The Journey of PLANET by January Bain

The Powers That Be

Last night I saw Earth’s government, the United World Government, as hiding the big picture from the populace. (Absolute power corrupts absolutely.) I could see the scene unfolding in from of my eyes: the men in power thinking they know what’s right for everyone and yet some of the people’s “servants” were harboring unspoken selfish intentions. That will be my focus for the next few days.

I also saw “Space Arks” as the type of efficient transport that would allow the kind of world-scale evacuation my novel calls for. The words feel very right and I will spend time researching, one of my favorite things to do.

It’s appearing more and more obvious to me in recent days that I am not going to be writing my usual “romance” book but one with a different scope. It appears to be more about different families and their experience leading up to the mass exodus with government cover-ups coming into focus. I do love a good mystery! And this one is a mystery to me yet…

…And a few days later and my novel is not without its hero. The hero who showed himself today is, tah-dah: one Joshua Carpenter: official in the United World Government who is not the usual ‘suit’, but a man of character who has a altruistic nature though he still knows how to play the game. He will add a real interesting edge to our story as he fights from within the system.

http://www.januarybain.ca/

PERCEPTION AND BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE ELEPANT AND ARMIDILLO by Angelica Hart and Zi

“Fleas know not whether they are upon the body of a giant or upon one of ordinary stature,” wrote the poet Landor. As a flea in the world of writing, I know that Angelica is giantesque.

A: (Tosses a stuffed elephant at Zi) “Where are you going with this? Is this about my weight?”

Z: “Weight? You’ve weight?” (he smiles)

A: I am zaftig...pleasingly curvy...Rubenesque-like. (Stands and holds herself proudly imitating the statue of liberty)

Z: Ah, perception...perception...perception! I was talking about your creativity.

A: Oh...errrr...never mind.

Z: However, since we are on the subject....

There is that fantasy world that often portrays perfection and is also quite appealing, sometimes that has to be honored and if the story dedicates such perfection we respond to that truth. Oscar Wilde said, "The truth is rarely pure and never simple." Therein lies the complexity, especially when it comes to writing. We hope to always give an extra dimension to our stories. We, of course, will describe our character but we rarely comment on a particular size. A heroine can be curvy or athletically built or soft and feminine or whatever, but we downplay any homage to the media phenomena of being a size minus two.

A: Getting philosophical are we?

Z: (Tosses a stuffed armadillo at Angelica, wishing to give equally opportunity tossing to all stuffed creatures)

A: (Cuddles the wee beasty and grins at it) Whacky is also a perception.

Z: Are you calling me whacky?

A: According to the dictionary, whacky is an adjective that describes odd or crazy. Our problem is deciding which of us is odd and who is crazy?

Z: You're over-analyzing.

A: Am not. Z: You always do that.

A: I'm intellectualizing.

Z: You're so strange.

A: Hmmm, then I guess that makes me odd and YOU crazy.
Margaret Hungerford wrote, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." She was an Irish novelist in the 19th century who wrote light romantic fiction. However, this saying first appeared in the 3rd century BC in Greek. And, as all know, what was considered beautiful differed from each era. Beauty from our parents' day differs from the perception of beauty today. That is why we try to make the beauty of our heroines are unique, special, brushed an unusual hue.

Z: Something we fully agree upon.

A: Have you ever considered that the literary gods have a sense of humor by putting us together as writers?

Z: I think they wanted to see what would happen if they mixed two independent writers with 1 part logic, 1 part zany, and 2 parts stubborn.
A: Am not stubborn!

Z: Did I say it was you?

A: Oh... (thinks) No, but if you meant me, I'm not stubborn just... well... just usually right.

Z: (Opens his mouth to speak, and then just keeps quite, shaking his head)


***

We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who writes us at writingteamcw@yahoo.com (Write - Blog - in subject line) and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.

Angelica Hart and Zi KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~ CHASING YESTERDAY CHRISTMAS EVE...VIL ~ Christmas 2012 http://www.champagnebooks.com/

Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane STEEL EMBRACE
BOOK NOOKIE-A LIBRARIAN'S BUIDE TO THE DO-ME DECIMAL SYSTEM http://www.carnalpassions.com/

THE FABLE OF SIN-SIN CINDERELLA Series
angelicahartandzi.com

The Journey of PLANET by January Bain

Ethical Issues

Now that such minuscule implanting devices are readily available, you have to ask if “Big Brother” has it too easy keeping the population in check. Yes, it reduces crime to virtually zero, but what about individual freedoms? How much of our “humanness” are we willing to give up? The movie “Braveheart” understood implicitly the need for freedom. I would love to create a book some day that speaks to the soul—that cries out for freedom for all people.

