Enter the Spiral Galaxy

Escape from Reality

Enter the Spiral Galaxy

The Spiral Galaxy was first discovered in the year 2004 by crop circle photographers Matt and Will after joining forces with Art the computer wiz.  (Escape 2 Earth 2012 - novel) Together the three men discover that a clandestine alien origination named Earth’s Guardians had been planting ominous coded messages inside crop circles around the world warning that planet Earth would be destroyed by another planet that would enter the Earth’s solar system on December 21, 2012.

After eight long years of struggles, sabotage, and setbacks, the human race begins again on the pristine planet called Earth 2 more commonly referred to as New Earth located inside the Spiral Galaxy many light years away from the Milky Way.  (Return 2 Earth - novel)  The people of New Earth lacking knowledge of the region and sophisticated technology find themselves at a disadvantage.  The Governments of New Earth unite in an effort to defeat a new ruthless enemy, the ruler of Otar named Taz, but in order to survive New Earth will need the support of the most powerful leaders in the entire galaxy a group known as the Planetary Alliance.


The most influential members of the 16 world’s organization are Lazon, Xanar, Natropi, Tygalon, Deltor, and Nep’o.  Those who enter this strange galaxy will find out the hard way that danger does not always come in the form of living beings.  For decades rumors have swirled through the region about an army of angry androids marooned on Akanon commonly referred to as the Planet of Doom.  Of course these are only rumors because no one who has visited the planet in recent memory has ever returned to set the record straight.  (Planet of Doom – short story)

On the planet of Deltor Koto-Ryin’s visions have become so vivid, so real that she confides in her friend (and soon to be Xanarian Oracle) Nolan.  Her visions from more than 400 years ago are of Deltorian ancestors, the long since departed Queen Lora, and the mighty Deltorian Warriors.  (The Visions of Koto-Ryin –series of 5 short stories)

Koto-Ryin is not the only having problems on Deltor.   Princess Arianna and Prince Dante are in love and hope to be joined someday however to odds of such a union are slim since Prince Dante will one day become King of Xanar and Princess Arianna is Deltorian.  (Secrets of a Deltorian Princess : The Quest to Save Xanar– coming soon)

After surviving the evacuation of Old Earth and new enemies’ humans have learned along the way that life with their new neighbors can also be enjoyable. Every year on Lazon you are invited to attend the week long Festival of Life, and the weather on Xanar, Lazon, and several of the Alliance planets is perfect everyday even though the skies are pink, or orange, depending on the time of day because they control the weather.  The mega fun space ship Eros Star is the ultra modern 37 deck luxury vessel that carries more than 2,000 passengers.  Life on the space cruise is great but one day something goes terribly wrong and a call is place to the intergalactic detective Da’Quan, his skills are needed to sort things out.  (Murder on the Eros Star- coming soon)

The year is 2023 and people of New Earth are now looking back, wondering how it all started nearly thirty years ago.  How was Old Earth really destroy and who was to blame? (Terror on Telderan – short story)

New Earth is safe and all is right with the world, our world but just when you thought it was all over someone is wreaking havoc with a dozen of the planets in the Spiral Galaxy and New Earth is asked to help in a big way. (Earth #2 redemption – coming 2011) Life is never dull in our new galaxy with whistling forest, secret gardens, artificial planets, and androids there is a lot to learn about our new neighbors in the Spiral Galaxy.

Fringe - TV for Grownups

Olivia learns that all that glitters is not gold. 

Are you one of those multi-taskers who watch TV while tweeting, talking on the phone, or reading your e-mail? If you are you may have to make an exception and put those tasks on hold when you watch the paranormal TV show Fringe. This is not a show where everyone but the mailman, sorry mail carrier, has a secret power. Many of the episodes are original ideas that are converted into well written stories about strange and unusual occurrences usually designed to scare the hell out of you.  Here is the plot summary from the IMDB

 

 “The FBI teams up with a formerly-institutionalized scientist - who was performing experiments on the fringe of real science - and his son to investigate weird crimes that are seemingly part of a larger pattern, and may be connected with a global company called massive Dynamics.”

 

What do you get when you put together a team that includes an FBI agent an eccentric mad scientist, and his Son with a questionable background?  You get a fresh interesting program that pushes the boundaries of the imagination. 

