Across a Sea of Stars by Michael E. Gonzales – February,
2018 #blogabookscene #Spaceopera #PrairieRosePub @PrairieRosePub #FireStarPress
I sat editing another story the other day when I stopped to
consider just how many times I have read, reread, and read this story again and
again (was that redundant? It was meant to be.) Then it dawned on me, I will
never know what it is to read any of my stories for the first time. And no, I
don’t count all the work that went into creating the story as the first time.
I have literally spent a week writing a single paragraph, to
get it just the way I want it. A paragraph that a reader will gloss over in a
second or two.
I’ll never know the reaction of hitting that first plot
twist, never know the feeling of tension that I worked so hard to build.
And the climax, as well as the ending. What did if feel like
for them?
Book sales and reviews are a measure of how well I’ve
written, but I will never know the feeling of that first-time reader.
Makes me a little sad. What better way to judge your own
work than to read it for the first time?
Across a Sea of Stars
From an inexplicable anomaly on the surface of the Moon, an
astronaut, Captain Cris Salazar, is mysteriously conveyed to a distant
planetary system halfway across the galaxy. At the insistence of a strange old
man, he departs on a trek across the planet thinking he is seeking someone with
the ability to send him home, but he is being manipulated, and soon his strange
situation becomes immensely complicated.
His epic quest sees him ally with an alien woman, a near
giant, and a robotic intelligence.
With these three he must face a vast army with no fear of
pain or death, an enemy with supernatural powers, a madman with a vast armada,
and a dark secret. How can Cris possibly hope to return home…Across a Sea of
Stars?
EXCERPT:
Tattie simultaneously hit the
launch button and the violent detonation threw Cris against the
padded wall just under the hatch. The escape pod hurtled away from the ship.
Instantly,
Tattie saw that they were about to collide with the rear of the spinning ship.
"Brace yourself!" she
called back to Cris, and then fired her engine at full throttle. In her monitor, she saw
the stern coming closer. The great ship appeared to be ablaze as the friction
with the atmosphere increased. The G-forces on
their bodies climbed to incredible proportions as Tattie pushed the little pod
to get out of the way. It looked as if she were not going to make it. They had
cleared the hull,
but one of the extended
engine housings was now headed right for them, a collision was inevitable.
There were only
seconds remaining. Tattie shouted over her shoulder, "I love you, Cris!"
The moment Tattie looked back at
her monitor,
the heat from the reentry melted through the engine's support, and the
entire housing broke loose and was pulled down into the planet's atmosphere.
The escape pod then bolted free and into open space.
"Cris—Cris, we are free!"
Tattie screamed.
"We made it? We're still
alive?"
Now Tattie's voice was much more
serious, "Cris, come here and look at this."
Across a Sea of Stars is available on Amazon.
Images by Mike Gonzales.
Order Across a Sea of Stars here:
https://www.amazon.com/Across-Sea-Stars-Unborn-Galaxy/dp/1984038060/ref=as_sl_pc_as_ss_li_til?tag=httpliviajwac-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=b14117cef21e9d34ec121910787c5d19&creativeASIN=1984038060
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Moon-Rising-Unborn-Galaxy-ebook/dp/B01CBNSAEG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Broken-Moon-Unborn-Galaxy/dp/1540645681/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Web site:
http://www.mikegonzalesauthor.com/home.html
Follow me on Face Book:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010275572869
Labels: Across a Sea of Star, Action, Action Adventure,
Alien worlds, Aliens, battle, Dark Moon Rising, Michael E. Gonzales,
mikegonzalesauthor.com, Romance, science fiction, syfy
Email This
BlogThis!
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook
Share to Pinterest
Labels: #FireStarPress, #NewRelease, Across a Sea of Star,
Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Alien woman, Alien worlds, Aliens, Magic,
Prairie Rose Pub, robots, Romance, science fiction, Space Opera, witches and
wizards
Mike, I never thought about it like this--very interesting way to look at our writing. Though I must confess, as I have gotten older, I look back on some of the stuff I wrote long ago and think, "Well, I don't remember writing THIS." LOL
ReplyDeleteLove your stories--you have such a gift for worldbuilding, and that is not easy to do and make it REAL for readers!
Thank you Cheryl. But this consideration weighed on me when I first started to write. It began with the question, "What will others think of this?" I'll wager every writer has asked themselves that question.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeletePardon the tardiness of my response. Somehow I missed your article. I've had the same experience as Cheryl's in that I've gone back to read something I've written, and I have no recollection of writing it. And I agree with you that as writers, we do ask ourselves what others will think of our work.
Kay, yes. It's a funny thing. I reread a part of my first novel, Dark Moon Rising, and could not for the life of me recall writing that scene.
ReplyDeleteI've spoken to some friends who have read my latest novel, Across a Sea of Stars. Their comments, and questions, really set me aback. Theirs was a perspective I had not considered. I have employed two beta readers on a novel in the wings. Their comments caused me to rewrite the entire first chapter, and alter several other parts. I believe in beta readers now, you just have to be careful who ya hire.
Thank you for your comment.
Mike