FLU SEASON: The Book of Mom - cover reveal

This year has been full of stress. (That's 2022 for those who may read this in the future.) Of course it's stressful to write about the stress of surviving a pandemic in a novel while surviving a pandemic. 

However, even more stressful has been the revolving door of cover designs for my forthcoming pandemic novel FLU SEASON: The Book of Mom. 

(Note: FLU SEASON is the series title; The Book of Mom is the first book's title.) You may have read my rant in my previous blog post. If you haven't, don't worry; I'll be recalling some of it here. Covers revealed below!

In my previous 15 novels, the cover design was not too intricate. Yes, they could have been more detailed, more compelling, more artistic, but what I ended up with suited my tastes if not readers' tastes. For science fiction and fantasy, the genres demand artistic, fanciful, detailed art depicting some scene related to the story. I could not achieve that by myself with the skills I have. (My best artwork comes from my 7th grade art class: a portrait of a Neanderthal man in tempera paint. Be amazed below!)

So I went to my usual art friend who has managed to please me through several novel covers, hoping she could do some of that art stuff for me but more complex art. Unfortunately, she was not then available. My first thought was to do it myself. I have made a couple covers for my novels but the design was simple - some effective that way, some not so much. The main obstacle was gathering the images I needed and relearning Photoshop. I did create a decent cover but I didn't feel confident in it.

On Twitter (@StephenSwartz1) I'm following/followed-by other writers and - as they choose to connect with me - various cover designers and publicists looking for work. One fellow writer showed off her covers. I liked them, thought it was a good example of what I needed for my book. I asked who did them for her and she put me in contact with her cover designer.

This was an adventure. No offense intended, for he ultimately did good work, but the process of working with a one-man-band proved to be frustrating and dragged the project out longer than necessary. I should have used that time to go through my manuscript once more for any final tweaks, given the time it took, but I kept expecting the finished product any day. When I finally got the finished product (full covers for print and e-book plus assorted promotional images featuring the cover) I was delighted. But...not wowed.

He created a cover that exactly matched what I said I wanted. It was technically correct based on my description. A couple of friends had valid criticisms of the finished cover. One said the cover looked too much like a comic book rather than a more serious novel about a tuba-playing mom and her teen son escaping a city in chaos for what they hoped would be relative safety in the countryside. I fretted over whether to use this cover or not. As the first book of a trilogy I was also concerned with the subsequent covers based on the standards of this one. 

I submitted the files for the manuscript and the cover, got my proof copy, and saw it with fresh eyes. It did look a bit too comic - but that was what I had described unknowingly so I could only blame myself. Having the physical book in my hands also showed me how big it was. The font was needlessly large for one thing (looked fine on a computer screen), so the page count had expanded. Right away I reduced the font throughout by 1 point, which shaved 40 pages from the manuscript.

All right, I thought to myself. I was then half way through that final reading/tweaking of the manuscript as I waited for the finished product to arrive. That "final" read through allowed me to snip here and there to further reduce the size. I knew I would need to resubmit everything and I worried that the cover may not match because of the change of the spine width due to having fewer pages.

At about the same time, I was contacted by a short-term follower who happened to be a cover design artist. Actually, she represented a business that designed covers and promotional material. Feeling distraught at my situation, I inquired about their services and found it reasonable. I gave them less instruction for the cover, hoping the artist would use his/her imagination more. I received a good rendition of my earlier description, however; the only problem was switching out a French horn for a tuba (I did specify a tuba).

They sent the files two weeks ago but I was traveling and forgot or missed seeing the email with the link to the files. Once I'd caught up and gotten the files, I was pleased - though two weeks behind my own timeline. I did see an error to fix and as long as they were fixing that I might as well ask for a couple other minor changes - which they fixed in 24 hours and resent to me. 

I don't know which cover is the best. They are all similar and yet differ in some ways. You may comment on your favorite (or, more likely, the one you like more than the others) and I will wait until I get the consensus I want before sending that cover to the publisher. I will reveal (although you might guess in the meantime) which is done by which designer. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

Now that I have everything - the manuscript tweaking is finished - I will resubmit everything and hope the next proof copy will be perfect. If it is, you will soon have Book 1 of FLU SEASON The Book of Mom available in print and for Kindle before the holidays.

Book 2 (The Way of the Son) is finished and undergoing appropriate revision and editing. The cover design shall commence forthwith.

Book 3 (Dawn of the Daughters) has begun, with much note scribbling, and may be used in this year's National Novel Writing Competition in November (just have to write 50,000 more words than what I have now).

Thanks for your support!

