Alexa D. Wayne's Blog: Lexie Wayne Blog, page 5
April 4, 2019
Us The Indie Community Pt 2
What Math Can Do
Since the explosion of social media, sharing became second nature. However, people forget that sharing is yes, caring but Liking or Pinning is just as important as well as a comment. Algorithms are not calculated only by views or share, but “Likes” and “Comments.” It is the reaction of people that defines the placement of an article or a post.
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The Social Media Behind the Scenes is all automated by mathematical analytics and algorithms. That is why SEO becomes so essential. However, this article is not about techie stuff. It’s about what everyday people and the indie community can do to fight back against not only thieves but paid accounts, followers and ads.
[image error]Facebook
The answer is this simple: Like, Share, Comment.
The Big 3
Every social media or at least the biggest ones that indeed count for the indie community: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and maybe LinkedIn all have this magical button to like or heart a post and the possibility of commenting on it. On top of it, you can even share it! Magic!
If you look back at the beginning of this social media invasion, people got ridiculous amounts of those likes and comments. As the years went by, people turned jaded, and laziness took over. It’s easier to scroll than stop, read and Like, Comment and Share! That’s work!
[image error]Social Media
However, without those three significant steps, the “machine” behind the social media in question won’t see your post as relevant despite it being the most illuminating article of all time. To have your post, page, account, grow we need each other to give a crap.
The # that used to be the Pound Key
Give as many hashtags as you can that are relevant to your article or post or page. The more you give, the more views you’ll get and the more rapidly you’ll climb up the search engine scale without having to spend money.
[image error]Hashtag
However, here’s why the INTERGALACTIC LAW OF GRAPHIC DESIGN is essential: Always Assume People Are Dumb. I know it sounds mean nevertheless crucial to your hashtags because of this: you wrote a novel about vampires, you would think vampire to be the number one hashtag, what if I tell you that the real number one is Diaries and Fangs? That’s because people always think more complicated than necessary.
Indies Drop Out
There are a few social media that unless proven otherwise, might not help or isn’t worth your time and those websites are Wattpad for authors and depending on what you are looking for, DeviantArt.
Remember when DeviantArt used to be “the” place for art? Well, it changed over the years and now prepare yourself for bullies, declarations of love, lots of manga porn and chibi and what not. It is quite a free for all, and while there is still impressive art, it goes under in the pool of nonsense. Bullying is also growing fast in DeviantArt and the team running the website, by personal experience, couldn’t care any less than they do at the very moment.
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Authors, Wattpad, well while I was under the impression that it is necessary for an author to have an account with them, I have yet to find out why. I cannot seem to find anyone to follow me, and I do not quite understand their coin system. Since you are giving a portion of your novel content for free, might as well offer it on another platform such as BookSprout or another ARC website that has more credentials to it.
What About WordPress?
All of us who have WordPress websites, it is important to support one another and Liking, Sharing and Commenting on each one of our posts. The very least is Liking, and we can do so just by going on the Reader platform. Easy and quick.
WordPress is Google friendly and easy to boost up the charts, however, to achieve such a high level we must support and encourage one another by doing “The Big 3” and “Hashtag” accordingly so that our articles and posts don’t get lost.
[image error]WordPress
Liking on social media is one thing. However, WordPress is another machinery that links to Google and other search engines capable of bringing you to the top. With a free website, Gothic Bite Magazine was able to move itself to the top on Google. It only took dedication, passion, support, research and a good network of indie authors.
Now, we are a year later and with Space-Time Magazine the same team, we are trying the same recipe with a harder topic to prove that it is possible. The best advertisement is always: word to mouth.
One Place For All
There are many blogs nowadays trying to help others, and that is good, however, without the following and constant reach it is only short lived. However, there is a gem hidden in Facebook that I must share with all of you. Gemma Dupont is the founder of an honest group where people follow one another, likes and comments on each other’s Website and sometimes Facebook even.
WordPress Bloggers Promotions for Writers and Authors
This place is like no other. People are genuine and do follow each other. Kind-hearted people who want to see each other succeed. There is no envy, jealousy or childish behavior. However, if you join prepare to participate. This group is not a place to advertise yourself alone. This group works because everyone reciprocates the kindness offered to them.
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It is a sanctuary really because you know that only good comes out of it.
Ever since I joined WordPress Bloggers, I gained amazing followers, and I am growing my network. It is hard for indie professionals out there. People are harsh, lazy and jaded. This group is a beautiful place to grow as a professional, share and go back to the beginning: kindness, generosity, and friendship.
WordPress Bloggers is welcoming, and there are no shenanigans. Remember that you’re not the center of attention, everyone is. The group can only work for as long as the people remain willing to share and follow its purpose.
So, do yourself a favor and join us you won’t regret it.
To read Part 1 you need to go to Gothic Bite Magazine!
April 2, 2019
Space Battles Round 1 – Darth Vader vs Q
Let’s Do This!
*** WARNING *** SPOILER ALERT ***
Now for this particular article I am not pitting the two against each other, just taking what are arguably the strongest from each series and dissecting who would win if by chance they were to ever face each other.
[image error]Star Trek The Next Generation
One from each of the series that are some of the most notable characters, for this article I will be taking quite the sassy and mischievous Q from Star Trek Next Generation, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine played by John De Lancie and putting him against the culmination of all the dark side of the forces conniving of Darth Plague is and Darth Sidious resulting in one of the most well-known characters regardless of knowledge of the genre fandom, Darth Vader.
[image error]Star Wars
So, with such a big battle and so many variables that go into a battle such as this, how do we decide the victor? Well first let us introduce a bit of history of each character. Not going too in depth but enough to give you an idea of each character and the powers that they possess and would readily use in a fight. Let us start with Star Trek’s Q.
