By Jeff Pederson – Pedal Down Promotions
(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) April 17, 2025 – After publishing a pair of interwoven epic fantasy novels,
Wisconsin-based author S.L. Wilton travels down a different path with his latest novel, “On Orion’s Shoulder,” which takes a turn into the fast-paced, emotion-tinged world of action romance.
Published through Pedal Down Promotions of Manitowoc, Wis., “On Orion’s Shoulder” comes on the heels of his debut epic fantasy novel, “Queen of Crows” in 2021 and sequel “Crows and Wyverns” in 2024, which were both met with strong reader interest and critical acclaim, including nods as The BookFest Awards prize winners.
Wilton, a retired 20-year U.S. Army veteran, gleaned his inspiration for “On Orion’s Shoulder” from the silver screen.
“I watched the Kurt Russel film, ‘Soldier’ with the premise being soldiers are chosen at birth and raised to be merciless and obey orders through conditioning and training,” Wilton said. “At one point the old soldiers are replaced with new soldiers and their commander says they’re practically manufactured. I thought, what if they were manufactured? As I wrote the story I kept thinking, nature always finds a way, so maybe he changes and gains emotions and empathy. So, a love interest was added and the story fleshed itself out.”
Within the pages of “On Orion’s Shoulder,” Wilton vividly portrays a story brimming with conflict, suspense and love in far-away space.
“A remote mining colony in the Orion nebula comes under attack from an unknown species,” Wilton said. “A genetically engineered clone designed for the military is part of a unit sent to rescue the miners. Events unfold that leave the miners and the clone abandoned to their fate. The clone struggles to protect the miners and along the way learns about the joy and pain love can bring.”
“On Orion’s Shoulder” provides fans of Wilton’s first two novels with a fresh change of pace.
“My first two novels were high fantasy stories told from one point of view,” Wilton said. “‘On Orion’s Shoulder’ is a soft science fiction story with a strong romance thread written from two points of view. It will appeal to science fiction fans that aren’t too concerned with how it works, only that it works. With plenty of action and romance, it will satisfy a wide range of adult readers.”
“On Orion’s Shoulder” is available on several online book sales platforms, including amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and bookshop.org, as well as at yet-to-be-determined future in-person shows and events.
For more information on S.L. Wilton, his new novel “On Orion’s Shoulder” and previous releases “Queen of Crows” and “Crows and Wyverns,” visit https://slwilton.com, Facebook and X (Twitter).
For more information on “On Orion’s Shoulder” and “Crows and Wyverns” book publisher, Pedal Down Promotions, email pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com, visit www.pedaldownpromo.com or call 920-323-7970.