A.B. Shepherd's Blog, page 15

Sci Fi Light - Book review of Alpha by Taylor Hohulin #bookreview #amreading

Today on the blog Abites, I am reviewing sci-fi novel Alpha by Taylor Hohulin.

I was provided a copy of this ebook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

My review:
At the end of Alpha, Taylor Hohulin says that Data from Star Trek Next Generation is his favorite robot. I suspect that would offend Data since he is an android, but that does explain the vibe of Alpha. While this is a sci-fi novel, with robots created for military warfare it is very light and irreverent in tone (even though violent).

It is even softer sci-fi than my own book, Lifeboat. At least I think so.
When I read, one of the things I enjoy about reading is that I can stop and think along the way. As I was reading Alpha I noted that a couple of very different movies came to mind. Alpha is really in no way like these movies and yet...

Ever see the movie Multiplicity with Michael Keaton? Michael Keaton has himself cloned and then the clone has HIMself cloned? A copy of a copy is never quite as good - remember? When you read Alpha, there is no cloning involved, but that movie came to mind for me when Beta and Gamma arrived. I don't want to give too much away here though, so no spoilers. Sorry.

Another movie that came to mind, believe it or not, was The Wizard of Oz and the "If I only had a..." song sung by the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.

"If I only had a heart..." "...a brain..." "...the noive," (that is "nerve" in that Cowardly Lion accent). Yup that went through my head as well.

Alpha was given a human heart in his robotic body in the hope that it would make him feel loyalty toward his allies in the anticipated military intervention of Earth's military in the Mars/Venus war. The sci-fi is so light we never learn where the heart comes from or how it is obtained, and yet there is some pretty dark subject matter as well lightness and humor here in this book .

This book won't change your life. It won't change the world. But it will entertain you for a while.

Do you enjoy books that provide you light entertainment without shaking the Earth? Or do you prefer books that rock your world hard? A combo of both? You can get Alpha at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Synopsis:
Alpha is the world’s first robotic soldier, but he would rather woo his mechanic than wage war. This probably has something to do with his human heart, given to him in hopes that it would prevent him from enslaving the entire human race.
Once the greatest soldier the Planet Earth Military Forces had seen, Meat can’t help but think this new age of robotic soldiers will leave people like him in the dust. Forced into retirement, he has nothing left to do but stew in his bitterness toward the organization he once loved.

Lucas Sharpe wishes he’d managed to work his way to CEO of the Planet Earth Military Forces before its leaders traded their plasma rifles for stacks of paperwork. Now he’s just bored.

Alpha is having enough trouble winning his mechanic’s heart - as it turns out, robots aren't her type - but when Meat begins to stalk Alpha’s inventor, Lucas sees a chance to return to action, even if it means breaking a few rules. Unfortunately, Lucas’s involvement only makes Meat angrier, and before long, the ex-soldier’s obsession escalates into all-out suburban warfare. Everything Alpha loves is threatened, and it becomes clear he will have to fight. And he would fight - he really would - if not for an unfortunate, deadly malfunction that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows his inventor is the worst Military scientist of all time.
About the author:
Taylor Hohulin is a DJ at a Christian rock radio station in Dallas, Texas. He lives in Arlington with his wife, two cats, and a dog. He wrote Alpha as a novel after realizing that it wasn't such a good idea for a Ke$ha/Depeche Mode-influenced concept album after all.
Taylor Hohulin
Want to connect with Taylor? You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, or his website.

Faith, Hope and Love - a guest post by Troy Lambert #guestpost

Today on the blog Abites, we are honored to have author Troy Lambert sharing his thoughts on what motivates us. What do you think? Is he right? What motivates you?
Faith, Hope, and Love by Troy Lambert(Author of Broken Bones, Redemption, and Temptation)
Are my novels Redemption and Temptation religious in nature? Of course they are. All books are religious in nature. 
Writers always talk about motivation but I’m not here to bore you with writer speak. Let’s, for a moment, take a look at our own lives, for they, after all, are what we writers base characters on. What motivates us?
Love. Love is the motivation for everything we do. Whether that is love for money, things, or a person, love is what drives us. The love of new technology drives us to buy that new computer.
Faith. We all have faith that eventually if we work hard enough, find the right person to love, the right house, sometimes even the right car, things will get better, at least for us. We are, after all, selfish creatures. If we divorce our spouse, and find a new one, our lives will get better. Whatever happens to theirs matters much less to us than what our lives will look like after. After what? After whatever we are putting our faith in to change things.
Hope. What is hope anyway? Not according to the dictionary, but according to us: those who live in its shadow. I hope it doesn’t rain. I hope the car doesn’t break down on I-84 until I can afford a new one. I hope my kids remember me when I’m gone. I hope the dog did not soil the rug while I was at work. These are all parts of hope: a greater idea that gives us promise for the future. Hope is often all a person has to hang onto when they are in the darkest of times. When it comes to books, we often share the hope of the characters, and read until the end, believing that things will turn out well for them despite where they are now. Both Redemption and the sequel Temptation are not about a certain religion, nor are they based in a church. But they do center on the things we all yearn for: Redemption; and things we all struggle with: Temptation. So religious? Sure. But not how you would normally think of religion. The stories are crime thrillers but that explore at the heart the motivation of the characters. You’ll get to know them, and what they love, where their faith lies, and what they hope for.
Of course the greatest motivator is what they love. Even the Bible says: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 
May you find all three in your life, and in what you read.

