When my reaction is “Meh,”

Last night the lovely Dr. Farish and I went out for dinner and a show. Being upper tier, almost aristocratic snobby types,



Like this, but in color, and I'm not the PM of England.
 



we usually hit the Roller Derby,

I'm the distinguished gentleman in the background.

but this time decided to break up the routine a bit and return to Medieval Madness. Think dinner theater, only far less scripted, the audience gets involved, it's set in the 1300's, there's actual sword-fights, and the food is actually quite good.

This will teach you to not take the last slice of roast beef again!

Oh yes, they have a LARGE selection of beer, ales, mead, and wine; inebriation is almost required. Dr. Farish and I have been there several times before, and it's always a fun experience. Last night, after the show, the wife and I talked to the owners/ main performers, and they asked what we thought of the new material they were trying out. It was tough to reply, did I have a good time? Yes, definitely. Will I return? Damn skippy. Would I recommend others to go? Yep.

But the new show was just okay in my mind. It wasn't bad, but for what ever reason if just did not make me laugh as much last night as in prior times. Perhaps it was me. Different things are more or less funny to me depending upon my mood. Worse there was no one thing I could really put my finger on, no one screwed up their lines, parts were quite good, the sword fight was the best I've seen, and I had a great seat for watching it. Food was great and there was enough of it, and I tried out a new beer which was very tasty. And yet....



Get to the point already!

Occasionally the same thing happens when I've been asked to critique a book. Now it is easy to give an honest and in-depth critique if the book is excellent, or if it's crappy. I've read books where the formatting had words all over the place, one where an entire chapter was repeated. There have been cases where there were so many typos, misspellings, and poorly constructed sentences, that I had to stop. I have run into stories that were two-dimensional, where it was all tell, and read like a giant run on sentences, devoid of emotion or movement.

This book needs a good burning!

Then there are more technical matters, where someone has a character jumping out of a jet going Mach-one, without a parachute only to land on a “just happened to be in the neighborhood,” blimp, and after subduing the entire, evil league of evil, crew with a toothpick and one liners, the hero lands in time to rescue the orphans from their burning building. Or the characters are sneaking into a hostile country on a super-classified, plausibly deniable, secret-squirrel mission, to take care of bad guys toting only US equipment, with their team logo “Good Guys Justice Society,” prominently displayed.

No one will ever guess it was us - totally super secret!

There is character development, where the MC is a bit of a dick, or goes out of his way to kick puppies, or has a back story either bland or incongruous to the situation, “Steve lost the bet, and sacrificed his parents on the blood stained alter of Frodo the Hobbit. He then went on to run the day care in a kind and loving manner, until he met Marissia, daughter of a billionaire who, after being tossed out of her last porn movie for being 'overly slutty' and filled to the gills with cheap tequila, just happened to clip Steve's car when he was at the Farmer's Market to buy fresh food for the children.”

That's an easy to critique story, but what do you do when you have finished the story and it's really not made any impression? When there was nothing wrong with the book, but it was just okay. You have no desire to prepare an auto-de-fe for the author, but at the same time the story did nothing for you? It's easy to spot mistakes, or poor character development, or even far to many pant-less clown jokes, but when the story was 'blah?'

Yeaaaa. I got nothing here man.

Those are the tough critiques for me. Perhaps it was just a one off, I was having a bad day, or was sleepy while reading or something. The only problem is I have very little desire to read the book a second time in order to give it a second chance. And so when the author inevitably asks “what did you think,” I have a tough time answering. I try to help, but it comes across more as bumbling Cthulhu chants that a coherent critique; when the story is just “meh,” there's not much advice I can give.

 

Now for a story that's really not “meh,” my book Junior Inquisitor.

Okay there is one 3 star rating, but there's 30 five-star ratings.

It's got the thrills you crave.

