SomaCow Reviews First Light Chronicles Limbo!

During episode 213 of the SomaCow radio podcast (The Greatest Internet Radio Talk Show Ever!), J reviewed First Light Chronicles: Limbo.

He managed to do it without laying out any spoilers, and as it turns out he really enjoyed it. Comparisons were made to Stephen King and Clive Barker, which is pretty high praise for me especially since at the age of 13 Stephen King was my favorite author, and at about 19 my fave was Clive Barker.

It was an interesting episode that took a very, um, interesting turn into some adult content before the review, so be aware if you click the link, you're in for a very interesting show.

RL

Somacow Reviews First Light Chronicles: Limbo!

During episode 213 of the SomaCow radio podcast (The Greatest Internet Radio Talk Show Ever!), J reviewed First Light Chronicles: Limbo.

He managed to do it without laying out any spoilers, and as it turns out he really enjoyed it. Comparisons were made to Stephen King and Clive Barker, which is pretty high praise for me especially since at the age of 13 Stephen King was my favorite author, and at about 19 my fave was Clive Barker.

It was an interesting episode that took a very, um, interesting turn into some adult content before the review, so be aware if you click the link, you're in for a very interesting show.

RL

The books, the work, and the readers.

The best thing about having a distributor that pushes your work is seeing that there are readers. There's something even better that figures into that and it's when you release fairly affordable novellas that allow anyone to say; "Okay, I liked the first and the second, but I don't feel like continuing." They can just turn around and decide not to buy the next one.

There's a special reward when I see a couple dozen sales of Freeground, the first book in the First Light Chronicles, on Monday. Then on Wednesday I see them come back and buy Limbo, then Starfree Port and Spinward Fringe: Resurrection on Friday. That's a truly special reward, and keep in mind I don't make more than a couple dollars per copy, so that signal I'm getting from the readers that they want more, they are very interested in the stories I have such pleasure telling is wonderful. It means more than the money, though the cash does pay the bills, let's face it.

Would I write all this stuff if it weren't for the people reading it? Hell yeah. Would it happen as quickly or be as good? I strongly suspect it would be quite as good. Readers challenge me, through emails, even on the radio like Ross at SomaCow. An educated opinion is worth hearing, and man, they come at me like a storm some days. I take it all with a grain of salt, everyone has different expectations, but there are lessons there if you keep an open mind.

Following this little rant, you'll find info on the next Spinward Fringe Novels. But going forward I need everyone to know; I just spent over forty hours writing in three days and I am in paradise. The stories come easy, the characters stand up and demand attention, and the work is wonderful.

The readers have spoken, you're starting to buy, and I can tell you with full confidence whether you're reading the Fate Cycle series, the First Light Chronicles or the Unlimited Spinward Fringe series: You ain't seen nothin' yet.

RL

Fate Cycle: Sins of the Past

Just when you thought it was safe to walk down the virtual Fantasy Isle, I release (or re-release) a fantasy novel. In preparation for me to start working on the second half of this story (entitled Fate Cycle Exodus), later this year, I worked through this volume with the help of my new Editor.

It's 99.9% typo free now, and a few other things have been improved. The story is the same, however, and I've withdrawn the book from Trafford's publishing service so they're no longer ripping me or my readers off. They were charging people $33.99 for a copy of this book, which is robbery. At the same time I wasn't getting even close to a third of that as a royalty either.

I've switched to Lulu.com as the publisher for this volume and it's in my store (links are to the right), and set it up with my international EBook distributor, so you'll probably see it kicking around sites like Amazon.com soon.

Now, about this book. The main characters are Warlord Deih Utonin, Celeste Utonin, King Gavat Lorridge, the Sorcerrer Madul, Ascromm (also known as the Lord of the Winds), and his apprentice, Coriath. This half of the story is about the appearance of a portal in the lands of Athoul leading to Rikaam, the home of a group of people called the Caydorians. The Caydorians were once residents of Athoul, but were banished thousands of years beforehand by Kumajarie Utonin and a group of high magicians. This book is about exploration, political and spiritual corruption, necromancy, great big nature magic and the beginning of the apprentice Coriath's journey into manhood and magic. I loved telling this story and took an entire year to write the book after developing the world for over a decade.