Q from the Q Continuum
To begin with Q is not just Q’s name but his race; it is what each of the beings that make up his race is called. Q is an extra-dimensional being of unknown origin who possesses immeasurable power over normal human notions of time, space, the laws of physics, and reality itself, being capable of violating or altering them in unpredictable ways with a hand gesture cue.
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So like Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet but for Q none of the finery is needed.
Q is introduced in the pilot episode Encounter at Farpoint for Star Trek: Next Generation and from the bat we get to watch what eventually ends up being more of a friendship begin between Q and Picard. Q is never clear on his intentions but in later episodes we see his own race state that he is far too fond of the humans signalling that he does in fact end up on the side of good as we see it being on Picard and his team’s side.
That being said while Q and his role are ultimately supposed to be as judge of whether or not humanity poses a threat to the universe or not, which for me throws me to the book by Bruce Coville, My Teacher Flunked The Planet which features the same plot only 6 years later, he becomes more of a mentor to Picard overall. A friend if you will.
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While Q has all this power and will to manipulate things, he also has this need to be mischievous and to talk. He is typical archetype of a monologuer. With Q pretty well and explained, let us move to Darth Vader and see what makes him up.
The One & Only Darth Vader
Darth Vader wasn’t always knowns as such. He has quite the complicated story, for those who don’t know Star Wars for all the purposes of this article and the info needs, has two major sets of players. There are those of the Jedi Order who are for lack of a better comparison the good side being like monks who use the life essence that makes up all things, The Force, for the good of the universe.
[image error]Star Wars
And then there are the Sith, who use the Dark side of the Force to achieve their means. Now in other canon we learn there are other parts and variables that make up the Force and how it affects anyone who is in tune with it, but like I said for this article we will sticks to the barest basics.
Darth Vader in the beginning was known as Anakin Skywalker apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi and even as a young child showed not only great promise but was perhaps one of the greatest in tune with the Force, until we later meet his apprentice during The Clone Wars Ahsoka Tano—Fight me if you feel you must but even the creator himself said that she was meant to be the purest of the Jedi and what a true Jedi was meant to be. She is still one of the best female character developments I have ever seen hands down.
[image error]Star Wars
That said The Jedi truly trust themselves to the Force and to its will unfolding as it must. Anakin is a firecracker who tests fate and even makes the biggest decision in front of the psychical representations of The Force themselves in which path he is choosing to take sealing his fate.
Anakin goes up against one of the most ridiculously good villains in the series Emperor Palpatine, Darth Sidious in disguise, and is lured away from the Light side of the Force and after a series of unfortunate events including the death of his wife Padme, he falls into the Dark side of the Force and Vader is born.
Darth Vader has the powers of foresight, Force shield, extreme levels of pain tolerance, Force lightning, Force sensing—meaning he can sense the slightest disturbance in his surroundings, Cloaking his presence using the Force, Force Absorption, which means he can take the energy and power of those around him and turn it into his own energy, Force Healing, and of the major powers he wields the last I will mention is Force Flight.
The Verdict
I mean at the end of the day either of these opponents are winners in their own rights, both wield formidable powers indeed. The breakdown of it all can come to many different conclusions depending on where the characters fight and whose home territory they are in.
But after breaking it down and having seen both characters in action through the whole of their sagas up to now it truly depends on one thing. You ready? It depends on if Q speaks. *patiently waiting for the tomatoes to be thrown at me.*
[image error]Star Trek The Next Generation
Hear me out, both have what could easily be considered God like powers for their separate universes. Q and his race literally are judge and jury in theirs and while never actually granted that title Vader does the same in his universe, at first for the Jedi Council and in the end for Darth Sidious.
They are both EXTREMELY intelligent and intuitive so if a move were to be made, as in the game of chess, both would be at the same step steps ahead of the actual move. Vader is a Master Strategist in the art of battle but Q is like Griffin from MIB 3 in which he can foresee some of what is to come if things go according to a certain path.
Vader has already proven several times that he goes against fate and chooses his own path making that null.
[image error]Star Wars
So it really boils down to the very beginning of the fight and whether Q monologues or not. If Q opens his mouth to speak Vader has him. I truly believe that. But again there are variables that I cannot calculate for and honestly it is just my opinion of the fight at the end of the day.
So dear Readers, what are your thoughts? Who do you put your money on in a battle? Let us know in the comments below and I look forward to the next match up!
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A. Wayne on The Authors Show
April 3rd, 2019
On April 3rd, 2019 A. Wayne airs on the #1 internet radio show for authors, The Authors Show. Interviewed about her novel Mrs. Blackwood, and UNFORGIVEN series, Captain Caldwell. She talks about her inspiration and knowledge of the vampire world as well as her views on science fiction.
[image error]UNFORIGVEN – Captain Caldwell by A. Wayne
Radio Shows!
Her first podcast appearance was on Zombiepalooza Radio Live with the host, Jackie Chin; now, she’s on her first radio show! Follow A. Wayne on her journey to become an indie author recognized for her work in the horror department with either her favorite, vampires or science-fiction.
[image error]A. Wayne on Zombiepalooza Radio Live
If you can’t get enough of news about the paranormal, join Space-Time Magazine’s Newsletter and follow STM!
Don’t miss her interview! Just click on the link All Authors Show!
Space-Time Magazine
Star Trek Discovery – The Second Season
The Anticipation
Many people wondered about Captain and if his death was final. After all, it is now the favorite thing to do in series. Ever since Game of Thrones, the death of many unsuspected leading roles became a “hot” thing to do. It is almost an expectation strangely with the viewers.
