Review: Alien Affairs

Posted 04/28/19 9:52 pm by Greg

Alien Affairs by Scott Skipper is a very well-executed first contact science fiction novel. The book gives the author's take on how the alleged UFO crash near Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 might have transpired. As the story progresses, it covers the subsequent ramifications decades in the future.

I was pleasantly surprised at how many of the events and character actions seemed plausible. Even though the tone of the drama is light-hearted, the author still took the time to think through the logistics of how first contact with a more advanced species might truly unfold. In fiction, the underdog triumphs over a superior force all the time because it's satisfying. Such a feel-good result emboldens us to believe that we can each transcend whatever stands in our way. But in real life, Goliath slays David the vast majority of the time. With that in mind, the struggles and failures of humankind's efforts against the aliens in the story rang true, and the bittersweet ending concluded the tale appropriately.

The characters, while seemingly dry at first, eventually show a great deal of personality through their dialogue and actions. This, as opposed to descriptions given in prose, is a sign of effective writing. Along those lines, the story unfolds very fluidly. It was an easy read. I tore through the novel in a pair of four-hour flights. However, in the last quarter of the novel, the author increased the level of detail and made his prose a bit meatier. This is in contrast to the first three-quarters of the story where the exposition was more bare-bones.

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Review: The Lost Spell

Posted 04/28/19 9:49 pm by Greg

The Lost Spell (Tales from the Lost Horizon) by Michael Eging is an entertaining short story within the sword & sorcery (S&S) subgenre of fantasy. When the cantankerous old wizard and main protagonist, Thondric, suspects the theft of one of his spells, he embarks on a quest to reclaim it.

Along the way, Thondric's viewpoint is engaging enough to maintain reader interest. Some of what transpires does so a little too coincidentally, and the tale has its typical S&S pitfalls (lack of firm magical rules, a character casting or not casting the right spell at the right time for the convenience of the plot, etc.). The characters are quick to make assumptions or resort to violence and slow to find more clever or diplomatic solutions. This results in each character coming across as a bit cliche (the cranky but wise old wizard, the honor-bound knight, the evil ogre, and so on). There are no deviations from what's typical of the genre.

All that said, none of these finer points detracts significantly from an otherwise well-written tale. Fans of the genre will feel right at home, while the story should also satisfy the casual reader (4/5 stars).

Review: Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Posted 02/23/19 8:21 pm by Greg

In short, go see this movie. It's awesome. Alita: Battle Angel (2019) features an endearing main character who kicks butt, a plot and story far better than what the critics are claiming, edge-of-your-seat excitement, and excellent world-building. Refreshingly, the movie honors the source material. I rate Alita 9/10 = 4.5/5 stars. For a much more detailed review, keep reading.

Overview

Opening weekend, I had the opportunity to see the Alita: Battle Angel (2019) movie. I don't often write movie reviews (never mind the fact that I don't post to my blog anywhere near as often as I should). The exception, of course, is when the movie is based on something I've loved for a long time. Since the early nineties, I've been a fan of the original Battle Angel (1993) Anime and Gunnm comic (manga) by Yukito Kishiro on which Alita is based. My writing draws significant influence from Anime, and I would include Gunnm/Battle Angel as one of those influences.

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Beyond Tech: The Wave Gun

Posted 03/28/18 6:10 am by Greg

Status Update

Before I get into the tech talk, I'll start with a status update. Scroll down if you only care about the rad-tastic tech. I won't hold it against you.

I've written about ten chapters of Beyond Existence (BEX). That's probably somewhere around a quarter of the first draft. I'm guessing book four is going to be the longest entry in the Beyond saga, given all the loose ends that need tying off and the general awesomeness that needs to occur.

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Review: Our Justice

Posted 11/06/17 6:08 am by Greg

Our Justice by John W. Howell, a thriller about a patriotic lawyer trying to thwart a rich and powerful terrorist, provides a mostly satisfying conclusion to the series.

Similar to the first two books, Howell writes book three with a concise and straightforward style, often overexplaining things. This largely works in the story's favor. The fact that the main protagonist, John Cannon, carefully thinks through everything becomes part of his personality and charm while aiding reader comprehension. The supporting cast is likeable, and I couldn't help but cheer for the do-gooder to finally achieve justice.

Unlike the first two books, book three suffers from a few minor plot holes (or at least from a few things left unexplained). Along those lines, I would've liked a little more falling action to wrap up the loose ends. I was also specifically disappointed that the antagonist's grand plan never materialized, and that the cool and deadly new technology the author reveals is never utilized in the plot.

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State of the (Star) Union

Posted 10/30/17 1:57 am by Greg

Howdy, folks. It's been some time since I last posted...yeah, I know my posts often begin that way. Here's what's been going in the universe of this author.

Move and Writing Progress

Throughout the past six months or so, moving from Madison to San Diego has absorbed much of my time. Whether I was packing for the move, dealing with getting my duplex ready to rent out, coordinating shipping my stuff to California, driving west, searching for condos, moving into my temporary apartment, moving out of the temporary apartment, finally moving into my new condo, or fixing stuff in the new condo, suffice it to say that the move has kept me busy. And to top it off, I worked over forty hours a week in my day job as a software architect this summer. I tell you. When it rains, it pours. And then add the fact that San Diego offers its fair share of distractions.

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Review: His Revenge

Posted 07/24/17 2:20 am by Greg

His Revenge (John Cannon #2) by John W Howell was an enjoyable thriller that held my attention from beginning to end.

In the equally-riveting book one, My Grl, lawyer John Cannon gained recognition as a national hero by foiling a terrorist plot. Now in book two, John faces the consequences of his actions. The terrorists try to eliminate him for what he did and then use his status to further their agenda.

Howell writes with a very concise, matter-of-fact style. The prose and dialog are short and to the point, yet the author takes the time to thoroughly explain the reasoning behind what's happening. This approach makes for a very quick, easy, and satisfying read. That said, Howell will occasionally devote too much page space to minutia. For example, I don't need to know the step-by-step details of the main character's shower and bathroom routine. But I'll gladly skim over a few irrelevant side notes in exchange for comprehensive treatment of the important parts of the story.

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Beyond Yesterday Now Available

Posted 06/28/17 10:12 pm by Greg

Beyond Yesterday (Beyond Saga #3) is now officially published and available for purchase on Amazon. In this latest installment of the Beyond Saga, Captain Maya Davis travels back in time to determine how a piece of tech ended up in the past.