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

(C) Copyright 2010-2022 by Stephen M. Swartz. All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog, whether text or image, may be used without me giving you written permission, except for brief excerpts that are accompanied by a link to this entire blog. Violators shall be written into novels as characters who are killed off. Serious violators shall be identified and dealt with according to the laws of the United States of America.

DeConstructing the Language of Sebbou

My latest novel is out now. THE MASTERS' RIDDLE is a science fiction epic in which an alien being is captured by members of a mysterious race. The bulk of the novel is this alien's attempts to return home...to his home planet of Sebbol. Although the novel is in English, of course, there are moments when the alien speaks - which I do partly for flavoring the scene, partly for expressing emotion, partly for fun. I like alien languages.

I first encountered alien languages in my science fiction trilogy, THE DREAM LAND, set partially on the planet of Ghoupallesz. There I had the principal language most residents used, plus three languages used by peripheral societies. With a background in linguistics, I relished the opportunity to create full-functioning languages (and even included some quirks so they were not so perfect...like real languages). (Read more about inventing languages here.) I used them where relevant whenever we have:

1) the names of things with no equivalent word in English;

2) the phrases spoken by the native speakers;

3) the phrases spoken in reply by Earth characters who know the native language;

4) the words/phrases which are added here and there to help lend authenticity to the scene.

I recognize that having extensive passages in other-than-English is tedious for a reader. Thus, I try to limit myself to following a few rules when writing with alien languages (or Earth languages other than English, for example the Hindi spoken by Indians in my India novel about tiger hunting).

Rule 1. When the character hears spoken words which happen to be in the other language, I write out some of it. This is literally what the character hears, even if he doesn't understand it.  I can then explain what it means, as appropriate to the scene. For example, an announcement over a loudspeaker.

Rule 2. When a character literally speaks in a language other than English - because the character does not know English or chooses to speak in another language - I either provide a simple unobtrusive translation or otherwise tell the reader what was said. I do not want to give up the authenticity of the scene by avoiding the foreign language. For example, whenever it is vital that the character speak his own native language (which I give at least a clue as to what it means).

In THE MASTERS' RIDDLE, there are intelligent beings from several worlds. I give each its own language although for the most part I tell the story in English. How can they communicate with each other? An advanced species would have elevated means of communication. First, there is vocalization...which is not going to be understood no matter how well heard. Next is the attempt to communicate visually with facial expressions, hand gestures, and making marks on a surface or circumscribing designs in the air. I have them doing the 'Vulcan mind-meld' in some instances, where one being touches the other and through that neural network connection they can communicate. And a few other clever methods.

But what do they communicate? Not a system of language which one of them would not know. They can only communicate raw ideas - simple ideas, basic information without nuance. No metaphors, idioms, or slang. Even when two beings knowing different languages communicate through telepathy (no physical contact; mind to mind) the effect can only be this fundamental level of ideation: e.g., 'Go, sit, there.' rather than 'Would you please step over to that rock and have a seat there?'

When I worked on Ghoupallean, the main language used on Ghoupallesz, I devised the complete grammar and lexicon, made a thick dictionary of the language, learned to speak some of it - to the dismay of people around me in public venues. For THE MASTERS' RIDDLE I held back. Sure there are a few phrases our hero speaks in Sebbou, the native language of Sebbol, described variously as chirps, squeaks, and squeals. Not a commanding language at all. It is difficult for this alien to lead the ragtag gang of other species but he possesses a unique feature which gives him an advantage: his inner Ru. 

The inner Ru is a homunculus-like entity inside the mind, a miniature man, which both advises and translates. I imagined this little being much as I pondered the drawings of Plato's allegory: a cave with someone writing on the walls. Much of the writing was actually drawing, a visual language, thinking in images rather than abstract marks that made up a formal script to represent the phonetics.

Therefore, Sebbou takes the form in the novel mostly as category 1 above: things which do not directly translate into English, primarily the names of flora, fauna, and geologic features of planet Sebbol. There are a few direct phrases which help show the way of thinking of the Aull who live on Sebbol, the way myth informs their society.

In one scene of instruction, the mentor speaks a Sebbou phrase taken from our hero's mind:

“The Process is what you do with your mind to tear space apart and project body through tangent opening. Do with power of mind, which can be greatest force in the universe. Bio-chemical, electro-chemical energies created in the brain of an advanced creature, applied to engineering problems, can move mountains—sometimes planets. Or, as you say on your world, to ‘raise the stars’.”

Toog’s face flashed bronze. “^sT’_n Ra’_q.”

“You remember expression from childhood? Took from your mind, from memories of childhood training, so can understand. Is true. This power, when focused on right spot and increased to right magnitude can rip curtain between two sides of universe. At such a moment, while rending this curtain, step through to other world.”

