SFF Saturday - March 31

Welcome to another SFFSat, and thanks to everyone who stops by and leaves awesome comments.  Much appreciated.

Continuing with my work in progress, The Grosjean Chronicles.  The story revolves around Captain Alanis Grosjean, a Space Marine (featured briefly in book 2 of my Lancaster Trilogy).  She's a no-nonsense, fire-breathing lady with beguiling elfin feautres who has an unpredictable temper and poops out nails.  Capt. Grosjean's mission in this tale is to capture the notorious space pirate Norstrom and his crew on board the Drunken Sailor...

In this scene, Grosjean and her team open up the crate (you'll remember that from my previous snippet) and find the two missing scientists...

Grosjean scowled as she looked at them; she closed her eyes briefly and took a deep, calming breath.  Someone went to the exacting trouble of leaving two, perfectly impressed handprints on Soong’s breasts using what Grosjean could only assume to be engine oil. 

Soong came around first.  She blinked and pushed her sticky dark hair from her face.

“What happened?  My head is spinning.”  She rubbed a sore spot.

“Can you tell us what happened?”  Grosjean crouched down before the woman.

“Some man came out from behind Pooks,” Soong said in a drone.  She lay back, this time with both hands clutching her head.  “He shot Pooks—missed him by an inch.  And then…boom.”

Grosjean took to mean Pooks was Nalick, then, motioned Ashok to take Nalick’s vitals.  “What happened next?  What did this person look like?”

“Damn good-looking,” Soong blew out a breath and managed a grin.  “Tall, dark, and wicked.  He looked right at me and…winked.”  Then she passed out again.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules and use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

Live Chat on Wednesday March 28

Just a little reminder about a live chat scheduled for today, Wednesday March 28 at 8:00 PM EST.
Come and meet some of the SF and F writers at Burst Books (Champagne Books Group) -- and yours truly -- as we yak about ourselves and do some shameless promotion of our books.  And guess what, up for grabs are some giveaways!!  From little trinkets, ebooks, to paperbacks.  So join us then, at the Champagne Books Chatroom (http://champagnebooks.com/Chat.htm)

I'll be giving away a PDF copy of the recently released THE ETERNAL KNOT, final in the Lancaster Trilogy.

Participating authors are: T.M. Hunter, Ronald Hore, Diana Ilinca, Michelle Anderson Picarella, Joanne Renaud, Leia Getty, Laramie Sasseville, Helen Henderson, J.A. Garland, and Moi.

See ya then,
Cheers!

And the Winner Is... (following up on Sandra Sookoo's spotlight)

Congrats go to Emma Lai !!!

Sandra will be posting a notice (on her site) so you'll know how to contact one another.

Thanks to all those who have stopped by, even the shy ones who didn't comment.  It was a pleasure having Sandra stop by and talk about her recent release.

Cheers!

Spotlight on Sandra Sookoo

Today I have with me the talented and versatile Sandra Sookoo, author of just about anything that's engaging with adventure, romance, and a really good cook...judging from some of her mouth-watering tweets.  Oh, and I believe she's a mega-huge Disney fan.

Sandra is also generous enough to give away this really awesome looking scarab bracelet...among other things.  All you have to do is leave a comment (and follow her instructions below) and you'll have a chance to win!

Well, enough about me blabbing about her.  I'll let her get on with telling you about herself and showcasing her recent release, Cairo Nights.

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Thank you for having me on your blog today!

For as long as I could remember, I’ve loved anything and everything related to Egypt.  Growing up, I couldn’t wait for the chance to visit the Children’s Museum in town that had a mock-up of an Egyptian pyramid and tomb with hieroglyphs on the inside.  I even learned how to write my name with hieroglyphs.

I gobble up programs on the History and National Geographic channels on cable having to do with Egypt and the lives of the people who lived there.  For me, there’s a certain romance and charm in seeing the ruins of such a powerful civilization.  I can imagine the sunsets on the Nile, how a fine haze of dust hovers near the pyramids in the mornings or can feel the majesty of those sites and image how they must have looked at the height of life.

