Interview with the Authors of Nebula Nights

Posted on August 22, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness

NN coverNebula Nights is a collection of eleven novel-length Sci-Fi Romances that’ll sweep you away! Science fiction blazing with adventure, space opera spiced with romance, and otherworldly love!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MAXCS1E
Barns&Noble: http://goo.gl/2mwluE
All Romance eBooks: http://goo.gl/JFG4v7
Kobo: http://goo.gl/rbU36p

I asked all the authors the same question:

Might future human cultures revive any ‘old fashioned’ customs in the area of courtship and romance?

NN melisseMelisse Aires

Her Cyborg Awakes: Diaspora Worlds Book One

Her gentle cyborg servant helped her escape violence–but now he’s changed into a warrior! Is he safe?

My thoughts on this are for a future with planet colonies– since I write space opera! I think we will see like-minded colonists setting up intentional communities. I can imagine colonists  on all points of the marriage spectrum starting communities that reflect a variety of views, from traditional marriages we would recognize, to no marriage, group marriages and perhaps marriages where one gender or the other is in a submissive role. I can see a couple eloping to another planet to get away from marriage restrictions.

As far as courtship… Maybe a colony will bring back the city square promenade, with the young people strolling around a futuristic fountain under the watchful eyes of their elders.

Plot bunny strikes!

♥

NN SJPajonas_headshot_2014_sqS. J. Pajonas

Removed (The Nogiku series, #1)

In this Japan-inspired talke, one woman’s family destiny is key to the survival of the last city on Earth.

I hope so! There’s a lot to be said for the ideas of such old-fashioned customs like writing poetry, playing the piano, and spending time together before ever even touching, holding hands, or kissing. I know it seems like we’ve already eliminated a lot of courtship in our lives, but everything is cyclical. Coming back to our roots is a popular idea with almost everything from cooking, child-rearing, farming, or education (to name a few). I don’t see why romance can’t get the same treatment in a future civilization. This sounds like a great idea for a scifi romance… Hmmmm…

♥

NN Pauline JonesPauline Baird Jones

The Key

Her orders are simple: do the impossible and do it yesterday. But this time the impossible might actually be impossible. The only way it could get worse? If her heart starts beating for the wrong guy.

I think future human cultures should revive the use of fan language from the 1800’s. Think about it. Using a fan not only guarantees you can be cool at a moment’s notice, but it gives guys and gals a clear system of signals of intent.  And there is built-in incentive to learn the signals or get left behind. Clearly the current system of “signals” is broken. Gals think they are “being so totally obvious an ape could figure it out” and guys are stuck at, “huh?” or “whaaat?” Fans can also be used to “love tap” men who use either response.

♥

NN Lyn BrittanLyn Brittan

Solia’s Moon

SFR Galaxy Award Winner! When Dr. SOlia uncovers her company’s foray into creating humanoid life, she enlists the help of her handsome ex, Sheriff Sable, in bringing a little justice to the universe.

I don’t know. I think this works. This being, ‘girl sees boy/girl,’ or ‘boy sees girl/boy,’ and goes for it. That’s what matters. The spark. That half second of, ‘yeahhhhhh,’ before you make your move. Whether you meet someone at the local Wal-Mart or by the holodeck on some future glittering and overcrowded space station, the only thing that matters is the spark. Well, that and the nerve to go for it. 😉

♥

NN Greta van der rolGreta van der Rol

The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy

The Galaxy teeters on the brink of war. Can ex-admiral Saahren persuade the woman who hates him to help him prevent the coming conflagration? And perhaps even love him?

Old fashioned customs like fathers ‘giving away’ the bride, arranged marriages, multiple partners and the like? I’m hoping not. I’m hoping the future will hold more and more areas of choice. Same sex marriage, equality in a relationship and most particularly more power to women in choosing how they want to live.

♥

NN Veronica ScottVeronica Scott

Escape from Zulaire

When the planet erupts into war, Sectors Special Forces Captain Tom Devarane must decide whether to save Andi Markriss, the intergalactic business-woman he loves, sacrifice her to save Zulaire.

In my world of the Sectors, which is the future galactic civilization where my SFR novels take place, certain “old fashioned” customs like courtship and marriage never went out of fashion! Escape From Zulaire opens with Andi the heroine, a high powered galactic business executive, having been pressed into emergency service as a bridesmaid for an important client when one of the bridal party unaccountably disappears. And by the time the book ends, Andi receives her own marriage proposal from the man she loves after a lot of life and death, high stakes adventures.

♥

NN cekilgore-Profile-picBWC.E. Kilgore

 Noelle in His Heart

Noelle wishes for someone who understands she has love to give but commitments to honor. Stranded on Earth, Steve longs for someone who will understand that his alien heart can love just as deeply.

I think some are already being revived, but with technological twists. Longer courtships are making a comeback, for example, but are taking place over the internet through digital dating. This is already happening, with couples meeting online and getting to know one another before actually meeting in person. My husband and I had a two-year-long online relationship before meeting in person.

♥

 KG headshotKG Stutts

Mirror Image

Maddie’s entire world is turned upside down when she finds out that she is a clone. Now she must work with her counterpart to protect Earth.

I would hope as our society and technology progress, so will our customs. My series takes place in modern times, but we’re evolving. I can visualize a future where we aren’t held back by closed mindedness. Equality is key.