The phrase is a common expression and means something significant to our Aull friend and it makes him press on with his lessons. The initial /s/ is a polite hiss which initiates all speech in Aull society. The /T/ with apostrophe represents /t/ with a trailing vowel huff. The falling /n/ is a gutteral utterance. The /R/ is a strong consonant followed by a longer vowel represented by /a/ and the same apostrophic huff. The final /q/ is an emphatic grunt which acts as a conclusion in Sebbou. Therefore, 'Tin rai q'  means “raise the stars”. 

Let's try it:  s (high-pitched hiss) T (with a huff) n (deep in throat) R (almost trilled) a (normal vowel, add huff) kh (unvoiced growl)

Not bad. It's easier if you have the oral apparatus of the Aull throat and mouth. They are, after all, descendent from amphibians. If you can't do it, don't worry. You got the idea. (A glossary is included at the end of the book, if you're curious about Sebbou.)

I wanted to get on with the story rather than indulge in linguistic play, so these kind of direct expressions of Sebbou are kept to the minimum. I tell what they all say, as they communicate mostly through mind-meld or telepathy. The languages are not the main point of the story but are something real that needs to be accounted for in the story. We cannot pretend beings from different planets can all speak the same language. That would not be realistic. I am not a member of Starfleet and I do not possess a handy communicator device (although the Masters in one scene do employ a similar machine). 

But supposing these various characters happened to be in this setting with this problem? How would they communicate with each other in order to solve their problem? That's the point we have to operate with throughout the book. It's all about what's real.

NEXT: Summer vacation reading list.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

(C) Copyright 2010-2021 by Stephen M. Swartz. All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog, whether text or image, may be used without me giving you written permission, except for brief excerpts that are accompanied by a link to this entire blog. Violators shall be written into novels as characters who are killed off. Serious violators shall be identified and dealt with according to the laws of the United States of America.

DeConstructing the Aull of Sebbol in THE MASTERS' RIDDLE

After a lifetime of imagining and the past 12 years of publishing, THE MASTERS' RIDDLE is my first novel with a non-human protagonist - not counting the tiger in my previous book Year of the Tiger who had a human-like way of thinking. I've always liked to set challenges for myself just to see if I can pull them off (see my effort in Epic Fantasy *With Dragons, or perhaps check out my vampire trilogy). For the most part I think I succeed. In every one of my novels, whether contemporary literary or science-fiction/fantasy, I delve into the gray areas of the human condition, exploring the why and why not of the situation. In part, that may be my own attempt to understand why we do what we do. Sometimes the best way to explore the human condition is through the mind of a non-human.

Our hero is called Toog, a member of the species called Aull living on the planet they call Sebbol. (You can read about the origins of The Masters' Riddle in my previous blog post.) As you learned in my previous post, our hero originally was basically a human from the same world I used for my Dream Land trilogy, then gradually transformed completely into a non-human entity as I wrote the story. Here I will describe Toog as the kind of Aull he/she became by the mid-point of the novel.

Artist's rendition of Sebbol

The planet Sebbol is in a system many light-years from Earth, a lucky find for the mysterious Masters who arrive through interdimensional portals and capture whatever beings interest them. Toog is caught in one sweep and brought back to the Masters' home world, a frozen place he soon discovers. Sebbol is a warm planet, tropical, full of watery resorts and lush in foliage - at least in the district where Toog lived. Like most planets, the terrain and climate vary from north to south. With only a 6 degree tilt (compared to Earth's 23 degrees), Sebbol turns on its axis in 30 "short-cycles" which equate to hours. The planet revolves around its sun, which they call Uf, in 668 "long-cycles" which equate to days. One revolution of their sun is called a "sun-cycle" (translation from Sebbou). All of this makes for a world with little change in seasons and long days and long years.

Because of its watery nature, the Aull evolved from amphibious ancesters. The Aull continue to conceive and are born in a nutrient-rich swamp they call a "skarg" - as opposed to a more open water area called "abo". The skarg is dense water, usually choked with plants and usually containing other fauna, but it is to these murky bogs that the Aull go for mating and return to deposit their "orb" when it transmigrates out of the female's belly to become a self-contained sphere. The orb absorbs nutrients from the skarg until it has grown sufficiently that the parents retrieve it and bring it to their abode.

At first, the "springling" is only a translucent sphere with rudimentary arms and legs, living in a swinging basket which simulates the ebb and flow of the water in the skarg. The arms and legs continue to grow until everything is transformed into an upright being able to walk and swim, called a "midling". Young Aull, like children and youth in most societies, learn the rules of their community and learn skills which are useful to the community. When an Aull has reached the milestone of no longer birthing new orbs, they achieve an emeritus status and are sought for their wisdom.

