EG Manetti – Interstellar Top Guns and other Swashbucklers

 

In recent months both Laurie A. Green  and Veronica Scott  have discussed how Top Gun SFR (classic sci-fi action and adventure) runs counter to the current trend of alien abductions by warriors who may or may not resemble humans.  Depending on the author, ‘Top Gun’ SFR may or may not include steam with the romance. Mine do. 

As described by Laurie A Green, “Top Gun Science Fiction Romance centers on characters like Han Solo, Jim Kirk, Mal Reynolds, or Starbuck, and not necessarily just pilots, but also ship’s captains, fleet admirals, rogue privateers, crack navigators, or anyone who knows their way around a space vessel and how to use their skills and their ship to the fullest potential.”

Within The Twelve Systems Chronicles, several characters fit this brief, all supporting characters who will (someday) have standalone stories. Fletcher Detrenti first appears in Bright Star (The Apprentice, Volume 2) but demonstrates his Top Gun skills in Transgressions (The Apprentice, Volume 3) where he competes in the Third System’s annual moon races.

“Developed from fighter training, the race uses a serpentine course designed to test the reflexes, strategic analysis, and raw courage of the eighteen contenders. The only distinction between the current sport and the ancient training games is that the race flyers are not equipped with fireburst cannons.”

His sidekick, Nickolas starts the series as a bit of a jerk, but under Fletcher’s influence develops his own Top Gun capabilities which are pulled to the forefront in the same battle as Fletcher’s.

While Fletcher is the classic solo pilot Top Gun, the Nightingale’s captain, Raleigh, is more of the swashbuckler that inspired his name.  A free-trader with limited, if any, respect for authority and hierarchy, he has fought pirates and bootstrapped an inter-stellar shipping empire into a formidable enterprise. Through a twist of fortune, he is convinced to serve as captain of the first stellar exploration vessel in over two centuries. 

“Stellar transit among the Twelve Systems is dependent on passage markers known as beacons; beyond these boundaries, automated stellar discoverers routinely disappear without a trace. It has been two centuries since the last stellar explorer and its crew ventured from the Twelve Systems. To build a stellar exploration vessel is to accept almost unimaginable financial and physical risk.”

After successfully guiding the Nightingale to the Thirteenth System, Raleigh must turn and defend it from an invading fleet. With a tenth of the invaders’ firepower, he holds out for most of a day until the armada arrives.

 Nightingale’s bridge is at capacity, crowded with the command crew, alpha flyers, medical staff, and the militia captain. The junior officers are standing where they can remain out of the way of the duty stations.

The captain is a compelling figure, his height apparent when seated. His close-cropped black hair is as no-nonsense as the man. The black eyes above prominent cheekbones are filled with dagger-sharp intelligence. Raleigh shifts his gaze to the main reviewer, where fourteen glowing dots orbit Bright Star Prime. “Fletcher’s estimate was optimistic. Those freighters could easily transport five thousand. And they are heavily armored. If they land, the cannon fireburst needed to destroy them will scorch hundreds of miles. It would be decades before those wastes could regenerate.”

Jonathan’s justice. Twenty thousand, plus another seven hundred in the despoiler fleet. Three symbols correct Nickolas’ earlier coded alerts.

“Distraction,” Bran says. The navigator’s frown of concentration deepens the crow’s feet that bracket amber eyes filled with purpose.

Raleigh’s eyebrows rise.

Bran gestures at the reviewer. “They have slowed to orbiting velocity. We fly in at maximum velocity, target the six Spears, and get out before they can react.”

Raleigh’s eyes gleam. “We pick off the Spears, and the skirmishes will keep the freighters in orbit.”

The first officer scowls. “With the fourth planet on the other side of the sun, we have no cover. That Starburst will have us on monitors as soon as we clear the rings. It will hit us with all four cannons as soon as we are in range.”

Bran’s eyes meet Nickolas’. “We send the flyers at the Starburst to keep it occupied.”

The flyer cannons have but a fifth of the charge of a Starburst cannon, but as a group they can do damage. As can the six sting cannons, which none but Serengeti know exist. Having pored over Starburst schematics for two sevendays, Nickolas is certain he knows where to direct the disabling sting. With the Starburst’s redundant systems, the three Serengeti flyer pairs will require at least a half period to disable the transport without catching each other in a crossfire. With but moments to attack and the Matahorn flyers in play, conventional cannons will better serve.

