Interview With Lee Ryder

So tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a stay at home mom who loves to write in her spare time. That is when I’m not juggling my kids busy schedules hehehe I love music and vampires and am an avid fan of the walking dead. I also love musicals and am an accomplished musician and I love singing at the top of my lungs while driving. I also love to craft and make gifts for my family and friends.
Tell us about your book:
This is my debut book and has been a long time coming. This is my first foray into my own storyline and characters. I am a huge writer of fan fiction and poetry and my passion for writing sort of morphed from them. My story is about a girl named Jess who has survived a viral apocalypse that has claimed her entire family. It’s set in a world where everyone over 25 was killed by this virus that was brought on by heavy industrialization. Jess is surviving alone in a city where life on the street is made dangerous by rival gangs who are vying for control.
What is your favorite genre to write in?
When I started writing I thought I might write children’s stories, but I can’t draw and illustrators are expensive. So what happened was as my children grew I very much wanted to write stories for them. My kids like many of the books that I enjoy so I thought why not write a book for them. That’s when I decided to write in the Young Adult Genre.
Are any of your characters in the books like you?
Mollie is very much like me, however I’m not Irish. I have a bard’s heart and a poetic tongue just like Mollie. I also have a fiery temper and a wicked sense of humor like her.
What is your next book?
My next book will be the continuance of Jess’ journey. Right now I’m playing with titles and covers but I’ll be using the amazing cover artist I used for my first book. That is one thing I know for sure!
Can we get a sneak peek?
For each book in the series I’m going to start it with a bible verse that describes the state of affairs in the lives of our characters. The verse for Broken Earth is "The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, and the earth is moved exceedingly. Isaiah 24:19 I liked this verse because the Earth has changed so much everything is broken down, there’s no governments and no fight for control like times are today. The verse I chose for book 2: But understand this that in the last days there will come times of difficult Timothy Verse 3 I liked this verse because things are going to become more difficult as the journey goes on. While the books are started with bible verses they are not religious centered, this is after the end of days and there is no organized religion.
Do you need special conditions to write?
With 2 teenagers and a preteen in the house NOPE I thrive on the chaos they create.
Are you a typer or longhand writer?
 I do both, whatever is handy at the time.
Who inspires you?
My kids, my mom, princess Diana, Mother Teresa, people fighting cancer, kids overcoming incredible odds. These are dear to my heart. There are so many nay sayers and negative people in the world. If we all took a minute and gave some love our world and humanity would be so very different.
Favorite authors?
Dean Koontz, John Saul, Hans Holzer, Daniel Cohen, John Jakes, Christy Sloat, Raebeth Mcgee-Buda There’s just so many. One of my favorite series is the species intervention series by JK Accinni
Authors who influence your writing?
There’s many authors who influence my writing. I’m touched by each book I read.
Quick Fires:
Favorite Holiday tradition?
Christmas eve with my parents going to church. Spending time with my family going “home for the holidays”
Is your christmas tree up?
Oh you mean the ball of tinsel and lights in my living room, yes the kids and I put up our Christmas tree and it is GLORIOUS!
Favorite color?
Purple
Favorite food?
Cheesecake, Swedish fish, chocolate ice cream, oreos, and those white middle caramels made by goetze’s But not all together that would be gross hehehe
Favorite writing snack?
Ritz club crackers
Favorite Song?
I have so many, Lady Gaga’s music, Doreen Taylor, John Lennon, Garth Brooks, The beatles, dr demento, I just have so many, I love all kinds of music except rap and metal.
Favorite vacation spot?
San Diego, California
Favorite beverage?
Sweet tea
Favorite Holiday song?
'I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas' and 'Dominic the Donkey'
Favorite Holiday?
Halloween and Christmas in that order
If you were a supernatural creature who would you be and why?I
Big fan of vampires, movies like twilight brought so many awesome people into my life.
Favorite books?
The Missing Persons League, The Brown House Series, The Light in the Attic (Shel Silverstein) The Tribe A New World, The North and South Series and Flowers in the Attic series.
Favorite Movies?
Twilight, Pirate Movie, North and South Movies any movie musical. If I had a list of them it would take up 2 or 3 days on your blog
Favorite TV Show?
The Blacklist, Criminal Minds, CSI, NCIS – Both NCIS serie,s Vampire Diaries, Reign, Ghost Adventures, Hawaii 5-0, Survivor, Walking Dead

Lee Ryder

Links
https://www.facebook.com/MsLeesFanfiction
 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7339245.Lee_Ryder
http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Ryder/e/B00GER96DK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1386299553&sr=8-1 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/broken-earth-lee-ryder/1117402921?ean=2940148840015 https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lian14043 http://leeryderabfa.blogspot.com/
Book Buy Links
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/373402
 http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Earth-Lee-Ryder-ebook/dp/B00GDPOY5I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386299740&sr=8-1&keywords=Broken+Earth
 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/broken-earth-lee-ryder/1117402921?ean=2940148840015 http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/373402
 https://www.createspace.com/4470170

Ender's Game: First Reactions

Ender's Game: How Does It Stack Up?

WARNING: SPOILERS! Read on at your own risk!

