tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32457923717827997642024-03-12T18:44:50.827-06:00Sci-Fi WorldsAn exploration into the world of science fiction. From writing, reviews, to publishing, to the science behind the fiction and the future impact of trends in our modern world.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-78846248204050367912015-04-06T17:08:00.000-06:002015-04-06T17:08:01.919-06:00MIT and Harvard Scientists May Have Accidentally Created a Real-life Light Saber
Imagine whipping out your trusty light saber, flicking a switch and it becomes a gleaming blade of deadly light to strike down your foes. It only happens in the movies, or does it?
Normally, photons, the massless particles which make up light, pass through each other rather than reacting. Not a particularly effective weapon. At best, a spectacular light show.
But what if light beams push Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-7426608559358937762015-03-17T23:51:00.000-06:002015-03-17T23:51:10.639-06:00An Excerpt from 'The Empire' for Teaser Tuesdays (SFR Group on FB)
A man
entered through double doors, standing almost in pose as they closed
silently behind him. His sharp gray eyes scanned the room in a split
second as he sauntered over to the bar. Tamara paused as she brought
her glass to her lips.
Someone
interesting, fun and with an edge of danger, just what the doctor
ordered for a dreary evening. She wet her lips and took a deep drink
that slid down Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-18825184865898026522014-06-30T14:09:00.003-06:002014-06-30T23:38:44.649-06:00Get to Know the Authors Blog Hop
Thanks to Annette Bower for passing on the torch for the Get to Know the Author blog hop.
I've been writing professionally for about four years now. It's been a fun and rewarding ride that I don't plan to end any time soon.
My first forays into writing was when I was a youngster, not quite high school age. I started on two stories, one fantasy and one an action-adventure.
The fantasy storyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-14255072853705425282013-05-19T19:05:00.002-06:002013-05-19T19:10:39.983-06:00Book Review: Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Title: Writers Workshop of
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Editor: Michael Knost
Page Count: 210 pages
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Published: April 18th, 2013
Publisher: Seventh Star Press
What if you could ask Neil Gaiman where he gets his ideas from? What if Orson Scott Card gave you his insights on developing voice and Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-28487979029268872652013-04-18T14:36:00.001-06:002013-04-18T14:36:56.521-06:00A. F. Stewart's Blog: Book Review: The Rebels by Elizabeth LangA. F. Stewart's Blog: Book Review: The Rebels by Elizabeth Lang: My Book Review of The Rebels : The novel The Rebels , the sequel to The Empire , is as engrossing as the first book in the series. T...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-24254152614441211252013-03-17T12:51:00.001-06:002013-03-17T12:52:21.834-06:00Science Fiction or Science Fact: Aging as a Disease?
What if we could pop an immortality pill that ‘cures’ the ageing
process?
~~~~~
Ponce de Leon Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-15042710116043959082013-01-12T13:53:00.001-06:002013-01-12T13:53:20.397-06:00IFWG Publishing: Story Quest Contest: Winners and Finalists Announc...IFWG Publishing: Story Quest Contest: Winners and Finalists Announc...: IFWG Publishing and SQ Mag are pleased to announce the finalists and winners of the 2012 Story Quest Short Story Contest. Winners: First...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-605707172279606932012-12-08T12:50:00.000-06:002012-12-08T12:51:27.132-06:00Diving into the DoJ's Ruling against the Publishers--And Drowning in Nonsense
I'm reading this DoJ ruling against publishers and the deeper I read into it, the more ridiculous it sounds.
I really recommend reading it in depth and look at it logically because it's just hilarious how little it actually makes sense.
The DoJ recognized that 90% of the public comments it received were overly negative towards the DoJ's ruling.
Then it says "It is not practical, however, to Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-88508180432780401632012-11-07T15:39:00.004-06:002012-11-07T16:14:07.367-06:00More Shady Practices by Amazon
I was doing my usual round of bestseller rankings stats and this time, took a closer look at how prices are displayed on Amazon.
First of all, Amazon does the despicable practice of putting books by some of the Big-6 as 9.99 on the Top 100 List, but when you open up the link, it shows the REAL price, which is more than 9.99. This is a nasty psychological trick to paint these publishers as Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-30694942459590329232012-11-06T15:52:00.003-06:002012-11-06T16:11:25.914-06:00The Fallacy
Just read another blog post that made me laugh. Are writers truly that naive to think that Amazon loves them and are a great boon to writers and won't screw them in the end?
Do they think bookstores are so 'selfish' that they're only thinking of themselves and refuse to sell great books?
Okay what are these people smoking? Bookstores are a business. They are there to make money. If Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-3338544807340718462012-09-26T03:51:00.000-06:002012-09-26T04:14:36.110-06:00Publishing Wars or Not Publishing Wars
It's funny how some people seek validation by putting others down without actually finding out the facts.
Those who still seek trad publishing aren't stupid, blind, unable to read or use the internet. We are just as intelligent and savvy with technology as the self-publishers claim they are. We are not choosing trad publishing because we're ignorant of self-publishing, nor are we choosing it Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-32126609501025575422012-09-25T15:22:00.001-06:002012-09-25T15:22:06.456-06:00The Changing World of Book Buying
From recent numbers by Bowker Market Research, we find some interesting things about the changing landscape of the book buying public.
Bowker Market Research numbers
Global Ebook Research
From the Diversity of Where Books are Sold chart (i.e. out of 100 books, where were they bought from)
26% of people buy their books from bookstores (this means physical books). 39% buy from estores (Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-66674708041625531032012-08-22T23:25:00.004-06:002012-09-02T22:38:36.916-06:00The Next Big Thing Week 9: The Andromedans (Book Three of the Empire Series)
Thanks to Greg Lamb of The Indie Exchange for tagging me in the Next Big Thing Blog Hop.
