Hello, my name is Betty

by on April 26, 2016 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

The American military had a long tradition of using voice-activated systems as early as the 1970s with the original Bitching Betty. She served as the voice of the Pre-Space F-15 fighter platform, though was not a true computer generated voice. The voice actress Kim Crow recorded her phrases, and the computers simply picked the right ones at the appropriate time. A series of different programs and voice actresses would bring life to other Bitching Betties over the years, and they became integral elements of American fighters until the Artificial Intelligence revolution forever changed things.

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Angel Flight

by on April 25, 2016 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

In 2205, we learned the answer to one of the oldest questions of all time. Are we alone? They brought medicines with them that nearly wiped out diseases, and extended the human lifespan into the centuries. They helped us study advanced technologies, and expand our colonies hundreds of lightyears from Earth. It was a golden age that many thought would never end.

Then their enemies brought War to us all. We gave them a belly full of it. We drove them out of Alpha Centauri, rebuilt the losses they inflicted on us, and assembled the largest, most powerful fleet that had ever flown under Terran banners. Third Fleet was our best hope to defeat them and bring a quick end to The War.

But not everyone agreed on how to use it. Alliance leadership wanted to see it in action immediately while our allies stressed caution. The demand for results won out over caution and that is where we came in. Texas Marine Fighter Attack Wing 112, the Cowboys. We were sent to support the fleet and to watch out for anything the enemy might throw at us. I honestly thought it would be a cakewalk. I mean, who would ever attack something the size of Third Fleet? That would be crazy…

Angel Flight Cover 200 x 267

Angel Flight on Amazon

Angel Flight on Barnes and Noble

Angel Flight on DriveThru Fiction

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Characters and Art

by on April 24, 2016 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

I have created many characters that walk through the stories that I write. And in many ways they are real people in my mind. Sometimes they feel more real than the physical world around me. I often find myself asking “What would <character name> do?” when I see something happening. They all have different answers. I keep them straight by having a cheat sheet of major characters, giving their basic statistics, where they were born, where they grew up, and stuff like that. I also have character portraits of them. I’ve hired artists to make them. I use 3D software to make my own. The key is that whenever I am writing a character into a story, I pull up their picture and put it on the screen next to my writing window. I pull up my cheat sheet and place that next to their picture. And then I write. The characters I put to page feel real to me because I see them in my mind and with my eyes. And it is my great hope that I convey that reality with the words that flow through my fingers.

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Painkillers

by on April 23, 2016 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

We all suffer from pain sooner or later in life. Whether our hips give out, we blow out a back, or have a major operation, sooner or later we will all have to use painkillers. They are amazing. They can make us feel good when we feel horrible. And that is very powerful. I’ve used them. They have saved me from pain I could not imagine living with. But I’m done with them now. I don’t need them so I put them down. The problem is that they are very addictive. Abuse of prescription drugs by people who hate drugs is one of the most shameful things in our society. We need to stop thinking of it as shameful. It is an illness. We need to treat it just like we treated what put them on that road. It has claimed the lives of far too many people who were afraid to ask for help. People who felt they had to hide their illness to protect their reputation. That needs to stop.

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Music is Life

by on April 22, 2016 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Diaries

I grew up listening to music. Michael Jackson. David Bowie. Prince. They were all part of the music of my youth. Music has always helped soothe my mind so I can concentrate on things. Without music in the background I feel…like something is missing. I always have. Music makes me better. And music brings memories of the books I was reading or writing while I listened to it. Music is a window to my past. Michael Jackson. David Bowie. Prince. They changed music. They helped me grow up. They will always stand strong in the soundtrack of my youth. And I will always remember what it is like to party like it is 1999…

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