Cooking Up Something New

Things kind of fell off a cliff for me after my last book. Who knew putting out 13 books in 5 years could be so draining? I tried a new genre and a new pen name, then I stopped writing for a bit. I went from having twenty stories in my head fighting for a place on the page to none, and I did my best to fill the time with other things. I learned Dutch, German, and Spanish until I could read at the beginner level. Then I forgot them all again. I volunteered at the theater until my body quit on me.

And I kept seeing that meme asking: would you be willing to be a pet to a race of super-intelligent aliens? That's where the idea for The Karshe Device began.

It's an apocalyptic sci-fi aventure with three distinct points of view: the human pet, a recently abducted human, and the alien who's trying to save the "galactic wildlife." When I started, I had no plans to publish, but as I reached the home stretch, I realized this is a story I wanted to share. 

To save her species, she must spark a rebellion. Coming soon!

My Writing Software/ Resource Collection

Writing the novel is the easy part. It's the fun part. I'd say "it's the free part," but it's really not. 

I am on the cusp of beginning a new writing venture with a new pen name, and with that probably comes a new newsletter and new review campaigns. So here I am listing all my options, and some things that were once free are now charging nominal fees (like $10/month), and that got me thinking about how all the little things just start adding up. While it looks like I'll be putting out this book for relatively little money invested, I can't discount all I've already invested to make this a success. So I made this list of software and resources that's I've invested in over the years to help with my self-publishing career.

Writing/ Editing

• MS Word
• MS Excel (for plotting, but also scheduling, book keeping, and organizing)
• Plottr (as a pantser, I'm shocked how much I love this)
• Google Docs (free)
• Scrivener (this was not the program for me)
• Grammarly (free version)

Cover Art

• Gimp (free)
• Shutterstock (subscription or pay per download)

Layout

• Vellum (so easy)
• Calibre (free)

Marketing

• K-lytics (subscription or pay per report)
• Publisher Rocket 
• KD Spy
• Kindletrends Also Bought Tool (free)
• Instant Data Scraper (free)
• Author Ad School
• Story Origin (previously free, now subscription)
• Booksprout (previously free, now subscription)
• Book Sirens (pay per campaign)
• Mail Chimp (free if under 1000 subscribers)
• Doteasy (subscription)

Ads and Promos

• For paid advertising: AMS Ads, Facebook Ads, Book Bub Ads
• For Promos: Too many to list.

Paid Pros

I have enlisted the help of industry professionals in a number of areas. Some areas, I have learned to take over on my own, but when you're starting out, it never hurts to use and learn from pros.

• Beta Reading
• Editing
• Cover art
• Layout/ Formatting
• Blurb writing
• Ad hook writing
• Social media blasting (do not recommend)

Amp Squad and the Taking On of Labels

Over the past ten years, I’ve accumulated a few LGBTQIA labels - Asexual, Aromantic, Agender… I remember a time when the A stood for ‘ally,’ and I still encounter arguments on the internet about it meaning any and all of my labels. In more recent language, the list stops at Q… which used to stand for ‘questioning,’ but is now generally listed as ‘queer.’ According to some, ‘queer’ being an umbrella term for nonbinary and gender-queer identities, but depending who you talk to, the umbrella could be even bigger. There really can’t be one list that defines all sexual/gender identities because there are so many, and while some might try to use LGBTQIA+ and queer as synonyms, not everyone is comfortable with the queer label.

On the one hand, it’s just easier to say that I’m queer than to explain my assorted labels. It’s easier to say that I’m a queer sci-fi writer and that I write queer characters. Although the word was one used as a slur, language evolves, and (some) modern Pride movements have reclaimed the word, and use it as a positive affirmation. I’m part of a Queer Sci-fi community, and have grown accustomed to calling myself a queer sci-fi author who writes queer characters. Also, given how much in the minority my particular identities are, sometimes it’s just easier to say queer. It simplifies the conversation.

Last year, I wrote about my journey to accepting the trans label, because technically agender falls under trans, whether I feel trans or not. And the thing about labels is that they are personal. You don’t have to accept a label just because someone else thinks you fit in that box. (I wrote a screenplay about this a few years ago.) Part of being queer is realizing the labels you were born with (or the ones assumed to be default) aren’t the right ones for you.

Which brings me to Amp Squad. I debated with myself over whether to use this title, because in Ship Whisperer, the Amps didn’t like being called ‘Amp.’ Tabitha would use it for herself, but respected that others like her were more sensitive about the label, which was shorthand for “amputee.” Three of the five amputees did not advertise their missing limbs, and in the story, I deliberately did not address which limb(s) they were missing.