What is a blog hop? It's like a game of virtual tag. I get to answer ten questions about my Work In Progress and tag 5 other authors for next week.
Ten Interview Questions for The Next
Big Thing
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.
<!--[endif]-->What is the working title of your Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-86995693044689318122012-08-16T01:39:00.000-06:002012-09-02T22:39:12.074-06:00Being a critic, or why is it wrong to want quality?
Being a critic doesn’t mean anything unless there is a
reason for the critique. For me, just criticizing isn’t enough in itself. It’s
like the boy who cried wolf. Now, many know I’ve been on a rant the last year
or so, mainly against Amazon and lately about the influx of amateurs in the publishing
industry. Or, at least it seems so to many. While the first is definitely
correct, the second Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-68441041946870251592012-07-30T15:54:00.001-06:002012-07-30T15:54:43.732-06:00IFWG Publishing: New Release: The Rebels by Elizabeth LangIFWG Publishing: New Release: The Rebels by Elizabeth Lang: IFWG Publishing is proud to release Elizabeth Lang's second installment to her Empire Series, The Rebels. Elizabeth Lang's sequel continues...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-37609574730918887552012-07-29T18:36:00.003-06:002012-09-02T22:39:40.671-06:00The State of the Publishing Industry
Does anyone know what the publishing industry will look like twenty years from now? The business is still going through so many changes that it's too early to tell.
There are a few things we do know though and are fairly evident:
- Ebooks are here to stay and will gain an increasingly larger part of the market
- Amazon used to have a dominating position in the market (90%) but that has Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-38666067328747418122012-05-03T14:36:00.003-06:002012-09-02T22:40:15.588-06:00Quality Speaks
I was checking out a friend's book on Amazon and I noticed something new. Amazon was claiming that for the ebook price: You Save: $13.00 (81%)
Huh? Save $13? On an ebook that was 2.99 and is now still 2.99?
Well, guess what, this is false advertising because you're not saving money on the same product, i.e. the paper book version.
They're comparing different products and claiming a Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-25243815103382373362012-03-11T16:59:00.001-06:002012-03-11T17:07:17.912-06:00Of Rebels and Heroes
I was watching the 25th anniversary special for the Phantom of the Opera on PBS and was moved by the story once again. Such grand themes, such strong emotions, such humanity...it always touches me, just like Les Miserables does.
In many ways, I have been influenced by these stories, as much as authors like Tolkien and David Eddings. Larger than life stories with multiple story lines and castsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-55928051800599460402012-02-14T12:42:00.001-06:002012-02-14T12:48:54.433-06:00The 30-Foot Test
At a sci-fi convention, I attended a panel about book covers. It was very educational. One of the things that I took away with me was the 30-foot test. If your cover can attract attention from 30 feet away, then it's a good cover.
In terms of ebooks, does this rule of thumb apply any more? I wasn't thinking about this when I waded into the morass of books on Amazon to find a specific one, butAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-43585825917063167452012-01-29T12:05:00.001-06:002012-02-03T15:29:38.250-06:00Internet Bullying in the Ebook Industry
I've always warned about Amazon's predatory business practices, particularly, if they treat people in the industry like this once they have even a little power or advantage, do we truly think they won't screw the rest of us in time?
Goodreads, a large and very popular book social networking site has decided to end sourcing from Amazon because the online behemoth's terms are becoming Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-47200982554937186042012-01-26T21:26:00.003-06:002012-01-26T21:29:56.793-06:00The illustration for the first scene in The Rebels
In this scene, Adrian the scientist, Kali and Bryce are surrounded by Empire soldiers and an Admiral who is intent on keeping him a prisoner. Will they be able to use the jump gate to escape or will they be trapped forever? Find out in The Rebels in 1Q 2012.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-62012740616422285992012-01-20T15:48:00.000-06:002012-01-20T15:48:36.216-06:00Quillers Beehive: Genesis of The Empire SeriesQuillers Beehive: Genesis of The Empire Series: Some people wake up wanting to be hero, or at least the best person they possibly can. Most of us wake up because we're supposed to, be...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-82155959109650100002011-12-23T15:10:00.000-06:002011-12-23T15:10:01.507-06:00Piracy or Free Publicity
I attended a panel on writing and one thing stuck in my mind. When asked about the issue of piracy and the ease of copying on the internet, someone replied that as an author, he wasn't concerned with piracy as much as obscurity. Especially for those who haven't 'made' it yet, the small amount of money that is made is peanuts compared with the 'free' publicity.
The idea is to build a fan base Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-5899359559035803042011-12-18T11:40:00.003-06:002011-12-18T11:41:25.123-06:00Trailer for The EmpireAction! Adventure! Sci-Fi! Thriller! Romance! The Book Trailer for The Empire by Elizabeth Lang
Trailer for The EmpireAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3245792371782799764.post-69334203054956717712011-12-14T22:09:00.001-06:002011-12-14T22:12:01.472-06:00Status UpdatesJust a bit of a status update as we near the end of the year.
The Rebels is going like a passenger train on turbo. Now that Adrian has decided to make his opinions public, I can't seem to shut him up.
I'm on chapter 10 of the edit, adding more scenes for Sester and beefing up several of the relationship interaction scenes. I will be rewriting the last 5 chapters because having three Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12554740620548880646noreply@blogger.com0