Only little more than a week until Stopover at the Backworlds' Edge? Wow. Time flies. I'll be uploading it to Amazon and B&N shortly. I'm having a launch party on Monday, July 23rd. I would love your help in getting the word out. If you're so inclined, you can sign up HERE.

 I'm four chapters away [maybe six] from finishing The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear. Then I immediately go into creating the polished draft to send to my very talented editor, Leigh T. Moore. We made a great team on The Backworlds, so I'm thrilled to have her talents. I had intended it to be free, as it's the first in a new series, but my critique partners are adamant that I have to charge for it. So, I'm scratching my head, mulling price over for that one. It's very different from The Backworlds, more like Plantgirl if you've read that.

I've also started on book three of The Backworlds, Boomtown Craze. Since my focus is on Hetty, it doesn't get worked on every day yet. Soon.

 

Quaint downtown Bend. Hardly this crowded on a weekend. This was a food festival a few years ago. Guess I need to go downtown with my camera sometime. 

Last Sunday, I met with my writer gal pals for tea downtown. Ten in the morning was a little early for me after a weekend working as a star guide. I think I managed some intelligible sentences though. We talk about publishing and writing. We span the spectrum from published through the big six with an agent, publishing through small presses, indie publishing, and unpublished. We talk about TV and movies and books. Had lunch at an Indian buffet, visited downtown shops, then mosied over to the library to hear Paty Jager read from her latest release, Spirit of the Sky. She did a fantastic job.

At the library, I found a book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a nonfiction on cells and medical science. The name and premise are so similar to my Hetty Locklear, that I had to check it out to read. Also bumped into CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh. It looked very well-read. I was going to take a photo for him, but my phone was dead. Next time, Alex.

Finally got hot here. We shot from the pleasant 70's straight into the 90's. Will be hot all weekend. Supposed to have clear skies, too, but there may be some thunderstorms. Moon is out of the way this weekend, too. So, I hope for some great stargazing.

That was my writing week. How was yours? 

Reminder: This blog is moving to http://mpaxauthor.com/blog/ on August 20th. You can read it there now, same posts on the same days.

Laura Eno Visit Spacedock19, The Carriena Oracles

Note: Wistful Nebulae is moving to http://mpaxauthor.com/blog/ on August 20th. The website and this blog are the same, publishing the same articles on the same days, MWF.

   

I'm privileged to chat with the talented Laura Eno today, author of many wonderful stories. I've personally enjoyed Tempest's Child, am currently reading Immortal Desires and Raven, the first book in The Carriena Oracles series. Book two, Wraith, comes out today. 

First off, I envy at how fast Laura produces new work. Second, I enjoy reading what she produces. The Carriena Oracles series has many things about it I love: space travel, exploration, discovery, archeology, history, action, drama, and romance. And it touches on the theme of equality, a trope I enjoy toying with myself.

 MP: Welcome to Spacedock 19, Laura. I was able to get Craze to tend bar for us today. Be careful not to touch him. I'll have some of your nice ale, bud. Thanks. You? 

LE: Thanks for having me. I'll try a cup of his famous Verkinn malt, if you don't mind. 

MP: I noted in Raven that your main character was once a slave. Science fiction is a great venue for exploring our humanity or lack of it. Were you consciously thinking of class/equality when you came up with the plot? 

LE: Not at first. I often find my theme growing organically as I write. Mostly I was hunting for a woman who had overcome adversity to get where she was. Later on I realized that her story repeated throughout the Carriena system as I began to populate it. 

MP: I love those overcoming adversity stories. Perhaps why I'm enjoying Raven so far. There's a thought that it's a mistake to write a female lead in science fiction or any story in which we want to attract a wider audience. 