♥

NN CatCatrina Taylor

Birth of and Empire: The Beginning

Three former genetic experiments chose peace over war in a sector that’s known only war for a century. As each one squares against their governments they will question the experiences that guide them.

I believe that everything is cyclic.  
 
That in mind, yes, I believe we will return to behaviors that were once ‘sweet’ and cordial. We will likely return to the man opening doors (of course that will come to an end when all doors open themselves). I believe that hand holding will be more common place at times than it is even today, as well as chairs being pulled out for one partner or another. Each gesture is a sign of affection that leaves it’s mark on the heart. No matter who initiates the gestures, the male or female, it will still linger endearingly for years to come. 

♥

NN CadeCathryn Cade

Stark Pleasure; the Space Magnate’s Mistress

Kiri te Nawa survives the perils of the galaxy on her wits…although when it comes to space magnate Logan Stark, she’d rather use her body. But can she trust him with her secrets?

Human nature doesn’t change so love will always be the most powerful force in the universe. Couples or menages will find a way to get together in a way that works and be accepted.

♥

NN PKPK Hrezo

Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc.

Welcome to Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.

I predict a revival of the swing and Sinatra eras when couples dressed up and went to dinner clubs and danced to smooth crooners. Women will wear modest but classy dresses and men dapper suits and ties. That type of simple tech-free enjoyment will be so sorely missing from future societies that the revival will be welcomed for at least a decade. Couples will utilize these date nights to rediscover romance and leave internet distractions behind. A sort of futuristic “stick it” to the all powerful internet controlled by Big Brother.

♥

NN banner

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Twisted Guts

Posted on August 21, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness

ROW80LogocopyUpdate?

I spent Wednesday at bed, bath, & beyond. No, that shouldn’t be capitalized…and the details are best left for TMI Tuesday.

This was a good week. I brought a notebook to Vacation Bible Camp every day and found a corner to hide from my kids and write. I began on Monday and finished the following Monday. I might do this more often…it worked well. I’ll transcribe the story soon and send it off to my editor.

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Interview with K.G. Stutts

Posted on August 14, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness

KG headshotGrowing up in Texas and later South Carolina as the youngest in a house full of science-fiction fans, K.G. Stutts had her natural curiosity and imagination nurtured since birth by family movie nights where they would watch Star Wars, Indiana Jones and even timeless Disney favorites.

A prolific writer of sci-fi, romance and mystery, K.G. draws much of her inspiration from those amazing works that gave her an appreciation for telling rich, compelling, character-driven stories for all audiences.

Book one in her science-fiction writings are out now by the wonderful group athttp://distinguishedpress.com and a romance ebook launched at the beginning of June fromhttp://lazydaypub.com. She is also a contributor to http://iwassociation.com andhttp://thewritingnetwork.com.

1)     If someone wants to shorten “Kristina Gause Stutts” to something easier to say or text, what do you prefer to be called?

KG Stutts or Kristina

2)     Could you and I team up as KGAB and write a Russian Spy Novel?

You mean we haven’t yet? We need to get on it!

3)     Do you have a Texas or a Carolinas accent?

Mostly Carolinian accent but Texas does come out from time to time.

4)     Growing up as the youngest in a house full of science-fiction fans, did you ever cosplay as a family or go to conventions?

Sadly, we never have. I wish we had. Dad and I would’ve made great Klingons.

5)     What do you think about the SyFy channel airing wrestling?

Ever since it switched from SciFi Channel to SyFy, it stopped being true sci-fi to me. And WWE stopped being true wrestling years ago too. It’s still weird though.

6)     Can a work of science-fiction play havoc with real science and still be a good read?

Goodness, I sure hope so! lol There is a lot of scientific facts that I’ve used and expounded upon with my Mirror series.

7)     How much writing did you do before being published?

I did a lot of writing in high school. Short stories, songs, poems, etc. Not a full story. I had a poem I wrote for the senior class that my creative writing teacher had laminated and posted on the walls throughout the school. That was awesome. I stopped after my mother died in 2000. A few years ago, I started writing again. I have a whole file of stories I have written which I will never share.

8)     Have you always considered yourself to be a writer, or was there a time in your life when you decided that is what you were?

I’ve always written. Being an author just seemed like a far off dream though. It wasn’t until I started writing Mirror Image that I dared to make my dream a reality.

9)     How many books do you have out now?

I have two out right now, two launching on August 15th, and three more before the end of the year…maybe four.

10)  What was your path to publication?

I must’ve re-wrote Mirror Image four or five times. I didn’t know what I was doing when I set out to write a book. It was a learning experience. I went on pred-ed.com and learned a lot. I must’ve been turned down by fifteen different publishers before finding my home.

11)  How did you find Distinguished Press?

This is one of my favorite stories. I was on Twitter and saw someone retweet about Distinguished Press. A series publisher who loves sci-fi? I couldn’t submit fast enough. The same person I saw retweet began following me so I followed her back. I saw her mention again about Distinguished Press so I replied that I had submitted. Distinguished Press had requested my full manuscript and I was excited. But while I was waiting to hear back from them about Mirror Image, I was busy writing the second. I said I wasn’t going to let rejection hurt my dreams. I had already made up my mind if I got turned down again, I was going to self publish. I already had a cover designer, editor, and a formatter in mind. She and I went back and forth, had a really great conversation. The next day, I get an email from Catrina, the woman I was speaking with on Twitter. I had no idea I was speaking with the owner of Distinguished Press! She’s one of my best friends as well as my boss now.

