Rae Lori's Blog, page 38

Getting Lost in the Grid

The Grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What do they look like? Ships, motorcycles. With the circuits like freeways. I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see. And then, one day... I got in.  

Recently I finally got a chance to see the last movie on my (very short) 2010 movie must see list: Tron: Legacy. I'm not going to review it here, per se, but I am going to chat a bit about the draw of movies on different levels.



I've seen the original Tron dozens of times and it was very much apart of my 80s childhood. I LOVED the concept and story idea but for some reason I could never stay awake or focused enough to follow it to the end (I fear my 80s card would get revoked for saying so - eek). Still, being a hardcore cyberpunk fan, I love the concept and idea. The execution not so much. Still, I plan on seeing it again soon, especially after watching the recently released sequel.



Tron: Legacy is a different story.



In a word, I liked it. I liked the visuals, the father/son relationship, how the story continues to pick up where the original left off and the hopeful ending that promises a hopeful future to come. There are a group of nitpicks I have about the dialogue, script and just plan fan stuff (more Tron! More Bruce! Where's David Warner? Where's Dr. Lora??), but overall, I enjoyed losing myself in the grid.



Some movies warrant that. I   LOVE movies. I've loved them ever since I was a kid watching spectacular sci-fi movies with larger than life characters, worlds that I only dreamed about and fast paced stories with high tension. I have to say that's one of the things I miss aboutmy childhood. That wide eyed optimism where you truly believe any and everything can happen if you believe in it enough. As we grow older, the coldness of the world sets in and we begin to be more critical, especially when it's our own money at stake. ;-) That's why I really enjoyed Tron: Legacy. After watching it the first time, I was still thinking about it. I was imagining myself in the grid in a lightcycle and disc battle or flying through the air in a lighted jet. Daft Punk's score still resonated with me in it's electronic beats and synthized sounds which reminded me of a high octane Vangelis at times. Guys, you've officially gained a new fan here!



I even wondered about how one would live day to day in the game from what we saw of the outskirts where Flynn had been living all those years. (I even imagined how Garrett Hedlund looked before the suit fully materialized (yum) but alas, this is PG and children may be reading this). Ahem.



Movies, like books, should invoke that sense of wonder. Many folks go to the movies to be entertained or to have their emotions go through a rollercoaster. The dialogue may be stilted, the characters may be a turn off but the movies that work for us cancel all of that out because of the adventure. In the end, it's how the movie touches us on a personal level.



Despite its mixed reviews, I was touched by Tron: Legacy where I haven't be moved by a movie since last year's Avatar. I found myself lost in the grid of the film where I could almost see myself right there along for the adventure and ready to go again right after the ride ends. I went looking for a movie novelization to relive the story on a deeper level of characterization but alas, there wasn't one. There is a movie prequel which deals with the time of events between Flynn's disappearance and the movie. I'll be diving into that story to continue my immersion of Tron: Legacy.



  

Check out Cyberpunk Review for a well thought overview of the movie's strengths and weakness. I pretty much agree with everything they said.

Comparing Legacy to the original would be like comparing a modern, quad-core multi-gigabyte machine with a terabyte hard drive and NVIDIA graphics (no offense to ATI fans) to the original IBM PC model 5150. Comparing it to the more recent cyberpunk fare, Legacy is certainly better than what has been coming down the wires lately. Any cyberpunk fan should see it if just for the eye candy, maybe for the story too. Tron fans will definitely want to see Legacy.

Do us a favor Disney: If you're going to do a Tron 3.0, don't wait another thirty years. Some of us may not be around to see it.

Also check out Mania.com's review of Tron Legacy which captures pretty much everything I was feeling as well. :-D

The "A" grade at the top of this review reflects not perfection--far from it--but the way TRON: Legacy reminds us of the wonders this medium can bring. To watch it and be receptive to its vision is to understand how movies can show us things we've never seen before. It transports us in the same way Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz do. It makes us believe so strongly in its landscape that any questions about dodgy plot holes or thin characterizations simply die on our lips. The flaws are there, if you choose to look for them, but why on Earth would you want to? TRON: Legacy speaks to us on a more primal level: the only level where films like this really count. Leave Thirty-Eight-Year-Old Me at home for this one. He's just too much of a killjoy.