Amazon - http://goo.gl/D6KrbX

Smashwords - http://goo.gl/XsGgAC

Nook - http://goo.gl/MVLXia

Google Play - http://goo.gl/g2kNPa

Hope 239 by Jeffery Goff

Today there has been a Science Fiction invasion by my good buddy Jeffery Goff and his upcoming novel Hope 239. As Jeffery is a writer, I think we can let him drive the bus, giving us insight in to his story.

 

 

 

Hope 239 blurb:

Year 239 is the beginning of the final stages of Hope’s one-way voyage. For over two centuries Hope has been traveling through space to reach its destination: the ten habitable planets of the Hope System. Generations have lived and died without ever knowing they were inside of a spaceship.

Captain Sterris, who has occupied her command chair for thirty-eight years, ventures into the taboo realm of questioning. She wonders what they are really doing on Hope and why, along with bigger questions of who are they and where they came from.

As the final phase commences and the questions mount, Captain Sterris confronts the terrifying possibility that someone has planned a devastating end for her ship and its crew. Through an unlikely alliance with Dr. Mahmud, Hope’s Chief Medical Representative, and the inquisitiveness of two youngsters in the Leadership Corps, Sterris discovers her fears are shared by others.

Among the tens of thousands of people on Hope, there are only a very few who suspect things are not the way they’ve been taught to believe. And these few need to figure out how to override the preprogrammed plan of destruction before it is too late.

 

Tell us how this story came about

 

 

Hope 239

Two years ago I began writing an historical horror tale set in a creepy dance pavilion built a half-mile into the Great Salt Lake. The actual building, called Saltair, was built in the 1890’s and looked like it had been picked up from somewhere in the Ottoman Empire, transported thousands of miles, and then dropped into the Great Salt Lake. One could only reach it by taking a train across the long trestle a few feet above the salty water. The Great Salt Lake isn’t very deep, even out in the middle, so constructing a building a half-mile from shore isn’t as daunting a task as it might initially sound. Hell, back in the day, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a bridge all the way across it. This first pavilion mysteriously burned down in 1925; however, it was quickly replaced by a new larger, grander structure. Saltair II, as it was called, shut down around 1960, but if anyone has seen the old movie “Carnival of Souls” then you are familiar with the building and the setting I was writing about. Anyway, I was well into this project, when a different voice, from a different place, in an entirely different genre started whispering in my ear.

Hearing voices is nothing new (being a fiction writer, I’m quite accustomed to an assortment of the disembodied begging for attention). In this particular case, the female voice was a persistent one. I was able to ignore her for a few weeks. But it was a losing battle. So I decided a little appeasement was in order. I wrote a short story, thinking she would drift away, happy to have a few thousand words of her own.

She proved to be a stubborn individual. Those words turned a nebulous voice into a solid one. Before I knew what I was doing, I had backtracked 13 years in story-time, and was hard at work telling her tale in more detail, from a much earlier point-of-view. Over the course of my musings, scribblings, rewrites, and revisions, the plot of the original story was obliterated, but the spirit remained. It became a key component of what is now Hope 239.

In the strange, unpredictable life of a fiction author, I went from writing a horror story with a historical setting to creating a sci-fi world built around a generational arkship (named Hope), set some three hundred fifty years into the future. Some time ago I learned to not fight where my imagination wants to go, though, at times, I am still a bit resistant. However, I am pleased with how this novel came out and I’m looking forward to continuing the story of all those voices (and believe me there are many more clamoring to be heard). And yes, I still have the historical horror to return to one day. Until then, Hope and its crew and “passengers” will have the lead.

I don't care what Lincoln thinks, I root for the Pirates!

