Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Making time to read and reveiw

Hectic life on social media and writing limits reading and reviewing time limited!

I am falling behind in my reading so my reviews are also behind. It seems like the more I try to get things done, the less time I have to do things. One of the things that is suffering is this blog. I was suppose to do the review of Vic Boquard's final book in his Trident series but just haven't had time to finish reading it all. Some people skim through but I like to take my time getting totally engrossed in the story. I still have to do reviews of Aliens and Angels along with several other books. My re-edited version of the Chronicles of the Marauder Book One is finished now, I sent it back to the editor for one more look before I republish it. That is a nice thing about the computer age, a rewrite or re-edit can be posted in twenty-four hours or less. I am glad that we no longer have to send things through snail mail and wait days for things to happen. How do you find time to do all the things you want to in a day?

Talk back, I'm listening!  

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Taking a break from social media plus Virus problem

Taking a break from social media occurred yesterday. For the first time, I did not spend my day on the computer or even writing. This was a change of pace for me. I didn't even blog which was unusual for me. Do you find yourself wishing you could take a break and stay away from the computer for a whole day?  Or are they such a integral part of your life you can not stay away regardless. I know I am like you that have a lot of friends on various social sights that we try to keep in touch with daily, but sometimes you need a break.

So yesterday, Besides taking wife shopping our monthly chore, I went and visited friends and not once did I touch the computer. Getting home about midnight, I retweeted a few tweets then crawled in bed after drinking a hot totty to make me sleep better. This morning, I found my inbox overloaded but I am slowly swimming through the list. It will take me all day off was a refreshing change. Today, my computer is still acting up, this page had to be refreshed a dozen times for some reason. When it first happened I ran my virus scan and it came up clean so unless something is so well hidden it didn't pick up on it, there is no virus. Next I updated my browser to see if it was the problem but it didn't change. I am typing every few words and saving so I don't have to keep retyping the same old thing. Luckily I just saved it because it flickered and then reloaded this page! Anyone that knows what is going on leave me a comment or how to correct this leave me a comment. 

Talk back, I'm listening if the computer problems will go away!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Social Media is time consuming!

Is it a waste of time? I think not!
When I first started joining social media sites, I was spending about a half hour there and was through for the day. Now it is anywhere from six to eight hours a day with several blogs including this one, following several other blogs. Then there is the LinkedIn groups or threads I follow along with joining the groups. GoodReads always has a long list of the various groups I have joined there to learn how to write better and see what my writing is missing. That applies to the LinkedIn site as well. It became more time consuming now with me joining MARsocial. Not only am I an adminstrator of my Lightning Chronicles group where I try to stay active keeping the group motivated but I joined their author of the year competition in hopes of gaining even more exposure. My writing is now down to less than three hours a day if that. Maybe, that is a good thing so I don’t just whiz through an adventure story like normal but I am taking my time writing and rewriting it going into deeper than normal on my story. It is also the first time I am writing in the first person. I find that a greater challenge.
How about you, do you spend more time on social media than you would like?
Talk back, I’m listening even if I don’t get back to you very quick! 

Thursday, December 5, 2013

The Trident and the Scepter-book review

Review of the second book in the Trident Series for your reading enjoyment! 

Cover for The Trident and the Scepter  Book Review of the Trident and The Scepter second book in the Trident series by Vic Boquard.

“Trident and the Scepter” by Vic Broquard


A four star rating because I still liked it but became somewhat mundane in spots. Still a book that will hold your attention by getting your mind involved. 