KG Color of Dreams12)  How did you happen to have not just one, but two novels coming out on the same day?

Honestly, I have no idea! Mirror Shattered has been in development for a while with the intention of an August release. The third in the series, Mirror Reformed, I’m hoping to have ready by November. Color of Dreams was my NaNoWriMo novel and it was in the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. The process to get Color of Dreams ready for publication was a lot quicker than I anticipated. It’s crazy fun and I can’t wait for both novels to be out.

KG Shattered Cover13)  Are your Mirror novels designed with a specific arc that will take a specific number of books? Or could the stories go on indefinitely?

There’s technically four books in the current story. I am going to write short stories for the men in the series (John’s will be the first out, followed by Seth and Logan and then Jackson) and I’ll go back and write the “real” beginning: When Madison Mackenzie Rhodes joined the ISC. Then I am beginning a new series, Amethyst Chronicles which should be out in November, if not earlier. Amethyst Chronicles is a spin-off of sorts. It’s 1000 years after the last book in the Mirror series. And I have a huge surprise in store for the series to…meet. Stay tuned!

14)  What are you working on now?

Currently writing Mirror Reformed (Mirrors book three), John’s origin, and a hot historical romance entitled Belle of the Brawl.

15)  Do you have any rules or guidelines about how steamy you write a sex scene?

I do not want graphic sex scenes in my sci-fi stories. I am not shy, having written two eroticas and am working on another, but not in my sci-fi. My guidelines in my sci-fi stories is if this is something my father could read without me being embarrassed.

16)  What is your ideal writing environment?

Me with my laptop and ear buds. The rest of the world could fade away.

17)  What is the most persistent distraction from writing?

Work.

18)  What is your favorite non-electronic writing tool?

I have an orange notebook a friend sent me from Canada which I have 90% ofAmethyst Chronicles written on. I went through three different ink pens. I love my notebooks. I always carry one with me.

At time of posting, I'm not only up 10 points on K.G. but it's my turn and I'm plotting to use my Z on a triple word score...

At time of posting, I’m not only up 10 points on K.G. but it’s my turn and I’m plotting to use my Z on a triple word score…

19)  Who’s currently winning in our game of Words with Friends?

I am. 🙂

20) Who shot first, Han or Greedo?

Damn right, Han shot first!

“I happen to like to shoot first, Rekkon. As opposed to shooting second.“―Han Solo[src]

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Site or Page?

Posted on August 13, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness

Lunar LogoThis has been a good week. I was able to do a good amount of writing over the weekend, both on my story for the next book in the Biblical Legends Anthology Series and for The Cities of Luna.

This week is Vacation Bible Camp at church. My 6yo is loving it as usual, and my 15yo is a helper. Instead of dropping them off and going home again (it lasts 3 hours and we live 2 miles from church) I have been staying at church, finding a place to “hide” and do some writing.

I do this for several reasons. First of all, it’s what I have done every year. My oldest has special needs, and she often needs extra adult intervention. She’s much better about this than she used to be, especially at church (where the pastors and leaders know about her issues and know how to handle them) so I could probably trust her to get by on her own now. Secondly, it’s not too difficult to find a spot in the church where I can hide and do some writing. I used to bring my laptop or netbook, but this year I decided to try writing by hand and it’s worked out well. Although normally I don’t like switching between stories (when I’m home again, I’m back to the laptop and a different story) when they’re both shorts from the same series it’s not too difficult.

I have a decision to make. The Cities of Luna, Volume One will come out this fall from Distinguished Press. It will be a collection of about ten stories. I will also have one story that comes out as a stand-alone, and then another stand-alone short story will come out every full moon indefinitely. When a handful of new stories are out, another collection will be released.

I’m trying to decide whether to start an entire new site/blog dedicated to the series, or whether the page on this blog is enough. I’m leaning towards a dedicated site, mostly because I want people to be able to type in TheCitiesofLuna.com and reach my site. The problem is providing content… would it be worth having a dedicated site if it’s nothing more than a mini-blurb for each story, with nothing new except for a new blurb every 29 days? I can think of some cool stuff I’d like to have on the site, but I have no idea how to do it.

Yes, there ARE dragons on the moon! The story I'm hand-writing while the kids are at VCB is "Moon Dragons."

Yes, there ARE dragons on the moon!
The story I’m hand-writing while the kids are at VCB is “Moon Dragons.”

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Interview with Michael Liebmann

Posted on August 7, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness

Michael LeibmannWhen not fighting a never-ending battle for truth, justice and good fan audio, Michael Liebmann lives a quiet life in Atlanta, Georgia.

1)  Can you explain what “filk” is?

There is no one definition of filk.  My version is “the folk music of the science fiction, fantasy and horror community”, except that it has gone beyond all those boundaries.  It’s gone from being parodies of songs on acoustic guitars mostly to rap, orchestral, choral, and not just parodies, but original stuff as well.

2)  How did you get started in filking? Is it addictive?

I ran into it in 1982 at a convention in Pasadena, CA, while on leave from the military.  Depending upon the person, yes, it can be addictive.

3)  Do you know all the words to Banned From Argo?

I have the words to it and approximately 100 of its children.  At last count, I think the total “illegitimate children of Argo” number somewhere around 300.  I have performed it, and co-wrote one of the children.

4)  What does GaFiA stand for?

In science fiction fandom, it stands for “Getting Away From it All.”  For me in Atlanta, it stands for “GeorgiA FIlkers Anonymous.”