Science Fiction For Boys, For Girls, For All

[image error] In a recent romance magazine that spotlighted science fiction, I saw a blurb about a reader who doesn't read sci-fi because of the woo woo or out there things. While I respect her for her reading choices, I still found it interesting that some folks still equate science fiction as 'crazy stuff that happens and can't be explained'. Sure we have genre distinctions now like fantasy, sci-fi and horror but as a reader and sci-fi lover from way back, it's always been so much more to me.



More after the jump!













Science Fiction has always been a genre about ideas and the great what if. What will the future look like if we continue with the social conditions of today? How will we be affected by technology that will make our lives so much easier but has the danger to render us lazy? How will we sustain our lifestyles if we find a way to replenish Earth's resources. Now some still believe sci-fi is escapist fic like romance. Some is, sure, but there's nothing wrong with escaping into a great wondrous read while expanding one's mind to the ideas within the story.



I've been enjoying the discourse of ways to get science fiction romance to more readers. Like with any genre, some books I won't read because they're not what I enjoy but there are others that I specifically look for. Respect to the world building and science fiction aspect of the 'SF' in 'SFR' is high on my list that I hope see continued even when the romance is on stage. But it's also the ideas themselves that come into play.



For instance, in KS Augustin's In Enemy Hands, while I thought the parts that focused on sex were a bit too explicit for my reading taste, I loved the fact that she bought up so many aspects of humanity. Is it wrong to manipulate another person if it's at the expense of helping the greater organization (that whole "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one" bit)? When is anarchy considered heroism? How much is too much control from a government organization over its people? Things like that amidst a love story stood strong as I became invested in two people who come to not only relate to one another but fall in love.



Now, some have and still squawk about sci-fi romance as something that seems like a contradiction. Science is about the mind while romance is about the heart and other more 'special' parts of the body.



Science fiction is about the mind and hands on approach, sometimes at the expense of deep characterization while romance is about the heart, body and soul and how they relate among a hero and heroine, often at the expense of the world around them. The best of each genre incorporates both and busts the stereotypes head on. On a greater level, the best sci-fi has the most memorable love stories and human interactions.



I noticed this recently, and most especially while watching the newly restored version of Fritz Lang's 1927 masterpiece Metropolis. If you haven't seen this wonderful film, get thee to Netflix, Amazon or your fave movie huse and take a watch. We have sci-fi at it's finest here filled with dystopic warnings of labor workers vs corporations, the caste system, the dangers of temptation and excess, a star crossed love story and mad science gone haywire. The themes are so wonderfully universal that they have appealed to many cultures throughout the ages and down to this day. In some ways, the movie itself can be seen as SFR at it's finest.



After we are introduced to the grueling conditions of the workers, we see a juxtaposition in the excess, somewhat dreamworld of the thinkers who own the corporations. Freder, son of the corp owner, is our hero who is met with a bevy of any beautiful woman of his choosing. They even practically fall at his feet!



But someone else catches his eye. The beautiful teacher and, in a way, leader of the workers named Maria enters the upper city giving the worker's children a tour. They lock eyes and Freder is a goner. So much that he chucks his whole life and runs to the city below which starts the main drive of the story.



Not only do we get Freder's fight to be with Maria, we also get to see Freder working against the system and eventually his own father as he fights to bridge the gap between the city below and the city above.



My description is rather sparse and thus I highly advise any reader here to check out the movie themselves for the amazing complexities in the plot, characterization and acting which is overall breathtaking. Amidst it all, I couldn't help be touched by the ending of the film. Freder's journey is that of mediator to join the hands and the mind together. He is the heart between the two that which makes up humanity itself.



I see SFR (or RSF for romantic sci-fi) as the same way.



For me, in the best stories that feature sci-fi and romance, we see the classic commentary of humanity, the socialization of technology and the ideas of the future or otherworld mixed with the character depths, emotion and involvement of a good love story.





Avatar Wallpaper created by Natalie88




Many condemn Avatar for being a flashy spectacle but fans of the movie and Cameron himself knows he weaves an awesome tale that not only incorporates but also acknowledges these ingredients. We get the theme of technology encroaching on nature, the advanced species not respecting those different from them mixed with the revelation of the main character realizing what is right while falling in love unexpectedly. On a side note, Cameron knows how to write strong female characters which is what romance readers and many SF action readers enjoy. Neytiri, Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, Lonette "Mace" Mason and Rose Dawson were all strong females who knew how to take care of themselves and the ones they loved. At the same time, they don't feel like male roles acted by women, they are complex: strong yet vulnerable, smart and on the ball, yet guided by the gut. The men are equally right up there with them but step in and take care of business when she needs him. The mind and hands connected by the heart. Man and woman, separate they are okay, working together, they are perfect.



