Upcoming Review: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND by Allegra Goodman

I'm not quite finished with this one yet, but I should be by the end of the weekend. It is very good. If you've ever felt suffocated by the pressure to conform, this one's for you. It was released in September 2008, so it should be in public libraries and still in good-sized bookstores. Here's the blurb-
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Honor and her parents have been reassigned to live on Island 365 in the Tranquil Sea. Life is peaceful there—the color of the sky is regulated by Earth Mother, a corporation that controls New Weather, and it almost never rains. Everyone fits into their rightful and predictable place. . . .
Except Honor. She doesn’t fit in, but then she meets Helix, a boy with a big heart and a keen sense for the world around them. Slowly, Honor and Helix begin to uncover a terrible truth about life on the Island: Sooner or later, those who are unpredictable disappear . . . and they don’t ever come back.

Star Wars SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE by Alan Dean Foster

The fun of this novel is knowing that it was published in 1978, right after the first STAR WARS movie, A New Hope, and before the second, The Empire Strikes Back. At that time, no one knew Luke and Leia were twins seperated at birth. "Dude, you kissed your sister, ewwwww!" And no one knew Darth Vader was their bad daddy. He was just a really powerful bad guy in a black suit who had it in for Obi Wan Kenobi.
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Princess Leia gets to fly her own fighter in this one, which was kind of cool. She's on her way to a diplomatic conference. The Rebel Alliance won a major victory when they blew up the Death Star, but it's still a lot of work to hold it together and try to build it up enough to take at the Emperor.
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Luke Skywalker volunteers to escort her in his X-Wing. They run into some kind of energy barrier and crash-land on a mining colony. They go undercover to try to find a way off and/or to contact help. Unfortunately, Princess Leia has a hard time playing the part of a haggard minor and Luke's Force-sensitivity draws the attention of Hala, an old woman who happens to be Force-sensitive too. She's not a Jedi or anything, just Force-sensitive. Hala offers to help them find a way off the colony if they'll help her find the Kaiburr chrystal. She gives Luke a sliver of it and he realizes how it focuses the Force. Leia agrees they must find it to keep it out of evil hands.
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The threesome leave the bar they met in and Luke and Leia get into an adolescent scuffle. Well, you know, they are only about 19 or 20 years old. Their scuffle draws the attention of a couple of local baddies and before you know it they're all thrown in the slammer for disturbing the peace.
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Okay, no big deal, but the officials learn about the chrystal sliver and decide to hold onto them a little longer and ask the governor about the chrystal. The governor suspects Luke and Leia are not mere thieves and the race is on before he realizes he's the guy who blew up the Death Star and she's an Aldoranean princess, a leader in the Rebel Alliance.
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If you've read Star Wars novels before, you know some are good and some are, well, not so good. It's an enormous challenge to write a truly great novel using characters someone else created. I thought Luke, in this one, wasn't consistant with his level of character development at this point in the Star Wars timeline. However, it was still really interesting to read this flashback and chuckle about how it relates to everything else which has happened in the Star Wars universe since. Being an old release, you should be able to find it in any good-sized public library.

In the Star Trek Universe This Week

Pop over to Memory Alpha and scroll down the right side to read all about the upcoming releases in comics, novels, DVDs, and such. Here's one interesting novel, Star Trek Voyager FULL CIRCLE by Kirsten Beyer-Here's the blurb-

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When the USS Voyager is dispatched on an urgent mission to the planet Kerovi, Captain Chakotay and his first officer, Commander Tom Paris, must choose between following their orders and saving the lives of two of those dearest to them. B'Elanna Torres and her daughter, Miral, are both missing in the wake of a brutal attack on the Klingon world of Boreth. With the aid of their former captain, Admiral Kathryn Janeway - as well as many old friends and new allies - Voyager's crew must unravel an ancient mystery, placing themselves between two warrior sects battling for the soul of the Klingon people... while the life of Miral hangs in the balance. But these events and their repercussions are merely the prelude to even darker days to come. As Voyager is drawn into a desperate struggle to prevent the annihilation of the Federation, lives are shattered, and the bonds that were forged in the Delta Quadrant are challenged in ways that none could have imagined. For though destiny has dealth them crushing blows, Voyager's crew must rise to face their future... and begin a perilous journey in which the wheel of fate comes full circle.