The first officer nods. “That leaves the three Daggers, and the freighters may be slow, but their armor is formidable. It will take sustained fire to bring one down.”

He need not voice that they will not have the luxury of sustained fire.

Raleigh gathers the chamber with his gaze. “We go in at maximum velocity. Rain fireburst and retreat. We will destroy what we may, but our goal is distraction. Keep them in orbit until the armada arrives.”

With all this said, the series revolves around the ultimate ‘Top Gun,’ Lilian Thornraven. She can’t fly a spaceship.  She’s not even all that good with a gun. Her weapon of choice is a dagger—and she is deadly with it. In the first book, The Cartel (The Apprentice, Volume 1) she is one of the most insignificant members of society and the cartel that holds her contract.  Yet, chapter after chapter, book after book, she overcomes dangerous circumstances and even more dangerous enemies to initiate change that will alter the course of her galaxy for the better.

“Lilian, I am beginning to believe that your purpose in the universe is to make the unimaginable, imaginable.” ~ Fortuna (The Apprentice, Volume 4)

***

The Twelve Systems Chronicles have won numerous awards: three Paranormal Guild Reviewers’ Choice Awards, five RONE Finalists, and Shield Bearer received the 2021 RONE for Science Fiction. All ten volumes are available in both e-book and paperback, with the e-book available on multiple platforms.  

Purchase links: https://egmanetti.com/the-twelve-systems-chronicles/

EG Manetti

Where duty and passion collide 

www.egmanetti.com

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Do SFR Authors Dream of Electric Lovers? #scifi #romance

Look, it's going to sound like a cliché but yes, my character Keir from my main SFR series did come to me in a dream. But nothing like the post title. When I first 'met' him, my dream was of a beaten, hooded man sitting hunched in a deep, dark dungeon. Nothing romantic about it. When I woke up with that haunting image lingering in my mind, I immediately wanted to write his story. To find out who he was, what he was, and why he ended up in that dark place, at the darkest point of his life. Which meant I needed someone to rescue him.

That was how my debut novel began, as a short story describing that scene, but no more than that. It was years later before I finally picked up that short and decided the mystery of Keir needed resolving. 

It turned out dreaming was also a great way to solve plot issues as I continued with it. Being a pantser on my first full length novel meant often writing myself into corners because I couldn't see ahead, or because I don't write linearly either having to bridge the gap between two scenes that seemed to have no connection. Thinking about a particular issue as I drifted off led to waking with a new resolution to a problem, or new ideas for another scene. I don't know that I'd recommend it on a regular basis, though. Sometimes doing that meant I didn't sleep well.

So for six weeks I literally ate, slept and breathed my novel. I couldn't think about anything else, which rather upset my husband. I think the obsession came from a decade of not writing and the intense boredom and loss of my own identity after years being a stay at home mum. Whatever, it's a depth of absorption I have never quite replicated since.

As for electric lovers... I do have one published SFR with an android character, and others unpublished with them. But I have never dreamt about any of my other characters except Keir, even if I try to think about them as I go to sleep, to try to write their stories. I often wonder why...

But maybe my new bedspread will help me dream of some more. Is this a cover befitting a SFR author?

So I'm curious to know - do any other authors dream of their characters, either before, during or after they write them? And what about readers, do characters come to you in your dreams after you've read about them?

A Quickshot for #PrideMonth #scifirom

As it's Pride Month and I'm busy both in real life and fiction right now, I thought I'd follow suit with my fellow crewmembers at Spacefreighters. So here's an excerpt from my SFR Galaxy Award winning scifi romance short Quickshot, featuring my trigger-happy, bi heroine Sal...

Sal stared at the multi-colored data streaming across her status display, using one foot to rock herself in her seat.

“Hey.”

Sal spun, double-barreled blasters in both hands. The dark-skinned beauty leaning through the hatch threw up both hands in surrender. “Whoa, t’hani!”

Damn. Sal sucked in a breath, lifting her fingers from the triggers and pointing her guns upward. “Sorry. Guess I’m still twitchy.”

“That’s more than twitchy.” Dela scowled, wrapping her shaking arms around herself. “One day you’ll blow someone’s head off. And I don’t want it to be me.”

