Aurora Springer's Blog, page 78

Snippet for #SFFSat Grand Master's Game

Welcome to another Saturday of Science Fiction & Fantasy snippets exchanged by writers. http://scififansat.blogspot.com/ My contribution this week comes from Book 2 in the Grand Master’s Trilogy, the Grand Master’s Game. I'm continuing from last week when they were stuck on Moon Station with broken portals. 
Excerpt:Kondric pulled off the headpiece of his suit, wrinkled his nose and nodded. Following his example, Violet rolled off the headpiece and sniffed cautiously. She identified the stale smell of recycled air. The workmen placed their toolboxes by the nearest portal cylinder and swung the door open. Kondric watched them with interest. Shaking back his long hair, Athanor wandered over to the transparent barrier separating the inner ring from the outer terminal. Violet gazed beyond the outer ring of the station to the crater pocked surface of the moon. Nearby, she spotted the blue-tinted dome of the low gravity sanatorium, and in the distance, the cranes and towers of the mining operations.The hiss of air alerted her. Rotating towards the sound, Violet saw the air-locked door to the next section of the ring slide aside. Massive creatures bounded through the door. Twice the size of a man, they were a nightmare cross of spider and wasp with eight legs, stubby wings, yellow and black stripes, and huge mandibles like a pair of scythes. They were inhumanly fast. One hurtled straight at Violet, jaws open like giant scissors.





Grand Master's Game is available for pre-order: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0104OFJJ8
Note: Part 4 of Grand Master's Pawn is FREE this weekend. Violet finally meets her Grand Master in person in Part 4.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U0JVTDI

Please return to SFFSat and read the other snippets. Your comments are welcome.

Character Descriptions – Lessons from Jane Austen

Jane Austen 1873Authors need to describe credible characters in their novels. 

I recommend the novels of Jane Austen for examples of memorable characters and romance stories with long lasting impact. Jane Austen wrote her stories more than 200 years ago, yet they are still read and loved today. Why are her books so readable? One reason is that Jane described ordinary people in ordinary settings. You will not find details of historical dress or mannerisms. In many ways, she was a very modern writer, her works lack the florid, emotional, and lengthy descriptions employed by the Victorian authors. 
Her stories were romances, filled with her unique light hearted and caustic wit. Her characters resonate today. Mr. Darcy in “Pride and Prejudice” fits the romantic ideal, even among modern young women. He is tall, handsome and wealthy. Many of Jane’s male romantic characters, however, were not wealthy landowners, tall or handsome. Several were clergymen of modest means. In “Sense and Sensibility,” Edward Ferrars rejected his wealthy inheritance when he refused to marry the woman his mother chose. He followed his principles, even though he could not wed Elinor, the woman he loved, because he was engaged to an inferior woman due to a youthful infatuation. A love triangle! The male leads in Jane’s stories demonstrate heroism by doing what is right, despite the personal disadvantages. How did Jane Austen create her memorable characters? Her stories rely on dialogue with little action. She gives minimal physical description. Instead, she describes distinct personalities that we recognize from our everyday lives. Her descriptions are pithy; she can define a character in a single, eloquent sentence. Here is her first description of Mr. Darcy at a ball: “Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance of his having ten thousand a year.” A billionaire romance! But, Jane has set him up for a rapid fall: “…he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity…” Even his ten thousand does not save him. In contrast, look at Edward Ferrars in “Sense and Sensibility”: “He was not handsome, and his manner required intimacy to make them pleasing.” In fact, he is shy and awkward, and possibly the least likeable love interest in Jane Austen’s stories.If we follow the example of Jane Austen, we should emphasize the personality of our characters and minimize the physical details. Cattell’s 16 factors may inspire ideas -(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16PF_Questionnaire#Raymond_Cattell.27s_16_Personality_Factors). Of course, in science fiction, we often need detailed descriptions for aliens or other worlds. The great advantage of emulating Jane Austen is that much of the narrative falls into place once the personality of the character crystallizes in your mind. You can imagine how they will react to other characters and the conflicts in the story. I love that moment of insight when I can begin to compose the scenes of the book.   
First posted at SFR Brigade -

http://sfrcontests.blogspot.com/2015/04/character-descriptions-lessons-from.html
Aurora Springer’s latest release is GRAND MASTER’S GAME.


