Where to start and what to say. Once again man has reached out and landed on Mars. I can’t come close to finding the words to express the amazement I have for those at NASA and the Phoenix project in my home state of Arizona. I held my breath and crossed my fingers right along with the Phoenix team as it made it’s final descent. You can’t beat that drama on any reality show! If you haven’t seen the photo of the Phoenix coming in for a landing, here is the link. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/080526-phoenix-mission-update.html

It’s not just the millions of miles the Phoenix traveled. It’s partly the fact that it traveled that far and nothing collided with it, no micro-meteors, nor solar storms, pretty smooth sailing. Multiply that by the fact that all that metal and circuitry built by man, made it all those miles with no failures. Again amazing!

Now we see first images of Mars’ “earth” that has the initial look of the earth at our polar ice caps. We have pondered, manipulated and created so many Martian worlds and scenarios in science fiction and now real data of this alien world are before us.

I often say that movies like Star Wars got me hooked on science fiction, but in reading the hundreds of blogs and articles posted in the last few days it struck me that it has been a fascination with space travel that hooked me at a very young age. My fondest memories are those from my youth with my family sitting at our wooden picnic table in the back yard. We’d cook up some burgers and carry the television on to the porch to watch and listen to NASA’s every word.

I remember staring at the moon the moment the first astronaut sat foot on the moon. Will I get to sit in my back yard with my family again, only this time to look at Mars through the telescope as astronauts set foot on the red soil of Mars. I certainly hope so.

It’s great fun creating worlds such as I did in my book The Charon Covenant and strange and unusual beings that have traveled from out of this universe and sometimes from Mars itself. I hope we run in to some evidence that life has been there and perhaps still there in some form.

The next few months will prove to be exciting beyond our dreams. I certainly never thought we’d see Mars up close, let alone now for another successful landing on its surface and look forward to every picture and discovery. Way to go Phoenix!

This may fall into venting more than blogging and I'm sure there are no new revelations herein, however, suffice it to say, I am overwhelmed and not sure how to make it all fit.

First there is the feeling of needing to keep up with all the other books coming out. I always knew there was a constant stream of new books emerging week after week, but it became so much more clear when my book The Charon Covenant was published. Now just the science fiction genre is an overwhelming amount of not only competition but choices to read--staggering.

Secondly, I own four small independent bookstores and believe it or not, they keep me beyond busy. You see I thought if we put all our books in the computer it would help us provide more variety to our customers. I had no idea that the amount of time involved in entering the books would be so overwhelming. Although everyone helps, I too spend as much time as I can doing inventory.

Third there is this writing thing. I need to finish the series for The Charon Covenant, along with the new book I've almost finished editing and am very excited about, that is, if my editor will cease with the suggestions. The thought of fitting this in to my schedule everyday is also overwhelming.

We won't even mention that somewhere in there I have a husband and son (who work with me) and ailing parents who want my time. Last but never least are my two girls, my two Yorkies that are at my feet and constantly begging for time.

Overwhelmed is definitely my word of the month! If only self-cloning were real. :)

I can spend an entire day reading at www.space.com, frankly I could spend everyday reading there. A recent article was on sending a small orbiter piggy backed to another rocket to study the moon dust. As most people know the regolith, or moon dust, is like tiny glass particles. These particles can be dangerous to human skin and lungs and the moon dust tends to cling to everything. Astronauts have to spend a fair amount of their time managing it.

The first thought that comes to mind is how much we are still in the baby steps of space travel. When we are just now struggling with the concept of handling moon dust problems and have to spend an approximate $80 million dollars for just the orbiter to study it. This doesn't include the man hours on Earth needed to extrapolate those results.

Continue reading "Baby Steps To The Moon" »

As many science fiction authors I take a look at our planet and what’s going on around us. Every day I hear of another resource gone or nearly depleted. The stories of pollution of all kinds abound to the point of nearly overwhelming me at times.

Continue reading "SPACE EXPLORATION MAY BE OVER" »

I was reading the latest tidbit on AOL news about the new cloud formations on Venus. That article was not that interesting except to say it’s always amazing how much we are learning about the planets in our solar system and beyond. But as I finished it another article caught my eye about the private race to the MOON. See the entire article at: http://www.space.com/aol/080221-lunar-xprize-florida.html

Continue reading "Race For The Moon" »

It has finally dawned on me after all these years of writing that I am haunted. No matter the fact that I’ve moved every few years (I like change) I am haunted by the same beings.

Yes, that’s right, haunted. The various strong characters I’ve written in stories past and present, never go away. They are always with me, asking me to either reincarnate them in some way or continue whatever adventure we enjoyed together.

It’s obvious that writers as a whole have overactive imaginations and are mostly sleep deprived creatures; as our minds won’t always shut off when we tell them to.

Lately it’s two of the characters in my recently published book, The Charon Covenant that have taken to haunting me. Dara Drew the female heroin and the female alien that Dara hasn’t met yet except through telepathy. I had put them away for a bit to do all the hard work of marketing. The radio shows and various interviews and some book signings here and there. I’ve also had to learn this new world of blogging and newsletters. The blogging is enjoyable as it feels as if I’m writing to some long lost friends.

I have also been working on a new book which is finished and off to the professional editors before making its rounds to agents, publishers and such. It’s a complete departure from The Charon Covenant, which has aroused some jealousy among its characters for their turn in the forefront.

So, although I was working on a few short story ideas, I see it’s time to begin new adventures with my old friends from The Charon Covenant so they at least will stop haunting me.

I’ve just finished reading Ben Bova’s The Precipice, Book One of the Asteroid Wars. Although I must confess I didn’t actually read it but had it read to me. I can’t seem to fit in the actual reading of a book with working at my 4 small bookstores full time and writing full time. However, I do have a lot of driving time on my hands going from store to store across the very large Phoenix area.

Continue reading "Ben Bova Book Review of The Precipice" »