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Photo credit http://www.jaykristoff.com Kinslayer: Book Two of the Lotus War series took Japanese Steampunk farther than the first book (Stormdancer). There were more characters and plot lines. I liked the first book better, but only a little bit. As second books go, this one is worth a read. The visual, auditory, and even olfactory detail of the lands of Shima really is impressive. Every character has something at stake–lives to be lost, honors to regain, sacrifices to make. Kinslayer fits the type of things I read, in that there is danger and death, and the violence involved is not watered down with cliches or falseness.Mortal combat is not pretty. Kristoff makes that very clear. I’m good with that. Lately, I’ve become fatigued with war and violence in fiction. By the end of the book, I was ready for a break. Having said that, I recommend reading it, or listen to it as I did. (I really love audiobooks.) Jennifer Ikeda does a fabulous job narrating Kinslayer (as she did Stormdancer). As someone who has listened to hundreds of audiobooks, I feel like I’m qualified to make a recommendation. Kinslayer is worth the time. I plan to listen to Stormdancer, Kinslayer, and Endsinger when the third book comes out.I would have liked to see more of Budo and Yukiko, and the Gaijin. When they came on the scene in this book, I started to see new landscapes opening up. And there were some interesting settings and characters. I hope for more of the world beyond Shima in the next book.What do you think of Japanese steampunk? I’m dying to know.

Have you ever heard of the Amazon Top Reviewers? I have, because I’m an author who would desperately love to get their attention, especially if they decide the like my books. A lot of marketing gurus will make a fuss about finding the right reviewer and then sending a polite email asking if they would like to review your book. This is definitely a good practice, or so it seems. Many authors have had good luck. The Amazon Top Reviewers are serious about what they do. They want readers to mark their reviews as useful, which would suggest they would only give honest reviews.I am taking a short break to daydream about all of the top one hundred finding my book and giving Dragon Badge, Dragon Attack, Enemy of Man, Son of Orlan, and Die Like A Man five star reviews.Ah, that was a nice fantasy.Perhaps I would have more luck if I sought reviews (as every book marketing expert suggests). Unfortunately, there is only so much time in a day and I enjoy making up stories more than marketing best practices. Which brings us to the reason we are here today, good reader. I recently left a review for Kinslayer: Book Two of the Lotus War series by Jay Kristoff. Book reviews for traditional and indie authors is something I do whenever I can. Just now, I saw that forty-five people have found my recommendations helpful. Cool beans! My Amazon Reviewer Rank is…not “Top” to say the least. Currently, I’m sitting at 95,717.There are a lot of people doing a lot of reviews! That’s great. To reviewers everywhere, good work! Keep it up! Writers love you.

Last week I purchased several UFC fights from the local video store, because they were on clearance and I can’t bring myself to invest in pay-per-view. I wish I could, because I really want to see UFC 178 on September 27. There’s going to be some interesting contests.Meanwhile, I DVDs of the events months and years after they occur. Combined with occasional visits to the UFC website, I am slowly reacquainting myself with the world of MMA. It is the only sport I watch. I used to look for rowing, but good luck finding live coverage. The fight between Alexander Gustafsson and Jon Jones in UFC 165 help reignite my interest in the sport. Gustafsson came into the match as a serious underdog. It was his title shot, and Jones’ chance to make history by defending his title for the fifth time, a new record. Gustafsson put on an amazing show, taking down Jones for the first time and controlling the match (I thought). As far as I can tell, Jones was awarded the decision based on the number of leg strikes. One thing was evident, it was one of the best fights in history.Another DVD I picked up for $5 was Ronda Rousey: Breaking Ground. She is an Olympic Judo champion that has opened up the UFC for women fighters. She is one of the top fighters requested by sponsors, and the Ultimate Fighter 16 is dedicated to women competing for the straweight title. I was able to catch part of the first episode and it looks like there is quite a bit of talent.Rousey fights in a different weight class, and seems unbeatable. She is the master of the Judo takedown and arm bar.Watching such inspirational fighters always makes me want to train (and secretly dream of cage fighting, though I’m too old to do it for more than something to check off my bucket list). This means I spend time watching fights, instructional DVDs, training at my local BJJ gym, and generally working out and daydreaming of greatness.I’m not extremely competitive. I like to spar and have been to a few tournaments with mediocre results. If I have any natural talent, it is for writing. But there’s no law against dreaming, and if it helps me get in shape and gives me the tools to defend myself and others, then it must be a good thing. This is all part of balancing life with writing. In the long run, I hope it will make me a better writer and a better person.The question is, can an independent writer compete without dedicating every waking moment to the craft of fiction and the job of marketing?