Okay, so I will admit that I was one of the great unwashed. I didn't pick up, and read, Ender's Game until a month or so before the movie came out. Of course, I had a copy – it was a classic, right? - but I hadn't actually read it.

Then I did, finally. And it was good. The development of Ender, the progression from game to game with higher and higher stakes, was well-presented and logical.

Of course, being a political junkie, I also enjoyed the subplot with Val and Peter and their web alter-egos – and wasn't Card prescient in his imagining of the internet and the anonymity it would bring?

I admit, too, that when it was revealed that the final games were actual battles I was quite surprised. Okay, okay, I hadn't seen it coming, I get it. I probably should have, yeah, but I didn't. That speaks to the skill with which Card drew me into his universe.

Moving on, I had the opportunity to go see the movie tonight, at one of the eight o'clock showings. First time I had ever gone to an 'opening' – I usually avoid them like the plague – but this one called to me.

I'm not going to critique the movie, minute by minute; there are many more qualified than I who will be jumping in to do that. Instead, I'm going to just make a few observations.

First, there were only a dozen or so of us in the theatre. Disappointing, to say the least, but given that it was cold, raining, and Halloween night, not entirely surprising.

Second, while the bulk of the book takes place over about a six year period (yes yes, I know, the book continues for many decades after the climactic battle scenes, but most of the meat of the book is Ender's training on Earth, in Battle School and then in Command School), the movie gives the impression that it was about a six-month period. Yes, I get it, it would difficult, even in this CGI era, to start with a six-year-old and progress through to a near-teenager. But by compressing the action to the shorter period much of the depth of the book is lost. Enough is conveyed that my partner stated that she was 'totally carried along with the movie', but by comparison the movie lacked a bit.

Third, the punch of the plot was actually stronger in the movie. Being able to see and hear, instead of reading and imagining, adds so much to the power of the story. A potent message the movie conveys is summed up neatly by Ender after wiping out the enemy:

How you make war is as important as why you make war.

(No, I'm NOT going to go into this. If it resonates with you, then you understand and don't need me to elaborate; if it doesn't resonate, then nothing I say will make a difference. No flame wars here!)

I did appreciate in both the book and the movie the homage to Heinlein's classic Stranger In A Strange Land, that to understand your enemy means you have to know them and in knowing them you will come to love them as they love themselves – and it is only in that moment that you can defeat them.

A wholly worthwhile movie. Thoughtful, but with enough action and motion through the plot to satisfy most.

Have Fun!

A link here for a quiz - what Star Trek character are YOU? Just classic and TNG, though.

I took it, ended up Geordi. What about you? Comment below!

http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/startrek/

Doctor Who/Amazing Stories cross-pollination

Hey Dan, could you help Lewis out with his radio show that airs on Fridays at 8 PM? He's looking for people to record audio responses to three questions about Doctor Who and email him the mp3 files for an upcoming segment. Thanks. I know he'd appreciate it if you and a few of your scifi lovin' friends helped him out with this.

QUESTION #1
What do you think of Peter Capaldi, the actor chosen to play the new Doctor?

QUESTION #2
What would you like to see happen on Doctor Who this upcoming season?

QUESTION #3
The Doctor has almost used up all of his regenerations. What do you think will happen when he's used up the very last one?

DEADLINE
Get your answers in by October 7 at midnight Eastern Time. 

EMAIL ADDRESS
radio@geekedmind.com

Get in touch with Dan Berger from Foes of Reality if you are interested - dan.berger.2@gmail.com

Just a little note...

There's a new blog out there, just for you fans of The Cassidy Chronicles. You can find it at THIS location.

Or, if that doesn't work for you, you can copy and paste the following link:

http://thecassidychronicle.blogspot.com/

See you there!

DragonCon 2013

After-Action Report:

DragonCon 2013, Atlanta, GA

So. You've thought and thought about it. You've gone to other Cons, and had a good time. Maybe some were big (ComicCon, WorldCon), maybe some were smaller (LibertyCon, Boskone). And now, you think, it's time to tackle the wildest, weirdest one of them all: DragonCon.

Well. Here's some practical advice, mixed with some reviews, of the latest rendition, from ground level as it were. Please bear in mind this is based on MY experience and are MY opinions; take that as you will.

Getting There: Driving. This might not be practical for you, and that's just fine. It was a two-day, 22 hour, 1250-mile odyssey to get there for me. Unless you plan rest breaks, hotel stops, and have a co-driver, I would not recommend a multi-day drive. That being said – if you can, do it! You never know what you might see on the way! Sticking to highways isn't as boring as you might think, and the overall cost in gasoline, well, that depends on your car. Just make sure that any hotels you book ahead are aware that you might arrive very late. In addition, you have the problem now of what to do with your car while you're at the Con, and if your hotel provides free parking; on the plus side, you now have a car to get to OTHER things in Atlanta.

