L.E. Thomas's Blog, page 3

Invasion is here!

The Zahl Empire is invading another planet! Nat Hodges' life as he knew it ended the day the Zahl Empire invaded his world, Tarrafa. Sweeping through the initial defenses in a matter of days, the Zahl destroy everything Nat had ever known. Traditions and customs are outlawed, replaced by the Zahl Empire. Living in a homeworld occupied by an oppressive force, Nat facesthe choice of fighting a seemingly hopeless battle for the past or succumbing to the overwhelming power of the future. A brand new entry point novel in the Star Runners Universe, Invasion is the gripping tale of one young man's experience when an unstoppable armada from another world decimates his planet.Grab your copy today!

All good things...

No, I am not referencing the final episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation with this title (although it's a fantastic series ending if you for some reason have not seen it).I am referring to the Star Runners sale that has been going on for the whole of 2019. It started with the first Star Runners listed on sale for 99 cents earlier in the year and led to more considerable discounts in the series in preparation for the release of Invasion. Well, it wouldn't be a "sale" if it went on forever.Invasion is dropping on July 1 (you should check out the preview scenes I've been releasing on Facebook if you're interested), which means all the prices in the Star Runners Universe will drift back to their regular prices during the first week of the month. You should grab these discounts while you can! By far the most popular sale item has been the Omnibus for 99 cents. The first three books in the series have never been discounted so low. Grab this one fast before it reverts to it's the standard price. OK, that's about all the sales copy I can type this morning.(I have a particularly big scene I need to write for Star Runners 6 this morning, so I'd better get to work)Stay frosty!

Going to keep writing

I was recently asked by a reader how I deal with negative reviews. Wanna know a secret? I don't read many reviews unless they are sent directly to me by a reader.Sure, I sometimes glance at them when someone brings it to my attention. Some reviews are flattering, other funny. I'll admit some sting. But I do not hover over my books to see what reviews are coming in. I don't think that would be healthy for anyone. I used to read them, though. I remember getting a scathing review years ago. I read the comments, believed they had merit and addressed the issues. I even contacted the reviewer to ask them to join my advanced reader copy team. Never heard back from this individual. Then, I stopped reading them after I came across an interview with Mickey Rourke, where he said how much reviews impacted him. He was told he shouldn't read any reviews if the bad ones hurt him. I figured if a tough guy like Mr. Rourke decided not to read reviews because they stung, I wouldn't read them, either. Reviewing any art is subjective. It's why I refuse to do it. I will give my opinion sometimes in person, but never anywhere else. Yes, there are some movies, books or TV shows I love and some I don't. But I think it's up to all of us to make up our mind. Too often I have not read a book or seen a movie because of bad reviews only to LOVE the content once I gave it a chance (to be fair, it works the other way, too). I write because I have to write. It's all I've ever wanted to do. I have been traditionally published, and I now go the independent route. I like the freedom and speed. I put out the absolute best product I can by hiring professional artists and editors. I dream of improving with each novel as I've heard the first million words are practice anyway.It is my hope you find some joy in the work I'm producing. If not, I appreciate you giving me a chance, and I wish you well. I resist dispensing too much advice on this website. Plenty of people out there can do a fantastic job inspiring the next King or Grisham (check out Joanna Penn if you are searching). And quite frankly I have always been uncomfortable giving sage advice unless someone asks.However, I want to address all new authors writing their first novel. You should not hesitate out of fear of receiving poor reviews. I have known many people who never put their work out there for this reason. Let me tell you right now people will give you lousy reviews. It happens even if you have poured your heart and soul into every word, hired an editor (or three or four), and have the perfect book cover. Some people will not like your novel. Reframe it as being thankful for someone in the world reading your work.If you are an author who would like to commiserate or discuss publishing, I'm always happy to chat. Drop me an email at info@starrunners.net.For now, I'm going to keep writing.

Writing is invading my dreams

Last night was weird.I'm in the middle of writing the sixth book in the main Star Runners storyline, the culmination of the tale started with the publication of the first Star Runners book in 2014. I don't think I'm spoiling anything to tell you the story contains large battle scenes and stressful situations. It has been wearing me out a little mentally, but that usuallly happens when I'm deep into writing a story. However, I didn't realize it until last night how big an effect the story is having on me. The story invaded my dreams! Characters, ships and scenes played out in my dreams last night. It was crazy. Then, it gets even stranger...As I was dreaming about a battle scene, I woke to my bed rattling. Then, I realized it was my entire room. Yes, an earthquake was gently rumbling my house (apparently an earthquake hit Panama last night). I went back to sleep and didn't dream of the Star Runners Universe again. However, the lingering feeling remained this morning as I thought about what a strange night it had been. I decided to write about it on the blog and get it out of my system before I dive back into Star Runners 6. With that, have a happy day and stay frosty!