Temptation Blurb: Samuel Elijah Johnson worked hard in prison to earn his law degree. He got out and started representing clients at parole hearings with surprising results: he never lost. 
Earning a reputation as an up and comer with a great deal of respect for the truth, now he is faced with Temptation: is it time to take the next step and become a true defense attorney? Will he forsake his values for more money and notoriety? 
An evil mastermind, a team of car thieves, and a tangled web of deception all conspire to lead him down a new and dangerous path. Will he give in to Temptation or stay the noble course? 
In the sequel to Redemption, Sam, Ruth, Peter, and the gang are back to face the new challenges that come with living and moving forward. Grab this thriller today. You won’t believe where it takes you next!

About Troy Lambert, Author  Troy LambertTroy began his writing life at a very young age, penning the as yet unpublished George and the Giant Castle at age six. He grew up in Southern Idaho, and after many adventures including a short stint in the US Army and a diverse education, Troy returned to Idaho, and currently resides in Boise. 
Troy works as a freelance writer and researcher including for the Wallace District Mining museum, and also edits for Tirgeaar Publishing and others on a freelance basis. He truly loves to write dark, psychological thrillers. His work includes Broken Bones, a collection of his short stories, Redemption The first in the Samuel Elijah Johnson Series, and his new novel, Temptation, the sequel to Redemption.   Troy lives with his wife of twelve years, two of his five children and two very talented dogs. He is a skier, cyclist, hiker, fisherman, hunter, and a terrible beginning golfer.  
Author Website: www.troylambertwrites.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/authortroy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Troy-Lambert/191932724173411?ref=hl 
Where can you get Troy's books?  Broken Bones Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/86235 Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005L90VKO Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005L90VKO Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/broken-bones-troy-l-lambert/1105610526?ean=9781466298095 Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/broken-bones-1 
Redemption Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Q6R3MY Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007Q6R3MY Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/redemption-troy-lambert/1110302263?ean=9781475129793 Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/redemption-66 
Temptation Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/325660 Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DD5UJF0 Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00DD5UJF0 Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/temptation-troy-lambert/1115835726?ean=2940044588905 Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/Search/Query?Query=Temptation+Troy+Lambert 

Birthday giveaway! Signed book & tote bag. #giveaway

Guess what Abites? It's my birthday! That's right. I'm old. Damned old. But because it is my birthday I am giving YOU presents. What do you think about that? Sound good?
One lucky winner will get a signed copy of my book, Lifeboat.
So here is what you do. You get a freebie entry just because it is my birthday.You can get more entries if you share this post on Twitter, follow me on Twitter and/or like my Facebook page..You know, all the lovely stuff you can find right here in the Rafflecopter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

But here is the really fun part!    A second lovely winner will get a signed copy of my book, Lifeboat AND a Lifeboat tote bag!
Please excuse the HORRIBLE photo of the prizes. I am a crap photographer. Just trust me that they look much better in person. (This tote bag is one I've been using - yours will be brand new.) So if you give ME this very specific present, you get to enter to win this prize pack. 

To enter to win the prize pack, all you have to do is post a pic of you, or a friend, reading Lifeboat in any format (on your computer, on an ebook, on your phone, in paperback - doesn't matter - but the book must be identifiable as Lifeboat). Post it on the publicly viewable place of your choice on the internet (i.e. you can post it on my Facebook page, your Facebook page set with the post as public, Pinterest, your blog, Twitter, really pretty much anywhere). 
Then come back here and post the link it in the comments so I can find it.  Here is an example to inspire you given to me by a friend. It is the inspiration for this birthday giveaway. Entries for this portion of the contest are valid as long as the Rafflecopter is. Once it ends, so do the entries for the photos.
Make sure you have entered the Rafflecopter too, so I have your address and contact info. By entering you give me permission to use your entry photo here on the blog. I may do a later post with all photos entered.

This winner will be chosen be me based purely on my favorite photo so be creative. 
Why would you want another copy of the book if you already have one? Well, first of all, do you have it in paperback? Hmm? Is it signed? And even if you do, you can always give this copy as a gift to someone you love. It would make a fantastic present, don't you think?
Oh! And if you'd like to give me even MORE birthday presents, you could always buy Lifeboat for yourself or a friend. Links to where it is available are on the right side bar.
Happy birthday to me!

Beware scammers!!! They've gotten too good at what they do.

Abites, today I am talking about something very serious which is not related to reading or writing.
You might think you are too smart. That you are immune. The truth is, you might just not be as smart as you think you are. Be sure to read to the end.
I was very nearly scammed myself just today. 

See I bought my domain name through Google in March. It won't require renewal until 2014. But today I got an email reportedly form Google Apps. It looked very legitimate and it said there was a problem with the payment for my domain name. I was only suspicious because it is not time for renewal and it has been 5 months since it was paid initially. Had they caught me just after I'd purchased it, or when it was time for renewal, I very likely would have fallen for it.
Although I found it suspicious, I still felt I needed to check to make sure there wasn't an issue. Instead of using the links they provided, I logged into my Google account just to check out everything was okay - and it is fine.
Once I had determined that, just for fun, I clicked on the links they had provided for resolving the issue (I don't recommend this - you can get malware that way)to see where they went. The pages they took me to were very, very, VERY well done. Looked just like Google pages, and were so legitimate looking it was scary as hell, except for two tiny details I noticed. It said if you are paying by bank you cannot update your bank details. You must provide them anew. RED FLAG!!! And although they showed I paid by credit card (which was true in my case) they didn't display the last four digits of it, like my actual Google account did.
Now I already knew this was a scam and I didn't fall for it, but many people wouldn't.
And then there are the Lonely Hearts Scammers. In this day and age online is often the best way to meet new people, but it is not without its risks. 