Although SFR is relatively new to the publishing world, it's a classic theme in movies since, well Metropolis and most likely even before films. :-) I talked about this sometime ago at The Galaxy Express' recent Parallel Universe event but to reiterate, SFR and even SF itself is one that shouldn't be shrugged off as simple crazy unexplained out there stuff. I hope new readers will give it a try, even if it's something that is more social sci-fi that deals with humanity in a futuristic subtext. Just like all romance novels aren't the same, as I came to realize myself, not all sci-fi books are the same. But the really good ones will excel in connecting the mind, heart and body into one amazing story.

A Writer's Dream Welcomes the Artists behind Dusk Vol. 2: A Vampire Graphic Novel

 

This is a special month and even though AWD has taken some time off from guest interviews, I couldn't pass up this chance to introduce a project with some  very cool people attached to it. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of vampires and graphic novels, so once a friend of mine told me about the Dusk series I had to have the creative team stop by the blog to share their work and the project.



So as a first, and hopefully not a last interview with some very talented graphic artists, AWD would like to give a warm welcome to artists Jerry Gonzalez and Joamette Gil and writer David Doub!






Welcome to A Writer's Dream guys! You're our first graphic novel team so this is a special spotlight!

Now onto the grilling...er, I mean questions. :-)







Q: First, why don't you tell us a little bit about your new release Dusk along with your respective roles in creating the comic?



David Doub: Well I'm the creator of Dusk.  Volume 2 is a continuation of the unique format that I started with Volume 1 where it's several short stories that give a brief look into the life of the characters.  I know it's a non-linear style of storytelling, but since the story is mine to do as I see fit, why not have fun with it.



I think the non-linear style helps keep the mystery of the vampire world of Dusk.  Instead of a big reveal or a long explanation, there's just enough information given for the reader to draw their own conclusions.  So in a way the reader is part of the creation process.





Joamette Gil: Dusk is a super cool action/drama about a woman named Eve who is trying to gain her independence, but has to struggle with addiction to vampire's blood and her own insecurities along the way (not to mention vampires, demons, werewolves, etc). I'm one of the artists drawing the upcoming 3rd volume!





Jerry Gonzalez: Dusk is about a young woman name Eve, who was in a abusive marriage and wound up in the world of vampires and dark magic. Ash tries to guide her back to the world that she used to know but refuses. Volume two is a continuation of that story. My role in the book is penciler and inker for some of the chapters of Dusk.





Q: What was your inspiration in creating the world within Dusk?



David Doub: Heh, I wanted to do a vampire story. Thing is, I think the long history of vampires work fine.  I saw need to reinvent their origin or put them in a different setting.  I find it more of a challenge to try to make a good and unique story with a subject that has had probably hundreds of stories already done yet.



I think the vampire genre is very deep and there is still plenty of great stories to get out of it.





Joamette Gil: My particular role as a Dusk artist is to portray the final half of Eve's fight to keep a little girl safe from megalomaniacal, werewolf-like demons from Argentina. I knew I would enjoy working on this portion of the story because I could relate very strongly with the girl Eve has rescued and taken to the United States. Bianca has been through some very tough times, and struggling to fit into a new cultural landscape just adds insult to injury. The courage and perseverance of both Eve and Bianca is what drives my artistic portrayal of them.



Jerry Gonzalez: David's writing was an inspiration in creating Dusk. I love the story and it got me motivated to do the comic in the first place.





Q: How did you each get into the comic book and graphic novel field?





David Doub: Comics are my first love.  I love all forms of creative expression, but I have a deep seated affection for Comics.  So when I wanted to do Dusk, I knew I had to do it as a comic.



Joamette Gil: I started self-publishing mini-comics when I was 18, and I had been a fan of animation and comics for as long as I could remember. When I was 11, I decided that cartoons simply had to be a major part of my life, so I set out to learn how to draw. I'm still learning, but I'd say I've come a long way! Dusk is my first time working on an established series by another creator, and so far it's been really fun as well as challenging.





Jerry's Artwork for Dusk
Jerry Gonzalez: Growing up I was a big fan of comic books, and I loved drawing characters that I would read about month to month. I really didn't start pursuing being a comic book artist until high school. A group of friends of mine wanted me to do a short comic, the result of that book was a strong desire to illustrate more sequential art than just basic pin-ups.





