This came from a review on Reedsy Discovery, a place for people to find new books.

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Loved it! 😍An imaginative and highly original tale about first contact with incorporeal beings from another world some of which are already here....

Pat Griffith takes readers on an original and unexpected journey that begins in one place and then takes a direction I did not see coming. A group of high school aged friends spend an evening camped out in the woods for some stargazing and experience something none of them could have possibly expected. And then there's first contact as the real story kicks in.​

'"The light around them dimmed, eliminating the shadows. The sun grew cold and the wind blew harder. As they looked up, gravitating toward each other, there was a mutual, unspoken question between them: What in the world was that?'"

The pace suddenly quickens as its apparent this fallen meteorite contains life that has a unique invisible ability to spilt and take over a human mind. This life even has a conscience and thought process even if it does find the human anatomy seemingly foreign. After hitching a ride on their nearest hosts the chase begins as the authorities are informed - the FBI who usually turn up to these things are on the case and then comes the realization that some of these beings were already here, hiding amongst us. The focus is on the human mind and how it can be altered or even intercepted to the point where they (the humans) are no longer in control.

Through the vessel of some wonderful description and heaps of originality we are taken on this ride of chase and hide adventure as these beings intercept and try to run. There are even those in authority who have succumbed to the effects of them. What they want is never really known but does it matter? Perhaps not because like all life, that's probably what they want, to live. There are brief shades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers but with a less horror-esque tone and more of a focus on that corporeal life that silently takes on a human host.

For anyone looking to read an original sci-fi adventure about life from another planet that intercepts life on this one, this is definitely one for you!

REVIEWED BY - Lee Hall

The final book in my series, Iteration, will be out in August. In the meantime, I have been revisiting book 2, Linchpin. This is a refresher of an old scene. I will post another story to bridge the two books before the release of Iteration so keep an eye out for that.
 
Every time I read my own writing, even the published stuff, I find things I want to tweak or improve. I think most writers experience this. During the writing process, as you think through different scenes, you have to decide whose point of view to use. As a result, I sometimes end up with many versions of the same moment as I figure out who is the best person for the reader to see it through. In this case, I wanted to do a little bit of a re-write and while I was at it, also give a new POV. So this scene from Iteration is a little different than what is in the book. In the book it’s from Lysandra’s head, this is from Edward’s.
 
This scene is after Esben and Lysandra have been kidnapped and Lysandra wakes up in a hotel room with him. She is not happy about this but there is not much she can do about it. They start talking about ways to get out of the situation and Esben mentions that time when she and Brendan were trying to hone her telekinetics to pull Elbie out of people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Excuse me.” Lysandra rushed to the bathroom.
 
Edward leaned back against the stone railing. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She was still angry with him about her brother and he had to go and mention it. The guilt over Brendan's death had hung on him for months. She had every right to be angry with him. Didn't change the fact that she was all he thought about.
 
He heard the bathroom door open. Lysandra emerged, her cheeks pink from washing. She moved across the room with purpose, heading directly for him. Edward gripped the railing, bracing for another punch. As she came out into the sun, her gaze locked on to him. Without a word she threw her arms around his neck, her cheek against his. Edward froze, stunned and confused about this sudden change. Every thought in his head scrambled as she leaned into him. His heartbeat pounded in his jaw where she had hit him. Suddenly he was hot, very hot and it had nothing to do with the desert at his back.
 
“Put your arms around me.” She whispered.
 
Edward complied, circling her waist, lightly resting his arms on her hips, still trying to wrap his head around this moment. All too aware of the skin to skin contact of his forearms against her exposed midriff.
 
“Let’s get the bastard.” Her voice sent shivers down his spine. “The sooner we strike the better.”
 
Edward took a shaky breath. Now it made sense. This was a ploy to disguise their talk from any recording devices Xander may have around them. Disappointed, he nodded. “Do you really think you can do it?”
 
“I'm not sure.” She shifted against him. “That's where I need you.”
 
“Me?” He swallowed, his mouth was dry. The weight of her body against his, even as a ruse, brought every nerve in his body to full tingle mode. It took every ounce of willpower not to pull her closer, or let his hands wander to other places.
 
“I need to practice. You're the only one here with an Elbie.”
 
“I. Can't.”
 