Beyond Yesterday Links:

- Amazon (Buy Kindle or Paperback)

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Review: Rise of the Prince (Pearseus #1)

Posted 06/24/17 11:12 pm by Greg

Overall, I enjoyed parts of Rise of the Prince (Pearseus #1) by Nicholas Rossis but ultimately felt that the novel struggled to come together as a cohesive story. I finished reading RotP a month ago. Given my recent move across the country, I haven't had many free moments to write or read, let alone write reviews. Now, I'm finally getting back to it. Here's what I recall.

The story was well-written and flowed well. Rossis knows how to write dialogue and prose.

Personally, I found Rossis' focus to be a little misplaced. Too often, the reader is abstracted away from what's really important. Too many of the scenes involve characters sitting around talking about what's going on rather than actually showing what's happening. Every other scene portrays character(s) talking about the ill-explained and ill-motivated war going on on a battlefield far, far away. I don't care much if I cant't see it. When the reader is actually immersed in the drama or action, the story shines.

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Review: Leviathan Wakes

Posted 04/12/17 3:49 pm by Greg

The SyFy TV series The Expanse is based on this book, in case you've been living in a black hole. I saw season one of the show before reading the novel, and the former likely colored my perception of the latter. I loved the show, and I really liked the book, but experiencing them in that order confirmed that I can never read a book after seeing the show or movie. I had a hard time judging the appeal of the novel given that I knew what was going to happen and was picturing the characters as the actors as I read.

Having said that, the book is for the most part written well as one would expect from a work of traditionally published fiction. The story unfolds smoothly and logically. It's a solid, believable plot even though it isn't overly complex (human race fights over alien tech). There are a couple twists but nothing too unexpected. As a matter of fact, one of the things the author did well was to keep things simple, and sometimes less is more. The science and world-building is outstanding with things like future racism (Belters vs. Earthers), how the different gravities of different worlds affects space travelers, etc. This is one of the more plausible futures I've seen or read about except for perhaps the extent to which the author takes the alien tech. And I'm not so sure that Earth and Mars would each be these neatly unified entities. A typical pitfall of space opera is to make each planet equal a nation, but now I'm getting overly picky. If that's the worst issue, the book is doing great.

The alternating Holden/Miller viewpoints also work well. Both protagonists are flawed do-gooders, which are the types of characters with which I best identify. The likable characters each have their own recognizable personalities with strengths and flaws. The author is a master at knowing when to show a character taking action that characterizes him or her. But again, it was hard to know whether I was truly getting to know them through the words on the page or if my mind was substituting the actors. Miller does a lot of brooding, particularly toward the end. It was endearing up to a point and then I just wanted the author to get on with the story. Would I have had the same level of impatience if I didn't know what was going to happen? It's hard to say.

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Review: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Posted 04/03/17 2:24 am by Greg

I've been a fan of GitS since the original manga (comics) in the early 90's. I saw the movie in the theater in 1995 and then the sequel. I've watched every episode of Stand Alone Complex (SAC), SAC: 2nd Gig, and Arise more times than I care to admit. SAC: Solid State Society and The New (Arise) Movie mostly continued to uphold the high standard of the shows. And I've even read the three hard to find novels. The GitS franchise ranks in my top 5 works of fiction of all time and has heavily influenced my writing. It's one of the smarter works of science fiction out there, animated or otherwise. So it's an understatement to say that I know the GitS universe very well, have been waiting for a live action movie for a long time, and had high expectations for it.

I went into the 2017 GitS movie "apprehensively pumped." I was excited that a long-overdue Hollywood adaption was being made but worried about the whitewashing debates, the early reviews by critics, the plot changes, the casting, and plenty of other things. So what did I think after finally getting a chance to see the 2017 version?

Overall, I enjoyed it. The visual effects looked good, the plot and story worked well enough even if it didn't wow, and Scarlett Johansson effectively portrays the Major. It's a good-to-very good movie but not a great one. It ranks right in the middle of all the GitS works. Not the best but not the worst.

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BYD Cover Reveal and More

Posted 03/30/17 3:40 am by Greg

Beyond Yesterday Cover Reveal

Only three months left until Beyond Yesterday (Beyond Saga Book 3) is published on July 1, 2017. Sign up for my mailing list to read it for free. Check out the full cover by clicking on the image to the right.

Website Updates

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Radio Interviews

Posted 12/10/16 11:47 pm by Greg

In the last several months, I've been lucky enough to do three different radio interviews. Use the below links to listen to each of them:

1) Rave Reviews Book Club - Rave Waves Blog Talk Radio - Beyond Cloud Nine (Beyond Saga #1) (30 min)

2) America's Web Radio - The Prologue - Beyond Cloud Nine (Beyond Saga #1) (60 min)

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Review: Acts Beyond Redemption

Posted 12/10/16 11:33 pm by Greg

Overall, I enjoyed reading Acts Beyond Redemption (Unintended Consequences Book 1) by Suzanne Burke, a gripping police procedural about an FBI task force charged with investigating a series of murders that aren't what they seem.

The novel held my attention throughout the majority of my time reading it. Even the parts that didn't seem as relevant still held great intrigue and tension. The major characters are thoroughly entertaining and mostly well-rounded, each with their own strengths and vices.

My chief constructive criticism concerns the motivation and purpose behind the serial killings. I'm still trying to figure out whether I glossed over a stroke of genius or identified a huge plot hole. Also, even though I understand why many things turned out as they did, most aspects of the resolution failed to satisfy after such a strong buildup.

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Radio Interview: BTH

Posted 10/13/16 10:44 pm by Greg

At 11am EST on Fri 10/14 tune in to The Prologue on America's Web Radio for my next interview. I'll be discussing my second novel, Beyond the Horizon (Beyond Saga Book 2).

Oct 19 2016: If you missed the live interview, click here to listen to the archived podcast.

Review: Deception (Powell #3)

Posted 10/10/16 11:49 pm by Greg

Deception (Powell Book 3) by Bill Ward is a brisk, straight-to-the-point international conspiracy thriller that held my attention from beginning to end. The author develops the plot well, brings it to a satisfying conclusion, and mostly avoids the cliches of the genre. The writing style is very bare bones. While the wording and short chapters lack much in the way of descriptive detail, they make for an easy read and a lightning quick pace. There's very little character development, which limits emotional investment in the story, but readers who love plot-driven thrillers will find much to enjoy.