Q: Vampires are all the rage right now and it seems like vampire trend itself goes in spurts (although it's an evergreen theme for us fans ;-)). Why do you think certain readers and, to some extent the media at the moment, are riding the vampire train at the moment?



David Doub: I think because of the new twist on vampires (teenage romance) is what's driving the current interest.  It seems that the mainstream always wants something new, or at the very least the illusion of something new.  And maybe also keeping it at a teenage level makes the typical dark material of vampires a little bit lighter for a wider audience.



Joamette Gil: Hmm. I can't say I know what all the hype is about at this point (especially considering the fact that Twilight is…. Well, it's Twilight), but I will go ahead and blame this whole mess on Joss Whedon. I think it's all his fault. Yes, I am a huge Buffy fan.



Jerry Gonzalez: Its mainly a fascination with the myth of vampires. The idea that someone can live forever but in turn suffers the burden of avoiding the sun, constantly craving for blood, and knowing that you're hated and feared by society, its tragic but interesting.





Q: Did any particular vampire writer, work or myth inspire your work in creating Dusk?



David Doub:I honestly can't think of a particular influence for Dusk.  I just know I've always been a fan of vampires stories and have enjoyed everything from Anne Rice, to the Lost Boys, and the old Hammer Films to just name a few.  So for me it's a big blender full of inspiration.





Joamette Gil: Not really – my bit's more about werewolves. I was inspired by some local Slavic artwork in my design for the Teju Jagua (the wolf-like demons from Guarani myth).



Jerry Gonzalez: A comic I read, when I was young, was Crimson by Humberto Ramos and Brian Augustyn. When I got the job to do Dusk I immediately pick up that book and re-read the whole series and was inspired to do the comic...





Q: What's next for you guys? Any dream projects you'd like to shoot for in the near future?



David Doub:Dusk is my dream project.  I've been working on getting it out for years now, so I have no inclination to stop doing it any time soon.  I love doing Dusk.



Joamette Gil: Haha, well, I'd love to keep working on Dusk in the future! Other than that, I'm planning a webcomic to be released in late November. More info about that can be found at http://www.blackinkbird.com/



Jerry Gonzalez: I'm working on two comic scrips, one is more of a sci-fi, fantasy comic, and the other is based loosely on my experiences working at a comic shop.





Q: You probably get asked this all the time but for the readers here at AWD, what advice would you give for folks who are interested in working in the comic book field?



David Doub:Just start making something.  Seriously I've seen so many would-be creators over think things to the point it actually prevents them from getting started.  Sure there may be mistakes made and it may not be perfect, but that can always be corrected.  It's a learning experience to say the least, and you can't start learning if you don't well start.



Joamette Gil: Love it. That's my advice. Obviously, you need to draw every day, network, accept criticism, etc, but first and foremost you need to love what you do and believe in it. You won't move a single step in any direction if you don't.



Jerry Gonzalez: Keep practicing, whether its writing or drawing. Don't let your ego get in the way of making a good comic.



PROMO ART from Dusk 3 http://joamette.deviantart.com/art/Dusk-Vol-3-Preview-183334559?q=&qo=



Visit the official Dusk Comics site: http://www.duskcomics.com/

And don't forget to check out Dusk Vol. 1 online!



Learn more about the team at their websites:



David's Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/DuskComics



Joamette's website: http://www.blackinkbird.com



Jerry's Website: http://monkeygeek.deviantart.com

We're going to need a bigger boat

It's the most craziest time of the year for writers and aspiring writers. That's right, it's NaNoWriMo! Smack dab in the middle of shopping season. Bring on the crazy!







I'll be writing during the month of November in between doing some incoming graphic design/animation projects so I will be scarcely online. I'll also be permanently glued to my chair, pounding away at the keyboard writing a new book from the inspiration of NaNo (woo hoo) and I'll be at the SYTYCW at Harlequin amidst working on some other projects I want to bring out for sale.



For folks wondering about Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write event (SYTYCW) check that out here: http://harlequinblog.com/so-you-think-you-can-write/ 



The Cimmerian Series is coming back (woo hoo!) and the Ashen Twilight series is coming to an end. In between that, we have some shorter fiction coming out and a specialized bookstore where you can buy my work and some other authors direct from the website. Stay tuned for the link and more info soon!



In other news, I received a really cool announcement today. Being a huge graphic novel and comic fan here at AWD, we have a special guest interview coming up with some comic artists and writers so this ties into the news.

