U: Utothiaz

My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. Another great stop today would be the IWSG blog for some April inspiration. Today I'm going to feature a guest, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

U is for Utothiaz!

What the heck is that?

The Utothiaz (pronounced U-toe-thee-as) are one of the many races of aliens in my latest book, Dragon of the Stars. They are aggressive and stealthy in their war tactics, with a bold temper to match. Armed with one of the toughest ships in the galaxy, a war horse that can take a pounding, they are a formidable force.

They also cause a lot of problems for the people of Hyrath, and even more for the main character, Aden Pendar. He’s determined they will not best him though, which is why he seeks out a force even greater than the Utothiaz–the ship of legends, The Dragon.

The Utothiaz aren’t the only alien race in the story–there’s also the Khanze, Ormentas, and Biquentas. (Can you tell I have fun with alien names?)

And then there are the Kargrandes… What are the Kargrandes? Visit http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ for clues!

 Dragon of the Stars

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

Science Fiction – Space Opera/Adventure/Military

Print ISBN 9781939844064 EBook ISBN 9781939844057

The ship of legends…

The future is set for Lt. Commander Aden Pendar, poised to secure his own command and marriage to the queen’s daughter. But when the Alliance declares war on their world, Aden finds his plans in disarray and told he won’t make captain. One chance remains–the Dragon. Lost many years prior, the legendary ship’s unique weapon is Hyrath’s only hope. Can Aden find the Dragon, save his people, and prove he’s capable of commanding his own ship?

Purchase:

Amazon
Amazon Print

Barnes and Noble 

Kobo 

iTunes
Overdrive

Chapters 

Amazon UK 

Goodreads 

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm.

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh  for clues!

 Lesson: Have fun with inventing names for the places and people you create. Use mystery in your book promotion. Strive to follow the example of the Ninja Captain.

Have you figured out what the Kargrandes are? Is figuring out names fun for you or a chore? What do you think of Alex's idea of the Kargrandes mystery to get the word and excitement out before the Dragon of the Stars release?

Also today is National Arbor Day so don't be afraid to plant a tree.

F: Firefly

My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. Over on the IWSG blog, you find some more great inspiration for all of April.

Firefly, the show known around the world as one of the best, if not the best, science fiction TV series EVER. There were so many things that made the show successful. The writing. The characters. The uniqueness of the setting, but it had other quirks that made it different. Though it took place in space, it never overburdened viewers with tech stuff. Mal Reynolds often amused us with his pretended or sometimes not false, ignorance of technology. The characters weren't always the white-hatted good guys and walked on the work side of the law. But did the viewers ever doubt they were the heroes? The settings ranged from old west style societies to wildly advance space stations and government facilities. Settlements of outcasts or those who had little to do with the central government added color and provided unique plots. Joss Whedon made something special.

Lesson: Space adventures like I write don't have to be full of scientific jargon. Political dissidents make for interesting protagonists and antagonists. If we ever colonize among the stars, people have no trouble believing that the colonies will greatly vary in their levels of technological advancements. And lastly, you might write the best space adventure ever and still get ignored by the big decision makers.

FOX network made one of most infamous mistakes in programming when they canceled this show.

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
Douglas Adams

And a special announcement since we're talking about space adventure.  Dragon of the Stars by Alex J. Cavanaugh is available starting today. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book and let me assure you that it belongs on your 'keeper' shelf. It has everything a space opera needs. Interstellar conflict, mysterious beings, ambitious men all thrown together in a an adventure story you won't be able to put down. The hero, Aden must find the ship of legends to secure his goals and along the way figure out what is really important. Buy Dragon on Amazon today.

What is your favorite episode of Firefly? What would you expect futuristic colonies to be like if we ever settle on distant planets? The wild west or techno-wonders? What show besides Firefly would you like to see return to TV?

Series Bible

I write my books in series and I love reading books in series. My fantasy series are one story arc carried out over three or four books. My romance series are each complete stories on their own but occur in the same world and always with connections between characters. For example, in my Recon Marine romance series, all the heroes were connected by being part of the same disbanded regiment of genetically engineered soldiers. My latest series, Warriors of Gaviron, deals with the three warrior survivors of an alien race who come to the rescue of distant Earthling colonies.

One of the ways I keep track of the fantasy and futuristic worlds I create is by starting what I call a bible for each one. I use small writing journals where I write things that are not the plot, but other details of these fictional places and characters. Each main character has their own page where their age, physical traits and a short note about their fears and goals. On the page after theirs are related characters like family or work colleagues, etc.

Other pages will have special vocabulary or descriptions of the magic or science in that series. There will be climate facts and geographical notes and even a map. In my science fiction novels that often take place on other planets, I need to know how long each day is, are there moons and how close the next human colony is.

As those of you who are published know, you might have to write something promotional about a book long after you've moved onto the next book. Looking over the facts in the bible always helps me get back into the heads of my characters. I like to use durable little journals for my bibles. This picture shows just a few of them. I pick them up for one to two dollars at stores like Michael's craft store, BAM clearance table and even Walmart during their back to school sales.

Like most of you who live north of Florida, yesterday was a brutal day temperature wise. Here's a picture of the cozy spot where I prepared this blog post and answered some emails. Only problem was that I had to sit on the floor.

Don't forget to visit Alex J. Cavanaugh and add his upcoming release, Dragon of the Stars, to your Goodreads list and enter a contest to win a copy.

Have you heard the term, 'bible,' used in reference to the writing process for series? How do you keep everything in your fictional world straight? Were you chilly yesterday? Some wisdom for The Old Farmer's Almanac: According to scientists, Wednesday if usually the warmest day of the week. Agree?