“It won’t.” Sal forced herself to holster the guns even though every instinct in her body wanted her to keep hold of them. She slid from her chair, and had Dela in her arms faster than the woman could raise an objection. Dela’s heart pounded against Sal’s chest, a perfect match to the racing of her own pulse. She’d almost shot her lover, damn it. Why couldn’t she stop the automatic response to grab her weapon when startled? She held Dela tight as if clinging to her last hope.

Dela sighed. “Sal, I’m not Ehi. If you keep pulling weapons on me, more than my pride will get hurt.”

She’s right. “I know. I just—”

“Forgot I was onboard?”

“Yeah. I mean no. I mean—”

“Forget it.” Dela shoved away and stalked off, Sal in pursuit.

“Deh...” She caught her arm and turned the slight woman toward her. Away from the lights of the control room, Dela was almost invisible, except for the luminous amber eyes currently glaring at Sal fit to scorch her.

“Dela.” Sal softened and lowered her voice in the way she knew made Dela weak at the knees, and her lover quivered in response. Sal smiled and brushed her fingers lightly along Dela’s arms, feeling the goosebumps rise on the flawless skin. “Let me make it up to you, t’hani.”

For an instant the woman wavered, and Sal’s pulse quickened, an ache already spreading from her groin. Then Dela shook off her hand.

“No. You’ve pulled those pistols on me once too often, and there aren’t enough orgasms in the universe worth being shot in the head for.” Dela walked away.

Frustrated, angry at herself and now horny as Hades, Sal slouched back into the control room. She groaned as she slid into her pilot’s seat, considering some self-maintenance to ease the ache in her lower regions.

“Approaching drop out.” The soft voice of the ship’s computer stalled even that release.

Sal groaned again. “Let Dela know.” Once they hit port Sal could heal the breach by plying Dela with whatever she wanted. Maybe a bolt of those bright fabrics Dela adored, or a crate of her favorite tea that was so frigging hard to get hold of. Sal had contacts who could find those kind of things. She might even get lucky in bed tonight...

Find your retailer: Books2Read

Sal, a legal carrier (just about) of whatever comes her way, puts her trust in just two things: her guns.

Keeping out from under Imperium eyes—especially those belonging to a certain Ehi Wahu—while making a living, and trying to keep a lover who can tolerate her twitchy trigger fingers, are the extent of her ambitions. 

Then a kiss from a passing stranger, and a promise of the biggest score in a long time, tempt her. Devin fulfils more than one need, but he comes with more trouble than one woman can handle. And this time it'll take more than her guns to save her. She'll have to trust a man again.

WARNING: for over 18s only. Adult content including sex, bad language, & implied extreme violence.
A SFR Galaxy Award winner for Grittiest Hot & Fast Story. Buy now for just 99 cents!

Snippet Saturday: Alien Contact #firstcontact #scifirom

Since Laurie has kicked off a new tradition of weekend excerpts, I thought I'd share one of my newest release before I go offline for Christmas. This is my first alien contact SFR, and in this snippet it's clearly not going well despite good intentions...

I will heal you... The voice, soft as starlight, caressed his thoughts and held the pain at bay. He floated in golden light, warm and comforting. The terrible agony and fear had faded to dim and distant aches, as if it had been nothing but a nightmare. He’d never felt so at peace or so safe. This was heaven.

The thought stabbed into his mind, jolting him from the calm. He remembered his ship rocking under weapons fire, shaking him in his seat like some helpless creature in the jaws of a predator. The blare of emergency sirens, and the irresistible yank of gravity pulling his ship downward in a crazy, out of control spiral. The impact that had shattered every bone in his body and left him choking in a toxic atmosphere.

Cold bled through him, and yet even facing those memories didn’t shake him out of the euphoria. Damn it, I must be dead. I was dying. And now I don’t care about any of it. That wasn’t normal. If he was alive he should be in pain, his craft a wreck around his equally broken body. He should be panicking over being stranded on an alien planet, while at the same time terrified his family would catch up with him. Especially dad. Yoran shuddered. Oh, frick. If he wasn’t dead, his father would surely kill him.

Relax. The voice that wasn’t really a voice poured more warmth and reassurance over him, and what little fear he’d felt through the fog clouding his mind disappeared.

Why worry? I’m dead. Nothing else can hurt me now. Except he was still thinking and, judging by faint twinges in his body despite the soothing warmth, still feeling. Remembering. Conscious.