BC9 Free (Limited Time Only)

Posted 09/27/16 2:27 am by Greg

From Wed 9/28 through Fri 9/30, Beyond Cloud Nine (Beyond Saga Book 1) will be free! You'll be able to add the novel to your Kindle at no cost on the Amazon product page.

"I loved how unpredictable this story line was...this was refreshing!" -gvalt (Amazon)

"The book kept me engrossed all the way to the end..." -Phil (Amazon)

Continue reading the full article >>

BC9: A Slow Start?

Posted 08/02/16 4:28 am by Greg

When readers voice their opinions of my work in their reviews, I have a strict no retaliation policy. If someone expresses a negative viewpoint, I don't respond. I instead choose to appreciate the time they took to read the book and leave a review.

Now that Beyond Cloud Nine has been published for almost two years, I've received enough feedback to glean a few recurring patterns in what people are saying. Therefore, this blog post takes a look at the top three constructive criticisms about the novel: the "slow start" of the beginning, the grand-sweeping conspiracy, and the likeability of the main protagonist.

The first and most common shortcoming I read in reviews is that the book starts off slow. I understand what readers mean when they say "slow," but from a pacing and action standpoint, the first few chapters are anything but slow. After a handful of introductory pages, chapter 1 portrays two space battles. Following a terrorist attack at the end of chapter 2, chapters 3 and 4 are mostly action. Chapters 5 through 12 take it down a notch with character building and interpersonal conflict but the pace of the exposition remains steady. I think readers who get used to the action in the first 4 chapters might perceive a brief lull in 5-12.

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Radio Interview: 11am EST Fri 7/15

Posted 07/07/16 3:46 am by Greg

I'm excited to announce that Doug Dahlgren will be interviewing me on The Prologue, a radio show on America's Web Radio, at 11am EST/10am CST on Friday, July 15h. Many thanks to Doug to having me as a guest. You can listen to the show live by clicking here when it's time for the show (find the play button where it says "click here" on the right side of the screen). Or you can download the America's Web Radio app on Google Play or iTunes. During the show, we'll be discussing Beyond Cloud Nine (Beyond Saga Book 1) and other aspects of my writing. It should be a good time!

Review: Beyond the Hidden Sky

Posted 07/02/16 7:48 pm by Greg

I liked a great many aspects of Beyond the Hidden Sky by Marcha A Fox. The book follows a teenager who must survive on her own in a dangerous galaxy after getting separated from her family. However, the novel often struggled to hold my attention.

First, the positives. When events are taking place, the story shines. Creena is a likeable protagonist. She whines and pouts a bit too much, but she's a teenager, so she gets a partial pass. Her adventures and her unique supporting cast (especially the non-humans) are entertaining.

I also enjoyed the scenes where her father takes clever action toward resolving the conflict, and I appreciated the bittersweet ending. And who doesn't empathize with the struggle of a loving family trying to reunite?

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Beyond the Horizon Published

Posted 05/01/16 5:19 pm by Greg

I'm thrilled to announce the exciting publication of Beyond the Horizon (Beyond Saga Book 2), the sequel to Beyond Cloud Nine (Beyond Saga Book 1).

Beyond the Horizon is the story of Maya Davis, a young officer who must foil an attempt to exterminate a benevolent species during the first interstellar expedition. Get your copy on Amazon today.

Read the press release or visit the Beyond the Horizon official homepage for more information.

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Press Release: Beyond the Horizon

Posted 04/15/16 3:58 am by Greg

We're a little more than two weeks away from the exciting publication of Beyond the Horizon (Beyond Saga Book 2). As is customary for new book releases, I've written a press release to announce the event. Here it is in all its glory:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Greg Spry, Beyond Innovation Books

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Review: Jessica: The Autobiography of an Infant

Posted 04/15/16 3:33 am by Greg

I've reviewed Jessica: The Autobiography of an Infant by author Jeffrey Von Glahn PhD. Overall, I enjoyed this novelized account of a psychotherapist's real life sessions with a patient plagued by psychological problems due to her experiences as an infant (4/5 stars). Read the full review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Anatomy of a Cover

Posted 01/18/16 5:00 pm by Greg

It's been a while since I wrote a blog post, so this one is long overdue. I don't do many posts or spend much time on social media because I'd rather put the little free time I have into the next book.

We're still over three months out from the official publication of Beyond the Horizon in May 2016, yet people have already lavished me with praise regarding the cover. Thanks for that! As a result, I've received a number of questions about what it takes as a self-published author to come up with such an eye-popping design that, in my humble opinion, beats out a lot of traditionally-published covers. Below I'll discuss the process I follow.

As a software developer by daytime trade, I have experience coordinating web design and other software implementation projects. I've worked with graphic designers on creating web sites, and so I approach the cover design process in a similar manner.

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BC9 Now at PJ Boox

Posted 11/11/15 4:50 am by Greg

Beyond Cloud Nine can now be found on bookshelves at PJ Boox, an independent bookstore catering to self-published and indie authors. It's exciting to see my books on sale in their first physical store. I especially appreciate how the display copies face forward rather than being positioned with the binding facing out and crammed together with a bunch of other books. Very cool.

Review: Charlie Robot

Posted 11/09/15 5:02 am by Greg

I've read and reviewed Charlie Robot by Benedict Martin. Overall, I enjoyed this story about a pessimistic scientist who gets stuck having to pretend he's the first artificially intelligent android. Read the full review on Amazon or Goodreads.

BC9 Wins Silver in RF Awards

Posted 09/08/15 3:34 am by Greg

Beyond Cloud Nine has won the silver medal (second place) in the 2015 Readers' Favorite Book Awards in the Science Fiction category. Check it out on the 2015 contest winners page.

BC9 is Finalist in IAN Awards

Posted 09/08/15 3:34 am by Greg

Beyond Cloud Nine placed as a finalist in the 2015 IAN Book of the Year Awards in the Science Fiction category. Check it out on the book of the year awards page.