Alternative: Flying. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is THE busiest airport on the planet. If you can't find a flight, you haven't looked hard enough. Obvious downsides include (but are not limited to): TSA; cost of the ticket; cost of the luggage (especially if you're an intense cosplayer; have you ever tried to get an eight-foot replica spear through security??); changing planes at a stopover; making sure your luggage arrives; getting to your hotel; not having a car. On the plus side, well, you get there fairly quickly (if not necessarily exactly when you expect to arrive), you don't have to worry about navigating, and now you can just enjoy the Con.

Staying There: There are three alternatives for 95% of the people (the other 5% know someone who lives in Atlanta or nearby and can crash there):

Host Hotel

Overflow Hotel

Other Hotel

The Host Hotels are THE scene – the Westin, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and Sheraton – all within about four blocks in the heart of downtown Atlanta. ALL the tracks, ALL the panels, ALL the events – right inside the hotels. It makes for a GREAT sense of community, as 50,000+ people all come and take over the area. Downsides? Well, trying to get up, down, or around the hotels. Elevators can take, oh, hours to get. The crowds are insane in density (especially in the Hyatt and Marriott), and gods help you if you need to go against the flow. Saturday and Sunday are particularly bad, but NO day is especially good. And these hotels sell out FAST – as in, two of the five are currently sold out. Now. Oh, and the prices are strictly supply and demand – and brother, is there a lot of demand!

Overflow Hotels are those in the immediate area (such as the Melia, Holiday Inn Express, Hilton Garden, Ritz-Carlton, etc) which have a relationship with the Con. These are located close enough to walk easily to the Con, or you can catch a shuttle bus which runs a route around the area. Prices can range from good to exorbitant, but at least you're in the area and can stagger home at 2am. No events take place in these hotels, but there are lots of people trying to get these rooms, too.

Other Hotels are just that. Any other hotel in the Atlanta area will be happy to take your money, though they might well charge you more than any other time of the year – after all, it IS Labor Day weekend. This year, for example, there was a major college football game at the Georgia Dome which pushed the number of available rooms way down. BUT, if you can find a hotel close to a MARTA station (the local underground system), then you have transportation from about 5am to 1am for a couple bucks a ride. And you can pay MUCH less for your hotel, this way. But you are away from the Con, you have to plan your departure, and you can't miss it.

Registration: PRE-REGISTER! I cannot possibly emphasize this too much. Whatever it takes, purchase your membership as soon as possible (the price goes up roughly $10 per month until you get to the full price; as of this writing, the membership will cost you $75)! 'But I'm not sure I'm going!' you might say. Two points to this: First, spending the money and making the commitment makes it more likely you WILL go; and Second, worst case scenario there IS a way to permit someone else to pick up your membership pass (I won't get into that here, as the Con officially frowns on it. But it CAN be done).

Then plan to spend time waiting in line to pick up your badge. Doesn't matter when you arrive, Thursday, Friday, whenever. There WILL be a line (don't worry, you'll get used to it. Or go insane. One or the other). If it's hot (and it probably will be), bring water and dress for the weather, because you're going to be in it for a while. EXPECT a computer glitch or two, but bear with them. With few exceptions, the Con crew are volunteers, doing the very best they can. And once you get inside, you will move through the line pretty quickly.

Talk to your neighbors in the queue. Everyone is there for the same reason; have fun, make friends.

Planning: The Con will send you a guide as soon as they have their guests and the tracks lined up. This is NOT to say there won't be changes; there will be. This is life, people; things happen. Sometimes good, sometimes not. But roll with it; you can't change it.

There's also an Android app, which allows you to view events by date or track or guest and program a schedule. DO THIS!! If not, you might find that you've found two events that are a half hour apart but in the two farthest hotels; or, worse still, you have to get from the Marriott to the Hyatt!

BE FLEXIBLE. Don't lock yourself into the schedule you've planned; if you find something you want to do, DO IT! (Personal experience: I walked into Larry Niven's panel about 20 minutes in, just because I had time to kill – and listened avidly as he dispensed advice based on HIS decades of experience! One piece, which HE got from Heinlein, for all you writers: Once you finish your book, go back and throw out the first hundred pages and redo it.) You never know what you're going to run into, or when.

Okay, so what did I do there?

Friday. Let's look back. Garrett Wong (director of the Trek Track) presenting George Takei in Sulu Solo. Very entertaining, listening to Mr.Takei tell tales of his years in the business, not just on Star Trek but other places.

Top Gear (part of the BritTrack). Well, disappointing is how I felt. I'm a fan, yes, but I had hoped for someone directly connected with the show. Instead, there were three other fans, of a more dedicated bent, expounding on the show. Not quite what I expected.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Great panel, with Garrett again presenting. His guests? Cirroc Lofton, Avery Brooks, and Terry Farrell (making her first appearance at DragonCon). Good discussion of life on and off the set of DS9, with Farrell visibly excited and practically bouncing in her enthusiasm.

Then a break, a tour of the Walk of Fame – which deserves more than a mention, so here goes. The Walk of Fame is a ballroom in the Marriott where the various guests from TV, movies, and authors all gather to schmooze with the fans, sign autographs, and take photos. Don't feel like shelling out $40 for a signed picture? No problem; every one I approached (lessee, Peter Davison, Avery Brooks, Garrett Wong, Tamoh Peniket, Erin Gray, Malcolm McDowell, Richard Hatch, Herbert Jefferson, Edward James Olmos – there were more) was perfectly happy to shake hands and just chat for a minute or five.

