A. L. Kaplan

Tag: Science Fiction

  • November 2021 Self-Promotion Party!

    Charles French started a November Self-Promotion Party. The link to his original post is below.

    Don’t be shy. Tell us about your books.

    Here are some of mine.

    HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touched Story

    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.

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    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.

    WOLF DAWN

    WOLF DAWN

    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.

    November 2021 Self-Promotion Party!

  • Awesome Con Appearance

    Looking for something fun to do this weekend?

    Come to Awesome Con

    I’ll be on the Other Realities: An Introduction to World Building panel with Joab Stieglitz and Jennifer Povey.

    The panel begins at 5:45 PM on Saturday, August 21, 2021

    Mask up and come on by.

    Awesome Con
    August 20-23, 2021
    Walter E. Washington Convention Center
    801 Mt Vernon Pl NW
    Washington, DC 20001

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    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.

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    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.

    WOLF DAWN

    WOLF DAWN

    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.

  • MORE FIVE STAR REVIEWS FOR HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY

    Kalak S.

    5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating glimpse into a surprising perspective from the world of Star Touched

    I can say with certainty that this short but exciting vignette makes for a great read whether it is your introduction to the universe of Star Touched or if you are already a fan of the preceding novel. Author A.L. Kaplan crafts immediate intrigue in the first lines that holds your attention captive until the final words with an excellent pacing and a compelling atmosphere of some urgent mystery. I truly felt myself drawn into the perspective of the character, helpless to do anything but read on.

    If you find yourself enjoying this taste of the lore of Star Touched, then you will surely enjoy the novel that started it! If you have already had the pleasure of reading it, then this brief return to that shattered world will have your heart racing like the wings of a hummingbird!


    J. Cotten

    5.0 out of 5 stars Creative short story

    I love the creativity captured in the form of a hummingbird. The ups and downs of life in a small but fast creature, not sure of what may come next.

    Order Your copy today

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    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.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

    Only one day before HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY releases.

    Here are a few last fun facts.

    Weighing in at a mere 3 grams and only 3 ½ inches in length, the ruby-throated hummingbird is one of my favorites.  (But not the smallest. The bee hummingbird of Cuba is only 2 ¼ inches long!)

    Photo by Joshua Cotton

    Ruby-throated hummingbirds have some variety in coloration depending on location, but their back is a beautiful iridescent green with a gray or white belly and the throat of the males is red. They have very long and slender bills and a forked tail.

    The green on the hummer that has been visiting my feeder this spring is such a dark emerald that I thought it was black until I got a closer look. He’s quite lovely but a bit camera shy.

    Photo by Joshua Cotton

    Don’t forget to order your copy of HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touched Story

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    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.

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    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.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: Nighty Night

    Costa Rica – Photo by Paige Kaplan

    Most of us relax when we sleep, but hummingbirds can take it one step farther. If their energy reserves get really low, they can enter a state of torpor.

    Torpor – Noun

    Pronounced:   tȯr-pər

    1a: a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility.

    b: a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals.

    from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torpor

    Their breathing becomes shallow and irregular and they can slow their heartbeats to 50 beats per minutes. Talk about a deep sleep! They can stay in this state for 8 to 14 hours. It could take up to an hour to get back up to normal speed the next day.

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    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.

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    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.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: THE MIGHTY BEAST

    Don’t let their diminutive size fool you. Hummingbirds can be very aggressive and have been known to attack much larger birds. They are also extremely territorial and will guard their food sources fiercely.

    Photo by Joshua Cotton

    Even so, hummingbirds have many predators that would be happy to make them a meal. More than half of all hummingbirds die within the first year of life. The average life span is about 4 years but it varies by location and species.

    Here’s a short list of predators:

    Domestic cat

    Hawks

    Wasps

    Blue jay

    Snakes

    Bees

    Praying mantis

    Large spiders

    This hummingbird has more than regular predators to worry about.

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    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.

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    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.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: BABIES, BABIES EVERYWHERE

    Hummingbirds breed in late March through August. Then it’s up to mom to do all the hard work. She’ll lay up to 2 pea sized eggs in an itty-bitty lichen covered nest. What do you expect from a bird that weighs only the tenth the weight of a first-class letter?

    Photo by Malachi Diaz on Unsplash

    After 16 days of incubation, the hatchlings emerge. They’ll stay in the nest from 14-31 days before fledging. It all depends on the type of hummingbird.

    The mother hummingbird will continue to feed the fledglings for about 10 days before driving them away. Don’t worry, if they’ve been paying attention while they followed her around, they know how to find food.

    Find out what happens to this little bird.

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    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.

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    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.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: HOW TO ATTRACT AND WHAT THEY EAT

    If you want hummingbirds to visit, the best plan is to plant flowers they feed on. They are attracted to bright colors, especially red. Feeders are great as well. You’ll want to put them up early in the spring to catch migrating birds.

    Make sure you change the sugar mixture every 48 hours if its over 60 degrees. You don’t want these little beauties getting sick.

    Photo by Joshua J Cotton

    A hummingbird can’t survive on nectar alone. Most eat small insects and spiders that they pick from twigs or catch in midair. They also snag bugs visiting the flowers they drink from. Pollen makes a yummy snack as well, as does tree sap if another critter drills a hole for them.

    Pick up a copy of Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    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.

    “If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to. ~ Kathy Steinemann”

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    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.

  • HUMMINGBIRD FUN FACTS: VARIETIES

    HUMMINGBIRD: A STAR TOUCHED STORY comes out June 1, 2021.

    Here are some things I learned while writing.

    There are many different kinds of hummingbirds.

    Costa Rica – Photo by Paige Kaplan

    The only one on the east coast of North America is the ruby-throated hummingbird. With their iridescent green and distinct ruby throats, they are my favorite. By the way, only the males have the red throats.

    Photo by A. L. Kaplan

    Check out the hummingbirds that live near you.

    Don’t forget to order your copy of HUMMINGBIRD: A Star Touched Story

    Hummingbird: A Star Touched Story

    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.

    “If you read Star Touched, you’ll love Hummingbird. If you haven’t read Star Touched, now you’ll want to. ~ Kathy Steinemann”

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    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.

  • Book Review: STORM FORGED

    STORM FORGED, by Patrick Dugan, is full of exciting twists and compelling characters that kept me reading non-stop.

    Tommy can’t seem to get a break: Collared and branded a traitor at age five just because he was born with a psychic gift. Bullied and beaten at school daily. Verbally abused by teachers and generally scorned by the Norms. — And that’s on a good day. He lives with the constant fear that he’ll be gassed while locked in the room he and other gifted are forced into during detention and some school event, or whisked away to the Block, never to be seen again. Add the typical teenage issues and you get the picture of his life. As Tommy’s life spirals out of his control, he learns secrets about his family and the truth about the country’s past.

    I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the moral and political aspect of this story. The totalitarian government lies to the public, twists the truth and even murders its own citizens to perpetuate its lies. It’s a frightening world that looms on our own horizon as I write this review.

    Removing or denying the rights of people just because of how they are born is wrong, immoral, and a violation of our constitution.

    Now, on to read UNBREAKABLE STORM, the next book in this exciting series.

    If you haven’t had a chance, check out Star Touched and Wolf Dawn.

    STAR TOUCHED

    STAR TOUCHED

    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.

    WOLF DAWN

    WOLF DAWN

    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.