LE: I think science fiction has traditionally been the domain of male readers throughout the years, but I also think genres had more rigid lines than they do now. After all, we've come a long way from the '50s sci-fi movies with the pretty girl screaming and fainting before the hero rescues her. Science fiction is expanding into different sub-genres as well, engaging a wider audience. I love writing space opera because it's about the cultural aspects of the future – the people in it and how they interact with situations – not the hard sci-fi that gets so technical. Will some be turned off by my use of a strong female as lead character? Quite possibly. But I may attract others to the genre that might not have considered it before. It wasn't very long ago that female authors couldn't write sci-fi either, unless they used a male pen name. The walls aren't down yet, but there are cracks in it. 

MP: I've noted in fandom online, a lot of the avid followers of science fiction and fantasy seem to be female. I'd say it was Lois Lane who drew me to the genre early on. Not many women had jobs like hers at the time, and she was brassy and outspoken. Besides Mary Tyler Moore and That Girl, science fiction seemed to break barriers more than any other genre. Perhaps why it draws more and more female fans and writers. I'm happy to see it. 

LE: In some ways, Raven starts out as the antithesis of Lois Lane. She's a loner; her only friend is an android. Though she's come far from her slavery roots, she's stopped growing – stopped healing. Raven shuns any kind of contact that could lead to friendship for fear of feeling emotions.  

MP: A past like that would take a long time to heal from, I'd think. So Raven's remaining scars and scabs make sense. Sometimes I wonder whether our tendency to oppress others is innately human, a universal law, or something we learned that has become intensely ingrained. Either way, I love stories where those deemed not to matter rise up and make a difference, a statement that no one is insignificant.

LE: Definitely. Power shapes our thinking and with it, some people choose oppression to keep it. But like with anything else, it can be lost. With my Carriena Oracles series, there will be times in which that loss of power might not benefit people as much as it should, even as it removes the horrors of oppression. There is a compromise to justice.  

MP: That sounds mighty interesting, Laura. Can’t wait to tear into my copy of Wraith and see how this all plays out.  

LE: I've had a great time chatting with you today…or is it tonight? My hours are still mixed up out here in space.  

MP: Says it’s evening on my chronometer. Don’t worry about leaving any chips, Craze and I have an agreement.  

To celebrate the release of Wraith, Laura is making Raven a free download for today only. Go to this link and use the code: PU65D  

And, of course, Wraith is available today for only .99 on KindleUS, KindleUK, Nook, and Smashwords.  

Someone wants them dead. Another wants them captured. No one can be trusted. Secrets, lies, and revelations await Raven and Mikael as their search for Mikael's missing friend leads them to Wraith, a mysterious moon owned by Jeffrey Hamilton, cybernetics genius and Ben's creator. How much of the Oracle's technology does Hamilton possess and where did it come from?  

Raven's nightmares from the past threaten her sanity, while Mikael's guilt slowly consumes him. Ben's in more danger than anyone as they race to find the answers to uncertain questions—questions which could lead to death for them all.  


What are your thoughts on how equality struggles and power shape fiction and worlds?

Why a Newsletter, Interview & Don't Surrender

Lorna Suzuki interviewed me yesterday. Met her talented self on the twitter. Flattering that she thinks I'm doing everything right. Nice thing for us insecure types to hear now and then.

I'm at Libby Heily's today. Also a great talent. I'm looking forward to her new collection of short stories and the release of her novel, Tough Girl. I'm talking about how to get books FREE on Amazon if you're not doing KDP Select, and if you're publishing, why you should create a newsletter and have a mailing list service.

Never Surrender Blogfest                                  

I signed up to take part in Elana Johnson's Never Surrender blogfest. Her new book Surrender came out June 5th. Congrats to Elana.

In the early 90's my battle with bilateral carpal tunnel began with a case of severe tendonitis. It quickly progressed to tenosynovitis then CT. It affects my wrists, my hands, and both arms all the way up to where the shoulder connects to the spine. It was so bad, my husband had to help me dress for work. I shouldn't have been driving. I couldn't really steer my car. Despite the constant pain, my hands were numb, and I'd often burn myself when cooking and not know it. I couldn't hold onto things. I still have problems with that and writing with a skinny pen. One of the reasons I don't write by hand very often.

