Character Pre-Vis 2

Special Agent Maureen Rogers from "Raven." This is another pre-vis done in HeroMachine 3. She was born in Russia in 1791, and her birth name is Anastasia Krestyanova. She's done a lot in her four hundred years, and currently works as a Special Agent with Division Two of EarthGov Security. It is almost a daily struggle to keep the truth of her life hidden from her very inquisitive and suspicious partner, Special Agent David Troy.

A Bright Symmetry

A Bright Symmetry is a series of stories set over the course of a year, stories of life, death and rebirth. After more than two thousand years, immortal Scott Madigan was tired of life and its unending struggles. But an archaeological expedition leads Scott to reassess and change his life...though nothing compares to the changes undergone by his lover, Zoe Baird.

The seven stories in A Bright Symmetry are…

“Only Time” – One year ago – Scott and Zoe travel back to Earth to visit with Scott’s friends, Brynna Alexander and her husband Georges Severin. While they reminisce, Zoe thinks she hears someone saying goodbye to her but can’t find who said it…

“A God To Dance With” – Seven months ago - Scott and Zoe are on an archaeological expedition to the planet Stelvra. They were there to investigate the myth of Quérahl-tan, the Stelvran’s Sleeping God. They were hoping to conduct the research before the planet’s unstable political system collapsed. But what was waiting for them in the tomb…and who would pay the consequences…

“Being” – Scott begins to come to terms with the aftermath of the events in the tomb, while getting to know the person Zoe had become. The suspicions of the ship’s captain weren’t helping him cope. Then a system failure threatened the whole ship and only one person can help them…

“Intermezzo” – Three months ago – Zoe’s condition has been deteriorating and she doesn’t know why. To help find a cure, Scott has to turn to the Science Directorate once again to set up an expedition to distant sector, one that is believed to be uninhabited…or is it…

“The Arc of Heaven” – One month ago – Scott contracts Arcadia Ryan, an old friend and independent starship master, to transport him, Zoe and a team of scientists and politicians to Zoe’s home to try and find out what’s wrong with her, as well as study her people and establish relations with them. But Scott hadn’t counted on the Science Directorate having its own agenda…

“Circle” – Two days ago – Arcadia brings Scott and Zoe back to Earth so they can tell Brynna and Georges what happened to Zoe. After misunderstandings, Scott finally finds out who said goodbye to Zoe on their last visit a year ago…

“…and Forever” – Now – Zoe learns one last secret as the final circle comes to a close.

A Bright Symmetry is available from Smashwords, Kindle, iTunes, NOOK & Lulu. Also available as Print On Demand from CreateSpace.

Price: $4.99 (ebook) $6.99 (print)

Find the links here –

http://wordboy1.wix.com/wordboyswords#!books/cnec

Campfire Stories

Campfire Stories is a collection of eight stories, ranging from the far distant past to the not-too-distant future. These are stories of self-discovery, exploration and duty, and the consequences of each. From a research project gone terribly wrong, to a an author finding out there's more to his childhood friend than he thought, to an investigator searching for someone who can hide in plain site...these stories show people striving for more and the consequences that brings.

The eight stories in Campfire Stories are:

“The End of Seconds" – A research project to answer an age-old question goes terribly wrong, with consequences that reach across time;

"Games of Life and Cold" – While exploring an uncharted planet, a group of genetically engineered beings finds themselves in a life or death struggle with a race that considers them little more than animals;

"If You Listen Softly" – What if the world around you changed and you were the only one who noticed it;

"All My Yesterdays, Remembered" – An author finds there’s more to his childhood friend than he ever thought;

"Symmetry" – Rosalind had no idea how she came to be on the subway, with the conductor the only other rider, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer;

"Signpost" – A planetary survey sends Tamara on a journey of discovery and wonder;

"Last Light" – Carly and Alexa were on their way to lunch…then they walked into a hostage crisis…then it fell to Carly to end it;

"The Shape of the Truth" – As an investigator, Dari had to find a suspect who was able to hide in plain sight and also prove his innocence.

Campfire Stories is available from Smashwords, Kindle, iTunes, NOOK & Lulu. Also available as Print On Demand from CreateSpace.

Price: $5.99 (ebook) $7.99 (print)

Find the links here:

http://wordboy1.wix.com/wordboyswords#!books/cnec

With Eyes Open...

There are more things in Heaven and Earth

Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Mira Frayne thought she was going to make a change in her life. Despite a career spent helping people take control of their lives, she found she had been used and lied to, that she had been drawn into someone else’s deceit. Breaking free would lead her to changes she never anticipated or wanted. She would learn there is more to the world than she ever imagined. The Adityas would not be denied. They would have what they wanted no matter the cost to Mira. In the not too distant future, the consequences of those changes would still be felt.

In the late twenty-second century, former government researcher Mandalay Jones had been looking forward to a change in career but finds herself dragged back into the fold to resolve a critical situation. Her ex-husband’s research had gotten out of control and it falls to Mandalay to recover the research, and save her ex-husband and his staff. Along the way, she finds her efforts aided and abetted by a mysterious woman named Mira.

With Eyes Open… is available from Smashwords, Kindle, iTunes, NOOK & Lulu. Also available as Print On Demand from CreateSpace.

Price: $2.99 (ebook) $5.38 (print)

Find the links here –

http://wordboy1.wix.com/wordboyswords#!books/cnec

28 October 2015

Looking for something good to read? Want to escape from the real world and enter worlds where most anything is possible?

