"See your memories." by Michael E. Gonzales

I received one of those “See your memories” notices from facebook this morning.

“Three years ago…” and it displayed one of my early “art” works I used to advertise my first published book, Dark Moon Rising.

Three years and a few months ago I was just a guy writing in his spare time. A suggestion was offered that I might find writing cathartic. I had tried my hand at writing while still on active duty in the Army. As you might imagine an Army officer has very little spare time for any pursuit outside of his normal required duties.

Additionally, I wrote by hand, on paper, with a pen. Imagine.

Needless to say, that poor attempt was worthless, but I did enjoy it.

When I started writing again, I tried writing a fictional story set in WWII, drawing heavily on my own experience which, it turned out, was not a good idea.

That partially completed eight-thousand-word manuscript still exists, but it’s on a floppy disk and so lost to the world…thank heavens.

Sometime later I took my then young son to a science-fiction movie he wanted to see. The story concept was a good one but the movie was terrible. I thought to myself as we left the theatre, I could write that story better than that!

So, I put my computer where my big mouth is and sat down and did just that. I showed the completed work to friends who are sci-fi fans, and one fellow who’s a hard core “Trekkie.”

Every one of them said they really liked it, but I had a lot of punctuation errors and more than a few spelling mistakes.

Well, I started to generate stories and commit them to digital paper.

After I’d written over twenty stories a friend suggested I submit one to a publisher. I blew that Idea off. But, it sat, fermenting in my mind.

So, I started reading up on how to get published. I read all I could about query letters. I found gobs of Sci-Fi publishers who accepted these letters from unproven writers and started sending them out to all I could identify.

A couple actually asked to see the first three chapters. However, all ended up send me nice, boilerplate, rejection letters (I’ve kept them all).

Then by a happy circumstance I met Cheryl. I was only told that she used to be an editor and perhaps she could give me some advice.

We met one lovely afternoon for lunch. And we chatted for over two hours. She did indeed have great advice for me! I wrote it all down (still have the notes).

She asked that I send her my first chapter and she’d look it over.

After a few days she sent an email suggesting I get the manuscript professionally edited then send her the complete document.

After I learned what the editing was going to cost, I almost decided to let the entire matter drop.

        It was my wife who encouraged me and pushed me over the edge.

Once the editing was done, I sent the manuscript to Cheryl, all the while hoping I’d get it back loaded with advice and suggestions on how to improve my writing.

Some two or three weeks later I received an email from Cheryl explaining that she was with Prairie Rose Publications and offered me a contract.

I can’t begin to describe the since of surrealism that engulfed me at that moment.

I had to read the email and the contract twice more, then, I ran screaming out of the den looking for my wife to show the message to her.

“Are we reading the same thing?” I asked her.

Well…three years later and I have five books on the market, and a sixth awaiting publication.

With each published book I still get the same feeling, the same butterflies, as I did with the first.

And when I pick up any of them off my bookshelf and see my name on the cover it’s still surrealistic.

Was it fate, synchronicity, luck? I don’t know, may never know. But I do know that I owe a debt to Cheryl and the lovely people at Firestar Press who rolled the dice on me.

Thank you.

My Website - http://www.mikegonzalesauthor.com/

Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Gonzales/100010275572869

The other page on Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/GONZOfiction/?pnref=lhc

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Michael-E-Gonzales/e/B01CRR80RS

Publisher -http://prairierosepublications.com/authors_2/michael-e-gonzales/

Fire Star Press Blogspot -http://firestarpress.blogspot.com/

Writer's block. By Michael E. Gonzales

What writer has not encountered this little monster lurking in the dark recesses of his mind crushing all inspiration, threatening any muse who dare approach. He is the ogre of imagination, the troll of creativity.

Whether it be the search for some new story to commit to page, or that dreaded assault that stops you dead in the middle of a story. Writer’s block is a curse that comes to us all.

Volumes have been written on how to overcome this onerous creature, detailed instructions on how to slay the dragon that bars our path and threatens our sanity.

The demon knows that the writer must write, as he must breathe, to live.  This devil will stand above you and laugh as you struggle. Delight in your suffering, and nourish himself on your anguish.

His victory is to watch as you surrender, quit, give up.

Here then, comes the moment of truth. Many writers might display the white flag. But not so the author. And what is an author? A writer who did not quit.

I am no quitter. I have published works on the market. On my hard drive, right now, I have nineteen completed novels.

I have been spending a lot of time editing and rewriting those unpublished works, which as we all know is a major part of writing. However, I long to create a new world and fill it with people and creatures. To develop new heroes, new villains and to see them clash over stakes as high as the fate of the universe, the world, or perhaps…love.