Recently a dear friend, one who is strong, street smart and intelligent, yet lonely and vulnerable, fell prey to a Lonely Hearts Scammer. She was scammed out of a lot of money, humiliated by the experience, and left feeling defeated and hurt.
She thought that since he had contacted her (she wasn't on a dating site or anything like that), that she didn't have to worry about him not being who he claimed. He had messaged her on Facebook, claiming to have lived in her former hometown. He had gotten close to her emotionally. He put in the time. Weeks, months. Before he struck. 
These scammers know exactly how to play their game. They find their target, connect with them, put in the time (this one was actually talking to my friend for hours at a time via instant messaging, texting and telephone). And then they pounce. They don't outright ask for money. They are too smart for that. They know that would set up the red flags.
Instead, they come up with a heartbreaking reason why they need a short term, high dollar loan. They are temporarily out of the country. A loved one is hurt. They are in a bind. Something believable that tugs at the heartstrings of the the target. Remember, they've already put in the time - weeks, sometimes even months, of pretending to befriend you. 
If their target doesn't come up with the dough, they lay it on thick. This one actually sobbed on the phone with my friend. 
They often hit you up more than once. They take your initial funds, and then there is always a complication - some other reason that more money is needed.
She felt so incredibly guilty that after she had tapped out her own resources, she took out a loan from a family member for the initial request. But then something went wrong. He needed more money. She was anxious and stressed over it. He even provided her documents proving his legitimate need and his legitimate way to repay her. She would have her money back within two weeks. He promised.
She couldn't come up with the funds for his second demand. Oddly, once she told him she was unable to give him more money, he stopped communicating with her. That is when she got suspicious. That is when, after doing some investigating she realized she had been had. This person was not who he claimed to be. And she had no recourse to recover her money because he is not on Australian soil. She can't prosecute. 
But she didn't let that stop her from trying to help others. She found out that this particular person had at least three different Facebook profiles, with different names and different photos. She reported him to Facebook. As yet she is unaware if they have taken any action. She also found other women listed as his Facebook friends and she messaged them with her story, a warning to anyone else he may be preying on. One woman actually responded to thank her.
She did more research about scammers and found ScamWarners.com, a great site that lists pretty much every internet scam out there. You can see the emails, money requests, etc., that have been reported to date. My friend found her exact situation listed here - too late, unfortunately.
Australia also has ScamWatch.gov.au - another great resource and one that tells you what to do if you think you or a loved one has been scammed, and allows you to report scams. I'm sure other countries have similar resources. In my friend's case it is too late to get her money back and the way she transferred it is not recoverable.

What can you do if you want to meet people online but don't want to be taken in? First, don't rely just on photos. Try to get your new friend to move to Skype or another webcam chat program. You can tell right away on live webcam if someone looks like the photos they have sent you. At least that way you won't get Catfished. 

If they refuse to use webcam they doesn't automatically mean they aren't who they say there are. There COULD be legitimate reasons why not, but ask them to send you a photo of them holding up a sign with their own name, or better yet with your name in a photo, or even a newspaper with today's date. That way you can at least be reasonably sure they haven't stolen someone else's photos, which is the most common trick scammers (and Catfishers) do. 

And lastly, never ever send money to someone you've never met in person, no matter what sob story they give you.
So my point is - watch out for scammers.  They are everywhere. And they want your money.
Even the brightest and most street smart of us can be scammed. Scammers are way too good at what they do. If ANYONE you have never met in person asks you for money, even as a loan - DON'T give it to them. 
At least not without doing your due diligence to make sure they are for real. 
And if it smells fishy - it likely is. 
Don't trust blindly. 
Don't let guilt or a soft heart rule over your head, or your wallet. 

Have you or someone you loved been scammed? Has someone tried to scam you but you caught them in time? Share your stories with me.

Giveaway and Review of Life First by RJ Crayton #bookreview #giveaway

So you recently read my interview with the awesome author RJ Crayton. Now I get to share with you my review of her thought provoking, and thrilling debut novel, Life First. She has very generously offered to give two of my lucky readers a copy of Life First. Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win.

I was given a copy of this ebook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Life First is set at some unspecified future date after the population of the USA has been decimated by pandemics, resulting in social upheaval and changes in law. The social construct now requires you to risk your health by making living donations to others. Not to do so is illegal and can result in a criminal trial and sentence of "death by donation". That is right. You are confined and your body is mined for parts until it kills you.

This story is terrifying in that, like 1984, it is not so far fetched that it could not become reality. Kelsey has a dilemma. She has been marked as the best possible match for a stranger with kidney failure. She now has no choice but to donate one of her kidneys in spite of any risk to her own health.

Kelsey believes the choice of whether or not to donate should be her own, and while she would willingly take the risk for a loved one, risking her life and her health for a stranger is not something she is willing to do. So she runs.

This book is an emotional thrill ride. I read it in one day and it left me feeling as though I'd lived every set-back, every emotional upheaval with Kelsey and her friends and family. It is well written, well edited, and extremely thought provoking. Although it is set at some undetermined point in a future world there isn't much in the way of science fiction here, with the exception of the implants that each person has inserted in their arm to monitor their health.

