Book Review: Raven

 Raven by Laura Eno is a sci-fi book (or, as Eno calls it on her blog – a Sci/Fi Space Opera). (I’m reading more and more science fiction lately – and liking it.) Raven is the captain of her own spaceship. She even has an implant that hooks her up to the ship’s navigational system. Other than her co-pilot, Ben, she’s pretty much a loner. That’s about to change though. She’s picking up a client, Mikael, for transport. She thinks it’ll be an easy job. But Mikael comes with a bit of baggage, and I don’t mean suitcases. ‘Course, Raven has her own past – at 19 she was sold at auction to be a breeder.

The three of them join forces to find the Oracles. They’re not the only ones looking, though.

Eno keeps the action going with enough pauses to let you catch your breath and for Raven and Mikael to develop their relationship.

All three of these main characters are interesting. I liked Raven because she’s something of a loner who realizes she needs to connect with someone. And she’s a strong person. Mikael is the person through whose eyes you get to see the ship and the empty space they travel through. Ben is interesting because he’s not human and may be the key to finding the Oracles.

The story moves quickly with action and questions. Raven and Mikael are attracted to each other, so there’s a bit of a love story included.

This is not the first book I’ve read by Laura Eno – and she hasn’t let me down yet.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

I give Raven a rating of Hel-of-a-Story.

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FTC Disclaimer: Here’s my admission/disclaimer, folks: I’ve got to start writing things down. I can’t remember whether I paid for this book or downloaded it for free. I think I paid for it. But whether it was free or cost me money, I was not influenced to write a review on it, let alone a positive review. Some of you may notice that lately I’ve been reviewing more books than usual. That’s because I have an iPad. Never thought I’d say this, but I like reading on the iPad. It’s so easy. I get up in the morning before the sun wakes. I can sit in the dark living room and read by the light of my iPad. I can increase the font size, if I want. The iPad remembers the page where I left off. The iPad, I’m beginning to believe, is a cousin of Ben, Raven’s co-pilot. It just isn’t as animated or tall as Ben. And, like Ben, it’s not human. Or…is it?

Book Review: CassaStar

Before you read this review, I should warn you, I don’t read much science fiction. I read memoir, romance, commercial women’s fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense, the list could go on, but, well, not much sci/fi. Not my thing, whatever a “thing” is. Anyway, just telling ya up front. But I know the author, Alex J. Cavanaugh, online and for a short time he was letting folks download CassaStar for free, so I did. So, since I’m being upfront with you about how I don’t read much sci/fi, I’ll be upfront about what I thought of CassaStar. I can’t say I liked it.

I can say I really liked it.

Cavanaugh creates a fully developed world with believable characters. You take our world and plop it down in the midst of a war where fighter pilots and their navigators go up against the baddest Star Trek soldiers and you got CassaStar. But it’s not all fighting. Bryon, the main character, is dealing with the loss of his former navigator and not particularly happy about having to work with someone new at a new station. But war is war and he’s one of the best pilots and one of only a very few Cosbolt pilots who can teleport.

Of course, CassaStar is not all war and fighting. There are down times where we get to see the world outside of the war. And there, too, Cavanaugh creates believable, although other-worldly, scenes.

AMAZON
AMAZON UK
AMAZON DE
BARNES AND NOBLE
BOOKS A MILLION
AMAZON’s KINDLE
NOOK

I give CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh a rating of Hel-of-a-Story

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FTC Disclaimer: I saw all the Star Wars movies. That did not influence my review. I’ve seen some other sci/fi shows on TV, although not recently. Frankly, I can’t get cable out where I live and, unfortunately, regular TV seems to be all cop or lawyer shows or what might be deemed “reality” shows like American Idol or one of its fifteen copycat shows. So I think CassaStar should become either a movie or a TV series. Yeah, you heard me, bring science fiction back to television. We need a new Spock. Okay, Byron doesn’t have pointy ears but he’d be the one girls swoon over. Wait a minute, I can’t be the only one who loved Spock over Captain Kirk or Dr. McCoy, right? Come on! He could mind meld, for heaven’s sakes. Kind of like Byron can do things with his mind. Swoon.

Guest: Author Enid Wilson

Thank you Helen for hosting me today.

 I’m delighted to announce the release of Every Savage Can Reproduce, a Pride and Prejudice-inspired science fiction. This is my seventh novel since I started the self-publishing journey in 2009.

With the help of lulu, createspace, lightning source and smashwords, and lovely blog hosts like Helen, I’ve been able to promote my novels as authors from traditional publishing houses do. I’m still amazed that I’ve sold over 5000 copies of my books so far and some of them have reached top 50 best-selling lists on Amazon.

