Showing posts with label #Sciencefiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Sciencefiction. Show all posts

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Neutral Space by Rebecca Tran

A soldier with classified information. Two races at war. Both governments will kill him to hide their secrets.

Lieutenant Jackson Peterson thought he knew who the enemy was. A bitter war with the Kelsairans made it abundantly clear. When Jackson saves a Kelsairan woman from a wrecked ship, the line is suddenly blurred. The enemy isn’t what the government said they were and he can no longer blindly follow orders. A shocking discovery leads Jackson down a sinister path of intrigue that could change the fate of two races. But, both the Kelsairan and the Human governments will kill him to keep their secrets. Jackson will risk everything to stop them. Will it be enough? Or will he die in the process?

Neutral Space is a Literary Titan gold medal winning space opera. If you like action filled sci-fi novels, with genuine characters, great world building, and humor you’ll love this book.

Buy Neutral Space today for an out of this world adventure. Amazon   Other Retailers




Excerpt:
I was on a week leave on Micea. It’s a neutral planet, completely alone. It was exactly what I wanted. My tent was pitched, and a fire was blazing. I was a short hike from the lake, perfect for fishing and swimming. I’d been there once before and loved the spot. As I put a pot of coffee on the fire, I saw the ship coming in hot. It was in trouble, and the pilot was struggling to keep it steady. I grabbed my med pack and ran to where it was going to crash. 

The ship knocked over trees as it skid into the ground. The earth shook, and there was a crash when it impacted. I nearly lost my footing. It only made me run faster. Whoever it was wouldn’t have much time if the ship was heavily damaged. I was relieved to see it was a human craft when I reached the ridge; an old one, but human nonetheless. The hatch was still closed, which was a bad sign; and, the ship was on fire. I found the emergency release lever as I wrapped my hand in the corner of my shirt to protect it from the hot metal.  The hatch opened like a charm when I pulled it. 

I fell on my ass when I saw an unconscious Kelsairan woman. It was a human craft. Why the hell was a Kelsairan piloting it? She groaned slightly. Kelsairans were the enemy. I should have left her. I couldn’t abandon her to die now that I knew she was alive. My honor wouldn’t allow it. I cursed the whole time I pulled her out of the wreckage. She was bleeding from a wound in her leg, and I knew my med kit would be useless. Kelsairan anatomy was different than a human’s. I cursed again as I hunted for her med kit. Luckily, she’d kept it close at hand, and I found it quickly. 

I dragged her to safety just as her ship exploded. It knocked me back a step, and I instinctively covered the woman from debris. The noise had my ears ringing. The heat from the fire was unbearable. I pulled her further away until I could figure out a plan. 

It was a long hike back to my camp. I bandaged her wound temporarily before making a sled to take her the rest of the way. Getting her back, unfortunately, was the easy part. I had to properly address the wound on her upper thigh once she was at my camp. Her one-piece outfit complicated everything. I needed to get to the injury, and its location made it impossible to just cut off the pant leg. 

My task would have been far easier if Kelsairans didn’t look like humans, but they did. They were usually taller and leaner with opaque eyes and ridges on their brows. Everything else made them appear human. This woman was no exception, and she was undeniably attractive. She was tall and slim. Her breasts were small, yet firm; her hips were perfectly curved. She had ice-blonde hair that was slicked back. Her oblong face had high cheekbones and full lips. I was never this close to one of their women before. I never realized how beautiful they were. Well, this one was anyway.  I tried waking her first, hoping I wouldn’t have to undress her myself but she was unconscious. I considered waiting until morning, but the wound was oozing, and I was afraid of it getting infected. 

I shook her one last time before reaching for the zipper at her neck. Nothing, she was out cold. Damn, I pulled the zipper down my hands shaking like I was a virgin. I tried not to look as I quickly undressed her, I put one of my own t-shirts on her, but her body was flawless. If I think about it, I can still remember it now. I draped a blanket over her torso and other leg as I worked on her wound. There was a piece of metal lodged in the wound. I had to fish around for it before disinfecting and bandaging it. She looked ridiculous in my shorts. At least she was dressed. 

I didn’t want to move her again, so I brought my sleeping bag out of the tent and rolled her in. The coffee I’d started earlier was ruined now. I started a fresh pot for my night vigil. Who was this woman and why was she here? I sank into my chair watching as she slept.


I am a mother, pharmacist, and author. I love all things science fiction and fantasy. Although I loved writing Neutral Space, it will probably be the only science fiction book I ever write. My brain doesn't seem to function in the hyper-reality that sci-fi uses as a genre. So I'll stick to fantasy and romance. Right now I'm not writing anything but I hope to return to my fantasy and romance series soon. Unfortunately life is getting in the way right now. If you would like to know more about me please visit my website. If you would like to see all of my books please visit my store.