Review: Beyond Vica

Posted 07/16/15 7:00 am by Greg

I've reviewed Beyond Vica by author TC Booth. Overall, I enjoyed this piece of YA fiction about a teenage girl who struggles to deal with her friend's illness (4/5 stars). Read the full review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Review: Esquelle and the Tesla Protocol

Posted 07/04/15 7:00 am by Greg

I've reviewed Esquelle and the Tesla Protocol (Book 1) by author Joe Dacy II. Overall, I enjoyed this solid technothriller about a French database programmer hunted by US intelligence services because of her brother's invention of a new communications technology (3/5 stars). Read the full review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Review: My GRL

Posted 04/21/15 9:51 pm by Greg

I've reviewed My GRL by author John Howell. Overall, I enjoyed this thriller/murder mystery (4/5 stars). Read the full review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Review: Rule-Set

Posted 04/21/15 9:44 pm by Greg

I've reviewed Rule-Set: A Novel of a Quantum Future by author Merrill R. (Rick) Chapman. Overall, this book had definite moments of brilliance but suffered from a handful of pitfalls that made it hard to read at times (3/5 stars). Read the full review on Amazon or Goodreads.

The Cool Tech of BC9: Starthroats

Posted 03/20/15 12:13 am by Greg

This article continues my blog series about the technology, world, plot, characters, and other aspects of Beyond Cloud Nine. This is the second installment of a two-part post. In this article, I'll be discussing the technology behind the Starthroats (star fighter craft) in the novel and how they cope with the realities of orbital conflict outlined in the first post.

I'll be the first to admit that the Starthroats and space battles in BC9 aren't perfect. I allowed myself to embellish a little in the name of excitement as long as I didn't do anything impossible, and I think I did a reasonably good job of creating believable spacecraft and orbital conflict. I have yet to hear one person say the fighter craft are unrealistic or the battles would never happen as portrayed...so far (knock on futuristic smart wood).

One thing that's kind of ironic is the design of the Starthroat on the cover of the novel. I worked with a talented designer on it, and he came up with something very cool. If I were to get nit-picky and technical, though, I'd point out that the cover design is too close to a modern fighter jet, isn't all that space-worthy, and doesn't match my exact description from the novel. Nevertheless, cool is the way to go when you're trying to sell a work of action-packed fiction, so I have no real complaints.

Continue reading the full article >>

BC9 - Orbital Conflict 101

Posted 03/10/15 11:58 pm by Greg

This article continues my blog series about the technology, world, plot, characters, and other aspects of Beyond Cloud Nine. In this post (part one of two), I'll be covering the realities of real space flight and how fictional space battles should take these factors into account. In the second part (to be posted later), I'll discuss the technology behind the star fighter planes and how that tech helps the fighters cope with these realities.

According to the unofficial bylaws of hard science fiction, any discussion of orbital conflict has to begin by recognizing that most popular sci-fi gets it wrong. As much as I loved Star Trek: Into Darkness, I rolled my eyes when the Enterprise fell out of lunar orbit toward the Earth, and you should understand why after reading this article.

The laws of orbital mechanics, otherwise known as astrodynamics, govern motion in space, and various fundamental properties of space lead to orbital results we Earth dwellers might not expect. Let's take a look at the major differences between air travel and space travel. Stick around. It'll be fun, and you might learn something.

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The Theme of BC9

Posted 02/20/15 4:04 am by Greg

This article continues my blog series about the technology, world, plot, characters, and other aspects of Beyond Cloud Nine. This time around, I'll be covering the thematic aspects of the plot.

Most readers have told me that the conspiracy in BC9 is plausible and thought-provoking, and the the "alien invasion with a twist" strikes them as something positively different. I aimed to leave these impressions, so I'm thrilled to have other people vindicate my efforts. On the other hand, a small handful of naysayers have questioned or even rolled the eyes at certain aspects.

The question that encompasses the overall theme of the novel is, "Would you rather be miserable knowing the truth or happy living a lie?" In chapter 3, Brooke has a conversation with her father while they're flying high above the Rocky Mountains. In that talk, we see that how she chooses to deal with being picked on as a kid prepares her for the larger moral conundrum she faces as an adult. When Brooke stumbles upon the conspiracy in the novel, she has a hard choice to make. Should she reveal the truth--something people deserve to know--even if that truth does more harm than good? Or should she keep quiet and help bury the truth, an act of deception which would bring about a much better life for everyone? It's a classic case of "do the ends justify the means?"

Continue reading the full article >>

The Importance of Reviews

Posted 02/10/15 6:26 am by Greg

Authors understand the importance of book reviews. Obviously, we want as many positive reviews as possible because they help us sell the next book. Much has been written, researched, and debated about why book reviews are important. For the purpose of this article, I'm going to take their extreme value as a given, so that's not what I want to talk about. Rather, I don't think readers truly get how important their reviews are to everyone else, so consider this an impassioned plea to review each and every book you read, especially self-published/indie books.

So much work goes into writing and releasing a novel: dreaming, brainstorming, research, outlining, writing, editing, rewriting, more editing, still more rewriting, critiquing others' works in exchange for feedback, proofreading, cover design, publication, signing up for about a million sites and services to promote the book, writing blog posts like this, lots of money--you get the idea. Novels take years and hundreds, if not thousands, of painstaking hours to produce. It took me five-and-a-half years to write my debut novel, Beyond Cloud Nine (I hope to cut that down to about a year-and-a-half for the sequel, Beyond the Horizon).

Conversely, a reader will consume those carefully-crafted pages in a matter of hours or days, depending on their reading rate. If someone really enjoyed a book, they should strongly consider hopping over to Amazon, Goodreads, and/or wherever they made their purchase and take all of 5-10 minutes to write a review.

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The World of BC9

Posted 01/19/15 3:49 am by Greg

This article continues my blog series about the technology, world, plot, characters, viewpoint, and other aspects of BC9. This time around, I'll be covering the world/setting of the novel. A number of readers have both praised and questioned the setting of Beyond Cloud Nine, so I thought I'd spend a little time talking about why I created the world the way I did.

BC9 begins in the year 2247 AD, which is the mid-twenty-third century. The main reason I chose set the book that far in the future is because of my educated prediction about how long it will take the real space industry to progress to the point in the novel (I do have a graduate degree in this sort of thing). If there's one thing a lot of science fiction gets wrong (in my view, anyway), it's the overly optimistic dates. In other words, stories are set too near in the future and advances are predicted to happen much too soon.

Due to the rapid pace of the advancement of electronic devices like smart phones, people tend to get the false impression that other types of technology should progress at the same rate. This is misinformed thinking. For example, while improvements have been made to make propulsion technology more reliable and efficient, today's rockets work more or less the same as those that took the first astronauts to the moon decades ago. With current chemical rocket power, it takes 6-8 months to get from Earth to Mars, and that's when the two planets are at the closest points in their orbits on the same side of the sun. Therefore, it takes over two years to reach Jupiter.