Yoran opened his eyes, and white moonlight shone through the fractured plazglass of his front screen. Craggy spires of dark gray rock rose to either side of his view. The landscape was a stark, unfriendly monochrome, with no sign of possible civilization or help.

The euphoria sank into cold, gray despair. He hadn’t dreamt it. He’d crashed into that lifeless lump of rock he’d been trying to avoid as Chevelle’s siblings had pursued his ship and shot him down. Hell knew if he could take off again.

He groaned and closed his eyes, wanting to sink back into that sweet cloud of ignorance he’d surfaced in.

Wait a minute. If I crashed and was in so much pain, why am I okay now?

His eyes crept open again, and he dared to look down, half expecting to see the mangled mess of his body that somehow hadn’t woken him in agony. Instead, something the color and consistency of mercury wrapped his body like a skin suit, the soft gleam of moonlight undulating over it as it pulsed in time with his own heartbeat.

“Seksumi!” Yoran leapt to his feet, ignoring the sudden rip of pain through his body as his legs threatened to give under him. But the strange wrap of silver simply moved with him. Worse, he felt it creeping up his neck, warm but smothering.

“Get the hell off me!” He swiped at it, scattering globules of it across the spaceship. He backed away, heart pounding, still trying to swat it from his body. As he retreated, the globules reformed into domed beads on the floor and ran together, forming a larger and larger puddle of metallic liquid that kept coming for him.

“No!” Yoran yanked the weapon from his belt, and fired repeatedly into the silver mass. Parts of it exploded, scattering splats in all directions that simply ran down the walls like water to rejoin the mass. But now it had stopped trying to approach him, forming itself instead into a defensive huddle.

“Get off my ship! Get away from me!” His hand shook as he kept the gun aimed at it. It rolled a few centimeters toward him, and he fired again. This time the silver menace, in a frightening burst of speed, shot up the wall of the ship and squeezed through a hole in the ceiling to disappear.

Yoran collapsed, his shaky legs no longer able to hold him up. Panting, he leaned back against the wall and tried not to throw up.

Love can come when it’s least expected... 

When an injured alien crashes on her planet, Soraya follows her instinct to repair and restore it despite the challenge of their differing physiology. But as she gets closer to her patient and he recovers, Soraya confronts a whole new form of existence...and a desire that could destroy her completely. 

Yoran chose exile in order to release the woman he thought his soulmate from a marriage contract she had no wish to fulfill, and almost paid for it with his life. Now he finds himself drawn to his alien savior. But how can he ask her to give up the only existence she knows when he’s already suffered the consequences of such a sacrifice himself? 
Buy links: https://www.books2read.com/u/bOaJYW

The Disappearing Skinks -- Guest Blog by Jessica Subject

Today I welcome another of the Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 authors, Jessica E. Subject, who is well-known in the science fiction romance community, to tell a story about an adventure she had with skinks!
_______________________________________________________

I have had at least one pet for as long as I can remember. But, over the years my strangest animal encounters have always been with lizards. I’ve never been grossed out by snakes, lizards, frogs, or any other type of reptile or amphibian. But, they don’t listen the way a dog or cat would.

My grandparents used to live in a house located in a provincial park here in Ontario. Every summer as children, my brother and I visited them there for at least a week. One of the stops we made while there was to the Visitor’s Center. It was far away, and often we had the opportunity to feed the snakes and hold them around our necks. We also would go out to the forest nearby to see what kind of creatures we could find. One day I found two skinks under a log. I was proud of my find and decided to take them back to the Visitor’s Center to see if they could use them in a display. I had them cupped in my hand and held them against my shirt. It didn’t take long before I reached the Visitor’s Center, but when I arrived the skinks were no longer in my hand. They had disappeared. I didn’t remember feeling them slither out of my hands, and became worried that I’d stepped on one or both as I’d made my way out of the forest.

Then I felt one move. It was on my stomach. In fact, both of them were there. They had crawled out of my cupped hands and under my shirt. We managed to get them peeled off my stomach and they were put in a habitat display at the Visitor’s Center. Though, that was the last time I brought any skinks back.

 

Gib and the Tibbar
A Novella in the Galactic Defenders Series
By Jessica E. Subject

A dedicated Defender to the core, Gib is willing to go to any planet the Galactic Alliance sends him. That is, until he’s sent with his squad to Hemera for their Alorama ceremony, far from any threat of Erebus invasion and with no chance for promotion.

