No Strings Attached

No Strings Attached


For the better part of a half century I have met my share of successful people and in most cases I am sorry to say that I was better off with the illusion rather than the reality of who or what I expected them to be.

During the past two years it appears that the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. They say that if you want to be successful in a particular field you should learn from those who have succeeded in that area, what you aren’t told is that acquiring that education often comes with a steep price tag. Purchasing books, attending seminars, and buying DVDs, CDs etc. from the likes of The Donald, Suze Orman, or dare I say, Tiger Woods appears to be the norm however, over the past two years I have met three individuals who have changed my somewhat jaded opinion on the topic. Actor John Billingsley, writers L.A. Banks and Jonathan Maberry are three of the most down to earth people that I have ever met.

This past Sunday my daughter and I decided to take a ride to the Barnes and Noble in Willow Grove, Pa. to attend the monthly gathering of a group meeting called the Writers Coffeehouse. The online invitation describes the gathering as “a bunch of writers sitting around talking about writing…with coffee. No agenda…just chat about the latest trends in the industry, about markets, about pitching and selling, about frustration, about keeping the inner fires alight, about dealing with our families, about how damn tough it is to make it as a writer at the best of times and what writers can do to stay afloat in these troubled economic waters.”

Wow, my first thought was, hey this guy must have been following me around. He knows exactly what I have been dealing with lately. I have been an author for sometime now and the one thing that you quickly learn is that being around great writers will help make you a better writer. The gathering was informal and everyone was given a chance to speak. Mr. Maberry moderated the event. His extensive knowledge of the industry is impressive. During the three hour session Mr. Maberry along with a little help from his friends in the Liars Club (a group of networking publishing professionals) answered questions and gave sound advice on everything from signing autographs to setting goals when you are writing a novel.

Last month I was invited to sit on a few panels at Phil Con in Cherry Hill N.J. My first panel was an hour before Mr. Maberry’s True Blood panel and since just about everyone in my family watches the show we sat in on the panel. On the two occasions that I have been in his company he has always been willing to freely share his knowledge of the business and his personal experiences along with a few do’s and don’ts without being preachy or condescending, there’s no pretentious B.S.

During the Writers Coffeehouse a variety of subjects were discussed including editing your work, drive by book signings, word count, how to push through a mental wall, and more. Those who say that if you want to be successful in a particular field you should lean from those who have succeeded in that area are right but, it’s even better when there are no strings attached.

Planet of Doom (An Escape 2 Earth Short Story)

Yesterday I released a free science fiction short story, and so far the downloads have exceeded my expectations. I just posted it yesterday, I didn't do any promotions and it's already gotten as half as many downloads as some of my other short stories, that's been up for much longer. This one is different than the other short stories, Dimensions in Time, Lost in Translation and A Matter of time. 

Planet of Doom an Escape 2 Earth Short Story

This one is titled Planet of Doom and it introduces a new character in the Escape 2 Earth universe.  This story takes place in the Escape 2 Earth universe, but you do not have to read Escape 2 Earth or Return 2 Earth to understand it, but if you did you would have a better understanding but those two books aren't essential to read to enjoy the story.  This story is more connected to the third novel than the previous two, but the third one isn't out yet, so it's all good.

The story begins after Return 2 Earth, the Planetary Alliance have requested the services of intergalactic detective Da’Quan to find the rouge Deltorian warriors Dajus and Mallobo for their crimes. Before Da'Quan can begin he is trapped on Akanon, also called Planet Doom. He learns that Akanon is controlled by humanoid killer robots. He must escape and return to his mission in time before the robots find and kill him.

Sounds good right?  Good enough to jump at this free short story, did I mention that it is free?

Planet of Doom

Planet of Doom

Lawrence Johnson Sr.

Escape 2 Earth 2012

Return 2 Earth: Liberation Force

Planet of Doom

Dimensions in Time

Lost in Translation

A Matter of Time

Doctor Who: In Perfect Health

Dr Who
In perfect health

Doctor Who is one of the very few shows on TV today that I would call great entertainment. I have been a fan for over twenty years and yes it was hard to watch when it began spiraling out of control during the years of the 7th Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and his companion Ace (Sophie Aldred). I was happy to see that when the show was resurrected the producers went back to the roots of the original show and brought back old enemies like the Daleks, the Sontarans, and the Cyberman. In addition to writing good stories they also did a great job with casting the actors. Life was good, so you can image my surprise when I heard that Russell T. Davies and David Tennant were both leaving the show.

I recently attended this year’s PhilCon 2009 and listened to a group of Dr. Who panelist share their thoughts about the new Doctor. Although there were a few cracks about the age of the new Doctor for the most part the general consensus was to take a wait and see attitude. I am, on the other hand less optimistic that the 26 year old Matt Smith can pull it off.

Will the new young Doctor be pulled over by the Inter Galactic Police for flying the Tardis under age?

Also discussed was the upcoming (for us who have to wait for BBC America) Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars. I wondered how so many people were able to see the special before I did, but my daughter explained that there are ways. I think I'll just sit tight and wait for it to air. The panelists had very good things to say about the special so my interest is a bit more than just piqued.

I suspect that the new producer/writer Steven Moffat wanted a younger doctor so that he could add more romance to the show. I read somewhere that he intends to make several changes. Mr. Moffat’s resume is solid and he appears to be the logical replacement for the departing Davies but new guys always want to leave their mark and that makes me nervous. Will he redesign the Tardis? Will the doctor have a girlfriend? Will he bring back the Time Lords planet of Gallifrey, only time will tell?

PhilCon 2009

If you were to ask me to pick one thing that I didn’t like about last weekends PhilCon the only complaint that I could come up with is that I wish that it had been longer. From the first hour I spent at the con it was clear to me that the seventy plus years of experience that they have gained in planning events like this had paid off. Checking in was a breeze and there were plenty of program books and signs that made it easy for me to make my way from one panel to another.

Everyone was warm, friendly, and helpful but there were two fellow authors that made this event even more enjoyable for me. On Friday evening I had the pleasure of sitting on the Buck Rogers panel with four other men including author C.J. Henderson. C.J. is the kind of guy that would liven up any party. His contributions on the topic of Buck Rogers were not just informative they were down right funny. My family and I are huge Dr. Who fans. During the Dr. Who panel the question was asked, who was the best doctor? Well even though the panel could not come to a consensus two things were very clear to everyone in the room. 1. The panel’s knowledge on the top was very impressive. 2. This panel well worth attending. From the Dr. Who panel on Friday evening to the last panel on Sunday afternoon I always felt connected in some way to the people around me.