Congrats to the winners!





October 30th, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press contact: Kynn Bartlett, NextOfKynn@gmail.com

2010 Lulu Award Winners!The winners were announced on Friday, October 29, 2010, at the Long Beach Comic Con.

Leah Adezio Award for Best Kid-Friendly Work: Diana Nock, The Intrepid GirlbotBest Female Character: Ramona Flowers, Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'MalleyKim Yale Award for Most Talented Newcomer: Kathryn Immonen: "The Runaways"Lulu of the Year: Kate BeatonWoman of Distinction Award: Lauren Sankovitch: editor, Marvel ComicsFemale Cartoonists Hall of Fame: Alison Bechdel

ABOUT LONG BEACH COMIC CONLong Beach Comic Con began 2009, in a grand inaugural convention that featured Stan Lee in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. LBCC -- placing comics first -- has a commitment to provide fans the most diverse and exciting convention in the West Coast. Please visit their official website for more information.



ABOUT FRIENDS OF LULUFriends of Lulu was established in 1994 as an organization to promote and celebrate women in both the comics industry and fandom. They have also taken up the cause of expanding the all-ages comic reading audience. Please visit their website for more information and to find out how to volunteer

Before Dawn Breaks Comes to Print December 7th!

Woo hoo! Marci over at Freya's Bower recently emailed me with news of the print release date for my romantic suspense novel, Before Dawn Breaks. Mark your calendars for December 7th , just in time for gift giving season. ;-)



I'll be working on formatting the print cover and I'm so excited to see it in paperback. Here is the rundown:



[image error]Before Dawn Breaks by Rae Lori



Alexandra Lyons is a cold, seductive assassin, skilled in the art of killing. Camilla Angelson is a bubbly writer enjoying the quiet life as a recent graduate from college. Both women are the same person. Unfortunately, her former employer, the secret government bureau that hired her, knows this all too well.



Josh Mayer is a former secret service agent looking to pick up the pieces of his life after a messy divorce from a cheating wife and a job of putting his life on the line. Doubling as a restaurateur and an "unofficial" undercover agent, the beautiful female target he is protecting may be the same one he is willing to risk his life and, most of all, his heart to save.



Soon, Josh must put his life on the line to evade an unknown killer that ties them all the way to a money-laundering scheme involving the newest presidential candidate to the White House. Meanwhile, Alexandra's heart is warmed with Josh at her side as she slowly remembers the dark past she left behind.





Available now for Pre-order

Stay tuned for a possible giveaway grab bag as we near the release!

Before Dawn Breaks Comes to Print Decembter 7th!

Woo hoo! Marci over at Freya's Bower recently emailed me with news of the print release date for my romantic suspense novel, Before Dawn Breaks. Mark your calendars for December 7th , just in time for gift giving season. ;-)



I'll be working on formatting the print cover and I'm so excited to see it in paperback. Here is the rundown:



[image error]Before Dawn Breaks by Rae Lori



Alexandra Lyons is a cold, seductive assassin, skilled in the art of killing. Camilla Angelson is a bubbly writer enjoying the quiet life as a recent graduate from college. Both women are the same person. Unfortunately, her former employer, the secret government bureau that hired her, knows this all too well.



Josh Mayer is a former secret service agent looking to pick up the pieces of his life after a messy divorce from a cheating wife and a job of putting his life on the line. Doubling as a restaurateur and an "unofficial" undercover agent, the beautiful female target he is protecting may be the same one he is willing to risk his life and, most of all, his heart to save.



Soon, Josh must put his life on the line to evade an unknown killer that ties them all the way to a money-laundering scheme involving the newest presidential candidate to the White House. Meanwhile, Alexandra's heart is warmed with Josh at her side as she slowly remembers the dark past she left behind.





Available now for Pre-order

Stay tuned for a possible giveaway grab bag as we near the release!

Coming up for air ~ Cimmerian City and Ashen T series updates

Hey folks!



It's been a while since I updated everyone here at AWD. I've been diving head first into projects, interviews and other things that my blog has been sitting by the wayside. Not to mention Twitter and Facebook has been more easier to update and add to. With my random thoughts, it's been like "ooh, shiny!" to me. ;-)



In any event, I thought I would update you guys here in detail for those who aren't on FB or twitter.