Less of an ethical concern, but perhaps much more fun, imagine watching the movie you want on one half of your field of view from inside your own head from a small device hidden behind your ear or being able to project it for your family into a 3-D hologram-like image. I think people will still want to be entertained and be able to escape the bonds of reality whenever and wherever they want.

How far is New Earth from Earth?

Since the recent discovery of HD85512b that is 36 light years from Earth (one light year is 5,865,696,000,000 miles) and our future civilization can travel at the speed of light, then the one-way journey will take 36 years. The media calls this Earth, Super Earth, I’m calling it New Earth, much like adventures called England, New England in America.

(It is 3.6 times the mass of Earth and is a constant temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Which planet would you choose for a mass exodus from our own beloved one?

http://www.januarybain.ca/

The Journey of PLANET by January Bain

The Plan and New Inventions:

By 2723, Earth’s in habitants have undergone many devastating events. Having been tainted through the centuries by numerous plagues of man-made viruses, nuclear explosions, naturally occurring volcanic eruptions of scalding lava that had burst inopportunely through the crust on occasion, the near collapse of the ecosystem that planted the idea for their current United World Government and one biotech disaster that decimated the entire population of Areas Ten through Twenty—but still unbowed in the final analysis until the Titan.

The populace, what remained of it after the viral spread of Ebola by terrorists against the World Government, is now evacuating Earth for New Earth.

How far away is the new planet and how long will it take to get there? The populace needs to be revaccinated with the DNA stem cell therapy serum that “sets” their bodies back fifty years to get everyone there alive.

My inventions to date:  2723 A.D.

(1) Rejuvenation Institute for DNA stem cell therapy serum injections that “sets” the body back 50 years to enable a type of immortality.

(2) 100 Earth Zones under one United World Government.

(3) Automatic robot that cleans the apartment:  Turbo-Robot (my personal favorite!)

(4) Titan: More than twenty-three hundred kilometers across, the massive rock and ice structure was bigger than the total square kilometer size of Area Two. The largest of the one hundred Zones that gridded the planet, it stretched its tentacles from the Mississippi River system through the Great Plains to foot of the Rocky Mountains, from the former Canadian/US border to the state of Texas.

(5) New Earth

(6) An army of unleashed von Neumann probes, those self-replicating robots that are “seeding” the galaxy with terraform. (I didn’t invent this as it has already been suggested!)

(7) Previous Disasters: tainted through the centuries by numerous plagues of man-made viruses, nuclear explosions, naturally occurring volcanic eruptions of scalding lava that had burst inopportunely through the crust on occasion, the near collapse of the ecosystem that planted the idea for their current United World Government and one biotech disaster that decimated the entire population of Zones Ten through Twenty.

(8) Gabaray (space incinerator) turns space junk to dust.

(9) Implanted miniature micro chip that allows instant access to a device that acts similar to a twenty-first century cell phone. Also, it has reduced crime to virtually nonexistent due to its tracking nature.

(10) Flash-8, their very own personal flying conveyance that holds one to three people depending on style: ex. Rover (two people) or Viewer (one person) or Sedan (three people) Mind-controlled crafts.

(11) Nearly invisible headsets that allow you to mentally key in your thoughts to be later downloaded and stored in the library memory hard-drive for future generations.

(12) Movie screens inside your head that can also be projected into a 3-D hologram on to a 3-D hologram for everyone to enjoy.

(13) Library of Data.

(14) Space Arks for the Exodus.

(15) Stay tuned, there will be many more!

Any thoughts?

http://www.januarybain.ca/

INTERVIEWING UTE CARBONE by Angelica Hart and Zi

: I am sooooo excited!

Z: You found a new candy store?

A: Well, as a matter-of-fact...but no...no...this is sweet but not about candy.  We are about to interview Ute Carbone, author of -THE P-TOWN QUEEN coming out this June from Champagne Books.

Z:  I hear the book is a humorous hoot!

A:  It isn't even out and I already have it on me TBR pile!

Z:  (Offers a gentlemanly bow as Ute enters)

A:  (Presents coffee, tea and, of course, chocolate)

A/Z:  Welcome to CBG's blog, Ute! We are tickled to have you here, and can't wait to discuss your upcoming release.  Sooo, let's begin!

Thanks for having me. And bringing chocolate. I love chocolate!

A/Z:  Who do you like to write about best, your heroes/she-roes or your villains? 

I think I like the heroes best. I always fall in love with them just a little bit.

A/Z:   Which of the following universes would the characters fit into better, Twilight Zone, SpongeBob Square Pants, or the Big Bang Theory and why? 