I sat and opened MS word, at the top I typed “Page 1”. That’s as far as I’ve gotten.

At night I dream of a hollow tree that swallow me and I crawl through earthen tunnels choked with roots and teaming with all manner of horrible insects, spiders, and snakes.

Ahead of me I can see a wondrous light emanating from a magnificent cave bedazzled with precious stones. Sights of such beauty abound within this magical subterranean realm as to bring the most hardened man to his knees, his eyes filling with tears as he beholds such wonders.

Somehow, I am aware of all this, and more. My desire to reach this place is unmatched by anything in my experience. Yet―I cannot reach it. I claw my way through the dirt, gnaw through entrapping roots, suffer the bites of hundreds of bugs. But as I reach that marvelous cavern unseen hands grip my ankles and drag me back into the darkness.

I awaken from this nightmare, covered in sweat, breathing heavily, staring into the softly glowing face of my alarm clock. In my delirium the face of that clock begins to slowly spin and to morph until it becomes the face of an angle, perhaps my muse herself. She whispers…“Just write…just write.”

And so, that is exactly my intent. I will face that blank page and just write. Whatever comes to mind, I will just write. In so doing I truly believe inspiration will come to me.

Doubtless many of you have been here, confronted by the monster. What have you done to slay the beast?

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

And follow me on Face Book:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010275572869

* * * * * *

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

    

The Fifth on the Eighth. By Michael E. Gonzales

The Fifth on the Eighth. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! My new year is starting off with a great finish. On the eighth of January, 2019, the fifth and final story from The Unborn Galaxy…will be born.

The Blue of Antyllus is the sequel to The Vampires of Antyllus, and will answer the question, “will the human settlement of New Roanoke survive on the alien world or will the humans destroy themselves?”

Peace can be defined differently and so what one person may see as peace another may perceive otherwise. This absence of homogony among the humans will likely lead to the death of them all.

In The Blue of Antyllus you’ll find action, mystery, adventure and romance. Unrequited love, love forsaken and love denied. The outcome of the conflict will determine the future of several burgeoning loves. Whose will survive the wild blue? 

  

This was a difficult story for me to write. First, most of the characters are based on people I have actually known, real human beings whose real-life stories ended far too soon.

I have, in my story, breathed life back into these people, so that they and I…and you, might share one last great adventure together. Also, I have put my characters, both good and bad, through hell, and not all of them will get the deserts they so greatly deserve. Very much like real life.

The alien world of Antyllus is moving forward under new rule now that the war has been fought and won. With the native E’meset tribe joining with the emerging rebel Earth forces against Wilmington, the nefarious commander of the corrupt IIEA army of mercenaries, a tenuous peace has been patched together—but the solution for that peace is not workable for some, and whispers of a deadly uprising are in the wind...

Captain Nash Rastaban tries to rebuild his life after being duped into fighting with Wilmington’s iniquitous forces He is recruited by Dave Mitchell to help quell the mercenaries who plan to take over Antyllus—a battle he wants no part of. But when he stands to lose all he holds dear, he realizes that peace is something he is going to have to fight for—this time, on the right side.

Will Antyllus ever be settled? Can the E’meset trust the humans and SUBs to fight alongside them against those corrupt officials who would take over Antyllus for their own gain? Power is a formidable motivator, but Antyllus—and all it stands for—is worth this fight…worth dying for. Nash and the ragtag band of soldiers he leads are determined to protect their homes, their loves, and their lives—even if it means making a last, defiant stand here in THE BLUE OF ANTYLLUS…

Travel with me under the surface of the moon and try to survive. Join me in heated combat inside Earth lunar base. Cross a Sea of Stars with me for the adventure of a lifetime. Journey several light years into space to save an entire race and then return with me to that world in The Blue of Antyllus.

o0o

My next story will move us away from science fiction and into the realm of Fantasy...

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

And follow me on Face Book:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010275572869

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

New Release -- The Vampires of Antyllus (The Unborn Galaxy Book 4) by Michael E. Gonzales #firestarpress #prairierosepubs #sciencefiction

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?

EXCERPT

     Kathy saw the net stop then zoomed in on Illat, who yanked hard on the line. Illat could see the net was stuck so he wisely stopped trying to pull it.

     Kathy refocused on the net. Dave was ripping the top of it apart with his one good hand. Then he jumped up and grabbed the vine just as the net fell out from around him. Kathy was shocked. Had she been a breather, she would have gasped. "Dave!" She cried out, knowing full well he would not hear her at this distance with the river roaring below him.