Vilarra has lived on Hemera all her life, working hard in the kitchens of the royal palace until she achieved lead hand. But learning of the universe beyond her world reveals her insignificance and shreds her sense of accomplishment and purpose.

With the help of a furry, little tibbar, Gib is determined to win the affection of Vilarra, prove to her how significant she is to him and the people who depend on her. But will his personal mission be cut short before he has the chance to win her heart?

About the anthology:

The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!

10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

EBOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon short link 
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Amazon AU   
Amazon FR  
Amazon DE  
Amazon JP
iBooks
B&N
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Universal Link for All Stores 
 
Add to Goodreads

EXCERPT:
A small, furry white creature scampered between the Defenders and the fire. Gib yanked his feet back and gasped. He tried to follow the path the animal took, and when it disappeared into the grassy field, he relaxed a little. Not that he was afraid, only startled by the sudden appearance of the critter.

But his watch partner reacted differently. The cowardly Defender stood on his bench, reaching for a low branch on the ropral tree as if to lift himself farther off the ground. “What in Gaspra was that? No one told me about any deadly creatures on this planet.”

Gib laughed and slapped his hand on his lap. “I wouldn’t call the fluffy little thing that raced by us a deadly creature.”

“Okay, Hemera is infested with vermin, then.” Zair examined the area around him before he dared put a foot on the ground.

A high-pitched squeak sounded, and Gib’s surveillance partner returned to reaching for the branches. The little creature stood on its hind legs below Zair’s bench, peeping as if telling him off.

Gib couldn’t hold in his laughter. Not just at the other Defender’s reaction, but also the thoughts running through Zair’s mind, thoughts he’d failed to block in his fear.

“It’s not going to eat you.” Gib shook his head, wondering how his squad mate could see the creature as dangerous. “Would you please get down from there? Defenders are supposed to be brave and fierce. Right now, you’re neither.”

“Go to Gaspra, Mingot. And stay out of my head.” He yanked his plazer from his hip holster and aimed it at the critter. “If I don’t destroy it, it will bring death to everyone on this planet.”

Stepping into the line of fire, Gib yanked the weapon from his squad mate, thankful the safety remained on. “You’re being ridiculous. Besides, if you fire your weapon, you’ll cause a panic. The Hemera will think Erebus have arrived.”

The frightened Defender shook a foot at the creature. “Fine, then. Kick it into the fire. Or you could stomp on it.”

“Don’t you dare!” A Hemera woman burst from the bushes, storming toward Zair like a mother rehn protecting her young. She shoved him off his bench and shouldered past Gib before scooping the noisy creature into her hand. “This is my tibbar, not some kind of vermin.”

“Tibbar? Try nasty rodent that tried to eat me.” Zair smoothed out his uniform but kept his distance from the creature now perched on the woman’s shoulder.

“You’re both on nehbred.” She kicked dirt at them, her pink lips pursed and her dark eyes set in a deadly stare. “You don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to my pet or my planet.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous. When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to go to fitness class and walk her Great Pyrenees/Retriever her family adopted from the local animal shelter.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:
Website - http://jessicasubject.com
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Google+ - https://plus.google.com/u/0/100079570422204018357/posts
Amazon Author Page - http://amazon.com/author/jessicasubject
Goodreads Page - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4959083.
Jessica_E_Subject Authorgraph - http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/jsubject

#Valerian & The City of a Thousand Planets: Pretty but Loses the Plot #review #scifi

Summary from IMDb:
"A dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe."

Warning: minor spoilers included. I'm going to start with the good points because sadly those won't take long...

What I liked
As expected, the visuals were glorious and detailed, and the action fairly nonstop. The start is a little slow but soon makes up for it and the information is important. The main alien race are definitely interesting and well fleshed out but a bit too Avatar-like. The hero and heroine take turns to rescue each other. The other alien races are interesting and intriguing, and I love the idea that our current ISS could expand to be so much more. There's a huge amount of fascinating tech and ideas including a multidimensional market place.

