Addicted to typesetting

So I just realized it’s been a looong time since I posted anything besides Trope Tuesday posts on this blog.  A lot of things have happened, and I’ve got a lot of things I want to blog about, but really all my spare time has been spent happily typesetting for Stars of Blood and Glory… Continue reading Addicted to typesetting

Back in Provo!

Wow, do pageviews drop off sharply if you don’t blog for a while. So after spending the last couple of weeks visiting family across the country–literally across the country, from Massachusetts to Iowa–I’m back here in good old Provo, Utah, surrounded by the mountains once again (I can just hear my grandma … “what’s so… Continue reading Back in Provo!

Trope Tuesday: The Beach Episode

I’m at Cape Cod this week, at a condo that doesn’t have internet, so it’s going to be a quick and dirty Trope Tuesday post this week (no, not like that) because I’d rather be on the beach than at the Dennisport Public Library.  Speaking of beaches … One of the commonest beach tropes, at… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: The Beach Episode

Quick update from Massachusetts

Hey guys, this is just going to be a quick update since it’s midnight here on the east coast and I’m  pretty tired from the three-day train ride.  Sleeping on the train is like skipping stones, where all you’re really doing is seeing how far you can go before you crash (and I’m due for… Continue reading Quick update from Massachusetts

July Smashwords sale–all books 50% off!

Every summer, Smashwords does a sale in which authors can enroll their books.  This year, I’ve enrolled all of mine at 50% off, so all of them are under $2.50.  Check it out! Genesis Earth A boy and a girl on a voyage to an alien star. Price: $4.95 $2.48 Bringing Stella Home He’ll go… Continue reading July Smashwords sale–all books 50% off!

No new books this month, but the next few should be stacked.

I’m working on Star Wanderers: Deliverance (Part VIII) right now, and it’s coming along swimmingly.  Where the other novellas are pretty much character dramas in a space opera setting, this one is more space adventure with the character / relationship stuff under the surface.  It’s all about Mariya and Lucca, how they meet and end… Continue reading No new books this month, but the next few should be stacked.

Trope Tuesday: Worthy Opponent

Sometimes, it’s not the Big Bad the heroes are fighting against, so much as an almost friendly opponent who is not so different from them after all. That’s what this trope is all about. The Worthy Opponent is no mere redshirt or mook–quite often, in fact, he’s the Dragon of the opposing side–but unlike the… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Worthy Opponent

X is for Xenocide

This post isn’t just about the third book in the Ender’s Game series–it’s about the genocide of an entire alien race, which is actually a fairly important trope in science fiction. Of all the evils of our modern era, perhaps the most heinous is the systematic extermination of an entire race or ethnicity.  These acts… Continue reading X is for Xenocide

R is for Rebel

Just as sprawling interstellar empires are a staple of space opera, so are the plucky rebels that fight against them.  From Star Wars to Battlestar Galactica, Firefly to FTL, there’s no shortage of characters in science fiction trying to stick it to the man. I’m not sure how it is in other cultures, but in… Continue reading R is for Rebel

P is for Planets

Gliese 581 by ~arisechicken117 on deviantART One of the best things about a good science fiction story is that it can take you to another world–literally!  Well, not in the sense of actually physically taking you there, but if you want to experience the thrills of an alien world from the safety of your favorite… Continue reading P is for Planets