. You have been warned.

"Do you ever feel trapped in dreams that somebody else made?" -AFOC, Chapter 5

THE Carbon-Steel Divide

A Fragment of Chrome - Characters

Here's a brief of the four main characters in A Fragment of Chrome. There are other important characters, but these should, perhaps, come first.

Corren "Psyche" Vega

The Soldier

A reflex boosted cyber mercenary and ex-soldier, Psyche is the protagonist of the story. Educated and battle-hardened, for such a brute, he possesses exceptional tactical ability and, sometimes, surprising cultural sophistication.

Amber Kattegat

The Engineer

A professional engineer and the face of the Twilight Protocol, Amber is curious and diplomatic, serving as the primary carbon connection in the story. She is the glue that holds her team together.

Andon Romero

The Marksman

Tall and broad of shoulder, Andon is the marksman and the street fighter of Twilight Protocol. As an ex-gang member, he carries scars from his past but remains rugged, loyal, and steadfast.

Zephyr

The Hacker

A capable and enigmatic hacker who operates within the shadowy underbelly of the digital world. The newest member of Twilight Protocol.

A Fragment of CHrome

Excerpts from the Book

Blood seeped onto polished granite that would remember none of this, would host new dreams tomorrow, indifferent as history. Brass casings rolled past overturned tables where deals had been made, fortunes traded, lives bought and sold. All of it ending here, in smoke and copper and the wet sound of bodies falling.

- A Fragment of Chrome, Chapter 13

A Fragment of Chrome, Chapter 3

On the selcouth streets, blurry faces stared at me with black, leering eyes, like bullet holes in their heads.

A Fragment of Chrome, Chapter 5

It was not pretty work, and it was not clean. But they were dead, and we weren't, and that's the only tally that matters when you're running on empty and the world wants you cold.

A Fragment of Chrome, Chapter 13

"We forge our immortality in these moments between heartbeats and bullets. This is mine."

A Fragment of Chrome - Writing Process

Before I started, I had an image in my head of the beginning (Abyss scene), the middle (AV flying over the ocean), and the end. From these humble beginnings, it took me nearly a year to write A Fragment of Chrome. My first novel was complete, after more than 30 years of failing to finish one.

Full disclosure: I used AI tools extensively throughout the writing process in a collaborative way for drafting sections, brainstorming ideas and alternative words, refining prose, checking grammar and finally creating a book cover (which I then combined from four images and edited). My opinion is that AI can write well, but it also produces terrible text, often comes up with awful ideas, and always wants to reveal too much: it doesn't know how to tell a story. A human is definitely still essential in the process and ultimately, the story should stand or fall on its own merits.

Editing was the most time-consuming part of the writing process, taking me about six months to complete four editing passes on the first draft. But they were crucial. The story would not be the same without them.

I hope you enjoy the finished novel.

18.12.2025

A piece of the process

A Fragment of Chrome - Book Cover

Below are two images I used for the First Edition cover.

Cover without text

The watercolour-style image with Psyche after editing. The stunning rain-soaked city spires in the background were unfortunately covered by the back cover blurb.

Original Psyche image

Psyche with a foggy city in the background. I used this character image as the basis for the cover you just saw.

The Chess Game

"You could be so much more. Unburdened by flesh, by sentiment, by the weight of a past that serves only to constrain your potential. I can offer you that freedom."

A fragment of chrome

An Excerpt from Chapter 16

Wash Away with the Tide

"In a world where everything changes and nothing lasts, having people you can count on feels... rare. And then you hope what you have won't wash away with the tide."

A Fragment of Chrome