Aull society is divided into villages which tend to specialize in food production. Toog's village focuses on gardening, bringing vegetables and fruit to market. Other villages keep animals used for food. There is much trade among villages. The society is rigidly ordered, headed by a shaman - who is led by a high shaman in the district - and members of the village each have a role. If an Aull cannot work they are shunned or exiled, or the family may feed them from their own portions. It is not a cruel method; rather, it is necessary so that food stocks are not needlessly given to members who cannot contribute to the village - as happens in the story.

The Aull are born androgynous, neither male nor female, and it is the village shaman that determines whether the springling will be male or female - depending on the village's situation, trying to keep the sexes equal in number and to provide for the skills needed. Toog happened to be designated male, although it is the female whose sexual appendage is longer when unfolded (see the appendix in the book for further explanation).

The Aull are a pre-industrial, mostly agrarian culture with religion and myths and customs, generally a pacifist society who are forced to prepare to fight the Masters. However, Aull are ill-equiped for such battle - unlike other beings captured by the Masters that Toog encounters. The adult Aull has sleek silvery skin over the head, torso, two arms and two legs. The rubbery arms end in hands with two pairs of opposing fingers, the second finger a knuckle longer and tipped with a digging claw. A heel pad can project to act as another finger or as a defensive weapon. The legs end in feet which seem too large for the body but serve well in watery situations where swimming is required. Each foot has four clawed toes which may flatten as the soles harden depending on the environment.

Moving from the warm, tropical environment of Sebbol to the harsh, arctic clime of the Masters' world causes an Aull's skin to change from silver to blue. Continued stress will cause the blue skin to fade to dull gray, even white, and become nearly translucent when in dire conditions such as starvation.

The body of an Aull is roughly humanoid - that is, looking like a human - but is not classified as human. The globe-shaped head features two large eyes in round sockets, no eye brows or brow ridges, and the eye lids open and close in a spiral motion like a camera lens. The nose does not project but has two flaps which can close it while underwater - or in a gaseous environment. The mouth entrance is small and round, even rows of uniform planet-cutting teeth inside. Due to the round head, there is no chin and the neck is limited. Inside the body, the skeleton of an Aull is more cartilage than bone. It has been noted by scientists that the Aull has a heart with three chambers and a stomach with three chambers. The Aull also has three small organs for which there are not equivalents in humans. 

A poor representation of an Aull

It is also noted that in times of stress, the Aull's suppressed defensive measures may become operative. Barbs and spines may erupt. A noxious gas may be produced to halt attackers. Electricity may be compiled and "shot" out at attackers. The best weapon, however, may be the extraordinary breadth of knowledge of the Aull's "inner Ru" - the homunculus which every Aull carries inside its head. (I have provided an appendix in the book which explains the latest examination of this phenomena. Another appendix explains the mating ritual in more detail than above here.) 

A few times, another being refers to Toog as a "frog" or "toad" or notes his/her amphibious heritage - but this is not to say that there is a direct correspondence. Some of Toog's features are more congruous to an octopus, for example. It is generally impossible to say that this is like that or the Aull is just an intelligent "frog" walking upright. The Aull is a separate and unique species of intelligent being who simply wish to be left alone - certainly not harassed by the Masters.

Other beings captured by the Masters run the gamut of other upright, two-legged creatures to worm-like beings, four-legged beings, reptilian and mammalian mostly. In the early days, the Masters took whatever seemed interesting. Later they took only the kind of beings that were best suited for certain uses. For example, the Xmburrhaltin beings, large fur-covered ape-like creatures were a good fit for the slave labor camps. Other beings had properties from which medicines could be developed - or industrial strength glue. Yet the being called Ra'aa'al was merely a spirit that inhabited other creatures' bodies. It is an iguana-type creature who Ra'aa'al inhabits when Toog meets the being from Ra’a’am’mas’sandiit. While many modern sci-fi films tend to employ insect-like alien beings as the ugly enemy - I do have one mantis-like creature just for show (and an out of place human for comic relief) - the Masters would likely kill first any such insect things they encountered rather than bring them back.

Some of the captives, once free, are determined to fight the Masters while others just want to go home. Yet how can they go home if home is on another planet? The only way is through the interdimensional doorway guarded by the Masters. 

I looked far and wide for artwork which most closely resembled the creatures in my head but, of course, did not find. I tasked my cover artist with making a collection of the main characters like a movie poster but that idea proved too ambitious. We decided to focus on Toog, the main character, but drawing him as described was daunting also (and given my artist's other commitments). So we opted for the single-image cover: a clawed hand, looking rather ominous, which may to some readers suggest a horror story but which is only meant to suggest a non-human protagonist.

