Born Novelist
October 7, 2024
If you live in Central or Northern California, why not plan to join us this Saturday in Manteca for the annual Great Valley Bookfest. I will be there signing books along with fiction writers from Central Valley Fiction Writers.
It will be my first time at this event, but I understand that 80 or more local authors will also be signing books of all genres. So, bring your Christmas list and make a day of it. Look forward to seeing you there!
September 26, 2024
Many thanks to those of you who were able to attend the CVFW Author’s Fair on the 21st. And welcome to you new subscribers who joined my mailing list that day.
The event was a success with 11 authors signing books for our fans.
To update you, this summer I joined a writer’s group called Central Valley Fiction Writers (CVFW). Saturday was the second signing event I have attended with them and at least two more are upcoming. The first will be in Manteca, California on October 12, and the second will be in Madera, California on November 16. I will shoot out more newsletters with details as each date approaches. I hope many of you will be able to attend.
On a sad note, I would like to acknowledge the man who first published my novels. Allan Kalar ran a small online publishing house called AKW Books. He lived in Washington State. Though we never met in person, after he retired (and I took over my own publishing), we remained close friends.
A few weeks ago I lost contact with him and subsequently learned that he had been killed in a horrific traffic collision with a logging truck.
Al was a dedicated Christian and not shy about it. He lost his beloved wife Sue a few years back and often expressed a desire to join her. I think now he has.
Thank you, Al, for all you did for me. I will never forget you.
September 17, 2024
If you live in Central California, make plans to join us this Saturday, September 21, at the Clovis Book Barn for an Author’s Fair. Eleven Valley authors will sell and sign their books from 11 am to 3 pm. Hope to see you there!
February 11, 2024
If you like short science fiction, a new online magazine will premiere in the next few weeks. The name is Interociter and all you need to subscribe is an email address. I am happy to announce that I will have a story in the first issue called “Gratitude”.
To subscribe, follow this link: https://www.tunetrackersystems.com/interociter
In the meantime…happy Valentine’s Day!
December 25, 2023
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BORNNOVELIST AND THE BOWERSVERSE!
And a happy New Year.
December 16, 2023
Christmas is still nine days away, but there is still time for stocking stuffers, and nothing gifts better than a book.
In keeping with the “reason for the season”, this posting features other great authors you may not have read. I know these writers personally and can attest that they write great books. So take a gander and see what strikes your fancy!
Mary Elizabeth Fricke writes the best romance novels I have ever read (and yes, I have read a few). The great thing about MEF’s novels is their realism. Most romances deal with pure fantasy in the form of penthouse apartments and billionaire yachts in the Mediterranean. Fricke’s characters are actually believable: real people in Middle America trying to make a living, and looking for love. Living to love and loving to live. If you like romance novels, give these a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Al Philipson is a close friend of mine and was my first publisher before he retired from the business. Al has written an exciting series about a future civilization that will curl your socks.
It all begins with a mass exodus from Earth to escape a totalitarian regime that threatens life and freedom. But new civilizations generate new problems, and sometimes what you get is almost as bad as what you left behind. You don’t want to miss this series!
Vicki Thomas is an artist and author. I first met Vicki at an author event in 2018. Her fantasy novels are rivaled by none, as you will see with this exciting adventure (which has a sequel).
If you like fantasy, magic, and delightful drama, this book may be the highlight of your Christmas season!
The Relics Adventures (two novels)
Victory Crayne passed away earlier this year, but she left behind some science fiction thrillers you don’t want to miss.
Victory was once president of the Southern California Writers Association (SCWA), hosted an online writing workshop (where I met her), and mentored dozens of science fiction writers who went on to publish excellent content. In memory of Victory, I direct you to the Jake Dani series.
V.L. Stuart is another close friend of mine who has a vivid imagination.
Orb and Arrow is a mystical trilogy in the tradition of LOTR (just not as long). Great characters, great adventures. If you like fantasy, this is the series for you!
And, if you just can’t stand it and still want to read my books, these links will take you to the right place.
Nick Walker: United Federation Marshal
Until next time.