     She knew Dave was without the use of his right arm, so she instantly understood what she had to do. Without hesitation, she leapt up and grabbed the vine and started to hand over hand her way out to Dave as fast as she could. The farther out she got, the more she had to slow down, her movement was causing a wave affect in the vine that was bouncing Dave up and down. She could not eliminate this effect but she could minimize it by slowing down. As strong as Dave might be, he was still trying to maintain a grip on a wet, swinging, bouncing vine.

     When she finally got to him, she spoke first. "Are you this much fun on every date?"

   

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
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

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

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

Blog-a-Book-Scene is a monthly themed blogging endeavor from a group of authors who love to share excerpts from their stories. Find us on Twitter with the hashtag #blogabookscene and #PrairieRosePub.

My third novel, Across a Sea of Stars, is now available, and I can’t tell you how excited I am. I hope everyone who reads my story enjoys it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Almost all the main characters are based on actual people I have known, some I served with. I miss the time I spent on Nazer, and hopefully, you will too.

February’s theme is All you need is love.  The excerpt below is from my Science-Fiction novel, Across a Sea of Stars.

EXCERPT:

"Wow." Cris said.

"Is that an oath?" Tattie asked.

"No—it's just—wow. The moonlight off your face is really bewitching,"

"You think me a Sorgina?"

"No, Tattie, I—"

"You think I've cast a spell on you?"

"I didn't say—"

"Then I'll have to break that spell, won't I?"

Her arms slowly encircled his neck and she kissed him, pulling her body into his. His arms, slowly at first, engulfed her. In their embrace, they slowly sank below the water. Cris hardly noticed. The warmth she brought now exploded inside him. He felt a joy he'd never known, he felt stirrings deep inside his soul that he had never felt or even imagined possible. His desire for her was bound to another feeling he did not recognize; their combined heat melted the two emotions, and together they combined into one. The seething heat of his passion fired a furnace within him that powered a new engine whose pistons hammered in his chest and in his mind.

The water around them seemed to boil and a light formed where their breasts met. The light grew in intensity until the entire pool was aglow.

Tattie and Cris were both blinded by the light's brilliance. Their eyes closed tight, but their lips never parted and the water seemed to evaporate around them. Then the rocks, the forest, and the planet itself all dissolved until they floated free in a swirl of stars. A yellow light ripped the firmament apart and Cris's eyes opened. It was dawn and he and Tattie lay naked upon the water's edge, where they had slept.

Across a Sea of Stars is available on Amazon.

  

Images by Mike Gonzales, one by NASA.

Next month’s theme, “Beware the Ides of March."

Until then,

Mike

Michael E. 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

New Release -- ACROSS A SEA OF STARS (The Unborn Galaxy Book 3) by Michael E. Gonzales -- #firestarpress

Astronaut Cris Salazar is assigned to the Moon colony, JILL, for the study of an enigmatic singularity on the lunar surface. During an experiment within the crater Hohmann, Cris is captured in a peculiar gravitational field and is transported halfway across the universe.

His craft is wrecked in a strange world, and though he survives, he learns that his rough landing has accidently killed the son of the tyrannical ruler—and now, Cris must pay…or escape. But how can he leave innocents to face the chaos he’s inadvertently caused?

The inhabitants of this alien civilization come to Cris’s aid, and a wizard sets him on a quest that seems impossible to accomplish alone. But as he sets out on this dangerous mission, Cris is joined by a mystical and beautiful huntress, a near-giant, and a robotic intelligence.

Bloody battle and gut-wrenching loss in his own past have left Cris heartsore and reckless, but a journey that begins as a desperate bid for his own survival takes on new meaning as he finds something—and someone—to care about once more.

With billions of lives at stake—including those who have joined him in the deadly fight against advancing evil forces, Cris embraces a destiny he could never have anticipated from light years away ACROSS A SEA OF STARS...

EXCERPT:

     Cris dismounted his Eagle and had reached the side of the LPC, his internal coms set to the emergency freq. "Charlie, this is Eagle, I'm right outside—can you hear me?" There came no response. "Charlie, can you open the hatch? I'm right outside your hatch!"

     Cris saw the hatch quiver, and then it popped open a few centimeters at the top. This hatch was hinged at the bottom. Undamaged, this door would have come down and become a set of stairs allowing access to the interior, but the hull was now warped, jamming the hatch. Cris grabbed the door along the top and pulled with all his might. Inside, the one uninjured man and the wounded man with the still-intact suit were pushing with all their strength. The door held up well, but at last gave in and came crashing down to a surface now level with the bottom of the LPC.