It was my first fantasy novel and I look forward to returning to the lands of Athoul to finish the journey I began four years ago. That book (Exodus), is half finished, so when I crack the leather manuscript case it's been sealed up in for over three years in November, you can imagine I'll be lost in a happy reunion with characters I haven't been able to forget. This is the book people stop me in the street about, asking 'where's the second one?' and everyone has those people to thank for this republication. I hope you dive in and enjoy this twisting tale, I know I was surprised as I read it once more and enjoyed the experience.

As for the Spinward Fringe series, the second book is being edited, the third book is in the works and sales are accelerating by the day internationally through various EBook retailers. More news on that and the earlier First Light Chronicles series shortly, until then, enjoy Fate Cycle Sins of the Past!

RL

P.S.
Yes, Fate Cycle Dead of Winter does take place before this. It's a little fantasy romance novel that's a really fun read but not essential to enjoy or understand Sins of the Past.

The Happening: Don't Let It Happen To You

The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable were great films. I was convinced that M. Night Shyamalan was a great writer and would provide his audience with several hours of good entertainment.

I was wrong.

Signs, The Village, Lady In The Water and his latest film, The Happening were nothing short of embarrassing. Some critics liked a few of these movies, and I'm lead to wonder who was paying them for a positive review.

I have no respect for M. Night Shyamalan. His directing style does not have any appeal to me, I found myself falling asleep while watching The Happening during the early afternoon. I like all of the talented actors in this film, and I'm very sorry they wasted their time.

It is difficult to review this film without spoiling any details because there really isn't much of anything to the plot and I can count the major events in the film on three fingers. This film reminded me of the B Movies I'd watch from the late 50's to early 70's. They didn't have much in the way of a location (a road, a farmhouse and a field), and no budget. They had to rely on shooting the reactions of the actors instead of creating a real antagonist. Sadly, M. Night had a big budget, but pretty much shot it in the method I just mentioned with the exception of some very affordable city scenes that he probably paid way too much for.

M. Night Shyamalan is trying to make a point with this film as well, and I get it. Sadly, it would have been much more effective for him to record a quick two minute statement with his camera phone and post it on YouTube like most ameteur film makers these days.

Now for the ultimate test: Could I do better with similar resources? Yes.

All the highlights are in the trailers, so go watch a high definition trailer for this film and rent something better.

RL

Spinward Fringe Resurrection: Selling in Europe!

On August 1, 2008, I launched all the EBooks currently available with over 30 different electronic retailers, so people all across the globe could purchase the First Light Chronicles and Fate Cycle: Dead of Winter.

That didn't really result in much, which is fine, since I didn't expect an immediate reaction. Some of these retailers take a little while to list the books and it takes some time for people to realize they're there.

Then I launched Spinward Fringe with the same retailers (commonly called Etailers in some circles). It's been less than a week and I'm proud to announce that it's selling. Not "I was just on Oprah's book club" selling, but copies are being read, a solid number of copies.

I just got an email from a reader in Budapest saying; "...started reading and did not put it down until I was finished. Am bying all other books on ur list."

Broken english aside, I see this as a massively good review. If the momentum continues to build I might actually be able to make a lving at this before 2010. Here's hoping. If that were to happen all my readers (and they are starting to increase in number), would have more literature to look forward to on a regular basis.

Thank you to everyone who has been watching, reading, and investing in my success. I really do appreciate your time and money.

I aim to entertain.

RL

The next book: Spinward Fringe Awakening, is well on it's way and I'm immensely pleased with how it's turning out so far.

Spinward Fringe Resurrection: Selling in Europe!

On August 1, 2008, I launched all the EBooks currently available with over 30 different electronic retailers, so people all across the globe could purchase the First Light Chronicles and Fate Cycle: Dead of Winter.

