Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts

Monday, June 6, 2022

What's New with Sounds Fishy?

See Lucas' interview at 
New space adventure picture book!
Get it at Amazon!

NBPBReviews
Adult9 book reviews

A space patrol team of fish and whales manned the earth’s orbit. Their job is to protect planet earth from the well-armed rogue sharks. The fishes and whales were not just the space patrol team members but also best friends. As it was uneventful for a while, the space patrol decided to take their long-awaited break. But, they get a distress signal from a far end. The team attended the call, and they realized it was a trap when they reached there. What happened to the team? Did they defeat the enemy? Did they save the earth?

We picked this book for its warm illustrations that have a glow-in-the-dark feel. The story is set in the future and has all the essential elements of a children’s book. It talks about friendship and how they stood all along for each other during difficult times. The pictures go well with the story.






23rd June 2022

I read it (an adult) & to AVK aged 14

4 Stars

Thursday, November 15, 2018

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Haley Cavanagh

     Tell me about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, really. I’m an Army veteran and a married mother of two cute girls and lots of furry babies. I write novels in every genre (I’ve been a published romance novelist under a pen name for the last three years), and my newest science fiction novel, Astraeus, just released on October 12th with Covey Publishing.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a laptop or do you prefer writing freehand?        

I write quicker on a laptop, but I do jot down any ideas in a notebook or in the memo section of my phone as they come to me randomly. I prefer to write at home in a comfortable, sun-kissed spot of light in my living room, but I also enjoy going to the library, coffee shops, and writing outdoors occasionally.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

My favorite part is finishing a novel and seeing it be published. The act of creation is rewarding, but nothing beats holding your creation in your hand and getting to share it with readers. My least favorite part is writing blurbs, the short descriptions on the backs of books. I find it a real challenge to condense a whole novel's worth into a brief two paragraphs. But it’s a necessary evil. ðŸ˜‰

How do you come up with your characters? Why would readers want to get to know them?

I met some amazing, wonderful and colorful characters during my time in the military. My characters are mostly figments of my imagination, but as with any writer, there are sprinklings of people I’ve known, experiences I’ve had, and things I’ve seen here and there. I’ve been told my characters are raw and real, and readers connect to them emotionally. I write people I’d enjoy being friends with, regardless of what flaws they may or may not have.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

I usually do in-person signing events at bookstores like The King’s English, Barnes & Noble (if there are openings), and signings at author events. Online I always do a blog tour to get the word out and promote my books on my website and in my author newsletter.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

As a mother, writing has to come second. While I try to be consistent, I usually write when the children are at school on the days I don’t volunteer, so during school and office hours. I did work in corporate America not too long ago, and I have a BA in Psychology, however, these days my husband is luckily able to support us, allowing me to pursue writing full time, for which I’m profoundly grateful.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I am currently working on finishing a romance novel in my pen name, and I’m also writing the sequel to Astraeus. I have many things cooking on the back burner, including a screenplay.


      One of the projects is a YA dystopian novel. I began writing it when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter nine years ago, and I’d like to eventually pay it the full attention it deserves and get it finished. One thing I enjoy about writing is that books are always a commentary about something. Dystopians are interesting to write because there are so many subliminal messages you can put into the storyline and political upheaval of the world. It’s quite cathartic to write, and I’m looking forward to returning to the manuscript one day soon.
What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

Take that needling voice of doubt, and crush it like crumbly bread in your hands. Self-doubt is a writer’s worst enemy. If you have a dream and a story to write, write it, and don’t let anything get in your way. Change the way you talk to yourself. Instead of saying “I’m not sure,” say, “I believe in myself, and I WILL do this.” Tell yourself that every day until you believe it, and never, ever give up.

One pre-apocalyptic Earth. One desperate space mission to find a solution. One unexpected alien.
When Dr. Sakota Thorell signed onto the mission to scout out a new, habitable planet,
she knew discovering extraterrestrial life was always a possibility. But she never expected to find an alien adrift in space, nor for that alien to be so intriguing. Sakota feels an instant and undeniable attraction to Astraeus, but he represents a million possibilities, and just as many threats.
There are others hunting Astraeus, and his rescue may cost Earth its last hope.

Haley Cavanagh is a military veteran, wife, and mother. She is an alumna
of Columbia College, a musical theater nut, and she loves to dive into any book that crosses her path. Haley resides with her family in the United States and enjoys spending time with her husband and children when she's not writing. She loves to hear from her readers, and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media. She also writes under the name Roxanne D. Howard.
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive content and a giveaway!