And then, to wrap Friday, was a panel with Peter Davison. Again, a lively discussion and Q&A session, with the sense that yes, this is EXACTLY where he wanted to be on Friday night.

Side note: One aspect that D*Con excelled at was allowing questions from the audience directly to the panelists, which made for a much more engaging panel, instead of simply a talking head with a guest.

Saturday. BIG day. I had planned to do SIX panels (of an hour each, with a half-hour in between each) but ran out of steam by 5pm – so only made it to four. But the first was the big enchilada:

William Shatner.

I hate to say it, as a long-time Trek fan though many of its incarnations – but while Shatner had some good things to say (notably: We, as humans, are all hard-wired to be curious, to wonder what is out there, and so we create fantasy and science fiction to try to answer that), too much of his presentation was about himself and his current projects (which I won't mention here). In this case, there really should have been a presenter to channel his energy and enthusiasm. Still, I can now say I've seen him and heard him.

Then Lee Majors – possibly the most down-to-earth actor of the entire weekend.

While waiting for the next panel, I wandered into see Larry Niven – a Professional Writer if ever there was one!

Next, a panel of Battlestar Galactica – Edward James Olmos, Richard Hatch, and Kandyse McClure. VERY thoughtful (McClure's thoughts on playing a character's suicide was moving) and surprising (look up Olmos speaking to the UN regarding the use of the word 'race'). Well-presented!

Sunday, well, that was tied up with friends visiting and a dinner with the Barflies. Then, Monday, was an early departure for the two-day drive back.

COSPLAY!

What, you thought I forgot?

Okay, okay. Cosplay is a MAJOR aspect of DragonCon – all genres, all tracks, all genders and species. People spend dozens of hours perfecting their acts – I can't just say 'costume', because while they are wearing them, they BECOME that character – and then spend the weekend showing off.

I can't do them justice in words. I really can't. You'll just have to look at the pictures.

So. To sum up:

DragonCon is hot, sweaty, tiring, demanding, has endless lines, can feel like a badly-run fire drill – and one of my favorite weekends of all time!

See you there next year!

As always, you can comment below, or directly to me at TheKildaran@yahoo.com – and if you were there, I'd love to hear from you!

 At the Barflies Dinner

Sulu Solo with George Takei and Garrett Wong

Exterminate!

K-9 and some other droid =)

Mermaind Cosplayers at the Georgia Aquarium

Interview with Cass & Ken

Hello and welcome back!


We have a special treat for you today. By special arrangement with the Time Corps, we have managed to secure an interview with Kendra Foster-Briggs and Aiyana Cassidy -

[Aiyana interrupts] That's Aiyana Cassidy Foster-Briggs, and Kendra Foster-Briggs Cassidy. We exchanged surnames at our wedding. YOU of all people -

Yes, well, for convenience - never mind. Okay, Aiyana, let's start this off with a simple question. What is quantum teleportation?

AC: [laughs] Simple, eh?  You do have a gift for understatement!
TK: It is the root of the entire saga, though, isn't it?
AC: I suppose it is. Okay. Simple version. [looks thoughtful] Damn. Simple question, ha! Did you know that the penalty for violation of of Time Corps policies? They STRAND YOU in that time period! Now, that would be fine for Kendra, but -
KFB: Oh hells yes! Girl, this is AMAZING! I love the early 21st century - such a vibrant time!
AC: It is certainly, um, active.
KFB: Did you know I can get a brand new - BRAND NEW! - Veyron here and now?
AC: And how do you think you'll get it back?
KFB: You're the physicist! [pokes Cass]
TK: Okay, okay, maybe a relationship question then while Aiyana thinks. How did you two meet?
KFB: How does anyone meet? It was school. I sat next to her for, what, four years?
AC: [distracted] Thereabouts.
KFB: Ah, she's thinking. Anyhow. Yeah, we were inseparable.My family life wasn't the greatest, you know? So I spent lots of time at Cass' place. Her folks were good to me, really understanding.
TK: So you were sweethearts then?
KFB: Oh no! [giggles] I had the biggest crush on - well, I guess it doesn't matter now who. But he was just the sexiest man I could imagine. [shakes head] No, we weren't an item or anything. A few dates, you know, when we were between boyfriends. Nothing serious, though.
TK: Oh.
AC: Simply put, quantum teleportation is a way to get the exact information about atoms from point A to point B by precisely scanning and measuring their state.
TK: Um, what?
AC: [sighs] If you are able to get a precise enough reading of the state of an atom or atoms, then that information can be transmitted to another location.
TK: But that's information, not atoms, isn't it? And how precise is precise?
AC: That's the issue, right. It has to be incredibly precise for the system to work.
KFB: That's her genius, though, she figured out that she could use some of the equipment at her former employer - do I have to say the name?
TK: I will. Heavy Lift Corporation, and they were in the business of putting satellites and other stuff into orbit.
KFB: Them. So Cass took - what was it?
AC: A gas-ion krypton laser.
KFB: Right, that. And she did something clever to it and made it focus tightly enough to get the level of detail needed to replicate living beings.
AC: Theoretically!
KFB: I really hate it when you use that word. Besides, it worked, didn't it?
TK: Whoa, wait - what do you mean, it worked?
[Cass and Ken exchange a look]
AC: We haven't gotten that far yet, have we?
KFB: Not yet, no. Damn, Spoilers. Forget we said that, okay?
TK: I can try - but teleportation!
AC: The biggest problem is that when you do a quantum scan of an object, you annihilate the object. So if you miss data -
KFB: The frog ends up missing legs.
TK: Frog?
KFB: Read your book. It's in there.
TK: [totally confused] Riiight. Okay, then. We're almost out of time - what's next for Cass and Ken?
AC: What did Ken say? Spoilers? We can't TELL you!
TK: So where can people in this time read about you?
KFB: The first two installments are out now, you can get them electronically for a device called the, what, was it, sparker? Igniter?
AC: Kindle!
KFB: Kindle, yeah! They're called Run Like Hell and A Deadly Quest.
AC: Don't forget the print versions!
KFB: Yeah, imagine that - an old-fashioned, printed book! Anyways, those are available too, through either, um, help me out Cass?
AC: Amazon and Createspace.
KFB: Right. Them. And you've gotten our notes, right? The third volume?
TK: Yes, I have, I'm working on it.
KFB: You'd best get moving. What are you going to call it?
TK: Right now? A Desperate Gambit.
AC: [considering] Not bad.
TK: Well - thank you both for coming by. I know it wasn't easy to arrange. Maybe we can do it again sometime?
KFB: Only if you promise to take us to Vegas!