However, it seemed that before the season finale, the crew of the USS Discovery moved on with Captain at the cons. Then again, we did hear the iconic music that started the Star Trek adventure more than fifty years ago. We did see the legendary numbers NCC 1701.
[image error]Star Trek Discovery – CBS All Access
How would they fit in the Discovery world where the uniforms, the technology and the overall esthetic seemed so out of place compared to the Enterprise? Many questions were leaving the viewers on edge and wondering.
One More Captain
Captain made its big entrance on the USS Discovery on January 17th, 2019. You read right, Captain Pike. Another captain now in his forties and rocking black slacks and a gold shirt, to witch a few remarks dropped and made it funny. We suspected that Pike would be the new Discovery captain, however, in the series he was present for one mission only.
Of course, the adventure took another turn, and Pike remained onboard Discovery as Enterprise was more in need of repair than first anticipated. It then brought the name that every viewer wanted and feared: Mr. Spock. Fans of the original series find it outrageous while overall fans like me of Star Trek TOS are intrigued. How would it all co-exist in this series and not obstruct the original timeline?
[image error]Star Trek: Discovery – CBS All Access
Just like songs, some characters are better left untouched. However, Spock might seem doable if done right. Of course, is an icon; nobody can ever portray Mr. Spock like he did because he was the first to mold him and create his character which an entirely new character.
Any actor chosen to play Mr. Spock have this invisible pressure on their shoulders to bring justice to the name. To my eyes, the younger is good because he does not create a conflict with TOS as he is younger and in the process of becoming the one we know.
The Evolution
The crew is now part of our weekly schedule. The camaraderie established, the crew seem to know their place and roles. now one of the favorites, received more screen time and it is incredible for fans like me. Some leave a hole when they leave while others are joining, like a new engineer, are refreshing.
[image error]Star Trek Discovery – CBS All Access
What confuses me is why the Klingons—which we see less of this season so far, now has hair and doesn’t show her burns on the left side of her face. I would like to know if it was under the reign of that they shaved their hair or is it a choice? We are somewhat left in the dark here. Many questions require answers, and I trust we’ll know the reason because so far, DISCO had a reason for everything happening.
When it comes to the Mirror Universe, is back with a fight. She is resourceful, and every time she shows on your screen, you know something is going to happen, and it’ll be a good episode. All we know is that she wants to climb to the top, but how she’ll achieve it and what would she accomplish to have answers.
[image error]Star Trek Discovery – CBS All Access
What I enjoyed was the screen time given to secondary characters. They now have more freedom to express themselves and is one of those. Another friendship that develops along the show is and Suru which I found necessary and touching.
Star Trek Doing Its Thing!
One common theme to all Star Trek is to bring up sensitive themes and explore them. DISCO is no different. We see religion, the instalment of a rule that prohibits Starfleet from revealing themselves to civilization that is pre-warp. The question of death and its repercussion when we decide to play “God.”
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We see many themes that has us think about what we should do if that would ever be our choice to make. In these conditions, I must say that Captain Pike is a good captain and the entire opposite of Lorca in a good way.
SPOILERS – It Is On You!
Two things caught my attention. When Pike walks into his ready room, there is a left-over fortune from a Chinese fortune cookie, bringing the subject of Captain Lorca up, then quickly disregarded, the words to me seemed to imply that it might not all be over after all. Maybe call it a hunch.
[image error]Star Trek Discovery – CBS All Access
Also, I believe the AI to bring the birth of the Borg. There is no big surprise there; we are many to believe that it is the possibility to explain how the Borg started and how they’ve been at work for so long when presented to the crew of Star Trek The Next Generation through Q.
What do you think?
March 29, 2019
Space-Time Interview Author David M. Salkin
IDENTIFICATION OF HUMANOID: David M. Salkin
David M. Salkin is an international, award-winning author of fourteen thriller novels in various genres published by Penguin Books, Post Hill Press, and Permuted Press.
David is a graduate of Rutgers University with a BA in English, followed by a Master Graduate Gemology Degree from The Gemological Institute of America. David is also an elected official in Freehold Township, NJ where he has served for 25 years. His induction into the NJ Elected Officials Hall of Fame in April of 2019.
[image error]David M. Salkin
When not working, David is a chef and oenophile and loves to cook for his family and friends. He also loves to travel and is a Master Scuba Diver. In a perfect world, diving in exotic places would be on his list, catch a fish or lobster, and then cook it and pair it with the perfect wine.
David has been writing since he was a little boy and loved to share his stories in various genres, about whatever he finds interesting enough to inspire a tale.
SEARCH: ENQUIRY: AUTHOR INTERROGATION
ALEXA WAYNE (AW): When did you find out you would want to write novels?
DAVID M. SALKIN: I’ve been writing short stories since I could hold a pencil, but it wasn’t until relatively late in life that I decided to write a full-length novel. While reading a technical article on diamond thin-films in a gemology magazine, I started thinking about what it could mean to science.
This decision happened 2004 or so, and concept, in a nutshell, was that the diamond thin-films could be used to create the next generation of super-computers.
Just as computers went from giant vacuum tubes to silicon, my idea was that we could go from silicon to diamond. It was just a “what if?” This idea led me to think about how these could be for evil purposes. Now, you have to remember the context.
[image error]Hard Carbon by David M. Salkin
In 2004, we didn’t even use virus software on our PC’s. Who would ever “hack or crack a computer?” I decided to write a story about the Russian mob using these supercomputers to hack the web and pull off the largest bank heist in human history.
This idea was a science-fiction crime story—a total fantasy. If you read the book now, HARD CARBON, it’s just a crime story. However, it was sci-fi when I wrote it. I didn’t mean for it to be an instruction manual.
My other science fiction thrillers are horror. DEEP BLACK SEA and DARK TIDE RISING are reminiscent of the late, great Michael Crichton. Undersea, action-adventure, science-fiction horror survival stories.