In CAIRO NIGHTS, I had the opportunity to visit Egypt and make it the backdrop for an erotic historical romance set in the late 1880s.  From camel races, to a woman who works with Cairo’s poor children to bringing awareness to the state of Egypt’s antiquities, this book has something for everyone.  I’m pleased that I could bring a bit of Egypt to life while my characters live out their existence as well.

Blurb:  Losing something you want the most makes you stronger—or an easy target.

Joy Debinham, daughter of an English missionary, hides a secret heartache while working with Egypt's poverty stricken. As she attempts to save the children from easily curable diseases, she has another interest—keeping Egypt's treasures in the country. But the arrival of Quinn ignites her banked passion and becomes the obsession that might put her life in danger.

Quinn Handry, an enterprising American from humble roots, has come to Egypt for one reason—the money. He's done many things for a buck, but brokering stolen antiquities is the most lucrative. In order to reclaim what he lost years ago, he's always on the hunt for treasures until the day he meets Joy and everything dims compared to the desire she invokes in him.

During perfumed Egyptian nights, the heat between them flares while acquaintances conspire to destroy them. Danger doesn't stay confined to tombs and pushes them to finally realize what matters most—if they can live long enough to claim it.

Book video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6aimdlR2uE

Buy links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Cairo-Nights-ebook/dp/B007M2KS0G/ref=sr_1_42?ie=UTF8&qid=1332115767&sr=8-42

All Romance e-books:  http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-caironights-761405-162.html

Liquid Silver Books:  http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=linda018&product_name=Cairo+Nights&return_page=&user-id=&password=&exchange=&exact_match=exact

Short excerpt:  Her hand trembled. Shadows danced and jumped about the chamber. She attempted to control her erratic breathing. An impossible task. Her stomach clenched as she stared at the darkened doorway. Fleeing was out of the question. There was only one way in or out. The specter—or whatever it was—could just as easily follow her deeper into the depths.

I'll stand and fight. There is no other option.

The muscles in her arm ached as she waited for her doom. The scratching sound came again, echoed and magnified in the small space, and she flinched. It floated closer and she swore she heard the inhalation of another person. Sweat drenched her back and trickled down her temples. Would it never show itself? Finally, she couldn't stand the not knowing.

"Who’s there? Show yourself this instant!"

Shadows gathered in the corners and at the doorway seconds before it joined her. In the light from her wildly shaking lantern, she recognized the man—for it was merely a man and not a mummy—as the camel racer from the afternoon. She dropped her arm as a wave of relief swept through her body. "What are you doing here?" Belatedly, she realized she didn't know his name.

"Following you. I intend to finish what we started earlier." He shrugged and his linen suit, much like the one she'd seen on Max, tightened over his undeniably fit frame. His raven dark hair gleamed in the weak light while his eyes behind the glasses sparkled with determination—and heated intent.

The relief she'd claimed moments before dissolved as shivers tumbled down her spine. Whoever this man was, whatever he represented, she wanted the chance to explore why he made her feel completely undone yet curiosity and impatience won out over caution. "I have no business with you." Except to steal another mindless kiss that will make me forget the horrible things I've seen in Egypt.

"Is that so?" He pounced so fast she had no time to fend him off as he pinned her against a wall and crushed his mouth to hers.

Interested to find out more about me or connect with me on social networking?  You can find me around the web at the following places:

Website:  http://www.sandrasookoo.com

Believing is Seeing blog:  http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/sandrasookoo

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/sandra.sookoo

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION FOR THIS POST:  One random commenter will receive book swag (postcards and bookmarks, etc) plus a colorful, beaded scarab bracelet.  Please be sure to leave your contact information and check back in a few days to see if you’ve won!

So what about you?  Do you have an exotic location in mind for vacation or to see before you die?  Share it with me and I might just write about it!
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Well, there you have it.  This sounds amazing. Congrats, Sandra on your release!!  And don't forget people, you wanna win, leave a comment.

