Einar of Vindemiatrix by Michael E. Gonzales

As I write these lines, we are on the event horizon of the release of my latest novel, Einar of Vindemiatrix.

This story marks my first sojourn in to the genera of Fantasy and a temporary step back from Space Opera.

I found this story difficult to write because I have a logical thought process, and in Fantasy logic, and the rules of physics are overpowered by magic.

Fantastical creatures, monsters, powers that defy explanation, these combined with more comprehensible things like, envy, greed, lust, all of which merge to present an aging Knight with foes beyond his formidable skill as a warrior.

He will need help and receives it from the strangest places.

“When Good King Thurban the Great is murdered at the hand of his younger brother, very few of his loyal knights survive. Sir Einar, one of the fiercest knights of King Thurban’s realm, has lost his entire family in the carnage. Giving up on a life of his own, he chooses to travel and teach others the principles of chivalry. For those who believe in a knightly code, he will also show them the deadly way to wield a sword in battle—including Ascella, a young woman who convinces him she will make an apt student.

“Though many years have passed since Einar’s painful losses and King Thurban the Great’s murder, the knight finds a way to avenge his honorable liege—but he cannot do it alone. To return Vindemiatrix to the rightful heir and restore the holdings to their former glory, he needs magic—the most powerful magic he can find.

“With the help of a powerful witch, an army of centaurs, and beautiful Ascella, Einar is determined to find a way to make things right once more in the land he loves. But he’s never fought an enemy so prepared to hold Vindemiatrix in its powerful grip—and this is a battle to the death. Can he risk losing everything he holds dear a second time?”

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Come Blow yer Horn! By Michael E. Gonzales

It’s been said that if you don’t blow yer own horn, no one will blow it for ya. 

With that said, I'm happy to report that friends who have read my latest release, The Blue of Antyllus, tell me it’s my best work so far.

The Blue of Antyllus is a blending of science-fiction and the fantastic. A story of war and heart-rending desperation.

Amidst the treachery and blood shed, or perhaps despite it, love takes root but is severely tested. Some will live, some will die. But that is the nature of war, and as always it tests which is stronger, war or love.

I hope my friends are right about Antyllus, for I have many more stories in the offing. Indeed, I shall next lay before you a tale from eons past, from a world where dragons and witches are still a worrisome thing.

A story from a kingdom where evil has vanquished good and a lone, aged knight is faced with usurpers, betrayal, conjurers, dragons, and bands of ruthless cutthroats.

The knight summons all his strength to help the people of a village where the children vanish, one by one.

Little does he know where his crusade will lead him.

The dark ages were never this dark.

Please visit my Web Site:  http://www.mikegonzalesauthor.com/home.html

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* * * * * *

Dark Moon Rising, Battle of Broken Moon, Across a Sea of Star, The Vampires of Antyllus, Action, Action Adventure, Alien worlds, Aliens, battle, Dark Moon Rising, FireStarPress, Michael E. Gonzales, mikegonzalesauthor.com, NewRelease, Romance,science fiction, syfy

Book 5 The last of the series. By Michael Gonzales

You read book four in The Unborn Galaxy Series, The Vampires of Antyllus, you traveled millions of miles to join Earth’s first interstellar colony on a completely alien world.

There, you learned of the great evil stalking the land. You journeyed through and faced the incredible dangers of the blue forest. You trod the ancient streets of deserted cities once peopled with the dwindling indigenous population. Your mission ― to alert the commander to the proof you gathered at great risk.

Ultimately you found yourself in a war, outnumbered and out of options.

How you lived through it you cannot imagine.

You thought, as you closed the book on the last page, that you were leaving Antyllus, and its duel population, happy, and at peace.

You could not have been more wrong!

Dr. Eltanie Austrini, known as Tanny to her friends, had been among the last to arrive on Antyllus from Earth. She, and all the civilian non combatants were only released from their many safe rooms in the colony structure as hostilities ceased.

She was seeing this new world for the first time and she was overcome with wonder and curiosity.

Peace and happiness are defined differently by different people.

Recovery after the battle would take a great deal of work, there were wounded to care for, the dead to burry, and the colony facility was badly damaged and demanded immediate attention if the humans were to survive.

 Those who arrived here for reasons other than settlement, and who are now trapped on this alien world with no hope of rescue, see this peace as a life sentence at hard labor. They see themselves as slaves. But―they have a plan.