After time traveling back to the 1920s to write a paranormal/UF short story set in the jazz age, I've zoomed into the future and am finally rewriting/spiffying up Cimmerian City for re-release into the Kindle (yay). Many folks have been asking me about this recently and I thought I would finally set aside some time to work on this. So October is officially Cimmerian City clean up month and I hope to have the final available in digital format again in the next month or so. I'm really excited to get this out as I had some positive feedback on it and readers seemed to enjoy it the first go around in 2007. Hopefully the polished version will be just as enjoyable, if not more!



The follow-up sequel is already finished and just needs to go through some edits to bring it back to its original storyline before I wrote it as a standalone. I didn't get any takers on the story so that will be following CC's release on the Kindle as well.



Here's the new cover for CC (as always, I'll be tweaking it until release time):





The sequel, A Feast of Shadows, has a cover already. Here it is if you haven't seen the new spiffied up version:







As for the Ashen T series, I'm still working on trying to bring Within the Shadows of Mortals to print. I hit a few snags in my plans and unfortunately had to hold it off. I want to have it printed a certain way so that it's more cheaper to readers which entails taking a different print source than I did with A Kiss of Ashen Twilight. Once I get closer to definite news on that, I'll post it here. I'll be hosting another Goodreads giveaway for 'Mortals' like I did with the first in the series so stay tuned for news of that as well.



In November, I have light plans to start heavily into the third and final book in the Ashen T series 'Inheritance of Ashes'. It'll be this year's NaNo project, woo hoo! I'm excited, thrilled and terrified because there are a lot of loose ends I want to make sure I tie up and I want to write a satisfactory end to all that's been building up to now. I posted the cover up at Goodreads but here is the cover for Inheritance of Ashes here:







Depending on how it looks on the paperback cover, there may be a different cover for the digital version like I did with A Kiss of Ashen Twilight. We shall see. :-)



AWD will have some excitement as well in the coming days. I'll be interviewing a very cool team of writers and artists who have released an awesome looking vampire themed graphic novel. I can't wait to read this and I'm very excited to interview them. More news on that soon.



The novel writing group is back on in Second Life. If you're an aspiring writer and want to hang out with a great community, come on down and join us in-world on the weekend. Saturdays at 5 pm Pac time and Sundays at 2 pm Pac time. Hope to see you there!



That should be it for news.



 For some "yay! squee!" news:



Both A Kiss of Ashen Twilight and Within the Shadows of Mortals were given some great reviews by the Paranormal Romance Guild.



Reviewer Michelle says of AKOAT:

4 Stars 

Rae Lori can add one more fan to her, I'M SURE, growing list of fans. This is definitely a series that I will continue to follow! Any fan of this genre..whether UF or PNR will want to pick this one up!

For WTSoM:

5 stars

The action/suspense and drama have definitely been turned up a notch in this one! The author has such a way with her storytelling that she makes you FEEL their happiness, their love, their fear, and their sadness that it makes you forget that anything else exists beside the world that she's created.





The fact that these books have completely sucked me in and left me wanting for more, to me, is a sign of a great author! Well done Rae Lori!!

SO glad they enjoyed it!





Check out the full reviews here!



I took a peek at the UK Kindle store sometime back and saw 'Mortals' had reached #33 in the contemporary fantasy bestseller list. Whoa! That was really cool. I probably should have taken a screenshot or something but thanks to all who checked out the books in both the US and UK stores! Hope you guys are enjoying the reads.



Back to the writing batcave!

Posting today at PopCulture Divas

Come help me welcome the fall months over at PopCultureDivas as I chat about things I love about the autumns. Share your fave events and what you're looking forward to this year!



Click the banner to teleport on over:

In Enemy Hands by K.S. Augustin ~ A well written Sci-fi romance

In Enemy Hands is sci-fi romance hybrid filled with adventure, suspense and some spiffy tech speak alongside a developing romance. The sci-fi romance subgenre is slowly growing and I'm always jazzed to see new additions to the library.



The book starts in the past with Moon's old research partner as they work for the republic. As with many great SF stories, there are rebels working outside of the republic and Moon gets a surprise when she finds out a secret her partner is hiding. Needless to ...

AnyNewBooks.com ~ A New Release Books Alert site

I can't remember whether I saw this website at Dear Author or Teleread but this was such a cool idea, I decided to sign up right away. Today I got my first alert list and I was really pleased at the layout and info included in the newsletters.

To summarize, AnyNewBooks.com is a new website that alerts you to new book releases in different genres and categories. It's currently in its beta phase but it works pretty smoothly! I signed up for the Audiobooks, Comic Book and Graphic Novels...