Her body went rigid. “It was your big idea.” She whispered curtly. Her arms slid from his neck and down his arms as she leaned back from him. Anger burned in her eyes, waiting for an explanation.
 
“Esben’s gone. I had to surrender him shortly after we got here.” There was no other way to put it. What Xander wanted with Esben, he had no idea.
 
Anger melted into shock, maybe even confusion. “Surrender? Why?”
 
Edward shook his head. Because Xander threatened to hurt you, if I didn't. If he told her that giving up Esben had been an easy choice given the alternative, would she believe him? “I’m just Edward right now.”
 
Her eyes searched his and then went to the bruise still pulsing along his jaw. Seeing that he was not healing, her body relaxed ever so slightly into him, as she accepted the truth of his statement. “Esb– Edward, why didn't you say so before?”
 
The gentleness in her voice made him want to bury his face in her neck and just breathe. Forcing illicit thoughts from his mind he tried to put on a business posture. “It wasn't pertinent information until now.”
 
She looked away, her gaze distant with thought. “You're Elbie-free right now?”
 
“I am.” For the life of him, he could not read her, but he would keep his hands firmly on her hips for as long as she would let him.
 
“Are you sure?” A shrewd gleam came into her eyes as she looked up at him.
 
Edward laughed. “I’ve been a host for several years. I know the difference.” To date, this was the longest he and Esben had been separated since meeting.
 
“That’s why you're acting so weird.” She smirked.
 
“I’m behaving as I normally do.” His voice lacked conviction, even to himself. It had only been a couple of hours and he did feel weird. And overwhelmed. He wasn’t afraid for himself, but Xander had already threatened Lysandra once. The cycle of emotions he had been through in the last few hours was having a toll on him.
 
She continued to examine his face. Her scrutiny made him nervous. “What?” He asked.
 
With one hand splayed on his chest, she cupped his cheek with the other. Before he could register what was happening her lips were on his. Her tongue slid against his as her body pressed him against the railing. Not needing any explanation, he met her enthusiasm with his own. He balled the fabric of her sari in his hands to keep his hands in place. His whole body buzzed with adrenaline.
 
As suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Lysandra broke contact, her breath hitched, her cheeks burned a deeper shade of pink.
 
Edward could barely think. “What was that for?” His head spun.
 
“A test.” She said flatly, leaning back from him.
 
Attempting to keep her as close as possible, he asked. “Did I pass?”
 
“It wasn't for you.” Her tone was still flat, but he could swear a smile tugged at the corner of her flushed lips.
 
Even in this disheveled state, she was ravishing. He leaned in for another kiss. He had to feel those lips again.
 
A loud knock from inside the room made them both freeze. The doors to the suite opened, and two of Xander’s men came in. Edward let her go and they stood side by side as the two guards stared at them. “Miss Carlisle. Please come with us.”
 
Lysandra looked over at him. Edward shook his head slightly. Nothing good could come from talking with Xander. And there was no way he was going to let her be alone with him.
 
Lysandra crossed her arms. “Do I have a choice?”
 
“No.”
 
“Love to.” She pulled away from Edward. He fell in step beside her.
 
One guard put his hand out and used his body to block Edward from Lysandra. “Mr. Hansen wants to see her alone.” The guard grimmly informed.
 
Edward drew himself up. “Absolutely not.”
 
“Your turn will come, Mr. Drake.” The other guard took Lysandra by the arm and pushed her toward the door.
 
A jolt of hot anger sliced through Edward as the man gripped Lysandra's arm and dragged her into the hallway. Edward moved to intervene. The guard next to him pulled back his jacket to reveal the gun beneath. Only a few hours ago such threats would have meant nothing to Edward, but without Esben to heal him, endangering himself would not help him or Lysandra. Clenching his fists, he took a step back.
 
Edward caught a glimpse of her face as the man closed the door between them. He needed to figure out what Lysandra was to Xander before he could come up with any solutions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From there, Lysandra goes to meet Xander and he lets her know what he wants. Anywho, I hope this has added a new layer of understanding. Thank you for reading!

I saw The Batman and Dune within a week of each other. 