The relationships that spring up between Tanny and a former enemy, between a soldier and an E'meset woman, could just be collateral damage in the inevitable conflict to come.

Book five of The Unborn Galaxy.

Please visit my Website: mikegonzalesauthor.com

And follow me on Face: GONZOfiction

Dark Moon Rising, Battle of Broken Moon, Across a Sea of Star, The Vampires of Antyllus, Action, Action Adventure, Alien worlds, Aliens, battle, Dark Moon Rising, FireStarPress, Michael E. Gonzales, mikegonzalesauthor.com, NewRelease, Romance,science fiction, syfy

Building a world - by Michael E. Gonzales

Building a world.

I have received several compliments on the “worlds” I have built for my story and characters to live in.

“Mike, how do you do it?”

Well, first it should be known that I read a lot of books, and articles on the internet, about writing in general, and world building specifically.

But, of course it all has to start in the mind. For me, I must see every detail come to life. The dark void in my mind must fill with the visuals in extreme detail.  I sit and imagine the set where my drama will play out. I close my eyes and see the places where my adventure will occur.

Latter, I’ll go on line, find images that look as I see them and then, in photoshop I alter them to better resemble my invented locals. I do this to assist me in visualization and thus description.

But eventually you have to put it all down on paper.

A general map of the entire planet (if your going all over it) or just the area of the world where your story unfolds. Mountains, lakes, streams, rivers, seas, and of course the cities and towns, and give a name to each.

If the story takes place in just one town, you need to draw out the city plan, mark the important structures, and give a name to every street. The same is true for the larger world, even if you don’t plan to use these details go on and name the lakes, streams, rivers, and adjacent habitations. Determine the distances between the locations.

All this will aid you in maintaining consistency and continuity in your story.

Worlds, even those in science fiction and fantasy have more to them than just terrain features. You must consider the flora and fauna. If the world is…other worldly, then you must dream up plants and animals that fit your world.

For example, in The Vampires of Antyllus the planet orbits a red star binary system and the planet is smaller than Earth. These two facts dictate a lot about the flora and fauna. Red stars (the most plentiful type of star in the galaxy) do not put out as much light as our own sun and in a different wavelength.  So, day time on Antyllus will be just a tad brighter than twilight. This means the plants will be darker in color. Shades of dark blue, mostly, but also black, burnt orange, deep red, these colors will absorb more of the stars energy which is necessary for photosynthesis.

The trees, generally, will be taller, due to the low gravity (smaller planet, remember?) and so will the animal life, they will be bigger, stronger, meaner.

 This applies to the anthropoid life as well.

Let’s call the anthropoids “people”. These people will have their own civilization, their own culture, their own religion. It’s really important that you invent and detail all of this.

And of course, the people from Earth are not living in our “universe”. The civilization and culture they live in will not be that which we are familiar with. So, this is where you must employ a bit of speculative fiction, and guess either about the future, or invent a new Earth culture from the ground up.

Create as much detail as you can before your start. However, as we all know, things happen as you write, new places and things spring forth from your fertile imagination that might just change the course of your story. When this happens, go to your records and to your map and make note of the new additions.

As for the stuff you don’t use, it’s okay, leave it be. You might have call to reference those notes in the future.

For me world building is not only critical, but a great deal of fun as well. On your first draft, go crazy, you can always readdress it later.

With your pen, or your computer, you can wield the power of creation!

Please visit my Web Site:  http://www.mikegonzalesauthor.com/home.html

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Thank you!

 Dark Moon Rising, Battle of Broken Moon, Across a Sea of Star, The Vampires of Antyllus, Action, Action Adventure, Alien worlds, Aliens, battle, Dark Moon Rising, FireStarPress, Michael E. Gonzales, mikegonzalesauthor.com, NewRelease, Romance,science fiction, syfy

How my dog helps me write. Michael E. Gonzales

On the 5^th of this month the fourth book in my series, The Unborn Galaxy, will be released. Number four, still very exciting. I hope the thrill of a new release never gets old.

This forth book will take those who have been following the many adventures spawned on JILL, the Joint International Lunar laboratory, far, far from the Earth's solitary satellite.

A distant world in orbit around a binary red star set, light years away, holds the promise of humanity’s future. It also contains a deadly secret that unleashes the worst of all greed and the unthinkable—those who would kill for blood.