Welcome to the latest stop on the It Takes All Kinds of Characters blog tour.In the previous episode, as it were, military science fiction author Britt Ringel reveals the creation of his primary protagonist, Garrett Heskan. As an avid reader of the series, starting with This Corner of the Universe, I can attest that Heskan is a classic character worth cheering for. Not without flaws, Heskan leads his crew through situations and space battles that keep me on the edge of my seat. I particularly enjoy his awareness of his shortcomings and his determination to strive onward no matter the personal cost.Garrett Heskan is a true professional of the Brevic Navy.Author Britt Ringel was kind enough to invite me on this tour, so I’d like to share some thoughts on my most popular character, Kin Roland. (For this post, I have omitted the questions and gone straight to the answers.)The character of Kin Roland evolved from the organic, seat-of-the-pants writing style I followed at the time. I actually wrote Enemy of Man in about six weeks as a screenplay, then later novelized it with major expansions and revisions. Starting his story life as a tough former soldier trapped on a hostile planet with survivors of various shipwrecks, he was pitted against an alien hunter that blamed him for destroying his home world. So Kin’s character developed in the crucible of conflict. He had to survive a deadly world plagued with extraterrestrial storms and protect a local village from a creature that made Aliens and the Predator look simple.With each supporting character, Kin’s motivations and conflicts grew. So far, readers have enjoyed the first two books, Enemy of Man and Son of Orlan.The story takes place at shipwreck with a wormhole anomaly looming in the upper atmosphere. Kin has been hiding on the planet, working as the security officer, for about nine years. Why is he hiding? Well, there was this issue with him failing to destroy the home world of the Reapers. He’s a tough veteran, but balked at genocide, deciding the Reaper’s couldn’t leave their planet in the state of ruin it was left in. Maybe it wasn’t the best decision, but it is his cross to bear.There are a few important things a reader considering this series might be interested in, namely that Kin Roland went from hero to outlaw with one decision. He’s competent, brave, and completely loyal to those he has given his protection. He fights for what is right, despite his many flaws.The obvious conflict in the first two books, is survival against long odds. However, Kin is also put in another difficult moral decision. There is an alien princess that maintains a zone of protection around Crater Town. He needs to bring her back, but doing so will put her in danger from Droon, Earth Fleet, and her peoples ancient enemies. Once he learns more about her past, he has to wonder if this young woman deserves his life or if she has a hidden agenda that will endanger everyone he holds dear. Of course, she might be saving the entire human race.Enemy of Man and Son of Orlan are available in ebook and paperback book format through Amazon and CreateSpace. The third book, King of Hellsbreach, is shaping up to me my most exciting release yet. I can’t wait to share it. It should be complete this fall, and released in early 2015.Thanks for stopping by. Please check out the blog stops by Britt Ringel, Mark Bordner and other authors.