Real Science

Marvin the Martian, where are you?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500985,00.html

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About Marvin- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_the_Martian

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Hmm, I think I've watched this episode of Star Trek.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500864,00.html

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What would the Crocodile Hunter say?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500724,00.html

Dear Author's eBook Article This Week

It's always good! http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2009/02/22/a-tale-of-two-technologies-a-mac-user%e2%80%99s-experience-with-the-sony-reader/

New Book Review Blog...

...for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fantasy. http://againstthenothing.blogspot.com/

Memory Alpha

If you've never been to this Star Trek mega-site, you really ought to go. Besides it's encyclopedic database of all things Trek, you can also learn all about the latest Star Trek novels and comics coming out, and when and where you can watch Star Trek anything re-runs on t.v. all over the world. http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Main_Page

GAMER GIRL contest by Mari Mancusi

Win an autographed book and goodies. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=31559647&blogID=471572607

Books I Saw at the Store...

...but couldn't buy and, you know, we might be able to check them out free from the library. AUTHORS! If you'd like me to review your book, please email me about sending an ARC. I'll post it here and link it to my other book review site, Enduring Romance. kimberannebulaATyahooDOTcom

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THE ALCHEMYST by Michael Scott

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Here's the blurb I from Publisher's Weekly which I found at Amazon.com -

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From Publishers WeeklyTwin 15-year-old siblings Sophie and Josh Newman take summer jobs in San Francisco across the street from one another: she at a coffee shop, he at a bookstore owned by Nick and Perry Fleming. In the vey first chapter, armed goons garbed in black with "dead-looking skin and... marble eyes" (actually Golems) storm the bookshop, take Perry hostage and swipe a rare Book (but not before Josh snatches its two most important pages). The stolen volume is the Codex, an ancient text of magical wisdom. Nick Fleming is really Nicholas Flamel, the 14th-century alchemist who could turn base metal into gold, and make a potion that ensures immortality. Sophie and Josh learn that they are mentioned in the Codex's prophecies: "The two that are one will come either to save or to destroy the world." Mayhem ensues, as Irish author Scott draws on a wide knowledge of world mythology to stage a battle between the Dark Elders and their hired gun—Dr. John Dee—against the forces of good, led by Flamel and the twins (Sophie's powers are "awakened" by the goddess Hekate, who'd been living in an elaborate treehouse north of San Francisco). Not only do they need the Codex back to stop Dee and company, but the immortality potion must be brewed afresh every month. Time is running out, literally, for the Flamels. Proceeding at a breakneck pace, and populated by the likes of werewolves and vampires, the novel ends on a precipice, presumably to be picked up in volume two. Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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THE DIARY OF PELLY D by L.J. Adlington

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Here's the Booklist blurb, which I found at Amazon.com -

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From Booklist*Starred Review* Gr. 8-12. A young driller breaking up rubble in war-devastated City Five unearths an old water can with a diary inside and then breaks Rules and Regulations by keeping it, rather than surrendering it to the authorities. So begins Toni V's relationship with the diarist, Pelly D, a teen who, before the war, had it all. Toni V enters the everyday thoughts and experiences of a privileged girl who, despite her societal status, may not be protected when the most powerful of the planet's three genetic clans demands all citizens be identified and sorted by genetic type. Although inspired by the buried diaries found in the Warsaw Ghetto, Adlington has crafted an original and disturbing dystopian fantasy told in a smart and sympathetic teen voice. Particularly skillful is the author's use of setting and detail to build slowly toward a full revelation of the unique physical, psychological, and political worlds Pelly D and Toni V inhabit. This provocative addition to the growing body of dystopian literature for teens is a disturbing book that shouldn't be missed. Holly KoellingCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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MAD KESTREL by Misty Massey

This one isn't Science Fiction at all, but I like girl pirate stories.

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Here's the blurb from Amazon.com -

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From Publishers WeeklyThis rollicking debut combines swashbuckling sea adventure, fantasy and romance with great success. Kestrel was born a Promise, a child with magical talents, and as such sought by the Danisoban mages who control all use of magic. After the Danisoban Brethren kill her parents, Kestrel survives as a street urchin and tavern maid before running away to sea. The sea cancels Danisoban magic, but Kestrel soon learns she retains her untrained ability to command the weather. She signs on with Capt. Artemus Binns, only to see him arrested for piracy and hauled away. Kestrel promptly sets sail in pursuit and finds herself in the middle of a civil war between the Ageless King of the Danisobans and his treacherous and ambitious son, Prince Jeremie. Massey's world building can be a little sparse, but there's enough spirit of adventure to carry Kestrel (and the reader) past the occasional plot hole, with plenty left over for sequels. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Here's Misty Massey's website where you can read a free preview- http://mistymassey.com

Real Science This Week

*The above picture relates to the Terminator-related article at the bottom.*
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I dunno. I don't think this new-fangled electric car could handle Alaska winters. I think I'll hold off into the hover-car comes out.