December 12, 2023
If you think American politics are crazy, be glad you don’t live on Askelon! Politics there are downright deadly.
Muriel Enza has broken the glass ceiling and become Askelon’s very first female president. Now running for reelection, her opponents are pulling all the stops to get rid of her. Senator Barry Boyd, her opponent, is claiming that the office of President is just more than a woman can handle!
And it isn’t just Barry Boyd–he’s only the giddy face of the opposition. Enza’s (and Askelon’s) real enemy is trillionaire Jorge Sorres, who pulls the strings and provides the finances to skew the election. Sorres is also funding a rebel coalition on the planet Environ, which supplies most of Askelon’s hydroleum. The coalition has seized Environ’s energy source and is holding it hostage, creating a fuel crisis that threatens Askelon’s economy.
If all that isn’t bad enough, a rogue preacher (a holo-vangelist) is running around predicting the “End of the Galaxy” and inspiring random nut-jobs to commit acts of violence that benefit no one but the bad guys.
Starport. You’ve never read anything like it. (I promise!)
CLICK HERE to order direct from Amazon.
And soon I’ll send another email with more Christmas offers.
Until then.
November 17, 2023
For those of you in the United States, Thanksgiving is next week. And the day after that is Black Friday.
Black Friday is the “official” beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
If you are still looking for Christmas gifts and/or stocking stuffers, why not gift a book for your family and friends who like to read? Nothing like a rousing space adventure to keep you turning pages until dawn…and I’ve been told that my novels have that affect on readers!
If you don’t live in the USA, Black Friday may not apply, but you still may be looking for Christmas gifts. These books are exciting no matter where you live, so order today from Amazon. All my novels are available as both e-books and paperbacks.
The good news is that you don’t have to wait! Order now!
Today’s featured title:
Star Marine! <–order here!
Order your paperbacks now, direct from Amazon:
And soon I’ll send another email with more Christmas offers.
Until then.
November 5, 2023
Just a quick post today to show you my new book trailer. If you’re thinking of stocking-stuffers for the readers on your Christmas list, check out the link for the trailer, then browse some titles with the link below that.
Until next time.
October 23, 2023
Have you started Christmas shopping yet? You still have time.
Books make a great gift, especially for those on your list who love to read. Most books are cheap and small enough to stuff into stockings.
May I recommend my own novels? I have 22 books on Amazon (both paperback and e-books), all at a reasonable price. They are classed under science fiction, but I promise you’ve never read science fiction like mine. I call it “Science Fiction that doesn’t Taste like Science Fiction”. Why? Because it’s more about people than science.
I don’t do aliens. I don’t do horror. I don’t do magic. I don’t do supernatural. My heroes are human. They solve problems using human talent, not fairy-tale magic. In my novels, all set either in the future or other galaxies, the characters suffer from human nature (which will never change, no matter what Gene Roddenberry thought). They have human talents and human flaws. Most of them are just like you and me.
So…why not give them a go? Twenty-two novels in three series. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Today’s featured title: A Vow to Sophia
This is the first novel in the Fighter Queen series, and was my first novel ever published. It’s about a young, vulnerable girl alone in a hostile galaxy. Her mother and sister have been forced into slavery, and she is next. Unless…
Her father bribes a spacer to get his child to Terra, where she will be safe. Never could he imagine the adventure that awaits her…and neither could she.
Here’s an excerpt:
It was midnight when Adam peered out from an alley to check for curfew patrols. Across the street, outlined against the night sky, the Temple of Sophia sat majestically atop a pyramidal mound of earth, surrounded by lush gardens and gushing fountains. Marble steps led up to it on all three sides, and Adam made sure the street was clear before he hurried across and began the climb, starkly aware of the ringing sound his shoes made against the marble. Both moons were up, one in full phase, casting a silvery light from two directions. Had it not been for the danger of discovery, he might have enjoyed the beauty.
He reached the temple and stepped between the pillars, entering the Sanctum, where he descended the steps between rows of lush leather seats to the dais in the center. Goddess Sophia stood proud and serene, her multi-hued garments rippling with color and light, her eyes seeming to follow him as he approached. Incense burned at her feet, and candles flickered around the base of the statue. Adam reached the dais and knelt on one knee, ducking his head as he made the Sign of the Cult, a triangular motion that touched both shoulders and his heart.