What I didn't like
The casting is appalling. From what I read pre-release Valerian and Laureline are meant to be older characters. Rather than trying to capture/cater to the YA crowd as they appear to have tried for, I think they would have done better with older and definitely more charismatic actors. Valerian looks like a 12yo who's missed several nights sleep and with the personality of one, and amazingly klutzy for a supposedly expert and experienced soldier, while Laureline flips from coldly efficient agent to ferociously jealous girlfriend in denial with annoyingly regular bouts of teenage eye-rolling in between at Valerian's adolescent behaviour. The reveal of the villain came as zero surprise, yet the general's supposed detective work failed to lead him to the commander's crime nor take precautions at the suspicious armed robots in tactical positions that refused to deactivate. The attempts at humour fall flat. The constant unnecessary diversions from the main plot to essentially sight-see some of the thousand planets plus the waste of Rihanna's character as a deus ex machina could/should have all been cut to improve the pace and stop distracting from the main plot. The cliche of the countdown being stopped at 0.01 isn't even the final spine-shattering straw, which goes to the excruciatingly painful, awkward, and unconvincing 'romance' crowbarred into the film which made me want too slap everyone involved. I'm embarrassed to call this a SFR. And one final thing: every time someone mentioned a thousand planets, all I could hear was Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy promising Ronan she would help him destroy a thousand planets if he killed her father, Thanos. O.o

In conclusion:
Despite all my criticisms, I didn't hate this film. I didn't even want to walk out on it unlike the dire disaster of Transformers: The Last Knight. It's saved by the almost constant action and glorious visuals, plus the main plot of a hidden war crime to keep this interesting. I just think Besson did a way better job with The Fifth Element and was trying too hard to make a Cameron/Avatar type film. That said, I would probably say it is worth seeing in all its visual glory at the cinema, though I'm glad we didn't opt for 3D as I was getting a touch of eyestrain just with the 2D version.
Should you go see it? I'm not sure I want to try convincing you to do so. I went in with fairly low expectations on plot but high on the visuals even without reading reviews. I'm not even sure about buying the DVD when it releases. I think I'm going to rate this 5 out of 10 because I'm kind of undecided with The Last Knight as my official 0.

Status Update
No progress on book stuff, but I had a job interview Friday (nerves over which somewhat took the shine off my birthday last Thursday) and...I got it! I'll now be working two six hour shifts at my local grocery store, giving me a bit extra cash while still allowing me to be there for my monsters, look after my chooks, and even work on my books.

Chook Update
The chicks are now just over a month old and about four times bigger than at hatching. They've pretty much lost their chick fluff and have adult feathers. Sadly we now know that five of them are cockerels, with just Splash (now officially named Flick) probably a hen. Even if we could keep a cockerel or two, we certainly couldn't keep all five. My eldest is particularly gutted by this development, but that's the reality of keeping pets and livestock.
The good news is hubs has given his blessing on getting more hatching eggs, and they might even have arrived by the time this post goes live. Fingers crossed for another successful hatch but more biased toward female babies!

Lemon, renamed Bee

Cuckoo

Bailey (formally Mot)

Splash, now renamed Flick

Miller

Lavender, now Penguin

Mama Effie with Penguin

Events
If you're an aspiring or even published author looking to enhance/expand your skills, this may be the workshop for you:

Ever read a book and wonder how the author created such an incredible, engrossing world? Do you want to BE that author?

​Writing is a lot more than just Characters + Dialogue + Action = End. For genre writers especially, worldbuilding is a critical skill that will help you create a world that jumps off the page and into your reader’s mind.

How do you get there?

Where do you start?

Worldbuilding is one of the most intimidating aspects of the writing process, but it doesn’t have to be. In Why Worldbuilding (is the Secret Ingredient): The Complete Beginner’s Guide, Catherine Peace, author of books like Gemini—a science fiction romance featuring a universe built around giant cats, Chuck Norris facts, and aliens galore—will guide you on the journey from creating bland settings to vibrant, believable worlds for your characters and stories to inhabit.

Starting October 16, you'll get your chance to learn about one of the hardest and most rewarding parts of the writing process: Worldbuilding. Using examples from some of science fiction and fantasy's best known worlds, you'll gain the tools and insight you need to create your own.