As an independent writer, I understand the importance of hiring a professional editor. Thus far, I have used two that greatly improved my work–caught mistakes, made me think, saved me a lot of embarrassment.Finding an editor can be a daunting task. I’ve ran into a few that seemed almost hostile to authors, waging a fear campaign that suggests there are secret agencies hunting any writer who claims to have a reasonable grasp of the English language and story telling. So when I am shopping for a professional editor, I seek a skilled professional with respect for writers and readers. In short, I will be spending a lot of correspondence time with my editor, and I’d like the experience to be pleasant. Both editors that I’ve used, Samantha LaFantasie and BZ Hercules (Beth) are easy to work with and have the ability to correct my mistakes and encourage my development at the same time.Editors I recommend:Samantha LaFantasie edited Enemy of Man and Son of Orlan. BZ Hercules (Beth) edited my newest Urban Fantasy / Horror novel Die Like a Man. Both editors did excellent work for a great price.How I chose BZ Hercules for this project:I wrote Die Like a Man several years ago and kept coming back to it. The plot and the narrative style are intense, the hero flawed, and the stakes as high as they can be in Urban Fantasy. The protagonist has the power to do good or evil, and may be losing his ability to tell the difference.Since this was a new book, parallel to but separate from my previous urban fantasy / crime thrillers, I decided to hire an additional editor while my first editor worked on my science fiction series. I’d seen BZ Hercules on Twitter, and did some research. After browsing her web page intently, I selected the Triangulation Service from BZ Hercules for Die Like a Man. This gave me editing, proofreading, and beta reading all in one package for a great price. Beth was prompt in all correspondence and delivered everything she promised and more. One thing I really liked:She provided two copies of the edits, a raw version and a cleaner, easier to read version with much of the Track Changes finalized. This must have taken her a lot of extra work, but I liked it because it made my review and revision much faster. All I had to do was read the manuscript, change what I wanted, and refer to the original raw edit when I had questions. I emailed her several times, and she answered right away.
Raw Edit of Die Like a Man Clean Edit f Die Like a Man
Where I found peace of mind:With each new editor or proofreader, a writer encounters different opinions and advice. A quick check of the Chicago Manual of Style, and online grammar sites, revealed that BZ Hercules knew her business. The corrections BZ Hercules made were grammatically correct and insightful. I came to embrace them, just as I had learned from other editors and proofreaders. I enjoyed working with BZ Hercules so much:…that I immediately started writing with renewed enthusiasm, confident I had found a true professional I could trust with the labors of my imagination. Thanks for reading my blog. Have a great day, and may everything you read be wondrous.

No Way to Start a War, the second book in the TCOTU series (This Corner of the Universe) by Britt Ringel is a well thought out military space opera with excellent characters. I enjoyed the first book in the series, but Now Way to Start a War is better.First of all, the conflict between the Hollaran Commonwealth and the Brevic Republic is heating up. Lt. Heskan and his crew face dangerous enemies as they become part of a new mission and learn to handle a larger ship. New and old battle tactics become important, and Heskan has decisions to make.No Way to Start a War benefits from tighter control of point of view characters, a high-stakes plots, and some serious moral dilemmas faced by various characters. But one of the biggest home runs in the book is the antagonist. I won’t put any spoilers in this review, but Ringel did an excellent job with one of the primary antagonist, an area of storytelling were many authors, even the greats, often fall short.My “job” as a book reviewer is to help readers, to tell it all, to shuck it down to the cob as we say in these here parts. I am confidently giving No Way to Start a War a five (5) star review, so keep that in mind when I share my less favorite parts.Science fiction fans love detail. I marvel at how much technical and operational detail authors like Britt Ringel can put into a book. Sometimes, for me, it is too much and slows things down. Take it for what it’s worth; the detail in this book is very thorough. On one hand, I learn a lot about how a space faring naval force might operate. I believe Ringel’s bio says he was an officer in the Air Force. He seems qualified to speculate on how  would operate in the future. So if you are the type of science fiction fan that thrives on this kind of thing, the TCOTU series is definitely for you. If you have a shorter attention space and suffer from slow-reading-syndrome (I daydream as I read fiction–entering the story world as it were), then the TCOTU is still very excellent.I’ve said it before, Britt Ringel’s books remind me of Horatio Hornblower and Jack Aubrey in space. There really isn’t higher praise than that.

