SpaceX!

We live on the brink of a new space age. A new era in which cheap, reusable, powerful rocket systems will make spaceflight cheap enough not only for governments, but businesses, and private citizens. I’m talking, of course, about SpaceX.

SpaceX launched its new Falcon rocket successfully to the International Space Station this weekend. A privately funded company with NASA contracts, it was started by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in California, and is now responsible for all NASA cargo shipments into space. Its next generation Falcon Heavy rocket (scheduled to launch next year) will be more powerful than the Saturn 5, and can send payloads in orbit, the Moon, and even to Mars. On top of it all, they can do it cheaper and more efficiently than any current space program. Learn more about this unique company here.

So when do you plan to make your first space flight? At about $15 million a seat, people like me will need to save up for a long time, but at least there’s always the lottery. Where would you fly to if you could…Earth Orbit, the Moon, or Mars?  

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

One of the literary greats passed away yesterday in Mexico City. Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote countless novels and short-stories, some of my favorite books being Love in the Time of Cholera, One hundred Years of Solitude, and No One Writes to the Colonel. He will be missed.

An eclectic writer, he utilized elements of magical realism, combined with literary prose, and intriguing character-driven storylines. His birthplace in Colombia influenced him the same way Ireland did for Joyce, and the American South did for Faulkner. Always mixing in elements of history with sometimes almost quixotic events, his stories have left an indelible mark on anyone who has ever picked up one of his books.

Who are some of your favorite authors of the last few decades? Which contemporary writers have influenced you the most?

New Manuscript Done!

Whew! Just finished another 100,000 word historical thriller entitled Between Two Fires. It took about four months to write, and rewrite, and rewrite. I just finished my initial revisions and have it out with beta readers. Below is a brief blurb on my upcoming book:

Saxon barbarians threaten to destroy the last free kingdoms of Medieval Wales. Princess Branwen becomes Wales’ last hope to unite the divided kingdoms when her father betroths her to a powerful Welsh warlord, the Hammer King. But this fledgling alliance is fraught with enemies from within and without as Branwen herself becomes the target of assassinations and courtly intrigue. A young woman in a world of fierce warriors, she seeks to assert her own authority and preserve Wales against the barbarians, but when she falls for a young hedge knight named Artagan her world threatens to tear itself apart. Caught between her duty to her people and her love of a man she cannot have, Branwen must choose whether to preserve the shaky alliance her marriage has forged or to follow her heart. Somehow she must save her people and yet remain true to herself, before Saxon invaders and a mysterious traitor in her midst try to destroy her first.  

What do you think? Anymore interested beta readers? I do reciprocateJ  

Spring Planting

Enjoy the smell of tomato plants and lavender on a bright spring morning? How about the fresh taste of the first lettuce of the season? Like getting your hands dirty in the soft, wet earth?

Well, I started planting my garden this weekend with the help of friends and family. This year I’ve kept an eye toward water conservation with plants that require less watering, such as beans, sunflowers, and wheat. Of course, I’ve got my lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and pumpkins going too, and I can’t wait for them to start sprouting out of the soil in the next few weeks. Over the past several years I’ve saved seeds from each year’s crop, slowly making my own personal variety of mixed vegetables and grains.

What are you planting in the garden this year? Do you prefer hybrids or heirlooms? What do you love best about springtime?  

Vikings!

The Norsemen are coming! Love history? Love a good story even better?

Then checkout the History Channel’s second season of their drama Vikings. I’m addicted to the show now, I admit it, but who wouldn’t be? Swordfights, strong women, and a plot that keeps you guessing. You can catch up on previous episodes online when you visit historychannel.com. The next episode starts tomorrow night. Come find out what happens when the hero Ragnar falls in love with two women, and a whole lot of backstabbing, making up, and warfare ensues.

What are some TV shows you’re addicted to lately? Do you find yourself watching more on TV or more online?