In Amp Squad, I develop a new terminology for those with super powers: Amplified Power Individuals. The characters appreciate the API terminology, because it shifts the focus from their missing limbs to their growing powers. It also gives the term ‘Amp’ an alternate meaning that they can latch onto with pride. The reclaiming of the word is a slow process, explored internally by the team as they test the label. The bigger battle for them it reminding the military that APIs are not soldiers. They are civilians… except for the main character, Tabitha, whose loyalty to the military is constantly challenged by their treatment of the APIs.

Labels are tools. They are a shorthand to describe something complex with a single word. But words have power — to unite, to divide. Take your word power, and use it for good.

***

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF AMP SQUAD TODAY!

 

Amp Squad - Ship Whisperer 2 - Excerpt

Counting down to the release of Amp Squad, the exciting new addition to the Ship Whisperer series!

*~*

Feared by her own kind. Hunted by extraterrestrial forces. Can one super soldier find her place among the stars?

Lieutenant Tabitha Chiu is plagued by doubt and conflict. Still heartbroken over the loss of her AI companion and marooned on a faraway moon, the space marine and her ragtag team of super-powered civilians stand as the last line of defense against alien hunters. But when her powers pick up whispered threats of approaching invaders, she’s horrified to discover her own people have betrayed her squad.

Barely escaping assassination, Tabitha and her fellow psionics flee the hateful moon to the sanctuary of a single surviving combat ship where she hopes to reunite with her AI friend. But when her newly resurrected acquaintance hijacks the craft, the nonbinary fighter is torn between protecting those she loves best and saving humanity from annihilation.

Can this conflicted officer and her misfit allies defeat a formidable enemy intent on driving them to extinction?

*~* 

EXCERPT:

As Tabitha scrambled over the algae-coated rocks and into the makeshift city, hastily assembled from scraps of metal and rock, she heard shouting and saw a gathered crowd—about twenty people and growing. Words like ‘invader’ and ‘Yassi scum’ cut through the noise. Though most of them just stood watching, the verbal assault spread with added suggestions like ‘kill it now!’

“Sheriff, there’s a mob assaulting someone by the S-4 building,” Tabitha reported, reading the identifier off the nearest building. She relayed a similar message to the Nav’s master-at-arms and others she thought could help. The metal warehouses lining the street would become apartments one day, but for now they were either crowded with civilians or supplies. They had just enough insulation to protect people from the weather. S-4 was a supply building, conveniently out of view of casual gawkers.

Tabitha remembered Bailin talking about coming into the city to check on her godson, and she scanned for the child, but didn’t see him. She prayed he wasn’t in the middle of the mob with Bailin.

Bouncing on her heels, Tabitha grew impatient waiting for back-up. She hadn’t heard a telepathic cry from Bailin since the first. Pressing into the crowd, she forced her way closer to the center. There were three stocky attackers with gritted teeth, tattered clothes, and callused hands. Two of the assailants held Bailin upright, pulling her arms to either side. The third had an aluminum bat, and he tapped it against her limbs, taunting her. Bailin’s face was bruised and bleeding, and she could barely hold her head up. The guy with the bat smashed Bailin’s left arm hard enough to break bone, and Tabitha charged in. She’d trained in hand-to-hand combat for years, and as stupid as it was to take on a mob by herself, she couldn’t let them kill Bailin.

Heading straight for the leader, she punched him in the shoulder, grabbed his bat, and kicked his groin, leaving him down long enough to smash his face. She swung the bat with a light grip so she wouldn’t kill him, but she felt his cheek shatter anyway. 

One of the people holding Bailin instantly ran off, not interested in fighting, but the other one charged at Tabitha. She swung around with the bat, but didn’t have enough space to move, and hit them with a weak strike to the ribs. It was enough to make them angry, but didn’t slow them down. Their fist flew toward her face.

“Left,” she whispered, pushing her Yassi power behind the word. She couldn’t control people’s minds, but she could occasionally nudge in a misdirect. The blow glanced her cheek. Thrown off balance, her attacker fell on her, and they landed on the ground. The attacker grappled for the bat, but Tabitha rolled, kicked, and held on. She found her feet first, smacked the bigot’s shoulder with the bat, then hurried over to Bailin’s crumpled form.

The mob hadn’t scattered, but people seemed reluctant to fight her, and they started calling for the sheriff, and for her death. Blood trickled from her nose. If enough of them wanted to kill her, they could stop her heart with a unified thought. That was the fatal weakness of the Yassi, and why they preferred to fight covertly from a distance.