It is a dystopian thriller you will be glad you read and I highly recommend it.

What do you think? Should the health of society have more importance than the health of an individual?

Where can you get Life First? Click here to get it at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, or Barnes & Noble.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book blurb:
Strong-willed Kelsey Reed must escape tonight or tomorrow her government will take her kidney and give it to someone else. 
In this future forged by survivors of pandemics that wiped out 80 percent of the world's population, life is valued above all else. The mentally ill are sterilized, abortions are illegal and those who refuse to donate an organ when told are sentenced to death.
Determined not to give up her kidney or die, Kelsey enlists the help of her boyfriend Luke and a dodgy doctor to escape. The trio must disable the tracking chip in her arm for her to flee undetected. If they fail, Kelsey will be stripped of everything.


About the author: RJ Crayton grew up in Illinois and now lives in a Maryland suburb of Washington, DC. She is a fiction writer by day and a ninja mom by night (What is a ninja mom, you ask? It's the same as a regular mom, only by adding the word ninja, it explicitly reveals the stealth and awesomeness required for the job of mom). Before having children, Crayton was a journalist, so all the stuff she wrote had to be true (sniff, sniff). She's worked at big publications like the Wichita Eagle and the Kansas City Star, and little publications like Solid Waste Report and Education Technology News. Life First is her first published novel. The sequel to this book will be out soon, so she hopes you enjoyed it enough to want more.
RJ Crayton loves connecting with readers. If you talk to her, she’ll talk back, so please check out her:
Website: http://rjcrayton.comFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rjcraytonauthorTwitter feed: https://twitter.com/RJCraytonGoodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7111348.R_J_Crayton

Interview with RJ Crayton, author of Life First #interview

I recently met the brilliant, witty, and gorgeous RJ Crayton, author of dystopian novel Life First. I was so taken with her that I immediately asked her to marry me in spite of the fact that we are both married to other people, and same sex unions are not yet legal where I live. I have settled for being her slightly creepy, but in a non-threatening, non-sexual way, stalker.  She completely won me over with her humor and charm and I begged her to let me interview her so I could share with you beautiful Abites some of her awesomeness.
I hope you will be as charmed as I have been, and keep an eye on the blog because soon I will be sharing my review of her fabulous debut novel, Life First, along with a giveaway of it.
1. How did you get to be so funny? (Seriously, you are a riot.)You’re too kind. I’m not sure I’m funny as I just look for the right anecdote. However, my father tells great, funny stories. He knows just how to put the right spin on them.

2.You teased me with some anecdotes. Tell me more about them.
I started off my career as a reporter, and worked at newspapers in the U.S. Midwest. When in Kansas, I was tasked with interviewing Amish people about the new school they planned to build. For those unfamiliar with the Amish, they shun modern technology, including phones, electricity, cars, and other good stuff like that.  I got out there, and managed to promptly lock my keys and phone in the car. So, the options were walk 20 miles from the Amish village to a regular place with a phone, grab a ride on one of their horse-drawn carriages, or live among their people. Clearly, the third option made the most sense. However, it didn’t come to that. The gray-haired Amish man whose house I’d parked in front of sent his grandson in the house to fetch a wire hanger. The boy brought it out and the old man (whose shirt was held together with straight pins because no one had yet sewn buttons on it) used the wire hanger to jimmy open my door. Realizing the Amish knew more about breaking into cars than I thought they should, I got my quote for the story and high-tailed it out of there. 
Elsewhere in the midwest, I saw a cow fall into a pool. You can read about that story here, as it’s rather long.

3. What inspired you to write Life First?
The seed for Life First came after I watched a news story.  The story was one about a woman--initially described as mentally ill--who refused to have a cesarean section because she didn’t want to be sliced open and gutted like a pig. The baby died. At the time, I remember completely understanding the woman’s fear (as being sliced open is not my idea of fun), but thinking she would have made a different choice if she had been mentally competent, as her concern for her baby’s well-being would have outweighed her fear. My recollection was that the lady was later reported to be mentally fine, and charged with a crime. However, the  situation got me thinking about what duty we owe to help other people survive. The woman in the news story decided she wasn’t willing to commit to surgery to help her baby survive. I wondered, what if it were someone else?  What if the baby’s survival were dependent on the father being sliced open, would he do it? What about a perfect stranger? 
Obviously, a mother has to undergo some physical changes to birth a child, but the fact that this woman refused a procedure started me to thinking about how much should people be required to endure solely to save the life of another human being. I wondered what a society would look like if people were expected to undergo medical procedures solely to help another human being. Clearly, a mother’s health is tied to the health of her in-utero baby in ways other people’s lives aren’t tethered, so it’s not an exact analogy. But, the situation was enough to start me thinking.

4. Is it as funny as you are, or does it have a more serious tone?
The book is definitely serious in tone. Life First is set in a dystopian future where life is valued above all else, and the motto is Life First. Kelsey is told she is a genetic match for a man who needs a kidney and ordered to give hers up. She refuses and goes on the run with her boyfriend, Luke. Throughout the book, you learn Kelsey’s motive for bucking societal traditions and trying this escape. There are moments of levity, as well. But, it’s definitely not a humorous book.