Tune in again soon - and don't forget, Run Like Hell and A Deadly Quest are both available for Kindle and in trade paperback from Amazon!

And now - to enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card - go to Kasey Dean's website and enter the following CODE WORD : BUGATTI

Kasey's site is www.KaseyDean.com

Review of STARSHIP TITANIC (as it appears on AmazingStories.com)

Lost In Space!

Reviews of Unknown or Underappreciated Books

Starship Titanic by Terry Jones

Hello and welcome to what will be an occasional feature on my blog!

So – what, exactly, do I mean by 'unknown or underappreciated'?

To put it simply – not everyone is a Kevin J. Anderson or David Weber or Eric Flint or Robert Heinlein. Some authors – I would venture to say, MOST authors – produce perfectly fine books: readable, enjoyable, well-structured, skillfully plotted and with fully-developed characters. And yet, something happens.

They never quite get the recognition they deserve. The book slides into obscurity, and the author – having watched their baby disappear from the public eye – often follows.

Well, no more!

I've been reading SF for basically my entire conscious life, and when I like a book, I hold onto it. So, for you lucky, lucky readers, I'm diving back into my stacks to find books which deserve another shot at the sunlight.

Imagine, if you will, Hitchhiker's Guide meets Monty Python.

Oh, brilliant! As a fan of both, this would seem to be the ultimate book for a person like myself.

British science fiction meets British insanity – what could be more perfect?

In the late 1980s (yes, I know, we're going back to another century here, but bear with me. There's a point to this time travel) Douglas Adams was on top of the science fiction world.

His Hitchhiker's 'Trilogy' was hugely successful, existing as books, a television series, and a radio series. A movie deal was in the works. What media was left? Well, obviously, the realm of computer games! (Remember, this is pre-XBox, pre-PS, and just barely post-Atari.)

'Give us something,' he was told, 'that we can use to make a text-driven adventure. It's got to be something with a beginning, a middle, and an end, and it has to be something that you haven't written yet, because we don't want the players to know how the story goes before they play.'

Um, what? You can imagine Adams thinking.

'Oh, and it would be nice if it was related to the Hitchhiker's books but not part of them, or at least nothing major.'

Excuse me?

Well, eventually Adams remembers about the Starship Titanic – here's the reference, in full, from Life, The Universe, and Everything:

Many speak of the legendary and gigantic starship Titanic, a majestic and luxurious cruise liner launched from the great shipbuilding asteroid complexes of Artifactovol some hundreds of years ago now, and with good reason.

It was sensationally beautiful, staggeringly huge and more pleasantly equipped than any ship in what now remains of history (see page 110 [on the Campaign for Real Time]) but it had the misfortune to be built in the very earliest days of Improbability Physics, long before this difficult and cussed branch of knowledge was fully, or at all, understood.

The designers and engineers decided, in their innocence, to build a prototype Improbability Field into it, which was meant, supposedly, to ensure that it was Infinitely Improbable that anything would ever go wrong with any part of the ship.

They did not realize that because of the quasi-reciprocal and circular nature of all Improbability calculations, anything that was Infinitely Improbable was actually very likely to happen almost immediately.

The starship Titanic was a monstrously pretty sight as it lay beached like a silver Arcturan Megavoidwhale among the laser-lit tracery of its construction gantries, a brilliant cloud of pins and needles of light against the deep interstellar blackness, but when launched, it did not even manage to complete its very first radio message – an SOS – before undergoing a sudden and gratuitous total existence failure.