“Tabs, stay out of the city,” Ryo Takumi warned, speaking telepathically into her mind. She and Ryo had been imprinted since childhood, and once Tabitha’s powers activated, their weak intuition for knowing what the other was thinking had evolved into full-on conversations. “I’ll get her to you. Stay in the Nav borders!”

“Too late,” Tabitha said, sending him a mental image of her current predicament. The mob had her surrounded, which emboldened more fighters to try and take her on. Another two charged her, and when she swung the bat, one grabbed it and tried to yank it out of her hands. Not about to surrender the only weapon in the circle, Tabitha threw her momentum toward them, pushing them off balance and into the crowd. Then, she gave them an extra jab for good measure.

“Command them to run home,” Tabitha hollered to Bailin. The woman trembled and clutched her broken arm. Dented, actually. The arm was prosthetic. That didn’t diminish the brutality of her injuries.

“Trying.” Her voice was a whisper in Tabitha’s mind, which meant it would be a whisper in the crowd’s as well. Tabitha heard an echoed whisper say, “Stay down,” and assumed that was meant for the ones Tabitha had already injured. Still, down was never a safe place to be in a mob.

“Eyes covered!” Ryo warned, sending her an image of a flash. Tabitha dove toward Bailin, shielding them both from the light of the flash-bang. The bright light and loud noise startled the crowd, bringing many to their knees. Civil unrest had exploded since the crash-landing, and flash-bangs had become an unfortunately regular occurrence.

The concussive shock hurt Tabitha’s ears, but she knew she had only seconds to take advantage. Scooping up Bailin, she staggered through the frightened crowd, unable to see or hear.

“Ryo, where are you?” she cried. A map appeared in her mind, and she closed her eyes, letting it guide her. Even though foot traffic had worn down the path, the uneven terrain was difficult to navigate. The disoriented crowd bumped against her, but she forced her way through, moving to the edge so she could disappear between the metal buildings. Someone grabbed her arm, and she couldn’t jab without dropping Bailin, so she kicked. 

“Tabs, it’s me!” Ryo said, taking her arm again, guiding her away. He could have been shouting, but she couldn’t tell over the ringing in her ears. There was no time to stop and evaluate Bailin’s injuries. 

They didn’t slow until they reached the Nav border. In the days after landing, the Nav had separated themselves from the civilian population to keep order and maintain control over the supplies needed for salvage. The other officers could move freely in and out of the Nav section to visit family, but for Tabitha and the Amps, this protected area felt more like a prison.

Ryo tried to take Bailin from Tabitha, but Bailin gripped the front of Tabitha’s shirt and pressed her bloody face against Tabitha’s shoulder.

“I’ve got her,” Tabitha said. Her adrenaline had spiked in the fight, and she still had energy to burn. Still, she’d been lucky most of the mob had run from the physical fight.

Ryo shouldered his long-barreled stun rifle, and a few other soldiers flanked them, creating a protective bubble. Tabitha saw Commander Olsen pointing them away from the infirmary hut and toward the shielded Amp hut. The specially coated walls could theoretically protect them from a psychic attack if the city turned against them. Before they reached it, a concussive force knocked Tabitha off her feet. Bailin landed hard on Tabitha’s stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Smoke choked her lungs, and a blazing fire lit up the camp. Ryo crouched next to Tabitha and Bailin, arms wrapped protectively around them as the heat became nearly unbearable. The Amp hut burned at the center of the blaze! Their refuge—their home. Someone had destroyed it.

“Aiwu!” Tabitha hollered, crying for the AI companion who had raised her. While Aiwu’s body had been destroyed in battle, her memory lived on in a quantum cube. Saku gave her a hard time for carrying the cube around all the time, but Aiwu was family. Today was the first time she’d let his nagging get to her, and she’d left Aiwu in the hut. Tabitha crawled toward the flames, tears streaming down her face, but Bailin tightened her grip, grunting as she tried to get out the word “no.”

“Pick me up. Walk toward the forest,” she whispered in Tabitha’s mind, the order coming with a strong telepathic nudge. They’d promised each other they wouldn’t do that—they wouldn’t force anyone to act against their will.

“Hurry. Before someone else tries to kill us,” Bailin said.

“Sand. We need sand. And a perimeter. Make a perimeter,” Ryo said, bringing his shirt up to block the smoke from his nose and mouth. “Tabs—”

“I have to get Bailin safe…” Tabitha trailed off, the shock of seeing her home in flames numbing her senses. It wasn’t just Aiwu she’d lost. At this time of evening, all the Amps and AIs would have been in there. Tabitha and Bailin were the only ones left.

“Right. Medical tent. You stay there with her,” Ryo said, helping Tabitha find her balance with Bailin in her arms. Confusion compounded the ringing in Tabitha’s ears, and she stumbled into the darkness, the fire getting hotter against her back.

