A Little Teaser...

Here's just a snippet from Judgment on Tartarus, Book One of my Tartarus Trilogy:

   The Tartarian met her eyes squarely and said, "Let us merely say that you and I have had our differences since you came aboard Astrella, Ensign. I am not unaware of your hostility toward me. And yet, unknowingly, you became instrumental in rescuing me from death. How strange the tangled coils of fate!"

   He paused a moment, as if unsure whether or not he should continue. "Your self-incriminating testimony at the inquiry was also quite--remarkable. You must have realized, Ensign, that your previous failure to report Klasner's threat might draw, at the very least, a reprimand."

   Before she was even aware of speaking, Rona heard herself saying heatedly, "Sir! I am well aware of your hostility toward me--but I do not countenance attempted murder under any circumstances!"

   Malkis held her eyes with his own an uncomfortable moment longer, as though he were sifting her mind. "Perhaps, Ensign Scott--perhaps--you are a somewhat better officer than I previously estimated."

   Rona sat dumbfounded. That caustic remark was the closest thing to a compliment she'd ever heard from the Tartarian's thin, bluish lips! She had no idea how to respond: Thank you--for what? Detesting me?  @copyright 2011

That's just a hint of things to come in my epic SF love story and adventure. Hope you enjoyed!

Keep on reading; keep on writing.

MRTighe

Whoops! That's Not What I Meant!

What's the funniest thing you've ever "accidentally" written?

Mine would have to be: "Grasping his dar'dul-adz firmly in his right hand..." Whoops!

Now I knew perfectly well what I meant to say by that line. A dar'dul-adz is a spear traditionally carried by Shalt-ahnk warriors on the planet Tartarus. But someone unfamiliar with my work could get another idea entirely!

My two daughters nearly died laughing when they read that line in one of my first drafts of Judgment on Tartarus. Not at all the effect I was trying to achieve!

A few of my typos have turned out to be unintentionally humorous, too. For instance: "She loved herons." Herons? Really? Well, I love them as well, but that line should have read: "She loved her sons." Big difference!

The infamous autocorrect often leads to inadvertent comedy. It once insisted that the word I wanted to type was not "goddammit" but "goldsmith!" Huh? How on earth did it reach that conclusion?

I can imagine an irate Captain Richard Hughes shouting, "Goldsmith, Fleet Admiral Gutierrez! Goldsmith!"

Ah, the many trials and tribulations of being a writer, in any genre. But no matter what difficulties you may encounter, hilarious or not, keep on writing and keep on reading!

MRTighe

Writing Space Opera

When I told my doctor recently that I was about to publish my first space opera, after writing three SF novels, she responded, "Oh, you write music, too?" That set me back on my heels a bit. I refrained from laughing, but had to remind myself that most members of the general public don't know much about the different genres in science fiction and fantasy.

I'm sure my doctor, being an intelligent lady, knows all about Star Wars. She simply didn't realize that genre is often referred to as "space opera" ( just as Westerns used to be referred to as "horse operas." ) Space opera doesn't require accurate, or even plausible, science. So the author doesn't have to explain how a vleez-bot works. But in true SF the science must be accurate or at least "theoretically" possible.

My soon-to-be-published novel Galaxy Rand is sheer, unabashed space opera. Who cares how the tech works; it does! The characters are fun; the story is fun. Can a lesson or two be learned along the way? Probably. But that isn't the main point. It's an old-fashioned, exciting adventure harking back to the days of pulp fiction.

Hope you enjoy! Keep reading and keep on writing,

MRTighe

How Not To Write A Book

Following up my previous blog, ( What I Want to Read, Aug. 27, 2013 ) I hope no one out there took it as a slam directed against indie authors. Since I am one myself, I recognize that there is a wide range of ability in any given group of authors.

Some of the worst books I've recently read ( or started to read ) were written by fairly well-known authors, who are published by traditional publishing houses. I've learned the hard way that these qualifications do not necessarily guarantee a good read! A famous name and an established publisher don't mean you'll love, like, or even be able to get through a particular book.

In one novel written by a well-known author who shall remain nameless ( I'm not out to ruin anyone's rep, not even a tiny bit! ) their first chapter grabbed me; it was enthralling. I was excited. But their second chapter skipped so far back in time it felt disconnected. And from that point on the book dragged so unbearably slowly that I simply couldn't suffer through it. But it did teach me another lesson in "How Not To Write A Book!"

This was not the first time I'd been taught such a lesson, even by a well-known and often-published author. And it probably won't be the last. I suggest you read with a critical eye; keep track of which methods succeed and which do not. All authors make mistakes, from "padding" their wordage to introducing huge lists of characters who have no business being mentioned at all!