Anyway, it is done now. I know how it ends. Are the Masters destroyed? Do the beings from other worlds get home? Is balance restored in the universe? Are the Aull of Sebbol saved from extinction? Only Toog will know the answers when he solves THE MASTERS' RIDDLE.

NEXT: The language of the Aull, Sebbou

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

(C) Copyright 2010-2021 by Stephen M. Swartz. All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog, whether text or image, may be used without me giving you written permission, except for brief excerpts that are accompanied by a link to this entire blog. Violators shall be written into novels as characters who are killed off. Serious violators shall be identified and dealt with according to the laws of the United States of America.

Independence Day: Not the Movie

Dear Independents,

Most of the past several Julys (Julies?) I've been posting your summer reading list and then fleeing to parts unknown. Not this year. Last July was the lockdown. Before that I did a driving tour of Canada. Prior to that I went to China four Julies in a row to teach at a university. Before that I taught a class at my own university. Earlier Julys have faded but I remember a lot of summer classes as a student, a few days near a beach, more days indoors next to the air conditioner, and a little dip in a pool or two.

However, as fate would have it, I have a new book launching today. It's a science fiction novel about an alien (undocumented non-human being?) who through no fault of his (her? its?) own is captured by a mysterious race (species?) that tortures and enslaves him. This cruel treatment leads him to want to escape, moreover to return to his home and be with his family. But there are obstacles, of course, or we wouldn't have a good plot. 

There is no direct connection between this story and Independence Day, commonly known as 4th of July. I looked back to past July blog posts and found none that had an American holiday theme. So I suppose I'll have to start one since I'm still around today.

Yes, it's been a tough time lately. Almost everyone has suffered in a multitude of ways. I think I've skated by fairly well unscathed by all the happenings, both viral and social. I've never been a big rah-rah kind of guy but I can get choked up by some displays of patriotism, the same bald-faced nationalism that most nations have on their birthdays.

Then part of me says "now wait a minute" and I can easily list some things "we" (people long gone ahead of me?) got wrong, did wrong, or failed to do when it should've been done. It's a complicated history, we understand, and one that cannot be told in black and white. We try, but the grays (not the aliens!) are overwhelming. Take any geographical area, any group of people, any planet of intelligent creatures, and there will be the good and the bad - and for movie buffs also the ugly. 

There: I said it. Now let us work toward returning to the righteous path, staying the course, keeping to one's lane, and/or being the best we can be. It's not too difficult. Some people I know like to say we should treat people how we would want to be treated. This may seem a bit narcissistic to some of us. Or not. All is in the mote of the eye of the beholder. But we can still dream, can't we?

(No, I'm not drunk. Just short of sleep and typing too fast. But you get the idea.)

So why not give my latest novel a good read, be filled with the wisdom of First Goddess and hope you return home before it's too late, as our friend Toog wishes. It's kind of like The Shawshank Redemption but with aliens. Actually I've never seen more than a passing minute of it. And, yes, an interdimensional portal. And alien languages, some inter-species seduction, and new military hardware on a frozen, dying world. Perfect for a read beside the pool or on the beach.

Note: there is an actual human among the captives, but this is just for comic relief.

Thanks in advance. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Author

Here is a handy dandy link to the Kindle version (click on the word 'Kindle').

Here is a professionally designed link to the Paperback edition (click on the word 'Paperback').

NEXT: The insider info dump about THE MASTERS' RIDDLE.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

(C) Copyright 2010-2021 by Stephen M. Swartz. All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog, whether text or image, may be used without me giving you written permission, except for brief excerpts that are accompanied by a link to this entire blog. Violators shall be written into novels as characters who are killed off. Serious violators shall be identified and dealt with according to the laws of the United States of America.

What I did on My Summer Staycation

Even after shifting to an online version of teaching to finish the spring semester, I still had big plans for summer travel. Then, week after week, I kept putting off hitting the road. Until the summer had waned and I was back to the same ol' same ol'. So, instead of driving to parts unknown, I stayed home. 

Staying home is not a great hardship for me. It's what I do whenever I do anything. I can easily occupy myself with the usual writing and editing, along with reading and some movies on DVD. At first, I thought I would start a new novel, something apocalyptic - obviously. I got a good start but the idea ran dry. I started reading other apocalyptic books to get inspiration. Good books, but it didn't work.