Grouch Free Zone
For me Philcon was not just about participating or attending the panels it was about relaxing and having a weekend of fun. I must admit that my fun mode was put on hold when a seven foot grim reaper totting a rather large scythe crossed my path but all was forgotten minutes later when I found myself sharing an elevator with the New Jersey Ghost Busters in full uniform complete with proton packs. Talk about Déjà Vu. From Storm Troopers to Jedi’s and gypsy’s there seamed to be something for everyone including a mechanical parrot perched on the shoulder its captain.

Earlier I said that there were two fellow authors that made the trip more enjoyable, well the second is the well know Vampire Huntress series author L. A. Banks. My family and I attended two of her panels. Ms. Banks was very warm and friendly. While many authors are guarded when it comes to sharing their keys to success Ms. Banks is willing to share her knowledge and seems happy to encourage new writers to come along for the ride. Her honesty and unvarnished stories of rejection and the obstacles that she had to overcome to become the successful writer that she is today are motivating and inspiring. PhilCon could not have chosen a better special guest.

To the President and committees of Philcon thank you for inviting me, I had a great time. See you next year.

Larry

It's Free!

Hello All,

By now I hope you know about the event I'll be attending this weekend called PhilCon one of the oldest conventions around. I'll be on two panels this weekend. L.A Banks and Cory Doctorow will also be there so I'm in good company. Here's my schedule.

I will be attending PhilCon 2009, during November 20th-22nd.

* Fri 10:00 PM in Plaza VI (Six)—Buck Rogers Rides Again (13)

There is a new web series, there is a new comic book series. Why the resurgence?

* Sun 3:00 PM in Plaza II (Two)—Book Discussion Ideas (68)

Readers tell us their notions of what would make for a good book discussion.




I wrote a short story for all of you, well, because you deserve it. It's free of charge and for your reading pleasure. It's a flash fiction, it's a few words over a thousand and it's a quick read. I have more coming up in the future to keep a look out for more.

This one is called Lost in Translation

Lost In Translation

2012: The Movie

2012 Movie

Who will be left behind? That will sound familar to Escape 2 Earth fans.
December 2012 is just a few years away so it is no surprise that the number of books and motion pictures on the subject are growing at a steady pace. With a seemly infinite number of story lines and predictions on the topic the next couple of years should provide a wealth of entertainment and knowledge for 2012 watchers worldwide. Of the half dozen or so 2012 movies currently in production the obvious front runners in this field are author Whitley Strieber’s 2012 War For The Souls due out sometime in 2010, and 2012 the Movie conceived and directed by Roland Emmerich. With a reported projected budget of $200million dollars 2012 The Movie will be by far the most expensive movie made in this category. The release date for 2012 was pushed back from this summer to November 13th.

War for the Souls is being directed by Michael Bay, his film takes a totally different approach than 2012 The movie. The story is based on a book by Whitley Strieber and follows an academic researcher who opens a portal into a parallel universe and makes contact with his double in order to stop an apocalypse foreseen by the ancient Mayans. 2012 The Movie deals with the Mayan calendar ending in 2012, but according to the 2012 website a large group of people must deal with natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, typhoons and glaciers. In short it’s mostly about finding new ways to destroy things. What baffles me is the fact that the promoters of the film pretty much give the story away. This is from the first trailer. “How Would the Governments of Our Planet Prepare Six Billion People for the End of the World? THEY WOULDN'T”. Well that just about sums up what will happen. If the governments of the world are not going to help and there’s no where to go it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how this thing is going to end.

It would be wonderful to be able to pick up the phone and summon the motion picture execs to announce that I have a great 2012 story that I would like it to have made into a major motion picture but since my name is not Michael Bay, or Roland Emmerich I have to do it the hard way. I am drawn to 2012 The Movie because it is the total opposite of my story Escape 2 Earth. How Would the Governments of Our Planet Prepare Six Billion People for the End of the World? In Escape 2 Earth they will, the governments of the world will attempt to save the people. Will they succeed? Well that’s the point of reading a book or watching a movie isn’t it ?

What happens when a secret alien origination offers you the technology to flee a doomed planet Earth but you only have 8 years to evacuate? What happens to those who don’t want to leave Earth? How do the world governments handle an alien race determined to stop you from leaving the planet?

Without the clout of the heavy hitters mentioned above I must relay on my one woman army who is my daughter a Communications and Technology major (with a minor in English). Together we have created an internet presence that I hope will attract more readers and maybe a few studio execs. In addition to the 5 book trailers with a half a million combined hits.

I also have a website and I am on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. Last year I was contacted by 2012 Supplies.com and asked if I would provide them with a signed copy of Escape 2 Earth for their contest this lead to a mention on the daily videoblog Rocket Boom hosted by Joanne Colan.



This fall I will be traveling to book fairs in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia to discuss Escape 2 Earth and the 2012 mania that is soon to come. As for Mr. Emmerich, I would like to think that given a choice he would have had more fun directing a movie with aliens, space ships, and planets in a far off galaxy. The bottom line is that there will be something for everyone in these upcoming films hopefully someone will take an interest in my 2012 story.

2009 West Virginia Book Festival in Charleston

This year's trek from Philadelphia down to the 2009 West Virginia Book Festival in Charleston was the last of three book fairs that my family and I have attended over the past three weeks. The indoor event held at the Charleston Civic Center was a welcome change from having to deal with the temper tantrums that Mother Nature threw during the fairs in Maryland and New Jersey. During the two day event I had the pleasure of meeting many fans of sci fi and fellow authors. Sales of my 2012 science fiction novel Escape 2 Earth exceeded my expectations. I want to thank each and every one of you who purchased my book. The authors and speakers in the Market Place area were especially helpful and made us feel welcomed - thank you.



Until I am able to create a clone of myself I will continue to rely on my family to assist me in promoting Escape 2 Earth, Dimensions In Time, Observations From The Center of Society and the upcoming Return 2 Earth. Speaking of family on Saturday I had the good fortune to meet Winter Donaldson and her daughter Summer. Winter is the author of The Missing Crest. If you are a bird lover I suggest that you check out this heartwarming story. In addition to meeting the Donaldson’s I had a chance to chat with author/artist Gary Bowen, and several other talented attendees like author/poet Frank X Walker.



