J.K. Ullrich's Blog, page 12
June 3, 2018
The Beautiful Scientist Problem, Pt I: Three Tips for Describing Female Characters
Indie authorship seems to have exacerbated my penchant for masochism: I can’t help looking at the bestseller lists, even though it only leaves me sad that my books aren’t on them! Browsing the top titles a few weeks ago, the blurb for Dan Brown’s latest novel Origin caught my eye. After reconnecting with one of … Continue reading The Beautiful Scientist Problem, Pt I: Three Tips for Describing Female Characters
May 27, 2018
Save One Snake: Answering the Distress Call of Environmental Fiction
It could have been the opening for a suspense novel. After a week of almost ceaseless rain, a young couple eagerly heads out for a long run, feet eager and skin starved of vitamin D. On a humid summer Sunday morning, even the leafy canopy over the trail seems sluggish. What could go wrong as they … Continue reading Save One Snake: Answering the Distress Call of Environmental Fiction
May 20, 2018
Book Review: “Failsafe”, by Anela Deen
The author provided me an advance copy of this book for my honest review. But even if she hadn’t, I would have bought one, because I’ve enjoyed all her work I’ve read thus far. After the classic space-opera kicks of her Insurrection series, I was eager to see what she’d create with a whole sci-fi … Continue reading Book Review: “Failsafe”, by Anela Deen
May 15, 2018
Back from “Mars” and ready to blog
If I haven’t had much web presence the past few weeks, it’s because I just got back from Mars. Or at least as close to it as I’m ever likely to get! My Laddie and I took a hiking trip to Utah, where the stark red rockscapes let me imagine we were exploring the Red … Continue reading Back from “Mars” and ready to blog
April 24, 2018
The ESSENCE of Writing a Novella Serial
If you’ve been following my book reviews, you know how much I enjoyed the Insurrection science fiction serial by my indie author pal Anela Deen. So when she invited me to do a guest post on writing novella series, I was both excited and anxious. What could I possibly say on the topic to someone … Continue reading The ESSENCE of Writing a Novella Serial
April 17, 2018
Book Review: “Leviathan Wakes” by James S. A. Corey
After ardent recommendations from several friends, I finally read Leviathan Wakes. The initial impression validated all the praise, enthralling me with parallel storylines from two distinct perspectives. Joe Miller, a detective on the crime-riddled Ceres outpost, gets assigned a missing persons case that’s more complex than is seems. His early chapters read like Raymond Chandler … Continue reading Book Review: “Leviathan Wakes” by James S. A. Corey
April 3, 2018
“Syzygy” Omnibus: The Journey to a Complete Edition
The Syzygy omnibus arrives on Amazon Kindle today! I’m excited to bring you this new edition of my science fiction series. It’s more than just six novelle crammed into a single volume; it presents the saga as a continuous story, the way it always existed in my mind. As a bonus, this version includes Wild … Continue reading “Syzygy” Omnibus: The Journey to a Complete Edition
March 27, 2018
Making A Book Trailer on a Budget
When I started my indie author adventure, I believed that if I just wrote good books, people would find and read them. Three years later, I’m still fighting to get noticed. So one of my 2018 goals is to put more effort into book marketing. With the Syzygy omnibus launching next week—uniting all six novellas … Continue reading Making A Book Trailer on a Budget
March 20, 2018
Racing Andy Weir: On Running, Writing, and Being Realistic
“What are you doing?” my Laddie pants, pulling up beside me as I pause my Garmin. “Book shopping.” Drawing the cold March morning into my aerobically scorched lungs, I approach the glass-fronted hutch beside the trail. A Little Free Library appeared in our neighborhood last year, and I’ve been a devoted trader. “Ooh, look! You … Continue reading Racing Andy Weir: On Running, Writing, and Being Realistic
March 14, 2018
A Brief History of How Stephen Hawking Inspired My Sci-Fi
The shiny black hardcover jacket winked in the sun, mysterious as a unit of dark matter. I lifted the book from the sale table outside Borders Books & Music and flipped its pages. Elementary particles…wormholes…the uncertainty principle…reading this before I head off to college will make me sound smarter when I get there, right? And … Continue reading A Brief History of How Stephen Hawking Inspired My Sci-Fi