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Happy New Year

Posted 01/12/15 10:56 pm by Greg

A new year brings new happenings in the world of this science fiction author. After taking a little time off for the holidays, I'm back to writing and promoting Beyond Cloud Nine.

First, if you haven't signed up already, please take a quick moment to subscribe to the New Releases & Deals Mailing List. This will be the first method of contact I use when the sequel becomes available.

Speaking of the highly-anticipated sequel to BC9, I've written about a third of the first draft of Beyond the Horizon. In chapters 11 & 12, mankind's first interstellar mission faces a major predicament while the situation back home is anything but stable.

Continue reading the full article >>

Happy Holidays

Posted 12/19/14 4:43 am by Greg

It's the holiday season, so it's a good time to point out the holiday scene within Beyond Cloud Nine.

Brooke Davis, the main protagonist, ventures out into New Galilei, the largest colony on Jupiter's moon Callisto, in search of the sparks she needs to maintain her piloting edge. While en route to Vik's Virtual Gaming, she encounters far too much artificially-generated winter and holiday cheer for her taste. Here's an excerpt:

"She leapt out into New Galilei's subterranean downtown and sucked in a gust of frigid air. It stung her lungs but liberated her senses.

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Interview: BC9 Cover Designer Tobias Roetsch

Posted 11/29/14 6:54 pm by Greg

This post continues a series of interviews with the people who helped me publish Beyond Cloud Nine. Next up is Tobias Roetsch of gtgraphics.de, the designer who created the overall cover for the novel. I asked Tobias a few questions about working on BC9, being a graphic designer, and life in general.

What was your favorite aspect of working on the cover for Beyond Cloud Nine?

I really enjoyed the part at the end when the ship and character designs were finished and ready to be added to the cover design. With those elements, the image made it to the next level. Besides that I loved to work on Jupiter and alter it to the books needs. To work with an actually existing planet is somewhat special for me as I am normally creating my on worlds.

Continue reading the full article >>

Interview: BC9 Proofreader Sophie Logan

Posted 11/24/14 2:16 am by Greg

This post continues a series of interviews with the people who helped me publish Beyond Cloud Nine. Next up is Sophie Logan of Sharper Editing, the editor who proofread the novel. I asked Sophie a few questions about working on BC9, being an editor, and life in general.

What was your favorite aspect of working on Beyond Cloud Nine?

Working with texts I enjoy is always fun, and I enjoyed the protagonist, Brooke Davis, a lot. She's tough and driven, which I admire, but she also deals with incredible guilt and shame. She certainly is not a perfect woman, and does her best to be a good person amidst some difficult decisions. I like reading books about imperfect heroes, and working on this book was a treat.

Continue reading the full article >>

BC9 Review by Rick Chapman

Posted 11/20/14 5:07 am by Greg

Merrill R. (Rick) Chapman, author of Rule-Set: A Novel of a Quantum Future, has been kind enough to write a positive review of Beyond Cloud Nine after reading the novel. Check it out!

Interview: BC9 Plane Designer Chi-Chun Liu

Posted 11/14/14 11:05 pm by Greg

This post continues a series of interviews with the people who helped me publish Beyond Cloud Nine. Next up is Chi-Chun Liu (pvtskwerl), the designer who created the amazing Starthroat (star fighter plane) found on the book cover and website. I asked Liu a few questions about working on BC9, being a designer, and life in general.

What was your favorite aspect of working on the fighter plane design for the cover of Beyond Cloud Nine?

I would say, the most enjoyable element was the challenge of trying to combine identifiable features of fifth generation fighter jets with elements of space flight technology in a visually coherent and functional manner.

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Interview: BC9 Editor Rose Fox

Posted 11/05/14 6:05 pm by Greg

This post begins a series of interviews with the people who helped me publish Beyond Cloud Nine. First up is Rose Jasper Fox (The Copymancer), the editor whose insights helped me take the book from good to great. I asked Rose a few questions about working on BC9, being an editor, and life in general.

What was your favorite aspect of working on Beyond Cloud Nine?

I really admired the care and precision with which you (the author) approached the editing process. Your communication with me was always crystal-clear, and you obviously had a very strong vision for the book that could withstand comments on how well you were expressing that vision to the reader.

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The Female Lead Protagonist

Posted 10/24/14 3:09 am by Greg

A number of people have asked me why Beyond Cloud Nine and many of my other stories feature female main protagonists. This is a pretty interesting question, so I gave it some thought, dug deep, and came up with several reasons.

First, I think my natural inclination toward writing about a female lead began with the boyhood crushes I had on the strong women in the shows, movies, books, and comics I immersed myself in at a young age. The heroines of Anime particularly captivated me as a prepubescent, back before I understood why, if you know what I mean. Characters like Lisa Hayes, Lynn Minmay, and Rook Bartley from Robotech were not only sexy (as sexy as animated characters can be, anyway), but they played major roles in determining the fate of the universe. Same with the strong-minded pilot of the blue lion, Princess Allura, who refused to be left out of the action while the other boys formed Voltron. Or how about the high-tech armored gals of Bubblegum Crisis. As I got a little older, slightly more sophisticated series with heroines like the Major from Ghost in the Shell continued to compel me. Atypical influences for a sci-fi author now writing for an adult audience, to be sure. Of course, there were many more strong female characters in live action shows and movies, too. Therefore, I got used to the ladies playing major roles early on, and my interest in them has only increased over the years.

Second, from the standpoints of uniqueness, marketing, and history, the heroine hasn't been (over)done as much as the hero. Traditionally, the man is the knight in shining armor and the woman is the damsel in distress, but as women have gained more equality in modern times, so too have the roles flipped. Lately, there have been more and more female leads in major books and movies (Katniss in the Hunger Games and Scarlett Johansson in Lucy are just two of many recent examples). Still, there remain far more stories where guys take the lead.

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BC9 Digital Editions on Sale

Posted 10/13/14 1:32 am by Greg

SALE ENDED. For a limited time, I've slashed the price of the Kindle and Smashwords editions of Beyond Cloud Nine to US $0.99. That's $4.00 off the retail price. Head to the Buy Beyond Cloud Nine page to purchase your insanely cheap copy.