Cheers! 

SFF Saturday - March 24

Welcome to another SFFSat, and thanks to everyone who stops by and leaves awesome comments.  Much appreciated.

I'm still featuring my work in progress, The Grosjean Chronicles.  The story revolves around Captain Alanis Grosjean, a Space Marine (featured briefly in book 2 of my Lancaster Trilogy).  She's a no-nonsense, fire-breathing lady with beguiling elfin feautres who has an unpredictable temper and poops out nails.  Capt. Grosjean's mission in this tale is to capture the notorious space pirate Norstrom and his crew on board the Drunken Sailor...

In this scene, Capt. Grosjean and her team discover a message from the pirate Norstrom, and we have Dr. Mica's POV as he witnesses Grosjean's reaction.  I might add that Mica is a little infatuated with her...

       Grosjean took a breath; she’d been taking a lot of them since they found the message stuck to the underside of the agrostation.  A magnetic message sticker, one of those fanciful ones that came in different shapes and designs.  This one took the form of a man’s penis, so that when you slid your finger down its shaft, it played back the recorded message. 

       Captain Norstrom had left her a very crude and cocky message, filled with many ‘darlings’ and ‘love bunnys’ and ‘sweehearts.’  A literal taunt and a dare to catch him if she could, and quote, “…just like old times, my Petunia.” 

       Mica could’ve sworn she nearly paled after hearing the recording the patrol found.  In fact, she looked nauseous.  He shuffled a little closer, unable to resist being near her.  Then he realized she might clock him in the eye, so he froze.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules and use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

My Guest: Patrick Stutzman

Who knew I'd meet so many interesting people, simply by signing up to the SFFSat blog event.  What's that?  It's a weekly snippet event called Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) -- where we unsung writers string together ten sentences of our works, and hope to capture the world with our snappy words and fabulous literary style.

Today, I bring you Patrick Stutzman, fellow speculative fiction writer who has just released his debut novel, Alone On The Edge.  He is also furiously working on the sequel Alone in Paradise.

Patrick was a good sport and let me ask him some of the usual questions...and some, not so run-of-the mill ones.

To kick things off, tell us a little about yourself – who you are, what you write, and why you write:

My name is Patrick Stutzman, online banking support technician by day and author/gamer any other time. I live in Missouri with my wife, two daughters, and a veritable menagerie of pets.

I write primarily science fiction and thrillers, but I write a little fantasy as well.

I have to write! I have so many stories running around in my head, that I have to get them out or my head will explode! In all seriousness, I have been writing since elementary school and have always been a creative sort. I am always coming up with story ideas, and writing is one of the best ways for me to tell those stories to others.

Would you ever write in another genre?

Beside fantasy, I could see myself writing horror. In fact, I have a sci-fi/horror story idea waiting in the wings that takes place in the same universe as my first book.

Do you have a recent release, or, what you’re currently working on?

My recent release, which is also my first novel, is Alone on the Edge, and it is available through Amazon in paperback and for Kindle. The second book of the series, Alone in Paradise, is currently being edited, and the third book titled Alone in the Crowd is currently in production.

Wow, book three already in the works!  There's no stopping you now.

And what inspired you to start writing?

Since I’ve been writing most of my life, it is something that comes naturally to me. What inspired me to start writing in the first place is lost in the dark recesses of my mind. (Don’t go looking for it! It’s a mess in there!)

As for what inspired me to start writing my first novel, it was the retirement of the line of books for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, Saga Edition. I was a freelance game designer for Wizards of the Coast from 2007-2009 working on books and articles for the game line. When I finished my last book in the summer of ‘09, I suspected that Wizards was not going to offer any more assignments, so I decided to keep my writing skills sharp and began work on Alone on the Edge.

If you weren’t writing, what would you be doing?

Lots and lots of World of Warcraft! At least, it would be more than what I’m doing now.

Haha, great answer!  Do you have any favourite authors who have inspired you?