AW: You mentioned your science-fiction work, would you let our readers know why you are attracted to that genre?
DAVID M. SALKIN: I write about whatever topics interest me. Most of the work, eight novels, have been military-espionage stories, because I find history fascinating, and watch world events closely.
I’ve also worked with veterans for twenty-five years, and they’ve shared a lot of their personal stories with me. With science-fiction, it’s a cross between reading real science and playing with the possibilities. So many breakthroughs and discoveries lend themselves to the imagination.
AW: When writing about sci-fi, do you do research and if so, how far do you go with your research?
DAVID M. SALKIN: It’s the research that writes the story, in a way. I read non-fiction and end up going down these research rabbit-holes that lead to story ideas. In the case of DEEP BLACK SEA, it was an article on Black Smokers—these underwater volcanic thermal vents, that led to the novel.
It remains one of my favorite books. I’m a scuba diver, and I love the ocean. There are so many sea creatures that folks would assume are horror story animals, but are, in fact, real creatures.
[image error]Deep Black Sea by David M. Salkin
When I wrote the novel, I read an entire non-fiction book called Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer which helped me with my nightmares. Parasites are terrifying to me. This book is quite scary that I terrified myself writing it yet it was so much fun!
AW: What is most important to you when writing your novels?
DAVID M. SALKIN: I think all writers want a reaction from their audience. Nothing is more satisfying than having fans tell you that they cried or laughed or had nightmares or couldn’t go to sleep until they finished a book. Without readers, it wouldn’t make much sense to write, so having a happy audience is paramount.
AW: Which authors influenced your writing in science-fiction?
DAVID M. SALKIN: One of my favorite books as a young reader was Escape by Ben Bova. I was in early grade school. When Ben agreed to write a blurb for me on DEEP BLACK SEA forty years later, to say I was thrilled is an understatement.
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Michael Crichton is another all-time favorite, and I’ve had two different editors tell me my style reminds them of him. For me, that was huge praise. Crichton was a genius, and I miss his work.
AW: Which of your novels is your favorite and why is it your favorite?
DAVID M. SALKIN: It’s pretty impossible to have a single favorite, but DEEP BLACK SEA and BATTLE SCARS are two that have special places in my heart. BATTLE SCARS is a novella I wrote for my veteran friends, and I cried writing it.
It means a lot to me, and it’s the only story I ever wrote which I consider serious. Everything else has been done strictly to entertain my audience. DEEP BLACK SEA is a favorite because I’m a scuba diver, and find the ocean fascinating. I have several fish tanks in my house, and my wife calls me a fish geek. Being underwater is a happy place for me.
AW: Do you believe in alien visiting our world, by that I mean in abduction or close encounters of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th kind?
DAVID M. SALKIN: I’m not sure about aliens. One thing I do believe is that everything in the universe is necessary the same stuff. When you study inner-space and outer-space, you realize that the patterns of each are incredibly similar.
Whether it’s a spiral galaxy or a sub-atomic particle, they look very similar. The scales of magnitude tease my brain regularly, and while I’m not religious in the strictest sense of the word, I do believe in God, and I think I’ll get all the answers when I leave this body.
[image error]Forever Hunger by David M. Salkin
I’m a soul with a body, not a body with a soul. Do aliens visit us? Alternatively, are we aliens just visiting? It makes my head hurt pondering the possibilities. One thing for sure, it’s a damn big universe, and I don’t think we’re alone in it.
AW: What was your reaction when you learned a publisher wanted you as part of their authors?
DAVID M. SALKIN: I had been collecting rejection letters for several years before I got my first phone call from Tom Colgan at Penguin Books. When he made me an offer for my first two books, I just about danced on my desk.
Since then, I’ve had two other publishers, and also self-published a couple of books. The “work” part of the author’s world sucks, plain and simple. I love to write.
The part about actually selling the work to publishers or getting an agent is a time-consuming, heart-breaking agony that makes every author question whether or not they should quit. To be an author, you not only need talent—you need thick skin, a refusal to quit, and a stubbornness that says you’ll die trying before you’ll give up.
AW: What sets you apart from other science-fiction and cyborg authors?
DAVID M. SALKIN: Every author has a unique voice and style. While I like to let my imagination run wild, I also want everything I write to be believable at some level. Even the vampire story I wrote, FOREVER HUNGER, reads like an NYPD crime thriller. The cops and FBI don’t believe in vampires like Von Helsing or something.
They’re regular guys trying to solve a bizarre series of murders. To me, it means a contemporary audience can nod while they read because they can relate to the characters.
[image error]Battle Scars by David M. Salkin
I also tend to incorporate humor in my characters, regardless of the genre. Even DEEP BLACK SEA sneaks in the occasional sarcasm or chuckle. Also, my military buddies, and those in my books, all have dark gallows humor even at the worse of times. It helps keep you sane, I think.
AW: What can readers look forward to from David M. Salkin in 2019?
DAVID M. SALKIN: I have several manuscripts that my agent is trying to sell at the moment. One is a crime thriller, BLOOD FROM A STONE, and the other is a terrifying horror story called LITTLE THINGS BIG.
I like them both, even though they’re entirely different concepts. Also, that’s one of the things I enjoy about writing, and what Crichton was so great at—I can write in several genres, as long as they’re thrillers, I’m open to the subject matter.
So whether it’s a science experiment gone wrong like LITTLE THINGS BIG, or a badass main character trying to solve the mystery of a dead girl’s diary, I hope to be entertaining my readers for many years to come.
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March 28, 2019
Star Trek Online – The Review
Let’s Join Starfleet!