5.Tell us more about your stealthy activities and being a ninja mom.
So long as my children don’t read this blog, I will tell you of the stealthy activities I perform. Most recently, I did tooth fairy duty. My daughter writes notes to the toothfairy. Unfortunately, this means I have to write back. This is challenging, because the first time I did it, she goes, “Mom, this looks like your handwriting.” Now I’ve got to write it left handed and I keep tooth fairy responses fairly short. In addition to toothfairy duty, I ferret away trash the children insist are toys whilst they sleep. At my son’s school, you’re not allowed to bring toys. Bey Blades (blinged out metal spinning tops) were all the rage for awhile, and because kids couldn’t bring them to spin, the kids would spin bottle caps instead. My son would come home with his pockets full of bottle caps (Tropicana, Sunkist, Snapple)  telling me he needed it for recess. I kept telling him it was trash. He’d eventually forget about them and I’d purge.

6.Tell us about your husband, the clone.
My husband, Fred, was born a clone (or you can call him an identical twin; but clone goes over much better at parties). He works as an attorney, is generally home at reasonable hours and enjoys spending time with the children. He talks to his clone daily, so they’re very close. As they’ve aged, they’ve diverged in looks a bit, so it’s easy to tell them apart. However, no one knows who is who when you look at their baby pictures.

7. What are you working on now?
At present, I’m working on the sequel to Life First, Second Life. It’s in the editing stages. I’m also thinking about a young adult novel. By thinking, I mean I’m trying to figure out how to make it work. I’ve written the beginning and know how it will end, but I’m stalled on that ever-important middle.


And just because I love these questions asked by James Lipton in Inside the Actor's Studio:

8. What is your favorite word? 
Serendipity 
9. What is your least favorite word?I don’t have a word that I have a strong dislike for. If one comes to mind later, I’ll let you know. If I’d been asked about my least favorite people, I could have written quite the list. 
10. What turns you on? Witty people. 
11. What turns you off? Flatulence.
12. What sound or noise do you love?The ocean.
12. What sound or noise do you hate?Screams.
13. What is your favorite curse word?  Hmm.It’s hard to pick. However, if you put a gun to my head, I don’t think I’d say it, as it could, in poor sound quality conditions, be mistaken for me saying, “Shoot.”
14. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?Brain surgery. I feel like, everyone always says they want to write a novel when they retire. I think I want to do brain surgery when I retire. Can’t be that tough can it? 
15. What profession would you not like to do?Trash collector (this is strictly professionally speaking; personally, my husband has this nasty habit of handing me trash. He opens mail and hands me the empty envelope, or he will open a package and hand me the wrapper. Not cool.)
15. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Welcome.
16. Anything else you'd like us to know? I have a pretty severe cupcake addiction. Strangely, not addicted to cake. Something about having to slice it into a manageable section first deters me. The thing about cupcakes is they’re already sectioned into a manageable size, and you just grab it. If you don’t mind an earthier taste, you can just start chomping; you don’t even have to peel the paper wrapper. Not that I’m admitting to eating a wrapper; I’m just offering a thought on efficiency.Well Abites, are you intrigued by Life First? Did you fall in love with RJ too? Keep your eye on this space. Review is coming very soon.

My review of 1984 by George Orwell #bookreview

G'day Abites. How ya' goin'? That's Aussie for hi, how are you.  I think I've mentioned before that I haven't read much in the way of classic literature. As a kid I thought, if they made you read it in school it must be boring. Sometimes when I've read classics as an adult I decide I was right as a kid, and sometimes not.

My review:
1984 is one of those books that many high schools have on their curriculum, but it is one I wasn't forced to read, so I didn't. Until now.

I have to say, that it has left me a bit conflicted. I'm not a fan of Orwell's writing style. He drags on and on repetitively, and it is about 95% narration. His description of people and things don't gel with me. Everything is ugly in this book, with only one or two minor exceptions. (I'm sure that is intentional, but doesn't make for a pleasant reading experience.)

In the beginning I empathized with Winston, but not for long. I didn't feel the love Winston had for Julia, even though we were told he felt it. But then again this book was written in 1948 and I often have trouble with the way love stories were written in the classics. I could, however, feel his fear, his hopelessness, and his sense of being trapped.

In many ways this book does deserve to BE a classic. It was way ahead of it's time in some regards, especially the way it describes Big Brother and technology. Although written in 1948, it is set in London in 1984 at a time when there are only three mega-countries left, and war is continuous (although who you are warring with changes).

Big Brother is the figurehead of The Party which rules Oceana, one of the three mega-countries of which London is part. The Party's slogans are:

WAR IS PEACEFREEDOM IS SLAVERYIGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
How chilling is that? Especially Ignorance is Strength. That is terrifyingly true. If you keep people ignorant YOU have all the power, and power is a key element in this story.
As for the technology, they have telescreens (I'm guessing they would look a lot like today's flat screen TVs) everywhere, but in Oceana you aren't just watching the screens, they are watching you back, monitoring your every move, every word, and every sound you make. Even the expression on your face. Pretty alarming, right? 
And worse yet, you can be convicted of a thought crime. You don't even have to have done anything, except think. 
Poverty is rampant and deliberate. Children are taught to turn on their parents. Hate is a requirement to live. The past is constantly changing. And in the blink of an eye, your very existence can be erased.
In light of the technology of today, and the NSA, FBI, and CIA surveillance of the internet and telephone usage of Americans (yes, other countries do this to I'm sure, you just don't hear about it as much) some of Orwell's imagined future is spot on, which is why much of his terminology is common usage today, especially the term Big Brother, and why "Orwellian" has come to describe a state in which governments have too much control.
I didn't love this book. Parts of it I hated. But I do think that it is a cautionary tale, and should be mandatory reading for just about every person in the world over the age of sixteen. We can't let Orwell's imagined future become reality. We are already half way there and we are far too complacent about it. Don't let Big Brother win.
Do you worry about Big Brother? How close to you think we have come to Orwell's 1984 becoming reality? What do you think we can do to stop it?