The author who has inspired me the most is J. Michael Straczynski. (For the record, Babylon 5 remains my all-time favorite science fiction TV series.) The quality of his storytelling through the series and other projects he has done gives me so much inspiration.

What are you reading now?

I am currently reading Ambasadora by Heidi Ruby Miller. Lots of good stuff in that book!

 

I've read Ambasadora (as did most people I recently interviewed. Wow, that Heidi Ruby Miller is amazing!!) So, what did you want to be when you grew up?

From the time I was about 6 or 7 until after I finished my junior year in high school, I wanted to be an astronaut. Although most kids have that desire for a short time, it wasn’t a passing craze for me. I wanted to go into space!

Hmm, you left out my question about crayon eating out. I was so sure you'd be game enough to answer it.  Oh well.  Next: Are you a morning person or an evening person?

I started life as a morning person. Then, I turned into an evening person in college. I reverted back to a morning person again several years ago. It seems to be a vicious cycle. Make it stop!

What is the best writing advice you ever received?

Write first, and edit later. This little tidbit came to me from Michael Stackpole, and it makes a lot of sense! Too many first-time writers try to perfect their first chapter before going on to the second, and they spend so much time on it that they eventually lose interest and give up. Write the first chapter and just keep going. After you finish the first draft, then go back and look it over again.

Very good advice.  If you had a super power, what would it be, and what would you call yourself?

This is a difficult one for me, because there are so many that I would want! If I had to choose just one, it would have to be telekinesis. I can do so much with that! I can pick things up, push things away, pull things toward me, push myself off the ground and fly, rip the clothes off my wife… (Um, I should probably stop there.)

As for a name, this comes from the time when I and a few others created ourselves as superheroes for a Champions RPG. I called myself Psion, because my focus was on psionics (telekinesis, telepathy, and teleportation, to be precise).

Cool name!! So, who is your favourite character in other people’s books?

At this point, I would have to say Sigrid Novak from The Girls from Alcyone. I have always loved strong, independent women.

Yeh, that Sigrid is awesome!!  What’s your favourite food?

I don’t have one particular food that I would call my favorite, but my first choice for cuisine would be Italian. Spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna, fettuccine all sounds good to me! I also include pizza in this grouping.

What group did you hang out with in school?

I was pretty much a loner in school, so I didn’t really hang out with anyone. I was involved in band and acting, but I never had a strong connection with anyone in particular.

What’s under your bed?

You don’t want to know. I don’t want to know!

Now, fun question... If your book was made into a movie, who would you have play the characters?

If Alone on the Edge was ever made into a movie, Anna Foster would be played by Natasha Wicks, the former UFC Octagon girl, model, and actor. I have always envisioned Natasha as Anna ever since a coworker showed a picture of her to me while I was writing the book. She fits the description of the character perfectly. (And, she is aware of this fact.)

Ryan McIlheny would be played by Ian Somerhalder, best known for his role in The Vampire Diaries. He wasn’t my first choice, but my editor suggested him. Frankly, I agree with her selection.

In my mind, the voice of the computer is being done by Douglas Rain, best known for providing the voice of HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010.

 

And finally, where can we find you online?

My writer website, which also has a link to my blog, can be found at http://novels.swtft.com. Hopefully, I will be customizing that even more to www.patrickstutzman.com, but that hasn’t happened yet.

I can also be found on Twitter (@patrickstutzman), Facebook, Google +, LinkedIn, and Goodreads.

Well, there you have it.  I'd like to thank Patrick for stopping by today and putting up with my nosy questions. Now show him some love and leave some ego-boosting comments!!

Cheers! 

SFF Saturday - March 17

Welcome to another SFFSat. I'm still featuring my work in progress, The Grosjean Chronicles.

The story revolves around Captain Alanis Grosjean, a Space Marine (featured briefly in book 2 of my Lancaster Trilogy).  She's a no-nonsense, fire-breathing lady with beguiling elfin feautres who has an unpredictable temper and poops out nails.  Capt. Grosjean's mission in this tale is to capture the notorious space pirate Norstrom and his crew on board the Drunken Sailor...