It’s a big learning curve for me and I want to share with you one of the great tools for self-publishing authors, especially those in USA: Amazon Author Central

If you have books published by createspace and Amazon’s digital publishing arm, Kindle, you can register with them. Author Central offers media contacts in different areas in USA, analysis of your sales data in USA, an easy dashboard to update your profile, books, upload video, link blog and join Search Inside, all free.

In fact, you can join Author Central from Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy etc. I’ve joined all of them and set up profile and blog feed, with the help of Google translate, to maximise the exposure of my novels.

Good luck and I hope this is useful info for you!

To celebrate the release of Every Savage Can Reproduce, I am delighted to give out a pdf version of the book and an Aussie apron. Just comment below and share with use some of the useful tools you have discovered in your writing or publishing journey. The contest ends this Saturday, September 10th, and is open to worldwide readers.

Here is the back cover blurb:

In the futuristic society on Planet Earth, Elizabeth Bennet is accused of luring Fitzwilliam Darcy to an illegal establishment, which leads to their exile deep in the centre of a rebel planet. The subsequent galactic war exposes dark secrets regarding the autocratic Queen Immortal. Will Elizabeth and Darcy discover their love for one another and find their way back to Earth?

Set in the 39th Century, this novel is a tale of Pride and Prejudice-inspired science fiction, where Jane Austen’s characters take on new lives but still face the barrier of class distinction and seek to overcome their faults, as in the original classic.

Thank you Enid!

If you’d like to check out Every Savage Can Reproduce or learn more about Enid’s other books, visit her site at: http://steamydarcy.com/joomla/
You’ll also find purchase detail there.

Leave a comment or question for Enid. Remember, there will be a giveaway!

Book Review: Don’t Fall Asleep

Don’t Fall Asleep by Laura Eno is part of the Dream Assassin series starring Cassandra Dade.
<< In the 27th century, a psychic aberration has manifested in humanity, gifting a select few with the ability to weave dreams for others. They apply their addictive trade, calling themselves Dream Merchants.

Rarer still are those who can assassinate people while they dream…>>

In Don’t Fall Asleep, Cassandra has recently arrived on Altair IV. She is one of the dream assassins and she works and lives by her own code of ethics. She’s also rich, beautiful and running from her past. She decides to seek out a partner, one she can train and trust. In her line of work, she’ll need someone who has her back and will “stand between her and mental destruction.”

Altair IV is not a pretty planet. The common people live in horrible conditions in the underworld and buy dreams like drugs. The rich live above ground in their lofty bubbles and tourists visit the domes in-between.

Cassandra chooses Nathan, but he, like her, has secrets. She teaches him to assassinate without being detected. He teaches her to let loose and smile. The question is will either of them survive when they go after one of the most corrupt men on Altair IV.

There’s a lot of action in this book, as well as quiet moments of introspection. Neither Cassandra nor Nathan is portrayed as a super hero incapable of being hurt. Both have their demons to conquer, but they realize they have a better chance of surviving if they stick together.

I give Don’t Fall Asleep by Laura Eno a rating of Hel-of-a-Writer. This is the first book in the Dream Assassin series, but it’s not the first book I’ve read by Laura Eno. Once again, she has not disappointed.

Don’t Fall Asleep
ISBN 145385519X
EAN-13 9781453855195
Amazon
Kindle
Nook

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FTC Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author, but that did not influence my review. The author did not ask for a review, although she did, in her autograph, say, “Please enjoy!” I took that as encouragement, not a demand. And, no, I did not read this during jury duty. That would be a no-no and would get me kicked off. If I got caught. Which I didn’t. Besides, have you seen the cases they try in Federal Court? I bet the government has its own squad of dream assassins who come after people who hide books in their laps or listen to books on tape with a teeny ear plug. Not that I did that. I didn’t. Shoot. Now I’ve scared myself and won’t be able to sleep tonight.

A Million Little Pieces, Not Dollars

The big papers and magazines are scrambling to scoop each other on the latest James Frey hullabaloo (remember his book, A Million Little Pieces?). He’s now started a book-packaging company called Full Fathom Five. Full Fathom Five will hire young writers to write young adult fiction. His goal is to publish the next Potter-type series.

According to Mediaite, the authors he hires “get $250 upon signing and another $250 upon completion of a book.” He’s had his first major success. A sci-fi story called I Am Number Four is being made into a Michael Bay/Steven Spielberg DreamWorks movie.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Frey “only develops ideas that have serial book potential, as well as obvious film, TV, merchandising and digital marketability. In business about 18 months, he has 28 writers working on 27 book series.” The WSJ quoted the same figures for payment as Mediaite, but added: “They are promised 30% to 49% of all revenue whether it comes from videogames or publications rights.”