That didn't really result in much, which is fine, since I didn't expect an immediate reaction. Some of these retailers take a little while to list the books and it takes some time for people to realize they're there.

Then I launched Spinward Fringe with the same retailers (commonly called Etailers in some circles). It's been less than a week and I'm proud to announce that it's selling. Not "I was just on Oprah's book club" selling, but copies are being read, a solid number of copies.

I just got an email from a reader in Budapest saying; "...started reading and did not put it down until I was finished. Am bying all other books on ur list."

Broken english aside, I see this as a massively good review. If the momentum continues to build I might actually be able to make a lving at this before 2010. Here's hoping. If that were to happen all my readers (and they are starting to increase in number), would have more literature to look forward to on a regular basis.

Thank you to everyone who has been watching, reading, and investing in my success. I really do appreciate your time and money.

I aim to entertain.

RL

The next book: Spinward Fringe Awakening, is well on it's way and I'm immensely pleased with how it's turning out so far.

Spinward Fringe: Resurrection Is Released!

It's here. I love this book, my editor loves this book, and as I've said before my solitary test reader has finished it and started over from the beginning three times now.

This series will have a long future. It's an unlimited series unlike it's predecessor. Here's the synopsis for the first of the lot!

Captain Jacob Valance has no memory of his past.
Left on a strange ship in an unfamiliar sector of the galaxy, he was forced to begin a new life.
Years pass and through great hardship he's earned
a reputation as a man who can recover lost property,
hunt down hardened criminals and go where others fear to tread.
All the while he's been searching for clues to his past
and looking for a better method of making his way through the galaxy for himself and his ragtag crew.
The Spinward Fringe series follows the three volumes
of the First Light books, continuing the adventures
of characters connected to Freeground Station.

I'm proud to present this to everyone who has read the First Light Chronicles and even to anyone who hasn't. I suggest reading the books preceding this, but you don't absolutely have to. They are only back story after all. Thank you to everyone with an interest, I promise you won't be disappointed with the taste between the pages.

If you look to the right of this posting you'll see it's available as a download for $2.99 or in trade paperback for $9.99 US.

I aim to entertain.

RL

P.S.
The next book: Spinward Fringe Awakening is well on it's way to completion and the third is in late planning stages with some parts already penned.

DIGG

Spinward Fringe: Resurrection

It's here. I love this book, my editor loves this book, and as I've said before my solitary test reader has finished it and started over from the beginning three times now.

This series will have a long future. It's an unlimited series unlike it's predecessor. Here's the synopsis for the first of the lot!

Captain Jacob Valance has no memory of his past.
Left on a strange ship in an unfamiliar sector of the galaxy, he was forced to begin a new life.
Years pass and through great hardship he's earned
a reputation as a man who can recover lost property,
hunt down hardened criminals and go where others fear to tread.
All the while he's been searching for clues to his past
and looking for a better method of making his way through the galaxy for himself and his ragtag crew.
The Spinward Fringe series follows the three volumes
of the First Light books, continuing the adventures
of characters connected to Freeground Station.

I'm proud to present this to everyone who has read the First Light Chronicles and even to anyone who hasn't. I suggest reading the books preceding this, but you don't absolutely have to. They are only back story after all. Thank you to everyone with an interest, I promise you won't be disappointed with the taste between the pages.

If you look to the right of this posting you'll see it's available as a download for $2.99 or in trade paperback for $9.99 US.

I aim to entertain.

RL

P.S.
The next book: Spinward Fringe Awakening is well on it's way to completion and the third is in late planning stages with some parts already penned.

DIGG

Books By Randolph Lalonde: Final Releases, Final Pricing!

The First Light Chronicles Omnibus (which includes all three of the books in that series - Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port), has been put out as a final edition, and the pricing has been decided at $19.99.

The Ebook editions of the same books have been reduced in price as requested by the readers and those prices are final as well. The first book: Freeground is still free to download and has been copied from Lulu.com's servers for the 100th time as of this morning.

With all the pricing and edits for the First Light Chronicles set in stone, everyone here is ready to move on to the Spinward Fringe series which continues the saga with a new story that's keeping my editor and test readers up late at night reading the first book repeatedly.

I owe a massive thanks to SomaCow for taking the time to review the Omnibus before anyone in the general public has had a chance to even read it. You can check out their reviews and the greatest internet radio show ever at http://somacow.com and the rest of their shows at www.somacow.net

Thank you to everyone who's been following this series since the beginning. A lot of people bought books as they were becoming available and offered their criticism and advice along the way. It's been a great year and with a new series being launched tomorrow: Spinward Fringe with a new book: Resurrection things are looking great.

RL

Update, 10.31.2008: The Spinward Fringe Series (which includes Resurrection, Awakening and Triton, with more to come) has progressed wonderfully. It's been a joy to write and people are sending in some very positive feedback. You can see two listings for purchase on the right hand side, one for Lulu.com eBook and hard copies and another for Mobipocket customers. Thanks again to everyone who has made these independently produced and published books as popular as they are, please keep spreading the word.

You Don't Mess With The Zohan: Suprisingly Funny!

It was my intention to only write bad reviews throughout August. Oops. I didn't hate this film.

In case you missed the massive advertising campaign, this film is about a Middle Eastern anti-terrorist of some renown going to America to become a hair stylist.

This film is fast paced, the dialog was a lot of fun, visually it was enjoyable to watch and the story was great for an action comedy. It provided plenty of opportunities for humorous dialogue and physical humor.

I'm a fan of slapstick and parodies. There are aspects of parody here that touch on politics, holy wars and immigration. The appearance of Saturday Night Live alumnus actually improves the quality of this film, which is good to see.

I hate to say it, but the advertising hurt this movie a little. Some of the best punch lines in the film are right there in the 15 and 30 second trailers.

I suggest this film to anyone who enjoys a good laugh. There's something in here for anyone who enjoys an R or NC17 rated comedy. Oh, and keep your eyes open, there are little jokes in the background.

RL

I wouldn't even mess with the Zohan over the Webernet.

Spinward Fringe: Resurrection

I've been relatively tight lipped about the latest book: Spinward Fringe: Ressurection, but after my editor has gone through it I'm very proud to announce that this book has gotten a big thumbs up.

This book features several of the same characters as the First Light Chronicles and DOES answer questions left wide open by that series. I'll warn you that it doesn't answer them all, however, it would take a lot more time to get to them all. That's something I'm continuing do with Spinward Fringe: Awakening.

This is a darker, more character oriented book. I feel I've really delivered my first real Space Opera Adventure Novella. After hearing my only other test reader tell me she finished it then started over at page 1 to read it again I was positively floored. I'm overjoyed that I took this new turn with the style of the book, this a more personal story, where there are fewer characters who each have a much more significant impact on the plot line. It shows, my Editor and the test reader both found themselves investing personally in one or two of the characters.

I was honestly worried this book would never see the light of day because it is so different, each character has a lot more to worry about and there are personal problems between them. Suffice it to say, out of all the science fiction I've written this year this book was by far the most enjoyable to pen. That made the fear of experimentation and change far more acute, however, and everyone is in line with thinking it paid off. I think this is a fantastic first foot forward into a new series that isn't limited to a set of three books or six books or whatever.

We're into true serialization and my plot lines will no longer be limited by how many books I can write in the series. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that there won't be endings to different plot lines. My definition of an ending doesn't match that of Hollywood or Disney classics, however. When there's an ending for a character or plot line it's generally more like an explosion or head on collision. There are a number of those in this series already and I'm only 100 pages into Spinward Fringe: Awakening, the second book in the series.

I'm also continuing to think of this as the base for a television or web series. I love the episodic format and am enjoying the challenge of putting new, quality material out on a regular basis.

Keep your eyes on that right hand side of this page as I do my final pass with my Editor's notes and make the book available for sale. I'm very excited to hear what everyone has to say about this book.

RL

Spinward Fringe: Resurrection

I've been relatively tight lipped about the latest book: Spinward Fringe: Ressurection, but after my editor has gone through it I'm very proud to announce that this book has gotten a big thumbs up.

This book features several of the same characters as the First Light Chronicles and DOES answer questions left wide open by that series. I'll warn you that it doesn't answer them all, however, it would take a lot more time to get to them all. That's something I'm continuing do with Spinward Fringe: Awakening.

This is a darker, more character oriented book. I feel I've really delivered my first real Space Opera Adventure Novella. After hearing my only other test reader tell me she finished it then started over at page 1 to read it again I was positively floored. I'm overjoyed that I took this new turn with the style of the book, this a more personal story, where there are fewer characters who each have a much more significant impact on the plot line. It shows, my Editor and the test reader both found themselves investing personally in one or two of the characters.

I was honestly worried this book would never see the light of day because it is so different, each character has a lot more to worry about and there are personal problems between them. Suffice it to say, out of all the science fiction I've written this year this book was by far the most enjoyable to pen. That made the fear of experimentation and change far more acute, however, and everyone is in line with thinking it paid off. I think this is a fantastic first foot forward into a new series that isn't limited to a set of three books or six books or whatever.

We're into true serialization and my plot lines will no longer be limited by how many books I can write in the series. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that there won't be endings to different plot lines. My definition of an ending doesn't match that of Hollywood or Disney classics, however. When there's an ending for a character or plot line it's generally more like an explosion or head on collision. There are a number of those in this series already and I'm only 100 pages into Spinward Fringe: Awakening, the second book in the series.

I'm also continuing to think of this as the base for a television or web series. I love the episodic format and am enjoying the challenge of putting new, quality material out on a regular basis.

Keep your eyes on that right hand side of this page as I do my final pass with my Editor's notes and make the book available for sale. I'm very excited to hear what everyone has to say about this book.

RL

Somacow: Good Cow, Good Cow.

Last Saturday's show was fantastic. I really enjoyed the focus on Mickey and J. Learning a little more about these entertaining folks through a bit of story telling is always a lot of fun. There were many tangents and a short lived rant or two. The replays of episodes 205 and 206 are available at http://somacow.com with 207 not far behind (that's the one where they focus on J, an enigma wrapped in cheese, er, I mean a mystery).

Something else worth mentioning to my readers here is the book review of First Light Chronicles Freeground. They sic'ed Ron? Ray? Robert? Dave? I can never remember his name, but they had the producer review the first book in the series. I'm happy they chose him since he liked it the least out of the four guys on the show. His review is very much worth listening to since it's honest, pretty inclusive and he lets the other fellows; Geoff, Mickey and J jump in with a few addendums. He gave it a good rating in the end, listen to episode 207 when it's available to hear what it was.

They're going to review the second book in the series: First Light Chronicles Limbo this Saturday afternoon and I highly recommend that you listen live between 1pm and 4pm EST. If you can't catch the live show they'll be splitting it up into one hour segments and releasing them throughout the following week. While you're listening in, take a look around their site (www.somacow.net), since they have several other great shows including Say...Anything and The Sports Buzz.

Hope to see you in the live chat, and while you're there listening in don't be afraid to check here for news on the new series: Spinward Fringe. The release of the first of that series is coming up on Sunday.

I wonder if they'll be calling me for an interview at any point?

RL

Speed Racer: Watch the Monkey

Andy and Larry Wachowski are two writer/directors that I'll trust until the day I die. What they did with the Matrix films and the Animatrix was amazing. Despite the opinions of detractors I still feel it's some of the best science fiction ever made.

Sadly, that trust lead me to watch Speed Racer recently.

I understand they were attempting to put forward a complete creative vision that included a colorful version of the future that was faithful to the spirit of the cartoon. In my opinion they tried a bit too hard. The background was so loud the entire movie looked cluttered and even though the CGI was fantastic it was so cartoony that it made the unrealistic acts in the movie look comedic.

I'm not going to say that this film doesn't have its merits. The attempt at delivering a completely saturated creative piece where no thing is left undoctored and the experience is fully engineered resulted in a film that stands apart. Art isn't always enjoyable, sadly, and I honestly didn't have a great experience watching this film.

I can honestly say that if I were 8 years old I might be on the edge of my seat for this, but the same could be said for a really good cartoon with 1% of the budget. It comes down to pacing, story and performance. Sadly, the performances were cheesy or made to look cheesy through the direction and appearance of the film. The pacing wasn't terrible, though after watching racing for so long became ho-hum. The story was predictable and very close to a tale that's being told over and over again these days; a few people standing up to evil corporations involved in broad conspiracy.

Could I do better with the same resources? I can answer that in one word: No.

They wanted to deliver a movie that was a piece of art as much as it was a cartoon adaptation. They accomplished that. I would have done it differently, yes, but better? I wouldn't want to compare any of my writing skills against the creators of the Matrix. I'm also not a director, hell, I don't even know one. I just hope their artistic vision is something I enjoy more in their next film.

Sadly, my favorite character in the movie was the monkey.

RL

Spinward Fringe: Frequently Asked Questions 1

A few questions have come to me regarding the new Science Fiction series I'm writing and not only am I ecstatic that anyone is interested enough to ask questions this early on, but I'm willing to answer a few!

Q: What is Spinward Fringe?
A: Spinward Fringe is a science fiction series that takes place several years after the First Light Chronicles.

Q: What does the name 'Spinward Fringe' mean?
A: Spinward refers to the direction the galaxy is turning. Fringe (in this case), refers to the outer end of the spiral arm of a galaxy. In short, the name refers to where this saga takes place, on the outer edge of the Milky Way. Our home galaxy.

Q: Is it written like a television show like the First Light Chronicles?
A: Yes, I'm still writing in a fast paced style that fits well into a 42 or 84 minute format. The difference is that the stories are much broader and it's not written in first person so I have more freedom in the telling. Some of the books may run longer.

Q: Is it true that a studio has shown some interest in making the First Light Chronicles into a television series?
A: A film maker has approached me but is poorer than I am and doesn't have any financing connections. I would love to option the series to the right people though.

Q: Is Spinward Fringe about the same characters from The First Light Chronicles?
A: Yes. They appear in ways you will and will not expect.

Q: Why not just continue under the title of The First Light Chronicles?
A: The various reasons for the end of that series are built into the plot. you'll know why as soon as you've finished reading Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port. Enjoy!

Q: Will we see Alice in the Spinward Fringe series?
A: Yes.

Q: How many books will be in this series?
A: Spinward Fringe is being written as an epic Science Fiction Unlimited Series. Everything I write for science fiction will be under that banner unless I'm hired out by Lucas, Whedon, Moore or Spielberg. I'm not planning an ending for this series and I know it's something I'll be coming back to often.

Q: Will we see something soon?
A: The first and second books in this series is finished and available in print and EBook formats through the online store. The third is in the works.

Q: Do you always write cliffhangers?
A: Yes, no, well I'm not sure. Why don't I think about it and get back to you?


Well, that's enough info for now. If you have any questions for me that don't have anything to do with "how do I get published, get an agent or can you edit my stuff?" then send me an email at randylalonde@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting and stay tuned, there's more info on the way.

RL

Spinward Fringe: Because I Just Can't Stop Writing Science Fiction

A few questions have come to me regarding the new Science Fiction series I'm writing and not only am I ecstatic that anyone is interested enough to ask questions this early on, but I'm willing to answer a few!

Q: What is Spinward Fringe?
A: Spinward Fringe is a science fiction series that takes place several years after the First Light Chronicles.

Q: What does the name 'Spinward Fringe' mean?
A: Spinward refers to the direction the galaxy is turning. Fringe (in this case), refers to the outer end of the spiral arm of a galaxy. In short, the name refers to where this saga takes place, on the outer edge of the Milky Way. Our home galaxy.

Q: Is it written like a television show like the First Light Chronicles?
A: Yes, I'm still writing in a fast paced style that fits well into a 42 or 84 minute format. The difference is that the stories are much broader and it's not written in first person so I have more freedom in the telling. Some of the books may run longer.

Q: Is it true that a studio has shown some interest in making the First Light Chronicles into a television series?
A: A film maker has approached me but is poorer than I am and doesn't have any financing connections. I would love to option the series to the right people though.

Q: Is Spinward Fringe about the same characters from The First Light Chronicles?
A: Yes. They appear in ways you will and will not expect.

Q: Will we see Alice in this series?
A: Yes.

Q: How many books will be in this series?
A: Spinward Fringe is being written as an epic Science Fiction series. Everything I write for science fiction will be under that banner unless I'm hired out by Lucas or Spielberg. I'm not planning an ending for this series and I know it's something I'll be coming back to often.

Q: Will we see something soon?
A: The first book in this series is finished and with an editor right now. I'll know when they'll be ready for release as soon as she gives it an okay or a no way. If she says okay you'll probably see something in a week. If she doesn't like what she sees it will be a while longer. I'm working on the second book right now and am seventy pages into the first draft.

Q: Do you always write cliffhangers?
A: Yes, no, well I'm not sure. Why don't I think about it and get back to you?


Well, that's enough info for now. If you have any questions for me that don't have anything to do with "how do I get published, get an agent or can you edit my stuff?" then send me an email at randylalonde@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting and stay tuned, there's more info and movie reviews coming throughout the month!

RL

SomaCow: The Book Review Has Been Foretold

I know, I said it might happen last week, but this week Geoff will be reviewing the First Light Chronicles series on their live radio show. There may even be some commentary from Mickey and J since I sent them three copies (one for each of the guys with the exception of Ross, sorry mate, I wasn't aware Podcast Producers could read).

I'm looking forward to it because I am certain the guys at SomaCow will give these books a real honest review. They won't be pulling punches, using dainty language or gilding the lily. So if it's bad or irritating, Geoff and the guys will attack me for wasting their time. If they like it, they'll tell everyone why.

The great news so far is that they had gotten through the first act of the First Light series: Freeground last week. Like I said in an earlier post here, they liked it enough to keep reading. So everyone who was listening to SomaCow got to hear their basic opinion, a comment about a certain homage I paid to other fiction in the book and the rest of their great edge of chaos show.

Long after they're finished with my stuff I'll still be listening to SomaCow, glad that I had the opportunity to entertain them for a change. Role reversals rock, almost all the time. Go listen to SomaCow tomorrow (Saturday) live between 1pm and 4pm and if you miss it you can check back for it during the week since they split up the live broadcasts into three parts and post them on the website. It's a great show, even my mother enjoyed it last week.

RL

Starship Troopers 3 Marauder: 10 Reasons to Avoid This Film!

10 The sound track sounds like it was done with a late 70's synthesizer played by a 12 year old with no talent and only three fingers.

9 This series of films was originally based on a noteworthy science fiction novel. They have fallen so far from it that it's embarassing.

8 Characters are completely unbelievable. Their backgrounds, performances, dialogue and interactions are poorly delivered and badly written.

7 The technology in this film would either never work (due to the pesky laws of physics) or simply doesn't make sense. Some of it even looks like it's from the 90's.

6 The directing is so bad that I am absolutely certain I could have done better myself with a super 8 in a maximum security prison.

5 The special effects are much worse than the first film. I've seen better effects in Swede movies.

4 Production design lacks any creativity. Everything is borrowed or stolen from other films and television shows. I'm sure they raided the props room for the original Lost in Space.

3 The main villain bug is a great big version of a part of the female anatomy in such great detail that this film should have been rated XXX.

2 Casper Van Dean is the best actor in the film by far.

1 Let me spoil the ending: almost everyone finds religion and the highest paid actors survive.


Easily the worst movie I've seen in over a decade.

RL

Digg it!

Somacow: The First To Read First Light Chronicles: Omnibus

Some time last week (or the week before, I can't be certain), Geoff, Mickey and J received a package from me with three copies of The First Light Chronicles Omnibus. The Omnibus is a collection of all three parts of The First Light Chronicles series (Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port).

Geoff is the book reviewer for SomaCow, and he'll be reviewing the books on air either today (Saturday 1pm-4pm) or some time later. As a new dad with a brand new bundle of joy in his life (as opposed to the old, crusty kind), it takes him a little while longer than it used to. I certainly hope he enjoys the read. It'll be nice to entertain the guys over there for a change since they do such a good job entertaining their listeners, myself included.

So go on over the www.somacow.com today and listen in. Not just for a possible book review, but because SomaCow is the greatest internet radio talk show ever. While you're there, check out the other shows on their network. I honestly wish I had the time to listen to it all.

More news to come!

RL

Update:
The fellas at SomaCow have finished reading the first book, First Light Chronicles: Freeground and were pleased enough with it to keep going. I'm looking forward to hearing their review, but more I hope they enjoy the experience of reading the rest of the series half as much or more than I enjoyed writing them.

First Light Chronicles: Omnibus

Definition: om·ni·bus [om-nuh-buhs,buh s] - a volume of reprinted works of a single author or of works related in interest or theme.

In this case, it's the collection of the First Light Chronicles. Now that I'm finished with that series and well into the next, I thought it was time to put the collection out.

A couple other things have been done. Working with a new editor I gave all three books (Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port), a final run through. The final edit extends to the EBooks as well as all the printed versions.

The three books will be available through download seperately, but the Omnibus will not. The EBooks will always be sold seperately, mostly because no one would save money if they were combined anyway.

The printed books have also been submitted to Amazon.com, so in the next 6-8 weeks they may become available there as well. There aren't any plans to offer the Omnibus on Amazon.com, anyone who wants it will have to come here or visit my Lulu.com Marketplace.

I've only had one person read all three books back to back (over the course of 3 days), and she had a lot of good things to say. Considering how seriously I take the opinion of this person, I was completely blown away. I'm absolutely overjoyed to offer this to everyone who may be new to my work in science fiction.

I had a fantastic time writing these, and even though it's a complete set of three books, I thought you'd like to know that the story continues on past the initial trilogy. I say this so you know that when you get to the end of the third book in the First Light series there are more books.

More news on the new series, Spinward Fringe, coming soon.

Enjoy!

RL

P.S.
The First Light Chronicles: Freeground EBook is still available for free!

First Light Chronicles: Omnibus

Definition: om·ni·bus [om-nuh-buhs,buh s] - a volume of reprinted works of a single author or of works related in interest or theme.

In this case, it's the collection of the First Light Chronicles. Now that I'm finished with that series and well into the next, I thought it was time to put the collection out.

A couple other things have been done. Working with a new editor I gave all three books (Freeground, Limbo and Starfree Port), a final run through. The final edit extends to the EBooks as well as all the printed versions.

The three books will be available through download seperately, but the Omnibus will not. The EBooks will always be sold seperately, mostly because no one would save money if they were combined anyway.

The printed books have also been submitted to Amazon.com, so in the next 6-8 weeks they may become available there as well. There aren't any plans to offer the Omnibus on Amazon.com, anyone who wants it will have to come here or visit my Lulu.com Marketplace.

I've only had one person read all three books back to back (over the course of 3 days), and she had a lot of good things to say. Considering how seriously I take the opinion of this person, I was completely blown away. I'm absolutely overjoyed to offer this to everyone who may be new to my work in science fiction.

I had a fantastic time writing these, and even though it's a complete set of three books, I thought you'd like to know that the story continues on past the initial trilogy. I say this so you know that when you get to the end of the third book in the First Light series there are more books.

More news on the new series, Spinward Fringe, coming soon.

Enjoy!

RL

P.S.
The First Light Chronicles: Freeground EBook is still available for free!