Review of Diamond Star - Catherine Asaro's Newest Release

Review of Diamond Star
Author: Catherine Asaro
ISBN#978-1-4165-9160-3
1-4165-9160-5
Publisher: Baen Books – 2009
Reviewed by: Elena Dorothy Bowman

Diamond Star, the newest novel in Catherine Asaro's Award-Winning Skolian Empire Series is the story of a Prince of the Ruby Empire who longed to be somewhere and someone other than who he really was, and to that end kept his true identity a secret. At the time his family returned to their own planet, he was not with them, causing his family to believe he was being held captive by Earth's Hierarchy. Feeling that his family would not appreciate his desire to stay on Earth and be a rock star, he kept that information from them. Intent on proving that he could do more with his talent than what was expected of him, he set about promoting his music and his voice. He soon discovered that he was entwined in the dark side of the holo-rock industry, with attempts on his life, people wanting to own him, use him, kidnap him, and enslave him. Not to mention the interstellar conflagration he could bring about between three civilizations: Earth, Skyfall, and the worst of them all—The Traders— if Earth couldn't protect him. Then, too, there was woman he loved, a love he couldn't or wouldn't believe possible. He did not want to cause his family any worry or anguish, but he had to do what he was born to do—sing. If only he could believe he was as good as everyone was telling him he was, that he truly was worthy of the talent he was given.

Catherine Asaro's Diamond Star will keep you turning the pages as she takes you from one world to another as easily as going to the corner grocery store. The vivid worlds she creates makes one want to sign up for the next flight to the stars. A romantic science fiction novel that will keep you thinking about it long after you've closed the book on the last chapter.
~~Elena Dorothy Bowman
Author of: The Sarah's Landing Series, The Legacy Series, Time-Rift, The Odyssey and The Imposter.

Contact-Book I - Sarah's Landing Series

Contact, Book 1 in the Sarah's Landing Series after many delays and hair-pulling has finally been released in print and is up on Amazon.com. This is a re-release of the first book in the series with a new publisher Write Words, Inc.'s , imprint Cambridge Books, Cambridge, Maryland. The new isbn for this edition is 1-59431-497-7. I am now looking forward to seeing the second book in this series to be released in print in the coming weeks. The following is a brief excerpt from Chapter One:
Sarah's Landing I
Chapter 1 : Excerpt

Contact
Houston 2055

Three years is not a long time but when you're trying to erase a memory it can seem forever. Sometimes, while walking across the base, the noise of a machine would startle Joshua. He would stop as if waiting for something. Other times, someone's laughter would bother him, anger him, and cause him to remember the violent churning static, the endless silence. What did happen out there in space? How could the starship disappear so completely? Joshua remembered sitting in that stark white hospital room three years earlier listening, waiting throughout the night pounding the video monitor with his fists, but there were no answers, no human voices. Now, more than ever, reports upset him, especially reports of disappearances. Why, he wondered, did it bother him so much when people, he did not know, mysteriously disappeared just because they happened to be in the right place at the wrong time?

His memories of EARTH STAR-I were bad enough, but his reassignment was worse. He was told his ear problem, a result of a viral infection, made it impossible for him to remain an astronaut. He could help, he said, training a new crew or being part of a design team for the next mission. After all, could SICOM afford to throw away a trained astro-biologist?

"Use me, damn it," he demanded. "Let me be a part of all of this."

For more of the First Chapter, and reviews, check out my website: http://elenadb.home.comcast.net.

Review of Gatekeeper's Realm

Thought you might enjoy reading this review from Romance Junkies;

From: RomanceJunkies

Title: Legacy Series: Gatekeeper's Realm
Category: Paranormal/Futuristic
Reviewer: Chrissy Dionne
Reviewer Email: Rjchrissydionne@yahoo.com
Author: Elena Dorothy Bowman
Publisher: Write Words, Inc.
Release Date: June, 2007
ISBN Number: Print: 1594314519 - Ebook: 1594314810
Author Homepage: http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
Format: EBOOK/PRINT
Rating: 4.5