     Cris looked up to see one of the men collapse and the other bend down to aid him. Cris rushed in and grabbed the standing man. He looked up into Cris's face, fear written in his expression. "Can you hear me?" Cris asked, mouthing the words as he spoke aloud. The other man shook his head.

     Cris rushed in beyond these two in order to locate the man with the damaged suit. There he was, unconscious on the floor, an emergency suit repair applied to his right leg. There was also a good amount of blood frozen to the deck. Cris again grabbed the uninjured man, pointed at the unconscious man and the floor, held up one finger, and mouthed, "First." 

     The other man nodded. They both grabbed the injured man and headed for the Eagle. Once there, Cris opened the airlock, and together they got the unconscious fellow inside. He indicated to the other man to get into the airlock with the injured man in order to operate the mechanism. As the man started climbing aboard, Cris went back to gather the man on the floor who showed no obvious wound, but was nonetheless dazed. He put his arm around him and aided him back toward the Eagle.

     As the Eagle's airlock door was opening, a familiar and aggravated voice came over his coms. "Hatchling Three, this is Mother Bird, what's your status? Over." 

     "Mother Bird, I am engaged in a rescue operation, I have three survivors, two are wounded, one severely, please notify medical, I will be inbound to Hotel Sierra in five mikes with an ETA of forty mikes. Over."

     The tone of the voice changed dramatically. "Roger, Hatchling Three, wilco. Keep us advised. Out."

     

Which Book? By Michael E. Gonzales

I have often asked myself, “What makes the reader, of any given genre, choose one book over another?”

Number one, of course, is author recognition.

However, as I can a test, new, unknown authors oft times get their books read too.

There are many factors, the synopsis, the title, the cover, the reviews, and of course a good marketing plan.

But when the rubber meets the road it’s a reader, sitting at his computer, or standing by the shelves in a bookstore, who makes the final choice. With luck, it’s your book (or better yet, mine) that she purchases.

But why?

On Amazon, there are over six million titles. What induced the reader to select one book over the other?

Oh…I wish I knew.

There have been studies, of course, they can tell you what age group of what gender buys what genre, in what quantiles, at what time of year…during a full moon.

I’m sure keener, cooler, more analytical minds than mine can put this data to good use. Would that I was one of them.

Characters too, will aid a reader in that decision. A fellow writer recently asked, “What is it that makes a character memorable?” an outstanding question!

Memorable characters have been both protagonist and antagonist. In Lord of the Rings, Frodo is as well remembered as Sauron.

Few remember Professor Pierre Aronnax, but none can Forget Captain Nemo.

Do we look for ourselves in the hero of a story? And what if we see our reflection in the villain?

In a comment from a woman who read Dark Moon Rising, my first novel, she lamented that I had spent too much time on character development, she thought I should jump right into the action. In fact, we’ve all read stories where you get to know the characters as the main body of the action unfolds.

This is not at all wrong, of course. It has been said that if you don’t grab the reader’s attention on the first page, better the first paragraph, then you never will. No pressure there.

I like to have my protagonist, and some of his back story, developed before I drop him, or her, into the thick of things. Think of the Wizard of OZ, we pretty well know Dorothy before she piggybacks a ride on that twister.

In Across a Sea of Stars, we’ll get to know Captain Chris Salazar, before he’s off the see the wizard. But as the story unfolds we’ll learn he is a very troubled young man who is, literally, haunted by his past.

The plethora of characters Chris meets on his journey will of course develop as the story unfolds. We will like some of them a great deal, love several more, and totally despise others.

In Across a Sea of Stars I have blended Science-Fiction with Fantasy, and Romance, and created a story that I believe will captivate every reader no matter your age, gender, or favorite genre. It will enthrall you no matter how many you purchase, regardless of the month of year…and during any phase of the moon.

You may have noted that I failed to answer even one of the questions posed in this piece, that's because I'm still learning. And frankly I think the answers to the questions will all be very subjective. I don't believe, as I once did, that there is a magic writing formula out there kept a closely guarded secret by a select kabal of wildly successful authors.

The real answer is talent and imagination, and though you can get a definition for each in the dictionary, the concepts are still subjective. We've all discussed popular books with others, and though most love them, there are always those who consider the author a no talent bum. 

I believe it was PT Barnum who said, I will paraphrase him here,

"You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time."

By this I mean to say, there is an audience out there for every author.

Please Visit my page, Michael Gonzales, fictionist:http://www.mikegonzalesauthor.com/home.html

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