Over the last few years, I’ve written a lot of posts about novel writing. Most of these have focused on editing or story structure. For years I used organic / seat-of-the-pants drafting methods with heavy revision and editing, but why talk about that. It’s self explanatory. So to improve my craft, I’ve studied structure and posted what I’ve learned. I write in several genres, but prefer science fiction, fantasy, and a mixture of urban fantasy and horror with a dash of crime fiction thrown it. These are the types of things I like to read. Historical fiction is a also particular favorite of mine, though I have not tried to write anything in that genre yet.Science fiction contains several subfields of specialization such as space opera, military, adventure, and even fantasy or horror. I never worried exactly which type of scifi my stories fell into, as I was busy dreaming the adventure to life. There are usually aspects of each subfield in my novels. I am, however, aware that readers of science fiction have standards and preferences. For science fiction to truly be science fiction, it must at least start from what is known about the universe. The speculative technology is imagined or extrapolated from that basis.Recently I began a project to sharpen my skills in this area. I did a Google search for “science fiction for science fiction writers” and was directed to several books on Amazon. I selected numerous titles and put them on my wish list, then started planning when they would fit into the budget. Fortunately for me, I already have of a couple of books on the topic which I read years ago. For the purpose of educating myself in hopes of being a better science fiction writer, I have begun a fresh read of Space Travel: A writer’s guide to the science of interplanetary and interstellar travel.Space Travel is edited by Ben Bova with Anthony R Lewis. As I write this blog and look at the book, I am at a loss for exactly who is the author…such is the way of nonfiction I suppose. Space Travel was copyrighted in 1997 by Ben Bova. Content was edited by David Tompkins and David H. Borcherding, production edit by Jennifer Lepore, design by Angela Lennert Wilcox, and the cover illustration credits go to Bob Eggleton.If I remember correctly from the first time I read this book, it is a good overview of issues that come up when writing a science fiction novel. Part of my mission to improve my science and thus improve my science fiction, will involve more than just reading books, but this is a good place to start. And I thought I would start with somebody with a great deal of credibility. So let me mention a little bit about Ben Bova.This is a quote from the about the editor section of Space Travel: A writer’s guide to the science of interplanetary and interstellar travel:About the editorBen Bova is author of Mars, Moonrise, and more than ninety other novels, nonfiction and instructional books, including The Craft of Writing Science Fiction That Sells for writer’s Digest books. The former editor of Analog Science Fiction and Omni magazines, Bova is the six-time winner of science fiction’s Hugo award for best professional editor. He is president emeritus of the National Space Society and a past president of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.This blog post is a book review. It is about becoming a better writer. I’ve just started reading Space Travel and am learning about rockets and some basics of physics. Other topics that are listed in the table of contents include orbit, living and working in space, space industries, space habitats, the moon, advanced spacecraft, the solar system, the stars, starships, the universe, legal aspects, and military uses of space.I hope you’ll join me in this blog in the future and open a discussion about writing in general and also the genre of science fiction. I’m not someone who has formalized training in science and I don’t work in an industry of the scientific nature, so I need all the help I can get.

Photo Credit: http://www.karinslaughter.com Cop Town is the first book I’ve listened to by Karin Slaughter. I am now a fan for life. The obstacles that Kate Murphy faces on her first day in the Atlanta Police Department in 1974 are intense and she has a lot more to her character than first impressions suggest. I really liked her family and some of their interactions. Kate handles herself well in a time and place where women are definitely treated differently than their male counterparts. It’s almost impossible not to cheer for her as she faces killers and bullies. My favorite character, however, was Maggie Lawson, a five-year veteran of the police department who has the added burden of being part of a family with a long law enforcement tradition. Anyone interested in reading or listening to Cop Town can see how intense in the basic subject matter of this book’s plot from the description, so I won’t go into that. I don’t like to do spoilers anyway. I will say that Slaughter’s research into law enforcement seems to be excellent. Karin Slaughter is now on my top five list of crime fiction novelists. I’ll be reading more books by her. (Kathleen Early did an excellent job narrating this book.)