Sunday, September 30, 2018

World building in Science Fiction part 1


There are 2 major questions that I get as a science fiction author:
  1. Where do you get your ideas?
  2. How do you create such a vivid world?
Now the first question is one that authors have been asked for as long as there has been publishing.
“Every artist gets asked the question, ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ The honest artist answers, ‘I steal them.’” – Austin Kleon
"From the Idea-of-the-Month Club"  - Neil Gaiman 
"Poughkeepsie.- Harlan Ellison 
 Now for me the where and how do I build my world are intertwined.

So I will try to explain. I looked at current communications technology and the sudden push into wearables. This got me to thinking about what is possible in a wearable and then what impact it could have on society. So from my concept notes:
Personal comms/ net  
Most people have built-in small personal communicator that allows them to communicate and surf the internet with data coming up on retinal implants can provide “heads up display as well as video feed and recording. They also can get full data net access the same way. Wrist pads offer external recording option for when you want to be seen when talking to someone and for holographic displays of data etc. Wrist pads are personalized to look like bracelets, sports bands, old style smart watches, gauntlets etc. Most have basic AI / personal assistant (Siri grown up) 

Ok, so that is the tech, but unless you are into communications technology this will leave you feeling something is missing. So rather than tell it this way in the story, I got to thinking how it would affect society (think about what the car did to society).

             Social side effects:
An always connected intelligence has led to a reduction of personal attacks and reduced problems like rape due to the ability of the semi intelligent devices recording and broadcasting full 3d holograms in real-time to the police, but also the medical state of the victim – preventing the claims of the person asking for it or liking it. The recordings with GPS locations lead to an almost 100% conviction rate that led to a steady decline in violent crimes. It also had the side effect of increasing the legal establishments for those who prefer violent or non-standard behaviors (not just sex) where the employees are either personally enjoying it or good actors who have “signed up” for these acts for quite a high pay.
Some of these effects are suddenly being debated in terms of the auto-call feature in the new iWatch and the rights of police responding to enter without an warrant.

So now I have an interesting future tech, an idea about how it will affect people and how they will interact with it. This leaves the rest of the world.

I chose our Solar System, but you can choose any world or place you want.

In my next installment, I will explain how I build it from the "ground up."

If you want to read about how other authors build their worlds, I do a weekly blog interview at https://www.ericlklein.com/feature-friday-futures/  where you can find many authors discussing the worlds in their novels.


Photos of 2 works by  Lissanne Lake that are hanging on my wall.

Click to read more posts in our Blog post Gallery


COMMENTS

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Toi Thomas

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great post Eric. I like how you explain the practicality of technology, including all the difficulties that may arise from its use. Your work sounds interesting and complex. Thanks for sharing.
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Toi Thomas via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Today, Eric Klein discusses science fiction world building an technology over at #OurAuthorGang.
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P. J. Mann

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
What an interesting post! Although I am pretty much an old school person (can be the age) I find it very fascinating topic, and I can't see the time to read your next post.
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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Today on #OurAuthorGang, one of our newest members, author Eric Klein, brings us World-Building in Science Fiction.
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Joe Bonadonna

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great post, Eric!  I've done a LOT of world-building for my fantasy stories. I've always found building worlds for science fiction to be a more daunting task. I had to do a little for my space opera, but that story didn't require a lot.  When I set out to write my sword and planet adventure, however, I had no choice but to build a complete world. There was no way around it. If I was going to write about a planet's ecosystem and endangered species, I needed to plot it all out. I borrow, too: my Questron instantaneous, sub-space communications transmitter is actually Ursula K. LeGuin's "Ansible." Look forward to more of your posts. Welcome to the blog! 
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Ruth de Jauregui

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great post Eric! I love speculative fiction in all its forms. This is fascinating!
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Author Eric Klein shares his world building process on #OurAuthorGang today. Fascinating -- he starts with technology and how it affects people and society.
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Nikki McDonagh

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Interesting post Eric. As a fellow sci-fi writer, world building is something I really enjoy as you can let your imagination fly.
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Lorraine Carey

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great post, Eric. I really think those who write SciFi have quite a sophisticated imagination. I admire that. Your works sounds most intriguing.Thank you for sharing.
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Erika M Szabo

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Interesting post Eric! When you write sci-fi you have to build a complete, believable world with technical details while in fantasy stories, which I write, I can let my imagination fly. I'm looking forward to your series.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Favorite Reviews #9


Our Author Gang Reviews 



Book reviews (good or bad) provide important feedback to the authors and without reviews, a book gets lost in the thousands of other books that are released every month.
Every author appreciates and values the opinion of readers but we’re strongly discouraged from engaging with readers and thank them for their reviews on publishing sites.
The authors of Our Author Gang celebrate and appreciate the readers by posting our favorite reviews between September 10 and 22. Every day a different author of the group posts about their books and quote from their readers’ favorite reviews.

