25 January 2013

Science-Fiction Fantasy Saturday: Fugitive



Welcome to another edition of SciFi Fantasy Saturday - our little web-ring of fab SciFi & Fantasy writers and posters. Check out snippets from other SFFS authors here: scififansat.blogspot.com

This Week: Posting from "The Girls From Alcyone II: Freelancer."

FUGITIVE: Snippet III

Continuing last week's snippet (still aboard the TGV), today we find out a little more of what Dr. Farrington is up to, and what has brought him to Bellatrix. Hmm...


Dr. Farrington's hands found their way, once more, inside the pockets of his coat, digging deep, searching. His damp fingers coiled around the tiny object thrust there—if only to reassure himself that it was still there, still safe.
It had not been easy to smuggle off of Scorpii, but he had done what was necessary, and now it was his, and his alone. The tiny data module, no larger than a smoothed pebble, was crammed with vast petabytes of data—exact copies of each of the girls' Primary Control Modules from Scorpii. This was his insurance. This was his future. With this, he knew, he could name his price. Now, all he needed was time. Time to study. Time to plan.



18 January 2013

Science-Fiction Fantasy Saturday - FUGITIVE


Welcome to another edition of SciFi Fantasy Saturday - our little web-ring of fab SciFi & Fantasy writers and posters. Check out snippets from other SFFS authors here: scififansat.blogspot.com

This Week: Posting from "The Girls From Alcyone II: Freelancer."

FUGITIVE: Snippet II

Continuing last week's snippet, Dr. Farrington, still onboard the speeding TGV (and on the lam), contemplates his fate, and his next course of action.

Farrington let out a long breath, turned toward the window of the small cabin; any distraction from his sulk was welcome enough. But there was little to see outside. It was well into the night now, and there was no moon. It mattered not. Bellatrix was not renown for its vistas, and New Shēnzhèn was hardly the garden-spot of this machine-planet. Flat, arid, the only landmarks of note were the squat scatterings of manufacturing centers that dotted the land outside; huge factory complexes, surrounded by squalid ghettos that had sprung up to house the migrant working population.
But then, he knew, people didn't come here for the sights, they came here to die.
And that suited Farrington just fine. No one would be searching for him here.


PS - If you don't see a comment from me for your post, don't forget to check your spam boxes. I think some of my posts are ending up there. On the other hand, if you put me there on purpose, no worries, I completely understand! 

Cheers!

11 January 2013

SciFi Fantasy Saturday: Fugitive

Welcome to another edition of SciFi Fantasy Saturday - our little web-ring of fab SciFi & Fantasy writers and posters. Check out snippets from other SFFS authors here: scififansat.blogspot.com

This Week: Posting from "The Girls From Alcyone II: Freelancer."

In this (raw, dare I say, unedited) snip, we pick things up directly after the climactic events of Book One. So, if you haven't read Book One, well...lotta' sh*t happens.


November 17, 2348
Bellatrix

The TGV sped along, cruising at a pedestrian 782 kph, suspended mere centimeters above the maglev tracks. There was little to see, dark as it was outside, and even less to hear. Not even the rushing din of transonic winds could penetrate the well-insulated passenger compartment. The only sounds in the cabin came from the labored breathing of Dr. Farrington's slumbering companion. He didn't know the man's name, nor did he care to. He was far too preoccupied, too busy mulling over the course of recent events; events that had lead him to this godforsaken armpit of a planet.
How he had ever become involved with a group of rebels was beyond him. Dr. Farrington cared not for politics. It was only the work that mattered.
And they had been so very, very close.

Next Week: More out of context snippets from this WiP ...

PS - For those of you posting using Word Press, if you don't see a comment from me, don't forget to check your spam boxes. I think some of my posts are ending up there. On the other hand, if you're marking me as spam on purpose, no worries. I completely understand! 

Cheers!

4 January 2013

The Deserters




Read snippets from other SFFS authors here: scififansat.blogspot.com

Snippet from my WiPpet
The Girls From Alcyone II: Freelancer

This Week: In this snip: Christian finds himself contemplating his recent defection from the Kimuran naval forces, and his appointment to commander of the Hayate, a small, obsolete destroyer in service to Sigrid's new fleet.