Star Runners: Omnibus an Amazon bestseller!

What a pleasant surprise you all have given me this week! The current sale celebrating the upcoming release of my newest novel (Invasion) propelled the Star Runners Omnibus to number 1 in the space opera: science fiction category this weekend! I am beyond thrilled! I owe you all my gratitude. With all the novels out there in the world for readers to choose, I feel so blessed you have decided to read mine and know it would not have been possible without you or divine intervention.I have never been good at talking about myself, so I will keep this brief and get back to writing the sixth novel in the primary Star Runners storyline. Please know that whenever you read this, you helped make my world so much brighter this Monday morning. Stay frosty! Always! LET

Summer sale to celebrate 'Invasion'

It's always exciting to bring attention to the Star Runners Universe when a new book is coming out. With Invasion dropping on July 1, I am happy to say many other books in the universe are going on sale to celebrate this release! Subscribers to the Star Runners Universe email list will also get some cool giveaways in the next week as well as an extended preview including the first several chapters of Invasion to see if you're interested. So sign up today if you want to see what Invasion is all about!If you are on this blog, there's a good chance you might have read one of the Star Runners books. If you haven't, the first four books are going on sale over the next couple of weeks. How much? 99 cents. And that's not all for the summer sales. If you have never read any of the books, the Omnibus is dropping to the lowest price ever at 99 cents. That's three books! Or if you want the four-book box set including the first four adventures in the series, it's dropping from $9.99 to $3.99! These sales won't be around forever. If you're interested, take a look around Shadow Max Publishing for the discounted price at your favorite online retailer. If you want to chat about the series, drop me a line.And, more importantly, stay frosty.

Invasion drops July 1

A new book in the Star Runners Universe is dropping July 1!I always love writing that sentence. The title of the upcoming release is Invasion. When I first set out to write in the Star Runners Universe, I wanted to write from the point of view of three different people on three planets throughout the galaxy. Earth native Austin Stone was first with the Star Runners series (now five books in). But I always wondered what it would be like to see the experiences of a young man not born on Earth. What would have happened to Austin if the Zahl Empire had recruited him instead of the Galactic Legion? The answer transpires in Invasion. Nat Hodges is about the same age as Austin when Invasion begins. In the first chapter, his father forces him out of their home during an invasion from the heavens. Who is it? They have no idea, but they see their home city in the distance being attacked.Here is a snippet from chapter 1:**Fighter jets of some kind soared across the cityscape, crimson laser blasts spitting from the wings. Bombs fell. Emerald laser fire sprayed skyward across the bay, missing the attackers. They pulled up as a tall plume of smoke and flame shot into the air, their horseshoe shape glistening in the sunlight. A concussion wave rippled through the buildings. Fires raged in the streets of Greeva....A mushroom cloud appeared over the horizon, rising into the atmosphere. More blasts fell, pounding the ground on the far side of Greeva Bay where the military base stood. Nat spent most of his life dreaming about serving on the base now burning on the horizon. He couldn't move. It was as if the window had a magnetic pull, drawing him to the chaotic scene unfolding in his hometown......Nat twisted around in the seat, looking back toward Greeva. Two skyscrapers burned. A copter, flames wrapping around the tail, crashed into one building. The highway between them and the city clogged with traffic. Hundreds fled the chaos on foot, sprinting across the Bay Bridge and climbing over stopped cars. Screams echoed over the cacophony. To the left, an enemy fighter dropped low over the ocean, flying fast for the bridge. Glancing back to the surging crowd crossing between traffic, he clenched his teeth. 
Two missiles dropped from the fighter's wing. A half-second later, they ignited and shot toward the bridge. They struck the primary foundations of the ancient structure—the path to so many celebrations of his youth when his family would head into town to watch the Overlords play or for Ma to see the opera. Stone and fire swirled together. A shockwave rippled from the foundations, disturbing the surrounding water, and the bridge hovered for a terrible, deadly instant. 
And then it crashed. Support beams buckled and squealed under the strain as the structure split down the middle. Vehicles and people fell. Steel, blood, and bone came together, falling into the blackwater of Greeva Bay.**Trying to gather the rest of their family, Nat's sister Tressa and his mother, the Hodges flee their homes for the mountains and safety. But deep down they realize their world has changed forever. Invasion is about the aftermath of a Zahlian Invasion. It is a standalone entry point to the Star Runners Universe allowing you to witness the story of an occupied planet on the other side of the known galaxy, far from the safety of Earth. Join the Star Runners newsletter for an extended preview of this book. Or if you're ready to dive in, you can pre-order Invasion here.