A bit of background on Jeffery

Jeffrey was born in the Salt Lake Valley in 1971. The earliest writing he remembers composing is a Bugs Bunny fan-fic from the late-70’s. Needless to say, Chuck Jones never used that particular story. Jeffrey spent some time at Westminster College of Salt Lake City, with an idea of becoming a history professor. Alas, life had a different idea in mind. He spent a decade bartending and bouncing, before rediscovering that early love of writing. While he has no immediate plans for writing another piece about Bugs, he has never said he wouldn’t. One never knows what the next creative inspiration might be. Hope 239 is his first novel. He still lives in the Salt Lake Valley, with his inseparable German shepherd, Bismarck, snuggled close to his feet. He’s an avid reader of all genres, gardener, and unfailing supporter of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Red Wings.

Got some Bugs Bunny Fan-fic that Jeffery needs to know about?

Think the Pirates stink, again?

Want to ask more about Hope 239?

Links:

 

For Hope 239: http://widopublishing.com/hope-239-by-jeffrey-goff/ also available on Amazon (paperback and Kindle) and from your local bookstore

Blog: https://jeffreygoff.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jd_goff

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeffrey-Goff/1554598921467583

 

 

 

Now before anyone asks, yes, I will be buying a copy of Hope 239.

I support Indie authors. They work hard to give us a good story.

You should do the same.

 

 

 

 

Final work has begun on The Soulless Monk. It should be ready by late August. More danger, more monsters, and more madness. In the middle, Brother Sebastian, who is in trouble and not just from the powers of darkness.

In the mean time, Junior Inquisitor is already available at the low price of just 2.99

 

 

Amazon - http://goo.gl/D6KrbX

Smashwords - http://goo.gl/XsGgAC

Nook - http://goo.gl/MVLXia

Google Play - http://goo.gl/g2kNPa

My review of Safe Havens by J.T. Patten

There are a lot of militaryesque (yes, I made that word up) action thrillers out on the market. They range from pure pulp, literary Rambos, “read as one man wipes out a small nation of bad guys in between humping really hot women, in his quest for vengeance,” like Mack Bolan or the Destroyer series. Fun reads, but wildly implausible,



I, Mack Bolan, must eliminate you,

 

 
 
 


















 

 

 

 

 

 

all the way to the novels of Brad Thor, Daniel Silva, or Vince Flynn. Again it is usually one man taking out a really bad guy, or eliminating major parts of an evil cabal. 

Buy my book, Lincoln did.



 J.T. Patten's book is a bit more like I am Pilgrim, by Terry Hayes as far a realism goes, but then Patten goes one step beyond with plausibility in both hiding his characters in the darkness and in their mission. Multiple cuts out are erected in all areas, paying Havens, his organization, their equipment, and their missions. This way if anything goes wrong, the bad guys don't get propaganda, or know who just screwed up their finely wrought plans, nor does Congress get a chance to “inadvertently” expose an organization during an inquiry. These details matter in real life and in great stories.

 

Please explain what you planned to do with this Colonel Mustard

 

It is a common romantic belief that if you eliminate the head bad guy, the nefarious activities of his organization will stop. It's a nice thought, but naïve. The world is not Harry Potter, where if you defeat Tom Riddle, the rest of the Death Eaters, say, “Oh well, guess I'll go back to being a shop keeper or something.”

Evil League of Evil

A transnational gang or a terrorist organization is like modern business, people are there to make money and/or support a cause they believe in via nefarious activities. If the leader dies, usually number two takes over, because the money and the perceived need for their over-arching mission is still there.

 

I can run this organization!

As an example, if the CEO of Disney were suddenly to die, Disney doesn't fall apart as a company; their amusement parks close and no more movies made, the rest of the board would just elect a new CEO, and they'd continue to provide a service that makes Disney employees money.

It is the same with drug dealers, round up an entire gang, and a new one will fill in the vacuum, because people are still buying drugs. So long as there is a need, someone will fill it.