Book Blurb:
Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. 

'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.'

Winston Smith works for the Ministry of truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One. Big Brother stares out from every poster, the Thought Police uncover every act of betrayal. When Winston finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and deadening, and awakens to new possibilities. Despite the police helicopters that hover and circle overhead, Winston and Julia begin to question the Party; they are drawn towards conspiracy. Yet Big Brother will not tolerate dissent - even in the mind. For those with original thoughts they invented Room 101 . . .

Ninteen Eighty-Four is George Orwell's terrifying vision of a totalitarian future in which everything and everyone is slave to a tyrannical regime.

About the author:
Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. His work is marked by keen intelligence and wit, a profound awareness of social injustice, an intense opposition to totalitarianism, a passion for clarity in language, and a belief in democratic socialism.

Considered perhaps the twentieth century's best chronicler of English culture, Orwell wrote fiction, polemical journalism, literary criticism and poetry. He is best known for the dystopian novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four" (published in 1949) and the satirical novella "Animal Farm" (1945)—they have together sold more copies than any two books by any other twentieth-century author. His 1938 book "Homage to Catalonia", an account of his experiences as a volunteer on the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War, together with numerous essays on politics, literature, language, and culture, are widely acclaimed.

Orwell's influence on contemporary culture, popular and political, continues decades after his death. Several of his neologisms, along with the term "Orwellian" — now a byword for any oppressive or manipulative social phenomenon opposed to a free society — have entered the vernacular. 

Interview & giveaway with Timothy Burns, author of Ghosts of the Void #giveaway #interview

Abites, you asked for it and I deliver. You want more giveaways and you want more author interviews. Well here is two in one. Today I am privileged to have on the blog, author Tim Burns whose book Ghosts of the Void is a hard sci-fi thriller. He has generously offered to give 6 lucky winners a copy of this exciting new book. Be sure to enter the rafflecopter for your chance to win.
Ghosts of the Void is the second science-fiction novel by Timothy Burns. You can get this 296-page (105k words) paperback for $9.99 from CreateSpace.You can get the ebook for $1.49 from Amazon.
Add it to your Goodreads list now.Tim, thanks for stopping by today to talk to me (and the lovely Abites). Ready for some hard-hitting (okay, maybe not so hard, but ones I want to know the answers too) questions?
You write hard sci-fi? Why do you prefer hard over soft?
I've always been very interested in high technology and science, so I suppose it's just natural that my writing would reflect that.

What inspired Ghosts of the Void?
This book is actually a combination of several ideas I've had bouncing around in my head for some time, but what really solidified it was when I was reading an article on dark matter and just how much we don't know about it.

Do you think humans will ever make it to Mars?
With the human drive for exploration and adventure, I would be more surprised if we don't ever make it.

Do you think aliens exist, and if so are they visiting Earth?
In all the vastness of space and time I feel that surely other life has gained sentience, but whether they are capable or interested in visiting us, I don't know. I think that if they had, though, we would surely know about it in unmistakable terms.

Do you believe there truly are psionically gifted humans?
I do. The human mind is capable of so much more that most people believe, and I have heard of and even personally experienced things that must be what some call psionic powers.

Who inspired your love of reading?
I grew up surrounded by readers and full bookshelves, so I cannot say that any one individual was responsible for my love of the written word.

Who has influenced your writing the most (other than yourself of course)?
I would have to say Isaac Asimov. I love the way he blended hard science with human motivations and desires.

And now, because I love the questions, I will emulate James Lipton from Inside The Actor's Studio - What is your favorite word?
That would have to be "grok", which comes from my other literary hero, Robert Heinlein. To grok something is to know it on the deepest, fullest level possible.

What is your least favorite word?
That's simple: "impossible". I feel that most people use it way too much. Just because something is highly improbable does not mean that it absoultely cannot happen.

What turns you on?
A stimulating philosophical conversation.

What turns you off?
People who refuse to believe what is plainly obvious.

What sound or noise do you love?
A cat's purr. Absolutely wonderful.

What sound or noise do you hate?
The alarm clock.

What is your favorite curse word?
*&$#!*$

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Astronaut. I would love to explore other worlds.

What profession would you not like to do?
Policeman. I just could never bring myself to intrude into other people's lives and try to force them to uphold all the pointless laws made by control freaks.

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
"Welcome back, would you like another go around?"