I refused to believe I couldn't get better. Just flat out refused. But the doctor told me one day that if I didn't stop what I was doing, I'd lose the use of both hands permanently. A war at work raged. I won't even go into all of that. That's a novel unto itself.

I fought for myself. I fought for my health. Let me tell you, that's a very unpopular stance to take in the corporate world. I made plans to go to grad school and left my job. It was the wrong decision. Not leaving or going to school, but what I decided to major in. It's something I regret, but I keep telling myself it got me out of the hell I was in and to here. Here is a damn OK place.

When I didn't know what else to do, darkness does not begin to describe the place I was in, my mother said, "Write me something. You were always good at writing."

And so me, version 9.0, began. My hands are a lot better, but I still have to be very careful. Sometimes I have to take several days off from the computer. (yes, I have ergonomic everything -- why I remain on a PC) Thank goodness I discovered licorice root can help when it starts acting up. When it does, I wonder how I survived all those years in all that pain that never stopped. Never.

It may have taken me awhile to figure out what to do, but I never gave up. My mother's words offered me a lifeline inside a dark pit and I followed it out. Writing did that for me. A wonderful husband who gave me the space and time I needed to figure it all out, did that for me.

What obstacles have you overcome because you wouldn't give up?


Now come visit me at Lorna's and Libby's. Libby is the last official stop on The Backworlds blog tour.

Umm, I had some major technical issues today that have had me pulling my hair out since this morning. Grrr. Will catch up with you all tomorrow. Need to figure out how to get my new printer to work. Grrr. New printer works. Yay. Somehow I don't think having to buy a new one is a victory for me though ...

Ode to Ray Bradbury

Four science fiction authors influenced me more than any others: Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Herbert, and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

The last of my quartet of idols passed away earlier this week. Ray Bradbury died at the age of 91 on June 5th after a long illness.

I devoured his books after being introduced to his short stories in literature class in college. He was a true inspiration to me and a factor as to which genre lured me to writing. Some friends have said they think I write like him, which is very flattering. To have an ounce of his talent, I'd never claim. Any similarity is unconsciously done.

He leaves behind a tremendous legacy and volume of literary work. Fantastic stories that took me to the future and into the stars. A legacy I treasure. I'm glad I named my telescope after him.

Will miss you Ray and your incredible talent. You definitely created something memorable.

This news made me very sad this week. I don't think any of my writing heroes are alive now. Ray was the last one. Sniff.

Passion                                        

Passion fueled Ray and it fuels me. I'm at Greta van der Rol's today talking about one of the biggest passions that inspires me and my writing.

Sunday, I'm being interviewed by Lorna Suzuki. Who told me on the Twitter she believed I did everything right. That's nice to hear now and then. Yes?

Will be up at PMO this weekend. What are your plans for the weekend? Hope you have a good one.

Spotlight on Venus, Space Opera, and IWSG

JL Campbell is kind enough to host me on her blog today, The Character Depot. I'm discussing the space opera and my favorite TV shows that inspired my love for the genre.

Very briefly, I was able to see the transit of Venus yesterday. Some of my astronomy buddies set up telescopes with sun filters (an accessory I do not yet have) on Pilot Butte, which is just a few blocks from my backyard. So, I hiked the mile up. There was a still a reasonable amount of blue among the clouds, although not warm. I had on a sweater, a fleece, my down vest, and was kind of sorry I didn't bring gloves and a hat. Seriously. It was barely 50 degrees here yesterday.

I got up there, said hello, and got a quick peek through both of the telescopes when the clouds broke. It was really neat. Venus was much bigger than I expected it to be. That peek was all I was going to get. The clouds swarmed in, it started raining, and then ... snow. It snowed on us. I swear this year the observatory season is just cursed.

Anyway, photo taken and provided by Bill Logan, a devoted observer of the sun. He's often at the High Desert Museum or on Pilot Butte, sharing his hobby and his passion. And he sends us all emails on what the sun is up to.