An ancient relic granted by Divine Decree to a Noble Knight who had been mortally wounded is buried beneath the foundation of a home - this home had once been named Pierce House but now is known as THE HOUSE ON THE BLUFF. Only a direct descendant of the Noble Knight may take possession of the house - and even he or she will be tested by the house to deem if he or she is worthy.
Abigail and her consort, Ethan, have fulfilled the prophecy surrounding their current dwelling which they’ve converted into an Inn. It’s a beautiful house steeped in mystery and ghostly wonders - who cling to the old ways. There’s no electricity, no running water, no central heating system, no phone and no television. Abigail’s a bit apprehensive about their first guests. There’s a possibility they’ll get spooked and want to leave especially once the ghosts make themselves known. There’s no way of telling how the ghosts will react to guests at the Inn and Jacob, the apparitions’ "Ambassador," knows it will just depend. Many of the ghosts have been living there for centuries and may not like having visitors in their house.
As soon as the first guests arrives a shapeless apparition appears over the Inn. Abigail, Ethan, and Tony (town sheriff and sometime permanent resident of the Inn when he’s not working) quickly realize that this apparition is not one of the ‘Others’ and they question who it is and what it wants. The ghostly appearance doesn’t scare off the guests though and is just the beginning of the bizarre appearances which will be taking place over the next couple of days. What will happen when the guests unexplainably begin to start disappearing - one or two at a time? Is the house holding them hostage?
I don’t normally read ghost stories but I have to tell you I was fascinated by this one! Elena Dorothy Bowmen’s GATEKEEPER’S REALM takes an ancient prophecy and brings it into a modern day setting with results that will steal your breath. I was enthralled by the ghost scenes and the guests reactions to each of them and couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next or to whom it would happen. The storyline moved along at a quick pace but it never lacked enough descriptive information that I was easily able to imagine each of the scenes.
I would highly recommend reading HOUSE ON THE BLUFF first simply because I believe it goes into more of the details of what Abigail had to endure in order to claim the house. Of course, I’m also going to recommend the third book, ADAMS POINT, because there are questions that are left unanswered in this story and I’m dying to find out the answers. HOUSE ON THE BLUFF, GATEKEEPER’S REALM and ADAMS POINT are all available now.


© Copyright 2003 by RomanceJunkies.com


Best,
Elena

Resurrenting the Champ

HI, All:

I entered a contest on Gather re: Resurrecting the Champ. And I chose my father as my Champ:

My Father! I loved going to the movies and I loved to read as much as my Father did. Inspired by my Father, I have been writing off and on since way back when it only cost a dime to go to the Saturday Matinee, or any other time I could scrape up the price of a ticket. And in most cases when the ending was not to my liking, I felt compelled to go home and rewrite it.
When we were young, my four brothers and I would listen to my Father reading stories to us every night after we were ready for bed. These wonderful memories took place mostly during the winter months. The summer months were devoted to the one or more of the beaches that were an all day excursion with our parents on the week-ends. During the week my brothers and I would walk to the local beaches and get in trouble on our own.
When bed-time was drawing near, my Father would start a fire in the fireplace and when we were ready he'd have us sit on the floor all around him while he sat on a big stuffed chair. Once settled he would take a book off the library shelf (yes, we had a room that had book shelves inbedded in all the walls and they were always stacked with books). We never knew which book he would take down, so it was always a mystery until he started reading.
I remember him sitting on his stuffed chair, watching our faces as he began to read the first chapter in Jules Verne's novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He would read to a point that left us hanging and wanting more. But he always stopped when the hour was up. By that time, the warmth from the crackling fire had done its magic; drowsiness had taken its toll and we were desperately trying to stay awake so he would read more. But the time was up and no amount of pleading would change his mind. Reluctantly, we'd leave the room with all the books in it and go to bed with visions of the story in our heads wondering what was going to happen next. The following night the ritual would continue as we waited for the next installment in our venture under the sea in Captain Nemo's fantastic submarine, The Nautilus.
And as the years passed swiftly by the many books off that library shelf took my brothers and I to many places we would never have visited without Dad's stories. I decided to try my own hand at writing and quickly discovered I enjoyed writing stories…putting words down on paper gave me a sense of accomplishment…but I never did anything with it. When I wrote my first novel it was just for the pleasure of it. It wasn't long after that writing became an obsession with me and I have been writing for publication ever since.