What really sets Patten's book apart is the plethora of plausible details, the main character fights terrorists, not by eliminating them one by one, but by finding a way to eliminate a key person that causes the organization to turn on itself, or to set two organizations against each other, so they are fighting, and not busy making plans for their next terrorist operation. This is, in the real world, how you eliminate a network. Perhaps, not as sexy as “One man on a mission, with lots of bad guys dying at opportune moments,” but far more realistic and gripping. Havens is a thinking James Bond, he looks for the connections and weaknesses that will tear apart on an organization, executes his mission, and sits back with some popcorn as the bad guys eliminate themselves. Then there are the details, the little bits of trade-craft, the attitude of people, the smells in the souk, that flesh out and make real this story.

“Thinking James Bond,” is not a slur, Havens is no cube monkey studying org charts, he is a planner and a doer. That's how the book starts off, Havens is on mission in Yemen, and then things start to go wrong. Not with the mission itself, although there are some times he needs to improvise, but at home. Things have gone horribly off-kilter, and Havens has to find a way to fight through the self-recrimination, doubts, and manipulation of off-stage actors to avoid being lured into an even darker world where he is the patsy.

I will be waiting for the next book, and you should be reading Safe Havens now.

 

 

If you like action adventure, darkness, monsters and magic, perhaps you'd like to try my book Junior Inquisitor. Still just 2.99 with 30 five star reviews.

 

 

Amazon - http://goo.gl/D6KrbX

Smashwords - http://goo.gl/XsGgAC

Nook - http://goo.gl/MVLXia

Google Play - http://goo.gl/g2kNPa

 

My first royalty check

                              I got my first royalty check today.

I have to admit I was disappointed. Yes, I was happy that many people liked my book, that people paid me to entertain them, and yet...

Writing is an art, not a science. No one can well predict which book will suddenly become a hit and which one will trudge along unnoticed and unloved. I know that I have only one book out, that I'm a new and untested author, that fewer and fewer people read and that there are many other alternatives to The Junior Inquisitor. Perhaps I'm expecting to much, that I've watched to many episodes of “Castle,” or I know too many successful authors, those who have paid their dues, and have been where I am now; fought on past the doubts to write another book and another until they were successful. I know all of that logically.

 

                               But the disappointment lingers.

I marketed the hell out of Junior Inquisitor, I was on a dozen or more different blogs promoting my book. My editor and I came up with excellent seeming promotional materials. I had both a Facebook and Twitter account established before my release or soon there after. There is this blog which can sometimes get decent traffic, my friends and family pitched in, the guys and gals from my Reserve unit helped as well, telling the world that there was a great new story available. My reviews on Amazon are positive, close to thirty 5 star reviews, many of those are from certified buyers, which are apparently more trusted. Despite this, I still have not gotten into the black with my upfront costs. I owe no money to the IRS as I have not yet made a profit, a small blessing I suppose, but that means that I am still a hobbyist; that I am not yet good enough to be considered a professional writer.

So the doubts linger, sticky and cloying. Unwilling to be banished. Did I do something wrong? Is my marketing strategy not working, perhaps my stories are to different, to dark, to find a large audience. Maybe, worst of all: maybe my stories are just not good enough for prime time.

 

 

 

I just don't know. The lack of understanding makes me hesitate. Should I sink even more money and time into The Soulless Monk? How long will my wife put up with me missing out on things to craft a story if no money is coming in from it? How much and for how long am I going to sacrifice on something that does not seem to be working?

                        I don't know, and that bothers me a great deal.

At the same time I am driven to tell my tales, they must come out. I did not choose to write so much as was cursed by it. There is only one real way past these doubts, and that is to work. Hone my craft and abilities, tell others that there is a great story, soon to be a series of stories, awaiting them. I must continue on until the day arrives when I am a success in my eyes and in the eyes of those I love.

                                         I just pray it is soon.

        Want a great story for less than the price of a cup of fancy coffee?

