Archive for June, 2012


The Kiwi Dragoness

Filed under: Tails — Leave a comment
June 12, 2012

So what is a Kiwi Dragoness anyway?

The term “Kiwi Dragoness” is something I coined many years ago as a user ID. It combined two of my favorite things: kiwis (both the fruit and the birds), and dragons.   It also conveniently never seemed to be used.  Over time, the term started to collect a life and personality of its own.  I began to dream up this adorable little bright green dragon with a color trait that was almost entirely exclusive to female dragons, sort of like Calico cats.  They were small and intelligent like the fire lizards from the Pern series, and made good house pets. Like the other dragons in my universe, they are omnivores, though this one has a particular affinity for kiwi fruit.  The Kiwi Dragoness is slated to make a debut appearance in my scifi series writing as a part of Snowbird’s novel, and is a planned icon to make a cameo appearance in the rest of the series.

But how can they like kiwis if there aren’t really any dragons on Earth? What kind of scifi is this?

Well, friends, I also put aliens on Jupiter.  My universe, my rules, what fun is an alternate reality if it’s just like my own?
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Snowbird

Filed under: Tails — 2 Comments
June 11, 2012

I’ve had this idea in my head since I was about 13 years old about worlds of magic and science and people that are a lot like us, and yet vastly different.  An entire universe filled with gods and mortals just waiting to be spilled onto paper.  I am 30 years old now.  I’ve spent more than half my life dreaming of this other world, and I think it’s time to share it with other people.  I have finished the other major goals in my life: finishing college, getting a job in the manned space flight industry, marrying the love of my life… Now it’s time for one more check box: published author.

So what is this book about?  Well, I have to tell you it’s been pretty dynamic.  The characters have sort of taken up the story with a mind of their own, so even I am not fully certain where it will lead to.  This particular book is the start of what is currently supposed to be a trilogy, but I think there will be a short story “chronicles” book with spin-off character stories afterwards.  It also gets a few crossover cameos from a story not yet published by childhood friend and fellow author E. Ardell.

Snowbird gets to tell the first book, a girl nicknamed “Louie” gets to tell the sequel, and a man named Julian will get to wrap up the series.  Right now I’m in Chapter 19 of what I’m guessing will be about 30 chapters +/- two of Snowbird.  I’ve decided since I don’t have classes this summer it’s high time I get my ass into gear and write write write since Fall semester will be another very time consuming class in my Masters program.  It will be the last, though, and I plan to keep up my 3.8 GPA so there won’t be much time for Snowbird and her friends again ’till December.  The goal is to finish Book 1 in August before my friend finishes Book 2 of the Shadow Weaver trilogy she’s working on.  Wish me luck!

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Talking to Astronauts

Filed under: Crunchy Knights — Leave a comment

Had one of the more terrifying, but rewarding experiences of my career last week.  I was hooked up live with no encryption to S/G (space to ground) to talk to my crew on orbit.  It was a little intimidating, and there’s not a whole lot of training that people give you before you do these things other than: don’t be an idiot and remember there’s a delay… because they’re in space.  It’s funny what a difference it makes to talk to your crew on orbit versus talking to them on the ground.  On the ground, it’s just you and the astronaut. They’re regular people just like you in me.  In space, they’re a beacon. The world and everyone in that control center can hear everything you say, and you’re recorded in the books for all time.  I had mixed but positive reviews.  Crew enjoyed the conference, the guy on console with me told me I should be a news reporter, and the flight director told me I was talking kind of fast but hey, the crew kept up with me so that was ok.  I have an mp3 of the conference, but I haven’t been brave enough to listen to it yet.  Maybe tomorrow…

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Hello world!

Filed under: Shiny Objects — 2 Comments
June 10, 2012

Suppose it’s high time I join the world of bloggers.  Best to start it at high time, too.  At low time you just get stuck in the mud.

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