End of story

I can still see my father sitting in his chair waiting for us with a smile on his face to begin reading. We didn't have much growing up, but we had a Dad who loved to take us to exotic places through the pages of a book.

Elena

So You Want to Write A Novel

Hi, Everyone...These are some pointers I picked up along the way and thought to share them with you.

SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A NOVEL?

If your work has been written, bound, and someone else is the audience, does anyone really have to be paid for their work to be published? Is it less valued if the work has been for one's family rather than the marketplace? Or is it valued because someone simply believed that what you have written is worth reading?

Stop dreaming about being a writer. Stop thinking about being a writer. Stop talking about writing. Just write. Use paper and pen, word processor, typewriter or tape recorder, but start. Then follow through until you've said what you must. Remember, there's always editing tomorrow.

You should have an idea or two that you'd like to write about. Begin by putting the first words on paper (or a file in the computer). You don't have to be structured at this point, because as you write, you may decide to reposition some of your paragraphs or chapters to other parts of the book. Just continue to write. Try to do at least 10 pages, (double-spaced) a day. Always finish the sentence or paragraph you are working on before you stop writing. If possible jot down a few notes on where you think you'll be going with the story before you leave it so you won't start out cold the next time. You don't really have to know the ending before you start. It will come in time.

When you begin again, reread what you have written the previous time, and continue on. You'd be surprised how much you can accomplish by doing this. You don't have to know the ins and outs of a particular place from a first hand experience as long as you do research on the subject or area you are writing about. Writers, artists, and crafts people learn from their mistakes as well as creating good work. No creative person created a masterpiece without many words, brush strokes, or stitches in their needlework. It is the sum total of a person's work that allows her to become skilled. One must write every day and evaluate and rewrite later. There can always be rework of the original, but there must be an original.

Remember it's only the first draft, it's not cast in stone. Make time to write. Early morning or late at night. I started writing after the kids went to bed and continued to two or three in the morning before my husband turned out the lights. (I had to go to work the next day). Like exercise, it is hard to get started and hard to be self-disciplined, but the process becomes the reward. It simply feels good doing it. The pleasure and absorption of the creative person is its own reward.

I found myself writing during working hours when something popped into my head. If it's not possible to do this (write during working hours) try using a recorder. A thought here, a sentence there, and when you reread your notes, you can come up with a chapter or two. This is important because one can never recapture those fleeting thoughts, even if one thinks so. Once gone, it seldom re-emerges. Always carry a tape recorder or small notebook with you so you can jot down these precious gems when they make themselves known.
When writing don't think about the big picture. Concentrate only on one chapter at a time. If the opening paragraph stumps you go to the next and go on from there. Before you know it, looking back, you've accomplished far more that you could have imagined possible. As a race-horse must wear blinders to keep himself from being frightened by distractions, so too must writers keep their focus on smaller portions of their environment to enable concentration and creativity.

Remember for writers: The key to success in writing is focus, focus, focus.

Don't get hung up on words. If you can't come up with the right word you want to use to begin with, place something similar in that spot that will trigger your memory and research it later. When I'm stuck on a particular thought or paragraph, I put a couple of asterisks in bold letters in the problem area and continue working elsewhere. Initials will work too. When I'm ready to go back and tackle the problem, or insert missing data or details, I use the search and replace feature on my word processor to find those asterisks and get going again.

Always keep a Thesaurus or Synonym Finder by your side as you write. I do.

Always get to know your characters. Define your characters by filling out a character chart on each one. Detail everything you'd like your character to be and how you expect your character to behave. This way, when the character in question does something or acts out of character you'll know something isn't right.

Setting is most significant in a mystery story. But it's just as important in other stories as well. If you can't visit various sites for atmosphere, research.

Certain moments in real life seem to imprint themselves on one's brain. Why these particular scenes are locked in is unclear but analyzing them and describing them can be useful to your stories, either the one you're working on or another at some other time.

What's the first thing you do when you put together a jigsaw puzzle? Several answers are suggested -- find the corner pieces, find the straight edges, do the top, bottom, and sides, etc. But the answer really is: The first things you do is pour out all the pieces on the table, and then you sort them out.