Author Interview Posted

Posted 10/13/14 1:31 am by Greg

Check out my first author interview on Rachael Rippon's blog. In the post, I answer ten questions about my writing and my first published novel, Beyond Cloud Nine.

The Cool Tech of BC9: Gravgel

Posted 10/09/14 2:58 am by Greg

Hello, my loyal minions...I mean, fans. This post begins a series of articles I plan to write about a variety of topics, including the writing and publication processes, my motivation and influences, content specific to one of my stories, and a bunch of other interesting anecdotes.

First up, I thought I'd talk about some of the cool technology I invented in Beyond Cloud Nine. One of the things I love about smart science fiction is tech that's realistically attainable in the future. I've tried my best to create things in BC9 that could really happen because real possibilities are more exciting to me than pure wishful thinking.

In BC9, our heroine, Brooke Davis, is a star fighter pilot who engages in orbital combat. As a member of UN Aerospace Defense, she gets into plenty of dogfights. The star fighter craft of our hypothetical twenty-third century setting are capable of much greater speeds and acceleration than 21st century fighter planes. Greater acceleration means a pilot is subjected to greater g-force on the order of hundreds of gees. Such extreme force would crush a human being without some type of advanced protection that hasn't yet been invented.

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BC9 Trade Paperback Edition Published

Posted 09/24/14 10:23 pm by Greg

At long last, I'm excited to announce that I've published the trade paperback edition of my novel Beyond Cloud Nine via CreateSpace. Head to the website beyondcloudnine.com to purchase your hard copy of the book.

BC9 Kindle Edition Published

Posted 09/18/14 11:54 pm by Greg

I'm excited to announce that I've published the eBook edition of my novel Beyond Cloud Nine via Kindle Direct Publishing. Head to beyondcloudnine.com to purchase your digital copy of the book.

The trade paperback edition will be available by the end of the month.

BC9 Cover Design

Posted 09/07/14 12:10 pm by Greg

I'm happy to announce that the design of the book cover for Beyond Cloud Nine is complete.

Overall book cover design and matte painting was done by the talened Tobias Roetsch (taenaron) of GTGraphics.de. This work included the background with Jupiter and merging of all other elements.

The under-appreciated Aaron Page created the character designs of Brooke in her uniform on the front cover and Brooke in her flight armor with Maya hiding behind her leg on the back cover.

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BC9 Publishing Status

Posted 05/07/14 9:24 pm by Greg

Here's an update on my plan to self-publish and e-publish Beyond Cloud Nine.

I completed my initial changes to the manuscript and submitted them to my editor on 4/29. She should have the line-edited manuscript back to me by 6/1, although I foresee the beginning few chapters of the story still needing work, which could delay things.

I'm also intensifying my search for a graphic artist who'll do designs for both beyondcloudnine.com and the book cover. I hope to have someone selected by mid-May and designs in hand by July 1. During this time, I'll be enhancing both this site and beyondcloudnine.com.

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BC9 Misses ABNA 2014 Quarterfinals

Posted 05/07/14 9:11 pm by Greg

For the third year in a row, BC9 reached the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, and once again, BC9 missed the third (quarterfinal) round. This time around, the rejection wasn't surprising given the issues my editor cited, issues which I didn't have time to correct prior to submitting to the contest.

BC9 Reaches ABNA 2014 Rnd 2

Posted 03/19/14 4:06 pm by Greg

For the third year in a row, BC9 has reached the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest in the sci-fi category based on the strength of my pitch.

This year, there's a layer of extra complexity surrounding my entry. With the hiring of a professional editor (see previous post), the timing didn't work out for me to make any of the changes she suggested by the ABNA submission deadline. Therefore, it'll be interesting to see if draft 5 of the novel reaches ABNA round 3 given the outstanding issues. I guess if ABNA reviewers like the story as-is, it'll be a good problem to have. I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it.

BC9 Editor Hired

Posted 01/19/14 6:01 pm by Greg

I'm excited to announce the hiring of a professional editor, Rose Jasper Fox (The Copymancer), for BC9. So far, the experience of working with her has been very positive. She's extremely organized, and from her site, you know exactly what you get. She's already offered a number of great insights in her overall critique, and we've still got the line edits and final review to go.

As you may have guessed, the hiring of an editor means I've officially decided to self-publish BC9. I still plan to query agents once the editing process is complete, but I'm done waiting, and I relish the opportunity to have complete control of everything. I've found a handful of great artists online who I feel could do wonders for the cover and website graphics. With my technical skills (web development, searching engine marking, social media awareness, etc.), I should be able to build a successful online platform. Then, maybe the agents and traditional publishers will come calling.

I hope to complete the final BC9 manuscript by midsummer 2014 and have all the book cover and site graphics in hand. By late summer/early fall, I plan to launch my official author platform, including updated websites with integrated checkout and social media profiles. These are exciting times!

Sci-Fi Graphic Artist Wanted

Posted 10/30/13 11:13 pm by Greg

I'm planning to e-publish and self-publish BC9 in 2014. Thus, I'm searching for a great graphic artist who can design characters, star fighters, planets, landscapes, and general sci-fi-esque scenes. My immediate needs include front and back covers for the novel as well as templates and images for my planned overhaul of beyondcloudnine.com.

I'm not going to lie to you. I'm very picky, and I happen to think the covers of most sci-fi novels published today look ridiculously cheesy. I'm going for a feel that combines a clean, polished, and commercial look with aspects of watercolor or oil paintings. Examples include this, this, or this.

For the front cover, I envision a Starthroat rocketing away from Jupiter with part of Callisto in the foreground and an image of Brooke somehow worked in there. For the back cover, I have this mental picture of Brooke standing with her back to the onlooker in her flight armor. She has her helmet under one arm, and Maya is holding onto her opposite leg.

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BC9 Draft 5 Uploaded

Posted 10/30/13 10:06 pm by Greg

"Complete" will always remain a relative term when applied to unpublished manuscripts. Nevertheless, I've finished applying the most recent batch of edits to draft 5 of BC9. You can access the most up-to-date version of the manuscript by logging in to the site, navigating to the Beyond Cloud Nine page, and clicking on the PDF or Kindle links. Special thanks to the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest Expert Reviewers and the Orlando Sci-Fi Writers Meetup group for providing the insights that led to these latest improvements.