Is there anything else you'd like your readers to know?
I am currently working on another science-fiction adventure, to be called "Wyrd of the Phoenix". Without giving too much away, I'll say that psionics plays a major role in this book, too.a Rafflecopter giveaway
Ghosts in the Void Blurb:When the solar system passes through a vast cloud of dark matter, strange things start to happen. Electronics go haywire, unbreakable materials suddenly break, and enigmatic, ghostly creatures are sighted. To the inhabitants of Earth this is bad enough, but on Mars, where properly-functioning technology means the difference between life and death, this spells disaster on an unimaginable scale.
Jared Miller, a psionically talented problem solver, barely survives his journey to the Red Planet on his mission to discover just what these mysterious ghosts of the void are and what they want. There, he meets Bo Greene, a prospector who scours the barren wasteland in his six-legged walker in search of mroom, the only life native to Mars. Along with Bo's ex-wife Anissa, their teenaged daughter Debbie, Anna the witch and several others, Jared and Bo find themselves transported to the distant future where Mars is green and vibrant but the inhabitants are under the domination of alien overlords and their sadistic psionic henchmen.
Survival becomes their primary goal as they seek to save two worlds, but in the end they face the terrible dilemma of having to choose which to save and which to condemn to non-existence.Although not required, Tim hopes if you win that you will leave a review of Ghosts of the Void. This looks like a great book and it is definitely going on my "to-read" list. How about you, Abites?  About the Tim Burns:
Mr. Burns is a computer technician and self-published novelist whose primary interest is hard science-fiction. He has read and loved that genre all his life and has always dreamed of writing books that others would enjoy reading as much as he himself enjoyed those of the great S/F masters. He is very interested in high technology and tries to impart accuracy and plausibility into his work. Other reading and writing interests include fantasy, magic, the paranormal, the Norse runes and nature-centered religions. His premier novel was "Outside of Space" and is followed by "Ghosts of the Void" and he is currently working on his next book. He lives in northern Mississippi.Connect with Tim Burns on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TyrBerBooks

Cute and cuddly murder mystery?!?! Party Crashers (Body Movers 0.5) by Stephanie Bond #bookreview

My review:
Awhile back I reviewed Whole Lotta Trouble by Stephanie Bond. I liked it, but it had room for improvement. I have to say, Stephanie is getting better.

This review is for Party Crashers (Body Movers 0.5). 

Can you call a murder mystery cute and cuddly? Seems like an oxymoron, but I think you can. I just did. ;)

If you like light murder mysteries, you'll love Party Crashers. Jolie is a character I think most of us can relate to. She's well developed, down to earth, and not annoying like so many humorous chick lit heroines can be. She's trying to solve the mystery of her casual boyfriend's disappearance and finds herself in a situation that is way over her head, and in the meantime she meets a hunky and wealthy hero that she's not quite sure she can trust.

It's formulaic, but it's a good formula. One that will work time and again. A very enjoyable, light read. 

Do you like humorous, romantic mysteries? What are your favorites? 


Book blurb:
Jolie Goodman never yearned for a life in Atlanta's fast lane. All she wants is a career in real estate, and she's willing to sell shoes in Neiman Marcus over the holidays to make ends meet. But recently, her boyfriend vanished -- with her car -- and her search for answers leads her to some very exclusive circles. Jolie hooks up with a pair of retail fashionistas who have made crashing society bashes an art form, and soon findsherself rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous ... and rubbing other body parts with one of Atlanta's most eligible bachelors!

But Jolie can't shake the feeling that she's being pursued ... right into a dangerous clique where friends and enemies look the same, and flirtation is the preferred party favor. Jolie and her gal pals become the toast of the town ... until a body turns up at a sexy soiree the women have crashed. The fun and games come to a dead end when the "crashers" are fingered for the murder. The women have to pull all the tricks out of their designer bags to try to trap a stalker before Jolie, once the life of the party, becomes the death of the party.(

About the author:
Stephanie Bond grew up in the small town of Olive Hill, eastern Kentucky, on a tobacco farm with one brother and one sister. She attended Morehead State University on an academic scholarship and studied computer programming. During these years, she bought a shoe store, and she ran the business with the help of her mother. She graduated MSU in 1987, she sold her retail business and started to work in a Fortune 100 petroleum company. She was seven years deep into a computer career and pursuing a master’s degree at night when an instructor remarked she had a flair for writing and encouraged her to submit to academic journals.

Once the seed was planted, however, she immediately turned to creating romance fiction in her spare time. "I never saw myself as a comedy writer, until a Harlequin editor asked if I could write comedy. I lied and said not only did I write comedy, but I had a great idea for a book she might be interested in, and shot her an idea from the top of my head. When she said she liked it, I told her I had three chapters finished to send her right away. Then I went home and wrote like a madwoman. That book was my first Harlequin comedy, Irresistible." Harlequin purchased Irresistible from Stephanie in the fall of 1995 for their Love and Laughter line. In another two years, she left her computer career to write full-time. As Stephanie Bond and Stephanie Bancroft, she has written over 60 novels for different publishers. She is best known for writing steamy books that make readers laugh out loud.

Stephanie lives with her husband, Christopher Hauck, in Atlanta, Georgia, her laptop permanently attached to her body. Readers can write her at P.O. Box 54266, Atlanta, GA 30308, or through her web site: www.stephaniebond.com

I hear you! You aren't just breathing.

I'd like to thank all you lovely Abites who participated in my recent survey. You are the TRUE Abites and I hear you!
I thought you might like to see the results. 
Overwhelmingly, your favorite thing about this blog were the book reviews, which is wonderful because that was my primary purpose in starting the blog and continues to be what most of my posts are about. 