So, whose name went on that book-to-movie, I Am Number Four – Frey’s or the contract author? Neither. Frey decided to assign it a moniker of “Pittacus Lore,” a character in the story. The actual writer, Jobie Hughes, sued for a renegotiation of his contract. The suit has been settled and according to the WSJ, the “author” of I Am Number Four will remain Pittacus Lore.

Frey’s company is a machine, churning out books to movies. Full Fathom Five has three series already on the way. According to the site io9, “The Other World Chronicles, a modern-day King Arthur story that Will Smith's son Jaden is already in line to star in the movie version of.”

What do you think? Would you accept $500 to write a book with the hope that it became a major hit and was made into a movie, even if your name would never go on the book but you may get a cut of the movie deal – or you may not?

Would you do it with the idea that it would give you a chance to collaborate with a proven hit-producer?

Be Careful What You Wish For

Writers have many dreams. We dream of finding an agent, of selling our manuscript to a publisher, of holding our book in our hands, of seeing our books in a bookstore, of someone asking us to autograph a copy of our book, of a director buying the rights to our book, and on and on. Maybe that last one, having our book made into a movie or television show, should be put into the nightmare list.

Zip over and see the list of “Worst Television Versions of Science Fiction and Fantasy Books” – and the video clips to prove why each was included in the list. Here’s the winners … or losers in this case:
A Wrinkle in Time
The Martian Chronicles
Earthsea
Riverworld
Legend of the Seeker
Day of Triffids
Eastwick
FlashForward
Trucks!
The Andromeda Strain

Watch the videos and then tell us what you think about the list. Do you agree? Is there one that should have been on the list, but wasn’t?

Alex J. Cavanaugh

A lot of you already know Alex J. Cavanaugh through his fun and informative blog. But since you may not have checked out the other pages on his blog, you might think of him as just a huge science fiction fan. Let me tell you a bit more about him.

Alex has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He’s experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. And, yes, he loves science fiction. He wants others to love science fiction, too. Especially the science fiction he wrote. To do that, he had to figure out his audience. He’s here today to tell us how he did that.

Welcome Alex.

Don’t Underestimate Your Audience

Never underestimate your audience. This may seem like the Mt. Rushmore of obvious statements, but we can all point to countless movies, TV shows, and other media that have fallen into this trap. During the past year, I’ve learned not to underestimate my book’s audience.

My book’s genre determined the first audience – science fiction readers. Once my book was classified as adventure/space opera, I fine-tuned my audience. My readers wouldn’t be those who loved high tech or gritty military or classic science fiction. They would enjoy more adventurous and accessible science fiction books.

I had to think beyond that genre, though. When submitting my manuscript, I’d considered several angles, including young adult. (As my book could potentially fit in as a coming of age story.) That sparked an idea. I started considering all of the aspects of my book, above and beyond the science fiction. I pondered my focus on characters, the predominantly male cast, and the various life subjects. This expanded my audience considerably.

The final lesson I learned after I began blogging – never underestimate the appeal outside of this audience. Many readers just want a good story. The genre doesn’t matter, especially if they feel a connection to the author. If the comments on my blog are any indication, there’s a far wider audience for my book than I’d anticipated. Had I not networked online and considered all the possibilities, I would’ve missed the bulk of my potential readers.

If you’re an author or writer, have you thought of all the possibilities? How large is your book’s audience?

Thank you, Alex!

If you’d like to know more about Alex, you can check out the many pages on his blog, including all the stops on his virtual blog tour.

 And if you’re interested in buying a copy of CassaStar, you can find it on:
AMAZON
AMAZON UK
BARNES AND NOBLE
BOOKS A MILLION
AMAZON’s KINDLE
Also available for the iPad, Nook, and other eBook formats.

Before you zip away to buy a copy, leave a comment or question for Alex. You might even tell us how you are reaching out to your audience.

CassaStar

 Library Journal said CassaStar, by Alex J. Cavanaugh, called to mind “the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels.” With its “fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist,” they recommended it for both young adult and adult readers.

Alex is a fan of all things science fiction, from books to movies to music to games. His passion comes through in his writing.

You can get to know Alex through his blog, where he talks about books, movies, music, games and TV shows, as well as his writing. And you can also follow him on his virtual blog tour. Tomorrow, he’ll stop by Straight From Hel on his tour.

Before you link away to find out more about CassaStar, though, take a look at the trailer.

Come back tomorrow to hear what Alex has to say about the importance of never underestimating your audience. And throw him a few questions. My question for today is: With your background in web design and graphics were you involved in making the book trailer?