Beyond Cloud Nine Misses ABNA 2013 Quarterfinals

Posted 03/12/13 2:00 pm by Greg

For the second year in a row, BC9 reached the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, and once again, BC9 missed the third (quarterfinal) round. It's extremely disappointing and frustrating given the amount of work I've put into editing, rewriting, research, and everything else surrounding the novel. I'm not normally one to complain, but I feel one of the two reviewers slammed the novel with a few biased personal opinions rather than an objective manuscript critique. That said, his or her review sounded a lot worse the first time I read it, back when I was pretty upset. It sucks to miss the cut largely because of the luck of the draw. I have little doubt that two different random reviewers could and probably would have loved the story.

I plan to post another blog entry with the reviews in a segment I like to call "review the reviewer." This will allow you to judge how fairly the reviewers judged my work. Following that, my next step is to pick out the genuine recommendations from the reviews and use them to improve the story.

Beyond Cloud Nine Reaches ABNA 2013 Rnd 2

Posted 02/13/13 11:34 am by Greg

For the second year in a row, BC9 has reached the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. The book is one of 400 advancing entries in the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror genre category. With any luck, the improvements I've made to the story will allow it to advance to the quarter-finals on March 12.

The Cocoa Beach Writers Conference

Posted 01/20/13 11:23 pm by Greg

I've signed up to attend The Cocoa Beach Writers Conference on January 26-27, 2013 located in Cocoa Beach, FL (right down the street from where I live). This conference is coordinated by the Space Coast Writers Guild (SCWG).

Beyond Cloud Nine Enters ABNA 2013

Posted 01/14/13 5:30 am by Greg

For the second year, I've entered Beyond Cloud Nine into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. BC9 made it to the second round last year. Contests like this are highly subjective, but I would think the improvements I've made to the novel in the last year should get BC9 into the quarter finals. Only time will tell.

Beyond Cloud Nine Draft 4 Revisions Complete

Posted 01/06/13 6:12 pm by Greg

"Complete" will always remain a relative term when applied to unpublished manuscripts. Nevertheless, I've finished applying the most recent batch of edits to draft 4 of BC9. You can access the most up-to-date version of the manuscript by logging in to the site, navigating to the Beyond Cloud Nine page, and clicking on the PDF or Kindle links. Special thanks to my buddy John and the Melbourne critique group for providing the insights that led to these latest improvements. With the exception of a few small formatting changes, this will be the version that I submit to the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest, which starts in week.

State of the Union

Posted 12/04/12 12:07 am by Greg

Ever since I moved to Florida and started my Space Systems graduate program, I've had little time for writing. I love learning about the realities of spaceflight. The knowledge I've gained after only one semester has skyrocketed my ability to write more accurate science-based fiction. Nevertheless, between school, work, and writing, something had to give, at least temporarily. In the next month, between the fall and spring semester, I hope to get some significant editing and writing done.

The following is a list of projects underway with status updates:

Beyond Cloud Nine. I finished draft 3 in early July and started querying agents, all of which either ignored me or told me that the project wasn't right for them. About the same time, a friend whose opinion I trust read it and a new critique group reviewed the first few chapters. Based on their feedback, I concluded that additional edits were necessary, enough to warrant a draft 4. I've posted another blog entry regarding those specific changes, which are in progress.

Continue reading the full article >>

Beyond Cloud Nine Draft 4 Update

Posted 12/04/12 12:06 am by Greg

Based on recent feedback received, I've decided to write a new draft of BC9. Here is a list of the major edits:

1) Updated chapter one to provide better context regarding the solar war, better introduce Brooke, and build the story better in general. Also added more realism to the space dogfights and explained by Brooke is such a skilled pilot.

2) Added a new second chapter that introduces Marie sooner, provides background on the solar war, and shows the reader how the U.N. plans to alleviate society's problems.

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Destalis "Reimagining" (Draft 5)

Posted 12/04/12 12:05 am by Greg

Due to the need for a fifth round of significant edits, I put Destalis on the shelf for a few years while I wrote BC9. I needed to do something new, and I also figured--correctly, it turned out--that I could write a second novel faster than I could rewrite the first one, given all I learned the initial time around. Now, with BC9 nearing completion, I've returned to my first project, determined to revamp the story until it demonstrates the greatness that exists within my head. Here are the major changes for what I'm calling the "re-imagining" of Destalis:

- Lynn's character has changed significantly along with her name. Lynn is now Lyana. Lynn was too modern-day. So, I decided to go with Lyana, which remains close to Lynn but sounds more unique. Lyana starts out at age seventeen instead of twenty-five, and since the story now covers multiple years, she will have time to grow from a timid, disgruntled teen into a confident leader. Gone is Lynn the philosophy student. Lyana still practices martial arts, though. Finally, Lyana's dreams are less abstract and more integrated into the plot.

- Complete rewrite of the first quarter of the story. Everything from the beginning through Lyana's escape from Dainichi plays out differently, and my goal is to get Lyana on her journey more quickly. I plan to rewrite much of the story, although in general, less rewriting will occur closer to the end.

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Beyond Cloud Nine Revisions Complete

Posted 07/16/12 6:06 pm by Greg

I've finished applying my writers' group edits to BC9. So, the novel is now complete (at least until an agent, editor, or publisher suggests further changes). Head to the Beyond Cloud Nine page to download the final version of the novel (note that you must be logged into the site to download anything).

Interzone Rejects Goodbye, Mars

Posted 04/24/12 11:32 pm by Greg

Sadly, I received a form rejection from Interzone science fiction & fantasy magazine regarding my submission of Goodbye, Mars. I have to say that I'm mildly surprised given the popularity of hard sci-fi stories such as GBM in the U.K. The rejection also hinted at how a submitter should read the magazine first prior to submitting. I have no way of knowing if the editor specifically targeted that comment at me, or if it's just a generic statement. That said, I must admit that I've had a hard time generating interest in the stories in Interzone. Each article seems to be written in this odd and somewhat abstract way. You would have to read the magazine to know what I mean. Oh well. On to the next publication.

UW Writers Institute Recap

Posted 04/18/12 12:31 am by Greg

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the annual 2012 UW Writers Institute, the University of Wisconsin's three-day writing conference.

The Institute offered numerous concurrent educational sessions covering topics such as promoting your work online, book trailers, query letter writing, finding and working with agents, and more. Sessions with author and instructor John Vorhaus on publishing in the post-paper world and corporate creativity coach Brendan Sullivan on sparking your creativity were particularly inspiring. In addition, several published authors discussed how they got published while literary agents offered insight into the internal workings of the publishing industry.