The Batman was good. A little long for my sensibilities, but that's fine. There's a lot of chatter online about how this movie is a masterpiece for this reason or that. I didn't see any of that. It's a good take on the character but here's the thing, I've seen every Batman movie in the theater. And while I've enjoyed most of the them, do we really need more Batman movies? 

I hadn't seen Dune when it first came out because a) the 1984 version made zero sense to me. b) I've never been able to get into the books. c) It has Tim Chalamet in the leading role (I can't stand that kid.) BUT all the online chatter with this one was about how it is a true cinematic experience. The cinematography paired with Hans Zimmer soundtrack make for a unique experience. So when the movie came back to the theater for the Oscars I made sure to get out and see it. 

From the first second Dune opened I was instantly alienated. Even though the settings aren't necessarily foreign, the politics and the religion/beliefs are very "other." The creatures and costuming helped to make things feel foreign as well but ultimately it came down to the music. Many times I wasn't sure what was supposed to be music and what was something happening in the environment of the movie. (It reminded me of Arrival in the that way.)

I enjoyed both movies equally as far as story goes but Dune pulls ahead precisely because it felt like a new experience. There is nothing in The Batman that was surprising or new. Gotham is crime infested and only the troubled Bruce Wayne can fix it. Dune truly felt like I was transported to another reality and THAT is why I read books and go to movies. 

There's a great video on YouTube with Hans Zimmer talking about how they made the music. If you like that kind of thing, I highly recommend it.

“Inside a barn in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a scientist searching for an Alzheimer’s cure throws a switch—and finds herself mysteriously transported into her husband’s body. What begins as a botched experiment will change her life—and the world—forever…

Over two decades later, all across the planet, “flash” technology allows individuals the ability to transfer their consciousness into other bodies for specified periods, paid, registered and legal. Society has been utterly transformed by the process, from travel to warfare to entertainment; “Be anyone with Anyone” the tagline of the company offering this ultimate out-of-body experience. But beyond the reach of the law and government regulators is a sordid black market called the darkshare, where desperate “vessels” anonymously rent out their bodies, no questions asked for any purpose - sex, drugs, crime... or worse.

Anyone masterfully interweaves the present-day story of the discovery and development of the flash with the gritty tale of one woman’s crusade to put an end to the darkness it has brought to the world twenty-five years after its creation. Like Blade Runner crossed with Get Out, Charles Soule’s thought-provoking work of speculative fiction takes us to a world where identity, morality, and technology collide.”

​                                                                               ~ ~ ~
I bought this book because I’m mad at Disney. The book I really wanted was “Star Wars: Light of the Jedi” by Charles Soule. It had good chatter from people I trust on social media and I’m interested in the galaxy far, far away outside of the bad choices of certain families. But as I said, I’m mad at Disney for their sloppy handling of the sequel trilogy and if I can avoid giving them money I will. But I don’t want to punish the author’s who work for Disney, it’s not their fault. So I will get Star Wars books at the library and buy those authors' independent books at my local bookstore. Anyone was the one book they had by Charles Soule. 

I’ve read "Oracle Year" too, but I enjoyed "Anyone" a lot more.

"Anyone" is a great book. I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were relatable, likable, and well rendered. The pacing is fast. I read through this book at a casual pace but still finished it in less than a week. There are two timelines which makes it a little confusing toward the end for reasons I will not give away. But it wasn’t enough to stop me from reading and I trusted the story enough to keep going. Whatever confusion I experienced did not impact my overall understanding of the outcome of the story. 

The future timeline is very cool. It’s different from our current reality but still familiar. Because of the body swapping premise, I was reminded of "Altered Carbon". "Altered Carbon" is set in the far future with lots of colonies on several other planets. It would be easy to believe that these two stories exist in the same universe. The flash tech in Anyone could be the precursor tech used in Altered Carbon. 

Charles Soule is a fantastic writer. As a writer, I aspire to his ability to weave in characters descriptions and locations into the text without slowing the flow of the story. The only time I was bored was when they were talking about the science of the flash but those paragraphs are easy to skip. I was bummed when the book was over. While the story concluded exactly as it needed to, I enjoyed myself too much to leave so soon. It would be a lot of fun to see the world of Anyone expanded on either in more books or a TV show. “The possibilities are endless.”

The best discoveries are the accidental ones.