“Bless this endeavor, Sophia,” he said quietly. “Grant success to my mission. Sophia’s tears.”
He stood, gazed up at the goddess for a moment, then turned. When he entered, the Sanctum had been empty. Now two people approached, one a woman of indeterminate age, the other a young girl. The girl gazed up at him with wide, sky-blue eyes, her porcelain features clouded and unhappy. As the girl approached, the woman stopped a few feet short, her eyes on Adam. She appeared serene and untroubled. Adam knelt again as his daughter stepped up to him.
“Daddy, I don’t want to go!”
Adam took her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. His heart swelled as he took in her innocent beauty: the snow-blond hair, the blue eyes, the full lips, the tears glittering in her eyes.
“It’s done, Onja,” he said huskily. “I already reported you missing. You have to go now, or everything will be lost.”
“Daddy, please! I don’t want to leave you! You are all I have left!”
“Onja—”
“Daddy, I have to stay! I made a vow!”
“What kind of vow?”
“A vow to Sophia. I vowed to find Mother and Sonja and set them free!”
“Honey, you shouldn’t have done that.”
“But I did! And now I have to follow through. If you send me away, I won’t be able to keep the vow!”
Adam looked up at the priestess, but she said nothing, though her lips moved silently as if chanting a prayer. He hugged the girl briefly and kissed her again.
“Onja, listen to me. I love you more than you will ever know, but you absolutely must be on that ship tonight. It may be the last chance to get you off the planet. The money is already paid; the SE is already notified. If you’re discovered… Onja, if they find out I lied to them I’ll be executed! Do you know what that means?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks and she nodded.
“Why did you do that, Daddy? Why do you want me to go? You didn’t have to do that! I want to stay with you!”
Adam’s heart fractured a piece at a time as he heard the pain in her voice. For just a second he almost told her the real reason, but stopped himself just in time. She was too young for that, too young to understand. He’d promised himself at her birth that she would never know, and he wouldn’t go back on that promise now.
Another excerpt:
Onja crawled out of her gun turret and let the ship handler help her to the deck. She was tired but exhilarated; her blood was still pounding, as if she needed more action. It had felt good to, finally, strike back at the enemy. Surely this was what she was born to do, and she already longed for another shot at the bastards.
As the fighter crews passed through the airlock, they were unprepared for what awaited them. The observation deck above the entrance was crowded with cheering people; pilots, gunners, off-duty base personnel; in total, more than two hundred people were packed in, cheering afresh each time the airlock opened. Onja tugged off her helmet and stared up at them, her blue eyes incredulous. But the ovation was infectious, and within moments she was smiling and waving along with the rest of the crews.
Ten minutes later, in the ready room, the debriefing took place. Onja sat silently next to Landon as Lt. Cannersby, the S-2 (intelligence officer), compiled the score. Not everyone knew for sure how many Sirians they’d hit; toward the end of the engagement, torpedoes and lasers had been running wild. The most Cannersby could account for was seven, but several gunners were making duplicate claims on those kills.
“This doesn’t add up,” Cannersby said after a moment. “How many Sirians were there?”
“Eighteen,” Landon told him.
“And they were all destroyed?”
“Every one.”
“I’m only getting seven, and if I accept all these claims, the most I can account for is ten. What about the rest?”
The room sat silent as every eye focused on Landon. He hesitated a moment, then coughed modestly into his fist.
“Some of those have to be shared kills,” he said finally. “When we made contact, my gunner was the first to open fire. Lieutenant Ka-vorik had eleven kills.”
Onja’s eyes sprang wide as she gazed at Landon. She hadn’t bothered to count them. She looked back at Cannersby to see him staring at her in disbelief.
“From all the reports we’ve monitored,” he said quietly, “nobody in the Fighter Service has accumulated eleven kills since the war started. Nobody.”
Landon shrugged. “Today, someone did.”
Happy Halloween! I’ll be back soon with more book offers.
Until then.
Born Novelist 