Now you can!

All six of my books are available through Smashwords, Kindle, iTunes, NOOK, Lulu, Sony, Kobo, Diesel, Page Foundry, Baker & Tyler Blio, txtr, Library Direct, Baker-Tyler Axis360, OverDrive, Flipkart, Oyster & Scribd. Print editions can be found on CreateSpace and Amazon.

The books range across the history of the universe, from the distant past, into the far distant future…

With Eyes Open… ($2.99/$5.38) - Mira Frayne thought she was going to make a change in her life, to try and make a better life for herself. Her life did change...but not in any way that she expected.

Campfire Stories ($5.99/$7.99) - Campfire Stories is a collection of eight stories, ranging from the far distant past to the not-too-distant future. These are stories of self-discovery, exploration and duty, and the consequences of each.

A Bright Symmetry ($4.99/$6.99) - An archaeological expedition leads immortal Scott Madigan to reassess and change his life...though nothing compares to the changes undergone by his lover, Zoe Baird.

The Fault Lies Not… ($3.99/$5.99) - In the late twenty-sixth century, a serial killer roams the city of Naufolk.It's up to EarthGov Security Special Agent Lin Sillo and her partner, Special Agent Vincent DeBurg, to stop him

Rae ($2.99/$5.99) - EarthGov Security Special Agent Kevin Martin and his partner, Probationary Agent Rachael (Rae) Mercer, thought they had been assigned an open-and-shut case. Things begin to spin out of control when Rae is severely beaten and Kevin is accused of the attack. Who is trying to stop the murder investigation? What is connection between the suspect and the victim? How does the secret Rae is keeping tie into it?

On A Cold Wind ($4.99/$6.99) - Special Agent Caralynn (Carly) Adrasteia and her partner, Special Agent Murphy Greenfield, is assigned to track down two escaped criminals who threaten a newly established colony. There is a link between Carly and one of the criminals, one that only Carly's division director knows.

Find links for the books on my website, Wordboy’s Words… - http://wordboy1.wix.com/wordboyswords#!books/cnec

Character Pre-Vis

Special Agent Artemis Xian from "Upon A Far Distant Shore"

That's a rough approximation of what her tactical suit looks like / There are also gloves and a helmet she has the option of wearing / She usually keeps her hands uncovered so nothing interferes with her wall climbing abilities / She also feels the helmet restricts her vision/ The tactical suit is supposed to be kevlar-nomex body armor

No I haven't suddenly developed artistic skills / This was made using HeroMachine 3

I was reacting to complaints that hadn't yet happened.

I was reacting to complaints that hadn't yet happened.

Let me explain.

While doing the last editing pass on "Brianna and the Three," I found myself starting to change things not because I thought the story could be made better but because someone might be upset...something that should never be done.

A bit of background: the main character of the story is a woman named Brianna Pandora. She holds the rank of Archangel in the military of the mid-79th century, the Angel Corps. Those who hold the rank of Archangel are both soldiers and teachers, with each Archangel responsible for a squad of twelve Angels, from the Senior Angel down to the neophytes, who are just out of the Academy. For some assignments, the Archangels work alone, rather than bring their squads along. Each Archangel is assigned an AI, who maintains contact with the Archangel via a small portable unit usually worn on the belt, and via a neurolink, a web of circuitry implanted in the Archangel's brain and allows private communication with the AI.

While Brianna is well regarded within the ranks of the Corps, she does have some insecurities and neurosis. She tends to be very hard on herself and takes criticism very personally. She doesn't like making mistakes and often chastises herself when she acts on instinct rather than stopping and thinking.

Early in the story, after a meeting to discuss her assignment to rescue someone from kidnappers, Brianna heads out and cruises the downtown district looking for some companionship for the night. The trouble is, she can't decide what kind of companionship she's looking for. ("I was becoming discouraged. I didn't see anyone I wanted to get to know better. My own fault, really. I couldn't decide what I wanted to get me through the night. A male companion? A female companion? Both?//It was starting to look like the answer would be neither.")

At one point, Brianna dreams about her great-grandmother, Antandra Pandora, who also served in the Angel Corps. (Part of Brianna's insecurity comes from the fact that she is constantly being compared to Antandra.) During the dream, Antandra suggests that maybe Brianna should find a regular companion instead of constantly hiring companions.

Without giving away too much more of the story, I'll just say that Brianna's insecurities come back to bite her in the ass...and almost cause her death. But she overcomes them and successfully completes her assignment.

So what's the problem?

With a female protagonist, who happens to be bisexual, I found myself seriously thinking about removing any hint of insecurity and neurosis from the story so that Brianna wouldn't be perceived as weak...even though I show her as being a capable soldier, subduing seven of the kidnappers without much effort. There was the point in the dream where Antandra suggests Brianna find a companion, as if suggesting that as a woman she needs to have a companion...even though Brianna does function quite well on her own. I also found myself thinking about removing any hint of Brianna being bisexual because someone might think I was pushing a particular lifestyle...even though it plays no real part of the story, (In all honesty, all my characters are straight until they tell me otherwise.)

One of the reasons I became an indie author and started self-publishing was the freedom it gave me. I could tell my stories the way I wanted to tell my stories. My characters would be the people I wanted to talk about, with all their faults and fears.

So I stopped worrying about complaints that haven't even been made yet. If someone doesn't want to read the story because of some of her character traits, too bad for them.

Wow...I've rambled on quite a bit. Does any of this make any sense at all?