 Well, the heroine is an oceanographer, so I could see an underwater Sponge Bob version. But I’d have to say Big Bang. It’s one of my favorite shows and the guys are scientists. They are a bit geekier than main character Nikki. I started out making her a geek, but as she took over (she likes to take over) it turned out she wasn’t really very geeky at all. And things blow up in the book. A lot. So there’s lots of big bangs.

A/Z:  If Hollywood made a movie about you, who would you like to see playing the lead role?  Is your answered based on looks or personality?

 Scarlett Johansson. She looks just like me! *Grins and grabs another piece of chocolate.* Okay, maybe not. Maybe Angelina Jolie. Because…She’s Angelina and the movie would be a box office smash.

A/Z:  If you were a superhero, what would be your name and superpower?

Stiletto.  She’s got six inch heels and she knows how to use them.  She’s my alter ego: my real life self falls off any heel higher than an inch.

A/Z:  What is the inspiration behind THE P-TOWN QUEEN? 

Like most stories I write, P-Town was a bunch of ideas come together to have a party (or a funeral in some cases J ) I began with an idea of guy running from trouble. He applies for a job he’s not at all qualified for and calls himself “Parker Bench” because he’s homeless and was recently sitting on a park bench. I knew the person with the job offer would be a woman, because I wanted a romance.  I had recently been to the cape, in Provincetown, and wanted to set a story there. So I made her an oceanographer because it’s a field I’ve long been interested in and also because it’s something Parker (and me) knew nothing about. Then I saw a greeting card with a very gay looking man posing in front of a boat called “The P-Town Queen” and I knew I had the missing ingredient!  

A/Z:  How would you describe your book to a four year old?

A boy and a girl meet in a little town. Lots of things go boom!

A/Z :  If one of your characters could come to life and live next door to you, which one would it be and why? 

Next door? They’re moving in? Oh dear God, I better hide the good china. Actually, they don’t have to move in next door. They live in my house. They disturb me at the most inappropriate times. Always demanding I give them a better story line, or stop causing them trouble. Yada yada yada. They are so annoying! But I love them anyway. As Marco/Parker  would say, whadya gonna do?

 A/Z :  What is your favorite drink and /or snack when writing?

I’m a coffee addict and I consume gallons while I write. Chocolate is a great reward for finishing a scene or a chapter. And wine, but not while writing. Wine writing looks great whilst being written but just dreadful on the morning after.

A/Z :  Would you like to add anything?

 Just thanks for having me! And thanks for the chocolate!

A/Z :  Thank you so much for indulging us, Ute.  It has been a blast, and we look forward to the release of THE P-TOWN QUEEN.

Visit Ute Carbone at -

Live Love Laughhttp://ute-carbone.blogspot.com/

http://www.utecarbone.com/

***

Angelica Hart and Zi KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~ CHASING YESTERDAY CHRISTMAS EVE...VIL ~ Christmas 2012 http://www.champagnebooks.com/

Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane STEEL EMBRACE
BOOK NOOKIE-A LIBRARIAN'S BUIDE TO THE DO-ME DECIMAL SYSTEM http://www.carnalpassions.com/

The Journey of PLANET by January Bain

How large is Comet Titan?

This is an important consideration. Titan needs to be sufficiently humongous enough to have the impact create untenable conditions on Earth, and yet not so large as to seem improbable to fellow humans. I have come up with description, keeping in mind that with Earth’s one Unified Government having been created, I need to describe it more by historical land marks.

But it was the sheer size of the Titan that defied man’s need to control it, he knew only too well, having spent hours studying every single bit of information that could be collected, both legally and albeit not so legally from a friend perched in high places. More than twenty-three hundred kilometers across, the massive rock and ice structure was bigger than the total square kilometer size of Area Two. The largest of the Areas, it stretched its tentacles from the Mississippi River system through the Great Plains to foot of the Rocky Mountains, from the former Canadian/US border to the state of Texas.

This should make Titan large enough to destroy life as we know it on planet Earth and make evacuation essential to man’s survival. One can just imagine the dust storm or, if it lands in water, an even more likely scenario as the planet is more than seventy percent covered by water, than the flooding would be unbelievable and swam us all. A worrisome premise, eh!

http://www.januarybain.ca/

From The Publisher's Desk

One of the privileges of being a publisher is the travel to events that we sometimes get to do. Recently I had the privilege (and yes, I call it a privilege) to attend the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association’s annual summer convention. There is nothing like having the opportunity to mingle with other publishing professionals and hearing their ‘take’ on what is happening with the publishing world these days. But for me, the highlight is meeting some extraordinary authors and reading their material. I was involved with several grueling pitch sessions, which were run like speed dating. A new author every three minutes to pitch their latest book. I was exhausted! But if even half of those people send in their material as requested, I’ll be pleased.