That's it. That's what he had to write from, a snippet that is mostly about the early misapplication of Improbability equations.

No wonder it took him until 1998 to get the thing written, coded, published and distributed.

Then came the suggestion: Why don't you write a book to go with the game, tie it in, we can broaden our marketing?

The response was probably interesting but not particularly germane, except that in the end, he didn't write it.

Terry Jones did.

Yes, that Terry Jones. From Monty Python. Who frequently appears nude in the sketches and movies.

What, you might ask, does he know about writing a book?

As it turns out, not much.

He had the plot of the game to follow – simply put, the starship Titanic doesn't undergo a SMEF (sudden massive existence failure) as much as dematerialize. It reappears above, of course, Earth. Smashed into a house.

Four Earthlings are there; three of them are invited aboard the ship while the fourth scarpers off. They then encounter various difficulties in trying to get the ship to function as it should and return them to Earth.

To this bare-bones plot, various details are added: industrial espionage, insurance fraud, sabotage, labor unions, and a faulty Mega-Scuttler bomb.

The whole idea is ridiculous.

Then again, so is the idea of hitchhiking across the galaxy, and he made pretty good hay from that.

Ah, but the problem with Starship Titanic is that Adams didn't write it, Jones did, and he lacks the former's deft touch with the ridiculous.

The dialogue is stiff and forced, at best. The plot is, as mentioned, ridiculous, and the resolution requires a deus ex machina straight out of classical Greek theater.

Yet there are moments of levity, of humour, where Adams' direction is apparent, where the intervention more direct.

Alas, they are too few and far between to justify the book as a whole.

If you want to read this, go ahead. It's still out there. Perhaps you can find one at a yard sale, or a library book sale.

If you're interested in the game, well, the web site still exists. StarshipTitanic.com, though it doesn't seem to do much. Finally, if you really want to play the game, there are instructions here: http://www.metafilter.com/98848/The-Post-That-Cannot-Possibly-Go-Wrong

And what happened to the game? Well, text-driven games were a dying breed by the time Adams (a notorious procrastinator and ignorer of deadlines) finally finished his end. The PlayStation was out, the PS2 two years away, the Xbox three years away – so the whole thing was, like the eponymous starship, doomed from the start.

Moving forward – I welcome your comments and suggestions! If there is a book YOU want me to review, drop me a line! You can find me on Facebook (very creatively, Adam Gaffen) or you can send an email to TheKildaran@yahoo.com OR you can simply leave a comment here!

Thanks – and I'll be back soon with another lost treasure!