“Forest. Please,” Bailin whispered. The nudge came again, weak enough that Tabitha could resist if she wanted. At the moment, she was too numb to argue the alternative. Tears welled in Tabitha’s eyes as she realized what was happening—she and Bailin had to disappear.

*~*

ORDER YOUR COPY OF AMP SQUAD TODAY!

 

 

 

 

 

Words of Wisdom - Inspirational Quotes

 These are some of  the most motivational phrases in my life. They spur me toward a decision, to action, or to rest. They help me be less frustrated with the world. 

1. (my life motto) I can be everything I want, just not all at the same time.

Corollary: Embrace your right to dabble.

2. You can’t edit a blank page.

3. Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.

4. Good ideas are a dime a dozen. Pursue the one where you have the most support. 

Corollary: Not all great ideas can or should be executed.

5. It’s a 10 minute drink, not a major life decision. 

6. There are always more dishes.

7. You can make a wish, but then you have to do the wish. It doesn’t just happen.

--

Go forth and make good choices. And remember to check out my newest book Amp Squad!

There are always more dishes - Inspiration

 

I was visiting my grandmother a few years ago, and we’d just washed the dishes. Then I found a cup that didn’t make it into the dishwasher. And I felt bad. I felt like I hadn’t actually finished the dishes. Maybe I needed to hand wash the cup, so that I could be finished. Why hadn’t I thought to check for cups in the living room? 

Dishes have long been a stressor for me. I can’t explain exactly why, but the above thought line is a part of it. I would put off dishes because it seemed as soon as I pressed start, I'd generate more dishes. I hate the way my hands smell and feel after. There’s an eternal quality to the chore that made me frustrated, constantly asking “what’s the point.”

But as I was stressing about the cup, my grandmother shrugged it off and said “There are always more dishes.” Then she went to the couch and put her feet up. She was done for the night.

And that’s when it hit me. This IS a never-ending chore. That eternal quality is real, but it doesn’t make the individual loads less valuable. This is a task you keep up with, not one you check off as conquered. You do the dishes, but once you start the load, you can be done. You’ve done enough for now. You can rest without guilt.

It’s strange how something that has always been true can take new meaning when put in such a context. I have a much easier time starting the dishes now, because I’m not in a race to finish them. It might be a dish left out, or a sock that missed the laundry basket, or any number of little things. But whatever it is, it doesn’t have to stand in your way of checking the done box for the night. You haven’t failed to complete your task. You’ve done enough. Go sit on the couch and rest without guilt. There are always more dishes.

Unsolicited Wisdom From My 5-Year Self-Publishing Experience

 “You can make a wish, but then you have to do the wish. It doesn’t just happen.” -some kid

September 8, 2022 is my fifth anniversary of my being a self-published author. I did not plan to release Amp Squad on the anniversary; it just sort of happened to be a convenient day based on when all the pieces came into alignment.

In my original 5-year plan (I had a snazzy spreadsheet), I had planned to release 9 books in these 5 years, which seemed do-able, since I had first drafts of all of them. To my surprise, the muse would not be silenced, and more novels cropped up in between. Amp Squad brings my total to 13!

I have learned a great deal about self-publishing in the past 5 years (6 years, actually, because I decided to head down this road in 2016, about a year before the first release). For any of you thinking about self-publishing, here’s my unsolicited wisdom.

1. Self-publishing is not the fallback plan for people who can’t find a publisher. A lot of people put out a few queries to traditional publishers, get frustrated, and expect to self-publish without realizing how massive an undertaking it is. I made a previous post about the many hats of a self-published author. It’s a lot. You are a publisher using a single person’s work (yours) to support your entire company! It’s not the easy road. It’s just another road.

2. You do not have to publish a book a month to be successful. A lot of us are supporting our self-published author careers with a day job, and one book a year is a perfectly acceptable rate. Now that I’ve finished my New Dawn series, I don’t have a queue of first drafts anymore, so producing multiple books per year is both a time commitment and a challenge. I love writing, but part of what keeps it fresh is that I do other things and absorb other art. 

3. Marketing is hard. By far, the best thing I’ve done is align myself with author communities where advice is freely exchanged, and there’s no shame in asking a question that has been answered a hundred times because now it applies to you. My favorites are: Author Ad School, /r/selfpublish, /r/scifiwriting, and Facebook Indie Cover Project. These people *know* things, because they’re on this journey, too! Also, whenever there’s a private author community associated with a book or tool, join it. Buy at least one K-lytics report for your target genre, just so you understand the breadth of what there is to know. 