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/857/exclusive-aptera-2e

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Oooh, pretty! (It's a sad fact that I love science, but don't have nearly the brains for it as you all.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090219/sc_afp/sciencespaceastronomy

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Well, he did say he'd be back.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,496309,00.html

MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten

I didn't finish this one in time to give you a real review, so here's the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meg:_A_Novel_of_Deep_Terror

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When I say I read across all genres, I ain't kiddin'. Well, I don't read Horror or Erotica, but I do read a little bit of Steven King and I have a strange fascination for monster movies (or books) like JAWS and TREMORS. Not the bloody, spooky kind, like the ones where some idiot chases people with a chainsaw. I mean monster movies (and books.) I like the MUMMY movies, for example, except the last one. Branden Fraser was great, of course, but they shouldn't have used a different actress for his wife and I think they tried too hard to have his son appeal to younger people and he flopped instead. Loved all the Ancient China historical and mythological stuff. Jet Li was his usual awesome self, of course. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mummy_3

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MEG is scary cool, like JURASSIC PARK and LOST WORLD. I watched all those movies and loved them dearly, and I also read the monster-sized novels they were based on. Once, I read a novel called RAPTOR RED by a paleontologist and it was intriguing, because he wrote it like he was looking over a velociraptor's shoulder. He didn't try to humanize the raptor at all.

HOLE IN THE SKY by Pete Hautman

Here's a book I think you'll like.

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Backstory- A wicked flu virus outgunning anything Ebola ever did broke out and killed of most of the Earth's human population. Those who haven't contracted the virus band together in remote and primative places, ready to shoot anyone who comes near because they might bring the flu with them. A few of the sick survive and are used for various things until the resist and band together too. One group of Survivors is called the Kinka and they've developed their own religion, believing themselves to be divinely chosen to ensure survival of the species. They recruit new members by infecting healthy people on purpose. If these people survive, they're forced to join the Kinka. The Survivors lose all their hair, most of their senses (such as hearing,) and sometimes part or all of their sanity.

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Ceej (pet form of C.J.) lives next to the Grand Canyon with his uncle and sister, Harryette. The sister is a Survivor. She has no hair and can't speak or hear. She's lost part of her sanity, but has developed another clarity of thinking. She loves and is loyal to her brother. Tim is Ceej's best friend and he thinks Harryette is beautiful, like Sigourney Weaver in ALIEN. Time likes old movies a lot. There's another person who lives in the Canyon whom they call the Phantom. They've seen her briefly on several occasions and once she found Ceej's mule after it got lost.

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One day, Ceej's uncle and Tim's dad drive up to the dam above the Canyon because it's about to overflow or break apart, which would be very bad for their water supply. They plan to release the sleuces so water can escape without destroying everything. When they're late in returning, Ceej and Tim suspect they've been nabbed by the Kinka.

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Ceej and Tim set out on their mules to find their uncle and dad. Along the way, Tim is bit by a snake and saved by the Phantom, who turns out to be a Native American girl, the last Hopi on Earth. Her name is Isabella and she saves his life with traditional medicine. She explains she's on her way to her people's most holy place, Sipapuni (a real place, by the way), where she believes she'll be transported to a different world, safe from the Flu. In the meantime, she believes her deceased grandfather is guiding her to help them.

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Ceej, Tim, and Isabella travel on. Ceej and Isabella fall in love along the way and this part of the story is also done very well. They're both about sixteen years old, among the only survivors on Earth, clinging to hope, and going on faith. Ceej comes to believe Isabella's claim that the Sipapuni can save them, while Tim remains skeptical.

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When they catch up with the Kinka, they discover Harryette has also been taken. Tim is frantic to get her back. He sees Harryette in a window and uses sign language to communicate with her. Harryette tells him to go away because she's afraid he'll the Kinka will kill him with the Flu or by other means. Of course, Ceej and Tim won't abandon her or the hope that their uncle and father are also being held. After observing the Kinka's movements, they also realize that Kinka children are born healthy, having inherited complete immunity from their Survivor parents. These children are the future of humanity.