Now when writing an article or articulating an idea write -- without any thought to form or structure. Pour out all your ideas for the piece into your computer. After that, rearrange your thoughts. Print a draft copy so you can refer back to particular phrases after you start changing the sequence of your original thoughts. This simple puzzle idea really helps keep one on track.

The technique of clustering to record the first flush of unorganized ideas about a subject helps to quickly jot down fleeting thoughts about people and places.

All stories must have conflict -- good versus evil, a triumph over a problem. Always ask yourself -- what's the conflict in my story. How did my subject overcome it?

Research, research, research information you wish to include in your story. Even in fiction writing, when using any historical incidents, be sure they are accurate. There is nothing worse than a writer including in their work inaccurate historical references that can easily be dismissed by the reader, who may then do the same with your work.

Before you sit down to write, make sure (as much as possible) that all distractions have been eliminated so your creativity isn't disrupted. Always wear comfortable clothing; have something to drink nearby (ex. water, juice, coffee, tea...no hard stuff please) so you won't have to stop working to quench your thirst. The same applies to snacks and/or lunches -- if you're working through.

So what if after all of the above, you can't get past the first three chapters of a novel? Don't despair. Put it aside and start something else. Perhaps they weren't meant to be a book on their own, only short stories, or, those chapters may come to fruition in another novel and at another time.

After printing out the first chapter, because everything always looks different when actually printed in black and white, re-read it, make corrections and changes in red (so it can be seen easily) then re-type, with emphasis on smoothness and continuity. Before going on to the next chapter.

When all the chapters have been written, edited and printed out, and your story or book is finally complete, re-read the entire project making changes as you do. Re-type and repeat the process until you feel comfortable with what you have written before you let anyone else see or read it. Because if you get hung up on a sentence or section, so will the reader.

After my critic's have commented on my work and I have made the suggested changes and all seems well, I send it out to publishing houses and/or agents and wait. I try to keep three copies of a story out at one time. When rejections arrive, I immediately send my work out again to the next name on the list. But that was before I acquired an Agent. Still, I always keep duplicates of my work. Copies have been known to go astray before (and even after) reaching the editor's desk.

The most important factor to remember is, keep positive and keep writing. Perseverance will win out.

Good Luck And Best Wishes.

Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/
e-mail: elenadb@comcast.net

My Book Trailer

Hi,

I have been working off and on for several months on a book trailer for all nine of my books. But I haven't spent every second of every day on it. I think I've gone as far as I can with it, but I'm waiting for my son and daughter to let me know what they think before I go public with it. At the moment, I haven't any music to go with it, and have been thinking of what music I would like to be able to use. I would love to use one of Chris Daughtry's songs. But I wouldn't know how to go about asking Clive Davies for permission, or have the money I am sure it would cost to do so. Anyway, I wouldn't know which one to choose...but it would have been nice.

I've been working on a new novel...it started out as a novella, but is now a novel...the tentative title is The Odessey. Whether that is what the final outcome will be...I can't say as yet. I'm still working on it and wonder where it will all take me...I have an idea for the ending, but it hasn't materialized yet. Well, tomorrow is another day.

Elena

Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/
e-mail: elenadb@comcast.net

The Novel "Pearl" by Newt Gingrich

I just completed the novel "Pearl" by Newt Gingrich. I had heard that the book was based on historical fact with some fiction thrown in. Also that it was from a Japanese point of view as well as American. I will say that I was intrigued by the way the book was written. Newt did a great job in describing how the Japanese felt, and their determination to be considered an equal to the rest of the world, even if it meant deceiving others to accomplish their goal. I knew what happened at Pearl Harbor in 1941, and how that attack affected our nation, however, I found the book very interesting and learned a little more about what led up to it. What was surprising to read was how the Japanese felt that attacking Pearl would help them achieve their goal. They had hoped that it would not lead to war but to their higher standing in the Pacific. To their dismay, it didn't turn out that way, but since they had made the first strike, they believed the destruction of our Navy would lead them to complete victory over the United States. This is the first book of the series and it starts long before the attack and ends with it. Book 2, from what I've heard picks up at that point in this series. I highly recommend to anyone interested in history to read this book.