In this scene, we meet Norstrom, idly waiting for the arrival of Grosjean.  He's such an adorable character...

       Norstrom sat back on the plush divan couch with a sigh and let out a chuckle.  The Solaris Hotel on Bacchus cost a little bit more, but it was worth it.  Not that money mattered, but wasting it unnecessarily just didn't make sense.  Besides, they made the best pre-dinner canapés in the galaxy.  Especially the devilled eggs.  And he did have a penchant for devilled eggs at the best of times.

       He burped deeply from the champagne.  Grinning, he impressed himself with the length and loudness of his release.  Soon, the eggs would have worked their way through his system and he’d be releasing another sort of build-up.  He looked forward to that prospect.  Idly he hoped Grosjean would be around with witness the event.  She’d always been such a prude about normal bodily functions.  Must be the French in her, he sighed.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules and use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

Meme: The Lucky 7 Meme for Writers

I just got tagged in The Lucky7 Meme by Heidi Ruby Miller.

Since I can't play along with my current WIP (it doesn't have a page 77...yet), I've had to use the other WIP just completed, Bengaria's War.

To play along, here are THE RULES:
1. Go to page 77 of your current ms.
2. Go to sentence 7.
3. Copy and post the next 7 sentences as they’re written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other victims, er, authors.

 

(Bengaria's War - page 77, line 7):

It didn’t help she now knew his true feelings.  Nor the fact that he’d now realized why the King kept insisting he spend more time than was necessary with Ryn.  If he didn’t know better, it seemed Greycer had been playing matchmaker for some time. 

She had no friends she could turn to but him, and Greycer had known this.  Til missed the days when he was simply her weapons master.  How he could bask in her presence, without worrying about it being inappropriate to touch her.  The simple pleasures of watching her learn, mastering the art of defence, knowing her weapons, learning the art of wielding a tadra.

TAGGING:

T.M. Hunter

Ashley Barnard

Diana Ilinca

Cary Caffrey

Patrick Stutzman

Laurel Kriegler

Pauline Baird Jones

 

My Guest: Laurel Kriegler

My journey into the literary world has offered me many opportunities to stumble across things.  One of them is the diminutive, but near-culty favourite Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) blog event -- where we unsung writers string together ten sentences of our works, and hope to capture the world with our snappy words and literary style.  By signing up, I have come across a collection of new writers in speculative fiction, as well as made new writer friends.  One of them is Laurel Kriegler, who is also the founder for SFFSat.

Laurel and I decided to give ourselves a boost and have a little interview.  You can check out my interview over at her blogsite, The Quarzite Columns.  So, here we go with a few intrusive questions I had for her...

So, Laurel, tell us a little about yourself – who you are, what you write, and why you write:

Well, I’m a South African gal who now lives in the UK, having moved here just over three years ago for the second time. I grew up reading any and every book that caught my fancy, though fantasy and science fiction were the top attractions. It was my escape from loneliness. I currently work as a receptionist at a local college, and spend my spare time chatting to friends, reading, writing or generally being online.

I write Science Fiction as a rule, although I’ve been known to write a poem or two when the mood strikes, and there’s even a fantasy story lurking around in there.

I write because there are stories in my head waiting to be told. Now if only I could be disciplined enough to polish them up so that others can read them...

Having sampled some of your work, I'd say, yes! What's taking so long! I want more.

Right, back to the questions.  Would you ever write in another genre?

Never say never, right? I doubt I’d stray too far from scifi and fantasy, as they are the genres that I know best. But who knows.

Do you have a recent release, or, what you’re currently working on?

I haven’t released anything yet, but I am hoping to release a short story, currently tagged ‘Am I Dreaming?’ sometime in the next couple of weeks. Another shortish story, ‘Rebirth’, is also begging for release, but I need to work on a couple of sections of it before I can do so.

What inspired you to start writing?