5)  How does one dress for a “filk relaxicon?”

Comfortably, except for the opening ceremony, where I used to put on a sport jacket and tie.  Since I sit in the dealers’ room all weekend, I’m in jeans and a colored t-shirt.

6)  What’s your favorite part of GaFilk?

I don’t know.  Since I miss most of it due to running the dealers’ room, it’s hard to say.  Probably the madness that is the Interfilk auction, especially when the bidding goes wild and the “Interfilk wenches” come out to try to get the bidders to up the bids.

7)  Is Southern Fried Filk a delicacy where you come from?

No.  It’s my small business.

8)  Does Talk Nerdy to Me count as filk? 

Whether they artists who did it would say so, I would say yes, it would count as filk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO6eydRPpyU

9)  What’s the most ridiculous argument you’ve ever heard between two filkers or SciFi fans?

Between 2 filkers: “what is filk” or “is it filk?”  Between 2 sci-fi fans, considering where sci-fi fandom has been over the last 50+ years, there are too many.  For instance, Star Trek fans were looked upon with derision originally.  Same with Star Wars, Space: 1999, the list goes on and on.

10)  Are there filkers all around the world?

Almost.  As far as I know, there are very few in Western Asia or in most of Africa (right now there are two in Swaziland, because one of them was assigned by the CDC to work there, and she took her husband with her).  We do have a sole filker in Singapore.  There are filkers in Israel.

11)  Are there any good filk songs about life on the moon?

Not that I know of.  The closest thing would be “Dancing on the Moon” by, I think, Diana Gallagher.

12)  What is your connection to Project Potemkin?

I do various guest voices for them.  I’ve been in, I think, 3 episodes.

Michael with Sean Paul Teeling and Grainne Ahern, both of Ireland, both of Star Trek Grissom.

Michael with Sean Paul Teeling and Grainne Ahern, both of Ireland, both of Star Trek Grissom.

13)  What other Star Trek productions have you been part of?

Starship Excelsior (where “we do the good work”), Star Trek: Helena (both in a voice capacity and in a behind the scenes capacity for one episode), Star Trek: Federatione One, both Star Treks Valkyrie, Star Trek Ranger, Star Trek Outpost, Star Trek Dimensions, Star Trek Neutral Zone, Star Trek Romulan Wars, I showed up now and then in the now-disappeared Star Trek Defiant through Pendant Productions, Star Trek Grissom (Ireland), Star Trek Mission of Mercy (I’m the voice in one of the trailers), Star Trek Osiris (episode 1, part 2, at the 47-minute mark), there are probably a few I’ve forgotten.

14)  What is your day job?

Legal secretary for a 2-attorney law firm.

15)  Do your co-workers know about your filking habit?

Not specifically.  My boss doesn’t.  The other attorney knows I get together with people once a quarter now to sing the night away.

16)  What do you do on your days off, besides filking?

I’m trying to catch up with the books I’ve been purchasing over the last several years.  This summer, so far, I’ve read 4.5 books and am in a fifth.  I also go on Saturdays to farmers markets in the general Atlanta area to buy artisinal foods and locally-grown vegetables, fruit, eggs, etc.

17)  Do people ever confuse you with other Michael Liebmanns?

You did.  The funny thing is, I’ve only met one other Michael Liebmann in person in Belfast, Northern Ireland.  He’s a voice actor and an actor.

18)  What is the best use for chocolate-infused balsamic vinegar?

I don’t know yet.  However, my coconut-infused white balsamic vinegar went wonderfully on some locally-grown blueberries I had bought last month along with being a good mix with sliced tomato.  I’m hoping to try it with tomato and either mozarella or burrata cheese.  I’ve been told the chocolate will go well with chocolate ice cream.

19)  Have you been killed off yet in Game of Thrones?

I have never watched Game of Thrones due to the fact that it’s on a channel that is way too expensive to get here in Atlanta.  However, the Irish Michael Liebmann, who WAS in Game of Thrones, was killed off.  He was in one episode.

20)  Who shot first, Han or Greedo?

To quote Yul Brynner in The Ten Commandments, “Does it matter?”

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Five of Twelve

Posted on August 5, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness
Seven of Nine 1

Wait…this isn’t Five of Twelve…

Here’s the plan. Send a dozen stories, at least 5,000 words each, to my editor at Distinguished Press by the end of August. So far I’ve sent five. Some are longer versions of stories I wrote last year, some are brand new. All are so much fun! I love this world.

This has been a MUCH better writing week than last. Mostly because hubby reworked his schedule so he could take our guests (two teenage Chinese girls) to school every morning so I can sleep and so I don’t have to get our own two kids moving that early. Most days have been at least “good” if not “better than good.”

I do have a question for my fellow bloggers, especially if you have a WordPress blog:

For the past few weeks, I’ve been getting a lot of spam that ends up in the regular comments queue. (They still have to be approved, so I can kill them then.) Almost all of the spam are on the same old post from 2012. I’ve now switched that old post from “published” to “private” and I have less spam today, but I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar problem and/or is there a better solution? I use Askimet for spam control.

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Defining Some Else’s Success

Posted on August 3, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness
Celebrating my success with a totally badass temporary tattoo.

Celebrating my success with a totally badass temporary tattoo.

What is success? Is there a finite definition, or is it more personal?