Super Salesman

There are so many people who have helped me in so many ways during this book festival that I can’t name them all so I will just mention a few. To Rob and Miranda Phillips Walker, thank you for taking the time to give my daughter Lauren the scoop on the ins and outs of small press publishers and more. And thank you to my Grandson Kyle (the super salesman) and my daughter Alicia who drove up from North Carolina to help out. I am looking forward to returning next year. I have only one request, could you guys turn the heat up a little next year?

Mayan Connection - Crop Circles 2012 Novel

Mayan Connection - Crop Circles 2012 Novel

Several years ago my wife and I took a trip to see the pyramid El Castillo in Chichen Itza Mexico. Dozens of tourist braved the searing heat to snap photos as they chatted about the pyramid that the ancient Maya used as a temple to worship their God Kukulcan.

As my wife and I walked through the Great Ball Court where kukulcan once stood our thoughts were not of how the pyramid was used as a giant calendar to predict the spring and autumn equinoxes or of the games once played on the Great Ball Court, we just wanted to get out of the 100 plus degrees of dry, stifling heat.

Back then I had no way of knowing that I would write a novel that would connect me to those who once dwelled in this desolate place. The Mayan calendar which is the centerpiece of Escape 2 Earth was created by the very people whose land I visited years before I even came up with the idea for writing a story about 2012.


That was just the first of many coincidences that I have discovered. Chapter 17 of Escape 2 Earth is called Neptune’s Eye Redux. In this chapter Will, Matt, and Art are aboard the space ship called The Silver Unicorn. The pilot of the ship must avoid being seen by a patrol ship that has just been dispatched from an underwater alien sea base called Neptune’s Eye.

Youtube USO video


Escape 2 Earth is the story of three men (Matt, Will, and Art) who discover ominous hidden coded messages inside crop circles made by a secret society of aliens called Earth’s Guardians.
Here is the link to a video where crop circles include DNA, molecules, the Mayan Calendar, and more are shown at a UFO conference a few years ago. The crop circle of the Mayan calendar in this video was discovered in August 2004, five months after Escape 2 Earth was copyrighted.

Note: Jaime Maussan is Mexico’s leading ufologist.

Chapter #4 of Escape 2 Earth the three main charters in the story have an unusual encounter at Avebury Henge. In reality it is the same area where Nibiru (or planet X) crop circles were discovered on July 15 2008 four years after Escape 2 Earth was copyrighted.

Avebury Manor Crop Circle- 2012 and Nibiru Part #1 (July 15, 2008)

Avebury Manor Crop Circle- 2012 and Nibiru: Part #2 (July 22, 2008)

Jaime Maussan is a Mexican journalist and Mexico’s leading ufologist. Listen to what he has to say about the Mayan Connection to 2012 Crop Circles that were discovered in 2005; one year after Escape 2 Earth was written.
Mayan Connection to 2012 Crop Circles


Chapter #3 of Escape 2 Earth
It is revealed that here is a hidden chamber under the Sphinx where secret alien documents that are crucial to mans survival are stored.

According to Edgar Cayce the Sphinx was constructed thousands of years before the Egyptians ever set foot in that area. In the early 90’s years after his death a chamber was discovered, however it has still not been opened.

Edgar Cayce and the Sphinx

Chapter #15 is titled Reality Check. In that chapter Art tells the House of Commons in England that the planet Telderan is headed towards earth.

Here is a short clip that explains that planet Nibiru is headed towards earth.


As always, I am not making any predictions but I do think that the number of similarities is starting to add up. What will happen on December 21st 2012? We will have to wait and see.

For those who believe that crop circles are man made, take a look at this video.

Star Trek: The New Generation

I haven't been posting as regularly as I used to. This is mostly because I'm embarking on a three week book tour. Every Saturday for the next three weeks I'll be in another city. The third week I'll be at the West Virginia Book Fair.

Saturday September 26 - Baltimore Book Festival Saturday October 3 - Collingswood, NJ Book Festival Sat/Sun October 10-11 - Charleston, WV Book Festival

I hope to see you there, Larry - for more information visit Escape 2 Earth.com


Star Trek – The Next Series
Part #2

Star Fleet Outpost
In past Star Trek series, Admirals, Generals, Ambassadors, and the like had to travel great distances to reach the Enterprise or some distant planet, and the same applied to crew members when they were ordered to report back to Star fleet headquarters. Damaged Star Ships in need of repair also had to travel great distances. It would be more practical to build a state of the art Star Fleet outpost or to convert Deep Space Nine into one.

Really Cool Warship
Since the days of the Romulans the enemies of Star Trek have grown to include The Borg, The Xindi, and at least a dozen others. The new Defiant warship would serve a dual purpose, not only would it be faster, larger, and more deadly, under certain circumstances it could be used for time travel.

Time Travel
Practically every incarnation of Star Trek had some type of time travel. It played a major part in Star Trek IV The Voyage Home, the episode Shockwave from Star Trek Enterprise was another example of how time travel was a major part of the story. The method of time travel could be a machine or the ship itself. Only a small number of specially selected officers would be aware of this machine and would only be able to use it during dire emergencies.

Setting
The new setting would have to be even further into the future than any of the previous series. The ships would be sleeker, faster and the enemies even more deadly then the Borg. The new and improved Hollodeck would be larger and have at least two floors. Not only used for recreation on the Star Fleet space station it would also allow members to consult with important people from the past like Dr.

Zefram Cochrane.

By cherry picking the best elements, gadgets, and themes from the previous versions of this popular sci fi series the new Star Trek could actually surpass the earlier versions if done correctly. There is no point in trying to reinvent the wheel when you don’t have too.
Feel free to repost.

The Evolution of Torchwood

I liked Torchwood, it was edgy, original, well written, and funny. What more could you ask for in a sci fi T.V. show? You may have noticed my use of the word liked (as in past tense) it wasn’t a typo.



To answer my own question of what more could you ask, my answer is FIX IT. Put it back the way it was back in season one, before Captain Jack went into heat and saving the planet from the extraterrestrial du jour became the secondary story. Good grief even Captain James T. Kirk had more self control than Captain Hardness, I mean Captain Harkness. In it’s first season Torchwood was BBC America’s highest rated series EVER, but last year BBC America announced that only a single-five episode story arc will be presented instead of the usual 13.

Why, maybe because parents were freaking out when they discovered that their kids were not watching a G rated sci fi show. When Mom tuned in to see Captain Jack getting it on with Captain John Hart (aka Spike) the secret was out, Torchwood was no Doctor Who, in fact even the Doctor seems to keep old Jack at arms length. Have you seen the way he looks at Jack sometimes?