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Harryette has a strong belief in her own life's purpose. She decides to help Ceej and Tim get their loved ones back, whether they like it or not, setting off climactic events.

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The whole journey through the Grand Canyon, observing the Kinkas, and planning how to rescue their loved ones was so intelligent and respectful of the potential real teenagers have and too many adults overlook. The romance was done well too, taking into consideration how much these young people need each other to survive, and how humanity needs them to fall in love, pair-bond, and procreate. The characters are original, multi-dimensional, and beautifully flawed. The interpersonal dynamics were spot-on.

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This book was released in 2007 and can be found in paperback and hardback. Cover art varies. I found mine at the local library.

Dear Author's eBook Article...

...this week is particulary good. I would subtitle it 'Girl Power!' Pop over and check it out. http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2009/02/15/why-ebook-hardware-manufacturers-are-missing-the-mark-and-the-market/

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you don't have a special somebody to celebrate with, I'd just like you to know I didn't either until I met my future husband at age 25. I'd never wish that long of a wait on anyone, but I must say it was worth it! Here's me and HH at a costume party-

I'm Lady Eowyn from Lord of the Rings and he's Han Solo from Star Wars. I think he looks more like Legoles than Han, but, hey, whatever makes my honey happy!
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Here's my song dedication to my sweetheart husband this year-

'All the Man I Need' by Whitney Houston.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/singleVideo/?vid=2164260

OUTBACK STARS by Sandra McDonald

Okay, I'm finished, but I'm not sure you'll like it and not just because it's regular adult Science Fiction. I liked it all right, but not nearly as much as some of my friends and Blog Buddies. It's Military SF, which is all well and good and dearly loved by some readers. I have to say, Sandra McDonald does it better than others I've tried to read though. Her world-building is well-rounded. The med-bots were cute. Her characters are great in variety, everything from a wet-eared ensign (or equivilant) who's probably still a teenager to Japanese crewmen to civilian spouses getting in the way to mothers who work outside the home (uh, I mean ship quarters.) There's even a few children in the background and an adorable Gecko. Sandra thought of everything. There's absolutely no cookie cutter Military SF characters in this novel. There is a little bit of hanky-panky towards the end, but nothing more graphic than you'd see on nightly network t.v.
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Lieutenant Jodenny Scott survived the destruction of her ship by an unknown force, one of just a handful. Having physically recooperated, she hangs out on Kookaburra waiting reassignment, supposedly bored out of her mind. She may be a little bored, but mostly she's still struggling with the emotional trauma from having survived a shipwreck. She doesn't like to talk about it.
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And so she hops on the next ship out of town, the Aral Sea. She's placed in charge of some crew who reveal themselves to be either incompetant, implacable, or just downright weird. And then bad things start to happen, things which make her think this is more of a Voyage of the Damned than her previous ship. One bright spot is Myell, who is supposed to be an Alpha Male, but his fondness for the gecko indicates a soft spot and that spot is mainly for Jodenny. But, she's an officer and he's not and there's regulations against fraternization, you know. As characters, they're both okay, but neither is really remarkable, except where the gecko is concerned. Unlike a lot of outright Science Fiction Romance, the relationship develops at a believable rate and you can tell Sandra has first hand knowledge of how the military handles these things. Still, the romance wasn't that appealing to me and probably because I didn't get into the characters much.
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The other cool thing about OUTBACK STARS is that it's based on the assumption that Australia takes the lead into space exploration, rather than the usual United States. This means there's lots of interesting references to Australian names, customs, and stories. Like CHRYSTAL RAIN by Tobias S. Buckell, which utilizes Carribean inspiration, it's a welcome change from standard SciFi fare.

Real Science This Week

The Dark Comets are Coming to Get Us!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491648,00.html

And, here, all this time, we thought people were joking when they said their cars ran on hamster power! (Psst, that's Mt. Fuji in Japan, I think.)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491705,00.html

Oooh, Ice Age Aliens - coool!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491545,00.html

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Oh, How Clumsy of Me! Russian and American satillites collide over Siberia.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491225,00.html

