Sunday, March 19, 2023

Is There a Place for Older Authors? by Michael R. French


Approaching 30, Adrian, a talented software engineer, takes stock of his wealth and accolades - and how unhappy he is. He doesn't make friends easily, dislikes social media, and was bloodied in a divorce. He finds no common purpose in a country defined by political vitriol, distrust, and inequality. Taking a leave of absence from his company, he travels to Japan with a samurai sword that his grandfather stole from a Japanese captain in World War Two. Adrian is determined to find its rightful heir. Doing the morally correct thing, he hopes, will make him feel better about his life. Ghost with Two Hearts is now available to purchase in print and as an e-book at Amazon.com.  Add it to your GoodReads reading listing as well.

 

Is There a Place for Older Authors?

I’ve been writing and publishing for almost fifty years. Through successes and disappointments, through the detours where life takes you with no exit signs in sight, perseverance pays a dividend. The best way to understand who I am and how I’m evolving as a person turns out to be through my writing. My cognitive age is somewhere in my forties.  Emotionally, I rank myself between twenty-five and seventy-eight (my chronological age), because I think my empathy gene is healthy. Curiosity and the desire to explore are ageless. In fact, they may get better with time.

Readers, of course, have different tastes, interests, focuses, and obsessions that usually reflect generational challenges. That was certainly true for me, starting in high school. But my reader friends and I back then, as now, had our favorite classics. Mine was Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. I also loved war novels written well before I was born, starting with All Quiet on the Western Front. Emotional and intellectual explorations about why humans go to war are both generational and timeless. My generation dealt with the Vietnam conflict.

Mixing one’s imagination with memory, to produce effective stories, is something that may also get better with the passage of time. I’ve learned writing techniques over the years I didn’t have when I was younger, not just about characters and plot but how and when to show emotion. When I was younger, I was terrible at controlling my own emotions—I was an instant gratification dude—but writing helped settle me down. In order not to produce something instantly forgettable, you teach yourself to write with a certain objectivity where care and precision are honored.    

We live in a judgmental, temperamental, and skeptical society. It’s not always a pretty place. Writing is a safe harbor. It’s also self-empowering. No matter how old you are, or how long you’ve been writing, no one can tell you that your career is necessarily winding down.

 


About the Author: Michael R. French graduated from Stanford University where he was an English major, focusing on creative writing, and studied under Wallace Stegner.  He received a Master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.   He later served in the United States Army before marrying Patricia Goodkind, an educator and entrepreneur, and starting a family. In addition to publishing over twenty titles, including award-winning young adult fiction, adult fiction, biographies and self-help books, he has written or co-written a half-dozen screenplays, including Intersection, which has won awards in over twenty film festivals.  He has also had a long business career in real estate, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  His passions include travel, collecting rare books, and hanging out with friends and family.   He describes his worst traits as impatience and saying "no" too quickly; his best are curiosity, taking risks, and learning from failure. French’s work, which includes several best-sellers, has been warmly reviewed in the New York Times and been honored with a number of literary prizes.

 Find Michael online at:

Author website:  http://www.michaelrfrench.com/ 

Blog:  http://www.michaelrfrench.com/blog 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFrenchAuthor/?fref=nf

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Michael-French/author/B001ITYVES?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrfrenchbooks/ 

Friday, March 3, 2023

Book Spotlight: Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard

 

1,000 years after Earth has been decimated by an alien invasion, a young hero rises from the ashes and rallies the last survivors in an all-out rebellion for freedom that explodes across the continents of Earth to the cosmic sprawl of the Psychlo empire…

Title: Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000
Author: L. Ron Hubbard
Publisher: Galaxy Press
Pages: 1092
Genre: Science Fiction, sub-genre: Alien Invasion, Classic Science Fiction, Space Opera, Military Sci-Fi, Adventure Sci-FI


If you liked Dune, Atlantis Gene, Foundation, Enders Game, and Starship Troopers, you’ll love Battlefield Earth.

Sadistic Aliens…

…Man is an endangered species.

Is it the end of the world or the rebirth of a new one?

In the year A.D. 3000, Earth is a dystopian wasteland. The great cities stand crumbling as a brutal reminder of what we once were. When the Psychlos invaded, all the world’s armies mustered little resistance against the advanced alien weapons.

