If you are looking for the audio version of Star Touched, you need to go to the Audible website to find it.
Tag: Science Fiction
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Happy New Birthday Star Touched!
Great news! Thanks to Wolf Mint Books, Star Touched is back.
The E-book went live a few weeks ago and the audio version is now up!
You can find them on Amazon.
If you are looking for a print version, I have the last two copies. Otherwise, you’ll need to wait until 2025.
It’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Will Tatiana flee or stay and fight for the new life she has built? Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
“A unique and finely crafted novel. The characters touched my heart as I was drawn into their plight and compelled to finish!”
— New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder
“Star Touched is fast-paced with well-defined characters and dialog that snaps. The ravaged, post-technological American society is depicted with sure strokes. The story draws one in and keeps one reading. And that’s exactly what one wants from a book.”
— A. L. Sirois, author of THE BOHEMIAN MAGICIAN
“A great YA dystopian novel exploring the challenges of being different, acceptance, maturity, and friendship.”
— Steven Southard
Star Touched was originally published in 2017 by Intrigue Publishing.
The story continues:
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
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BOOKS & BREWS
It’s never too soon to start holiday shopping.
Come to Books & Brews at Union Craft Brewery and find your next read.
Saturday, November 16, 2024
35+ local authors
1700 W 41st Street, Suite #420
Baltimore, MD 21211
11 AM to 6 PM
Some of the other authors you’ll get to meet.
Hungry? Carroll & Sons Fine Foods ‘A Restaurant About Nothing’ is located inside UNION Hall and serves a rotating menu of snacks, sandwiches, entrees, and desserts.
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Come to the Baltimore Book Festival September 28-29, 2024
The Baltimore Book Festival is back and I will be there on Sunday, September 29th from 2:00-3:00 PM!
The entire festival is free, so come have fun!
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) has a booth and a stage at the Peabody Heights Brewery on E 30th Street.
I’ll be at the SFWA booth so stop by and say hello.
While you’re there, you can get some great books.
SFWA Booth & Stage
Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E 30th St, Baltimore 21218
Saturday 9/28 Booth hours: 12-5
Sunday 9/29 Booth/Panels/Signings: 11-6
A schedule and map is on the Book Festival website.
Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.
Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to be sacrificed in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
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My Schedule at Glasgow 2024 World Con
Will you be at Glasgow 2024: A World Con for our Future?
This will be the 82nd World Science Fiction convention and runs from August 8-12 in Glasgow, Scotland.
I am thrilled to be part of programing. Here is where you can find me.
Sunday, August 11: 11:30 AM in Alsh 1
Look! I Have Raised a Geek! — Or else, you might say – parenting done right. We’ve invited some of the unconventional parents who will share with you the parenting methods they used to raise a proper geek and, hopefully, future fandom members as well. Some stories may be funny, others quite unexpected!
Sunday, August 11: 2:30 PM in Argyll 1
Why do we still love paper and tangible things? — Printed progress reports, souvenir books, pocket programs, conbooks, fanzines, books, and other common items in the fandom and at fandom conventions. Even though all of them exist in their digital PDF versions (or sometimes in-app versions as well), we still have a deep sentiment for paper itself. Why is this so? What makes us stick with old ways when the future has already arrived?
Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.
Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to be sacrificed in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
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Book Review: THE DOWN DEEP
The Down Deep, Catherine Asaro’s latest novel, is an exciting story with a gripping twist that I didn’t expect and thoroughly enjoyed.
Colonel Lavinda Majda and retired Major Bhaajan, travel to the Undercity to try to build a relationship and trust between their two peoples. Overcoming more than hundreds of years of mistrust is no easy task, especially with vast cultural and language differences. Something as simple as a smile or name means different things to each of them. Even the number of syllables in a word can cause problems. One wrong step could put all their lives in danger.
To most residents of Cries the “savages” that live in the Undercity are inferior, less than human. Yet they need the unique abilities that the Undercity dwellers have. Lavanda is an exceptional woman, part of the privileged elite. She is fiercely loyal to her people, yet with a compassion and openness to learn about the Undercity and accept them as who they are.
Bhaaj was born in the undercity, where people struggle to survive. It is one of the poorest places on Raylicon and a sharp contrast to the wealthy city of Cries. In the Undercity, the strong survive and protect the ones they love, while the weak perish. Clean water and food are the most valuable items. But those who live there have a beautiful and rich culture that the people in Cries know nothing about.
