Off to VCON

I’m leaving for VCON, Vancouver’s premier science fiction and fantasy convention, early tomorrow morning. I’m going with friends, so it’s going to be fun. I’ll tell you all about it when I’m back. :-)

Reviews

When THE DIGGING CREW was first published in 2005 a lot of reviews were done. Through the years some of those reviews have vanished for one reason or another, but fortunately, many still remain. Here's a few of them: (Check out the original cover…it’s ugly.)

Coffee Time Romance Reviews:

“This is a well-written story filled with descriptions so vivid that I felt like I was down in the dark mines running alongside Sammy. Heart-stopping action and suspense, combined with a fast-paced plot, are the driving forces behind The Digging Crew. If you enjoy non-stop action, Science Fiction, and girl-power, this book is for you.”

The Best Reviews:

“Mindful of Roger Corman's women in prison flicks, THE DIGGING CREW is a wonderful tale of survival. This is a terrific futuristic thriller in which the strong survive and these women are some of the strongest.”

Caribooks: Reviews with Care:

“I like stories that put together the technology of the future and that of the past ― steel and stone, laser beams and oil lamps, rocket fuel and steam engines… So, when I have got the occasion to read “The Digging Crew”, I had some expectations about quality and setting of the story. Well, I am pleased to say that my expectations have been fulfilled.”

KC Heath, Escape Time:

“THE DIGGING CREW covers the extensive breadth of this escape in writing that is totally present and full of action. There's some pretty cool science in the story, both technological and biological. The characterization is good. The prose is clean, efficient, and well tensioned.”

Reviewer’s Choice Reviews:

“THE DIGGING CREW is actually chick lit in a new setting…. Sammy and her group kidnapped my attention and held it until their demands were met.”

Fallen Angel Reviews:

“Other reviewers have referred to this book as “science fiction chick lit,” and I have to agree! It was nice to see strong female characters willing to do what was necessary to stay alive. I was quite intrigued by the twists and turns of the story, and enjoyed it…”

Movie report

A friend and I went to see Contagion the other day. The movie had received good reviews. Plus, it had a stellar cast and an interesting premise. So I was sure it was going to be quite good. Well, I was totally disappointed. The movie is not bad per say. The acting is solid, and the story provides a realistic depiction of the impact of a pandemic outbreak of an infectious disease on society beyond the infection itself. But after a strong start, the story slow down almost to a halt. The action is fractured in too many tales, and not enough time is spent with each one for the viewers to get involved with its characters. In brief, Contagion is okay, but failed to deliver on its promises. :-/

The Digging Crew is now live

That's right! The Digging Crew is now available on Amazon.com for the low, low price of .99¢! So if you haven't already, you should check it out!

Here is the back jacket for The Digging Crew:

When the women of crew 56 planned their escape from the hellish prison-mine of Carmel 5, they thought of everything…well, almost everything.

Sammy’s life is a nightmare, and it’s all her fault. First, she is caught shoplifting—a big no-no in the hard-on-crime Dominion’s world—and is shipped to a prison-mine for women on a faraway desert planet. Then on her first week there, she destroys a droid belonging to the prison…on purpose. So when she’s sent deep into the pit of the mine as punishment, Sammy doubts she’ll live to see her sixteenth birthday. After all, this is the diggers’ level, and they are the prison’s most violent criminals. To her surprise, she finds a new family in one of the digging crews. But she also makes a deadly enemy. Can she and her crew manage to escape the prison and regain their freedom?

Splash

I’ve finished uploading THE DIGGING CREW this morning. Yay! The hardcopies are going to be 14.99 and the electronic ones only .99¢. Yeah! .99 cents. The Kindle version should be available in a day or two. :)

Getting ready to take the plunge

Okay, that’s it, no more delay! Tomorrow I will begin uploading THE DIGGING CREW on CreateSpace, Kindle and Smashwords. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. I’ve been wanting to re-release this book--originally published by LTDBooks in 2005--for a while, but kept postponing it. Probably because THE DIGGING CREW is the first book I wrote and was meant more as an exercise than anything else. The fact that it did get published was an exciting surprise, considering that this book is every marketing department’s biggest nightmare. It’s a YA science-fiction action-adventure chick-lit story set in a prison-mine with no romance…. Oh yeah, and all the characters in the book are guilty; there are no innocent in that prison. Darn, what was I thinking? :/ I love it though. It’s fun! It’s fast! It’s suspenseful! It has kiss-ass characters! (No kidding, some asses will be “literally” kicked in this book.) These women don’t need to be saved. They are saving themselves. Of course, being a first novel, THE DIGGING CREW has the flaws of its qualities…and I’m sure a lot of people will tell me what they are. Well, I’ve put my armor on, and I’m looking forward to it. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the striking cover artist Michelle Milburn did for it.




Most YA book covers are dark, so, of course, we went with white. ;)

Continuing Characters

Amir and I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Sci-Fi author Lynda Williams for her blog Reality Skimming. She asked us a clever blend of quirky and insightful questions, which made for a fun interview. You can read it by clicking here: Continuing Characters