Photo taken by Bill Logan

Here's some photos from my hike ...

Moody skies over Bend, OR, from the top of Pilot Butte.

Juniper berries. Juniper, cedar, and sage, that's what this area grows very well. I must report that it smells just fantastic. Instant air freshener any time I open a window.

A sign of spring braving our crazy weather.



Last, but not least, it's IWSG day. Insecure Writers Support Group is hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, writer and ninja extraordinaire. The first Wednesday of every month writers gather to share their insecurities or encouragement and support. It's not to late to sign up if you'd like to join us.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the launch of The Backworlds in early May, but am humbled and deeply grateful for all the support from all of you. The blogging community, you, helped me create a buzz, get Amazon to price match, provided reviews that made me warm and fuzzy, provided me time and space for touring, and also put me in touch with a great editor, who I look forward to working with again.

You helped my work get noticed. 2,000 downloads and growing. Thank you.

You know what else makes me happy? Seeing how many of you are publishing and getting published lately. It's fantastic. It really is. So, congrats to all of you for being fantastic, awesome people. The sky's the limit for all of us if we continue to support each other the way we do.

OK, that got a bit sappy and gooey. But that's OK. You're all worth it.

Now come visit me at Joy's.

No Opening, Opening Weekend

I hear the rest of you sweltered in the US over the weekend. Not us. Friday's weather was so miserable, I had to have the lights on all day, wore two sweaters and socks. It only rained in town, but up at the summit of Pine Mountain there was a raging blizzard.

Because of all the ice and snow, we weren't open to the public. I hope this weekend will be better.

Laura from the Daily Dodo has a book out, 100 Blog Prompts. Available on Amazon and Amazon UK.

Thank you to Tara Tyler for the Kreative and Versatile Blogger awards. An awesome blogging friend, and a poet who often tugs at my emotions. Maybe she'll publish those one day. Yes?

And thanks to Trudy Schoenborn for the Versatile Blogger award, too -- an awesome in-person crit partner, friend, and writer. I try to channel her ability to twist and turn. An amazing talent.

Thank you Allan Douglas for the One Lovely Blog award. We're on a few Triberr tribes, but I met Allan before that. Perhaps on Twitter. He's been a great supporter since I released my free reads last year. A most valued friend.

And much gratitude to Alex J. Cavanaugh for honoring me with the You Rock award. I surely wasn't expecting that. I'm indebted to Alex for showing me the ropes of this blogging business and how to make a splash when launching a book. He's a great guy, a great friend, and a great writer who made me bawl more than any 'girl' book ever did. That takes talent. Another very valued friend.

You can't go wrong networking with any of these folks. You can only go right.

Writing News ...                             

 I want to say a sincere thank you to all of you for your support in launching The Backworlds. Amazon finally price matched over the holiday weekend, so the downloads are flying. It's also now on iTunes, B&N, Kobo, and Diesel.

Reviews are coming in, all glowing so far. :D Most exciting, I've started receiving fan mail via email and Twitter. I have to say fan mail is awesome. Sales of Semper Audacia pick up. My mailing list grows. Folks following the website via email grows.  None of this would have happened without all of you and what you did to help me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Christine Rains! You're to blame for me dusting off an old short story and rewriting it. Deadline for submission is this week ... like I needed another project. But the story and call for submission were so well matched, I couldn't resist. Almost done ...

I continue editing Stopover at the Backworlds' Edge. I'm no longer hating every word, just a few here and there. Sometimes the best fix for figuring out why I'm not loving my work is critiquing someone else's. Oh yeah! That's what I need, too. Funny how that works. In a good way. Anyway, it's on schedule for release at end of July.

I also wrote a tentative first chapter for a novella series to run between releases of Backworlds novels. This subseries will be stories from the Foreworlds, to flesh out my universe more completely. I also wrote a tentative first chapter for Boomtown Craze (and did test covers for both), which will be the sequel after Stopover. I'll include both first chapters at the end of Stopover.