While shopping at my local bookstore I saw "Old Man's War" by John Scalzi. I read the first couple of pages and was hooked. Read the the first chapter on my way home and was blown away. Finished that book in a couple of days. TBH it's short. I need to read it again. It's possible it could replace my current favorite space book, "Ender's Game"/"Speaker for the Dead" but let's not get ahead of ourselves. "Old Man's War" is a masterclass in character, action, and world building. I want to study this book. 

I love Scalzi's snarky tone. Which I thought was indicative of the main character, John Perry. And it is, but it is the John Scalzi way of writing (and living if his Twitter account is any indication.) The Interdependency trilogy has the same tone all the way through it too. This style may get on some people's nerves but I love it. I really appreciate his direct writing style - and then there was an explosion. Could be boring, but it's all about timing. It avoids confusion and that is something to be appreciated. 

I plan on writing more about the trilogy as well as "Old Man's War" but for now I wanted to put it out in the universe that I'm really enjoying my chance discovery. I'm off to get the follow up to "Old Man's War" which is called "The Ghost Brigades." Happy reading!

​Star Wars is a Tragedy
 
I don’t rant that often but I have a bone to pick with the Star Wars universe. As much as I love interplanetary travel, the variety of alien life, and laser swords there is a profoundly tragic trend in the Disney canon. All the romantic couples are tragic. At least all the couples I know about. I’m a lifelong SW fan but I don’t consume all the media and there are tons of books and comics I have not read.
 

• Han & Leia - estranged, living separate lives
• Anakin & Padme - he is responsible for her death
• Jyn Erso & Cassian Andor - both killed on Scarif
• Han & Qi’ra - he was ditched by her, who knows if they ever meet again
• Obi-wan & Satine - both chose duty over love, she dies in his arms
• Kanan & Hera - he’s dead, leaving her alone
• Beckett & Val - she sacrificed herself for the team, he was later killed
• Ben & Rey - he’s dead, leaving her alone
• Poe & Zorri - we aren't sure the nature of their relationship, but since she was ready to kill him it makes this list.

 
I suppose if Cassian and Jyn had lived they might have been okay, but given Disney’s track record so far, I doubt it.
 
Of course this is all current canon. In the Legends books, the old canon that Disney scrapped, Han & Leia are married with three kids and they are as feisty as they ever were in the movies. Luke is married to Mara Jade. SInce there are several comics set after the original trilogy full of Skywalkers I can only conclude that Luke and Mara have kids (I’m sure a quick check on Wookiepedia would confirm this.)
 
Not so in the Disneyfied version Star Wars, which is weird considering Disney is known for it’s happy endings. To “disneyfy” something is a word in the dictionary.
 
verb. cause (something) to become reminiscent of a film or theme park created by the Walt Disney Company, especially in being sanitized or romanticized. (bold text, my emphasis)
 
Thus the crux of my complaint with Disney. Disney’s MO for most of their history has been to take out all the sad parts of fairy tales and give us a happy ending. Guess that only applies to European folktales. Walking out of The Rise of Skywalker, I was thoroughly depressed. They try to play it off as a happy ending, but the First Order is still out there, the big space fight in the movie was against only the Emperor's ships (the FInal Order) so presumably the legions First Order people are still around to contend with. There is no central government and our heroes are camping out on some jungle planet.
 
By contrast one of the absolute best things about Parks & Recreation is that all the couples portrayed are in happy, healthy relationships.
 

• Jerry & Gayle
• Leslie & Ben
• Ann & Chris
• Andy & April
• Ron & Diane
• Tom & Wendy

 
Even the player, Tom, learns how to have a good relationship by the end of the show. Parks & Rec is almost a celebration of good relationships. Most of the peer to peer connections are exemplary. The whole conflict of the final season, Ron & Leslie’s rivalry, ends with them as better friends than before their fall out.
 
Moving on…
 
If you want to get super picky Mr. & Mrs. Frog in the Mandalorian seem to be thriving and happy. So there, way to go Disney, we have one happy couple, tertiary characters, but sure, we’ll count it. Mando on the other hand avoids relationships like Anakin avoids sand. Presumably out of duty, but we don’t actually know why since we know he can care deeply about something, i.e. Baby Yoda.
 