When Lieutenant Colonel Kathy Selina is offered the choice to relocate to the Antyllus colony, she hardly has a choice.  The military has not only training and time invested in her, but she’s also been given a new SUB body to defeat the deadly disease that would have killed her, as a human.  Kathy, along with her executive officer, Major Dave Mitchel, a handful of SUBs, and the members of the Colony Defense Force, must pit their skills and abilities against the most malevolent enemy the universe has ever faced.

Failure will mean a terrible end for the planet’s native inhabitants, those who’ve come to colonize Antyllus, and certain death for the small cadre of defenders, as well. In a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, how can Kathy, Dave, and their band of soldiers defend an entire world against THE VAMPIRES OF ANTYLLUS?

“Mike, where do you come up with this sh― ah…stuff?” Friends frequently ask me. Well, there are many sources of inspiration. My dog is one of them.

We are a Doberman family. Our dog, Sarge, is a dark chocolate color, he a flop eared and he is a beloved member of our family.

Dobermans get a bad rap as vicious. This would only be true of our Sarge if he thought someone were threatening or hurting a member of his pack.

With us and our friends he’s a real sweetheart. And we just love him.

A month or so ago I wanted to start a new story could not think of anything to write.

I had been watching Sarge play “ring” with Max, our son (Sarge’s brother), then watched him sleep on Max’s lap. Later he came into the den to keep me company.

The TV was on and I noted that with certain sounds emanating from the set he would alert. Doorbells, dogs barking, and gun shots.

I smiled at him and thought to myself, My hero.

It was then that my imagination kicked in, and I began to visualize Sarge as a superhero.

That made me laugh.

Then I started to see him in many guises. As a soldier I saw him, rifle in hand, prepared to do battle with Zombie dogs! He is victorious and returns home an American Hero!

As an Astronaut he journeys into deepest space seeking out new worlds and new life, boldly going where no Doberman has gone before!

Perhaps on another planet he discovers alien Dobies!

And has to deploy robotic drones to keep them at bay!

Well, I never incorporated any of those daydreams into a story, but he sure helps stir up the creative juices. Perhaps the world is ready for a superhero dog? Ah, now I think about it, it’s been done. Of course, not with a Doberman!

The one thing I can say for sure…he is a lover.

Doberman Pinschers eat a lot. They are a large breed dog. If you love dogs as much as I do you’d hate to see one go hungry, so please purchase a copy of my new novel, “The Vampires of Antyllus,” a story he did donate a little inspiration too.

Thanks, ya’ll.

My Web Site:  http://www.mikegonzalesauthor.com/home.html

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Self-aggrandizement by Michael E. Gonzales

Ah, May. The month of my birth, but enough painful reminders.

A friend of mine, a former Special Forces NCO, (all my friends are veterans…hmm)

is today an outstanding professional photographer. He has offered to take a headshot of me for use on the back cover of my books.

As intriguing as that thought was, at first, I began to struggle with two thoughts. What if younger readers turn the book over and see a gray haired old guy.

Might that not cause them to turn away from my literary offering?

The second hits me a bit harder.

The thought of self-aggrandizement.

Some would say that is the very essence of advertising.

I don’t agree, my advertisements promote the novels, not the author.

The same with using quotes from your reviews. Is it really cool for an author to do that? Might not the reader conclude that the author has only selected the positive comments?

Example: a recent comment reads, “If you like to sleep then DON’T buy this book. It will keep you up at nights until you're finished.”

And platitudes like, “One of the best science fiction stories I have ever read! Non-stop heart pounding action from beginning to end!”

I mean…that stuff makes me blush.

And come on, a review like, “Fantastic story! Well written. Reminds me of the greats of the golden age of science fiction.”

Really? The greats…WOW. I am so humbled! (And I mean that, now!)

It’s one thing to read these things in the privacy of one’s own study, but to know they are out there for anyone to read, well―

And then a fan goes as far as to suggest: “His descriptions, at every turn, places you on the moon and in the room as the main characters struggle for survival. Intrigue permeates this novel as we are introduced to AI and aliens in a way that brings this story to life. I am excited about the next book and can't wait to see this sci-fi series in IMAX Technicolor.

IMAX? I truly feel that is going way overboard. Regular old 3-D will be just fine. No, really. (And not to put too fine a point on it, but…what’s not shot in technicolor anymore?)

At the same time, an astute observer will find hints to tell him what he’s doing right, and what he needs to improve on, “I feared a non-techie, such as myself, might get lost in scientific techno speak, but not so; there was just enough to explain what was going on, I didn’t feel overwhelmed by it.”