ANOTHER new book by CM - Color Me Pretty

COLOR ME PRETTY
Title: Color Me Pretty
Series: A Duet #2 (this is the final book in the series; the first book, "Paint Me Beautiful", can be found here: http://smarturl.org/snfxf)
Genre: New Adult/Romance/Anorexia
Mature - Ages 16 and Up Due To Some Language and Sexual Themes
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17797720-color-me-pretty
Goodreads Link to Book One: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668900-paint-me-beautiful?ac=1
Release Day: June 15th, 2013
~~~!!!SALE!!!~~~ "Paint Me Beautiful" will be on sale for 99 cents from June 8th - June 15th

Blurb:

"I've done it this time.  I've really screwed up.  I've made a mistake, and I'm afraid that it's going to cost me everything - my family, my career and most importantly, Emmett Sinclair.  He saw the beauty inside of me, looked past what I was becoming on the outside, and gave me his trust.  Everyone thinks I tried to kill myself; I think I made a mistake.  They all say I'm halfway to the grave; I say I've been reborn.  Nobody knows what I'm going through, so I'm going to have to fight harder than ever before.  The problem is, I no longer know exactly what it is I'm fighting for."

AUTHOR LINKS
Official Webpage: http://cmstunich.com
Facebook Friend Page: https://www.facebook.com/cmstunich
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/cmstunichauthor
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/C.M.-Stunich/e/B008FT7CAO/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1363702802&sr=8-2-ent&tag=boobroandbar-20
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6432984.C_M_Stunich
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cmstunich
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/c.m.-stunich
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=%22C.M.+Stunich%22&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=none&g=both


*****


~CM Stunich~
www.cmstunich.com
facebook.com/cmstunichauthor?

CM Stunich - NEW BOOK - Real Ugly (no, that's the title!)

REAL UGLY INFO

Title: Real Ugly
Series: Hard Rock Roots #1
Genre: A New Adult Rock Star Romance
Mature - Ages 18 and Up Due to Dirty Language and Raw Sex
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17869239-real-ugly
Release Day: June 10th, 2013
Blurb:

"Turner Campbell is an asshole.
I f*cking hate him.
But I can't get enough either.
He sings like an angel and f*cks like a devil.
If I could, I'd run away and never look back because to tell you the 
truth, I think this man might be the death of me.

***

Naomi Knox is a bitch.
I can't f*cking stand her.
But I can't stop thinking about her either.
She looks like an angel and plays like a devil.
If I could, I'd f*ck her good and forget all about her, but to tell 
you the truth, I think this woman might be my last saving grace."

AUTHOR LINKS
Official Webpage: http://cmstunich.com
Facebook Friend Page: https://www.facebook.com/cmstunich
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/cmstunichauthor
Amazon: 
http://www.amazon.com/C.M.-Stunich/e/B008FT7CAO/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1363702802&sr=8-2-ent&tag=boobroandbar-20
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6432984.C_M_Stunich
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cmstunich
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/c.m.-stunich
Kobo: 
http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=%22C.M.+Stunich%22&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=none&g=both

UNEDITED TEASER!

I'm looking down, so I'm not paying attention to where I'm going. 
Doesn't matter anyway. When people see me coming, they get out of my 
way.
'Hey!' a girl shouts as our shoulders slam together and my cigarette 
topples out of my mouth. 'Watch where you're fucking going!' A 
crumpled ball of leather slams into my chest before I get the chance 
to process that the chick standing in front of me is the girl from the 
bus last night, the one on the couch. Holy fuck me. She looks even 
better in the daylight. She's tall, fucking got legs for days, and her 
tits are practically falling out the top of an asymmetrical tee that's 
cut up and hanging in long strips over her bare belly. Skin like 
porcelain, orange-brown eyes that bite, and swollen lips. Hell to the 
fuck yeah. She's exactly my type. My irritation at having her bump 
into me dissipates right away, and I switch on the charm.
'Hey, baby, do I know you from somewhere?' I shake out the crumpled 
leather as she scowls at me and realize with a start that it's 
actually my jacket. Must've left it on her bus last night. I wonder if 
we fucked. If we did, then it's a memory I'm sad to forget.
'Yeah, last night when I cleaned your puke off my carpet and pulled 
your dick out of my friend. Hey, next time you decide to screw a drunk 
chick, make sure she's sober enough to remember her own name. Can you 
do that for me, Turner?' I lick my lips and shake out the jacket, 
tossing it over my shoulder with a scowl of my own. Hot as this chick 
is, nobody talks to me like that. If I've ever fought for anything in 
my life, it's the right to be respected. Even a tight body and a 
dangerous scowl can't change that.
'Hey, if I touched your friend, it's because she wanted me to.' I snap 
my fingers and lean in close. 'Oh yeah, and it's none of your damn 
business.' Hands come out quick and hit my chest, knocking me back a 
step. Mostly from surprise. She isn't as tough as she thinks.
'Next time you pass out on my bus, I take payment from you in the form 
of diseased body parts.' She waves her hand at my dick and then she 
tries to turn away. My fingers on her shoulder spin her around and 
this time, she hits me right in the face.
'You fucking bitch,' I snarl as she stands her ground and stares me 
down. 'I could have you kicked off the tour for that shit. Or thrown 
in jail. Who the hell do you think you are?' The woman raises her chin 
and takes a deep breath while the wind teases her auburn hair around 
her soft face. She's acting fierce, but I can see right through her. 
This chick is vulnerable, half ready to crack. Wonder if I could help 
her along a little? Broken souls are my specialty.
'My name is Naomi Knox,' she says and then takes a step closer to me, 
so close that the toes of our shoes touch and her breasts brush up 
against my chest. Almost immediately, my cock springs to attention and 
gets hard as a fucking rock, expanding along the length of my thigh 
and pressing against the tight fabric of my jeans. Fuck that hurts. 
Guess this my penance for wearing girls' pants. 'And I'm not afraid of 
you, Turner Campbell, so fuck off.'
She spins on her heel and smacks me across the cheek with her hair. As 
she moves away, I see something in her face. I don't know what it is, 
but it triggers something else in me. I know I've met this girl 
before, and I'm not going to rest until I figure out where.

*****


~CM Stunich~
www.cmstunich.com
facebook.com/cmstunichauthor

Amazing Stories and David Gerrold team up!