BlurbSpin across the galaxy as Violet and her Grand Master hunt their enemies.Cracks in the portal web threaten galactic civilization, and suspicions fall on the mysterious Grand Masters with their immense psychic powers. Once, there were twelve Grand Masters, humans and aliens, on the Council. Now there are eleven. One was killed when the young pawn, Violet, rescued her Grand Master, Athanor, from the Red Queen’s dungeon. The Red Queen fled the fight and now she lurks out of sight, regenerating her energies. Athanor devises a risky plan to expose his enemies on the Council and force the Red Queen into the open. His strategy will employ Violet’s empathic skills as his secret weapon. Meanwhile, she wrestles with her erratic talents and doubts about their unequal partnership. In their search for revenge, they contend with the portal crisis, psychic traps and hostile aliens. In the inevitable battle of Grand Masters, Violet and Athanor each will face their worst nightmares. What is the sacrifice for victory? Book 2 in the Grand Master's Trilogy
Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0104OFJJ8 

Teaser Tuesday #sfrgtt - A Tale of Two Colonies #SciFiRom

NEW REVIEW
***** A positive view of the universe June 23, 2015 An excellent story of how two societies can live together for the betterment of all. It is my hope that this author gives us ore based in this universe. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.   EXCERPT
Lily half turned, and began skidding down into a large hole that suddenly opened under her feet. She fell on her back, still sliding helplessly downward. Beside her, Ming and Conley were trapped in the same capricious landslide.
Ming had spread-eagled his arms and legs to slow his descent. He yelled urgently, “Get the ropes!”
Conley caught hold of Lily’s right wrist, while he grasped his bared sword blade in his other hand. He held the sword so it pointed down between his legs. Lily wondered what fearful danger lay at the bottom of the hole. In an instant, she saw it and stifled a scream. They were funneling inexorably into a monstrous mouth ringed with jagged triangles of teeth. She struggled to grab her laser with her free hand.
The awful mouth was only a few scant feet away. With a swift motion, Conley threw his sword into the gaping mouth. Simultaneously, Ming and Lily fired their lasers. A high pitched shrieking arose, and the convulsions of the monster scattered sand and rocks about them.
In the turmoil, Lily saw that Ming had caught a rope and hung, suspended away from the walls of the funnel. He threw another rope towards her. She grabbed the rope and hitched it to her belt. But, below her, Conley was still slowly descending into the erupting sands. She thought he wanted to retrieve his sword.
Lily yelled into her wrist com, “Give me slack!”
She let herself slip downward. Conley was almost buried in the shale at the bottom. Suddenly, his head ducked under the stones and immediately reappeared. He stretched up his arm and grabbed her ankle firmly.
“Okay, pull us up slowly,” Lily shouted into the com.  

BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFY8A5Q
 

Grand Master's Pawn #6 8-10 sentences for #WeWriWa

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors. Here, writers showcase their work with 8-10 sentences.This week, I’ll continue the fight from Grand Master’s Pawn with one sentence overlap from last week.

The leader grabbed her arm roughly. Violet twisted away and kicked at his shin. He staggered and fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Another man punched a fist at her face, smashing against her cheekbone. Ignoring the blow, she dodged aside and thrust her stiffened fingers into his nose. He yelled in agony and backed off. The third man was cleverer, he caught her hands and pinned them behind her back. She couldn’t wriggle from his grasp. “Blasted pawn, you won’t escape!” he grunted. “Your filthy voidal Grand Master can’t help you.” 
Last week's snippet can be read at http://auroraspringernovels.blogspot.com/2015/06/8-10-sentences-for-wewriwa-grand_17.html
Grand Master's Pawn is available at : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM Description Who are the most powerful entities in the galaxy? The twelve Grand Masters claim that exalted status. Their psychic power is deadly to an ordinary person and they prohibit the training of new psychics.  Twenty-two year old empath Violet Hunter hides her forbidden talent to follow her dream of exploring unknown planets as the pawn of a Grand Master. One Grand Master risks selecting her as his pawn, despite her father’s dire prophesy. Violet sees only his griffin avatar for instructions on her missions. She discovers the mysterious Grand Masters are suspects in the deadly epidemics sweeping the galaxy and the problem of breaks in the interplanetary portal web. Violet hunts for the culprits, finding clues and strange allies in her missions. While seeking the truth, she does the unthinkable. She bargains with her obnoxious Grand Master and plunges into a world of vicious conflicts and an impossible love. Pursued by hostile aliens and Grand Masters, she escapes ona desperate search for allies to save her Grand Master. Book 1 in the Grand Master’s Trilogy
Book 2, Grand Master's Game, is available for pre-order at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0104OFJJ8
 

