This is the online home of Matt Johnston, writer, sailor, raconteur.
You can continue to the blog where all of the talky-talky goodies
are. Or you can pop me an old-fashioned message at mattj@cimota.com
which I will endeavour to reply to unless it vanishes into my junk folder.
At the blog you'll find out about my books as well as decades of my blog posts
on everything from heartbreak to technology. If you've come looking for my RPG books,
like The 23rd Letter then I recommend popping along to lategaming.com
Yes, this page looks like this deliberately. |
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| Short Tales of Distant Lands | Buy Now or Read on Kindle Unlimited |
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Step into a world where magic whispers through ancient forests, shadows hold forgotten secrets, and ordinary lives are touched by the extraordinary. Short Tales of Distant Lands is a spellbinding collection of stories set in the richly imagined universe of Talking to Dragons.
The Short Tales of Distant Lands are a companion to Talking to Dragons, Book 1 of Tales of Distant Lands and the Tales of Distant Lands tabletop roleplaying game. These stories are intended to enrich and expand the world first introduced in the novel, delving into its history, its mysteries, and its people. The lands of this world are vast and varied, shaped by forces both magical and mundane, and within them lie countless stories waiting to be uncovered.
Whether you are a returning traveler or a first-time visitor to these distant lands, this collection offers something for every reader: high adventure, heartfelt lessons, and the quiet wonder of worlds waiting to be explored. Perfect for fans of fantasy who love rich settings, unforgettable characters, and stories brimming with magic and mystery.
Enter a land where every shadow hides a story and every whispered secret holds a spark of wonder. Short Tales of Distant Lands will captivate your imagination and leave you yearning for more. |  |
| Tales of Distant Lands, Book 1 - Talking to Dragons | Coming soon |
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| The first novel set in this world, an accompaniment to the upcoming TTRPG. Follow the adventures of Makaira, a disgraced court wizard, Joy, an untested new wizard and Shei, a bard with a tragic past, as they travel the world seeking dragons at the bequest of a weak king. | Cover
Coming
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| Tales of Distant Lands, Book 2 - The Shadow | Coming soon |
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| The second novel set in this world, an accompaniment to the upcoming TTRPG. Follow the continuing adventures of Makaira, the court wizard, Joy, wizard and agent of the Queen and Shei, a twin-souled bard with a tragic past, as they travel the world righting wrongs at the bequest of Queen Dewa of Prive. | Cover
Coming
Soon |
| A Whole New World | Buy Now or Read on Kindle Unlimited |
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| When Earth could no longer sustain us, we looked to the stars for salvation. A Whole New World is a sweeping anthology of humanity's final days on Earth and its audacious journey to find a new home among the stars.
Spanning generations and galaxies, this collection of interconnected stories takes readers on an emotional and gripping voyage. From the desperate last days of a collapsing planet to the awe and terror of discovering alien worlds, each story is a window into the lives of those who dared to leave everything behind.
Experience the monumental construction of the Odyssey, humanity's greatest vessel, through the eyes of engineers wrestling with the enormity of their task. Witness the courage, and moral compromises, of those chosen to preserve humanity's genetic legacy. Follow the crew as they navigate isolation, mutiny, and the unrelenting vastness of space. And, finally, step onto the surface of a new planet, where survival is not guaranteed and the dream of a better future is fragile but achingly real.
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| This Bitter Earth | Buy Now or Read on Kindle Unlimited |
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| A Cold War noir of power, guilt, and the men who didn't stay heroes.
Boston, 1950. The war is over, but the scars remain. Henry Calloway - Vanguard operative, war hero, quiet wreck- now works for the Office of Special Projects, tracking the rise of super-powered individuals known only as Emergents.
Some are born with gifts. Others are made. All are watched.
When a routine investigation leads to a girl with flame for hair, a bookkeeper who talks too much, and whispers of a secret called Reverence, Henry finds himself caught in something far worse than war: peacetime.
Nothing is what it seems. Not his partner. Not the woman he loves. Not the city he thought he knew.
And as old powers rise under new flags, Henry's past is coming for him—with teeth.
Superpowers are real. So is fear.
And the line between soldier and weapon is thinner than ever. |  |