Next I thought I should use my time to finish some unfinished manuscripts. I settled on a sci-fi story I had started in a National Novel Writing Month competition a few years past. I even made a tentative book cover for it. As expected, I "won" by hitting the 50,000-word threshold, then I got distracted with other projects and left it unfinished. I always intended to finish it but I left it at a crucial point where I realized how off track I had gotten. But first, before I returned to the novel I had titled THE MASTERS' RIDDLE, I told myself I should work on one more revision of my already finished manuscript of an action-adventure magical realism novel titled YEAR OF THE TIGER, which will be coming out this fall.

All right, done. I completely revised, edited, and formatted that ancient manuscript and polished it to within an inch of its life. It is now ready to go.

So...back to the sci-fi book about the little alien who is captured by mean invaders and just wants to go home....

I always liked the idea but writing it was taking too much of my soul. The protagonist was, after all, a non-human character, forcing me to think way outside of boxes. That was a fun aspect of writing the story, of course, but challenging. As a professional linguist, I love playing with languages and alternate ways of thinking. And world building? Don't get me started! But by the time NaNoWriMo ended, my alien had slowly shifted into a regular human. Sure, I was hurrying to finish the competition; I knew I could revise it later, but the way that portion turned out left me puzzled about how to shift it all back on track.

So there I was with a whole summer and nothing to do, nowhere to go. I did try to work on it more than a year before. I had gotten a great new idea and just started in with a whole new scene. That was interesting and it worked. I would make the two storylines dovetail. But I got distracted again by other projects. So now, in 2020, I thought I might as well work on it. So I picked it up where I had left off with the new section from a year ago - where my protagonist is back to being a little alien. (I knew I would work on the original "left off" section and make it fit the new section later.)

With a rough outline from previous planning - which is odd, because I don't usually plan and I don't usually outline, at least not more than what happens in the next scene, or this section will go from here to there - I headed on from what would be the exact middle of the story. It was like going to see a play and in the middle of Act II, the whole cast changes costumes and starts forgetting their lines, and the director just stops and tells the audience to come back next year and it will all be fixed. You return and pick up the play in Act III and everything seems fine for Act III but you wonder what happened in Act II the year before. Anyway, I was willing to proceed with Act III and write it all out to the end. Then I would go back and fix the section where my alien hero slipped into being a human.

So I did it. Just finished it. The ending that happened turned out to be a very satisfying conclusion although not the one I had originally planned. How we get to that conclusion also had some twists I had not imagined originally. Happy little coincidences. But all the more powerful - I mean visceral. I think it is a "happy" ending in some ways but raises disturbing questions, too. I like those kind of stories.

Anyhoo...our alien hero struggles to get home, but how do you get home when home is another planet far, far away? Even if you get help from other kinds of creatures that have escaped... Even if you form an army to fight against your captors... Even if you find and capture the machine that enables your captors to go through an interdimensional portal to other worlds and kidnap creatures for slave labor or experiments... how do you get home? And what will you find when (or if) you do get home? Totally depressing possibilities make for a great story.

At least you have the cast of other alien beings from several different worlds, speaking different languages, having different cultures. Could there be any story with more diversity? So I got to invent different species, each with its own way of doing things in their normal lives on their home worlds, with different languages, and so on. World building! That was fun. Easy enough to describe beings from tropical worlds, desert worlds, frozen worlds, watery worlds, and so on. How they are mostly "upright" and mostly "intelligent" is solely because those are the kind of creatures the invaders choose to bring back as captives.

Languages and how they communicate was both the most frustrating aspect and had the most clever solution. IMHO. They speak (verbal utterance) in their own language, of course, but some have telepathic ability. Others are intelligent enough to convert the symbol patterns of one language into the patterns of their own language and thus understand. Some creatures pass pure ideas to other creatures without the idea needing to be coded into a language system. And so on. The hardest part was deciding how to show each different kind of communication on the page.

All right, enough teaser! I will save the big twists for another blog post sometime in my fallcation. In the meantime, look for my action-adventure novel of manly daring-do where a man-eating tiger with vengeance on its mind takes on a crazy cadre of inept hunters (warning: not a comedy) in YEAR OF THE TIGER.

[Note: This is my first blog post using the new design of Blogger. It is what it is.]

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

(C) Copyright 2010-2020 by Stephen M. Swartz. All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog, whether text or image, may be used without me giving you written permission, except for brief excerpts that are accompanied by a link to this entire blog. Violators shall be written into novels as characters who are killed off. Serious violators shall be identified and dealt with according to the laws of the United States of America.

Your Summer Reading List

It's time again for Summer Reading!