This time around I am reviewing a somewhat recent title, instead of the classics I have reviewed the past few weeks. This time around, we join Starfleet and boldly go where millions of other players have gone before, into Star Trek Online.
First up, if you own a current Gen Console, like the Playstation 4 or the Xbox One, then jump online, hit up the store and download this bad boy right now. It’s very well worth it, and the best part is, it’s free. If you decide you want to spend money on the game, you can play it for free.
[image error]Star Trek Online
You pick your faction at the outset of the game, as well as design your character, and then you travel down your path to greatness. While most of the story can be done by yourself, there is the option to do it with friends, which I must say is infinitely more fun.
Basic Classic
The graphics are a bit basic, but the game isn’t about the awe-inspiring graphics you see on these multimillion dollar games, no, this is a straight port of the PC version of the game, which in all honesty seems to be running on an engine similar to the one used in Knights of the Old Republic.
You get all the essential details, the effects some weapons have on you and your allies, as well as environmental effects, but the graphics of the game more geared toward the epic space battles you can encounter in this game, and let me tell you, there are quite a few.
[image error]Star Trek Online
Now, I haven’t played this Star Trek game in about a year now, but, it’s still going strong on PlayStation Network. New content added all the time, new ships, characters, story missions, and so on. So, considering it’s for free, it’s well worth the price tag.
Chaos At Its Most Spectacular
At last count, I had sunk about 40 hours into each of the characters I had made. That included unlocking crew members, buying new ships, and upgrades for my ship, as well as new gear for my admiral as well as the rest of my crew.
[image error]Star Trek Online
I have to say, my guys were pretty epic, though I have met plenty of other players who were infinitely more badass than mine.
See, this game is about grinding, about finding out what you need to do, then doing it again and again until you have either leveled up enough to progress or have enough currency to buy that next upgrade you might need to take you further into the unknown reaches of space.
Borg Space
Oh, and let me tell you this, the first time you and your friends warp into a zone controlled by multiple Borg Cubes, you can get your butt kicked. It is chaos at its most spectacular.
There are explosions, many of your friends might perish, even you, but at the end of the day, you feel like you accomplished something.
[image error]Star Trek Online
I’m not going to go that deep for this review, namely because it is free to play the game, and easily accessible to all games no matter the console, sorry Nintendo.
Nope, I am merely going to tell you this much. It is fun. Many hours of online gaming with your buddies, raiding Klingon camps, destroying Romulan Bird of Prey battleships and crapping your pants when four Borg Cubes drop out of warp right on top of you in a story mission.
Join Starfleet and Play Online
Moreover, I ask you this, isn’t that what gaming is all about, having fun?
So, there you go, a little review for a great game that’s well worth your time.
[image error]Star Trek Online
So, if you’re bored one random day, and a Trekkie, then do yourself a favor and check this game out. It will at least remind you of why you like Star Trek. I know it did for me. So, until next time, see you in the games.
Edward Hale
PSN ID BatEd700
Xbox Live SENSEIZEEANBEE
YouTube Channel
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March 27, 2019
Star Trek DISCOVERY
encounter new worlds and civilizations, delving into familiar themes and
expanding upon an incident that has been talked about within the franchise’s
universe but never fully explored. — Google
The Death of Lorca
When writing for The Geek Initiative, I was the “official” review of the new Star Trek series, Star Trek Discovery. I wrote a review for each episode, and when sources came out that Captain Lorca would meet his death, I was quite angry.
Follow my reasoning here: Star Trek was always on the “right sight of things,” and here, we could tangibly feel that DISCO was about showing the dark side of The Federation, Starfleet and everything it implies. It was clear as day. So, fell perfectly right in those lines. He would be the first anti-hero captain leaning more toward the villain role than the hero. He would be glorious and in my own opinion, as high as Picard was a hero would he be a villain.
[image error]Star Trek Discovery – CBS All Access
Instead, we find out that he is part of the parallel/mirror universe and leader of a quite racist creed ready to kill all aliens that would try and interbreed or join forces with others or humans alike. In that mirror universe, the humans were the “Klingons” and the human empire quite horrifying with their means of torture with as their Empress and a badass warrior.
[image error]Star Trek Discovery – CBS All Access
Captain Lorca, obviously not captain at all and far from sharing Starfleet’s values, reveals to be Georgiou’s ex who fled with the mirror universe’ as his lover and sadly died. Lorca went as far as leaving his universe to get Starfleet’s first mutineer, Michael to have her back at his side. She declined, no surprise there, but saved Georgiou from her falling Empire while Lorca fell into the blast to destroy any means from going back and forth between the two universes.
So What Now?
Lorca is gone, DISCO almost lost me at once. He was such a different character! Like and , Lorca stood out and inspired some strange respect through fear, but the crew still trusted him. He was that good.
Just a random question here: Can someone tell me why they hid his English accent? It’s twice now that is happens with Star Trek. First Picard who’s supposed to be French has an English accent and now another “American” captain whose actor’s British had to hide his accent. Just make him English!
[image error]Star Trek Discovery – CBS All Access
Back to this article, I almost entirely gave up on the show because they had something so perfect and threw it away. However, at least Georgiou was back, sort of and presented as the Captain Georgiou of the USS Shenzhou that perished during the War of the Binary Star—Star Trek Discovery’s 2-hour premiere.
Of course, Burnham is not fond of Georgiou because of her
extreme ways and racism against other alien species. However, in my eyes,
Michael has no right to despise Georgiou because she took her out of her time,
her world and universe and threw her in her own out of guilt. Hatred is
horrible in any way or form—extra-terrestrials included, don’t get me wrong.
However, she was abducted and forced into the Starfleet ways when she wanted to
die in her world, and that is on Burnham, not Georgiou.