But many of you also said your favorite thing about the blog is me, and well, *blushing* thank you. I like you too. And of course my lovely friend Kriss had to make me laugh by saying "you believe in Aliens and live in Australia and are sexy".  A few of you have said you liked the fun chats and/or discussions on here, which I find a little disconcerting because, at least in my opinion, there are so few posts that get comments I usually feel like I'm talking to myself. 
Others have said they love the giveaways. I have to agree, I love a good giveaway myself. I just don't always have things to giveaway and since this blog isn't monetized, well it's not like I'm making a living from it. I'll see what I can do to keep them coming, but if all you are looking for is a giveaway contest to enter and are not interested in content, this may not be the blog for you.
In response to 'what you would like to see more of' giveaways was again mentioned.  
Author interviews, and book excerpts were great suggestions and I will look into providing more of those for you, as well as more posts interspersed with the reviews. More funny stories was also suggested, and while I like humor I don't find myself very funny so writing funny stories might be difficult, but I will keep it in mind. 
Another suggestion was more flash fiction. If you don't know what flash fiction is, it is basically a very short story. Typically less than 1000 words. I might take a stab at this but as a rule I'm not a fan of short stories in general. I don't typically find them satisfying because I don't feel like I get enough story to make me happy. But maybe I can write something that will change my mind. So watch out for that.
A gift to thank you for participating.
Now one reader suggested they would like to see more genres represented here. Basically, I read what I like which is most often mysteries, science fiction, YA, or sometimes contemporary fiction. There are some genres I generally don't like and won't read. Romance is one. Christian fiction another. If that is the type of reviews you are looking for this probably isn't the blog for you. However, if there is a specific book you'd like me to review, please contact me with your suggestion. If it interests me, I'll give it a go.
One very dear friend said she would like to see more posts about me, my feelings, my thoughts, my life, what ticks me off, my work in progress, and/or a book or movie that I really loved or hated. While I appreciate the sentiment and I do want to share myself with my readers, I feel the need to maintain a certain level of privacy as well. My life is not entirely an open book, which is one of the reasons I use a pseudonym. You will get my feelings and/or thoughts regarding books, reading, writing, and even sometimes other things like my recent post about loss. I may not put it all out here, but if there is something you are dying to know about me, ASK! I will answer.

I am trying to put more of me into some of my reviews too. I hope that makes them a little more interesting and satisfying. One of you has said you might even like a little writing advice. I'll work on that, but even though I have published my first book I still feel like such an amateur I'm not sure how helpful I can be.

And another Abite said she would like to see interviews about more everyday things "like do you color your hair?" Now I'm not sure if she meant interviews with other authors, or if she meant with regard to me. For the record, no, I don't color my hair. I have many, MANY grey threads and a few streaks, but because my hair is naturally partly red, the grey is actually white and I like to think it looks more blond than grey, as if I had highlights. Of course I could be completely delusional about that. Please don't burst my bubble. ;)
As for what you would like to see less of, well some of you have stumped me. Many of you have said nothing and the blog is perfect as is. But a few of you - I'm guessing you aren't Abites at all and only stopped by to enter the giveaway because you wanted to win the Amazon gift card because, well to be frank, your responses made no sense at all. One of you said you wanted to see less ads. This is not a monetized site and there are no ads here. The only "ad" per se, is for my book. If you don't like that, you can go jump. Another reader answered the question of 'What would you like to see less of?' with the response "I guess posts?" Huh? What? You want to see less posts? What does that leave? A blank screen?  I thank you. Muchas gracias.
One commenter hated the grey background. That has been changed as you can tell. 
And another commenter doesn't like the long posts. I get that, and truly most aren't long, (although this one is - sorry about that) but I have changed the format of my reviews now so that the review itself is at the top and is now followed by the blurb instead of the other way around. Maybe that will help since you get the "meat" first. You can then decide if you want to read on to the rest of the material provided.
Another lovely commenter said she'd like to see less about other people's books, and more about my work in progress and what I am planning. I will say this - my work in progress is going slowly and I'm not quite sure how it is going to turn out. I'm struggling with it a bit. I'm a little uncomfortable sharing more info about it right now until I have it a bit more in hand. 
And lastly, Kriss again made me laugh by saying she wanted to see less alien butt pictures. I tried SO hard to find an alien butt picture to post just for her but came up empty handed. If any of you have an alien butt picture laying around, please post it here for Kriss. Thanks.
As for what it will take to get all of you wonderful Abites to engage more, you were a bit cagey on that one, but the biggest deterrent seemed to be the Captcha. I have since gotten rid of that to make commenting easier for you. It does mean I have to be diligent about watching out for those spam bots though. 
Some of you, again, want more giveaways or incentives to entice you to engage. Do you really think that is fair? I'm here giving you my blood, sweat and tears and in order to give me a little something back you want MORE? Please. Again, I do intend to try to do a few more giveaways, and I actually have a nice one coming up soon in honor of my birthday in a couple of weeks, but still. While I know that seems to work, if all you are looking for is giveaways maybe this blog isn't for you.
A few of you have said to ask more questions. I'm trying and have been for some time. It doesn't seem to work and maybe I'm not asking the right questions or enough of them. It's really hard, you have no idea. Even if I don't ask a question, please feel free to pipe up with your opinion. I really do want to hear it.
But for Kriss, well she has said she will engage more if I provide alien butt pictures (I really do need one of you lovelies to send me one!) and bacon.
So Kriss - this is for you. Make sure you share it with the others.
A HUGE thank you to all who participated. Any other suggestions? How do you feel about my responses? Tell me to get over myself if you want. Tell me something. Anything. Just please don't make me feel like I'm talking to myself anymore. K?