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Doug Cooper

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I write the Crystal Series books, which are sci-fi action and adventure stories that center on the themes of aliens, spies, AI, romance, and battles in space. Criss, the overarching personality in the series, is a four-gen AI crystal with the cognitive ability of a thousand humans. He is hard-wired to protect and serve his human leadership team, which includes Dr. Juice Tallette, the crystal scientist who created Criss; Cheryl Wallace, a captain of a Fleet military space cruiser; and Sid, a covert spy for the Defense Intelligence Agency.



I started writing science fiction when I was looking for a new creative outlet in my life. At that time, I chased several ideas--developing webcasts to go with my online textbook (www.controlguru.com), launching a new technology company, and tapping away at my keyboard writing a scifi novel. Within months, my writing morphed into a passion and I dropped my other projects to give myself more time for it. I’ve been at it for about five years and my writing time remains a most treasured part of my day.

What is your process for writing a book?

I begin with an idea in my head and then start writing.  I don’t plan, and I even prohibit myself from thinking too far ahead, because my joy comes from the creative process of writing into the unknown.

I write each scene in the order it will appear when published. The fun thing about this is that my stories follow a rotating point of view among the characters, and don’t always follow a straight timeline from chapter to chapter. So, I write a story that does not follow a strict timeline sequence, and that rotates among the viewpoints of the central characters, in page order.

And to really make it fun, I don’t allow myself to go back and change a previous scene to help me solve a challenge with the current one. To me, plot development is like solving a puzzle. I enjoy being at a particular point in an adventure, with characters deployed here and there, all with histories and in certain situations, and now I must move forward in a plausible and entertaining fashion. It’s a slow process, but my key to success is persistence. I write every day for a few hours. And slowly but surely, I write books.

Do you edit as you write or do you wait until the novel is finished before you start editing?

I edit as I go. And as I write, I will look back and tweak pages here and there until I can read a whole scene without stopping. I can usually achieve this in five or so passes. And during this time, I edit for sentence structure, word selection, line breaks, showing not telling, replacing passive voice with active voice, continuity, and anything else that might make me unhappy at that time. Writing new lines for a story is equally slow. I can take a minute to write one sentence. And then five more messing with it.

What's your favorite part about writing?

I enjoy having my characters surprise me, which they do pretty much every time I write, and which is why I can’t plot ahead. The conversations are the wild card. I can describe a setting or have action take place and stay on track. But once the characters start talking, then all bets are off.

In a verbal exchange, a character will reveal information I had planned on holding back, note something that becomes a flaw in my own plot, or make a quip that takes the scene in an unexpected direction. I don’t fight it. I embrace it. Discovering what’s going on in a character’s mind is one of the thrills that keeps me writing.

Which authors have influenced your writing?

As a kid, I discovered Tom Swift, Jr., a young adult science fiction series. In different books, Tom builds a flying lab, a jet submarine, a giant robot, a rocket ship—I was in heaven and spent many hours daydreaming about science and technology. The Crystal Series stories might be described as an adult version of Tom Swift, maybe mashed up with some Star Trek, Mission Impossible, and I Robot.

Why did you choose to become an indie author rather than follow the traditional publishing route?

I chose the indie route for a number of reasons: I’m anxious to get new works out to readers in a timely fashion, I want to maintain long-term control over of the work, and I am excited by the entrepreneurial challenge.  Self-publishing has all aspects of the small business enterprise, including product creation, branding and marketing, finance, project management, and intellectual property concerns. I love exploring ways to pull those levers to advance my writing career.



What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I just released the third full-length book of the series, Crystal Rebellion, and I’m gratified by the positive reader response—it’s been amazing! The setting is on Mars, and the bad guys are three AI crystals left behind after the last alien invasion of our solar system. Our heroes struggle to save the world and soon realize they need to save themselves. I’ll leave it at that as I don’t want to reveal any spoilers. I invite everyone to give the book a read and enjoy the ride!

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

The epilogue of book II, Crystal Conquest, suggests the premise for this new release, Crystal Rebellion. And Rebellion’s epilogue suggests the premise for the next book, Crystal Escape. That’s all the clues I’ll give to my wonderful readers. I’m half way along on the new book and already know it will be the best one yet.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish?

Write every day and have fun doing it. Writing is art, and so there will be people who like what you do and those who don’t. So like any art form, do it for yourself.  Write what brings you joy and satisfaction, and you will produce the best work you are able and have fun doing it. 