[image error]Star Trek Discovery – CBS All Access
Burnham does not trust Georgiou, resourceful and bringing
some of her mirror universes thinking into Starfleet who shows to be darker
than we ever thought which is more realistic and less Utopian. One thing is for
sure, Georgiou’s racism dissipates and instead, she focuses on climbing up the
Federation ladder. Smart.
The Aftermath
The war is over; the Federation wins thanks first to Georgiou’s terrorist idea on blowing up Q’onoS all-together. Instead, they decided to give the means to do it to —girl crush here on a female Klingon and , who shared Voq’s mind as the Torchbearer of the dead, joins her as well back to the Klingon’s homeworld where she becomes the Chancellor.
[image error]Star Trek Discovery – CBS All Access
Discovery’s bridge’s crew gets decorated from Starfleet and Burnham receives a pardon and no longer is she a mutineer. How sweet. Too sweet for my taste if you ask me. However, when the crew is back on Discovery, with Captain at the con alongside , discussing Lorca’s case, I thought to myself, “This is such a huge mistake!”
Then, we hear the music, the iconic music from a distant time
but not so far away. Then we can all read clear as day: NCC-1701. Maybe there
is hope after all.
Next Week: Star Trek DISCO Season 2 Recap!
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UNFORGIVEN – Captain Caldwell Review
UNFORGIVEN – Captain Caldwell Summary
1900 hours, 17th of July 2505 (Gregorian Calendar),
Orion Quadrant, Milky Way, Earth,
United-States, Louisiana, New Orleans.
Mission: Ghost aka Unrecorded.
Colonel Locklear is found in a compromising situation after attempting to rescue a top-secret team, but most importantly, its captain. On his planet, Liberty, the team was known to the military as Unit 8. Their most valuable asset being Captain Caldwell. Locklear fought the war between Earth and Liberty, which humans were the first to colonize.
Independence always has been a reason to go to war for. When Colonel Locklear was built, with the DNA of who he known as his Native Americans parents, he became the first and only Type 4 Android. But being a cybernetic being in the twenty-sixth century was illegal on Earth.
Luckily for him, he had been saved by Mrs. Borg who thought otherwise. She ruled Louisiana and owned the freedom of many, including his and possessed what he had been looking for since landing on Earth.
Welcome to the 26th Century.
The First Chapters
“I fought you once, I am not afraid to fight you again.”
Captain Caldwell, UNFORGIVEN – Captain Caldwell
This is the caption that greets us as we look over the beautiful cover of the book Unforgiven I the series. I admit that I, like others, am usually very touch and go when it comes to the sci fi genre. It takes a very specific style to pull me in and keep me and usually I give the first few chapters a read and know whether the book is for me or not.
[image error]UNFORGIVEN I — Captain Caldwell by A. Wayne
Within the first chapter of this book I knew it was going to hook me. We are introduced to Jacy Locklear, a handsome android in quite the predicament when he wakes up to being under the control of a new owner, Mrs. Borg. This book gives us humor between Jacy and Claymore, one of the officers up on board the ship in orbit.
The theme of “Shut up Claymore” literally had me in giggling fits each time I read it and A. Wayne is an expert at bringing her characters to life. We get the run down on the matters of the universe and meet the voluptuous Mrs. Borg who seems to be on the side of right even if not in the typical way.
The Themes
The introduction of the slavery of androids, the introduction of the “police “ force of Khe Agents and the introduction of the Dome as well are given to us within the first chapters laying down the ground work for this part of the universe.
I love the homages to Alice in Wonderland and you can see the passions the author has not only for Sci-Fi but also throws back to some of the early Star Trek episodes where Jim and Bones would bicker back and forth over Kirk’s womanizing ways. A joy to read indeed.
We learn that Carola Borg has indeed saved Jacy from the Khe agents, saving his life. There is quite the steamy romance scene and leads us to the back stories of the two individuals.
[image error]UNFORGIVEN – Captain Caldwell by A. Wayne
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Wayne’s words flow in well-timed pace and honestly draw the reader in further to the story. We learn about the domes and the horrible things that in this universe the leaders are capable of.
One of the things I truly love about this book is the development of the world, of the rebel faction OWLS, of the flow of the story not only when it comes to individual characters but on the whole.
I was hooked to want more by the end of chapter one, but if it hadn’t gotten me, by chapter five I was done. I had to have more and find out just what was going on in this beautifully crafted world.
Beautiful & Horrible
While it is beautiful, there are horrible moments that expire and are explained throughout the book. After all there is a war going on. We finally get to meet Captain Caldwell and see what has led him to Mrs. Borg’s domicile. If there is one thing that is proven in this story it is that what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.
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We learn about what seems to be the endgame to the Dome and that only Captain Caldwell has the information inside his mind. Thankfully, for now at least, he seems to be on the side of right. As chaos soon breaks out it is a mad dash to safety aboard Locklear’s ship what lies ahead is for you to find out dear readers. This is a book that I fully recommend picking up and giving your time to.
Creating Success
A. Wayne has succeeded in creating a world all her own and while there are things here and there that the reader will readily identify, she has also given us many original concepts and sucked us into a wonderful world with deeply crafted stories and characters. I, for one, am highly anticipating the next book in the series.
9 out of 10 galactic points.
Kendra Hale
March 25, 2019
Space-Time Interviewed, Author Kelsey Nicole Price
IDENTIFICATION OF HUMANOID: Kelsey Nicole Price
Greetings wonderful people! I’m a midwestern girl who loves anything to do with sci-fi. Aliens, cyborgs, multiverses and I am endlessly curious about what’s going on in that big beautiful thing we call space.
[image error]Kelsey Nicole Price
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I currently write cyborg romance and have a few aliens that look like aliens stories brewing in my head.