“They” will look at a human who was a television or movie star as a child, and eviscerate them if said celebrity hasn’t segued into bigger blockbusters. “They” will ignore the fact that said celebrity might have segued into something else entirely, whether it is creating a happy family, working in smaller productions that don’t bring fame or fortune but do provide fulfillment in other ways, or some other worthwhile career.

“They” will look at a musician who had huge commercial success with a particular song, then expect them to repeat that feat with every album thereafter. “They” will ignore the fact that said musician achieved success six years before the big hit, when the musician was able to quit their day job and completely support themselves by their music career.

“They” will look at a writer and say “I’ve never heard of him. Must not be successful.” “They” will disregard the fact that there are thousands (or only hundreds, or dozens) of readers love the writer’s work and look forward to the next story. “They” don’t care that the writer would write whether they got paid or not, and the fact that they do is just icing on the cake.

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Interview with Chris Votey

Posted on July 31, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness

Chris VoteyChristopher D. Votey was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1980, first son of Steve Votey and Jolene Knight (née Nichols). He is a college graduate in Computer Science at Collins College in Tempe, Arizona and has worked in the computer field for 10 years. After a debilitating work injury, Chris decided to take up writing, producing 2 books.

Chris currently lives in Mesa, Arizona awaiting Social Security disability and working to recover from his condition of Post Concussion Syndrome to return back to a normal life.

♦
1.     How much writing did you do before being published?
I would say I’ve done a lot of writing. In school, I always enjoyed assignments that involved creative writing. Out of school, I tried several times to make a career out of writing, but I was never ready. I did a lot of fan fic, especially for Star Wars The Old Republic.
2.       Have you always considered yourself to be a writer, or was there a time in your life when you decided that is what you were?
in 2001, I was a writer. I was working on a story, was 70 pages in which I was ecstatic about. Then my roommates stole my stuff. A lot of valuable stuff. The most valuable was my book that was on my computer. It wasn’t until 2012 that I tried to started to write again. I mostly lost the will to write, despite having the desire.
 
3.     Do you consider yourself a character driven writer, or a plot driven writer?
Every writer needs to be a bit of both to write a good story. I find both to be invaluable, but I would say that I am a character driven writer. I put a lot of focus on creating characters, making use of my tarot card system for creating complex characters, I think about their actions in the story, if they were in their own book what would their conflict be, their relationships to other characters, and a general background of what led them to this point. Most of that doesn’t get into the story, but I tend to know it. I have a general idea of what I want to see in the plot, but I let the characters take me on the journey and often throw obstacles in their way.
 
4.     What is the story behind your Post-Concussion-Syndrome?
In 2012, while at work, I was sitting in an office chair. I leaned back all the way, and the chair broke. I fell back and landed on the floor with my head hitting the filing cabinate. I went to see a doctor soon after and they concluded I had a concussion. I stayed home for about a week before I returned to work. But immediately following, I had problems with concentration, focus, memory, imagination, and I was quicker to anger. I did phone support, which requires all of those to be fine tuned.
The doctor assigned to me by workers comp sent me to a nuerologist, and he told me that my problems were normal and they would clear up in 6 weeks. I really felt there was something wrong, but he said that it was normal. I waited 8 weeks after my injury and went back to him, telling him that there was a serious problem. He then told me it was a preexisting issue, as these symptoms do not continue this long after a concussion. He did order a few tests though.
Soon after, work became too much. I started to “phase out” where my brain became too overwhelm by all the stimulation and it would temporarily shutoff. It could last between 30 seconds to a few minutes. For a job that requires my full attention at all times, I realized I was no longer able to work. My tests came back normal, so the neurologist stated I was simply depressed. I was ordered to go see a therapist. The therapist concluded I wasn’t depressed and while she couldn’t diagnois me, she stated it was likely Post-Concussion Syndrome.
Eventually I saw a Neuropsycologist, and he concluded that it is all in my head and I likely suffer from Asperger’s Syndrome. After his report, Workmans comp dropped me. I was on Short-Term Disability (STD) for several months. Not fun. Spent more time and money staying on it than fixing myself. After I ran out of STD, finally got to see a Neurologist. He ordered me back to work. I went back to work and after a month, I learned that I no longer hand insurance and I wouldn’t get it until I was full time but I wouldn’t get to full time unless I had a doctor’s approval. There was a loophole that I found out, that 30 hours did get me medical.
I spend 6 months back. Having problems every single day. I tried to push through it, but it become too much for me. I didn’t want to go back on STD, so I called the insurance company and asked if I could go on Long-Term Disability (LTD) instead of STD. They told me since I had been working 6 months, I had to go back to STD. A week later, my mind had enough of it, and I didn’t return to work. I used all my money getting doctors visits and paperwork done for STD. Only to be told two months later I was suppose to be on LTD. The insurance states I didn’t tell them that I went back to work Part-Time and so it was my fault they gave me the wrong information. I tried to state they didn’t ask the specifics and I asked if there was a way I could do LTD instead of STD. They didn’t care.
I ran out of money, but I managed to see my doctor again. I had 3 forms for him to fill out and send that back to my work and insurance. He filled out all 3 forms and sent back (he volunteered to do that) only two of them. The one he didn’t send back was for my employeer, and they fired me because it wasn’t sent in and they wouldn’t reverse their decision. So I didn’t have medical insurance any more. LTD denied me as well.
One year later, I finally got on medicaid, but Social Security Disability has denied me.
 