One way to practice is to write pieces and then stick them in a drawer. An alternative is to write things that will help society. Your neighborhood library, museum, senior center, or shelter all have access to grant opportunities and would benefit from a talented individual willing to help them write one. It’s hard work. It’s only creative to the extent you can spin the circumstances of the organization you are supporting to the requirements of the granting agency. But I know that anyone who writes a dozen grant applications will be judged a dozen times. It’s frustrating work, but like practicing your scales on an instrument, this sort of activity strengthens writing skills.

 ***

A Question for Kathryn:

What is a good marketing strategy for an indie author like me?

Great question! Recently, I've been learning the importance of connecting with readers for the long haul - not just to sell a book or two - but to keep readers reading through my connection with them. 

We support our friends, those who care about us, and social media is becoming more and more of a hangout with our friends, whether we have met with many of them personally or not.

Great friends like to help us. They share what they have liked, what we have written, with their friends. And these friends share with their friends and so on.

We create friendships not only through social media, but through speaking engagements and author events. We may decide to do a signing at a hair salon or a craft show. Who says we have to sell books only at book stores?

We open our eyes and our hearts to opportunities of connection, and we give our readers the best we have to offer. 

Those who call us friend will keep coming back.

***
doug@crystalseries.com
www.crystalseries.com


Wednesday, January 11, 2017

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Andrea Pearson

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

My youngest brother is an avid reader, and he once complained to me that there weren’t enough books in our local library for him to read. I was about 22 at the time and wrote my first book for him. He liked it, so I continued the series, and haven’t stopped writing since. :-)



How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

Anywhere and anywhere I can find the chance! I have a three-year-old and a baby (who is frequently sick and has had some health issues). Finding writing time is very difficult. But I’ve started dictating, and it’s much easier (and faster) to talk into a recorder for ten minutes and get in the same amount of words as 45 minutes of typing. :-)

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

Favorite part: The rush of creativity! The feel of new ideas forming as I tackle a scene. It’s quite exhilarating. My least favorite part? That middle-of-the-story bump! I know most writers experience it. It’s what happens when you’ve gotten through the exciting events and you know where you want to go, but you’re not quite sure how you’ll get there, even when working with an outline.

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?
Get the Book at Amazon
I’ve got 25 books out now, so I’ll answer this in a general sense. It takes me anywhere from three weeks to a month to finish a book, including self-editing before sending to beta readers and editors. In the beginning, it took around a month to write and several months to edit. Thank goodness we progress with practice! As to ideas, they almost constantly flow. They come from anything and anywhere! Conversations with my husband or kids, a movie, a song, a hike in the mountains, etc. There is never an end to ideas.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

I focus mainly on my newsletter. I love my readers! Nearly everything I do is geared to beefing up my subscriber list. My automatic emails to them, once they’ve subscribed, sell my books better than anything else.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I’m working on two projects: Enshroud, the eighth book in my Mosaic Chronicles, and Self-Publish Strong, a series of books for authors on marketing, building robust newsletter lists, etc. (Kathryn: Please let me know when the first book in your author series is due to release. Perhaps we can do a spotlight then on the new book).

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I’m brainstorming Koven Chronicles, my next series. It’s an urban fantasy about a woman who controls fire.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

Practice makes perfect! Seriously – if you have the creativity to come up with an idea, you can refine the necessary talent to pull it off. If you work hard enough, the talent will flow. It’s the whole, “Fake it ‘till you make it,” thing.

***
Learn more about Andrea at the following links: 




Wednesday, May 18, 2016

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Ted and Charlene Petersmire from Desert Rains

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

Ted: Hey Char, ya got a minute? We got this questionnaire thing in the post an’ since we both own the ranch we should mebe answer it together.

Charlene: You know I hate these things, Ted.

Ted: Yep. I know. Answer anyway. They wanna know who we are, where we live and such?

Charlene: Seriously? I’d think they could figure that out on the long comm, but okay. We’re Charlene and Theodore Petersmire, co owners of the Double P Ranch which can be found a bit outside of the town of Ridgeback on the mostly desert planet Galileo. We raise cattle and a highly valued food crop called ogen for export. Teddy looks like someone slapped a hat and a pair of boots on a mountain and set it walking.