         Amazon - http://goo.gl/D6KrbX

         Smashwords - http://goo.gl/XsGgAC

         Nook - http://goo.gl/MVLXia

         Google Play - http://goo.gl/g2kNPa

 

Liza O'Connor's The Gods of Probabilities

Today, instead of me blathering away about the lack of organic, free-range Twinkies at Food Lion, I have a very dear friend and excellent writer Liza O'Connor promoting her latest book, The Gods of Probabilities. When I was just starting out; trying to become an author it was Liza who encouraged me, provided me advice, and helped me grow. She also suggested my excellent editor Danielle Fine, as a good match for my twisty style after several others did not work out. Liza is a prolific writer who likes to find love and romance in every imaginable situation. Even if you do not care for romance as a genre, you will enjoy her books as they are crafted with attention to detail, interesting premises, and for her historical novels, so much authenticity, you will swear you can hear horses clop past your window.

 

                                                      Take it away Liza

 

 

 

Meet Medusana & Lucifer

 

Medusana is a junior style officer. So while the Sr. Style Officer is on maternity leave, she takes her place on the Officers Round Table. Contrary to the evidence and the instructions of Captain Zousan, she declares Pane guilty of seven code violations, which angers our God Captain.

Excerpt 1:

“What is your prime directive?” Zousan demanded.

“To ensure we look like Gods,” she replied.

Second gripped her arm and whispered in her ear with great energy.

She paled. “Forgive me, Commander. My prime directive is to ensure the Path of Light and thus I find the unstylish fellow not guilty of all but violation seven. And to be honest, I will try, but I do not believe I can bring him into compliance with our style standard.”

The auditorium filled with chuckles at her conclusion.

Pane, if anything, grew smaller. His head hung in shame.

“Then this court procedure is concluded. Second, you are to locate me a new style officer at once, someone less prejudicial who knows our prime directive without being told.”

(After complimenting Pane for a job well done, he noticed the young woman remains at the round table.)

“I want her gone,” Zousan barked, pointing at Medusana. The pretty brunette looked at him, her eyes rounding in fear, and without another word she scurried from the room, her curls bouncing about like writhing snakes.

Excerpt ended:

When Zousan wants someone gone, he normally means sent through the next black hole they pass. Thus imagine his surprise when he later contacts the Dreams department only to find Medusana beneath the table servicing the worthless Poseidon Jr.

When he calls in Second to explain why she’s ‘not gone’ yet, Second admits she escaped a locked room, and the only way that could happen is if one of his security guys assisted her. It takes him a while, but he finds the culprit: Lucifer.

Lucifer has inserted a virus into the ship’s computer and threatens to kill everyone unless he and Medusana are allowed to leave the ship alive. After a bit of negotiation, Zousan agrees to send him to the closest planet, which he hopes is the nearby sun.

Excerpt 2:

“Computer, state name of the planet closest to ship.”

“Planet Zepwick.”

“Damn it. I wanted him sent to the sun!”

“You can’t change that, but you didn’t state when they’ll arrive. I can send them back to a time megazega-echons ago. That should keep them out of trouble.”

“That’s not even possible.”

“Oh, I can do it. However, established time doesn’t like having its data changed, so it ignores new input,” the female computer-voice explained in a tone one might use when talking to a child.

Zousan laughed at the computer’s brilliance. “Do it.” It was a clever solution. Lucifer and Medusana would arrive on an ice-cold barren planet with no way to influence, change or interact with it. He couldn’t have chosen a better Hell if he’d tried.

The Gods of Probabilities

By

Liza O’Connor

Blurb

The Gods require a time shifter to ensure the Path of Light reigns during the final collapse of possibilities. To speed the process of finding an Oceanic with the specific talents needed, God DNA is induced in several batches of Oceanic eggs, resulting in a generation of brilliant tiny blue Oceanic children.

One charming boy named Drogan has the ability to manipulate quantum reality in ways that will strengthen the Path of Light. Only trouble is that his gift runs a high probability of killing him and wiping out the Path of Light for good.

While the bureaucratic Gods will try to assist, in Quantum all possibilities not only can, but do happen, so the future is never certain.