I had an idea for a story about a young lady who is cryogenically frozen, and then woken up in the future. She does not know who she is. The story tells of her encounter with the dystopic society of the time, and the megalomaniac ruler of the planet, Maltheus, who she eventually befriends. Their relationship later enables her to topple him from power, restoring equality and hope. For a long time I didn’t write anything, until I was challenged by a friend to just ‘start’. Fatal attraction comes to mind! If only I could just get the words down fast enough to keep up with the Muse...

Sounds very interesting! Can't wait to read it.  So, if you weren’t writing, what would you be doing?

Reading, without a doubt.

What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

Start! And don’t stop. But only if you can handle the crazy.

Do you have any favourite authors who have inspired you?

Isaac Asimov, David Eddings and Anne McCaffrey were my main reads when I was growing up, so I guess they would be my ultimate inspirations.

Very cool.  So, what are you reading now?

Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest, and Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I never had a clue. I’ve never been driven by ambition. Maybe being a character in one of the books I was reading?

Now for some even nosier questions.  Are you a morning person or an evening person?

I wouldn’t say that I was either particularly, but I’m definitely not NOT one of them. That said, I don’t need anything for get-up-and-go in the mornings.

Where's your favourite place in the world?

Somewhere next to a mountain stream – and mountains round about are necessary to the image.

Who is your favourite character in your books?

The Helpie from The Contract. Con/Ner are meddlesome brats who sticks their tentacles where they don’t belong. I’ve always loved their scene. (And if you’re wondering about my use of multiples, you’ll understand when you read about Con/Ner.)

Who is your favourite character in other people’s books?

Man oh man, are you asking me a tough question. Pulling a name out of a hat ... I love Belgarion of The Belgariad and The Mallorean series’s, by David Eddings. He’s just awesome, and has a great cast of supporting characters who teach him all sorts about life in general. But scratch a bit more, and you’ll find that there’s a load of characters hot on Belgarion’s heels.

What’s your favourite food?

Pasta – so long as what’s with it is vegetarian.

What group did you hang out with in school?

I didn’t. If any, it was the people in the books I read.

What your favourite quote or saying?

Don’t worry.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?

That just has to be my all-time favourite song – Amazing Grace.

And finally, and most importantly, where can we find you online?

Facebook - Laurel C Kriegler

Twitter - laurelckriegler

Blog - The Quarzite Columns

I'd like to thank Laurel for stopping by today and putting up with my nosy questions.  Feel free to click over to her site so you can see how she puts my under the grill.

Cheers! 

My Guest - Cary Caffrey

Today I have with me Cary Caffrey who wrote The Girls from Alcyone.

Cary is one of the writer's who you discover and wonder where they've been all this time.  No doubt, honing their skills and waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves like a sneaky little ninja.

I asked Cary some intrusive questions and he was game enough to answer them.

So, the prerequisite questions: Tell us a little about yourself – who you are, what you write, and why you write:

My name's Cary. I'm *this* tall, and I like long walks in the beach on rainy days. I like to write on the beach too, but not when it's raining.

I have a deep love of old-school Science-Fiction. The downside of vintage sci-fi is definitely the lack of interesting women characters though. I'm also amazed there aren't more women featured in Science-Fiction today! Science Fiction still seems very male-dominated to me. So, it was really my own desperation for adventurous stories featuring strong and interesting women that definitely led me to writing The Girls From Alcyone.

Would you ever write in another genre?

I have! I spent most of my writing career writing comedy, horror and suspense-thrillers (mostly screenplays). But I'm much happier now that I'm back writing Science Fiction. It's definitely what I'm best at and most comfortable with.

And you do it well!  Do you have a recent release, or, what are you currently working on? 
My only release is my science-fiction novel The Girls From Alcyone. I'm completely thrilled (and baffled) by how well it's doing. I'm currently working on the sequels. I also seem to be writing three TGfA sequels simultaneously; Vengeance, Inquisition and the finale, Empress. The (working) title of the fourth book might be considered a spoiler. Doh.

What cool titles!  So, what inspired you to start writing?

