Monday, February 22, 2016

Fun Times! A Launch, a Birthday, a Mini-Review and a Surprise

SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF A SPACEFREIGHTER

Congrats to Donna on the launch of TROUBLE IN MIND. Woohoo! The second novel in the Interstellar Rescue series has been loosed upon the universe, and the universe seems to love it. Bery, bery excited for you, D!

Unfortunately, I was (yet again) bushwhacked by my lovely internet service provider and couldn't participate in the big Launch Day Event on Facebook--but at least my books did, many thanks to Lea Kirk, author of the recently released Sci-Fi Romance PROPHECY, for stepping into my shoes...so to speak.

So, yes, I've been a bit quiet this past week, but I'm now up and running again. Not having internet is a very depressing thing. It's like SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Loss of interest, depression, sadness, despair. Yep, that totally fits.

Maybe we should call this condition OAD...Offline Affective Disorder. Same symptoms. A truly debilitating disorder--and that goes triple for authors.

As Chekov would say, "I am wery, wery happy to be back!"


BIRTHDAY...MAKE IT A DOUBLE

I'm celebrating TWO birthdays today. *Twirls noisemaker whilst wearing silly hat*

INHERIT THE STARS PART I: FLIGHT launched exactly one year ago today. Really! It's been a year. Of course, Parts II and III of the serialized novel didn't launch until March 1, the complete e-novel followed in April, and the print version in May, but this was my official "launch date," so I think it merits a celebration.

The second birthday I'm celebrating is...mine! Yup, it's mah birfday! How old am I? Well, let's put it this way. I became eligible for retirement today...and I officially retire this Friday.

A little more on that next week.


MINI-REVIEW OF LOST STARS

LOST STARS
Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Claudia Gray

"Eight years after the fall of the Old Republic..."

I recently finished this novel and I'm offering my take with no spoilers that aren't already explained on the back cover. LOST STARS is a bonafide Sci-Fi Romance about two young people from an outer rim planet who forge an early friendship via shared love of all things starship and flying.

When they later attend the Imperial Academy together, they begin to see how the central core plots against those from the "lesser" outer rim worlds. But nothing will prepare them for the events that unfold as they begin their careers--and this is where it really gets fun. In time, the two young lovers will make hard choices and be divided by their ideals. They end up on opposing sides of the conflict. The reader is afforded a journey through A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi from two completely different perspectives and experiences.

And I promise you this, you'll never view the original trilogy or the opening Jakku scenes of The Force Awakens the same way again! You'll know things that you didn't know before.

The story is competently written by a New York Times best-selling author, and although it has a YA/NA feel due to the coming of age beginnings and less than steamy love scenes, it still tells a fascinating story that was nicely interwoven into the better known Star Wars saga. I give it four stars for overall storytelling and five stars for the privilege of experiencing universe-altering events via the thoughts and emotions of two new characters.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves Star Wars lore and would like to relive the rebels vs. empire conflicts in totally new ways. **** 1/2

Here's another review from The Geek's Attic on YouTube.




MONDAY SURPRISE

I've often lamented the demise of our space shuttle program. But as it turns out, we do still have a space shuttle! Who knew? It's secret, it's unmanned, and it's already completed a nearly 700-day orbit. Surprise!

Air Force Space Plane

Have a great week!

~~~ * ~~~
 


3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the shout-out, Laurie! So sorry you couldn't be with us for the Launch Party (Evil Internet Gremlins!), but as you say, Lea did a great job and you were there in spirit! Congrats on your "book birthday" and Happy Birthday to you, too!

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  2. Thanks so much, Donna and Pippa. It was a landmark, on both counts. :)

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