Tragedy runs throughout many parts of the Star Wars universe, it is about a never ending war after all. If you Google “Star Wars” and “Tragedy” you’ll get plenty of hits examining all aspects of this idea. I wanted to highlight the central relationships since characters are what makes me, and most people, care about the story in the first place. It’s really sad to me that in such a vast and interesting universe no one seems to get a happily ever after ending.
 
This week’s chatter is about them bringing in Mara Jade into the current cannon so we’ll see how that turns out. Considering Luke is alone on an island during the events of The Last Jedi, it doesn’t look good for them. If you know of any happy couples in the Star Wars universe, please let me know, I need something to hope for.

t​Under normal circumstances I like to read adventure and intergalactic travel in the summer time but at the moment it’s all I want. Escapism is a very real and very necessary thing. For me at least. It’s why I watch movies and read fiction. I avoid most dramas (even genre dramas) because they deal with real life issues. I want the farfetched and fantastical. I want a fully immersive experience forgetting everything about the current state of the world, whatever it may be. As we enter year two of a world-wide pandemic, I feel this need to escape more than ever.
 
I wanted to share some of my favorite reads so far. Movies and TV are great but they are over in a few hours. Also, they require zero imagination. When I have to conjure up the people, places, and things in my own mind, I feel like I’ve been there. I’m involved. Watching something is too passive. I am a slow reader so it takes me hours to work through a book. The more hours I spend reading, the less hours I have to be bored or freaked out.
 
Here are a few of my favorite escapes so far.
 
I’ve worked my way through a huge chunk of IDW’s Transformers, Phase Two series. Over 80 issues so far. This is a world I have wanted to be a part of since 1984. The comics, unlike the movies and TV shows have little to no humans, something I am very grateful for. I’m here for the giant robots. Period.
 
I recently read both The Night Circus and The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. Probably the most fantastical novels in this bunch. If I could choose to live in either of those novels I would. They are beautiful and I love them.
 
In contrast, I just finished Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. It’s pretty grounded in reality, but not as we know it. It’s fast paced and exciting. The idea it plays with throughout is something I think about a lot and it was fun to see someone tackle the notion of the multiverse and all its possibilities.
 
One of my favorite random discoveries is the The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty. I was in the bookstore and I was stopped in my tracks when I saw the cover of the second book, Kingdom of Copper. I quickly found the first one, City of Brass, and started reading it that day. Growing up one of my favorite books was Arabian Nights. This series is Arabian Nights to the nth degree. The world is vividly rendered in lavish colors and rich detail. The political intrigue and personal relationships are complex and surprising. I love so many of the characters. I have avoided the final book so it can never end but then again, I must know what happens. But Empire of Gold is next read and I have zero doubt that I will cry and be utterly amazed by the time I turn the last page.
 
I really enjoyed The Golem and the Ginni by Helene Wecker. While set in NYC, a place I have visited a few times, it’s in the past and entrenched in the day to day lives of some really wonderful characters. It’s anchored by the lives of these very normal people who have no idea the magic in their midst.
 
The Revenger Trilogy by Alastair Reynolds. I read book one, The Revenger, a couple of years again. At the time I was so bummed because I really liked the world he had built. There were some really cool concepts of time and space. When I found out that it was a trilogy, I immediately bought the other two books. Besides, it’s hard to get much cooler than space pirates.
 
The Prey of the Gods by Nicky Drayden was a little gory but unlike anything I have read in a while. The best word I can think of to describe this one is, unexpected.
 
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was not at all something I would usually read but I don’t regret it. It is a true gothic novel with giant scary house and a cast of suspicious characters. I admit I was enraptured by the mystery of what was going on that I read it only a few days. It was intense. But it did have an ending I could live with and that is important to me.
 
I finally read Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson. I see why so many people love it. It’s set in a hyper reality we move closer to every day and yet I’m not sure our tech will ever be as cool as it is in the book. It’s fast paced from page one and a lot of fun. I am 100% convinced we would not have Ready Player One without this book.
 
Stars Wars and Halo novels are good diversions. I have only read a fraction of these, but I am familiar enough with the overall scope of these worlds that I’m not usually too lost. When I am not sure what to read, I resort to my short story collections of Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury, both masters in imagination.
 
Those are few of my humble suggestions. If you have any great escapes to recommend, let me know on FB or Twitter. Stay safe and happy reading!