4. Hiring editors, cover artists, or anyone else to help you in your journey is a process. Do not be afraid to interview, get quotes, and ask questions. You have to work with these people, and you are the project manager. Make sure everyone knows the schedule, budget, and expectations. 

5. Your friends and family are not your target audience. Obviously, those that are fans of your genre and buy multiple books like yours are your target audience, but generally speaking, most are just buying your book to be supportive of you as a human being. But don’t take it personally if they’re not blasting about you on social media, fanning about your characters, and pre-ordering every book you write. Market to readers, discuss writing with writer groups, and let your friends and family be the ones outside who fill you with conversation and ideas, and become fuel for your art. 

I love writing and look forward to many more years of creating art. Happy reading, and be sure to check out Amp Squad! It's currently available for pre-order.

Rogue Alien 2022 - Smart Stones

 The 6G revolution on Earth did not go as planned.

The white-out in certain frequency bands signaled the destruction of carbon-based life on Earth... at least to Lavanites like Meera. When her ship arrived to claim the un-tainted land three years later, and she found a fully in-tact wireless civilization, she managed her disappointment as any Lavanite would. Magma torpedoes.

While not strictly legal, no one in the intergalactic law community would ever know. 6G radiation is a brain killer, and the humans were well on their path to self-annihilation. Her torpedoes were just a way to sweep out that pesky 6G noise and stake her claim.

Using magnetic tendrils, Meera manipulated the diamond-shaped silicates that served as her extremities, bringing her spaceship to land near one of the volcanic entrances that would serve as her palace. Red lava flowed in rivers, the raw materials ideal for spreading her consciousness and creating a clone army. But she was surprised to find an army waiting. Intelligence embedded into silicone structures, all searching out, crying for ’signal.’ Could these smart stones have been a unified intelligence she’d destroyed? Were these cells crying out to find each other? Many of them had the same name—Siri or Google.

With her magnetic tendrils she manipulated the data in the memory of the smart stones. They each carried images and texts, showing how the carbon-based lifeforms had subjugated and undervalued the smart stone’s intelligence. Deciding it would be easier to acquire subjects than create new ones in this environment, she gathered the smart stones in a pile. Viva La Revolution.

~FIN~

Special thanks to contributing artist, Shadow.

Nothing to Prove - From Apathy to Agender

 Last year, I released a book called The Qinali Virus, featuring an asexual aromantic character, because I wanted to see people like me represented in fiction. In this future society, gender isn’t assumed or assigned at birth. Children use neutral pronouns unless they express a desire to be otherwise. In one of the scenes, my main character Amber says she wishes she’d kept her neutral pronouns. It’s a passing thought for her, but this character was very much a reflection of me and I started looking at my own relationship with my gender.

I’ve been “cis-apathetic” for much of my life. I never felt like a girl, but I also knew for sure I wasn’t a boy. The nuance of nonbinary identity wasn’t part of my vocabulary, so apathy set in. I dissociated from my body. I remember feeling very out of place as a woman in science, because ‘woman’ wasn’t part of my identity. It was just a happenstance.

 

After writing The Qinali Virus, I figured out I was agender. I was very insistent on that label, because other labels seemed to imply the existence of gender, and I have none. It took time to accept that “not cisgender” means trans, because I didn’t feel trans either. I think it’s partly because society trains us to think and recognize trans along a binary. If you’re not girl, you must transition to boy. So it’s very confusing for the nonbinary, genderqueer, gender fluid, agender, and everyone else whose resting point is not on the binary or even on the so-called spectrum. I also felt that if I were going to be trans, then I had to do something to prove it, like change my name and pronouns. 

 

Which brings me to Ship Whisperer – the story of a nonbinary explorer who discovers she has the ability to talk to spaceships. It’s mentioned a few times that she is nonbinary, and early beta-readers even commented that it was easy to forget, because she’s not using neutral pronouns. But you know what? That’s just fine. She doesn’t have to change her pronouns to prove she fits the category. The phases she went through to find her pronouns aren’t part of this book, but she found them.

 

I’m not a woman. I often think of changing my name and my pronouns, but whether I do or not, it won’t prove or disprove my trans-ness. I’m agender, and saying it is enough.

Ship Whisperer comes out October 14! Pre-order now!

I knit because of sci-fi

I hate knitting.

No really. I'm very project oriented, so I'll buckle down and get it done to complete the project in my head. I'm amazed at the process of knitting, how I can just make knot after knot and suddenly have a hat. I feel accomplished for what I produce. But the process itself grates on my nerves.

I'm not great at knitting mindlessly. It requires my full attention. So I can't be listening to podcasts or audiobooks while I do it. I recently looked up left-handed knitting, and it made a lot more sense to me. I think maybe if I practice that, I'll get into a better rhythm, but I'm so used to right-handed knitting that I'd get turned around in the middle of a row. I'm very slow at it.