Sales Link

Amazon

About Author

Liza is a multiple genre author of 15 novels. A Late Victorian Series, The Adventures of Xavier & Vic, plus a spinoff, A Right to Love, is an ongoing series. A Long Road to Love is a humorous Contemporary Disaster Romance series (5 books). She has two single books. One is a humorous, bad boys contemporary novel with ghosts, called Ghost Lover, the other is Untamed & Unabashed, a spinoff from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Now, she’s rolling out her Science fiction series (with romance & humor) called The Multiverses. The first four books are slotted for last half of 2015. In addition she hopes, if she hasn’t dropped from exhaustion by then, to re-release a sometimes humorous/suspense thriller called Saving Casey.

Liza would love to know: What’s your favorite genre?

Social Networks

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT

LIZA O'CONNOR

Investigate these sites:

Liza’s Multiverse Blog

Liza's Blog and Website   Facebook   Twitter

 

As for me The Soulless Monk is back from Danielle for revisions, and with luck, it be ready to go by August. I still have to finalize the cover, work on some ads, and line up bloggers for a blog tour, but I am headed towards the finish and soon The Soulless Monk, #2 of the Inquisitor Series, will be ready for purchase by you.

M.Y. David's BoBo

As this is a short story it is tough to describe this story with out spoilers. It Begins with a father reading a bedtime story to his son, when his son starts talking about his imaginary friend, “Bobo.” Only maybe Bobo isn't really imaginary. I found this to be a rapid read, maybe ten minutes for me. The setup was well done, the payoff was a bit abrupt for me, but overall a good story. It'll be worth watching this author for his future work, and buying his previous story.

 

                                                       4 Stars.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                               Price - free


Where – Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/548543

I'm going to be doing some training with the Dutch at the behest of the U.S. Army, so it maybe a bit before I post again. I will be very busy learning new drinking songs, and sometimes that takes a while.

Speaking of beer, how about putting a bit of coin in my pocket, so I won't have to drink Schaffer Light or National Bohemian or even Schlitz, and be ridiculed by my classmates. This isn't just for me, but to uphold the pride of the U.S. Army!

 

                                                  Now just 2.99!

 

Amazon - http://goo.gl/D6KrbX

 

Smashwords - http://goo.gl/XsGgAC

 

Nook - http://goo.gl/MVLXia

 

Google Play - http://goo.gl/g2kNPa

My review of David Rodger's “God Seed”

As we write in similar genres, I follow David Rodger on social media. Recently he held a contest and I won a free copy of his book “God Seed.” He did not ask me to write a review, but I enjoyed the book so much I decided to do so.

 

 

 

God Seed is Cthulhu, cyberpunk, and Sci-Fi wrapped into one fantastic story. In the not to distant future a documentary film maker Adam Kyle is on assignment, filming a team of corporate mercenaries on what is supposed to be their last mission before retiring. Inevitably things go wrong, dozens are killed and Adam is on the run with the last living member of the team, Kurt Hansen. Law enforcement, corporate spies, wet work teams, and something not human are all hunting Adam and Kurt. The chase goes from London, to Florida, to Cairo, to the Hygens Space station orbiting Titan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rodger's world is one of shadows and double dealing, cloak and dagger. No one is as they seem and everyone has a tainted past and secrets. There are numerous of twists and turns, not for the sake of obfuscation by the author, but because Adam Kyle lives in a very dark murky land and that is just the way things are. Reveals are not there just to jar the reader and keep them off balance, but are natural, and believable.

The action is tight and fast paced, once you start reading you will not want to stop until the last line. I will be adding more of David's books to my collection and you should as well. Yep, another 5 star book.

So what about me and my book? Where can you get it?

Glad you asked, cause it's now just 2.99

Amazon - http://goo.gl/D6KrbX

Smashwords - http://goo.gl/XsGgAC

Nook - http://goo.gl/MVLXia

Google Play - http://goo.gl/g2kNPa