Ted: And Charlene is a dark haired bundle of spitfire an’ science. Her beau Rick would say she’s beautiful. I’m pretty sure she has her moments when she ain’t hittin’ me.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Ted: Spare time? I think someone needs to define spare time fer these folks. Ain’t no such thing as spare time on a ranch. Ya always got somethin’ ta see to.

Charlene: True, though we also make time for eating with friends and family and there’s the Festival after the rains where the whole town comes together to dance and celebrate.

What is your favorite color and why?

Ted: Why do these people want to know about colors? This is the weirdest insurance question thing I’ve ever read. I guess I’ll put down blue.

Charlene: Me too. I like blue, like Richard’s eyes.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

Ted: Now food questions I can relate to though someone will probably tell me slab toast and milk is bad for me, but only cause they ain’t been eatin’ slab toast and milk, and apple fritters, and steak, and beer, and…

Charlene: I suspect they don’t have enough space for you to list all of your favorites.

What would you say is your biggest quirk?

Ted: Oh, this is a good one. Charlene’s biggest quirk is her tendency to take on the world all by herself even when all the rest ‘f us are happy ta help.

Charlene: Yeah, well your biggest quirk is your tendency to go from one woman to the next like a big puppy when you really know you want to find the right one and settle down. So there.

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is manifested.

Ted: This one we can agree on. Mister Donovan won’t take no for an answer. He’s been told the ranch and the seed ain’t fer sale or barter an’ yet he keeps comin’ after both.

Donovan turned towards Richard with a hard little smile. “Exactly my point. It shows a complete lack of ambition. And if they lack the ambition it stands to reason they should be willing to work with someone who will take their product and make sometimes of it on their behalf. The improvements to the ogen seed alone are worth a fortune in the right markets.”

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

Ted: Well, besides each other? Prolly Rick, Charlene’s paramour an’ my best friend these days. Didn’t rightly figure he’d end up so important ta both ‘f us, but he’s a good man. An’ he’s gonna be a daddy soon enough.

Charlene: Ted! That information hasn’t come out yet. We only just got married.

Ted: Ain’t my fault ya work fast. I’m lookin’ forward ta bein’ an uncle.

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

Charlene: The book in which we? I’m going back to the comment that this is one weird form. Umm…I guess most folks don’t realize that our parents are first generation ranchers. We’ve still got family back on Central, but neither of us feel much need to go visiting. Maybe after the baby is born.

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?

Charlene: I can SO make a pie.

Get the Book at Amazon
A Question for Me:

Ted:  So do you have a favorite food, Pretty Lady? Something which drives your creative instincts?

Ted, that would have to be chocolate. Chocolate melts writer's block, and keeps me going when I'm thinking I should be doing the dishes. Thanks for asking!





Wednesday, May 11, 2016

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jana S. Brown

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I knew by the time I was about six that the two things in life I wanted was to be a momma and a writer. I loved to write and tell stories and sent my first book into a big press when I was about 14. I got a very nice rejection letter which encouraged me to keep reading and writing and I did. I’ve since published both fiction and a lot of non fiction and am continuing to work on my dream.



How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

I have a three year old, so scheduling writing time is sometimes a matter of desperation. I tend to scribble during her ‘TV time’ and I’ve worked things out with my husband so I get at least two hours of writing time three times a week in the evenings. It’s not completely ideal, but it works for now.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I have a writing cave with a nice desk, treats and a heater all my own. I use paper for drafting outlines and character development and a laptop for everything else.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

I love it when everything comes together and the words are really flowing. I love it even more when I go back to read and get lost in my own work. The hardest part is when nothing is flowing and I’m staring at the blank screen.

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

Desert Rains came into full outline one lazy Sunday afternoon. I was doodling and ended up with a beginning to end outline. In future drafts it changed only slightly. I wrote the first draft in about seven weeks. It took another couple months to revise, cover, typeset and publish.

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What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

I love getting reviews and send out a lot of review copies. I’m currently in a total revamp of my website and newsletter, then will be hitting those like gang busters. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest where I enjoy chatting about books, family, craft projects (and sometimes failures) and cooking.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

My current project is called Fallen Stone. It’s going through a final revision before wending its way to publication. It is an Urban Fantasy book about a fallen holy warrior living in Denver.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

The back burner project is the next Desert book. This will be Ted’s story. He’s such a fun character in Desert Rains and everyone agrees that Teddy needs his own happily ever after.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

Do it anyway. Writing is only partially talent. The rest is hard work and persistence.

A Question for Me:

What social media platform do you find most useful for marketing books?