I like Jack, the old Jack and I still like Torchwood, the old Torchwood, but who’s idea was it to start killing off the main characters? You know the ones that we spent two seasons getting to know then wham. From my vantage point this is an easy fix. Go back to the basics from season one also bring back Martha for a few more episodes.





I feel like this was the old bait and switch, first give us the show that everyone wants then give us the show that you the writers and producers want. Well the fans aren’t buying it so it seems to me that if the producers want the show to stay on the air they will have no choice but to hide Captain Jacks Viagra and keep him focused on saving the planet…. again.

(written pre-Children of Earth special but after season 2)

Star Trek – The Next Series

Star Trek – The Next Series
Part #1




As sure as the swallows return to Capistrano each year you can count on the fact that somewhere down the road there will be another incarnation of the popular Star Trek TV series.

If the new Star Trek motion picture that hit the screens May 8th hits box office gold you can expect a new series sooner rather than later. In a break with past installments of Star Trek movies the actors who played in the last series Enterprise will not be staring in the new movie. I have my own theory as to why the suits at Paramount decided to take a more radical path by going with a younger less familiar group of space explorers rather than stick with the familiar faces from the last series. I can sum it up in one word, Zindi.

The cast of Enterprise was a comprised of seasoned actors and a few new comers who did the best with what they had, as a matter of fact I believe that in many cases the actors who played Captain Archer and Dr. Phlox should be commended for taking next to nothing scripts and turning them it into great episodes. But all Zindi all the time was not going to hold the interest of any true fan of sci fi. Imagine what would have happened to the ratings of Star Trek Voyager or Star Trek TNG if the Borg had shown up as many times as the Zindi in one season. Not convinced, okay how about Stargate. Stargate SG1 ran for 10 seasons, while Stargate Atlantis (with a similar format as Enterprise with) all Wraith all the time only lasted for five seasons.

Star Trek works when it is set in the distant future so the answer for a successful new series is to go further into the future not backward. Combining a space station like Deep Space nine with a ship like Voyager would be the way to go in my option. In this case the space station would be an extension of Star Fleet, an outpost. By combining a space station with a star ship the writers would be free to create fresh new storylines. I believe that the Defiant (the warship in Deep Space 9) was an after thought.

Adding a similar type ship to be hidden inside the star ship like a shuttle would also add to the possibilities of new stories. Last but certainly not least would be time travel. I know that it has been done in the last series and in at least one of the motion pictures but having a ship with the ability to travel through time under certain circumstances would not only be awesome it would allow them to interact with crewmembers past like Dax and Worf in Deep Space Nines episode Trials and Tribble-ations.

Years ago (before the slue of lawsuits) studios like Paramount would accept scripts from freelance writers. It’s a shame that those days have passed because sci fi TV could use some new ideas or in this case improve on the old ones.

Dimensions In Time

Dimensions in Time

Have you ever wished that you could travel back in time to change the outcome of a certain event in the present? I am not talking about winning a big lottery jackpot or about changing an event for personal gain. Would you risk your life in order to save the lives of many others?

In my new short story Dimensions in Time, brothers Michael and Eddie are faced with a similar dilemma. A mysterious map leads the brothers on an adventure deep into the jungles of the South American Amazon. Upon reaching their mystical destination they soon realize that they have crossed over into another realm and have entered into a situation that was far worse than what they have bargained for. Finding their way home from this world of unicorns, fairies, and elves would be difficult enough but has Uncle Joe’s map put them on a path that will lead to a date with destiny or will their adventure end in failure and disaster?

I decided to take a break from sci-fi to write this short fantasy story. The two main charters in the story are brothers who love each other but have very different views on life and how to live it. During the course of their quest they develop a new respect for each other and their faith in God. I did not want this to be one long dark journey filled with death and destruction however there is the probability that millions will die, not on the same scale as in the novel Escape 2 Earth but the element of danger and death looms through this story of fantasy. As for the subtitle: Keeping the Faith is sort of a recurring theme through the story beginning with Eddie’s belief that his recently departed Uncle Joe was not the nut case that everyone had come to believe he was in his final days.

Brothers Mike and Eddie face the dual dilemma of saving lives while also trying to find their way back through the portal that leads back to their world and a new outlook on life. I hope that you will enjoy reading Dimensions in Time.

Dimensions In Time
Available currencies - Euros | Pounds | Dollars

I Guest-Blogged

I recently Guest Blogged on another site: Darkened Jade

about self-promotion because writing the book was the easy part.

If anyone wants me to guest blog - ask.

The Return of the Chopping Block: The show that just won't die

The Return of Chopping Block
Or (The show that just won’t die)

This week I decided to take a break from crop circles and sci fi movies because I just found out that NBC has decided to keep cooking reality show Chopping Block on life support rather than accept the fact that great chefs don’t always make great reality shows.

I knew that this show was in trouble before the first episode aired. The voice over in the promo says that the host of the new cooking show Marco Pierre White was “the man who made Gordon Ramsay cry.” So what! They forgot to mention that the incident happened over 22 years ago when Mr. Ramsay was only 20 years old.

What does making someone cry have to do with cooking anyway?

The problem with The Chopping Block is that it lacks creativity, and imagination. That’s what usually happens when you try and produce a quality show on the cheap. What you end up with is a bunch of angry chefs yelling at each other. If that’s your kind of reality TV just surf on over to VH1will you will find plenty of that kind of entertainment, if you can call it that. Chopping block was pulled after only three episodes; that should tell you something about the quality to the show.

As you may have guessed I like Gordon Ramsay’s shows especially Hell’s Kitchen. I am sure that he doesn’t need me to take up for him but the fact of the matter is that there is a method to his madness. At the end of the day he actually helps people. My interest in reality cooking shows is more than that of the casual viewer, a few years ago; I researched them before creating my own reality cooking show called America’s Greatest Chefs. What’s that? You say you never heard of it. Well there’s a simple explanation, MONEY. Everything about the America’s Greatest Chef competition different from what you see on TV today, it is creative, entertaining, and witty, but it is an unproven formula and expensive to produce but that’s another story for another day.