Friday Game Night: Fire in the Lake and other revelations

Being an author/historian/gamer, I have a wide range of interests when it comes to what is going to hit the gaming table on Friday nights. I will be the first to admit many of my choices of boardgames are not the most enjoyable for everyone else. For example, I tend to gravitate toward epic games with an equally epic game length. I think I first discovered this from my Uncle Ken. My cousins and I spent many an hour at the gaming table with him. The gaming enjoyment has only grown over the years, but life has a way of carving away potential gaming opponents--especially with a ridiculous gaming session time. Side note: I once had a bookcase game called Vietnam by a company named Victory Games. Any hardcore/old school gamers will be familiar with this company. The campaign game for this title was listed as taking a hundred hours (or more). How could I ever find someone who would be willing to play this game with me? Yeah, I never played it and eventually sold it to a delighted customer on eBay who had been searching for this old game. I was so pleased it found a home after sitting on my bookshelf for years and surviving several moves. Over the past two decades, however, I started seeing more and more solitaire or cooperative games with much shorter game times. When I saw a company (GMT) published a Vietnam game called "Fire in the Lake" or FITL, I was interested but never planned on playing it. And then I saw it was solitaire. My copy arrived shortly after. Combining the solitaire feature with Vassal had to be done. If you don't know what Vassal is, I am probably dangerously on the geeky edge of losing you. Vassal is a way for gamers like me to find other opponents/companions who are willing to play a board game but can't find ready opponents near them. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, you can play via Vassal. Still with me? (Thank you!) For a solitaire version of FITL, I needed to have the game out for probably weeks at a time (my gaming availability is limited, to say the least). But with Vassal, my table could always be available! I don't get to play often, but when I do, I am thoroughly enjoying this ability to recreate a very complicated and costly conflict from the 20th Century. Gaming always recharges my batteries and fills up the creative well, enabling me to write more each week. Or, perhaps, I'm just a happy, geeky gamer. If you have questions about Vassal or want to chat about gaming, let me know at info@starrunners.net.

Remembering D-Day with Dad

The beaches of Normandy. A place I never thought I would walk was in front of me. I was speechless. As the world remembers the events of D-Day 75 years ago today, I find myself brought back to last May and June when I traveled from England to France and on to Austria with my father one year ago. We viewed so many sights in countries I never thought I'd visit. Never had I been on a trip with so many heavy emotions. For those of you unaware, today marks the anniversary of the Allied invasion of Western Europe occupied by Hitler's German forces. While the Soviet Union had been clashing with Germany on the Eastern Front for years at this point, the world (especially Joseph Stalin, who had been demanding another front and was not satisfied with the Allied landings in Italy) wondered when the Allies would launch a Western Front. The answer came on June 6, 1944. While our trek to Europe in 2018 certainly had fun events, most of the time my father and I remained silent in remembrance of the sacrifices made during World War II. It's been a year since we returned, and I still get choked up when I think about it. For such a remarkable journey, it is something I find myself rarely able to discuss. Even writing about it is difficult. We met locals who were in France during the campaign. We met professors, historians, and even representatives from towns like Haguenau who wanted to welcome us to their country. The reception forever changed who I was and how I viewed the rest of the world. But I think it was the cemeteries and the concentration camp we saw that still haunt me whenever it's quiet. At Normandy, I placed a rose on the grave of a soldier known but to God. I have never spoken of it with anyone but my wife. I think of him often. So I suppose I am writing this to provide a small reminder to anyone reading this post. If you happen to be fortunate enough to know someone who lived through this era or even someone who took part in the events on or surrounding D-Day, talk with them and listen. You will be forever grateful you did.

Brightburn...Whoa

I go to movies by myself. When I say this aloud, most people will follow my statement with a look of complete sympathy as if they feel sorry for me. I have never understood this reaction. Before you feel the same way, I love going to movies by myself. I was having a very busy weekend catching up on all the errands life throws at you (while getting in my daily writing quota as well). I suddenly realized I had finished my work and there was time to take in a movie. So I went to see "Brightburn" knowing very little about it. I thought the short synopsis on the AMC app sounded like a sweet story that drifted very close to the tale of Superman (I didn't realize until after that was the point). It's about a boy who arrived on Earth via spacecraft. He is adopted by a couple desperately trying to have children. Let's just say all manner of shennangans ensue. The movie clocks in at only 1 hour and 31 minutes. Really? I was on the edge of my seat. I haven't been that uncomfortable in a movie theater in a long time. It was gory. It was suspenseful. It was heartbreaking. I wasn't sure I was enjoying the movie while it was playing, but I also couldn't turn away. I was exhausted when it ended and wandered to the lobby with a mix of emotions. And I have been thinking about the flick ever since.******End Random Post******Back to writing.Stay frosty!