When I’m not writing, I’m watching Rick and Morty on repeat, waiting for the new season of Archer and having fun spending time with my husband and three cats.
SEARCH: ENQUIRY: AUTHOR INTERROGATION
ALEXA WAYNE (AW): When did you find out you would want to write novels?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: Since the age of thirteen I longed to write a novel. That was the age I wrote my first science fiction story about aliens taking over my school.
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Then in my twenties my friend and I would plot books in the car while were we on long drives. By twenty-seven I had stopped and stared on many different books, but they never got finished. I began to think I would never complete one, let alone publish it. Then a group of cyborgs appeared in my head, and now I can’t write fast enough!
AW: You mentioned your work, all set in science-fiction or cyborg settings, would you let our readers know why you are attracted to that genre?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: I have been in love with robots, androids, and cyborgs since forever. My first crush was Data from Star Trek TNG. A few years ago I discovered Cynthia Sax and her cyborg books, and I was hooked.
I desperately wanted to write my cyborg novel, but I was terrified to step into the genre where the authors I loved and admired had their books classified. Then Dash showed up. I couldn’t stop thinking about his story. I had to write it.
[image error]Dash by Kelsey Nicole Price
I never intended to publish it. I shared his story with some of my author friends, and they encouraged me to publish it. So I had a leap faith and hit the publish button. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
AW: When writing about sci-fi, do you do research and if so, how far do you go with your research?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: To be honest here and say I don’t do tons of research. I usually start writing, and then if I get stuck, I stop and research what I am struggling with at the time.
As the world expands I find I’m doing a bit more research beforehand. I want it to sound plausible, but I’m not a tech expert by any means. The great thing about Sci-fi is that your imagination only limits you.
Technology is forever evolving, and our knowledge about our universe is always expanding. Years ago people couldn’t imagine we would have things like iPads or that we would put a rover on Mars. I get to play around with the idea of what if? Those two words create endless possibilities.
AW: What is most important to you when writing your novels?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: The characters. I want readers to fall in love with them. I want them to feel like they are right there with them, to feel the story not just read it. If you fall for the characters, then you are invested in them. I always say that I give my characters a voice, but my readers indeed bring them to life.
[image error]Dash by Kelsey Nicole Price
AW: Which authors influenced your writing in science-fiction?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: Oh my goodness! How much time do you have? There are so many. I have already mentioned Cynthia Sax, but my other top influences are Laurann Dohner and Amanda Milo. Their books are my go-to books, the ones I can read over and over again and never get tired of no matter how many times I read them. The worlds and characters they have created are beyond brilliant. As a reader, forever hooked, and as an author, they inspire me daily.
AW: Which of your novels is your favorite and why is it your favorite?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: Such a hard question! Usually whatever book I’m currently writing becomes my favorite, so right now it’s Acer’s book. There are some twists and turns, and the relationship between Acer and Marley makes me want to swoon. They are perfect for each other, and I can’t wait for the readers to have Acer’s book in their hands.
AW: Do you believe in alien visiting our world, by that I mean in abduction or close encounters of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th kind?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: One hundred percent yes. Who knows what type of life is out there and the technology they possess. The universe is so vast I have to believe that we are not alone and even if ninety-five percent of UFO sightings can have explanations that still leaves five percent without an explanation.
[image error]Reaper 825 397 by Kelsey Nicole Price
Same with abduction accounts. I’m going to nineties geek out here and say the truth is out there! I ultimately believe in that statement, and I feel like all you need to do is remain open to the universe’s possibilities.
AW: What made you decide to be self-published?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: I am self-published. Like I said earlier I never intended to publish my cyborg books. When it came time to set them free and let readers have a chance to read them I wanted a way to get them into their hands as quick as possible.
Self-publishing gave me the ability to do that. I panic at the sight of deadlines. Set release dates give me writer’s block faster than you can blink. With self-publishing, I can focus on writing a good book, and as soon as it’s ready, I can launch it.
[image error]Reaper 825 397 by Kelsey Nicole Price
If a publisher were interested in my cyborgs, I’d be thrilled, but I’m okay if it never happens. I have incredible readers, and as long as they want my cyborgs, I’ll keep writing them.
AW: What sets you apart from other science-fiction and cyborg authors?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: This sounds so silly, but my first thought is Beanie Babies! My books are set about two hundred years from now on earth. My female lead in Dash is a bit of a hoarder, and she finds things from the past others have discarded.
One of her most precious finds is a box of Beanie Babies. The cyborgs have never been given gifts, especially from a human. Iris makes it her mission to gift every cyborg with a Beanie Baby that matches their model color. Dash is a blue Service Model, and his Beanie Baby is the royal blue elephant.
[image error]Reaper 825 397 by Kelsey Nicole Price
The cyborg’s reactions are often hilarious to boot. My cyborgs are also different colors-blue, red, yellow, green, grey and purple. I wanted my books to be fun, sweet, have humor and to create cyborgs with heart. The Beanie Babies and the different color model types help achieve that.
AW: What can readers look forward to from Kelsey Nicole Price in 2019?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: More cyborgs! Acer’s book is next followed by Dax’s. I also have some secret projects I’m working on that I can’t reveal at the moment, but I’m super excited about them!
[image error]DASH 478 942 by Kelsey Nicole Price
Email: authorkelseynicoleprice@gmail.com
RENDERING: SATISFACTORY AND DISTINCTION
AW: Is there any website or social media where people can reach or follow you?
KELSEY NICOLE PRICE: I love to hear from my readers. Emails are always welcome and if you really want to find me, my Facebook pages are where I usually hang out. I also have a Facebook group where I do ask a cyborg, post exclusive teasers and do other fun stuff.