When I heard that The Chopping Block was added to the NBC line up to compete with FOX's Hell’s Kitchen I almost fell off of my chair. With only 3.9 million viewers the first week and dropping to 2.6 million viewers by the third week I wondered what the suits at NBC were thinking when they decided to bring it back to air the final episodes in June. It’s the same bloody show, do they think that people forgot how bad it was or were they just waiting for this season of Hell’s Kitchen to end? Ironic don’t you think? I wonder who’s crying now.

The Orion Pyramid Theory: Alien Landmarks?

In life we find that most mysteries that we encounter are easily explained but every now and then you come across something that just does not add up. If you are a regular reader of this blog you know by now that I have an abundance of theories on a variety of topics. One of my oldest theories is about the ancient pyramids. Everybody knows that pyramids can be found in Egypt and in Mexico but you usually get a strange look from people when you tell them that pyramids have also been found in Greece, the Sudan, and some as far away as China. There must be a common thread that connects these various cultures to this specific type of structures, a thread that transcends time and language barriers.




Early Egyptian pyramids were built as tombs for the kings of that era but the Pyramids builders in Mexico had an entirely different purpose in mind. According to Mexican lore the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon were built to honor the birth of the Sun and Moon gods. (Ask.com) In both cases it was the leaders or rulers who ordered them to be constructed but it still does not answer the question as to how a dozen totally different cultures that spoke different languages figured out how to build something so similar in shape.



This is where my theory comes in. If alien traveler wanted to construct landmarks large enough that they could be seen from the air the best way would be to have the locals do the work for you. The knowledge would be passed on their leaders in secret and no one would dare question it especially if it were religious in nature.
Just image that each year you and a few friends go camping but there was no map to guide you to your favorite spot, what would you do? You would find points of reference or landmarks such as the red farmhouse on the right or the covered bridge but what happens when those structures no longer exist? To prevent this from happening you would need landmarks that were permanent like large boulders or an oak tree, in the case of alien travelers Pyramids built by their leaders. Pyramids that would never be torn down and would last for hundreds of years no matter how much the landscape changed.




Another thread that connects my theory is the presence of astrology influence. When I visited the Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza, Mexico I was not surprised to see an ancient observatory in the same location of the Pyramid. There’s more, according to the Orion Correlation Theory there is a correlation between the location of the three largest pyramids of the Giza pyramid complex in Egypt and the 3 middle stars of the constellation Orion.

Still others believe the theory that the buildings near the pyramids or the Sun and Moon in Mexico are aligned with the planets in our solar system.


Is there a connection? Did we have help from our galactic visitors? We may never know.

Save the Vampire - Have all the Vampires gone Batty?

Save the Vampire!
Or (Have Vampire movies gone batty)

Somebody help me out here. When is a Vampire NOT a vampire? I really need to know because after watching the movie Twilight I am really confused and I am probably not alone. Béla Lugosi must be turning over in his grave. I looked up the definition of Vampire and here is what Webster had to say.

That's Bela Lugosi kids aka Dracula.


1: the reanimated body of a dead person believed to come from the grave at night and suck the blood of persons asleep
2 a: one who lives by preying on others b: a woman who exploits and ruins her lover.


The vampires that I watched growing up had strict rules to follow, deviating or breaking the rules would lead to severe consequences or to their demise. They slept in caskets during the day, avoided sunlight, and must be invited in to the potential victims’ home. Their preferred means of travel was to turn themselves into bats and fly. If any of this sounds foreign to you I’m guessing that you are probably still in your teens. But today that’s all changed, apparently its okay to live in a swanky home, roam around freely during the daylight and even hang out with other humans without having one for lunch. Come on people, we have rules to follow. Don’t we?


I have no personal ax to grind against author Stephenie Meyer after all this trend of remaking the Vampire started long before her novel was written. But where does it end? What’s next? And what happens when a Vampire goes into the house of mirrors in the amusement park? I bet that’s really gonna freak out his non suspecting human friends out. Maybe I should start a campaign, a SAVE THE VAMPIRE campaign. Something gotta be done before it’s too late. Come on people I’ve got questions.
Why do Vampires have fully stocked kitchens with pots and pans if they don’t eat and how is drinking the blood of animals the same as human blood? Is that like switching from regular milk to soy milk? SAVE THE VAMPIRE! How can we tell the good ones from the bad? And how do they get the money to buy all of those nice clothes?





It’s time that we put the old Vampire handbook back in print so we can put these guys back inside the old dark, dank, and dreary crypts where they belong. Look at it this way guys we are in a recession and if things keep going the way they are these new wave Vampires may be forced to put up a roadside stand and sell garlic just to make ends meet.





lj credits:
http://fuyu-icons.livejournal.com/
http://community.livejournal.com/adjustedreality/5298.html
http://lalaland-xx.livejournal.com/619.html
http://shaudnly.livejournal.com/8141.html

The Philadelphia Free Library Book Festival

Last Saturday I attended an outdoor event where the entertainers were jugglers, singers, story tellers and magicians, there was even face painting for the children and the best part was that it was free. Now if you guessed that I went to a carnival or circus then you would be wrong, it was the Free Library Book Festival, that's right a book festival. Thousands of people from all over the area flocked to the two day event. Mixed throughout the crowds were families pushing baby stroller's, couples walking their dogs and a few bicyclist. Everyone had a great time, well almost everyone, did I mention that this was a book festival?




In spite of the top notch organizational skills of the Free Library the over whelming majority of the attendees seemed content to browse rather than buy. Anyone who still believes that we are not in a recession should have been there on Saturday, people seemed genuinely interested in the books but did not have the money to purchase them. A few creative authors even offered cookies or candy as an enticement to lure would be buyers over to their booths, (we always pass out free bookmarks) but it didn't seem to matter. As an author I have attended several book fairs and book festivals over the years so I have to thank the Free Library for the professional way that the authors were taken care of from start to finish. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would have to give them a 9.


I believe that my book sales did well despite where my booth was and the status of the economy, but it was hard to watch the other book exhibitors spend time explaining what their book was about and not make many sales. They spent a lot of time giving their spiel only to have the potential buyer tell them they didn't have any money.If I could offer just one suggestion for next years book festival it would be to ramp up the star power. A couple of nationally known writers with TV show or film credentials could only make a good fair even better and maybe bring in more festival goers that can actually afford to buy a book or two. Or to even heavily promote the authors who've already signed on to attend.

Escape 2 Earth News

I'll be at the Free Library of Philadelphia Festival on Saturday April 18, and Saturday only.

Please stop by and buy a copy of my novel Escape 2 Earth.

I always enjoy chances to meet fans and to meet new fans.