Getting Back to the Roots of Science Fiction

I recently made my novel, The Star Captains' Daughter, available as a free eBook at Feedbooks and, since then, I've discovered many wonderful treasures there. I've been reading further and further back on the Science Fiction timeline, you know. There's a set of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs and I hope to read and review all or several of them for you. Bear in mind these ancient SciFi tales were written before women had the right to do much of anything besides be wives and mothers. Of course, I love being a wife and mother, but that is my choice. These were written before women had many choices at all. I intend to read them for fun and as sort of a history lesson. Some say Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is the very first Science Fiction novel ever. I think it's amazing she wrote it at all and, of course, it was originally published anonymously. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein Up until the 1970's, I think it was, some women Science Fiction authors were still using male-sounding pen names. It was a man's genre, but no more! And we have the trail-breakers, like Marion Zimmer Bradley to thank for it too. Here's a link to Wikipedia's article on the Science Fiction genre- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Fiction

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Here's the link to Feedbooks if you want to check out these great old novels- http://www.feedbooks.com/ You'll also find some newer Science Fiction novels free there too, ones published by real, paying publishers as opposed to me who just stuck it up there on my own. I'm such a rebel.


;)

I tell people I like Fantasy, but I love Science Fiction. The difference, I say, is in Fantasy you can watch Harry Potter wave his magic wand and think, "I wish I could that." However, in Science Fiction, you can watch Captain Janeway order ice cream from the Voyager replicator and think, "I WILL do that!"

Found Some Good Books

Some I know are Young Adult Science Fiction, like ENCHANTRESS FROM THE STARS, but the others I'm not sure. If I think you'll like the others, I'll post the subseqent reviews here as well as at Enduring Romance. If you want to see my complete list of books which I will be reviewing here and/or at Enduring Romance, scroll down to my Amazon widget at the lower right hand side. Hey, I even found another one set in Ancient Egypt! Definitely not Science Fiction, but STARGATE is and it was inspired by Ancient Egypt. So, that kind of makes it relevant, right?

Reading News for Techno-Geeks

Dear Author's Sunday article- http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2009/02/08/is-social-drm-the-great-digital-compromise/#more-9872

more books coming, I swear

Between below zero temperatures here in Alaska, pregnancy-related nausea, and an utter lack of YA SciFi New Releases that I like, I haven't found many books to review for you all. However, I'm going on a hot, hot date with my husband tomorrow, and when you love books as much as we do that means we're going to the biggest and bestest bookstores in the whole darn state. So, I will have some good stuff for you in the coming weeks. And I won't limit myself to SciFi marketed just for teens either, although I am trying very hard to support that so publishers will put out more.

My husband just found this really cool book, RING OF FIRE, by Eric Flint. It's the second in a series, so I'm going to try to get the first. The premise is a cosmic force hurls a 20th century West Virginia town back to the Thirty Years' War in 17th century Europe. Well, you know how I love Time Travel and Alternate Earth stories! I haven't cracked it open, so I can't tell you if it lives up to its potential yet though. But, isn't that cover art freakin' awesome? Well, I like it.
;)

new blog for aspiring authors

Jacqueline Lichtenberg has started her own blog- http://editingcircle.blogspot.com/ I call her the Grand Lady of Science Fiction. Besides her own novels, she helped keep Star Trek alive after the original series was canceled many years ago. I've reprinted several of her articles on this blog. You need only click on her name at the bottom to read those. Her advice has been enormously helpful to me. "Jacqueline is good, Jacqueline is wise, listen to Jacqueline or I'll poke you in the eyes."
;)

William Shatner Remembers Ricardo Montalban

As you probably know, Ricardo Montalban passed away recently. He's the actor who portrayed one of the most powerful bad guys in Star Trek history - Kahn.Here's a video clip of Shatner, who portrayed the famous Captain Kirk, remembering Montalban-

http://bulletins.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.read&authorID=7367591&messageID=6316881753&MyToken=41aed3a4-c8c6-406f-9903-38030c2ad45c&hash=MIG%2fBgorBgEEAYI3WAProIGwMIGtBgorBgEEAYI3WAMBoIGeMIGbAgMCAAECAmYDAgIAwAQIPEo4bdDXInwEEIqybkUujnI%2b86jc18f4kvgEcEdvoBHdvCl9bdAA5Ooavo1RWx1IsztC3GVnoTeiovQceyUamza8%2bcjU7kbaCwNTn3lYoQobm40v4TmrErTXfQ79oxM6PTmxRkJ8cIxpxGR7RrEOTXCmFrrtcYo5BkXNu17d34Q%2bkhT9ycw4JPFn%2bng%3d

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Pop over to http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Portal:Main for all the latest news from the Star Trek universe, including the new movie, new books, and comic books.