And of course, there are areas that need improvement… “I have never been a science fiction person, however, half way through this book I am already excited to read the rest of the series!” 

Half way? I certainly should have grabbed her far earlier than that!

Then, as we all know, come the personal attacks. One critic started with, “The world of science fiction authors and readers will welcome new author Michael Gonzales.” And with that the writer went on to accuse me of being a “world builder!”

I want to make it quite clear, right now, I have absolutely no political aspirations…none!

So, in conclusion, I feel I shall have to achieve considerably more fame before I post pictures of myself or stoop to quoting from reviews of my work in public forums.

I thank you,

Mike

(All quotes in this bit of protracted rambling can be found on my Amazon site. https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/1540645681/ ).

And while your there, do feel free to purchase any or all of my novels.

My Web Site:  http://www.mikegonzalesauthor.com/home.html

Please 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, 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

An editor is an absolute necessity. By Michael E. Gonzales

Across a Sea of Stars by Michael E. Gonzales – April, 2018 #blogabookscene #Spaceopera #PrairieRosePub @PrairieRosePub #FireStarPress #sciencefiction

I realize that for the most part I’m speaking to the experienced (“preaching to the choir”). I hope that this blog may be seen by new authors, and that they may benefit from it.

Who among us has not prepared a story for publication and in doing so read it dozens upon dozens of times? Checking spelling, punctuation, making those endless little tweaks. Perhaps even rewriting a few pages, scenes, whole chapters?

Have you not come to a point where you almost had the entire manuscript memorized? Were you not absolutely convinced that your work was as polished as it could be. Perfect, in every aspect, and ready for the printed page!

Yet, your publisher, in her infinite wisdom, insists you employ the

talents of a professional editor!

"Outrageous!"  I, as a neophyte writer declared.

I decided to do that which I knew for certain was unnecessary, because I was willing to do anything to see my words in print, I succumbed and sent my precious manuscript off to the recommended editor.

I was surprised at how long the editor took to respond. I had assumed I would almost instantly receive an email praising me for fabulous work, expounding on my brilliant elucidation of complex scientific principles, raves on my unique story, my ability to develop a character, to build worlds in the reader's mind.

Impatient, I sent out an email casually inquiring how she was proceeding, to wit, “What the Hell’s take’n you so long? Don’t you recognize genius when you see it?”

Almost a month later I received my manuscript back. Though in ‘word’ I was amazed at all the virtual blood she bleed on my poor story. “This is not a murder mystery!” I shouted (awaking my poor wife who was not quite yet accustomed to the eccentricities I was to develop as a writer).

As I went through my perfect manuscript, now reduced to emergency room waste, I was shocked to discover misspellings, and punctuation errors. To compound my embarrassment, she’d gone as far as to suggest countless little tweaks and recommend the rewriting of entire pages, scenes, and whole chapters!

I was aghast.

I had to reread it twice, then submit myself to a cool down period. And a few days in the company of Lord Glenlivet.

Then epiphany befell me as does a ton of brick! She was right. Absolutely right on ninety-eight percent of her calls (no, not a hundred percent, I did a few things right).

I accepted the recommended corrections, this made the publisher happy. The book was published and so I am happy.

The moral to this tale is…listen to your publisher when she demands an editor and listen to your editor when she suggests changes.

My story is still my story and published. And we writers know how difficult that is in this day and age.

I submit all my manuscripts to my beloved editor now. Trust between a writer and his/her editor is essential. Once you have it, hang on to it.

###

Below is an excerpt from my novel, Across a Sea of Stars. This is a scene that on its face seems quite simple, but one I mused over for days. Still, there was something about the finished product that just didn’t work. I could not see the problem, but my editor saw it instantly and I could not have been more pleased with her suggestion.

You save me from the morka, and if you hadn't volunteered to

assist me, I feel sure I would have died in those woods."
"No Cris, I did not see that in your future."
"My future? You saw my future?"
"Not as you think, more like when you see clouds that you know will bring rain."
"So, what did you see?"
"Just possibilities. This event with your leg almost brought those possibilities to a harsh end. Nothing is carved upon the side of the mountain that cannot be eroded away, Cris."

Cris had trouble getting to sleep that night. The world around him was filled with strange sounds. The light of the dancing flames from the torches and fire pots created bizarre shadows against every surface he could see.

###

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
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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, 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