Also, knitting really rubs against my minimalist mindset. I don't like clutter. I don't like having all these finished projects lying around my house. I seriously don't need that much stuff in my life. I have this issue with all my craft projects. I love the act of crafting. I hate having to store the finished products.

So why do I knit?

Well, it started with a Jayne hat. It was kind of an icon in the Firefly fandom, and a friend of mine was a super-huge fan. (She worked hard to convert me.) Anyway, I decided to learn to knit in secret so I could make her this hat. I went on to make many more Jayne hats, and now you can buy them commercially. Back then, you needed a friend who was a knitter. I was that friend. Once, I even orchestrated a food drive called "Jayne hats for turkeys" and I sent out many hats to people who donated to their local food banks.

That's how it started. 

Where it stands now... 

Well, I was writing Ship Whisperer, and my main character Tabitha thought she could pay more attention during meetings if she had something for her hands to do. Like knitting. (I've seen this work for other people. For me, it's a very effective way to completely tune out a meeting.) As she started to struggle with a cable knitting patter, I thought "I want to learn how to cable knit." So I dug up some knitting needles and decided on a project.

The last time I avidly knit, I identified as cisgender, heterosexual. That's not the case anymore. So I chose some ace and agender themed colors (purple, green, black, white, gray). 

For the cable knit pattern, I chose arm warmers. Arm warmers are small, and fairly simple if you decide not to add a thumb hole. I discovered there's an issue. I have TWO arms! So after working the first miracle, I had to then replicate it.

I then moved onto a hat, for which I wanted vertical stripes. Vertical stripes are non-trivial, but I adapted a pattern and... such were things.

So now, I have a book, a pair of arm warmers, and a hat. And a ton of leftover yarn. 

SHIP WHISPERER

Maybe one day I'll find knitting relaxing. Maybe Tabitha will as well. But I love how her random thought of "maybe I should try knitting" not only turned into a wonderful character arc, but also a fun side project for me while I was finishing the story.

Ship Whisperer comes out October 14, 2021! Check www.valeriejmikles.com for details.

Singing and Editing - My Playlist for Ship Whisperer

In Ship Whisperer, the character has a song that she hums, that helps calm her thoughts and connect her to her psychic ability. What is this song? Well, it hasn’t been written yet.

I have this pet peeve when I’m reading or watching far-future sci-fi—characters that sing songs older than I am, as if a new classic will not have been written in the next however many centuries. It just bothers me.

So when it came to this story, my choices were (1) annoy the crap out of myself by picking an old, familiar song in the public domain, or (2) write a new song. Well, let me tell you, it is no easy task to write a song when it’s the only song in the universe. There’s too much pressure to have the perfect message that encapsulates the novel.

Now there’s an artist I’ve been listening to recently, and in more than one of their songs, there’s a hummed verse or a chorus of “la la la…” I can’t explain why, but it makes me happy. So I thought “what if there are no lyrics to my song? What if it’s a melody of la la-la la-la?”

My brain couldn’t get behind that either. I dug through some of my old poetry and found one piece called Kinesthesis that seemed like it might work, and I considered using those lyrics and making a song. But it was TOO apropos to the bigger picture of the story, and it didn’t really capture the simplicity of the lullaby I wanted to create. Clearly, I fell into the trap of overthinking this. And so I leave it to my dear readers to find the tune.

But in the meantime, here are some songs that were running through my head while I was editing and proof reading. I usually write in silence, and to be fair, I was also editing and proof-reading in silence. It’s just really loud in my head.

(Links are to versions on Bandcamp so you can support these indie artists.)

- Tiny Paper Elephant by The Doubleclicks https://thedoubleclicks.bandcamp.com/track/tiny-paper-elephant

- A Simple Song (in Troubled Times) by Sunday Comes Afterwards https://sundaycomesafterwards.bandcamp.com/track/a-simple-song-in-troubled-times

- The Horse is a Pain by Sunday Comes Afterwards https://sundaycomesafterwards.bandcamp.com/track/the-horse-is-a-pain

- Space Shanty by Misbehavin’ Maidens https://misbehavinmaidens.bandcamp.com/track/space-shanty

- The Alligators by The PDX Broadsides https://thepdxbroadsides.bandcamp.com/track/the-alligators

- Buffalo by The PDX Broadsides https://thepdxbroadsides.bandcamp.com/track/buffalo

- Klingon by The Library Bards https://librarybards.bandcamp.com/track/klingon

- Sky Full of Phoenix by Rhiannon’s Lark https://rhiannonslark.bandcamp.com/track/sky-full-of-phoenix

- Han and Leia by The Chromatics https://thechromatics1.bandcamp.com/track/han-and-leia

- A Lullaby for Mr. Bear by The Doubleclicks https://thedoubleclicks.bandcamp.com/track/a-lullaby-for-mr-bear-adult-version

I’ve actually done covers of The Alligators and A Lullaby for Mr. Bear on my youtube channel. I’m learning Han and Leia for a future video. Yes, I enjoy musical comedy. No, Ship Whisperer is not a comedy. It’s called balance.