Photo Credit: http://www.jaykristoff.com Stormdancer: The Lotus War Book One, by Jay Kristoff, has been on my to-read or listen-to list for a long time. Prior to the book’s release, the book cover illustration caught my eye and I read the description. The idea of Japanese steam punk intrigued me in many ways. I’ve never pre-ordered a book because my list of books to read is already too long, but I did put it on my wish list. After the book was released, I kept coming back to it but never quite found the time with so many other things going on—family, work, reading, writing, and getting through life in general. Anyone familiar with my blog or my reviews will know that I’m a big proponent of audiobooks. Part of the reason I like to listen to books is convenience, but I also just really enjoy the medium of storytelling. (Voice actors rock.) So I purchased my audiobook copy and began to listen, even though I was in the mood for crime fiction. I had just finished an excellent novel in that genre. So when I began to listen to Stormdancer, the story was starting with a couple of disadvantages. The newness of the idea and my first impression of the book cover had worn off and I was really in the mood for a murder mystery or crime drama of some sort. The extended courtship of this book definitely paid off. Stormdancer is one of the best books I’ve listen to or read in a long time. It fulfilled my expectations and surpassed them. As with many books of fantasy and other types of speculative fiction, I am often overwhelmed in the beginning by scene setting and world building. Perhaps it is because I read so many books that I have less and less patience for description. Now, that makes it seem like the description wasn’t good in Stormdancer, which is definitely not the case. Storm dancer is a vivid world that is built carefully and thoroughly. It meets one of my main criteria for fiction, in that I feel I can daydream there for extended periods of time. For this to work, there must be interesting and dangerous characters in addition to the world description. Early in the story, the characters take life and the stakes they face increase steadily. Jay Kristoff kept up the pressure until the end of the book, and I found myself lost in the fictive dream. I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series and hope it can match the quality of the first.

First of all, I want to thank Britt Ringel, an author a admire for his skill at crafting military space opera. (His books make me feel like I’m serving on a Brevic Republic Fast Ship). Britt invited me to answer a few questions, and I said, “Hell yeah, I want to be part of this tour!” (Scott Baughman started this blog chain off, so make sure to check out his web page Write Great, Scott!)1) What am I working on?As it happens, I am about to release a new urban fantasy / crime thriller called Die Like a Man. This story is set in the same universe as my Dragon Badge series, but is a stand alone novel. The main character has an exceedingly dark past he is trying to overcome and learns people he thought he killed are hunting him. I just had it edited using the BZ Hercules Triangulation Editing Service (highly recommended). The book cover for DLAM should be ready in about a week and I hope to publish by August 1st at the latest.As I was waiting for edits to come back on that project, I began working on Hellsbreach, book three of the Enemy of Man series (aka The Chronicles of Kin Roland). This book is very exciting, because it is the first in the series that takes Kin Roland and his companions off the planet of Crashdown and into the larger universe of the story. There are some great new characters. One of the favorite parts of writing Hellsbreach has been Rickson’s story. He’s joining Earth Fleet and experiencing the brutal training of a planetary forces trooper.2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?I’d like to list a bunch of incredible qualities of my science fiction writing that would make everyone immediately purchase the entire series. I suppose the main difference is in my basic writing style. I push the pace. The best thing I’ve done is develop the characters through action and dialogue. Each time I sit down to write, I focus on what I’m good at but try to improve certain areas. One of the reason’s I admire Britt Ringel’s science fiction, is that he really knows the details of military operations. I never had the privilege of serving in the military, so I’m still learning. My writer’s pledge is to strive for as much realism and believably as possible, which means reading a lot of science fiction and doing research. Now, my urban fantasy is unique. Which has been a bit of a problem. I once pitched a novel to an agent, Louise Fury, at a conference and she asked why I thought my novel was urban fantasy. (It wasn’t Dragon Badge, but similar project I’ve been working on for years.) She then told me that when she thought of urban fantasy, she thought of “book covers with tattooed chicks with swords”. (That’s not an exact quote, but pretty close.)My point is that a lot of urban fantasy has romance or chick-lit influences, or perhaps fits the young adult genre. I read and enjoy both. However, my version of urban fantasy leans toward horror with a touch of police procedural. That’s what I know. That’s what I write. I’d like to be the urban fantasy version of Michael Connelly someday…and learn to fly like Superman while I’m at it.My urban fantasy is written for adults. There is violence, profanity, and some sexual situations. None of these things are what the stories are about, but it is what it is. Stephen King and similar authors have a lot more of it. Yet I feel people should know what they are getting into when they buy something by me. Dragon Badge, like most of my writing, is not something for kids.3) Why do I write what I do?Creating fiction is a passion, a calling I’ve heard for most of my life. I decided a long time ago to write what I enjoy and pay the bills with a regular job if needed. My writing style is influenced by stories I’ve enjoyed and my life experience.4) How does your writing process work?I usually have several stories going at once. Once I have an idea, I write until I’ve explored the characters, setting, and possible plot. Then I outline using a four part structure advocated by Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. After, and sometimes during, the first draft, I analyze scenes and themes using the Book Architecture Method by Stuart Horwitz. I revise and edit using the Serenity Software Editor and the Pro Writing Aid.Then I send the manuscript to professional editors, either Samantha LaFantasie or BZ Hercules. I recruit other beta and proof readers when I can.What’s next?I’ve invited Josh Hayes and Jim Denney to participate in this tour and encourage readers to check them out.Jim Denney is the author of the Time Bender series for young adults and also writes an excellent series of nonfiction books on writing; including Writing in Overdrive and Write Fearlessly!Josh Hayes is a new writer with great potential that will hopefully be releasing his first book soon.