I have a new interview out: 1st Angel was kind enough to interview me: 1st Angel Interview

Thanks all.

The Philly Connection: Where in the world is Will Smith?

The Philly Connection or Where in the world is Will Smith

I have been a fan of Will Smith every since The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In the beginning I guess you could say that in part it stemmed from pride, you know hometown boy hits the big time but after a string of impressive hit movies (many of them science fiction) it would be hard to deny that the man has talent. Independence Day is on my top 20 list of best science fiction movies ever. It seems clear that Mr. Smith is drawn to the realm of science fiction. In the last twelve years he has starred in Men in Black, Men in Black #2, I, Robot, I Am Legend, and Hancock. All though I thought that both of the Men in Black movies were hilarious, I did have a few problems with I Am Legend and Hancock. The best of the bunch not including Independence Day was I, Robot, it was creative and his character was believable, it held my interest for the entire film.



Every now and then you hear that the ever elusive Mr. Smith has dropped into town to visit friends and family but you usually don’t know that he’s been here until after he has gone. I read somewhere that next year he will be making a movie called Monster Hunter, good for him but bad for me. It’s no secret that I believe one of the main characters in Escape 2 Earth would be perfect for him to play however getting the book into his hands has become more difficult than getting a seat on the space shuttle. The story is about 2012, the character in the story is named Will, he was raised in Philadelphia, age around 40, African American, a self made man who with his two friends are trying to save the people of Earth from total extinction. 2012 is less than four years away so to borrow the tag line from the novel, time is running out.


Hopefully Will Smith will make a suprise visit to the Free Library of Philadelphia Festival on Saturday April 18, and buy a copy of Escape 2 Earth.

Hopefully.

Misdirection of the Humans

For years maybe even centuries we have looked to the heavens for sky ships or in today’s terms UFO’s, but could it be that we have been looking in the wrong direction? As a sci fi writer I have the luxury to indulge myself when it comes to speculating about the unknown.

The topic of USO’s happens to be one topic that I have taken my theories and interwoven them into my novel Escape 2 Earth. For those of you who are not familiar with the acronym, USO stands for Unidentified Submerged Object. When you stop and think about how many sightings we have on a monthly basis it causes me to wonder why more of these vessels have not been picked up in the upper outer reaches of our planet by long range telescopes. I think that it’s safe to say that with all of the exploration going on in our solar system that our mysterious visitors are not from around this galaxy.

Why would they come all this way just to turn around and go home again I asked? Well maybe they don’t. Our oceans are vast and deep, very deep. There are at least 22 trenches in the world eighteen are in the Pacific Ocean. The Mariana Trench is 36,201 feet deep. Located in the Pacific it is the deepest part of all Earth’s oceans.

In recent years, stories have begun to surface (pun intended) about underwater bases off the coast of California in the Santa Catalina channel, the Puerto Rico Trench, and several trench locations around the world. If true this would be a smart move on the aliens part because it would give them a great place to hide since we do not have the capability to follow them.

Today’s blog is not about some great revelation, nor is it about me making an important point about a specific topic, it’s just something that I wanted to pass on to those who are interested in the possibility that maybe we are not alone.

Evolution of the Con: Part 2

There is a misconception that sci fi fans are primary interested in and in some cases obsessed with the celebrities that play their favorite charters on TV. But what does the average fan do in between cons to get their sci fi fix? Well, the first part of the answer is easy they watch them on TV, however it is the second part of the answer that is being overlooked by a huge portion of the con organizers, they read a LOT.

More to the point they read science fiction novels. I took a quick look at Amazon.com’s book section and found more then sixty Babylon 5 novels, over 100 Battlestar Galactica novels (if you count both series) and I just gave up on counting how many Star Trek novel there were. There is a point to this exercise and that is with the growth of the internet many book authors have developed a following just as TV stars have. Six weeks ago a new author’s site launched called Booktown. It already has close to 200 members and at least one third of them are sci fi authors. Authors that have websites, book trailers, blogs, and fans.

Many of these authors make the usual rounds each spring, summer, and fall at book fairs, book festivals, and book signings across the country but these are general events, that is to say a sci fi author may be sitting next to an author who writes bedtime stories for children or erotic novel for adults. The folks who attend these events vary so even though these venues are great for meeting people it is not specific to science fiction. I was a guest at a sci fi con recently and found that the fans were very receptive to having authors at these types of events.

A few of the convention organizers have recognized this growing trend and have wisely begun to blend in guest authors with the high profile movie and TV celebrities. This is good for the authors, good for the fans, and most importantly good for the con organizers because since most authors are not as well known as J.K. Rowlings they are willing to forgo a lot of the perks that con organizers must provide to lure celebrities to these events. Once again it’s all about the math. In most cases having three guest authors would equal having one celebrity guest. The cost to the fans goes down and everyone is happy. The alternative is to continue on the same path having cancelation after cancelation until people are afraid to come to such events for fear of losing their hard earned money and that would be a shame. Well that’s my two cents, I am going to the gas station to buy some gas, if this was still the 70’s I could get someone to pump if for me. ;-)

Evolution of the Convention

Evolution of the Convention
Part one

Remember watching old film footage of when people used to dress up to go to the movie theater or when the only time that you saw a man wearing an earring was when he was dressed as a pirate at a costume party, well things have certainly changed. The same can be said for Science Fiction conventions. The granddaddy or at least the most popular of the bigger conventions was Star Trek. For most of us it is the only time that we get to see our favorite sci fi actors up close and personal. Over the years these events have grown larger, grander and more expensive to produce.

The planes, limos, and hotels that many of the big celebrities that headline these events require can eat up a huge chunk of the con’s budget. The more successful conventions have moved to larger venues and have produced more elaborate shows. This sounds like a great deal for the fans but in recent years there has been trouble brewing in con land. Success breeds completion. There were at least 50 sci fi conventions scheduled in the US for 2008, I used the word scheduled because several were canceled due to lack of interest. In fact one was abruptly canceled during the second day because of poor attendance and yes the finger pointing has begun.

Some of the reasons given were over saturation, poor planning, the recession; and some organizers have even blamed the actors. I personally know of one case where a few actors never received tickets for their flights. If you have read any of my post then you know that I am not a big fan of finger pointing so instead I will offer what I believe is a practical (yet self serving) solution to what I see is the possible demise of science fiction conventions as we know them if things don’t change. In order to solve the problem of to many con’s and not enough con goers you must first look at the cost. As the competition to bring in bigger names and more actors heated up so has the cost……to the fans.