This month was also a sad month for us at Champagne. We had to say goodbye to one of our authors and long time friends, Nan Arnold. After a long and courageous battle with cancer, Nan passed away July 21, 2012. To share her talent and wit, we’ve put her ebooks on special for the entire month of August.

 This month’s releases prove to be very interesting, indeed. Starting with Toxic Relationship by Richard Hacker, I can tell you that there is not a more neurotic bunch of bad guys you have ever seen!  Book Nookie by Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane will leave you looking at libraries in a whole new way. It is an erotic romance/fantasy, so the sex is hot, the story is unique. And you’ll love it. Into The Lyons’ Den by Rita Bay charmed the heck out of me. I love paranormal romances, and this one combines shape shifting with those sexy alpha men! Time Warp, Inc, by Cotton E Davis was fascinating. Think about travelling back in time to change not only your future, but your past. And lastly, Hive by Marc Davies. Truly a fascinating look on what could happen if we let technology get out of hand.

Check these titles out on our landing page at http://www.champagnebooks.com. You won’t be disappointed.

 ‘Til next time,

Ellen

THE GRAY AREA OF TODAY'S REAL AND LITERARY AFFAIRS by Angelica Hart and Zi

Is there really a gray area? Is it still wrong to have an affair outside of marriage, commitment, engagement? How many times have you heard someone say, We're in a committed relationship? Or when caught in an affair... I just don't know what came over me. I couldn't help myself? I really do love you not them? Just what does that mean when you don't have a legal document, yup, that wee bit of paper that tells people they belong to each other and no one else? Does the commitment of today have the strength of yesterday's marriage even without the paper? Does marriage mean commitment forever, or is it I'm committed to you for as long as no one nicer, richer, kinder, simpler, funnier, sweeter, more macho, less macho, more in tune, or whatever you'd like to throw in there. And, is it possible to truly be in love with two people? Should today's marriage be redefined?

Z: Ooooh, we're getting serious today.

A: Hey, weren't me who thinks the heroine in our new book should be married.

Z: I believe I said committed....

A: You never once mentioned an insanity ward.

Z: (Gives a disbelieving look) Sometimes your brain connectors misfire.

A: It was a perfectly logical statement. I'm old fashioned, I like my heroines single, free of commitment, and/or insanity!

Z: But just what is the morals of today and how does that fit into the new cutting edge of writing?

There are many loyal followers of sweet romance, entire books about how a couple can be in love forever, if they could just get around a few obstacles. That was the original core concept of romance. Time evolved and so did morals and sexual freedoms, but for the most part the reader still wanted one on one romance, and happily ever after as in marriage.

Another leap in time and bibbidi-bobbidi-boob, sex isn't a fairy tale any more. Some readers remain faithful to the true and ole, others become adventurers, exploring the erotic, the taboo, the oh la la. There is little one cannot find from a randy threesome. to a wife swap or M/M. BDSM has become common faire, add leather, a whips or two and a sweetie romantic romp into high adventure on leather and lace seas.

We say this to reflect that the idea of romance has changed drastically, and as authors we are all about pleasing our audience. It used to be easy, there was a basic formula, now there are few inhibitions and ever few rules. There is something for everyone's tastes. However, we want to know from the readers if marriage and/or a committed relationship still means no fooling around outside that commitment. Of course, this does not include those characters in a story who choose to swing.

Flash back to a famous book the BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY. Most women related to the heroine, and the choice she had to make between a love of forever and the promise she made to her husband and family to honor and protect. Where are the moral lines today? Are there any lines? Would that same woman (or character) make the same choice?

Which brings us back to our first thoughts. In reality, love draws some of us into affairs, we lose our heads and our hearts, people break up homes over it, and no one can truly judge the right or wrong of it anymore, or can we?
So, if you dare, answer this questions. If you are in love with your husband and family as well as with a significant other who might also have a family and you are having an affair....A: Do you break up both families and create a life together? B: Do you end the affair, quick and clean, and just hold the memories tight in your heart, along with the hurt you inflicted on the other? C: Do you continue to go on, and hope that you never get caught?

Now, answer those same questions if these were characters in a books. Are your answers different? Is it fun to read about such turmoil or more fun to live it?
Z: You haven't had your tea yea, have you?

A: No, but...

Z: Ahhh, that explains your brain's running amuck.

A: Humph! Suppose you wanted to talk about the Eagles.

Z: We already did that when you first got here.

A: Oh yea..... (Brightens) Tea?

***
Angelica Hart and Zi KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~ CHASING YESTERDAY CHRISTMAS EVE...VIL ~ Christmas 2012 http://www.champagnebooks.com/

Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane STEEL EMBRACE
BOOK NOOKIE-A LIBRARIAN'S BUIDE TO THE DO-ME DECIMAL SYSTEM http://www.carnalpassions.com/