Engine in the Sky - SOLD!

Engine in the Sky, my newest sci-fi novel, will be published by Mocha Memoirs Press! I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see this story told. This was one of those stories I wrote for the fun of it because I wanted to "retell" history, so to speak.

This story came about when I was watching the movie Hidden Figures--IMHO one of the best space movies, ever--and couldn't remember how the space program started. I had read somewhere that when JFK started the program, he had two options: either push to be the first man on the moon or build a space station. In our case, he wanted the us to have the first man on the moon. But...what if he had chosen the latter? How would that have affected our program today? That's where my idea grew into this beast of an idea.

Check out the synopsis below.

Engine in the Sky takes place a few years into the future, in an alternate universe, where the Gateway station is getting ready to venture out into the solar system to perform a terraforming experiment on one of Jupiter's moons. Before it can leave the Earth's orbit, a malfunction onboard makes it impossible for the Gateway to maneuver behind the moon to avoid a massive solar storm. When the storm hits, an explosion sends the station hurling not only out of time, but into another alternate dimension where Earth is not the same one they left behind.

Half of the crew survives and Prof. Meridia Vail is the last of the American crew to awaken from a five-year, "stasis-type" coma. All of her friends from the U.S., Canada, West Canada (yes, there is a West), India, Australia, Korea (no North or South), Russia, Venezuela, England, Scotland, Japan, Hungary, China, etc. have all been sent back to respective countries. That alone has Meridia and her crew on edge with regards to their newfound surroundings. These "New Earthers" are nowhere near the technological advances that the Gateway crew is used to, so that means one thing. They want to steal their technology. Using the excuse that the Gateway is in a decaying orbit doesn't inspire confidence when it's to the benefit of these people to figure out how it works so they can stop it.

When Meridia gets a chance to break out of her "guest" confinement, she goes into this New Earth to find answers to why her crew is where they are and what happened on the Gateway? More important, is there a way for them to return to their own space-time dimension? Can anyone outside the government be trusted to help? One thing is certain. If Meridia and the rest of the Gateway crew can't convince the New Earthers' that it's in their best interest for all of them to work together, the dinosaurs won't be the only things that are extinct.

At this point, the release date is sometime in 2022. As soon as I know more, so will you. In the meantime, continue to watch this space because you know a blurb will be coming at some point. ;-)

The ConCarolinas Aftermath

What. A. BLAST!! Those are the only words I need to describe ConCarolinas.

After a long-awaited convention hiatus, I finally got up the nerve (and got my vaccine) to attend a convention this past weekend and this was the one I chose. I can't believe how much I missed these things. And judging from the attendance, I wasn't the only one.

Now before you say anything, I didn't attend as a guest. I attended as a fan to support my author friends who had the sense enough--unlike me--to sign up for this in 2020. I found out that since the convention didn't happen physically last year, they bumped up the guests to this year. Who would've thought? Had I known then what I know now, I would've signed up as a guest for 2020.

Nevertheless, I was amazing and exciting to see my friends there. It was almost like a reunion of sorts. I tried to hit all of their panels, but I know for a fact that I missed at least two and that bummed me out. But still, I got to see them, hug them (we all had been vaccinated), and hang out with them. That's what matters in the end.

The kiddo and I went and she had a blast, too. In fact, she had such a good time that she wants to take on DragonCon now. Uhhh. Oh boy. *sweating*

Don't get me wrong,I love DragonCon, but boy is that a monstrosity of a convention, and I mean that in a good way. When I say monstrosity, I mean in terms of the hordes of people who go. I think the last time I went, about 70,000+ people had attended that year. It's crazy, wild, and like a Disneyland of conventions all rolled in one. I love it!! But, it can be overwhelming all at the same time. So, to make sure she has a chance to experience it, we're going as fans and she's planning to cosplay as Ciel Phantomhive from Black Butler.

But back to ConCarolinas.

Even though I didn't get a chance to be on a panel, I did get called out by my fabulous editor, Nicole Givens Kurtz, to talk about my experience of working with a publisher and my contribution to SLAY, A Message in a Vessel. That was really cool! I haven't had to speak about anything I've written in a while and even then, it was as my other alter ego. And before I forget, my next manuscript is already in Nicole's hands. So cross your fingers she likes it.

Anyway, I would definitely attend another ConCarolinas--eyeballing 2022--and this time as V.G. Harrison with some books in tow. But, if I do that, I'm going to be thinking about new bookcovers, too.

Next stop DragonCon!!

2020 Bram Stoker Awards® Preliminary Ballot Announced

And guess who's on the list for Superior Achievement in an Anthology? You guessed it...

Now keep in mind we've only made it to the prelims. There's still another round of voting to get through, and if we make it through that, then we can call ourselves nominees because we will have reached the final stages of the ballot process.

Nonetheless, I can't tell you how thrilled I am right now. A Bram Stoker nod in our direction? Are you kidding me? Granted this is just the preliminary ballot, but that in itself is a one heck of a feat for this prestigious award. This would not have happened had it not been for our incredible editor, Nicole Givens Kurtz of Mocha Memoirs Press, who gave our stories a chance to be told.

Oh, and if you haven't checked out the rest of the Mocha Memoirs Press collection, then what are you waiting for?