Thank you for your interest in our books and happy reading!


My Favorite Reviews
_________________________________________________________________________________


I love this review because the reader loved the book. It was also my first five star review ever. And hey any time a fantasy author is compared to another well known series its a feather in their cap. 

"The Rashade has similar tones to books such as Deltora Quest and Game of Thrones as the main characters set on an adventure where there are tombs, priestesses and sword fights that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat in anticipation. Epic battles crossed with a burning desire to destroy an evil man will mean the reader will be captivated until the very end.

Not everybody is who they seem and I thoroughly enjoyed the progression of each character as we learned more about their life through the unexpected relationships that develop. The characters come from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from soldiers to priestesses to mages- humans who possess magical powers and mysterious grey eyes. Romance, swordsmanship and magical weapons will intertwine into a plot line that is consistently entertaining." ~ Literary Titan 
The review was removed from Amazon but you can read the entire review on their blog here.


I love this review because I was able to make the reader fall in love with a type of book she didn't normally read. Out of all four books in the set she picked my favorite to rave about too. 

"Book 3: Asher is king of the region. He rules with his partner, Hayden, a male too. They balance each other’s dragon and it’s a good partnership. In a move to solidify things with the South, Asher and Hayden agree to marry Skye as part of a peace treaty. But all is not as it seems and together Asher, Hayden and Skye must unleash their inner dragons for the betterment of the realm. A steamy male-female-ménage filled with twists and turns. I normally don’t read ménage but thoroughly enjoyed this one. There’s plenty of conflict but also sexual tension. The ending was superb!

Favorite Story: White Hot Ash. I love the dynamics between Asher and Hayden. It’s like they’re one soul in two bodies. Skye is a fab character with untapped strength. Loved it!

My Rating: 4.5 stars" ~ N.N. Light  You can read the full review on Amazon or on her blog





This review is short and sweet. You can feel how excited the reader is and she makes you want to read the book to.

I found this story to be original, fleshed out, and imaginative. I'm so impressed by the author's ability to write a balance of bad-ass militaristic action scenes, and meaningful inter-character connections. I enjoyed the contrast of cultures and other planets, the depth took my imagination to some awesome places. ~ Keisha Fladrick Goodreads Review


If ever you find yourself wondering if you should write a book review, the answer is yes. Whether you feel compelled to share your experience or not, go ahead and write that book review. It will mean the world to a hardworking author and will help a reader decide if it's the book for them. As a reader, I know I appreciate it when someone has come before me and shared their experience.

Be sure to come back tomorrow to read more of Our Author Gang members' favorite book reviews and read previous posts here: OneTwoThreeFourFiveSixSeven and Eight


Click to read more posts in our Blog post Gallery

#bookreviews #appreciation
COMMENTS

Toi Thomas

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
These are great reviews. It's always nice when someone tries something new or different and enjoys the experience just because it's you or your work.
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Toi Thomas via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today, Rebecca Tran shares some of her favorite book reviews over at #OurAuthorGang.
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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on #OurAuthorGang, author Rebecca Tran shares with us some of her favorite book reviews. Check it out!
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Rebecca Tran shares her favorite reviews in the ongoing series on #OurAuthorGang. Great books, fantastic reviews, how can you go wrong?
 
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Ruth de Jauregui

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great reviews!! Too bad about the one being removed, but that's the hazards of the Zon. So glad you saved and shared it!!
 
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Joe Bonadonna

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Excellent reviews, Rebecca! It's a great feeling, isn't it? Congratulations!!!
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Chris Weigand

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great reviews. I will have to add The Rashade to my TBR list
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Chris Weigand via Google+

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today check out some of Rebecca's favorite reviews.
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Cindy Smith

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Congrats on such great reviews.
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Cindy Smith shared this via Google+

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Erika M Szabo shared this via Google+

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Erika M Szabo

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great reviews Rebecca! Especially this one, it makes me want to read your books: "I'm so impressed by the author's ability to write a balance of bad-ass militaristic action scenes, and meaningful inter-character connections."
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Nikki McDonagh

4 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Some really wonderful reviews here Rebecca. Well done.

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