Co-created by J.J. Abrams and staring Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick and Jasika Nicole Fringe deals with cases of extremely rare diseases, people with unusual psychic abilities, and weird human experimentation that usually goes wrong. There is also a continuing storyline involving a dangerous parallel universe. Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy plays a recurring role. Fringe is now in its second season and will probably be around for a while.

 

If you tune in expecting to see scantly clad women and buff guys running around with their shirts off each week you will be disappointed.  These guys want to tell you a story.  Along the way there are twists and turns so you need to keep up.  Fringe has been nominated for a Visual Effects Society Award but don’t let that fool you it’s the story lines and great acting that will get you hooked on this series.   

 

So put down the phone and get Fringed.

Sherlock Holmes 2.0

Do you remember the old Sherlock Holmes? You know the guy with the dopey, clueless assistant Dr. Watson, and the odd looking deerstalker hat and pipe?

Well if that’s what you are expecting to see in the new Sherlock Holmes then you are in for a shock. The new Sherlock Holmes played by actor Robert Downey Jr. is everything that the old Sherlock Holmes was and more. This game’s afoot is an understatement. This detective is more gritty and aggressive but when it comes to observations and the power of deduction Holmes hasn’t missed a step.

In this latest adaptation the pipe smoking fictional detective Holmes is as physical as he is smart and his side kick Dr. John Watson played by actor Jude Law is no push over either. He holds his own against Holmes sometimes manipulating ways and shows that he can carry his weight in a fight.

In this story Holmes and Watson race around London trying to catch a killer before he can carry out his diabolical plan. There are a string of dead bodies as well as some humorous moments along the way to the big climax.

This well written story stays true to Holmes basic strength of using his keen ability to notice things that most of us would overlook but it also explores his weaknesses. The end of this action packed story definitely opened the door for a second and maybe a series of movies. I have a feeling that we will be seeing more of Baker Street’s most famous resident in the near future.

Welcome To the E2E Universe

Welcome To the E2E Universe

Planet of Doom and Terror on Telderan are booth FREE e-books.

Many light years from our Milky Way is a galaxy made up of more than two dozen alien planets where advanced societies of good and evil have clashed for thousands of years. The powerful Planetary Alliance (comprised of eighteen member planets) dominates the region and is almost always involved in the never ending encounters with those who seek to destroy them and become the dominate power in the galaxy. Planets like Deltor, Tygalon, Nep’o, Xanar and Natropi are just a few of the Planetary Alliance members but near the center of this strange and distant place is the newly terra formed planet called Earth 2.

How did human life forms from planet Earth come to exist among such advanced societies where even the weather is controlled by machines called enviormentilizers?

The answer to that question lies in Terror on Telderan, a short story that begins in the earth year 1990. It is the prequel to the novel Escape 2 Earth 2012. Due to the reckless actions of the leader of Otar Old Earth no longer exists, well not in the way that we know it. Right before the destruction of Old Earth on December 21, 2012 with the help from a secret alien origination known only as Earth Guardians we find ourselves living on Earth 2, a new planet with a new beginning but all is not well.

It is now eight years later and life on the pristine new planet Earth is beginning to seem normal again however millions of humans are stranded on a dying earth left behind. Trapped and forced into slavery by the bitter and sadistic dictator Taz a plea for help is sent out. In this strange new E2E universe, this new galaxy, the humans of Earth2 have made several allies but have also made a few enemies along the way. Enemies who have vowed to totally destroy us all.

In the second book of the series Return 2 Earth we find ourselves trying to rescue those millions left back on Old Earth, a broken wasteland of a planet where the human’s days are numbered. The task is difficult especially now that there is a traitor in our mist, one that had been able to telegraph our every move to the brutal leader who holds our people captive and wants to erase us from the galaxy. Victory is at hand but it comes at a very heavy price. In the year 2022 we find that the tables are turned, it is the Planetary Alliance and non alliance planets within the galaxy, our new galaxy that are in jeopardy and we are the only ones that can save them. Deadly rouge Warriors from the planet Deltor, malfunctioning computers, and sabotaged transport ships are just the tip of the iceberg in this all out life or death situation for the entire alliance of planets. During the chaos intergalactic detective Da’Quan is summoned by the Planetary Alliance in the short story Planet of Doom, but Da’Qauan is pre occupied dealing with angry killer androids on the planet Akanon better known as the planet of doom. Who is behind the mass destruction that threatens to bring down the entire galaxy and will the people of Earth 2 be able to restore order or is this the end?

Find out in the third and final book in the Escape 2 Earth series titled Earth 2 – Redemption.

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?