5.     Why is there a duck in a bottle on your blog?
The duck is a symbol of a philosophy of life. It originates from a joke. Click on “Not my Duck” page to see the joke. It is a lesson that you shouldn’t mess with things that doesn’t concern you. Putting yourself in the business of others, especially if they didn’t ask for your help often leads to heartache. It has been a hard lesson to learn in life, taking me nearly 30 years to learn it.
I keep the duck on there as a reminder to myself, and to others, that you are the most important person in your life. Make sure you have what you need above all else, and only then share what you have when you can when it is appropriate. It may sound selfish, but often times you need to let things play out for others on their own and getting involved can often make it worse. Pick and choose your battles.
 
6.     Why are you not a fan of Star Wars?
I guess it is better to say I am not a fan of George Lucas, as I did play Star Wars: The Old Republic for 2 years straight and I played both Knights of the Old Republic games as well and really loved them. I don’t like anything George Lucas touches, which coincendently, of the 6 movies, 5 was my favorite. While Lucas did introduce a lot of great staples of Sci-fi and helped make Sci-Fi more mainstream, I think his storytelling is bad. Especially with the prequels in that he didn’t care about good acting or story development, he wanted to have as many scenes with lightsabres as he could get.
An example of my problem: Walking down the hallway is a scoudrel, a wookie, a princess, and a farmboy. Three are carrying weapons. They come across 7 stormtroopers all with guns and wearing armour (which protect what?; You’d think laser fire). So despite one being shot, the other 6 pull out their weapon and due to outnumbering our heroes, the heroes drop their weapons. Nope. They run away. That makes no sense. They nearly had a 2:1 advantage (or 75% advantage over the heroes).
And the fanboys explaining this scene away. Like it is perfectly justified that this would happen in real life. Oh, they were clones and they were stupid. Oh, they ran back to the barracks with 50 troops (which was a scene added later).
This is a representation with my disgust of George Lucas.
 
7.     What kind of universe did you create for Scraping By?
The universe features mankind exploring the stars and fighting to keep it. War is a serious business, not for the means of protecting what you have, but for the scavengers to profit from the wrecks they find.
 
8.     How extensive was your world-building for this book?
Afraid to say not extensive at all. Scraping By was merely a quick story I wrote to see what the process involved in getting from idea in my head to a book on Amazon.
 
9.     What was the path to publication for Scraping By?
All my books are self-published. I handcode my books to try to have full control over the final product.
 
10.  Is the world of Terran Psychosis contemporary, or did you create another world?
Terran Psychosis is a different universe all together. The two worlds don’t interact with each other.
 
11.  What was the path to publication for Terran Psychosis?
I wrote my first draft of Terran Psychosis right before my injury. I didn’t touch the story again for nearly 2 years. When I decided to start up my career despite my disability, I essentially revised it and self-published it.
 
12.  Would you write more books in either of these worlds?
People have asked me if I plan on writing a sequel to Scrapping By. I’ve told them I don’t know what that would look like. Terran Psychosis is part of a trilogy that deals with a conspiracy on a cosmic scale.
 
13.  What are you working on now?
I am working on a Alternate History/Paranormal/Fantasy. It is completely outside my comfort zone. It deals with Vampires in the 1300’s Europe, with Medieval Knights stopping a Vampire incursion.
 
14.  Is madness a good thing or a bad thing in a writer?
Madness is benign in a writer. It is always there. However, it is what we do with the madness that determines if it is good or bad for a writer. Turning our passion and obsession into a work of art for all to enjoy is what I would consider a good thing. But being rigid; believing that no one understands your work and only you can full appreciate it, that’s bad.
 
15.  What social media do you use? Do you combine your personal and professional or keep them separate?
While I have all the major ones, the best one to reach me at or find me active is Twitter. I try to separate my twitter from my personal life beyond writing. But I find that it does cross over.
 
16.  What is your favorite electronic or digital writing tool?
My favorite tool is Notepad. I use it for writing and taking notes. I enjoy it as I can open it by doing (Windows Key)+R and type in “Notepad” rather than double click on Word and take a few seconds to a minute to load. Plus, it is a basic and simplistic interface. I also don’t get visual indicators of enhanced features of programs, which I find too distracting. I compare it to writing on a typewriter.
 
17.  What is your favorite non-electronic writing tool?
Bic pens. They are the best cheap pens on the market.
 
18.  What is the most persistent distraction from writing?
Dealing with my disability.
 
19.  What is your ideal writing environment?
Working in a den with a big desk with a hutch. I have a place for cigars, a place for a mini-fridge. I also have a small bar. There are lots of shelving for books, I have a sofa and a flat screen TV.
 