Make sure to stalk Kelsey Nicole Price like a pro and to look up for our next author to interview!
The OCD Borg,
Alexa Wayne
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March 24, 2019
Space-Time Interviewed Eric Johannsen
IDENTIFICATION OF HUMANOID: Eric Johannsen
When I reflect over the last half-century, I realize how blessed I am to have experienced many things. I grew up in Del Mar, a sleepy beach-side town in southern California where I developed a passion for baseball, volleyball, Dungeons & Dragons, the guy who taught me played with Gary Gygax, computer programming, and most of all, understanding the nature of things.
That last passion drove me to study physics at the University of California, San Diego including a year abroad in Germany. After graduating, I weighed years of additional study and years-long research projects against the magic that is computer programming, where your imagination can conjure up beneficial things in a few hours, and so opted for a career in software development.
[image error]Author Eric Johannsen
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Walking that path, I learned to bridge the gap between programmers and people who needed software built. Perhaps it’s my interest in human nature, or my skill as a storyteller, I kept playing D&D through the years, almost always the DM.
Along the way, I learned to SCUBA and to fly airplanes. I hold a commercial pilot’s license and trained as a search-and-rescue pilot in Civil Air Patrol before joining the Army Reserve as a Psychological Operations Specialist, which you may incorrectly hear called Psyops—the right term is PSYOP.
Computers have evolved in the decades I’ve been manipulating the 1s and 0s, and my career moved to machine learning and AI. I became profoundly aware of how the exponential growth of technology has already radically reshaped our society and, more importantly, how much change still awaits.
[image error]The Gods: Origins: Ji-min by Eric Johannsen
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More people need to understand the coming transformation so more of us can have an intelligent voice in guiding it. For that reason, I began writing science fiction – near-future sci-fi that’s entertaining but also paints an accurate picture of how our world is changing.
SEARCH: ENQUIRY: AUTHOR INTERROGATION
ALEXA WAYNE (AW): When did you find out you would want to write novels?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: I’ve always been a storyteller, from creating a comic strip for my elementary school newsletter to creating my Dungeons & Dragons or Traveler worlds. When I began serious work with machine learning, I recognized how the geometric increase in computing would profoundly transform the world. That story begs to become real, and so I did.
AW: You mentioned your work, all set in science-fiction or cyborg settings, would you let our readers know why you are attracted to that genre?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: Stories must entertain, but great stories also have more profound meaning to our lives. I write near-future sci-fi because I want to help people imagine what our next few decades might be like soon. The more collective brainpower works to shape our future, the more it would turn out to our liking.
AW: When writing about sci-fi, do you do research and if so, how far do you go with your research?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: If you read about human tech in my stories, it’s plausible in the next few decades. Non-human tech doesn’t violate our understanding of the laws of physics. If I don’t already understand something, I research it in detail and confirm with experts.
AW: What is most important to you when writing your novels?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: My stories must captivate the reader and draw them in. If they fail that goal, none of the other reasons I have for writing matter.
AW: Which authors influenced your writing in science-fiction?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: I love Dennis Taylor’s writing, especially the Bobiverse trilogy. His style makes it hard to put the book down, and the stories are well thought out.
[image error]The Gods We Make – Book 1 – by Eric Johannsen
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Besides, what’s not to like about a near-infinite number of Bobs? Asimov and Clarke were my childhood favorites, and I still enjoy re-reading those novels. Also, of course, there’s Frank Herbert’s Dune.
AW: Which of your novels is your favorite and why is it your favorite?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: A character named Ji-min appears in the second novel of my The Gods series. I felt the need to understand her, so I wrote a short story that became a novella, appropriately titled Ji-min.
Her story is so gripping that I still tear up when reading certain passages. If you didn’t know the novella ties into the sci-fi books, you would think it’s a dystopian survival story with a touch of mysticism. When you understand the greater context, you understand the “mysticism” is something else entirely…
AW: Do you believe in alien visiting our world, by that I mean in abduction or close encounters of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th kind?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: I don’t put much faith in tales of farmers abducted and probed somewhere out in the countryside. A species capable of crossing the stars would have sensors and scanners able to gather all the information they need without the messy lingering memories. Alternatively, you know, they could check the Internet to learn everything we know about our physiology and psychology.
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I do put faith in accounts of Navy pilots, including video, and other highly-trained aviators around the world with more to lose than to gain by making UFO claims.
Without a doubt, there are unidentified flying objects. Are they extraterrestrial? There isn’t evidence one way or the other, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find out they are.
AW: What made you decide to be self-published?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: When my first novel was through the first draft, I went to Comic-Con. Rather than camp out for Hall H, I attended the many professional seminars on world building, character development, and finding a market for your work.
I realized I could dedicate myself to finding an agent then hoping for a publisher, or I could take my fate into my own hands. Publishers can still be tremendously helpful, but they’re not what they once were. Their competition is growing and their margins shrinking, so the prospects of an upcoming author with a traditional publisher aren’t stellar.
[image error]The Gods We Seek – Book 2 – by Eric Johannsen
AW: What sets you apart from other science-fiction and cyborg authors?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: I know technology and physics exceptionally well. If I write it, it could happen. There’s no “tech-babble” in my work. I weave these plausible futures into a fast-paced, action-oriented tale of adventure and intrigue, entertaining the reader while sharing new possibilities.
AW: What can readers look forward to from Eric Johannsen in 2019?
ERIC JOHANNSEN: The Gods We Find, due out mid-year, concludes a three-novel story arc. The Gods We Are, due out late 2019 or early 2020, resolves the more significant conflict of the first three books.
The future is a product of our imagination, determination, and compassion. Let’s make it a good one!
Make sure to stalk Eric Johannsen like a pro!
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