Charity Parkerson (Author)Hollie Jackson (Narrator)Last week I listened to Inoperative: Cyborg One and probably enjoyed the experience a little too much. Such is the way of well written erotica. Shall we call it a guilty pleasure? The vivid, exciting scenes definitely caught my imagination.Why did I like this story more than other erotica? The answers lies in the characters and the plot. I felt there was something at stake, and that the hero and heroine were going to face the danger.I highly recommend this story for fans of erotic fiction who also want a great story. Charity Parkerson does a great job and I look forward to reading her books (especially more in the Cyborg series).

Photo credit – blogs.publishersweekly.com John Steinbeck published East of Eden in 1952, and considered it his best work. As a Nobel Prize winning novelist, his opinion has serious weight. The story covers two family histories in the Salinas Valley, which is a favorite location of Steinbeck. On that note, I tried to read Tortilla Flats years ago and couldn’t get into it.East of Eden, on the other hand, enthralled me the first time I read it (about ten years ago) and delighted me when I recently listened to the audiobook version. During the first few chapters, I started to wonder if I had changed as a reader during the last decade. I’ve certainly read more and studied the craft of writing with ever increasing intensity.So how was round two of this classic novel? At first I marveled at the amount of physical description and information dump. But then I’d say to myself, “This is Steinbeck! You loved this book the first time. Maybe the draconian rules of writing well don’t always apply, especially for a literary great who clearly knew what he was doing.”Despite my proclivity for reading too much as a writer, I relaxed and enjoyed the show. I’ve only been to the Salinas Valley once, as a child–about the time I started writing, actually. Steinbeck brings the setting to life vividly, and though there is a lot of backstory and general information dumped into the description, it works. Regardless, the first chapter is almost entirely description. Weird, huh?After a time, the characters I remembered from the first time I read the book began to take the stage. Evil Cathy (Kate) Aimes, gullible Adam Trask, wise Samuel Hamilton, and my favorite, Lee the Chinese servant who raises Aron and Caleb, and Abra who loves Lee like a father and struggles to understand the brothers.I loved this book the second time. I plan to read a lot more Steinbeck in the years to come.