The Down Deep has great tension and pacing with intriguing characters. They even surprise themselves at times. Asaro cleverly showcases the cultural differences between the Undercity and Cries through both Bhaaj’s and Lavinda’s eyes. Past events are woven into the narrative making it easy to follow without having read previous books in the universe. I look forward to reading more from this author.
[I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.]
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It’s Official: I’m a Program Participant for World Con 2024
This August is the 82nd annual World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, Scotland, and I will be a program participant. I can’t tell you what panels I’ll be on. That is still top secret.
Check out the WorldCon website for more information.
Hope to see you there.
If you haven’t had a chance yet, picked up a copy of one of my books.
Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.
Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to be sacrificed in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
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My Balticon Schedule
Balticon is a four-day celebration of Science Fiction and Fantasy!
May 24-27, 2024 (Memorial Day Weekend)
Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland
When I’m not volunteering or hanging out at the Maryland Writers’ Association table, here is where you can find me:
Saturday: 11:30 AM — Location: St. George
Author Reading: A.L. Kaplan and Ruthanna Emrys
Saturday: 1:00 PM — Location: Room 8029
The Power of Writing Retreats: John Appel, Adeena Mignogna, Martin Wilsey, Alex Jenning, A. L. Kaplan
Saturday: 4:00 PM — Location: Pride of Baltimore II
When Research Becomes a Rabbit Hole: Martin Wilsey, Sarah Pinsker, Melissa Scott, A. L. Kaplan, Elektra Hammond
Sunday: 10:00 AM — Location: Mount Washington
Weavers, Coopers, Chandlers, and More!: Jennifer Della’Zanna, Ann Chatham, Rosemary Clair Smith, Melissa Scott, A. L. Kaplan
Sunday: 2:30 PM — Location: Pride of Baltimore II
When to Tell Instead of Show: Alan Smale, Melissa Scott, A. L. Kaplan, Zack Be, Sheila Williams
Sunday 4:00 PM — Location: 5th Floor Lobby
Autographs: A. L. Kaplan and D. H. Timpko
Monday 10:00 AM — Location: Gibson
How to Incorporate Critique: A. L. Kaplan, Ryan O’Nan, Scott Edelman, Jen Brinn, Wayland Smith
Monday: 11:30 AM — Location: Guilford
Just How Many People Live in Your Fantasy City, Anyway? Chris Oakley, Roberta Rogow, A. . Kaplan, Lee Hawkridge
Hope to see you there!
Sometimes a blessing can be a curse.
Young Maya bears the mark of the moon goddess, a sign that would doom her to be sacrificed in her village where the death god is revered. Forced to dye her golden eyes dark, Maya lives in constant fear of discovery. To save her family and the village’s future, she must find the courage to stand up to the high priest before he can bring the death god into this world.
A Hidden Past – A Deadly Secret
Gifted with the ability to wolf-talk, Kara has lived with the wolves since she lost her memories eight years ago. Now at sixteen, snippets of her past send her searching for answers.
But the warm welcome she receives in the human village hides more danger than life with the pack.
Sometimes it’s hard to be who you are meant to be.
Especially when your powers can get you killed.
Eighteen-year-old Tatiana is running from her past and her star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.
Her power to heal may be overshadowed by more destructive abilities. Fleeing the persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. But this civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble.
Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends…and herself.
Plagued by memories not her own, a young hummingbird struggles to decipher the visions and powers that set her apart from her fellow birds. But the road to awareness is fraught with danger that could doom her to repeat history.
One step toward understanding.
One stride toward survival.
One leap toward flying free from the past.
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Savage Geek Fest
Savage Geek Fest is a 2-day board game, STEM, and all things Geek convention hosted by Omnihedral and Historic Savage Mill. Featuring specialty classes and deals at Savage Mill vendors, independent RPGs, and so much more!
Savage Geek Fest
May 4, 2024 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
May 5, 2024 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Savage Mill, 8600 Foundry St, Savage, MD 20763
Here are the panels I will be on.
Saturday:
11-12: Worldbuilding
3-4: SF/F Awards and their Drama
5-6: Guilty Pleasure Books
Sunday:
10-11: Coffee with Authors
12-12:30: Reading