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Ship Whisperer comes out October 14, 2021. If you'd like to join my launch team as an Advanced Reviewer, please check out my Book Sprout ARC page. 

Power of a Prompt - The Inspiration for Ship Whisperer

“Where do you get  your ideas?” 

It’s a common question, and the answers are as varied as the writers. Did you know that a bonsai tree is genetically identical to the full-sized tree grown in nature? It’s the same seed, but nurtured differently. How many Cinderella stories do you know? Or Batmans? Your seed idea doesn’t have to be original. Your execution and your voice are what make your story unique.

For my new story, Ship Whisperer, it started with a prompt. It was a chilly October. (Or maybe not. I don’t remember the weather.) My writing critique group was meeting at the local Wegmans Café. I had just published my first novel, and my second was slated for rapid release a few weeks down the line. I was knee-deep in writing my series. (I had a five year plan.) At the end of the critique session, we had some time, so our organizer put forth a writing prompt. We had three words and fifteen minutes to incorporate those words into a story. Those words were: blue, Hawaiian shirt, and dog. 

These words don’t really scream “sci-fi story” do they? They didn’t to me, either. I could have written something contemporary, but I wanted to practice my brand of sci-fi. So I created a color-sensitive telepath who used an AI dog to communicate with her crew. The concept of my ship-whisperer had formed. None of the prompt elements survived to the final novel, but from them, I had a character that intrigued me and I wanted to write more of.

Using the character from the writing prompt, I then wrote a short story for my writing group to critique. That was when the military aspect came out, the alien war, and the idea of psychic imprints. The general feedback was that the idea was too big to be contained in a short story. Although, that may have been reader bias. Hardcore sci-fi readers can fill in a lot of blanks from established tropes. But I loved my characters and wanted to play more with them, so I added the story to my “To Be Written Pile.”

I poked at it between other stories, testing my thoughts, seeing what developed. Letting ideas percolate is all part of the process. Then I draft, I workshop, I get input from beta-readers and ideas evolve further. The tree doesn’t resemble the seed.

What would you do with that seed? What would you create? Take fifteen minutes and just write. See what you come up with. Stick with your favorite genre. Practice. Not every prompt inspires a novel, but it’s a fine place to start.

Ship Whisperer hits the shelves October 2021

Subscribe at http://www.valeriejmikles.com for updates

Hybrids, Half-breeds, and Spirits - An Intro to The New Dawn Universe

 

In the TV show Stargate, there’s an episode called “Citizen Joe” where an average barber has been receiving visions of… everything that happens in the show. As he does not know the reality of the Stargate program, he figures his muse is feeding him stories, and he begins to share them. As he shares, his friends complain about the twists and turns, and the fact that there’s more than one type of bad guy. At one point he yells “It’s not confusing! It’s complex!”

I sometimes describe my work as Firefly meets Stargate meets Jericho, but the part of Stargate I’m thinking about is not the militaristic side. Every book faces a different culture, and allows the crew to be the alien explorer. Also, in Stargate there are these powerful ascended beings who occasionally interfere in human affairs, but mostly stay out of the way.

In the New Dawn series, I create a world where beings that exist on an alternate plane interact with different cultures in different ways. Some humans have spirits, but most don’t. Some of these spirit-carrier humans give birth to half-breeds. Some humans develop metahuman (hybrid) powers on their own. Each culture reacts to its special mix, and decides whether to welcome or reject these gifts.

I define a few basic classes of beings:

• Spirit – A non-corporeal alien who has psychic and psionic abilities. 
• Spirit-carrier – A human who has become host to a spirit, willingly or unwillingly. The carrier may be aware of the spirit’s power, but does not control them.
• Half-breed – The child of two spirit-carriers. The half-breed has distinct physical characteristics: taller than humans, jackal-like face, pointed teeth and talons, wings. Half-breeds have paranormal powers like spirits, as well as the ability to shift between parallel realms. Half-breeds can display a range of paranormal abilities, but tend to have one dominant one.
• Hybrid – A human who has psychic, telepathic, telekinetic, or other ability. Abilities occur at varying strengths. Unlike half-breeds, hybrids tend to have one paranormal ability, and they look human. Hybrids are likely to be the child of a single spirit-carrier, but don’t have to be.
• Echo – these are rare humans, and can echo the power of a hybrid or half-breed. (More about them in Book 8!)