20.  Who shot first, Han or Greedo?
Technically, they both shot first, and at the same time, neither of them shot first. What we are encountering is a multiverse. In this, there were two different sets of events that occurred. Now most of what happened in one happened in the other, so it doesn’t really mess with continuity… or does it?
Now, it is impossible to tell where the intersecting point is in a multiverse, and there is the possibility that these two universes originated from an unknown 3rd universe. What we do know is in Universe A, Han shot first. In Universe B, Greedo shot first. But why is this event so important in the Star Wars multiverse?
One major difference between A and B is that in Universe B, Mos Eisley was bigger and busier. I’m betting that was the decision that made Universe B different than A. Because of this, more people visit the city and more aliens are visible in the Cantina.
It is hard to determine why these changes made Greedo fire first, rather than Han shooting first. Perhaps due to the Empire’s xenophobia, aliens were more restricted to the outer rims and Greedo felt more confident in his surroundings. Likely if he waited a second later, Han would have shot first in Universe B.
Other changes seen in Universe B was how the original Death Star was design, specifically the docking bay. Other changes included the troopers running into a barracks full of other troopers, rather than a dead end. Also, when the Death Star exploded, the type of explosion was different, again likely due to redesign.
Other events that occurred was Luke screaming when he jumped from the platform in Cloud City. Interesting, of all the multiverse, Universe B is the only one with Luke screaming.
We also see 9 new members to the Max Rebo Band. The Death Star appears to have an updated design like the first as evident by its explosion. With the destruction of the Death Star, many star systems celebrated. While in Universe A, none of the other systems celebrated due to the power structure still in place, in Universe B, that collapsed as soon as the Emperor, Vader, and the Death Star was destroyed.
In retrospect, because Mos Eisley was a bigger city, this caused Greedo to shoot first, redesigns of both Death Stars, and celebration of the Empire being defeated. Thanks to the multiverse, both Han and Greedo shot first while at the same time, neither of them did.
Not bad for someone who openly admits he’s not a fan of Star Wars.
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Surviving Sharknado

Posted on July 29, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness

Thank God it Came on Time!

Surviving Sharknado

Andrew sent me a postcard!

Andrew sent me a postcard!

Andrew Shaffer’s How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters came in the mail yesterday. Tomorrow (Wednesday) night, Sharknado 2 premiers on the SyFy channel. Yes, I will be watching. And perhaps live-tweeting. And referring to “How to Wield a Chainsaw Like a Boss” on page 53. I may have issues though…we only have electric hedge trimmers…

Ah, well. Unless the next Sharknado happens in Lake Champlain (which has a Nessie-like monster named Champ, but no sharks) I should be OK.

AB 04Meanwhile, the writing update…

Out of seven days, only two or three were “good” or “acceptable.” I always underestimate the weird random stuff that life can throw at you. Like sharks. Well, no one threw a shark at me, but I do have two extra teenagers in the house for the next nine days.

May God have mercy on my soul.

I'm not sure whether to be concerned or relieved to see that there is no listing for Nessie in the book...

I’m not sure whether to be concerned or relieved to see that there is no listing for Nessie in the book…

Posted in ROW80, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Interview with Randall Landers, Producer of Project Potemkin

Posted on July 24, 2014 by AmyBeth Inverness
RandyAtWorkRandall Landers is happily married and with three wonderful children. Randy is the owner of a small videography studio in Albany, Georgia. Prior to launching Project: Potemkin, he has been active in writing fan fiction for Star Trek fanzines since 1977 (a short story published in Roberta Rogow’s GRIP #4), and published his first fanzine, Stardate, in 1979. His favorite character is McCoy, but his most famous work would have to be Chekov’s Enterprise, which came in 3rd place in the 1998 ASC Awards for Best TOS General Story. Randy’s other awards include the 1989 Fan Q Award Best Fanzine & Editor and 1992 Fan Q Award Best Fanzine & Editor. (Orion Press has won seven Fan Q’s over the years, in fact.)
A graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, Randy has published and edited more fanzines than perhaps any other fan. As the interest in fanzines has waned, Randy focuses a tremendous amount of time and energy producing his fan him series, PROJECT: POTEMKIN. Randy made the decision in December 2009 to step into producing fan films of his own, featuring a new ship, a new crew, and having science fiction as the basis for its episodes while concentrating on character studies (humorous and serious) in vignettes (short films).
Set a few years after Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, this exciting fan film series takes place aboard the starship Potemkin, an up-rated Constitution III-class heavy cruiser. It’s on a five-year mission of exploration in deep space where its crew encounters strange new worlds while seeking out new life forms and new civilizations. The Potemkin is an older ship, one of the original twelve. She’s been refitted a few times, but she’s one of the last of her kind. Its captain, a forty-year veteran of Starfleet, has a unique crew, mostly comprised of inexperienced officers, the occasional cast off from another ship, and a feisty chief medical officer.
Potemkin 03Our episodes focus on science fiction as well as action-adventure, humor and drama. Each production varies in its length; we don’t restrict ourselves by following a typical four-act television format. Instead, our writers think outside the box. We’ve produced many vignettes (ranging from 6 to 15 mins), a half-hour episode, and even a full-length episode. Filming takes place in various locations in Southwest Georgia in order to take advantage of the wide variety of unique locations throughout the region. In addition to the studio we’ve built in Albany, Georgia, we’ve filmed on a river front in Lee County, in the historic Radium Springs Gardens in Dougherty County, in downtown Americus, and we’re looking at other exciting, unique locations throughout the region.
All of this helps make Project: Potemkin a unique Star Trek fan film series!
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1                     What is your earliest Star-Trek related memory?
I watched the original series as a child with my parents who were both fans. One of my first memories was watching “Patterns of Force” and getting very confused about how the guy who got “shot” could get back up after being shot. I’d never heard of “blanks” before.
2                     What is your personal favorite moment in time as a fan?
Reveling in ST:TMP during its first showing at the local theatre, and watching ST:TWOK with special friends.
3                     How did people share fanfic before we had e-mail and the internet?
We published fanzines. In fact, I started publishing ORION PRESS in June 1979 with STARDATE 1. I’ve sold tens of thousands of Star Trek fanzines as ORION PRESS.
4                     How have fan conventions changed over the decades?
Sadly, they got bigger, and the little guys were pushed out of business, and then the big guys got so expensive that the cons are getting smaller.
5                     Do you like all the televised versions of Trek and all the movies?
I LOVE the original series and the original series-based movies up through Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country. I like TNG, DS9 and VOY. I detest ENT. I like the modern Trek movies with the major exception of NEMESIS. JJ Abrams’ nuTrek is hit and miss with me. I liked his first one, but this was not my Star Trek. At least it was enjoyable. INTO DARKNESS is terrible.
Abby and Leslie on set