Why I Admire Stephanie Meyer, Even Though I Don't Read Her Books

You've probably heard the flack over Stephen King's criticism of Stephanie Meyer, author of Twilight, this week. Here's the infamous quote-

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"The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good."

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He went on to say how Meyer's appeal is that her stories explore romance for teenage girls, which I found rather sexist. Grown women are often insulted for enjoying Romance novels, as though romance is an idiotic concept, a completely invalid motive for reading.

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Anyway, the fact is I've never read anything by Stephanie Meyer or J.K. Rowling and I've never seen the movies based on their novels. Not my cup of tea. I have watched a couple of movies based on novels by Steven King and enjoyed them, and I read his non-fiction book On Writing and found it one of the more helpful books for aspiring authors.

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Here's the thing. I read tons of books. Besides loving great stories wherever I can find them, I'm also a blogging book reviewer, both here and at Enduring Romance. http://enduringromance.blogspot.com/ I've been obliged to read novels which were perfectly constructed with no grammatical errors, no purple prose, no dangling participles, and no excess 'ly' adverbs, and the were soooooo boooooorrrring I almost slipped into a coma! While I heartily recommend aspiring authors learn the craft and study their grammar no matter how much they hate it, my observation is some people are born storytellers and some are not. Stephanie Meyer has written stories which have touched the hearts of millions of people. We should all try to be sensitive to the basic needs of our fellow humans, but I think it's obvious she was born with this talent. We should all be so lucky! In my opinion, her writing skill level is irrelevent. Like anyone, she can improve that through practice. It's clear she has enough skill right now to effectively communicate the stories of her heart with her readers. And I admire that a whole lot.

;)

Real Science

Not mine!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488746,00.html

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The future is bright!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488406,00.html

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A mammoth of a tale, if ever there was one!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488368,00.html

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So, what are we supposed to do when the aliens show up and are less than friendly, hmm?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488127,00.html

Inispiration for Storytellers

An ancient Bible has been found. Is it a fake? How will it compare to the one we have today? Could it set off the next DEVINCI'S CODE?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090206/lf_nm_life/us_cyprus_bible
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Also, I had to wade through some nightmarish headlines about parents who are dispicable monsters to their children. Please, try to believe your body is precious and only you have the right to decide what happens to it. If you're in physical or emotional danger or need, please find the courage to get the help you need. There really are good people out there who can and will help you. Try Boystown first. They also help girls. http://www.boystown.org/Pages/default3.aspx

COMET'S CURSE by Dom Testa

The premise is intriguing. In the grand tradition of Science Fiction, this story obviously began with 'What if?' What if the entire adult population of the Earth was infected by a fatal disease? What if all humans contracted it upon reaching adulthood? In COMET'S CURSE, the greatest minds decide to build a spaceship capable of carrying 251 teens to the nearest habitable planet in order to keep humanity from becoming extinct. They do this midst moral opposition from those who would be left behind.

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A group of teens is chosen and prepared for the mission and a special computer is designed to help them run the ship, because, no matter how smart they are, there are some things they can't do by themselves. There just isn't time to educate them that thoroughly. And so the spaceship is launched and the teens settle into their new life while coming to grips with leaving friends and family and everything they new and loved on Earth behind. Not long after the launch, someone encounters an adult stowaway. Besides him trying to sabotage the ship, he could infect them all with the disease too. Will the teens survive the trip at all?

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If you're a character-driven reader like me, you should know there isn't a lot of characterization in this story. All the main characters are beautiful, brilliant, and brave, which doesn't leave much room for growth or dynamic interpersonal relationships. Rather, the strength of this story is in the science of the science fiction and answering the question to the initial 'what if?'

Reading News for Techno-Geeks...

...from Dear Author. http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2009/02/01/confessions-of-a-reluctant-e-reader-convert/#more-9219 It's all about the Sony eReader. My birthday's coming and I'm hoping, you know. If you can't afford an eBook reader, please don't feel bad. When I was a teenager, I was lucky to own my own coat and, believe me, it was butt-ugly. Hang in there. One day, your dreams will come true, so long as you keep hope alive.

;)

P.S. I did eventually get a cool-looking coat as a teenager, a letterman's jacket. I lettered in track and volleyball. It was a case of 'Don't tell me what I can't do!" Here's what I mean- http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/AliciaKeys/Superwoman--159204163;_ylt=AgR67bpiX24k2e4R8Cown9zesyUv