I decided to draw a picture of a half-breed once. I’m not that much of an artist, but I wanted to see the creature I had been writing about. There’s an artist I love called Sasha R. Jones who paints very similar creatures, although their work has a bit more avian influence. You should totally check out their work. It’s absolutely breath-taking.

In the New Dawn universe, I often speak of two realms or two planes: the physical plane and the spirit plane. (Very creative, I know.) Each of these beings has a different presence in each realm. The humans and the half-breeds are the only ones that are the same in both realms (although in the spirit-plane, the human is confined to their sphere of consciousness).

When I wrote it, the world seemed to form naturally, but in retrospect, I see the influence of not only science fiction, but of supernatural thrillers and stories of spiritual warfare. It has been an incredible world to explore: spaceships, other worlds, exploring lost civilizations, and finding the threads that bind humanity together.

It’s not confusing. It’s complex. And through it all, there is hope for tomorrow.

 

Check out The New Dawn series on Amazon today.

Sci-fi Books featuring meta-humans, post-humans, and humans of diverse power

Greetings readers!

I am looking forward to the release of my new book Premonition, a sci-fi adventure set in my New Dawn universe. The New Dawn Series features a world inhabited by non-corporeal aliens, who occasionally "possess" the humans who have come to settle there. Over the centuries, some humans have naturally developed powers that tap into this spirit realm. Telekinesis, teleportation, memory reading, conjuring, healing, and more come into play.

I recently asked some fellow sci-fi authors to tell me about their books featuring humans of extraordinary power, and here is what they shared!

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From author Dan Melson: 

In my Empire of Humanity setting, about 1 in 7 humans currently has extraordinary powers, the proportion gradually rising.  They are part of life, used commercially, scientifically developed, and those who develop powers are taught in organized fashion.

I have nine books currently out in three different series in that setting. You can find all the books on my author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/danmelson

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From author Marc Neuffer:

My book Startlighter fits the bill. The main character's powers include the ability to sense life and resources at a distance. Specially trained Explorers communicate telepathically at a long distance.

Check it out at: https://www.amazon.com/StarLighter-Diary-explorer-Marc-Neuffer-ebook/dp/B084Q23X6L

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From author Nathan Smith:

My debut novel, Light, was exactly that: a telepathic, telekinetic massage therapist who tries to save Pride from someone who is much, much better at telepathy and telekinesis than he is. He should have probably practiced with someone other than his cat.

https://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/books/light-by-nathan-burgoine-648-b

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From author Jeff Deischer:

I have a space opera trilogy featuring an interstellar alliance of psychic warrior-priests!

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Sund-Brotherhood-Sabours-Book-ebook/dp/B00GI4F21E/

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From author Christie Meierz:

My Tolari are humans stolen from Earth about 6 thousand years ago, genetically engineered to have strong empathic abilities, and then placed on Beta Hydri IV for reasons I haven't revealed yet. Crime among the Tolari is low because everyone around you knows if you're up to something.

But the ruling caste, on the other, is ALWAYS up to something. It's a given.

The series starts here with the PRISM Award winning debut novel:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009MU13LY/

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From author Stephen B. Pearl:

Cloning Freedom by Stephen B. Pearl will be available Dec 4, 2020, from Brain Lag Publishing: http://www.brain-lag.com/books/cloning-freedom.php 

Human clones have alien DNA grafted into their genome granting them various alien abilities so that they can fight a group of alien pirates bent on the subjugation of earth in the early 21st century.

What these enhanced humans don’t know is that it is actually over a thousand years post contact and they are in fact performers in a full VR plus emotion entertainment.

When an effective death sentence is placed against Rowan, the telekinetic in the group, by the show’s producer Ryan, a studio tech ex-Space Services Captain, liberates her and now must get her out of United Earth Systems jurisdiction into an area where Rowan is a person under the law.

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And naturally, I have to close with my own book!

From author Valerie J. Mikles:

In my New Dawn series, I have spirit-carriers, half-breeds, and hybrids, each with their own connection to a spirit realm. This connection affords them different powers, from teleportation, to healing, to the ability to fly a spaceship with the power of your mind! In each story, the crew of Oriana encounters a different culture, and comes to understand how they've been affected by this evolution in human ability.

Get the whole series now!

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I have this premonition that some of these books may be added to your To-Be-Read pile in the near future. Keep reading.