Jon, Darless, Alison and Mandy find themselves in another adventure where they wind up teleported to the 66th level of the Abyss where to escape, they agree to protect and save one Demon, Metarch from an assassin to escape from there and return to their plane.
In their quest to save Metarch during the meeting of the Demon Lords, Alison discovers that two characters called the Twins were actually her long lost brother and sister Twins. In a town full of thieves and other villains this meeting took place. The team has to protect the town as well from destruction along with protecting Metarch also. An epic battle ensues filled with swords, magic and protective shields in order to save the good people of the town from the invading armies and demons.
Main Characters are:
            Jon Brown, the young musician in college that inherits the picture book. A very believable character that the story is told from his POV. You will find this “not very brave young man” does not know how fight with his hands but uses his brain to win battles and save his comrades. Bashful around beautiful females, he finds himself in the presence of two of them, on his travels into these other planes of existence.   
            Mandy Blackburn, the beautiful Ranger of Reylona, with telepathic powers but not like Jon has. An Amazon warrior that is skilled with a bow and arrow and her sword, joining her strong mental powers. She can change her shape and appearance at will becoming a Pegasus when she wants also.
            Alison d’Ambrose, a beautiful young lady with blue eyes and brown hair, also user of magic as a “mage” (spell caster). She captivates Jon’s heart when they team up, the three of them to save everyone.
            Darless, the beautiful half human- half demon that willingly joined the original trio that appears as a beautiful woman to everyone but has tiny wings and horns on her head in her true form.   
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F516JS

Regardless of how you rate this book, it is one that will hold your attention as the dynamic foursome fight the forces of evil on the plane of existence they dwell  upon. A very good story for all ages especially young adults that still believe in Fairy tales. Now I am off to read the final installment in the Trident Series to make a report about it next week. 

Talk back, I'm Listening!
    

Monday, December 2, 2013

Character Interview

Interview with Neil Armstrong Andrews, Captain of the Marauder!

The one question on every one's mind is; what is it like to make love to an Alien? Neil laughs then replies, "You have to understand the circumstances. She made herself invisible, coming to me while I was dreaming of making love to my now dead, Carrie. She was cold feeling to me like she was dead, so my dream didn't alert me she was real. In my mind I was kissing her and telling her I loved her still because I thought she was Carrie."

How could you not know? Again he laughed. "I suspected it was a real person when they left my bed and I woke up. When I viewed the tape and no one was visible but the door to my quarters opened, then closed, I suspected it had to be Sockan, the ghost white female with purple lips" He paused for a minute thinking and then added, "Later, I learned her body temperature was lower than ours, hence the cold feeling along with her lips feeling cold. I guess I was lucky all her body parts were the same as us humans." He chuckled but still blushed, being slightly embarrassed about his actions.

How were you able to put together the group to design and build the Marauder?  His face became serious when he spoke. "I was still unable to leave the state, being on probation from my release from prison, but I used the Internet to my advantage. Through others, I was able to take my basic design and turn it into what you see now. The original ship only needed a few people to operate but when I contacted a others, the Chinese and Australian government became involved after the USA refused to even talk to me. The ship became twice as big as I originally intended, thus the need for a larger crew."

What was the original mission of the Marauder? "At first it was just to tool around the solar system and visit various planets and moons. Then I was contacted by this Russian that claimed he could build a faster than light drive. It turned out the concept was from another, he just figured out how to make it work. So the mission then was set up to do either, with the stated purpose of a ten year mission to explore."

They didn't want you in command because of your violent past, but since you put up most of the money for the mission, they felt you deserved to be Captain in name only. How did you feel about that? He just shook his head then thought a moment. "They thought I had a violent temper and was unsuitable for command of the crew. Janice and I were at first adversaries but she realized we had to become a team for this ship to accomplish its mission. The Chinese tried to pull a fast one and place their command team aboard the Marauder, but we had the feeling they would do just that so never kept them posted when it was ready." So you slipped away? He nodded yes, waiting on my next question. 

You mentioned Carrie, who was she? A pained look crossed his face as he answered. "She was so full of life, always happy with a smile and a song on her lips. She was the best thing that ever happened to me in my life besides winning the lottery. Her death was hard to bear." He wiped a tear away then looked at me for my next question.

When did you finally feel like you were the Captain in charge? "Right after the Aliens boarded the Marauder, then I found out what their true intentions were, taking action that everyone believed saved our lives and the ship."

 What made you decide to include Aliens as part of your crew? "At first I was shocked to know that they had survived. I thought when I took off with the Marauder that they were spaced when the connector to the orbiting spaceport was torn in two. Poopa was the one that finally made me realize I had two choices, make them part of the crew or dump them out of the airlock. I chose to accept their word of honor not to harm a single human, even though I knew some were cannibals." 

I was just forming my next question when Neil said, "This is all I have time for right now, I am needed back on the bridge." With that Neil stood up and offered me his hand to shake, so I did.

Talk Back, I'm listening!