Its simple math - the higher the cost the less people will attend so once you fall below your break even point Boom! You’re done. So it all comes down to the fans.

Parallel Universe

Yeah, yeah, I know that this is a bit far out there, okay, maybe more than a bit but when you write science fiction novels from time to time you need to dwell in the land of possibilities and what if’s, for example what if we lived in a parallel universe. Fifty years ago if you had told someone that one day we would be able to plug in a box, put raw food in it and take out a fully cooked meal without the use of fire they would have carried you away to the loony bin right. So what if you were aware of this other universe and you knew that their world was in danger of being destroyed what would you do? Since crossing over to warn them in person is out of the question the next best thing would be to send them a message.

I came up with this idea a few years after writing Escape 2 Earth. The reason is simple, many people (not realizing that it was a science fiction story ) took the novel as a prediction of things to come in 2012. Then lo and behold recently there’s been a lot of talk on the internet about a mysterious planet from another solar system that will enter our system triggering massive worldwide destruction. Planet X has been identified as Nibiru and if that wasn’t enough a few months ago on You Tube a new Crop Circle of our solar system suddenly appeared showing the alignment of our planets on December 21, 2012 with Nibiru included in at least two of the crop circles.

Youtube Nibiru

Okay so you say that you’re not impressed. In Escape 2 Earth there is a mysterious planet from another solar system that enters our solar system triggering massive worldwide destruction. In the story the Aliens also use Crop Circles to send messages to warn us about planet X (in the story the planet is Telderan )and Earth’s destruction. In the book the planet arrives in our solar system on December 21, 2012. Oh, I forgot to mention one more thing, the book was published in April 2006 more than two years before the REAL Crop Circle first appeared. So there you have the parallels, the fiction of Escape 2 Earth and the reality (or perceived reality) that

1. A new planet will enter our solar system bringing mass destruction.

2. The destruction will occur on December 21, 2012.

3. Our government is aware of what’s going on but chooses to remain silent. This is also part of the storyline in the upcoming 2012 movie by Roland Emmerich.

4. The messages are being sent in the form of crop circles by beings not of our Earth. And that’s the hinge that holds this premise together. If we knew who the creator of these crop circles were them we could once and for all separate fact from fiction.

Take a minute to ponder the possibilities while I go and microwave some popcorn.

Great TV Taken Before Its Time

Sometime in the not too distant past the masses cheered and waved their remotes when they first learned that there would be hundreds of TV channels to choose from. At last something worth watching anytime day or night we thought. The hard reality is that things aren’t always as they seem which brings me to one of my favorite topics science fiction television. Often times I feel a wave of nostialga (in between the torture) of sitting through yet another B movie on the Sci Fi channel on a Saturday night. I miss the old days when you looked forward to another episode of Babylon 5, or Odyssey 5. The demise of the latter is still a mystery to me. According to Wikipedia “The show was cancelled despite the fact that the series was one of Showtime's highest rated original series.” Why cancel a show in the middle of its second season if the ratings are okay?

Networks are too eager to pull the plug on shows that could have a long life if adjustments were made before things got too bad. One of the most underrated actresses in the business is Leslie Silva, seems like every show that she’s on gets canceled. Odyssey 5 is not the only sci fi show to die an early death, Roswell, Tek Wars, The Dresden Files, and for those who are old enough to remember VR5. There must be something about TV exec’s and sci fi shows with the number 5, anyway I have some advice to offer the suits at the networks, if a show is not performing well CHANGE THE TIME SLOT, or maybe hire better writers, how bout holding a contest or spending a few dollars on promoting the show. If you don’t want to do it for the sake of your career then do it for me because I am not looking forward to another Saturday night watching another B movie just to please my better half.

Random Cancellations are such a big topic there's a wikipedia page on it. The Friday Night Death Slot. Is your favorite show on the list?













Next Week
Parallel Universes

Crop Circles

I am truly baffled by the lack of interest that the main stream media has shown in uncovering the mysteries surrounding crop circles.

For many years these circles have been appearing in fields and in country sides around the world but more recently they have become much more intricate and sophicated prompting many to believe that they are extraterrestrial in origin. Over the past three or four years crop circles have begun to show up in the shape of DNA, the Mayan Calendar, and my personal favorite Earth’s solar system with the planet Nibiru included.

Why is this important? Well, it may not be at all, it may be a hoax, but if that’s your option you must ask yourself who would go through all of that trouble, and how would you explain so many of these crop circles in so many different parts of the world with some appearing in broad daylight in a matter of hours? On any given day you can turn on the news and see reports about Britney Spears, or what Mrs. Obama wore on Letterman or Leno but it is rare to see any reporting done on things that we do not understand except the occasional UFO story.

According to Heritage.org, between 1997 and 2003, the United States Defense Department purchased and then left unused approximately 270,000 commercial airline tickets at a total cost of $100 million. Let’s say that a portion of that wasted money, your money went to a grant to investigate crop circles and the investigators found nothing, at least the money was spent on something which is far better than wasting it on unused airline tickets.

In my novel Escape 2 Earth, 2012 the crop circles contained hidden messages left by a secret alien origination. The messages were warnings of the coming apocalypse in the year 2012. Yes, it’s science fiction but my point is that we have no idea of who is making these circles or how these crop circles are made. We don’t know if they are just pretty patterns laid out in some farmer’s field just to piss him off or if someone is trying to tell us something.

As I have stated before many people who have not read the Escape 2 Earth story believe that I am attempting to predict the future. Why because they have watched the book trailers on YouTube. Most book trailers receive one to two thousand hits a year but since July of 2006 the Escape 2 Earth trailer has gotten 252,675 hits, and that’s just on YouTube alone, why? The answer is simple. Four of the elements in the story are aliens, 2012, Stonehenge, and crop circles. People are curious and some are really afraid, afraid of the unknown.

You can put me down in the first category, I would like to know who are making these crop circles and why? Are they important? And why are the governments around the world ignoring them…….or are they?


Excerpt from the FAQ at the Crop Circle Connector


"Do you believe that most are hoaxes?"

We have been asked this same question many times, and we always stated, that when a formation is claimed to be a hoax, there is very little evidence to actually prove one hundred percent that it was. Some crop circles can look very irregular and messy in their construction, which can point towards human involvement. Many of the formations are so complex in design that it would seem impossible to make in the middle of the night. Of course you can't rule it out entirely, as we mustn't underestimate ourselves, because there have been man made formations down through the years. We do believe that some are hoaxed every year, but there is definitely a real phenomenon interacting with these man-made designs!