Abby and Leslie on set

6                     What is the most ridiculous argument you’ve ever heard between two Trek fans?

Usually it’s related to costumes. “Oh, our material was hand-spun of the looms of Gene Roddenberry, and yours wasn’t!” and “Well, our patterns were drawn by Gene Roddenberry himself!” and “Your colors are not exact.” and “Your patch is made of inferior materials!”
7                     What is the most ridiculous argument you’ve heard between fans of different SciFi franchises?
Kevin Sorbo was better in HERCULES vs Kevin Sorbo was better in ANDROMEDA. Heard this one in Tampa in April.
8                     How does a creator make sure they don’t anger the powers-that-be (AKA copyright holder) when writing or filming fanfic?
The studios are aware of what you’re doing. As long as you abide by their rules (i.e. don’t make any money), they’ll leave you alone. If you ignore them, you risk their ire. We’ve had positive relations with the studios, and our only problem with Orion Press came from a franchisee.
"The Last Child"

“The Last Child”

9                     What makes Project Potemkin different from other productions?

Our actors are actors, and are for the most part not tru-fans, so to speak. Our writers are telling horror, science fiction, comic stories. We don’t restrict ourselves to the four-act format. Our shows are as long or in most cases as short as they need to be. We don’t pad stories. We are a ZERO budget production, that means we have to keep how much something costs ALWAYS in mind.
10                 Does Project Potemkin ever associate with other fan films?
We have positive relations with just about every fan  film production. We have filmed two vignettes with the cast and crew of Star Trek: Reliant, Star Trek: Valkyrie, Starship Farragut, Star Trek: Phase 2. We love working with other productions!
Nicholas Wawruck guest stars as Lieutenant Keith Myers of the Starship Kongo

Nicholas Wawruck guest stars as Lieutenant Keith Myers of the Starship Kongo

11                 How much of your cast and crew is regular members and how much consists of people who just come around for one or two shoots?

Our cast are all actors from theater, stage, television, and even film. They’re professionals. This is not to say they everyone is in every episode. We have two or three actors for each post (e.g. we have three science officers and we rotate who appears in our production). Rarely do we have someone come for just one or two shoots.
12                 How much of the work is done by people who live nowhere near your physical facility?
We have a graphics visual effects artist in Nova Scotia, another in Iceland. We have two musicians in Britain. One of our editors (and co-exec producer) lives in Phoenix Arizona. We have writers in the Canary Islands, Ohio, California, Georgia. Basically, we’re an international production in that regard.
Potemkin 0213                 What is your physical facility like? Do you use the physical facility for anything other than Project Potemkin?
Project: Potemkin is blessed to have a 2000’ sqft studio in Albany, Georgia. We have a bridge, ready room, transporter room, three corridors, plasma conduit maintenance room, and brig as our permanent standing sets. We also have a Klingon bridge and a Romulan control center as part of our temporary sets. There are three studios with more square footage, and they’re wonderful. But that’s outside of our scope and budget. We’re very happy with what we have.
Open House Day (You never know who's going to beam on over.)

Open House Day (You never know who’s going to beam on over.)

14                 Does Project Potemkin film only at certain times during the year, or year-round?

We film year round, although we don’t usually film in the studio in the summer. Interestingly enough, today, July 12th, we filmed for 7 hours on location in the heat and humidity of a South Georgia swamp.
15                 What are the titles and lengths of the vignettes Project Potemkin has released this year?
We’re on a schedule to release one per month this year:
16                 What is your favorite Project Potemkin release?
S01-D “Delivery”
S02-E “Beach Towel”
S03-A “Holding Pattern” (although it hasn’t been released yet – Scheduled for November)
17                 Other than releasing episodes and vignettes for the world to enjoy, how do you and the Project Potemkin team connect with fans?
We have a daily blog on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/projectpotemkin/ that fans can keep up with the latest news. We also have an updated website: http://www.projectpotemkin.com/  Our YouTube channel ishttp://www.youtube.com/user/Potemkin1711/videos. Our Vimeo channel is https://vimeo.com/user5227474
18                 If you could choose three actors (not just Trek actors) to do a guest appearance on Project Potemkin, who would you choose?

Believe it or not: Asia Carrera (yes, the porn actress), the late Roddy McDowell, and Harrison Ford. An eclectic group to be sure, but I have story ideas that would fit them perfectly.

19                 If Will Riker were to meet Han Solo at some cross-dimensional bar, what would the dynamic between them be like?
Han doesn’t trust people in authority, so sadly, there would be no dynamic. Will doesn’t suffer fools lightly, and when Han pops off with the Millennium Falcon making the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs, he’s not going to be interesting in striking up a conversation, especially if Han shoots someone first.
20                 Who shot first, Han or Greedo?
Well, obviously Han. I don’t care for the revised versions of Star Wars or Star Trek.
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Potemkin 07
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