Snippet for #SFFSat from Grand Master's Game #4

Welcome to another Saturday of Science Fiction & Fantasy snippets exchanged by writers. http://scififansat.blogspot.com/ My contribution this week comes from my WIP, Book 2 in the Grand Master’s Trilogy, the Grand Master’s Game. An emergency outage of the portals on Moon Station was announced with hundreds of people reported to be dead. Athanor has ported Violet and three others to Moon Station to investigate and fix the portals. 
Excerpt:
They popped into the station by the row of portal cylinders in the central ring of Moon Station. The place was eerily silent and empty of travelers. No sign of the usual bustle of people entering and exiting the portals. No lights or buzz of machinery came from the inner hub, which housed the air handler and climate controller for the station. The sensors on Violet’s suit indicated the air was breathable. Looking up, she saw the sunlight filtered through the transparent dome. The dome was intact over the segment where they stood.  “Hades, we’re stuck here!” Athanor swore in a flare of rage. To Violet’s astonishment, his eyes were dull and his disguised face had reverted to the grim hawkish features. “I’ve lost power!” His explanation was unnecessary. Closing her eyes, Violet assessed her senses. Nothing! She gasped, “So have I.”Athanor said, “We are fortunate the atmosphere was retained in this section.”  
Wait for next week! It gets worse.

The ebook is available for pre-order at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0104OFJJ8

Please return to SFFSat and read the other snippets. Your comments are welcome.

Teaser Tuesday - Grand Master's Game in pre-order

Book 2 in the Grand Master's Trilogy is available for pre-order. 

Description: 

Spin across the galaxy – Violet and her Grand Master hunt their enemies.Cracks in the portal web threaten galactic civilization, and suspicions fall on the mysterious Grand Masters with their immense psychic powers. Once, there were twelve Grand Masters, humans and aliens, on the Council. Now there are eleven. One was killed when the young pawn, Violet, rescued her Grand Master, Athanor, from the Red Queen’s dungeon. The Red Queen fled the fight and she lurks out of sight, regenerating her energies. Athanor devises a risky plan to expose his enemies on the Council and force the Red Queen into the open. His strategy will use Violet’s empathic skills as his secret weapon. She wrestles with her erratic talents and doubts about their unequal partnership. In their search for revenge, they must contend with the portal crisis, psychic traps and hostile aliens. In the inevitable battle of Grand Masters, Violet and Athanor each will face their worst nightmares. What will they sacrifice for victory?  
Pre-order Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0104OFJJ8

Excerpt:


The Professor’s office was large, furnished with a desk, side table, couch and several chairs. Leather-bound books filled the shelves on one wall, while a landscape on the opposite wall attracted Violet’s interest.
Phineas stood up politely when they entered, and Violet hid her amusement at the contrast between the two men. Even disguised and shielded, Athanor exuded an air of authority tinged with menace, while the Professor was a bright-eyed academic brimming with curiosity. Phineas straightened and stared at his visitors. Usually, he was the authority in his office. He was both disgruntled and curious about the grim man examining his books. He noticed Violet gazing at the picture, and waved a hand at the landscape, saying, “It is a scene from my home planet of Phylox alpha.”
Violet was admiring the picture, while Athanor ran his finger over the spines of the books to read their titles, when they heard quick footsteps in the corridor.
Tessa stepped into the office and cried in her nervous high-pitched voice, “Oh, Phineas, I didn’t realize you had visitors.” Her beautiful face brightened on recognizing her friend, Violet, and Tessa ran to hug her.
Athanor frowned at the interruption and the door slammed shut, leaving an unnatural silence.
Tessa stared intently at his saturnine face, which radiated confident pride despite his disguise. Her eyes widened in shocked insight and she yelped, “Violet, he’s your Grand Master!”
They all stared at Athanor. His figure appeared to grow taller and darker. The room filled with psi pressure and blue rays flared from his unveiled eyes. Simultaneously, the clicks from the box sped up until their volume reached a shattering crescendo. Athanor’s gaze flicked to the box and the clicks halted abruptly.
Tessa gasped and clutched at her chest.
Violet called, “Stop! Mute your power or Tessa will faint!” The psi pressure lessened and his eyes dimmed to a faint blue glow.
The Professor paled beneath his tan. Tessa squeaked and fled to the comforting arms of her fiancé.
“It is all right, Tessa,” Phineas said in a shaky voice. “He does not mean to harm us.”
“You’d be dead!” The Grand Master’s mental snarl reached Violet, and she restrained the urge to give him a mental kick. In her opinion, a friendly approach would serve him better. The two people trembling behind the desk were not the enemies he wished to crush in a blast of power.
The Grand Master pointed a finger at the metal box on the desk and demanded, “What is the purpose of that noisy contraption?”
Phineas gulped, “It’s my invention. An instrument for detecting psychic power.” He patted the shiny top of the box. “Did you break it?”
“You are fortunate. I merely located the off switch,” Athanor said. The blue beams from his eyes played over the box.
“How could you touch the switch from the other side of the office?” Tessa’s voice was shrill.
The Professor gulped again and muttered, “My dear Tessa, he is a Grand Master.”
“Just so. I suggest you keep your detector well away from Council Hall.” The room vibrated with the ominous undertone.
Violet giggled. She caught Athanor’s blue gaze and sent, “Show off!” He tossed her an image of the box exploding on exposure to the full power of twelve Grand Masters.
Book 1, Grand Master's Pawn, is on sale for 99c.
Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM
 

Heat Wave Giveaway Hop - Adventures on Another Planet

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For your next Hot Summer Read – Fight for love on an alien worldA Tale of Two Colonies: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MFY8A5Q

DescriptionTiger Lily longs for freedom. In her fight to escape the subterranean slums of Terra, Lily competes to join the scout team selected for the next spaceship along with a new set of prospective colonists. Their mission to discover the colony lost four hundred years earlier is challenged by the voracious giant arthropods inhabiting the planet. In the mountains, they encounter Conley, a grim warrior who longs to escape the confines of his isolated valley. Has Tiger Lily met her match in this tortured warrior? Where is he leading them? Danger lies ahead, and conflicts between humans and aliens. Can they ensure the safety of the new human colonists, or must they retreat in shame to Terra? 
Excerpt Lily leaned against Conley and relaxed with the boulder supporting her back. She closed her eyes sleepily under the warmth of the afternoon sun.
Conley shifted slightly. “Lily?” he said softly.
“Yes,” she opened her eyes. He was gazing into her face.
“Thank you,” he said, and kissed her warmly.
She slid her arms around his neck and leaned into his embrace. It was peaceful lying in the sun with a faint humming sound in the distance. As they kissed, the sound grew louder.
Suddenly, Conley broke away and leapt to his feet with a warning yell, “Stripers!”
Looking up, Lily discovered the source of the sound was giant orange and black insects flying above. She struggled erect and pulled out her laser. Conley was jumping high to slash with his long sword at the zooming beasts, which were attacking in formation. Rows of huge insects advanced toward their camp. They had two pairs of vibrating wings and bore a stinger on their tails.
Tiger Lily swung into action, firing her laser beam and severing their bulging orange bodies. They kept attacking; swooping down and quickly soaring out of reach. Lily and Conley moved together, standing back to back for protection, while swiping at the heads of the flying monsters.  Giveaway You can claim a free copy of this ebook in two easy steps:
1. Sign up for my newsletter to hear about new releases and sales.2. Leave a comment on this post to tell me what format (mobi or epub/pdf) you prefer. You can request A Tale of Two Colonies, or one of the novellas: Captured by the Hawk and Grand Master's Pawn, Part 1. 
See descriptions at


http://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Springer/e/B00K2C4NL8

 Please return and read the offerings of the other authors.