My Virutal Tour

Well, it's the second day of the tour, we had the Fourth of July off. Went to my brother's home in Duxbury, to enjoy the Fourth with relatives and friends. My husband and I brought 50 giant hotdogs and buns to match, others had a combination of great dishes for everyone...not to mention the more adult drinks for the grown-ups and soda for the kids. My brother has an olympic size pool in his backyard and the kids were having a ball, diving and swimming. Splashing the adults was out. Anyone who did that was immediately removed from the pool. While I was sitting at the "bar" minding my own business and drinking a cup of punch...non-alcoholic...I was stung by a bee. Of all the people there, the bee made a direct dive toward me. Wouldn't you know it. Last year I was the only one who tripped over his newly inlaid patio and hit my head on the red bricks. Everyone thought I had really knocked myself out. But I have a hard head and all turned out well. Can't wait to see what happens next year. Well that's it for now, have to get back to the tour blog.

Virtual Book Tour

Today was the first day of my virtual book tour. Don't know how it's going to turn out, but the people, who are conducting this tour, PumpUpYourBooks, are doing a great job getting interviews for the tour. What I am hoping for is that people who drop by will find my book interesting enough to want to read it, and the first and third books as well.

Have to get back to the blog I'm at today. Will post again later. Thank you!

Elena

Characters

Hi, I decided to try to introduce two of the characters in my books. Don't know how this will work out, but would appreciate your thoughts on this. Thank you:

My name is Alexandra McKay. I am a character in the science fiction novels, by Elena Dorothy Bowman entitled the Sarah's Landing Series. I first arrived on the scene in her first book, The Contact. I was minding my own business looking out at the ocean when Joshua Morgan, the astronaut scrapped from the ill-fated flight of Earth's first Star Ship to deep space, happened by. He was on a mission. A mission to Sarah's Landing, but he decided to stop for a moment and take in the depth and breadth of the Atlantic Ocean. He didn't see me at first, I guess because the ocean fascinated him so. But I couldn't take my eyes off him, and I believe my staring at him made the back of his neck tingle. Anyway I like to think so, because that's when he turned around and saw me standing there watching his every move. He spoke, sort of, not much of a conversation. Just the usual, nice day, isn't it? Wasn't the scenery beautiful, you know stuff like that. I was late and I had to leave, so I waved goodbye and told him I'd see him in Sarah's Landing. You should have seen the look on his face. He couldn't believe I knew where he was going, but you see, I did. We did meet later in Sarah's Landing, and I wasn't sure he remembered me, but he surprised me…he was hoping we'd meet again, yet, his words faltered, it was as if he couldn't speak…only for the moment. At the time neither of us knew where this would all lead. But our lives were destined to be entwined. How, well, we can go into that later. At the moment, I just wanted you to know that I exist, and that Joshua Morgan exists and that Sarah's Landing will always have a place in our hearts. And if you want to know where this all leads, you'll have to read the books. Bye for now,

Alexandra McKay

My name is Joshua Morgan, I'm one of the lead characters in Elena Dorothy Bowman's novels, The Sarah's Landing Series. I was a part of the Space Command and scheduled to be on Earth's first space exploration flight. But, as luck would have it, I was stricken with a viral infection hours before launch. Someone else went in my place, a young, nervous, accident prone, absent-minded junior member of the team we called Allen. Allen was the one who came up with the advanced propulsion system capable of traveling light years in seconds, how or why, no one ever knew. But if I had been on that ill-fated flight I never would have met Alexandra McKay, the love of my life. Well, not at first, but she did make me forget what I was in Sarah's Landing for. She knew I was in love with her before I did. She tried to warn me, not to do anything foolish, to leave the building, to find another place to live, but to my regret, I didn't listen. I mean she said she had psychic abilities. She could see things I couldn't see, and that I was in danger. I found that a bit difficult to swallow, so I just let her rant, and ignored her premonition. When she went off with her friends on a trip to New York was when the full brunt of her predictions came to fruition. How or why? You'll have to read the books.

Joshua Morgan