Reading! (Is that a boring answer?). I think anyone who writes better have a love of books. Although...! I read a really fascinating article recently - it was all about a new generation of writers that don't read books. Gah! Unbelievable!

It was a totally interesting article. I wish I'd saved the url. Writers who don't read! It's amazing. It reminded me so much of when I was back in University studying film-writing. I met so many students then who would turn their noses up to TV - and even a lot of movies! I used to wonder, how the hell can you want to write movies if you're not a mass-consumer (and fan!) of the genre? Kind of like writers who don't get out and live a little! You gotta' live life if you want to write about it, right.

You're right, that is unbelievable.  That takes me to my next question.  What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

Become obsessive about your genre. Study it. Embrace it. Analyze it. Devour it!

After that, the absolute most important advice is: Trust Your Gut! Listen to your gut! When you write something, everyone around you will suddenly become an expert and a master critic. Advice is easy. People are eager to toss their opinions around. I think it's a dangerous game for a writer to start seeking out opinions and advice (especially if you're just looking for reassurance or praise).

Your inner-critic does a great job telling you what you need to know. You just need to be willing to listen to it.

Listen to your gut! Trust the gut.

Very good advice.  What did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer! Who knew!

And he's witty, too.  Hee-hee.  So, are you a morning person or an evening person?

When I was still playing music I was, by necessity, a night owl; in bed by 4am, up at noon. I always knew I was a morning person though. I love the sunrise, and I love the quiet of being up before everyone else. It's my favorite time of day. Now that I'm retired from rock & roll it's great being able to get up at six again. Love it! (great time to write too!).

How cool is that?  You were in a rock and roll band!  Okay, share with us one thing that your readers don’t know about you?

My middle name - but I'll never tell.

Well, you can't just leave it hanging there.  Tsk-tsk!  Still not telling, right?  Ah well...moving along.  What is worst writing advice you ever received?

"You can't do that."

Mercifully, I never took that advice. I urge others to do the same.

Best writing advice you ever received?

Never show an unfinished draft to anyone. In fact, never even tell anyone you're writing - friends especially. Why? Well, friends tend to look at you with a sort of pitiful, sympathetic look when you tell them you're writing (oh, you poor, deluded, dear...). Writing is something those people do, after all. You know, the geniuses, the literati. Not us normals.

I didn't tell a soul I was writing my first novel until I was done my second draft. I think that helped tremendously. I also think that's why writing this next one is so much more difficult. Now, everyone's asking me about it all the time! lol. It's very distracting. There's also more pressure.

Admittedly, I did the same because I couldn't stand the reaction people gave me.  So, who is your favourite character in your books?

Definitely Sigrid (the main character). She wasn't the main character in the first draft of TGfA, but from the moment I introduced her to the story I knew I had something special. As soon as I met her I knew I had to toss everything out and start over, telling her story instead. I wanted to know everything about her.

I just love how steadfast she is, how loyal she is to her friends. She'll dive into any situation regardless of the dangers or threats to her person. If something needs doing, she's going to do it.

She is, most definitely, an amazing character.  Love her!!  What group did you hang out with in school?

This was the (gasp) 70's. And I hung out with the punk-rock/Rocky-Horror girls. Lots of fun listening to music, and dressing up for nights out at the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Rocky Horror Picture Show!! Yay!!  Sorry...okay...  What are you passionate about these days?

Politics. I find we're living in an increasingly hostile world. As someone who grew up reading Sci-Fi, I (naively) thought the world would be a better place by now. But we've gone backwards in so many ways. Now, it seems more and more people are trying to protect their own, looking out only for themselves. Our social safetynets are being eroded by corporatism and the rise of a new plutocracy.

Socialism, environmentalism, feminism, secularism; these were not dirty words when I was a kid, they were progressive movements. But there's been such a push-back by rightwing social-conservatives in the last generation. It's very depressing for us progressive and socially-minded types.

Blech!

Indeed.  If your book was made into a movie, who would you have play the characters?