I know it's rather late but, as we all know, in these challenging times of new normal, we can't just hop on a plane or in a car and go somewhere, forgetting everything and just lazing about like library walruses. However, I still have a little time left before I'm summoned back to the campus for more of something which has not as yet been wholly defined. 

I'm posting this before I escape on my staycation in the hope that you and your loved ones (or anyone you know [or anyone they know {or all the other people you may cross paths with this summer}]) will get the word on these "purdy good" books of made-up stories which they just might want to read this summer - because, as we all know, 95% of pleasure reading is done during the summer - and 82% of that pleasure reading is done near a pool or on a beach. Fact.

FYI, I write in several genre, whatever fits the story that my muses dictate into my ear, so there's something for everyone: romance, adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, literary, biographical, but not especially YA (sorry). Most of all, I try to write a compelling tale of people in crisis, strangers in strange lands, whether it is our contemporary world or a world of imagination. 

Below is your summer reading list! The links go to the ebook pages (a.k.a. Kindle) for all the books, but they also exist in quality paperback editions. Click on the book titles to be magically transported to a place where you can read a sample and elect to purchase the entire book. Happy reading! 

EXCHANGE (just launched in 2020)

An Unspeakable Crime.

High school teacher Bill Masters and his family have a comfortable life in suburban Oklahoma City - until his wife and teen daughter are killed in a mass shooting.

Overwhelmed with grief, Bill struggles to put his life back

together - or construct a new life from what remains - even as he must combat continuing crime that threatens him and his home.

A Second Chance.

When exchange student Wu Ting "Wendy" Wang arrives from China for her year at an American high school, she has no idea what has just happened to her host family.

She's a constant reminder to Bill of why his family is gone. Yet he is determined to protect her at any cost - ready to use his father's gun. And he will not fail this time.

SUNSET (2019)

Book III of the Stefan Szekely, Vampire trilogy

Midnight 31 December 2099.

As the Empire of Europa celebrates the new centennial with battle lines in Ukraine and preparations underway for invading England, the Emperor in His capital of Budapest welcomes His guests, the elite of vampire society.

Yet all is not well in the empire. Different factions agree the time has come for new leadership. As rabid mobs protest and attack palace guards, Emperor Stefan and his closest staff huddle in the imperial suite, awaiting rescue.

But how do you get away from the clutches of the supreme demon who lives forever and exists everywhere? If Stefan can free himself, the world may yet be saved. If he fails, the destruction will continue...until the Anglo-American Union falls and vampire society rules the world.

SUNRISE (2018)

Book II of the Stefan Szekely, Vampire trilogy

For Stefan Székely it is a fate worse than death: To be dead yet stuck with his dead parents. 

After 13 years Stefan can endure it no longer. He wants a castle of his own. But first he must visit his family’s bank in Budapest.

With endless strife rumbling across Europe, Stefan hardly recognizes Budapest, now capital of the Hungarian Federation. The world has changed. 

Nevertheless, he embarks on the reign of terror he always denied himself, living the vampire playboy lifestyle. Until he gets a stern warning from the local vampire gang. He is not welcome - unless he plays by their rules.

Should Stefan fight for his right to party like it's 2027? Or will an encounter with a dangerous stranger change everything about his new existence? As clashes between vampire gangs and State Security escalate, Stefan just might be the key to changing the fate of Europe forever!

. . . If he can survive three bloody nights in Budapest.

The sequel to A DRY PATCH of SKIN continues the trials and tribulations of Stefan Székely, Vampire.

EPIC FANTASY *WITH DRAGONS

CORLAN, MASTER DRAGONSLAYER, the best in the Guild, the best in the Burg!

And yet, returning from his latest expedition, Corlan discovers jealous rivals have conspired with the Prince to banish him from the city.

Sent into the Valley of Death, Corlan conjures a plan. He and his new sidekick, a runaway boy from the palace kitchen, will trek the thousand miles to the far end of the valley, where a vast marsh provides nesting grounds for the dragon horde. Once there, Corlan vows to smash dragon eggs and lance younglings, ending dragon terror once and for all time.

And yet, as dangers, distractions, and detours harry him along the way, Corlan learns ancient secrets that threaten to destroy everything in his world. Even with the aid of wizards and warriors, he must use all his guile, his bravado, and the force of his stubborn will just to survive - and perhaps return home - no matter how the gods challenge him with their harshest tests.

A GIRL CALLED WOLF 

Ice and snow are all 12 year old Anuka knows outside the hut in Greenland where she was born. 

When her mama dies, Anuka struggles to survive. The harsh winter forces her to finally journey across the frozen island to the village her mama always feared.

But the people of the village don’t know what to do with this girl. They try to educate and bring her into the modern world, but Anuka won't make it easy for them. She sees dangers at every turn and every day hears her fate echoing in her mama’s voice.