8-10 Sentences for #WeWriWa - Grand Master's Pawn #5

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors. Here, writers showcase their work with 8-10 sentences.This week, I’ll continue from Grand Master’s Pawn, jumping to a later chapter with the start of an action scene. Violet is sent on exciting missions to other planets, however, she doesn't expect to meet violence at home.
Violet strolled across the botanical gardens in the warm afternoon sun to the Grand Masters’ gloomy Council Hall. A gang of toughs hovered at the side of the path. She ignored their stares as she passed, until their hostile words penetrated her mind. “Look, a voidal pawn!” “She’s got the blue shiners.” “Hell’s portals, grab her quick!” from a nasty mind, advancing on her. Repelled by their malevolence, Violet swung to face the gang. Four men with brutish expressions surrounded her, believing she was vulnerable because of her small size.  The leader grabbed her arm roughly. 

Book 1 is on sale for 99c, and you can expect Book 2 in July. 

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM
Please return to read the sentences from the other writers at http://www.wewriwa.com

8-10 Sentences for #WeWriWa - Grand Master's Pawn #4

Welcome to another Sunday with Weekend Writing Warriors. Here, writers showcase their work with 8-10 sentences.This week, I’ll continue from Grand Master’s Pawn. Violet has just been selected to be the pawn of one of the Grand Masters. She has hidden her talent of empathy since psychics are banned from becoming pawns.

Violet walked out the exit into a smaller chamber. One pawn was already in the room. She introduced herself as Lira Tong from the planet of Aman-el. Lira was a humanoid alien covered in soft brown fur, her ears were pointed, and her yellow eyes had a vertical slit like a cat’s pupil. “I can’t believe I was chosen as a pawn,” Lira said, purring happily. “It’s wonderful!” Violet returned her smile, sensing a kindred spirit in the Aman-ellan. “I feel the same, since I’ve always dreamed of exploring remote planets.” “We’ll get our instructions from our Grand Masters soon,” Lira said. “I wonder where I’ll go for the first mission.”
Find the previous snippet here: http://auroraspringernovels.blogspot....



The ebook is on sale for 99c this weekend: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM
Please return to read the sentences from the other writers at http://www.wewriwa.com 

#SFFSat snippet #3 from WIP Book 2 in Grand Master's Trilogy

Welcome to another Saturday of Science Fiction & Fantasy snippets exchanged by writers. http://scififansat.blogspot.com/ My contribution this week comes from my WIP, Book 2 in the Grand Master’s Trilogy, the Grand Master’s Game. This snippet continues from last week's.
Excerpt She stared at the box and remarked, “It’s not very sensitive. I bet it won’t click if you shield tightly. Can I try it?” “If you wish,” Athanor cocked his eyebrow and the glow in his eyes dimmed under the shield. Her mouth curved into a bright smile and she hit the obvious switch on the back of the box. Nothing! The Professor stared at the box as if he willed it to signal. Violet waved a hand over the box and produced a weak click. It rose to a staccato beat as her hand paused on top, and then subsided slowly as she shielded. She shot a triumphant glance at Athanor. “Clever little pawn,” he said and stretched out his arms. The clicking raced. Violet’s feet left the ground and she flew into his arms, twisting to stand beside him and face the desk. Her laughter bubbled from the exhilaration of the flight. She joked, “My Grand Master likes to flaunt his powers.”  
Previous excerpts can be read at: June 6: http://auroraspringernovels.blogspot.com/2015/06/another-snippet-from-wip-for-sffsat.html May 30: http://auroraspringernovels.blogspot.com/2015/05/sffsat-snippet-2-from-wip-book-2-in.html  
May 22: http://auroraspringernovels.blogspot.com/2015/05/snippet-for-sffsat-from-wip-book-2-in.html  


Book 1, Grand Master's Pawn is on sale for 99c this weekend: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1N5PM


Please return to SFFSat and read the other snippets. Your comments are welcome.