A young hero rises from the ashes and rallies the last survivors in an all-out rebellion for freedom that explodes across the continents of Earth to the cosmic sprawl of the Psychlo empire.

The fate of the Galaxy lies on the Battlefield of Earth.

You’ll love Battlefield Earth because of the characters you’ll love and hate and the unexpected twists that keep the pages flying.

“Over 1,000 pages of thrills, spills, vicious aliens and noble humans. I found Battlefield Earth un-put-downable.” —Neil Gaiman

“Battlefield Earth is a terrific story! The carefully underplayed comedy I found it delicious. A masterpiece.” —Robert A. Heinlein 

“Pulse-pounding mile-a-minute sci-fi action adventure that does not stop. It is a masterpiece of popular adventure science fiction.” —Brandon Sanderson

“Space opera that hits the right notes. It’s provocative, exhilarating and genuinely enjoyable.” —SCIFI.COM

“Like the Harry Potter series, its got concepts like good vs. evil, the noble savage and the hero’s journey—and people go crazy over it!” —Dr. David Powers, Educator

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B41I4NI/ 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battlefield-earth-l-ron-hubbard/1100824883?ean=9781592129577 

BooksaMillion: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Battlefield-Earth/L-Ron-Hubbard/9781592129577?id=8748446917116

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/battlefield-earth-a-saga-of-the-year-3000-enlarged-expanded-l-ron-hubbard/15283828?ean=9781619865099

Book Excerpt  

To get Battlefield Earth, Chapters 1-13 delivered to your inbox, click here!
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About the Author

With 19 New York Times bestsellers and more than 350 million copies of his works in circulation, L. Ron Hubbard is among the most enduring and widely read authors of our time. As a leading light of American Pulp Fiction through the 1930s and ’40s, he is further among the most influential authors of the modern age. Indeed, from Ray Bradbury to Stephen King, there is scarcely a master of imaginative tales who has not paid tribute to L. Ron Hubbard.

Website: https://battlefieldearth.com/battlefield-earth/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/be_the_book

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BattlefieldEarth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/be_the_book

13 chapter download (eBook): https://dl.bookfunnel.com/y2zuqaj7yi

1 hour download (audio): https://dl.bookfunnel.com/243bnk6m09

Discussion Guide: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/y84enq7cje

Bloghttps://battlefieldearth.com/blog

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GalaxyPress/playlists

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29532708-battlefield-earth

Other books by L. Ron Hubbard: https://galaxypress.com/l-ron-hubbard-books/

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/JRbxWRwMI5w

Making of the Audiobook video: https://youtu.be/wABlKjhRDkQ

Brandon Sanderson’s Review video: https://youtu.be/S-80Tx1olgc

Short trailer: https://youtu.be/sU_V3O5Gemk


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Thursday, March 2, 2023

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Volume #39

 

 

From vampires and werewolves to space exploration and time travel, you will love these 12 original and diverse stories because they were selected by some of your favorite authors… 

Title: L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Volume #39
Author: L. Ron Hubbard, Kevin J. Anderson, S.M. Stirling, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lazarus Chernik and 24 Award-Winning Authors and Illustrators
Publisher: Galaxy Press
Pages: 544
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy Anthology

This is an anthology with 24 new authors and illustrators and bonus content by L. Ron Hubbard, Kevin J. Anderson, S. M. Stirling, Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

Short Description of Each Story:

Join a team of time travelers who set out to save London from a terrorist’s nuclear attack … when a blast from the past changes everything.

Meet a vampire, a dragon and a shape-shifting Chihuahua in Key West … this is one beach party that’s about to get wild!

Follow Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., who’s investigating the craziest case of his so-called life.…

A miracle? An omen? Or something else? One day, they arrived in droves—the foxes of the desert, the field, the imagination….—“Kitsune” by Devon Bohm

When a vampire, a dragon and a shape-shifting Chihuahua meet on a beach in Key West, fireworks go off! But that’s just the background.—“Moonlight and Funk” by Marianne Xenos

The Grim Reaper, trapped in an IRS agent’s dying body, must regain his powers before he dies and faces judgment for his original sin.—“Death and the Taxman” by David Hankins

In a metaverse future, a woman who exposes falseness in others must decide what is real to her—the love she lost or the love she may have found.—“Under My Cypresses” by Jason Palmatier

Vic Harden wasn’t lured by glory on a daring mission into the reaches of outer space—he was ordered out there by his editor.—“The Unwilling Hero” by L. Ron Hubbard