I'd get a younger Kristen Bell to play Sigrid! She'd rock. She can still play Sigrid in TGfA, The Next Generation.

Where can we find you online?

Easy! carycaffrey.com

Well, there you have it folks.  Cary, thanks for being a sport and sitting in the hot seat today.  And as luck would have it, we exchanged roles today and you'll find me over at his site being grilled.  Check it out here.

Cheers!
Now show him some love and leave some nice, ego-boosting comments.

SFF Saturday - March 10

Welcome to another SFFSat. Today I will feature a little snippet from my other work in progress, The Grosjean Chronicles.

The story revolves around Captain Alanis Grosjean, a Space Marine (featured briefly in book 2 of my Lancaster Trilogy).  She's a no-nonsense, fire-breathing lady with beguiling elfin feautres who has an unpredictable temper and poops out nails.

Capt. Grosjean's mission in this tale is to capture the notorious space pirate Norstrom and his crew on board the Drunken Sailor...

In this scene, we have Grosjean and her party in an agrostation searching for some missing scientists, supposedly hidden in a packing crate.


     Ashok and Mica scrambled, resembling digging dogs.  Packing material flew out, wafting briefly in the air before settling.  Grosjean, still not taking chances, stood firm and aimed her weapon.  If Norstrom had a hand in this, she should expect any number of surprises from a spring-loaded clown popping out to an explosion of jellybeans.  She remembered one occasion he’d crammed a space cruiser’s deep freeze with its captain and senior crew—naked except for thermal underwear.  Okay, that was funny, but she still didn’t like surprises.

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules and use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Cheers!

A Review: Amabasadora

Continuing with my Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge, I selected Ambasadora by Heidi Ruby Miller as my third book for this challenge.

Ambasadora is just one of those books that swallow you whole. Heidi Ruby Miller created an amazing and detailed world, from scent bots, intra-tats to wrist reporters. Don't know what those are? You'll just have to find out for yourself...but I wish I had them.  Oh, and a cender!
 
The story dragged me into Sara Mendoza's world, including the other players, like Sean, Rainer (who I had a particular sweet spot for, regardless), David, and even some of the more 'annoying' characters that were needed in the story to give it the right amount of depth...and thankfully died.

In Sara's world, it's riddled with dangerous contractors, fanatic fraggers, and a ruthless sovereign in a world segregated and corrupted through the vast generations. Completely believable, completely engrossing, completely addictive. I'm so glad Miller wrote a 'prequel' in the form of Greenshift, since giving up the world she created isn't going to be easy.

My next book for this challenge, will be Forever War by Joe Halderman.

SFF Saturday - March 3

Today's SFFSat will be the final little snippet from my work in progress, Bengaria's War. Next week, I'll showcase another WIP...not sure which one just yet.

Bengaria's War is a tale set way into the future, where man has colonized star systems, wages war to steal other Systems, grow cabbages and sword fight, shoot energy guns and fly Nezu-class warships...while drinking tea.

The tale centres around, Ryn Bengaria, the daughter of a farmer who finds herself married to a King and at the brink of war as the evil Regent Sibur tries to steal their System.  Along the way, they encounter the Nezu colony.

In this scene, we have the unscrupulous former Regent, Xin Sibur.  He sits pondering his devious plans when his aide disturbs him...

“We are in position, sir.”  An aide’s dull monotone interrupted his thoughts.

“Are we still in the clear?”  Sibur inspected a snag in his fingernail.  He preferred not to make eye contact with his subordinates; they might consider it as being friendly.  “How much longer?”

“Yes, sir.  Xale’s sensors haven’t detected us as yet—the shroud is working.  One hour, latest.  The governor usually takes an early dinner on her terrace.  We can drop our team in directly overhead and take her.”

“Excellent.”  Sibur stood, straightening his jacket with a sharp tug.  “Alert me when it’s done.”

If you're interested in participating in next week's SFF Saturday, stop by their sign-up blog which is open every Wednesdays.  And don't forget to follow the rules and use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Cheers!