I also had the opportunity to pitch my novel Beyond Cloud Nine to a couple of agents, who asked to see more. In preparation for these eight-minute meetings, I had to learn about loglines, pitches, author bios, synopses, and other aspects of writing and speaking about your work in order to sell it. Agents wanted to know key plotting concepts from the novel such as inciting incident, first plot point, midpoint shift/crisis, climax, and resolution (parts of the three-act structure) as well as themes and set-piece scenes (scenes that best convey what the book is about). If you're unfamiliar with any of these terms, I strongly urge you to look them up online and learn them.

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Goodbye, Mars Submitted to Interzone

Posted 03/21/12 2:55 pm by Greg

I just mailed my novelette Goodbye, Mars to Interzone science fiction & fantasy magazine for publishing consideration. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Greg to Attend UW Writers' Institute

Posted 03/21/12 2:45 pm by Greg

I just registered for the annual UW Writers' Institute, which is the University of Wisconsin Department of Continuing Studies' writing conference. This year, it will take place on April 13-15, 2012. I plan to pitch BC9 to several agents, get the manuscript critiqued, and attend the sessions. I recommend the conference to all.

BC9 ABNA Reviews Posted

Posted 03/21/12 2:11 am by Greg

Beyond Cloud Nine may not have made the quarter finals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest, but the feedback was still mostly positive. Head to the Beyond Cloud Nine page to read the expert reviews.

Beyond Cloud Nine Misses ABNA Quarter Finals

Posted 03/20/12 3:22 pm by Greg

Unfortunately, Beyond Cloud Nine failed to advance to the quarter finals (round three) of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. After making it to round two based on my 300-word pitch, panel reviewers eliminated BC9 according to my 5,000-word excerpt, which equated to the prologue and first chapter.

I genuinely believed I had a good shot to make it to the quarter finals. One thing that worried me all along, though, was the prologue. While it frames the story and integrates the book into the entire Beyond saga, I wondered if I would've been better served by excluding it. A part of me wishes I had submitted chapter one and two instead.

It's especially frustrating to be excluded so soon because every science fiction novel I've ever read takes the first fifty pages to ground me in the story and another fifty to pull me in to the point that I don't want to set it down. In BC9, it takes me until the end of chapter three to establish the main conflict. In other words, the first 5,000 words of a novel can't always provide a complete or accurate sense of the overall story. That said, I spent a lot of time crafting the hooks at the beginning of the prologue and chapter one. In my opinion, they're better than the hooks that begin most every story I've ever read. I mean, really, if a woman convulsing on a 24th century hospital bed because she requires spinal transplant surgery or a star fighter pilot rocketing away from an explosion in Jupiter orbit doesn't grab readers' attention, I have no idea what will.

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Who Should Play Brooke in BC9: The Movie?

Posted 03/17/12 2:40 pm by Greg

Like many authors, I dream of my stories and novels one day coming to life on the big screen. Of all my works, I would judge Beyond Cloud Nine to be the most Hollywood-friendly. Just imagine all the space dogfights in 3D HD. Picture Brooke in her sleek black flight suit and helmet gripping the dual HOTAS control grips and accelerating at hundreds of gees. Jupiter, Callisto, and Titan's orange clouds and methane rivers would make for quite an exotic setting. I'd definitely pay to see mammoth star ships getting torn apart by the space-time wake created by the phase fighter.

Most of all, I would relish seeing the BC9 characters brought to life. And just who would play the part of ace pilot Brooke Davis? Both Grace Park and Stephanie Jacobsen (Sharon Valerii and Kendra Shaw, respectively, from the new Battlestar Galactica) come to mind. They're fairly obvious choices because they starred in a military sci-fi drama, and Sharon Valerii was a pilot. Although neither actress has Japanese heritage, both are of Asian decent. They're also both a little older than Brooke, but I think either actress could pass for a woman in her mid-twenties.

Jacobsen, in her role as Kendra Shaw, displayed the more hard-ass, pessimistic, Brooke-like personality. Her accent wouldn't work (it's sexy, but Brooke isn't Australian). However, that doesn't necessarily eliminate her. Anna Torv (Agent Olivia Dunham of Fringe) showed us how a talented actress can lose the accent when required by the role.

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New Website Now Live

Posted 03/03/12 12:00 am by Greg

I'm excited to announce that my new website is finally up and running. Right now, it provides basic information about my novels and stories as well as me as an author. In the near future, members will be able to download and read my unpublished work. For published pieces, I plan to integrate Google Checkout shopping cart functionality so that readers can purchase my work. Keep checking back to watch the site grow!

Beyond Cloud Nine Moves to Round Two of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest

Posted 02/24/12 3:23 am by Greg

I'm happy to report that Beyond Cloud Nine advanced to the Second Round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. The General Fiction category of the contest began with 5,000 entries and has now been whittled down to 1,000 based on pitches. On March 20, the field will narrow to 250 quarter finalists based on the first 5,000 words of the novel (for BC9 that's the prologue and chapter 1). I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Here's a link to the 1,000 Advancing General Fiction Entries. My name and novel appear on page 7.

Lack of Submission Feedback

Posted 02/18/11 2:02 pm by Greg

In the last few months, I've submitted my work to a couple of major sci-fi magazines. Both publications rejected my manuscript, which didn't surprise or upset me to any great extent. Certainly, I was disappointed. I've been honing my writing skills for the last seven years, and after much hard work, I believe I've finally crafted a story that's as good or better than anything I see published professionally. Take that as author bias if you like. It is to some extent. But I also have the critiques of a couple different writing groups to back me up. That, and I'd be the first to admit that I hadn't written anything publication-worthy up until now.

Anyway, the point here isn't to cry rivers of despair or tout my work. What I want to focus on is the fact that these publications have stopped providing individual feedback. The rejection notifications I received from both magazines contained only a restatement of the original submission guidelines listed on their websites, which did absolutely nothing to help me. I have less than no idea why they rejected my manuscript. The editors stated that they receive too many submissions, and therefore do not have the time to make specific comments on each one.

Now, I certainly sympathize with how overwhelmed an editor must get by the multitude of submissions that he or she receives. I'm sure an editor spends many late nights reading other people's work on his or her own time. For that, I'd like to extend my wholehearted thanks.

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