Alex J Cavanaugh: I Didn’t Want to be an Author

Today is a very special day. I'm deeply honoured and pleased to welcome here, the irrepressible, Ninja Captain himself, Alex J Cavanaugh
Take it away, Alex

--

I Didn’t Want to be an Author

It’s true! I wasn’t one of those people who’d dreamed of being an author since I was young. I enjoyed writing stories as a teen, but writing a book just never crossed my mind. Music was a greater passion and it was my college minor. After college, even that was put aside as I ventured into advertising and design and eventually computer work.

Several years ago, I found an old manuscript in a drawer. It wasn’t complete, but it was the longest thing I’d ever written. Created when I was a teen, it was awful. But I remembered the characters well, as they’d appeared in a few other stories. Despite the terrible writing, the characters were solid, so on a whim I started to write a brand new story.

A year and a half later, and after torturing my two test readers and my wife (who still read my manuscripts to this day – bless them!), I finally had what I thought was a much better story. My wife then prodded me to submit it for publication. I started researching online and quickly decided agents were out of my league, especially as I had no other writing credits. (And I didn’t think working on technical manuals would count.) So I made a list of science fiction publishers and started there. After numerous rejections, I widened my search to include more genres, and finally Dancing Lemur Press said yes.

And then I heard the scariest words ever – you need to get your butt online and build a platform.

Somehow I managed to do that through blogging and Twitter. CassaStar was released and I stumbled my way through a blog tour.

After it was over, I heard the next scariest words ever – when is the sequel coming out?

Sequel? What sequel? I only planned to write one book. Somehow I managed to stumble my way through another manuscript, relying on an old short story to get me through. With the help of three critique partners, I polished it and sent it to my publisher, and they set a release date.

A funny thing happened not long after that – almost a year after its release, CassaStar soared up the Amazon charts. It hung in the top one hundred for science fiction for months, which blew my mind. With CassaStar doing so well and CassaFire just two months from its release, my publisher asked if I could write one more and make it a trilogy.

I labored over the outline for months. By the time I actually started writing it, both of my books were Amazon best sellers and had soared to the top of the charts in the UK as well. Talk about pressure! I had to end the series with a bang so I wouldn’t disappoint the fans. Now I know why authors have meltdowns…

I never planned to become an author. And yet, here I am now, with three books to my credit, as CassaStorm was released on Tuesday. It’s been the craziest journey but a total blessing.

So, beware those old manuscripts hiding in drawers. You just might open Pandora’s Box and find yourself in the unlikely role of an author!

Thanks again, Lynda – you rock!

--

CassaStorm

By Alex J Cavanaugh

From the Amazon Best Selling Series!

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…


“CassaStorM is a touching and mesmerizing space opera full of action and emotion with strong characters and a cosmic mystery.”
– Edi’s Book Lighhouse

“…the racial conflicts propelled much of the plot in this story, driving home a message that's relevant to our own world and giving the book an interesting texture.”
- C. Lee McKenzie, author of Alligators Overhead

“Cavanaugh has created wonderfully moving moments of great poignancy… CassaStorm could have been a dark story full of hardship and angst, but instead it's a cleverly balanced story about hope and triumph.”
- Lynda R. Young, author of Make Believe


$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera
Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019
$4.99 EBook available in all formats

Find CassaStorm:

Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Goodreads,  Book trailer 

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Website, Twitter, Goodreads


Book trailer

Pew! Pew! New Release CassaFire and More!

I've been looking forward to this release for some time now. PewPewLazerGunsBBQsauce! At last it has arrived!

CassaFire
by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities.

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

Available today!
Science fiction - space opera/adventure
Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5, $15.95, 6x9 Trade paperback, 240 pages
EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9, $4.99, available in all formats

CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller:
“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

You can visit the author’s site at http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/ 
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Amazon Kindle

 --
Also on the menu is Charmaine Clancy's debut: My Zombie Dog
PewPewZombieSauce!

On Zane’s 14th birthday he had to bury a dog. The next morning it’s in his room, tail wagging.

This is not the dog he wanted. No, Zane longed for a cool Collie or Shepard. Now he’s stuck with this scraggy, smelly undersized mutt. As if the dog wasn’t embarrassing enough, his mum wants to name it ‘Fluffy’. No way. Zane figures it dug itself out of the ground, so its name is Fossil.

Fossil's a mean dog and will snap and bite at people... but why are those people bitten turning sluggish and craving strange food items like brains? Can Zane rid himself of this mutt and save his town from a zombie outbreak?

You can visit the author’s site at http://clancytales.blogspot.com where she is running an amazing giveaway from now until the end of March.

Amazon Kindle

I'm so looking forward to reading both these books. What books have you recently enjoyed?

Fictional Flights of Fancy Made Fantastic

All writers are world builders in some form, but fantasy and science fiction writers are world builders extraordinaire. They have to conjure the fantastic out of nothing, make the unbelievable believable. How do they do that?

They base their worlds on our own and tweak. They can tweak a lot or a little. They offer enough familiar elements so the readers can imagine the worlds for themselves. The writer needs to offer enough detail to make the worlds believable, intriguing, inviting, scary, or all of the above.

Not everything has to be explained, but everything does have to follow certain rules – such as the rule of consequence. If the created world breaks a rule then the writer has to justify it somehow to make it believable.

What are some worlds you like to visit? What is it about make-believe worlds you like best?


Note: I could write a book on worldbuilding alone, but I’m keeping these posts short for the A-Z Challenge. To learn more about the challenge click the image on my sidebar.

Pic: Festival of Lights, Hong Kong.

CassaStar Book Launch

At last it’s time for the Grand launch of the much anticipated science fiction,
CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

The story:

To pilot the fleet’s finest ship…

Few options remain for Byron. A talented but stubborn young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitude, his cockpit skills are his only hope. Slated to train as a Cosbolt fighter pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life as he sets off for the moon base of Guaard.

Much to Byron’s chagrin, the toughest instructor in the fleet takes notice of the young pilot. Haunted by a past tragedy, Bassa eventually sees through Byron's tough exterior and insolence. When a secret talent is revealed during training, Bassa feels compelled to help Byron achieve his full potential.

As war brews on the edge of space, time is running short. Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive, and Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?

I’ve heard great things about this novel. Below is just one quote:

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

You can find more details about the book and the author on Alex's fantastic blog here

If you want to read a brilliant interview with the author go to Dezmond's awesome blog here

Find it, buy it, read it. I know I will.


CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh
October 19, 2010 Science fiction/adventure/space opera
ISBN 9780981621067 Dancing Lemur Press LLC