One of the worst mistakes an author can make--and one of my pet peeves!--is introducing a new character in the last few pages or, even worse, leaving a major character in a cliff-hanger to insure the reader will buy the next book in the series! Grrrr!

But before I get even more carried away--keep on reading; keep on writing!

MRTighe

What I Want to Read

Now that Galaxy Rand has been written, edited, and sent off to my publisher, I finally have time to read. I love to read, and I'll read just about anything in any genre. But I love books. What do I look for in a book?

!) First, the book has to be well written. It's difficult for me to really get into a book loaded with grammatical errors, misspellings, incorrect punctuation, poor sentence structure, etc. ( Yes, I am a bit of a grammar Nazi, but not in the extreme. An occasional typo or missed comma won't send me into an hysterical fit! )

2) Second, I'm looking for an exciting, well-told tale. Is it fresh, engrossing? Does it move along at a good clip? Does it make sense? ( If you lose me in the first chapter, what are the chances I'll keep reading? Not good. I just don't have the time to waste. )

3) Third, I'm looking for characters who are believable, original, and fascinating. They must be people I can recognize and relate to. I even need to know where the villain is coming from. ( Characters can't act for unknown reasons and, most of all, must have a purpose for being included; this is especially true of female characters. They must be a lot more than mere sex objects! )

Lately, I've read a few good books and some not so good. As I said, if I can't find a good reason to keep reading, I seldom read past the first chapter or two.

Whether you agree or disagree with me, I hope you find these hints helpful.

Keep on reading; keep on writing!

MRTighe

A Sneak Peek!

For those of you who are still hesitating ( or procrastinating ) before reading Book One of my Tartarus Trilogy and are either too busy or---ahem!---too lazy to use the Look Inside feature at www.amazon.com, here's a short selection from Judgment on Tartarus:

   That evening, as Rona Scott waited in the ship's Commissary for Tiko to join her for dinner, a red-faced, burly lieutenant with thinning hair stalked in and hurled himself into a chair at a nearby table.
   Rona overheard his bitter complaint to his tablemate: "That goddamn Tartar just put me on report again! Once more and I'm busted!"
   "You do have all the star-blasted luck, eh, Klasner?"
   "I tell you, Mac---that cold-blooded freak has it out for my hide! Hell, I can't make a move without him jumping down my throat, quoting regs like he swallowed the flaring program!"
   "Keep it down, will ya, mate?" the other crewman warned him in a low tone, eyes sweeping the Commissary. "Don't snap your bloody stabilizers in here, or you'll get yourself court-martialed!"
    "Don't give me that bilge!" Klasner snarled, stubbornly refusing to lower his voice. "Everybody aboard hates the Tartar's flaring guts!"
   "Everyone 'cept the Old Man, mate, an' the rest of us don't broadcast the fact all over the bloomin' ship. Hell, I'm not buckin' for a CM even if you are!"
   Klasner glowered in sullen silence for a few seconds before growling, "Mark my words, Mac---someday real soon that goddamn Tartar's gonna have a helluva bad accident!"
   Rona caught the scarcely-veiled threat; a thrill of alarm coursed through her. Until that very moment, she hadn't realized how high feeling against the ship's Exec ran. The blatant bigotry, accompanied by the implied threat of violence, shocked her to the core. She felt as if something dark and ominous had suddenly invaded Astrella.
   copyright@2011 M. R. Tighe

So that was a sneak peek. Why not go to www.amazon.com and see more? All of my Tartarus books are available in paperback and Kindle formats.

Thanks for reading!
 MRTighe

Blood Is Blood!

One of the most enigmatic common sayings on the planet Tartarus ( from my Tartarus Trilogy: Judgment on Tartarus, True Son of Tartarus, and Ransom of Tartarus ) is "Blood is blood." So what the heck does that mean?

To a Tartarian, blood is sacred. Blood means life; therefore, blood is not to be spilled lightly. However, there are only two possible punishments for a serious transgression against the Holy Law of Ahn-eld ( Tartarus ): exile or death!

Common criminals who are found deserving of the death penalty are simply poisoned. A derivative of the Dar-tzl plant, otherwise known as the Death Plant, is administered. No blood is spilled.

But if the offender is unlucky enough to be born of the Jaru-alt ( the Noble Class) and is not sentenced to permanent exile from the planet, death comes by public execution. And execution is carried out by means of the Great Blade of Ahn-eld. The ceremonial weapon is a large curved blade, the hilt of which is studded with multi-colored jewels.

Besides being an extremely painful death, execution is humiliating, dishonorable, and bloody. The victim has given up his sacred right to life. This illustrates how seriously Tartarians take severe violations of their sacred Law. You wouldn't wish being born a Jaru-alt on your worst enemy! I guess we should all be glad it's only fiction.

Anyway, keep on reading, and if you're a writer, keep on writing!

MRTighe