, , , , ,

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

, , , , ,

OKAY. Let's publish a book, shall we?

  • SUBSCRIBERS: You will get an email this Friday or (more likely) Saturday with a link and instructions on how to download your FREE Special Edition Starshine eBook :). Why a Special Edition? As thanks for all your support and encouragement, of course!

  • Barring apocalyptic events, the Starshine eBook will be available next Tuesday, March 25th on Amazon (including all international sites), Barnes&Noble/Nook, Google Play and Kobo (Apple is notoriously slow in its publishing process, so it may not be available on iTunes until later in the week) for $3.99 (or equivalent foreign currency).

, , , ,

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

, , , ,

Oh look, it's March! I don't have publication details for you quite yet, but I do have lots of news and updates:

  • If by chance you're reading this and haven't subscribed to the website, you only have about two weeks left to do so if you want to receive the Starshine eBook free. I will be ending the free eBook offer a week before publication, because - in addition to receiving it free - subscribers will get Starshine several days EARLY :).

  • Proofreading for Starshine is all but complete, and I expect to be formatting for print and eBooks by this weekend. The current draft is already well-formatted in a lot of respects - but the devil's in the details.

, ,

Would You Give Up Everything To Step Foot on a New World?

, ,
Would You Give Up Everything To Step Foot on a New World?

Last year Mars One announced an ambitious plan to establish the first human colony on Mars by 2024. Though the website is quite detailed and professional, I have no idea whether they will accomplish their goal, in 2024 or a later date—that's not what this post will focus on.

Though in the news recently for somewhat dubious reasons, the initiative has sparked the imagination of scientists, researchers, adventurers and dreamers. More than 200,000 people signed up for the chance to go to Mars—and never return.

, , , ,

Monday, February 10, 2014

, , , ,

There's far too many updates to share to fool around with small talk, so I'll get right to it:

  • Line editing is nearly complete, and I have updated "Coming Soon" to "Coming March 2014" across the internet - so I suppose I'd better deliver ;). It won't be the 1st of the month, but I'm feeling confident Starshine will be published in March!

  • Facebook Author Page is now live: Facebook/GSJennsen. Likes, shares and comments are most welcome :).

, , ,

Asking Less (and More) of Others

, , ,
Asking Less (and More) of Others

We all know people—likely professional colleagues, as they rarely last as friends—who view a person's worth solely in terms of what the person can do for them. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Can you drive me to the car repair shop over lunch?” “Oh, you finally have a weekend free to yourself after eight weeks of work and house guests? Great! Can you help me move into my new apartment?”

Of course, true friends are glad to help one another out, and over time it’s a mutually beneficial relationship. You want to help your friend, because you genuinely want to make their life easier and better. Too many people, however, don’t wait for that goodwill to develop before presuming they’re entitled to impose upon your life.

, , , ,

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

, , , ,

Welcome to 2014! It is going to be quite the interesting year around here, I can guarantee that much. Lest you think I had forgotten about this little project, quite the opposite:

  • Editing is...proceeding. Considering the structure and value of every sentence is, it turns out, a time-consuming process. Who knew? The sage advice instructs me to slow down, not rush, and get it right; and thus I shall. But I am so eager to share Starshine with the world, preferably yesterday.

  • New blog post: My Kingdom For A Crystal Ball

  • Aurora Rising now has its own Google+ Page. Most of the items posted there will also be available here, but feel free to share the posts with your own circles and such :).

  • The RSS button on the right will now give you a feed of both News and Blog postings. I know a lot of techies have written RSS' obituary, but I couldn't imagine consuming the internet without it.

  • I've added some fun concept art to the gallery, the first two items in what I affectionately call the "Propaganda Collection":

Official Earth Alliance Logo

Official Senecan Federation Logo

  • Yes, the newsletter has changed design once more. Crafting a fully-custom newsletter that looks proper and attractive in every email client and web browser was an exercise in insanity, a truth which I have now conceded.

  • Excerpt? Sure, why not!

~

“Sir, if I may, there is one additional matter we should discuss.”

If Brennon was taken aback by the interruption, he gave no sign of it. “Certainly, Admiral.”

Miriam Solovy looked around at the others. “Forgive me if I’m stating the obvious, as I don’t often have the opportunity to attend these meetings, but the information I’m about to share cannot leave this room.”

He had a deep suspicion as to the nature of the information and quickly made an effort to deflect it. “Admiral, if this information is so sensitive perhaps it would be better if it were handled offline, with a smaller group?”

Her gaze turned to him, and he felt a faint shiver run down his spine. “Is this not the Select Military Advisory Council? Is this not the most secure location in Alliance space? I was under the impression there was no ‘smaller group’ with which to consult.”

“It is all of those things. Nevertheless, it might be more—”

Brennon’s hand extended out over the table. “She’s correct. We are all trustworthy here. Let her speak.”

Puta madre.

“Thank you, Prime Minister. The images I’m about to show you were taken [redacted] just over one week ago….”

~

Comments are always welcome, and you can now comment on individual posts (just click the little balloon on the left below).

***