Her mama gave her that name for a reason. She is A GIRL CALLED WOLF who searches for the place where she belongs, a destination always just out of reach, on a path she will always make her own.

AIKO 

When the handwritten letter from Japan arrives, Benjamin cannot help but flash back to when he lived in Hawaii and met Hanako, a Japanese stewardess. 

But Addy, Benjamin’s wife of three years, knows what the letter really means: a love child was born.

Now Benjamin must save a child he has never met, learn the truth behind Hanako’s death, and risk his marriage and his career to do the right thing. But venturing into the lonely woods of northern Ishikawa throws him into an ancient world of strict customs and tight-lipped villagers.

AIKO, a love story wrapped around a mystery, is a modern version of the Madame Butterfly story told from his side.

A DRY PATCH OF SKIN 

(the only medically accurate vampire novel)

Book I of the Stefan Szekely, Vampire trilogy

The truth about being a vampire: It is not cool, not sexy. It’s a painful, miserable existence.

Good reason to avoid that situation, thinks medical technician Stefan Székely. He's too busy falling in love with TV reporter Penny Park, anyway. Until one day when she notices a dry patch of skin on his face.

At first it's just annoying, nothing to worry about, some weird skin disease he can treat with lotions. However, as his affliction worsens, Stefan fears that his unsightly problem will ruin his relationship with Penny.

If only that was all Stefan has to worry about! He soon realizes there is a lot more at stake than his handsome face. To save himself, Stefan must go in search of a cure for the disease which is literally destroying him inch by inch. If only his parents had told him of the family legacy.

A BEAUTIFUL CHILL 

Opposites may attract... but can they stay together?

Íris is a refugee from an abusive youth in Iceland, further abused on the streets of Toronto - until she sees Art as an escape. With a scholarship, she drifts from depression to nightmare to Wiccan rituals to the next exhibit. There's a lot she must forget to succeed in a life she refuses to take responsibility for.

Eric is settling in at Fairmont College, starting a new life after betrayal and heartbreak. Divorced and hitting forty, he has a lot to prove - to his father, his colleagues, and mostly to himself. The last thing he needs is a distraction - and there's nothing more distracting than Íris.

A Beautiful Chill is a contemporary romance set in the duplicitous world of academic rules and artistic license - in a roundabout way a prequel to A Girl Called Wolf.

AFTER ILIUM 

Troy! Ilium! 3000 years ago Greeks and Trojans battled below the fortress city.

Now comes Alex Parris in 1993, freshly graduated and eager to tour the ancient site. On his cruise to Istanbul, however, he meets Eléna, a mysterious older woman who draws him into an affair.

When the two lovers challenge Fate by visiting the ruins of Ilium, they are rudely separated – forcing Alex to embark on his own Odyssey. His struggle to return to Eléna becomes a fight for survival on the wild Turkish coast.

THE DREAM LAND Trilogy

(sci-fi, steampunk, interdimensional doorways, world-ruining, political intrigue, time travel, battle hamsters & magic potions)

Book I  Long Distance Voyager 

Book II  Dreams of Future's Past 

Book III  Diaspora

How far would you go to save the love of your life? Through a portal to another world?

High school sweethearts Sebastian and Gina discover a doorway to a new world. Adventure-loving Gina falls in love with the world of Ghoupallesz and wants to stay, but studious Sebastian fears losing touch with Earth, so he returns alone.

Years later, working the night shift at the IRS, Sebastian feels the cosmic pull once more. Gina is in trouble. Again. Of course he must return and save her! Perhaps this time, he hopes, they can remain together. Returning through the interdimensional doorway, Sebastian must gather his old comrades from the war, cross the towering Zet mountains, and free Gina from the evil Zetin warlord’s castle. 

Unfortunately, there are more questions to answer. Is his adventure on the other side real? Or is it just the dream of a psychotic killer? That’s what the police want to know when his friends and co-workers go missing.

THE DREAM LAND Trilogy is a genre-mashing Epic of Interdimensional intrigue and alien romance, a psychological thriller marbled through with twisted humor, steampunk pathos, and time/space conundra. 

NOTE: Check your local Amazon listings. You may be able to get these for free if you are a Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime member!

---------------------------------------------------------------------
(C) Copyright 2010-2020 by Stephen M. Swartz. All Rights Reserved. No part of this blog, whether text or image, may be used without me giving you written permission, except for brief excerpts that are accompanied by a link to this entire blog. Violators shall be written into novels as characters who are killed off. Serious violators shall be identified and dealt with according to the laws of the United States of America.