Writing continues on The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear. I set a deadline with my editor. That will be out this fall as planned. Not sure I can get The Augmentation of Hetty Locklear out by the end of this year, but I'll give it my best shot.

This will be my only post this week. I'll be working on all the projects laid out above. I'll back next Monday.

So tell me, what are you up to these days? How are your projects coming along?

Don't Go in the Woods and Weighted

This week's blog tour schedule:

Monday: Siana Wineland's jabbering about characterization. She's a very warm and supportive person, and a wonderful writer.

Tuesday: Toby Neal's. The topic is creativity.

Wednesday: Raine Thomas's Write as Raine Thomas with an excerpt from The Backworlds.

Thursday: Lynda Young's W.I.P It for a discussion on networking.

Friday: Julie Flander's What Else is Possible? for a little essay on my lack of wilderness skills.

It's Memorial Day weekend here in the US. The official opening of PMO. Yay. And I'm taking Monday off. Yes, you heard that right. I'm taking a day off and no touring next week. So, I may take my time popping on next week. Yeah, really.


Ciara Knight reveals the cover of her latest today. Weighted.

Weighted is a young adult post-apocalyptic with paranormal elements. It is a prequel novelette to The Neumarian Chronicles, and will be released August 2012. Book I, Escapement, will be released in 2013.

The Great War of 2185 is over, but my nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen’s ship awaiting interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I’m unsure if she is really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself.  It swirls inside my body begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will I have the strength to keep the secret? I’ll know the answer soon. If the stories are true about the interrogators, I’ll either be dead or a traitor to my people by morning.

Link to add Weighted to Goodreads shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13647847-weighted

Congrats to Ciara. It's a gorgeous cover, and I love the title.

Come meet me at Julie Flander's What Else is Possible? where I talk about my lack of wilderness skills. City gals should not wander about the woods. Ever! And especially not in the dark.

I've been following Julie's journey since her early days in the blogosphere. She's such a lovely person, and an excellent writer. She writes nonfiction as well as fiction, and I just know I'll be hosting her blog tour one of these days. I'm really glad I bumped into Julie.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Leecher, Leecher

Monday: Siana Wineland's jabbering about characterization. She's a very warm and supportive person, and a wonderful writer.

Tuesday: Toby Neal's. The topic is creativity.

Wednesday: Raine Thomas's Write as Raine Thomas with an excerpt from The Backworlds.

Thursday: Lynda Young's W.I.P It for a discussion on networking.

Friday: Julie Flander's What Else is Possible? for a little essay on my lack of wilderness skills.


Rogue River Gorge in the Cascades offered some breathtaking sights.

 The last is a living stump. Anything weird fascinates me. Thank goodness Oregon excels at weird. Clicking on any photo will enlarge.

Join me at Raine Thomas's
Check out her books while you're there. Raine is a fantastic writer.

Magic of Moonrise

It's a full week of blog touring.

Monday: Siana Wineland's jabbering about characterization. She's a very warm and supportive person, and a wonderful writer.

Tuesday: Toby Neal's. The topic is creativity.

Wednesday: Raine Thomas's Write as Raine Thomas with an excerpt from The Backworlds.

Thursday: Lynda Young's W.I.P It for a discussion on networking.

Friday: Julie Flander's What Else is Possible? for a little essay on my lack of wilderness skills.


More photos from the Oregon Vortex. Inside the House of Mystery ... ooo. According to our lovely tour guide, the anomalies are in constant flux. I bought their booklet of scientific data to study in more detail. It was a fun place to visit. See Monday for more photos. Click on any photo for a larger view.

Meet me over at Toby Neal's. . Toby is a huge talent. Her novel Blood Orchids is a hit, and she lives in stunning Hawaii.

The Backworlds is now available on iTunes and B&N for free. Check the sidebar or The Backworlds tab for links.

Search for Other Earths

Today I'm visiting Derek Flynn at Rant with Occasional Music. Topic: Kepler and the search for other worlds. Besides being a writer, Derek is also a talented musician with his first album recently released. Check out his latest music video.