Deserters, traitors, is that what they were? Criminals to be hung from the gallows?
Christian had no qualms about what he'd done. It wasn't treason, far from it. He had been there that day on Aquarii, witnessed the betrayal of the Lady Kimura, by her board, and by her own son. If there was any question of treason or desertion, Christian knew with whom the real betrayal lay.
And, he had hardly been alone in his thinking. Scores of workers, soldiers, officers—even a Fleet Admiral—had left Aquarii in order to follow and serve the great Lady Kimura. And as Christian scanned the bridge crew again, his crew, he knew he had never seen such loyalty and devotion. This wasn't desertion. This was dedication.

Next Week: More out of context snippets from this WiP ...

2 January 2013

Next Big Thing Blog Tour



This week I've been tagged to participate in the "Next Big Thing Blog Tour." Thanks to Carol Parsons for the tag. Make sure to check out her post too. Also, It's my pleasure to tag the talented T.K. Toppin. I've had the pleasure of reading all four of her books, and they're a gas. Next week she'll be posting here too, so make sure to pay her a visit.

And now, on to the interview!


What is the working title of your book?
The working title for the one I'm currently working on is The Girls From Alcyone: Freelancer. This will be the sequel to The Girls From Alcyone. I can't wait till I get this one in the can.

Where did the idea for your book come from?

I hope this answer makes sense. I got the idea while writing the first draft of what was to become The Girls From Alcyone. Originally, it was going to be very, very different. But when I got fifty pages into the story, I introduced a character, Sigrid Novak. She was never supposed to be the main character. The book was never supposed to be about her. But the moment she entered the story I became fascinated with her. I wanted to know all about her. I wanted to know where she came from, how she'd gotten there, and what made her the total hero-package that she was. She was just so brave and loyal, I wanted to write her story. This is what became TGfA.

What genre does your book fall under?

I always thought of it as pure Science-fiction Adventure. But I'm tickled to see that readers have labeled it Science-Fiction Romance, even Dystopian Science-Fiction. It's just nice to see that the book has a broader appeal than I anticipated.

Which actors would you choose to play in your movie rendition?

Well, if I can wind up the way-back machine and make it ten years ago... I'd definitely cast Kristen Bell as Sigrid Novak. I just loved her in Deadwood so much. She's a bit old now (Sigrid is only eighteen), but maybe she can still play old-Sigrid in future incarnations.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book.

That's the one thing I never did (write a one-sentence synopsis). I know you're supposed to, and I'll definitely need it when it comes time to pitch the movie. Basically, it's the story of Sigrid Novak, a young girl who is sold to a giant mercenary corporation to relieve her family of its crushing debt, and brought to the planet of Alcyone where she is to be trained in the most deadly of arts - and subjected to years of an biological and cybornetic enhancements.

Much adventure ensues.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I will always be self-published. I've been taking the Indy-Route for going on twenty years now. It's funny, but it never occurred to me to approach a publisher. Probably for two reasons: One, because I couldn't image a publisher having much interest in an unproven unpublished author like me. And, two, I'm just way too impatient to sit around waiting six months between queries for a response.
Considering how easy it is to go Indy these days, I can't imagine going through a publisher at all.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript.
Seven weeks. I wish writing the sequel had gone that speedily, but I'm still working on it - well, not the first draft, but the book.

What other books would you compare this story to?

That's a hard one. My first love (in fiction) are the old, classic space operas of the sixties. I'm so heavily influenced by what I read you could probably pluck several books out of the pulp pile and draw a comparison. There's a little Starship Troopers in there somewhere, and definitely some Stainless Steel Rat, and probably some some Star Wars to boot.

Who or what inspired you to write the book?

Writing a novel was something I had tried to do several times. I never ever seemed to get there. I've always written things - screenplays, stage plays and music, music, music - but writing a novel always seemed problematic to me (it's just so much harder than screenplays). It wasn't so much inspiration as it was determination. I had to get the gorilla off my back. 

The biggest inspiration definitely came from the explosion of successful, self-published eBooks. It was great knowing that, for once, indy-writers had a real, viable publishing option. It was a lot easier to sit down to write knowing that there wasn't going to be a barrier between writing the book and then distributing it.

What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

As a reader, I love a good adventure, but I'm desperate to read about something more than space battle after space battle sandwiched between pages and pages of sci-techno-babble. I wanted write a pure adventure story, but I also wanted it to be a human story. I wanted it to matter. More than anything, TGfA is about friendship, love and loyalty. It's a story about growing up, finding courage to do what needs to be done.



Watch for these authors' Next Big Thing post next week on Wednesday, Jan. 9: