The one thing about us writers is, well, we write. I’ve been writing on-and-off since I was twelve, but I’ve been known to put it down altogether for long stretches. Perhaps you’ve even put it aside from time to time, too. For me, the longest I stopped writing was when we decided to start a…
via 8 Things I’ve Learned About Being a Writer — Elizabeth Drakes’s Site
This Sci-Fi files tales takes us back to the ocean depths to something that happened when a casual beach walker found a tag that had been attached to a 3 metre Great White shark. When the data on it was analysed it revealed that on Christmas Eve 2003 the shark dived to a depth of […]
Hey Space Cadets, how’s everyone doing today? Things are getting better here – my wife is getting better, she can even drive in the mornings now! Other than that, I am working hard writing the next book in the series.
So on to our regularly scheduled Marine Monday! Today I was leaked, by our friendly neighborhood LegionLeak source, the official bio of Hayley Mason. Remember, destroy this message after reading it so the anonymous source can live long enough to continually feed us excellent intelligence! Without further ado, here is the leaked document!
Hopefully you enjoyed this sneak peek into a certain special Marine’s official record. If you did, stay tuned for next weeks as we anxiously wait for the latest documents smuggled our way!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are screen grabs taken by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
Hey Space Cadets, how are you doing this fine Sunday? I’m doing good, working on my next novel so I wanted to recommend some good books to hold you over in the mean time! First – if you haven’t read my books – The Legion Awakes series – you might want to read them before the next book comes out! I know, I know, but if I don’t advertise for myself who will? Then a few anthologies, some series I love and random recommendations! Check them out, and as always, remember to leave an honest review!
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Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry.
JR
–>As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are videos used by JR Handley for use under fair doctrine.
Hello Space Cadets! Today, I wanted to introduce you to another author from my WARRIOR WEEKEND INTERVIEW SERIES. Chris Winder – Winder like wine, not like wind.
Without further ado, let’s get this interview cranking!
Tell me a little about your military service?
I served just over eight years in the US Marine Corps, first as a field wiremen, then as a Field Wire and Switchboard Operator instructor. Basically, I dug ditches, made sure the commanders had telephone service and sat around a lot cleaning cables and waiting for something to break. My last for years were spent in Twentynine Palms, California where I actually got the privilege of teaching young Marines, and some older Lieutenants and Captains, how to install telephones, program switchboards and run cryptographic equipment.
How do you feel that your military service has influenced your writing?
Though I haven’t published a book about space Marines yet, I’m fairly certain that when I do, I will be able to make them pretty convincing, especially for fellow military.
I’ve also learned to stick to things until the end. Even when it seems like a grind, finishing a 55k book is worth writing, if you can stick with it.
Do you think your military service, and more specifically your training, adds to the realism in your books? If so, how?
I never saw combat, so the combat training I had was Marine Combat Training school. I think that gives me a solid foundation to write about space Marines kicking butt so long as I don’t get too technical, or I can explain why they are doing whatever it is I have them doing. As for the field wire training, not really. Our equipment was pretty simple, though I guess that does come out in Admiral Eeekbo’s controls on his ship in Space Trash.
When did you start pursuing your writing more seriously?
It’s only been about five or six months. It’s an urge I haven’t quite been able to put my finger on until now. But now that I’ve discovered that I can do it, life and I’ve done it several times, I know what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to write.
Of all your work, which was your favorite to write?
My favorite so far is my first publication, Space Trash. It started out being the most insulting SciFi book ever written, and during the rewrite became hundredth or so most insulting SciFi book ever written. Who doesn’t love writing about aliens, fast cars, a crack whore, a dirty politician and rednecks?
How many of your characters were inspired by your military service?
About 30 or so. But that’s all in one story, so that one needs a rewrite so I can cut it down to five or so. Of that, four will be inspired. Three were friends, one was most definitely not. Spoiler: The aliens get the last one, and it’s ugly.
How many of the scenes you wrote were inspired from your service?
Probably ten. For those who don’t know, the military in peacetime is a whole lot of sitting around and trying to look busy, unless you’re working in Admin. During the down-time there’s a lot of tomfoolery and all kinds of injuries we try to explain-away so we don’t get busted when we go to medical seeking treatment.
Do you feel like your writing has served any therapeutic value for you? Has it helped you process your experiences?
I’ve discovered that with my current work in progress. I can still remember the faces of a lot of Marines I trained at the Marine Corps Communications Electronics School. I must have put 3000 through my classes. Of those, I’m sure most were sent to Afghanistan. I have no idea how many I lost. I have no idea how many remember me.
I do know that one promised me an alligator steak, which I still haven’t received… lookin’ at you PFC Peacock…
I also know a little of what it means to have PTSD. I know the thoughts, the sleepless nights replaying things in my head over and over. I know the burning, sick desire for peace, for quiet, for a calm experience. I know the regret. I know what it means to have survivor’s guilt, and I understand that my experience is only a very tiny fraction of what others feel. Writing gives me a way to relive events in my life and play them out differently. It also helps me to objectify events and step away from them far enough to see what really happened, rather than what I felt happened. I think that’s one of the main reasons I write… for the therapy.
If you could serve with any of your characters, who would it be and why?
It would be Corporal Davis, a character in an unpublished book I’m rewriting. He puts duty first, protects those in his charge and still manages to be human. He tries to keep a strong presence, tries to avoid showing that he’s scared, and it’s not for his sake, but for the sake of those who are counting on him. He’s also a badass, tough as nails and likes killing aliens… a lot.
If you would want to avoid serving with any of your characters, who would it be and why?
Cletus and Cooter from Space Trash. They don’t have good weapons discipline, don’t practice the basic safety rules and have no ambition besides getting enough money to earn beer or take a cousin on a date. I don’t hang out with people who have no ambition… I don’t see a point.
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a story, likely a novel about a boy who grows up and discovers that the fantastical stories his grandmother used to tell him were absolutely the truth. Dragons are real. Fairies are real. Little invisible men whose sole purpose it is to tangle your hair when you’re asleep if you’ve been bad are real. And a “curmudgeon” is a thing, not an attitude… though the attitude was named after the thing.
How can people find you?
If this convinced you to find out more, look up Chris Winder. I hope you all had a great time getting to know about Chris Winder. Don’t be afraid to say hello here or on their own Facebook page. If they don’t respond quick enough, strafe him with criticisms about his beard! Mwahahaha!!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
->As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are screen grabs taken by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
Hey Space Cadets, how are you doing this fine Thursday morning? I’m doing good, working on finishing book four in the Sleeping Legion Series. I’ve been a bit MIA lately, but I didn’t fall into a black hole. Instead, I’ve been busy with real life and writing. I’ll try to be more consistent, but ultimately I need to prioritize the books over the blog. I know you’ll understand, but until then I have a treat for you. I sponsored this episode of the Keystroke Medium interview with another veteran, author Josh Dalzelle. Check it out, enjoy the show!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are images used by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
Another CLASH OF THE COVERS!!! Vote early, vote often but damn it VOTE!!!
Happy first everyone! It’s time to kick off a new bracket. If you’re curios or new, check out the Book Covers for December, January, February, March, and April.
May’s bracket has 31 new covers and last month’s runner up, Fate of the Big Bad Wolf by Neo Edmund, has another chance to take the title home.
We’re doing things differently this month. In previous months, we had a round-by-round competition, which I loved. But it’s demanding on readers and fans. They have to keep coming back to vote each week, and I want this to be fun, with as much participation as possible. So this round is a one shot bracket. What this means is each person will only have to vote once for his or her own bracket. Instead of waiting a few days between rounds, you can vote all the way through the…
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Hey Space Cadets, today I want to step away from the SciFy goodness that normally inhabits this page and talk about the elephant in the room. I know that many of you live in the US just like I do, and for us it’s Memorial Day. A day where we remember those who died for freedom, mourn their deaths, while celebrating their lives. This day has always been a special time to me, I’m a military brat from a long line of veterans. I was told stories from an early age, but they never quite felt real. They were just stories that were great adventures but weren’t tangible for me. Sadly, that all changed after Iraq because now they weren’t just strange adventure tales, they were my stories. My ghosts. So yeah, now I’ll unashamedly weep for the fallen because the stories became about my friends. These names that we celebrate are no longer just abstract and esoteric, they’re people I served with. I knew them, heard stories of their lives, saw pictures of their families. I met their significant others; wives, girlfriends, husbands, boyfriends. I held their kids at unit functions and argued with them over bad calls on mandatory fun sporting events. Every day is Memorial Day now, but on this specific holiday I make an effort to remember them in a more tangible manner. I show their pictures to my kids, tell their stories and touch the shared mementos of our service. If we tell their stories, they’re not really gone and we honor what they gave up. I’m on a one-man war to save their stories from the vagaries of fickle memories. Why do I do this? Because of everything they gave up; birthdays they’ll never have and kids they’ll never get to meet and every traffic jam they won’t cuss about because even that’s a gift from where they lay, in what I hope is a peaceful slumber.
Rest Easy My Brothers and Sisters, until we meet again in Valhalla.
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are images used by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
Just some thoughts on this Memorial Day Weekend.
To all of you who do not know the history–the reason for Memorial Day, I’m taking you to school. Leave your Bud beer, shitty potato salad, and platter of grilled meats at the table.
Memorial Day honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This holiday originated in the years following the Civil War, officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, a leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, and was known as Decoration Day. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield spoke at Arlington National Cemetery, where 5,000 people decorated the graves of 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers.
New York was the first state to recognize the holiday in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states; the south honored their dead on separate days until after WWI, when Memorial Day was changed to honor…
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Hey Space Cadets, here is the next installment in my series of book reviews. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I’m a member of the TRMN. It’s a fan club for the Honor Harrington Universe by David Weber, and they do contests for their members all the time. There is a reading contest going on recently, and we get bonus points for reading authors who are on the TRMN Author List. And, if those authors will be at the 2017 Honor Con, we get even more points! So, you’ll see my next several reviews on books by Chris Kennedy, Marko Kloos and David Weber before I get back to Richard Fox’s Ember Wars stories. I’m also working on book four of The Sleeping Legion Series. Finally, if you haven’t read it, Operation Breakout is live!
But enough about me, onto this specific review. Now let’s get to it!
Title: Terra Stands Alone (The Theogony Book 3)
Author: Chris Kennedy
Narrator: Craig Good
Price: $3.99 USD (Kindle Edition) & $1.99 USD (Audible Add On)
Obtained: I bought the story and audiobook combination from Amazon.
Pages: 448
Rating: 5/5 Grenades
Summary:
First, let me say that none of what I’ll say in this section couldn’t be found on the back copy of the novel. I wanted to provide a spoiler free review, so here goes nothing! This novel carries on after When the Gods Aren’t Gods, the second novel in The Theogony Trilogy. Lieutenant Commander Shawn ‘Calvin’ Hobbs and his special forces platoon just returned from their eventful second mission to the stars. The technology they brought back will help, but it won’t be enough to hold off the alien menace headed their way. And things just got more urgent, because the Drakuls have found the Solar System.
A merciless race, there is nothing left once the Drakuls have conquered a civilization except the bones of its dead. When the first Drakul exploratory ship emerged from the stargate, Earth’s days became numbered.
Although Lieutenant Commander Shawn ‘Calvin’ Hobbs and the crew of the TSS Vella Gulf came back with a battleship from their last mission, it won’t be enough to defend the Solar System from the Drakul menace. The Mrowry and the Terran artificial intelligences have run the numbers…and Terra has come up wanting.
The crew of the Vella Gulf knows what a Drakul invasion means: the end of civilization as we know it. Can they find a way to stop the devastating onslaught of the Drakul fleet? Even their new allies, the Mrowry, think Earth’s salvation is unlikely. The Earth has more enemies than it can count and no prospect of aid. In the face of extinction, Terra Stands Alone!
Characters:
In this novel, we get more in depth with Shawn Hobbs, with the other characters in the series given secondary status. This novel didn’t lose any of the characters that were awesome in the previous books in this universe, nor did Chris Kennedy sacrifice what made Occupied Seattle Duology and now the Theogony Trilogy awesome. Calvin Hobbs was a flushed out, three-dimensional character that I thought was a lot of fun. I still felt like I could relate to him as a person, and was someone I would want to hang out with. Seriously, this is my fifth book with Calvin and I still want to read more of his adventures! While we see most of the story through Hobb’s eyes, there was still plenty of red shirts and glorious death! Because I’ve mentioned how my military service has helped me understand these books, it is important to note that by now Chris Kennedy writes novels so accessible anyone could read them. I think that was the case before, but my wife, who had to listen to books 2 & 3 of this series, mentioned this book was easier than the second for her. She’s never served in the military, and thought that here he made things even more accessible. Here is a brief summary of the main character.
Shawn “Calvin” Hobbs: He is a fighter pilot for the US Navy who becomes an instant war herp/celebrity once he got shot down during the opening salvo of the Sino America War. He built on that as he led several successful ground assaults, aerial missions and various other death defying combat roles in the mission of the Republic of Terra. By now, the battles he was involved with during the Sino American War seem like child’s play. In the strange world he finds himself, he must adapt when old allies become enemies and enemies become allies.
Overall, I will give these characters 5 out of 5 Grenades and can’t wait to see where the author takes this character throughout this series!
Plot:
Like most of the military fiction I love to read, this was an action-packed novel. The story is set in the post Sino American War world, after China invaded Seattle as a feint to keep the US from honoring our commitment to Taiwan. Immediately after the war ends, aliens make contact with Earth. We find out that most of Earths mythologies are actually aliens who visited humanity in its infancy and those who witnessed it and left told the stories of these “gods” to their people. As part of the quest to find allies in the pending war against the Drakuls, Shawn Hobbs gets to meet these aliens. Except the war isn’t “pending” anymore, they’ve found Earth.
Again, the premise for the series was interesting and the set-up was well executed. We see a conclusion of the goal of a unified Earth waging war against the Drakul in a desperate bid for survival. Chris covered the needed inter planetary political maneuvering very well, with the required non-action scenes not bogging down the plot. I would love to give some examples, but you should just buy the series and find out for yourself!
With my military background, I thought the way the military was portrayed was credible. Well, as much as we could say about futuristic tech! This book kept some of the ground combat that I love and added in some more spaceship porn. Loads of explosions, action and all kinds of gooey dead aliens. A few red shirts from the ranks of humanity as well. It was all excellently handled, with tactics that fit the world Chris created. I really loved the premise of this plot, and more importantly I enjoyed how he executed it. I couldn’t ask for anything more; excellent premise, perfect execution and wonderful pacing! The only bad part was that the series came to an end! I again give Chris 5 out of 5 Grenades!
World Building:
This is the third and final book in The Theogony Trilogy, and I’m still hooked on this world! Kinda sad that it’s over to be honest. Like in the previous novel in this trilogy, this world was very flushed out. I loved the way he handled the evolution of alliances that led to the salvation of Earth from the threat of being food for the Drakuls. Hey, it’s not a spoiler when you know the main character has another trilogy in his future! Overall, the world building was well done and I was sold on the way it happened. It felt believable and the characters fit within the universe Chris created. It was a fun ride, that made me wanna suit up… which is the goal of action/adventure authors! I wouldn’t mind the warrior package on the implants either, hear they take off a few pounds! I give the world building 6 out of 5 Grenades.
Description:
Like the previous book, this novel was chalk full of visualization, and you could definitely imagine yourself in this world. There were some scenes which were confusing, and difficult to envision, but like the last novel he balanced the explanation of the various military minutia with the need to move a story along. This book didn’t have a single place where I couldn’t picture the scenery and the equipment, which added to world that felt tangible and I enjoyed it. The world he created evoked visceral emotions, heck I wanted to get my implants and join up again after this novel! As an author, Chris Kennedy was still lite on the details of what the various characters looked like but by now I just didn’t care. I wanted the action, the adventure and the PEW PEW! Overall, I give Chris 5 out of 5 grenades in this category! Seriously, he was only one more PEW PEW scene away from 6 grenades people!
Narration Quality:
Like the previous novels, this audiobook was excellently executed. The narrator, Craig Good, did an amazing job narrating this book. He didn’t bore you, or make you zone out because of his monotone. His performance didn’t feel robotic, like a machine was reading the novel too me. Instead, it felt like a friend was sitting with me reading an amazing story that he couldn’t put down. This time the way Craig did the voices of the various characters had grown on me and kept me engaged throughout the periods I was listening to this book. He must be growing on me? The only issue I had was that the scenes where characters used a stage whisper were hard to understand. An easy fix was available, I pulled off the road and popped open the novel with my Whysper Sync and then went back to the audiobook! Further, you might notice that my review of his performance has been the same for his last three books, and it’s because he provides a steady and consistent performance. Overall, I give him a 5 out of 5 grenades for his performance.
Overall:
I really loved this book, it made my drive home from my brother-in-law’s wedding very enjoyable and I was able to escape the multitude of bad drivers that littered the highways and die-ways. With this book, I listened to all but a few chapters, which is a testament to the quality of the audiobook.
Like the previous book in this trilogy, the cover was amazingly invocative. I love how the trilogy has a similar theme running through it, and picking the crest for the new Republic of Terra definitely fit this book. I could definitely see this on some swag, but I always think “this could be on a t-shirt” so take my opinion with a grain of salt! The military culture shown in this book was spot on, even the ground combat. Such accurate portrayal of the tactics is rare, especially when coming from a sailor like Chris Kennedy. Seriously, the author weaponized the awesome power of the PEW PEW for this thrilling conclusion to the Theogony Trilogy! He wove the action in such a compelling way that you could almost forget that he was just a silly fly boy! Basically, Chris had me hooked from the beginning, and kept it going throughout the whole novel. Thankfully, traffic was bad so I was able to listen to the whole novel on my drive home. Wow, it’s so good the novel makes you thankful for crappy road conditions! It’s an amazing adventure, a look into Chris’s twisted imagination, and leaves you wondering which grunt he bribed for the insight into how we think! This is a book I would happily recommend, and an author I will definitely read again. Heck, I would even recommend that you buy the novel! But hey, it’s easy to spend someone else’s money!
If this book sounds like it’s right up your alley, check it out, you won’t regret it! Well, unless it motivates you to squeeze your fat body into your old uniform and you die from the shock to your system. And when you die, you end up in limbo, all alone. And since you’re alone, you go insane from the solitude. And in your insanity, you try to fly, but can’t. Instead, you’re left merged with the asphalt you fell onto at your failed effort to recreate Kitty Hawk. Stuck in the asphalt, your soul wastes away until there is no you left and you fade out just as Ragnarök begins. Yeah, it would suck to miss that so maybe you should tread lightly! Well yeah, I guess this could be bad for you. But hey, at least you got to see eternity pass you by as you fade into nothing. On second thought, be warned, fanboy/fangirl syndrome MIGHT kill you. Be wary, you were warned and if you have to go out like that at least enjoy the view from up there!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are videos used by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
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