Wednesday I was at Allan Douglas's blog, The Write Stuff, talking about one of my greatest inspirations for The Backworlds, and one of my all-time favorite space operas. I met Allan awhile ago, and he has been a great supporter and fan. Quite fantastic. And he'd also a great writer.

Monday I'll be over at Siana Wineland's writing on characterization. She's a very warm and supportive person, and a wonderful writer.

Stop by and see us.

Happy weekend all. I'm off to Southern Oregon this weekend for a Renaissance Festival. Research for my fall release, and some fun.

Ran into my buds, the Gangsta cows, last Saturday. It was good to see them.

Reframing and Repackaging

My perspective on my writing career received some reframing this year. All the changes in the industry made me pause and mull a number of things over. Meeting Lindsay Buroker was another shove in reframing my ideas about becoming a published author: I could do what I love and what I wanted to do. I could do it now. Thank you, Lindsay. If I can follow in her footsteps of success, I'd be thrilled. In one year she's sold over 10,000 ebooks. Woot, Lindsay!

The growth of the ebook industry, some positive rejection I'd been receiving from some of the big science fiction rags [SFWA worthy], and the uncertainty of the traditional publishing model led me toward taking my career into my own hands.

It began with releasing Plantgirl, Small Graces and Translations in late June. Free reads I initially released on Smashwords. They're now also up on Scribd and Feedbook. The point of releasing free reads is to get the work into as many hands as possible. I recently discovered reads can be uploaded to Goodreads, too. So, I'll get that together in the next couple weeks and get them there, too.

Putting out the Free Reads was a very positive and rewarding experience. I received a lot of feedback, and after adding the newsletter signup to the end of my stories, I've gotten people I don't know who want to be kept in the loop as to my future releases.

Downloads stagnated for a bit. I had never really liked the cover for Translations, but it was the best I could do at the time. I kept playing around with Paint.net though and began formulating a better idea. Then I stumbled across the perfect piece of art for it and it all came together beautifully. Everything else got repackaged after that so they didn't look like cheap cousins beside Translations.

I liked the original Semper cover a lot, but in thumbnail [which is what most people see] it just looked like a brown square. My skills at Paint.net were improving, so I tried something new. It turned out beautifully. Yea.

Repackaging can work to improve downloads and sales. Although, I'm no bestseller yet, I've made inroads into a start. I think sometimes my problem is I'm not as confident after a release as I need to be, and probably should be. I think, 'Oh, it's just a short story.' If I short change it, well, I have to quit doing that. I love Semper Audacia. It's a good story. It deserves a better attitude from me than it's gotten. I'll do better. Perhaps a topic I'll address in more depth for IWSG in January.

I'm not stopping. The polished draft for Stopover at the Backworlds' Edge should be done by the end of the year. Then it goes through a second coat of polish. Refining, adding some new detail, and making a few changes per my local crit group. I redid its cover, too. Mostly because I noticed video gal and I had a typo in the title -- which I didn't notice for several months. The apostrophe goes after the s in Backworlds, not before. But now I think I might release Stopover in paperback, too, which means redoing the cover again. That's OK. I'll manage.

The Backworlds is a prequel, which I intend to release before Stopover as another Free Read. It will come in somewhere between 20-30,000 words. Thanks to my crit partners Misha Gericke and Tony Benson here in bloggyland for their feedback.

The Backworlds Series will be a space opera series set on planets in our galaxy. My premise is that humans on Earth 'improved' ourselves to be able to live on a variety of worlds. Then humans decided they didn't like what they had created and try to take it back. This resulted in a war. The series begins during a truce between the Foreworlds and the Backworlds. Thank you to the Husband Unit for the last bits of inspiration both of these stories needed.

Also coming in 2012: The Augmentation of Hetty Locklear. Redid her cover, too. She's still in 1st draft stage. This will also be a series. A mix of contemporary sci-fi and urban fantasy. It will eventually morph into sci-fi. Right now it's envisioned as a trilogy. Folks' love for Plantgirl was its inspiration.