Once you’ve gone through the course, you should be able to:

·         Understand worldbuilding’s importance and function in your story

·         Utilize the building blocks that will guide you through building your world

·         Calculate the air speed velocity of an unladen European swallow (this is not true; I suck at math)

·         Seamlessly weave your worldbuilding elements into your story

Over the five-week course, we’ll explore some of storytelling’s lushest worlds—from Westeros to Hogwarts with a few unexpected stops in-between—and break them down into easily digestible concepts you can use to beef up your stories and give them the punch that will set them apart. BAM!

Put on your apron, grab your chef’s hat, and join me in October!

***REGISTRATION OPENS AUGUST 15***

*Course details: You will get out of this course exactly what you put into it. It will use a ton of examples from abovementioned famous books and my own writing, and there will be some homework involved. (Don’t worry, I’m not grading anything.) I will always be happy to answer your questions.

Not a writer? You can still get plenty out of Why Worldbuilding! LARPers and RPG enthusiasts alike can use the course to brush up on worldbuilding skills!

Course schedule
Each class is $30, or you can complete the set for $130

Week One – Intro to Worldbuilding: What is it? And why should I do it?

o   Covers:
October 16

§  What worldbuilding is and what it isn’t

§  Worldbuilding and your setting: Houston, I think we have a                    problem.

             October 18

§  Worldbuilding and your characters: Who am I and how did I get here?

§  Worldbuilding and your plot: What does this button do?

 October 20

§  Worldbuilding and your genre: We go together like....

§  Worldbuilding and your story: A mechanic without his tools is just a tool.

Week Two – The Basics: What you need to know and why you need to know it.

o   Covers:

October 23

§  Know your genre.

o   You can mix and match in a thousand different ways, but you need to understand what makes genres, genres.

§  Know your story.

o   Plotters will likely have most everything nailed down. Pantsers need to have a working knowledge of their story - some beginning, mushy middle, vague end. Your world affects it all.

October 25

§  Know your (character's) role in your plot.

o   Basic plots & how your genre shapes them and your characters.

                       October 27

§  Know your characters.

o   Whether you know enough to fill out a dating profile or volumes of biography, you should at least know 3 things: A name, a role, and a goal

Week Three – Playing God, pt 1: The Building Blocks of Civilization

o   Covers:
October 30

§  Family

o   The Family (or lack thereof) Unit

o    What do we eat? When do we eat? …Do we eat?

o    Where do I live?

o   Gender roles & Familial bonds

§  Love and Sex

o   Sex and sexuality

o    What is Love?

        November 1

§  Science, History, Religion

o   Science and advancement—is it even allowed?

o   How is history recorded?

o   Religion, mythology, philosophy, factions, and cults

o   Doctor, Doctor: your physician and you

o   Education: Who gets to learn stuff?

                               November 3

§  Culture at Large

o   Language! (Bonus: Hilarious profanity, colloquial sayings, blasphemy)

o    Transportation: Hoof it, drive it, fly (on) it? How do you get where you need to go?

o   Authorities and vagabonds: Who's in charge here? Should they be?

o   Power dynamics: Who has it and who wants it?

o   When Harry Hates Sally: cultural clashes (Bonus: How we wage war and why it matters)

o   Fashion: You’re wearing WHAT?

o   Currency and economic system: I need stuff, you have stuff, how do we trade?

o   What do I live in?: How architecture tells its own story

Week Four – Playing God, pt. 2: Constructing Your World

o   Covers
November 6

§  History lessons: you don't have to know it all, but you have to know enough to be dangerous.

November 8

§  How boned is your world?: Man’s inhumanity to man, nature, God, and you.

o        Radioactivity, weird-ass seasons, crazy weather? WE GOT IT ALL!

§  How hard does your world bite back?: The flora and fauna and beasties that make the world an interesting and dangerous and scary.

o        Here be Dragons, Magic Zombies, Strange Fruit, and more!

                            November 10

§  What in the actual world(s): Stuff. Thangs. What’s where, why, how?

o        Where you’re from and what it says about you

o        Culture, language, and tradition

o        Technology—Regardless of genre, technology is an important aspect of any society

o        Geography—Not just a category on Jeopardy!

o        Seats of Power

Week Five – Weaving the Tapestry: How does it all come together?

o   Covers
November 13

§  Avoiding the infodump: As you know, Bob, it’s a novel, not a history lesson.

                           November 15

§  How much does your reader actually need to know?

    November 17

§  Showing vs. Telling: AKA the reason the Song of Ice and Fire books are soooooooo loooooooooooooooooooong

Clever inclusions