Amazing Stories to Publish David Gerrold Comic Script: Star Trek & Dr. Who Fans Might Collide with a Bang! Theoretically of Course

Ok, I’ll say it, if only to keep up with the current trend on the site:  The Experimenter Publishing Company is pleased to bring you an Amazing First!

Our first piece of new fiction, and a graphic story to boot!  But wait, it gets even better!

Several weeks ago David Gerrold (yes, the Tribbles guy*) announced on Facebook that he’d written a comic book script that had become orphaned through no fault of its own.  Amazing Stories jumped on this potential opportunity and obtained a copy of the script for review.

Unbelievably hilarious.  Totally nerdy.

From the opening panel to the very last David Gerrold has spun a tale of historic, inside jokiness and has extended that joke to encompass contemporary fare.

Arrangements were made for Amazing Stories to publish the story and, in conjunction with David’s DG Publishing imprint, produce a limited dead-tree edition.
Several comic artists were approached for the honor and Troy Boyle has been given the go-ahead.  Troy has already begun preliminary character sketches and page layouts.

Amazing Stories will be publishing a few teaser excerpts from the script, as well as some of Troy’s preliminary artwork here over the next few weeks.

What is it about?  Let’s just say that Star Trek fans and Dr. Who fans (or should that be Dr. Who fans and Star Trek fans?) are going to have something to talk about for at least the next century.  And yes, there are Tribbles in there too.  Soft Tribbles.  Warm Tribbles.  Tribbles no one would want to Exterminate.

This Fannish Friday we will be releasing a few of Troy’s illustrations and a few scenes from David’s script, so mark it on your calendars and don’t miss a single reveal as we all work our way towards publication!

The script will appear here exclusively on Amazing Stories and will also be made available in a limited print edition that will be available from the Experimenter Publishing Company and DG Publishing.

Images Copyright Troy Boyle, 2013. All Rights Reserved.

That’s your first clue:  who are those guys and what are they doing in a graphic story together?

*David is we known for many other things besides his The Trouble with Tribbles Star Trek episode.   His award winning novelette The Martian Child (Hugo, Nebula, Ted Sturgeon, Locus and HOMeR) was turned into a movie in 2007; he has several popular series including The War Against the Chtorr and Star Wolf; an earlier novel written with Larry Niven – The Flying Sorcerers – remains one of Science Fiction literature’s best inside jokes.

Troy Boyle is an American comic book artist and writer. Boyle is best known for his gritty revenge fantasy, The Return of Happy the Clown, written by Gary Francis. He has worked for Image Comics, Desperado Publishing, Caliber Press and Boneyard Press.  Troy is currently working on pin-ups and covers for Main Enterprises.

On Friday, February 15th (Fannish Friday) Amazing will publish an excerpt from the comic and a few illustrations from Troy Boyle.

Amazing Stories Interview with Chris Nutall

It's Sunday, so that means the weekly post to Amazing Stories is up!

Click ANY highlighted text to go see it!

Amazing Stories are only a click away!

Adam

Featured Link!

So there's a blog out there run by Tara Cheverestt called Book Babe - she features books with 'strong and sexy heroines'.

Well, The Cassidy Chronicles qualify - so she's highlighting Run Like Hell this week!

Go there and check it out - and then go to Tara's HOME website and come back here. Email me (to TheKildaran@yahoo.com) with THREE of her titles and I'll send you a coupon for a free copy of Run Like Hell!

So - click HERE for the link. Or the picture below!

Run Like Hell: Dead Tree Edition!

Okay all y'all - I got news and I need YOUR help to spread it!
I can also use LIKES and REVIEWS on Amazon! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!





In addition - if YOU are moved to get the paperback copy - email me at TheKildaran@yahoo.com with your order number and I'll GIVE you an eCopy of the book for your favorite eReader!

Okay, blurb begins below:

RUN LIKE HELL is now available in Paperback!

The first book in The Cassidy Chronicles, Run Like Hell introduces you to Aiyana Cassidy and Kendra Foster-Briggs, old friends in a future America who find their wedding disrupted by a reverend with a gun. Why did he try to kill them? On whose orders? Where can they go to be safe?

Currently available from CreateSpace at https://www.createspace.com/4161163
AND Amazon at www.amazon.com/Run-Like-Hell-Cassidy-Chronicles/dp/1301352063/

And only $6.99 (plus applicable taxes/S&H)

New post on Amazing Stories!

My review of EMERGENCE is up for your pleasure on Amazing Stories! Go ahead, click the link. Or THIS ONE.

Or THIS ONE.

You can't get away! The LINK is HERE!

Amazing Stories are just a click away! (TM)

Off to visit - and more goodies!

So, I am off to visit another blog - if you want to see the interview, click HERE

AND -

Who wants another peek into A Desperate Gambit?

Darkness.

Pain.

Voices.

Ropes.

Ropes?

Kendra's awareness came back to her in a sudden rush, then ebbed almost as quickly.

“Owww...” she moaned. She tried to reach her hand to her aching head, but found she couldn't move.

She tugged harder. Definitely tied down.

Okay. Let's try looking around.

Kendra opened her eyes – or one of them. Her left eye seemed to be stuck shut.

The light was dim, hardly above blackness but there. Turning her head to the limits, she could see bars surrounding her, but with just the one eye she couldn't tell if they were a foot or ten feet away. They looked solid, though.

Not good.

She wriggled her shoulders. A few inches' movement. Her torso didn't move, though, and now she became aware of the feeling of coarse rope against her skin.

Skin?

As various parts of her body checked in it seemed that there was an awful lot of skin reporting being uncovered.

Way not good, she thought, remembering where she was. Oh shit.

In a few moments she had built up as coherent a picture as she could manage. She was tied to a hard wooden chair. Her wrists were tied to each other; another rope was around her midriff and arms; a third wrapped two or three times over her thighs to the seat of the chair; and each leg was tied to the chair leg in two places, at the knee and again at the ankle. Whoever had done this to her was skilled; she couldn't find any slightest movement in her bonds.

She felt her hair dangling down her back and over her chest. Now I wish I'd gotten these bangs cut!

And she was naked. Completely.

A dull murmur of voices was present in the background though she couldn't make out any individual voices.

Ideas. Think think think! Dammit!

Calm. Okay. You're tied down, naked, in a cage, with voices. What does that mean?

Nothing good.

What did Gary say about Williamson? No, not Williamson. Junior!

I am so frakked.

*grin* 

 That's all you get - until next time!

Adam