Wandering Weeds Anthology should be coming out this year, too, in which is my novelette, The Tumbas. I wrote it so long ago now, I'm not sure what I think about that.

Anyway, all of you are the ribbons on my year. Thank you for the inspiration, the support, the encouragement, the new directions and the success I've found. It's not measured in dollar signs at this point, but in winning over some grains of sand to my beach. Thank you for joining me on this adventure. I can't wait to see what 2012 brings for all of you. There's an amazing amount of talent out there and I'm fortunate to rub elbows with a lot of that great talent.

Happy Holidays and a Joyous 2012. You're all my stars. [This is my last post for the year -- there will be a holiday themed post going up on Thursday -- regular posting will resume January 2 -- Will be talking about Super 8 on the website tomorrow, then it goes on hiatus until January, too].

Pay It Forward, Semper Audacia Winners

Paying it forward bloghop. Sponsored by Matthew MacNish and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

It's tough to pick only three. So many of you have helped give me a boost on this journey. Special thanks to Reka Sang and Loretta Stephenson for the lovely reviews. Thanks to Alex for his multiple shoutouts on his blog.

1. Lindsay Buroker
2. Francine Howarth, Romancing the Blog, Indie Book List
3. Julie Flanders

Thanks to Alex, Libby Heily, Christine Raines, Madeleine, Miranda Hardy, Nicki Elson, Jon Mac, Allan Douglas, Nancy Thompson, Reka Sang, Damyanti for roping me into a great group on Triberr, JL Campbell, Ciara Knight, Lynda R. Young, Jarrak,  Diego, and Laura Eno. The support by other writers in cyberspace is so tremendous and so appreciated. I know there are more people I need to thank, and I will by visiting your blog.

I've said before and I mean it, we are in this together. To make it on our own in any endeavor is a rare thing, even more so in this one. We need each other and each other's support. I thank each and all of you for yours.

The five winners of the free ecopies of Semper Audacia are:

1.  Melissa Bradley
2.  Madeleine of Scribble & Edit
3.  Christine Rains
4.  Shallee
5.  Tara Tyler

Are sales off the charts? Hell, no. I didn't expect them to be. I did make a start and I've made some fans. I read on a blog somewhere about how we build a beach a grain of sand at a time. So, I've started mine. I came up with some plans and have been working hard.

You all keep up building your beaches. I'll be one of your grains of sand.

Rooting for the Little Guy to Win

I remember when I was single, longing for some guy I thought the sun and moon rose on to notice me. That's part of what my story Translations is about, but only part. Most times, I write about characters dealt a lousy deck of cards looking for a way out or just looking and not knowing what it is they're searching for. Somewhere along the line they come across something that changes how they think or perceive their world. Often I take my character from being insignificant to significant in some way. Maybe only in their own eyes, or through a distorted lens, and they might not get what they thought they wanted.

Are those the types of stories you enjoy reading? Not all of my stories are set in outer space. Neither Plantgirl, nor Translations is. Small Graces shares that same search by the main character who ends up finding something she didn't know she wanted. There are links at the sidebar to download these stories from Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and iTunes, and they aren't going to cost you any money. They're all free. Short and free. So, they won't take up much of your time either.

Translations covers this same theme of searching and not always getting what was wanted. Nora is desperately in love with Mitchell Allen. He's trapped inside a tomb. She's trapped by Mitchell's brilliance. She gets a small taste of what she wants, but only a taste, and not exactly the one she was looking for..

Last Thursday, I read my story Translations at an event sponsored by my local writers guild. It was my best reading ever. I met new friends and talked to old ones about my new decisions. A local fellowship of other authors is a great thing. A safe environment to learn to read to an audience is another great thing. I am doubly fortunate in that my local library and writers group both provide opportunities.

The story I have coming out this fall is similar. Leda has to overcome obstacles to get what she wants. Some are physical, some are mental and emotional. I hired an editor last week. Semper Audacia, a space opera novelette, will be my next release. Here's the cover I've been working on.

