Covid Strikes Again

 Ben Bova haas passed due to Covid-19 related problems. Ben was a good friend, a terrific writer, and all around fine human being. I think we first met at the DAW 10th Anniversary Party in Atlanta. A lot of time and friends have passed since that day.

Dave Prowse has also joined the force. Darth Vader may have been his most famous portrayal, but he had many other roles including several in Hammer films. He was a big man with a bigger heart.

This has been a rough year on all of us. As I get older, I guess I will be losing more and more of my friends and colleagues.Highlander and Queen asked "Do you want to live forever?" I don't I want to or will, but can't it wait for some of us.

 

Space opera and military sci-fi combine in the newest from Walter Jon Williams

"Space opera the way it ought to be . . . Bujold and Weber, bend the knee; interstellar adventure has a new king, and his name is Walter Jon Williams."

—George R. R. Martin

 

The Praxis, the empire of now extinct Shaa, has again fallen into civil war, with desperate and outnumbered humans battling several alien species for survival. Leading the human forces are star-crossed lovers Gareth Martinez and Caroline Sula, who must find a way to overcome their own thorny personal history to defeat the aliens and assure humanity’s survival.

 

But even if the human fleet is victorious, the divisions fracturing the empire may be too wide to repair, as battles between politicians, the military, and fanatics who want to kill every alien threaten to further tear the empire apart. While Martinez and Sula believe they have the talent and tactics to defeat an overwhelming enemy, what will prevent their fellow humans from destroying themselves?

 

Fleet Elements will be on sale December 8th, pre-order now!

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

 

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang is now on sale!

"Bringing her complex Poppy War trilogy to a poignant conclusion, Kuang shines a searing light on the devastating price and valiant sacrifices that

warfare requires of all involved."
   — Booklist (starred review)

 

After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead. 

 

Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation. 

 

Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it? 

The Burning God is available now wherever books are sold. 

The Rush's Edge by Ginger Smith

 

Halvor Cullen was built to be a hero.

But he's never felt like one.​

As a gene-spliced, tech-enhanced 'VAT' super soldier, Hal was made to fight hard and burn out young, then spend the short remainder of his life forever chasing an elusive adrenaline rush. Thankfully his best friend and former commander is determined to prevent that from happening by keeping Hal busy salvaging crashed spaceships along the Spiral's Edge.

But when a new member joins their crew, and a mysterious sphere they bring aboard the ship unleashes an alien presence, Hal's desires and malfunctions threaten to bring them all to the point of destruction...

Available at Amazon or your favorite bookseller

Refraction by Christopher Hinz

If Aiden Manchester had to have a superpower, why couldn't it be something useful? ​

Like predicting the future? Or Jedi mind tricks? Instead, Aiden is afflicted with 'manifestations', mysterious balls of goo which materialise mid-air while he sleeps.

But then, Aiden learns he was a 'Quiver Kid', one of seven orphaned children drafted for an illicit experiment at Tau Nine-One. Setting out to find the perpetrators and his fellow victims, Aiden's quest quickly turns lethal when he's kidnapped by a maniacal Quiver Kid with a dark agenda.

As he uncovers the dangerous truth about his past, Aiden's very essence is called into question. Will a hellish confrontation at Tau Nine-One reveal the ultimate purpose of the Quiver Kids?

Available at Amazon.com or your favorite bookseller.

Husbands and Wives (2)

THE PHONE 

A young man wanted to get his beautiful blonde wife something nice for their first wedding anniversary. So he decided to buy her a cell phone. 

He showed her the phone and explained to her all of its features. 

Meg was excited to receive the gift and simply adored her new phone. The next day Meg went shopping. Her phone rang and, to her astonishment, it was her husband on the other end. 

“Hi Meg," he said, "How do you like your new phone?” 

Meg replied, "I just love it! It's so small and your voice is clear as a bell, but there's one thing I don't understand though..." 

"What's that, sweetie?" asked her husband. “How did you know I was at Woolies?” 

HE MUST PAY 

Husband and wife had a tiff. 

Wife called up her mom and said, "He fought with me again, I am coming to live with you." 

Mom said, "No darling, he must pay for his mistake. I am coming to live with you. 

REMEMBER 

An army first sergeant and his wife were in a busy shopping center getting things for their youngest child’s upcoming engagement announcement. 

The wife suddenly noticed that her husband was missing and as they had a lot to do, she called him on his cell and said " 

Where are you, you know we have lots to do." 

He said "You remember the jewelers we went into when we were stationed here about 10 years ago, and you fell in love with that diamond necklace? I could not afford it at the time, and I said that one day I would get it for you?" 

Little tears started to flow down her cheek and she got all choked up… "Yes, I do remember that shop." she replied.

"Well, I’m in the gun shop next door to that." 

TODAY'S SHORT READING FROM THE BIBLE 

From Genesis: "And God promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the earth." Then he made the earth round... and 

He laughed and laughed and laughed!

Husbands and Wives (1)

SHOPPING

A wife asks her husband, "Could you please go shopping for me and buy one carton of milk and if they have avocados, get 6. 

A short time later the husband comes back with 6 cartons of milk. 

The wife asks him, "Why did you buy 6 cartons of milk?" He replied, "They had avocados." 

If you're a woman, I'm sure you're going back to read it again! Men will get it the first time.  

WATER IN THE CARBURETOR 

WIFE: "There is trouble with the car. It has water in the carburetor." 

 HUSBAND: "Water in the carburetor? That's ridiculous” 

WIFE: "I tell you the car has water in the carburetor." 

 HUSBAND: "You don't even know what a carburetor is. I'll check it out. Where's the car? 

WIFE: "In the pool".  

STATISTIC 

THIS IS A FRIGHTENING STATISTIC, PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST WORRISOME IN RECENT YEARS. 

25% of the women in this country are on medication for mental illness. 

That's scary. It means 75% are running around untreated...

Military Maxims

o 101st Airborne Division -- "When it comes to Combat, we care enough to send the very best" 

o "When in doubt, empty the magazine" 

o "Sniper - You can run, but you'll just die tired!" 

o "Machine Gunners - Accuracy By Volume" 

 o "Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, WAR has Never Solved Anything" 

 o " U.S. Marines - Certified Counselors to the 72 Virgins Dating Club" 

o " U.S Air Force - Travel Agents To Allah" 

o "The Marine Corps - When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Destroyed Overnight" 

o "Death Smiles  At Everyone - Marines Smile Back" 

o "What Do I Feel When I Kill A Terrorist? A Little Recoil" 

o "Marines - Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity To Die For their Country Since 1775" 

o "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Anyone Who Threatens It" 

o "Happiness Is A Belt-Fed Weapon" 

o "It's God's Job to Forgive Bin Laden - It was Our Job To Arrange The Meeting"(Gen H. Norman Schwarzkopf ) 

 o "Artillery Brings Dignity to What Would Otherwise Be Just A Vulgar Brawl" 

o "One Shot, Twelve Kills - U.S. Naval Gun Fire Support " 

 o "My Kid Fought In Iraq So Your Kid Can Party In College and Protest" 

o "A Dead Enemy Is A Peaceful Enemy - Blessed Be The Peacemakers" 

o "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the US Marines doesn't have that problem. 

 The American soldier does not fight because he hates who is in front of him; he fights because he loves who is behind him. Amen? 

AMEN!!