Great question! 
Facebook, hands down. 
I have used, and still use
Twitter
LinkedIn
Google+
and others
but facebook gives me the best results when it comes to connecting with readers and gaining new sales.

Thank you, Jana!





Wednesday, March 23, 2016

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Creena Brightstar from the Star Trails Saga

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

My name is Creena Brightstar and I'm currently living on Cyraria, a planet around one of the stars in the constellation Earth knows as Scorpio.  I'm 17 years old, but was 14 when the biggest adventure of my life began.  I'm average height, athletic, have dark hair and eyes, and a nose I don't like.  I love science and am learning everything I can about it so I can help my father engineer this planet into a more comfortable place to live.  (BTW, that's me on the cover of "Beyond the Hidden Sky" and "Refractions of Frozen Time."  I'm in all four books, though.)


What do you like to do in your spare time?

I'm fascinated by the mysteries of the Universe.  There are so many things that we are just beginning to understand, like the relationship between matter, our minds and psychic abilities.  The cristobalite and devenite crystals we found on this planet magnify these abilities, so I spend all the time I can experimenting with them.

What is your favorite color and why?

Any color but orange.  That was the color of my uniform on Mira III and I hated it.  I think that my favorite color is probably purple, since that's the color of devenite, which was so important in bringing our family back together.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?

I love all Earth food!  When I was staying with the Bensons in Cache Valley they had a big garden that was so incredible.  The other kids hated weeding and harvesting the veggies, but I loved it, as well as everything it produced.  I guess my very favorite is strawberry pie, not only because it's so yummy, but it's so pretty, too.  Makes me hungry just thinking about it!

What would you say is your biggest quirk?

Hahaha, you should probably ask my older brother, Dirck.  We're getting along pretty well now, but we used to fight all the time.  It drives him crazy that I'm what he considers illogical.  As my 'troid, Aggie, explained it, I'm right-brained and he's left-brained, so we see things differently.  Most of Mira III was left-brained so everyone thought I was pretty weird.  I also asked too many questions and always got in trouble for it.  Not any more!

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is manifested.

Dirck drove me crazy because he was so critical and made me feel like an idiot.  The Mira III Academy was strict about the rules.  If you broke one, you were given a Noncompliance Report, or NCR, and your name was displayed on a giant, digital board for all to see.  Here's a scene from 

"Beyond the Hidden Sky" (changed to first person) to show what I mean:

It was outside the Academy's galarium, where our paths always crossed between zones four and five.  Students streamed past, a rainbow of organized codes, my Code Orange and Dirck's Code Blue parallel, our common name placing us side by side.
"What's the matter with you?" he'd said, voice angry enough to rise above the zonebreak din.  "Why can't you just be compliant?  What's so hard?"
"I can't help it," I replied, emotions swelling like a cresting wave.  "What's it to you, anyway?"  My steps fell out of synch with the others and a soft alarm went off at my waist.  I skipped back quickly, hoping Dirck hadn't noticed.  He had.
"You’re such an embarrassment!" he muttered.
"So what?" I snapped.  "Just pretend I don't exist.  Then it won't bother you anymore."
He gave me that look that made my nerves stand on end. "Only you could think it's that simple.  You're my sister and everyone knows it.  Besides, when you're on the NCR board someone always thinks it's me because all they see is 'Brightstar.'  It's humiliating."
I almost lost step again but caught it in time.  "Well, it isn't you, so what's the big deal?" I said.
"I'll tell you what the big deal is!  You're an embarrassment to the entire family!  I get tired of everyone reaming me out because my little sister is a constant on the Board!"

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?

I didn't realize in the beginning how much I loved my family.  Then, when we were separated, I mean REALLY separated, like on other sides of the galaxy, I came to realize how important they were.  It didn't take long before I was willing to take any risk necessary to get back to them, which wasn't exactly easy.

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

When I was on Earth, I really had a giant crush on Allen Benson.  I still think about him a lot and wonder if we'll ever see each other again.

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be?

Dirck really knew how to push my buttons and I should have learned to ignore him and not get so upset.  Everything would have been entirely different if I hadn't let him upset me so much that I tried to hide in that escape pod. 

A question for me:

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.

Do your characters ever surprise you with what they say or do?

Always. Always. Always. I think the best writing comes when you just let them have their say instead of expecting them to be a certain way. Of course they need to be in 'character' but they need the freedom to speak and do without being hindered by their creator.

***

Thanks, Creena!

Learn more about Creena and her creator:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/marcha-fox/86/440/326/