Here's the trailer, made by my wonderful friend, Kimberly Nicole. She's very talented and I'm very grateful to have her on my team.



I'd like to repay all you wonderful people who have supported me in this endeavor, and I'd like to say thanks with a special offer on Semper. There's one of two ways to get it. Either leave your email in the comments, or send me your email at mpaxauthor@gmail.com.

I'd also like to pay the rocking writing community back by helping you get the word out about you, your blog, your website, your story and/or your book. For more details, hit on the 'Guest Post' tab above.

To Say Nothing of the Dog

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis was a very enjoyable read with history, time travel, romance, dogs, cats, jumble sales, butlers, a row boat trip down the Thames and a lot of humor.

It's the story of Ned Henry who is badly in need of a rest. He's been shuttling between the 21st century and the 1940's searching for a Victorian atrocity called the bishop's bird stump. It's part of a project to restore the famed Coventry Cathedral, destroyed in a Nazi raid over a hundred years earlier. But then Verity Kindle, a fellow time traveler, inadvertently brings back something from the past. Now Ned must jump back to the Victorian era to help Verity put things right -- not only to save the project, but to prevent altering history itself.

Connie Willis is a multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards winner, and I felt as if I got some Jane Austen mixed into my sci-fi. As a Jane Austen fan [big time, bet you'd not guess that], this book was a winner for me. I'll definitely give Connie's other books a read.

Currently, I'm reading Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, which I'm getting much pleasure from. I like the complicated story he's weaving with a very large cast. His characters are interesting and so are all the plots. I've heard folks rave about George, so I bought this book to see what all he's about. So far, so good.


Blogfests

Novel Films Blogfest, hosted by Madeleine of Scribble and Edit, August 1-3. Listing of novels, comics and plays that you have BOTH read and seen the film/ TV adaptations. Madeleine provides a link on her site to help you pick out what you've seen and read.

The Spark Blogfest, hosted by Christine Tyler of The Writer Coaster, August 22-26. What book made you realize you were doomed to be a writer? What author was the spark of inspiration for your first ms?

My free reads have been accepted into the premium catalog, so soon they'll be available for download from B&N, Apple, Sony and more. Currently available in all ereader formats from Smashwords:

 

Small Graces / Translations / Plantgirl 

Other recommended reads:

Burning Love by Nomar Knight. I first read this story as a serial on Nomar's blog. Raw, original, dark and creative, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Nomar kept surprising me, which kept me wanting more. I now thrill in owning a copy of it to read through again. Available from Amazon.

Twist and Burn by Libby Heily. A collection of flash fiction. Having read several pieces by Libby on her blog, I look forward to delving into this collection. She's always original and usually quirky and surprising. I love quirky and odd.

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. Click on poster to enlarge, if you want a better view.

In it's honor, my poem, DreamPlay:

Video version [which was fun to do]



Copyright Spring 1982. Yeah, a blast from the past. I wrote this poem inspired by a poster that used to hang in my room. It was one of those black velvet deals [hey, it was hip at the time] with Pegasus flying through space. I still think of that poster a lot, it inspired so much wonder.

DreamPlay
by M. Pax

Sailing on a comet's tail
the spinning sun zips by
singeing careless strands of hair
enchanted by its light

S c a t t e r e d pieces of glitter
stain the endless black
pouring through the Milky Way
into the limitless I seek

Tripping over Saturn's rings
I stumble from my ride
To take a tumble on the Moon
to land on Pegus's back

~ we cry ~

Lifting wishes from Orion's belt
while drifting on their sighs
I clasp one tightly and begin to dance
with wistful nebulae


Ah, so now we know where the name of this blog comes from. :) Are you celebrating National Poetry Month?

I'm also on Chris Phillips' blog today in his MTMWT feature. Check him out: http://chrisphillipsclp.blogspot.com/

Hosted by Arlee Bird of Tossing it Out http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/