Science Fiction Re-Re-Remakes

When I hear that another science fiction movie is being re-made the first thought that comes to mind is “Why?” Really, how do the studio execs come to the conclusion that this film should be redone versus the other?
What exactly is the criteria? If you’re going to take someone else’s work and redo it then there should be rules.

Rule #1 - The remake should resemble the original work.
I recently saw the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. I think that Keanu Reeves is a great actor when given the proper roles but whoever re-wrote the script for this movie has given new meaning to the word disaster movie. Less than 50% of this film stayed true to the original and the story line was weak so to say that it was a remake was a joke.

Rule #2 - Taking a 50 year old movie like War of the Worlds and adding really cool special effects is not reason enough to do a remake.

Rule #3 - There should be a limit as to how many times you can remake a film.

In the case of War of the Worlds Gene Barry starred in the original movie version while C. Thomas Howell played the lead in the remake before Tom Cruise starred in the version directed by Steven Spielberg. That’s three versions that I know of. What I am getting at is that there are plenty of great sci fi stories waiting to be told on the big screen.

The website Book Town has dozens of sci fi authors who’s novels would make great movies but in most cases if comes down to who you know. I ask you, would you have rather sat through a remake of Lost in Space or would you like to see something fresh and original? And just to make things a little more interesting you can throw in Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise.






Next Wednesday: Crop Circles

Star Trek the Younger Generation

There has been a lot of buzz about the new Star Trek move due out on May 8, 2009. This is the eleventh outing for the franchise and according to the synopsis this movie "explores the early Starfleet careers of future Enterprise officers Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Uhura, McCoy, Sulu, and Chekhov. A Romulan, Nero, and a much older Spock are influences, as well as Captain Pike, the first captain of the USS Enterprise."

This took me back to last year when I was invited to promote Escape 2 Earth at a sci-fi convention in Dallas, Texas. Seated across the room from me was Garrett Wang( Star Trek Voyager), two tables to my left was Connor Trinneer (Star Trek Enterprise) and next to Conner was the hardest working man in the business John Billingsley also from Enterprise. He told me a very funny behind the scene story but I can't repeat it without getting him into trouble.

Anyway as you would probably image with three stars from Star Trek in the same room (not to mention several Klingons roaming about) it wasn't very long before I got into a conversation with a few of the conventions volunteers about which Star Trek series was the best. I was not surprised that after much discussion that no consensus could be reached but what did surprise me was the division between the hardcore fans who were not at all happy to see the demise of Captain James T. Kirk and those who were more than happy to see him go. With that in mind I can't help but wonder how this current movie with a much younger version of Kirk will be received.

As for me it's difficult for me to pick one series because there were elements from each that I thought were better than the other, for example, the story lines on the original Star Trek were great but for obvious reasons the special effects were lacking. I also liked the story lines and special effects on Voyager but the most disappointing of all the Star Trek series has to be Deep Space Nine, it just didn't live up to its potential.

Y2K vs 2012

Okay let me get something cleared up right off the bat. I do not know what will happen on December 21, 2012. I have thoughts on what I think may happen around that time period but I will save that topic for another day.

What I do know is that the closer we get to 2012 the more I hear people comparing it to Y2k and that makes absolutely no sense to me. "Why?" you ask. Well first let's look at the statement.

"Well why should I worry about 2012 when that's the same thing they said about Y2K and nothing happened". "Nothing happened then and nothing gonna happen on December 21, 2012 either".

My response is that the reason that "nothing happened with Y2K" is because governments and private corporations around the world spent years and BILLIONS of dollars to prevent something from happening. It is a well known fact that we would have had worldwide catastrophic results had we just sat on our hands and done nothing.

So what are governments and private companies doing about 2012? Well, the answer is nothing. In my novel , I am sorry, my science fiction novel, I have to be sure to put that in because when I don't I get e-mails saying that I am trying to scare people, anyway in Escape 2 Earth I talk about aliens, crop circles, space ships and secret messages but in reality there is enough concern in certain circles that one would wonder why the government would not as least consider the possibility of a pole shift as many scientist have predicted and what would be the consequences of such a shift.

Could it happen? Yes, I think it could. Will it happen? Well I certainly hope not because after what I saw in reguards to Katarina I think that it's safe to say we will all be up the creek.So Y2K vs 2012 there is no comparison and I hope that those who think that there is would just take a minute and look at the facts.

The Facts
Crop Circles
Web Bot Project
History Channel Decoding the Past Doomsday Prophecy DVD
Youtube: History Channel
Billions Spent to Resolve Y2K

Here are some good places to start.

I'm not saying something will or won't happen, but I do think it's possible. I'm just explaining that I used these conspiracies as devices in my novel, Escape 2 Earth.

Chapter Titles of Escape 2 Earth

Signs of Life

Revelations

Paging
Sherlock Holmes

Close Encounters
of the Third Kind

Pitfalls

An Army of One

The Big Bang

Eviction

*Spoiler Title*

Trouble in River City

Conspiracy

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Like Lambs to the Slaughter

Charade

Reality Check
A Land Down Under

Neptune's Eye Redux

The Calm Before the Storm

*Spoiler Title*

Escape 2 Earth is on Kindle now!

That's right

http://www.amazon.com/Escape-2-Earth/dp/B001QTW99E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233696971&sr=8-2

You can now buy Escape 2 Earth on Kindle be sure to leave me comments and opinions on Amazon.com - or anywhere really

www.myspace.com/escape2earth

www.twitter.com/escape2earth

http://www.escape2earth.livejournal.com/

www.youtube.com/lovelylj

http://www.lovelylj.deviantart.com/

http://www.escape2earth.blogspot.com/

http://www.booktown.ning.com/

This is the Beginning

For almost a year my daughter has been encouraging me to start a blog.

Yeah, right, I said.

I am in the middle of not one but 3 writing projects a (with the help of my persistent daughter) we have just launched a social networking site for writers, artist, and book lovers called Booktown. www.booktown.ning.com

But after a year of prodding I have decided to make the time to share my thoughts about the world of sci fi. That world being books, movies, tv shows, ( don't even get me started about Heroes) conventions, websites, etc.

This is my world, I hope that you will stop by from time to time to see what's going on.

It's not really formatted the way I want it to be yet. I'll change that later on.