Dangerous opportunities present themselves when an alien ship arrives in the solar system seeking repairs.—“White Elephant” by David K. Henrickson

With her spaceship at the wrong end of a pirate’s guns, a former war hero must face down her enemies and demons to save Earth’s last best chance for peace.—“Piracy for Beginners” by J. R. Johnson

Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., faces one of his funniest and most perplexing cases ever—an enlightened ogre, a salamander with low self-esteem, and a raging fire dragon terrorizing the Unnatural Quarter!—“Fire in the Hole” by Kevin J. Anderson

Years after the Second Holocaust, the last surviving Jews on earth attempt to rewrite the past.—“A Trickle in History” by Elaine Midcoh

When I said I’d do anything to pay off my debts and get back home to Earth, I didn’t mean survey a derelict spaceship at the edge of the solar system—but here I am.—“The Withering Sky” by Arthur H. Manners

High-powered telescopes bring galactic life to our TVs, and network tuner Hank Enos figures he’s seen everything—until the day an alien boy stares back.—“The Fall of Crodendra M.” by T. J. Knight

Knights, damsels and dragons, curses and fates foretold—the stuff of legends and stories, but unexpectedly perverse.—“Constant Never” by S. M. Stirling

Determined to save his wife, Tumelo takes an unlikely client through South Africa’s ruins to the heart of the Desolation—a journey that will cost or save everything.—“The Children of Desolation” by Spencer Sekulin

When a terrorist smuggles a nuclear weapon into London, a team regresses in time to AD 1093 to assassinate a knight on the battlefield, thereby eliminating the terrorist a millennia before his birth.—“Timelines and Bloodlines” by L. H. Davis

The Grand Exam, a gateway to power for one, likely death for all others—its entrants include ambitious nobles, desperate peasants, and Quiet Gate, an old woman with nothing left to lose.—“The Last History” by Samuel Parr

Website Address: This is the cover reveal event address:  

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArcuytqj8uGNC4psMldYOJ3he9AMM9CNIO

Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/WotFContest

Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/WotFContest

Other Social:

https://www.instagram.com/wotfcontest/ 

https://www.pinterest.com/RealWotF/ 

https://www.youtube.com/user/WritersoftheFuture 

https://www.tiktok.com/@wotfcontest

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1619867680

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWHDJV4K

Books a Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/L-Ron-Hubbard-Presents-Writers/L-Ron-Hubbard/9781619867680?id=8748446917116

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/l-ron-hubbard-presents-writers-of-the-future-volume-39-l-ron-hubbard/1142955660?ean=9781619867680

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/l-ron-hubbard-presents-writers-of-the-future-volume-39-the-best-new-sf-fantasy-of-the-year-samuel-parr/19699175?ean=9781619867680
 

About the Contest

The international Writers of the Future Contest was created and endowed by L. Ron Hubbard. After several years of success in fostering new writers, the Illustrators of the Future Contest followed. The winning stories are illustrated and published in the annual L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future anthology. Described by critics as a perennial “glimpse of tomorrow’s stars,” a “must-have for the genre reader,” and “the bestselling science fiction anthology series of all time,” it is today the most enduring and top-ranking publication of its kind.

The blue-ribbon panel of judges is what makes this possible. The winning stories are selected by bestselling authors, including Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Nnedi Okorafor, Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert, Jody Lynn Nye, Larry Niven, Robert J. Sawyer, Katherine Kurtz, and many others. The best of the best are hand-picked each year.

There is no entry fee, and stories are judged blind, making it a fair competition for all authors and illustrators who enter from anywhere in the world. There are cash prizes. The winners are paid professional rates and maintain their rights.

It is an excellent program for new authors and readers, who often discover their next favorite writer.

Quick links to free resources:

Enter the Writing Contest https://www.writersofthefuture.com/enter-writer-contest/

Free Writing Workshop https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writing-workshop/

Writing Podcast: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/podcast/

Writers Forumhttps://www.writersofthefuture.com/forum/

Writing Contest Rules https://www.writersofthefuture.com/contest-rules-writers/

Contest Judges: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writer-judges/ 

Contest Blog: www.writersofthefuture.com/blog

List of Writers of the Future & L. Ron Hubbard books https://galaxypress.com/l-ron-hubbard-books/

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