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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

... Can they do it in time? - Epitaph: Reveille by Victor Nieves

Goodreads: "I loved this book! I thought the whole concept was fascinating, original, and richly drawn. The characters came alive for me as I was reading; [...] There is mystery, intrigue, action and humor!"

Description:

In year 2343, the galaxy receives a deadly wake-up call... 

Nearly three-hundred years have passed since humanity ascended to the stars, joining with a conglomeration of alien races all living under the rule of a single, united community - the United Galactic Coalition - a joint, multi-species alliance that upholds the principles of democracy, freedom, and equality for all races. 

The Milky Way Galaxy's future looks bright ... 

Until a research team uncovers a mysterious crystal buried deep beneath the surface of a frontier world on the edge of settled space. This discovery proves to be the catalyst for an invasion from an unknown alien force that is just as ruthless as they are mysterious. 

As the races of the galaxy are catapulted into a vicious fight for their very survival, fate hastily throws together a legendary admiral with a dark past, a brilliant scientist with precious little time to find the answers, an elite Special Forces Operative who must come to terms with a past failure, a spunky young military officer for whom this war is a baptism by fire, and a top notch Marine who will discover a truth that will define him as a hero. 

These five men and women hold not only the keys to their own survival, but the survival of their entire civilization. With the clock ticking, the race to uncover the truth begins. As they try to fend off this cruel and merciless alien foe, this handful of soldiers must discover what secrets this crystal could hold that would be worth the destruction of all life in the galaxy. But the question is ... 

... Can they do it in time? 
GUEST POST
10 tips for becoming a better writer

Hello! My name is Victor Nieves. My first novel, Epitaph: Reveille, the first installment in a military/science fiction trilogy, was published this past September. I’ve learned quite a few helpful tips over the years I’ve spent writing Epitaph: Reveille, and I thought I’d share them with you!

Number 1: In my opinion, the best way to learn different writing styles is to read across as many genres as you can. Don’t just stick to your own genre. That’s like only eating your favorite food. Sure, it’s wonderful! But, by limiting your nutrition to just what’s in that dish, you’re cutting your body off from the nourishment it requires to allow you to continue to function! So think of it like that; knowledge is nutrition for your brain, the more you learn, the wider you expand, the healthier your mind will get!

Number 2: When we write, we often find ourselves using a specific word over and over again. It’s an easy thing to do. If it works, why change it? People don’t like reading the same word too many times, though. Not only does it appear as if your vocabulary lacks variety, word repetition makes your book seem hollow. You can avoid echoing the same words throughout your manuscript by getting to know your thesaurus!

Number 3: Criticism. No matter what we do in life, someone’s always there with an idea on how we can improve. For me, that was one of the most frustrating aspects of penning my first novel. I was happy with what I wrote, but often my editor would suggest changes or express dissatisfaction with my work. It’s difficult to be told the novel you’ve poured everything into needs to be tweaked, but by taking advice from others, you can adjust your work to please a wider audience!

Encyclopedia Britannica: Milky Way Galaxy
Number 4: Setting up a reliable – and strict – writing schedule for myself played a huge factor in the completion of my novel. If you have a habit of procrastinating like I do, adhering to a daily schedule will truly make a difference.

Number 5: I could not have finished Epitaph: Reveille without having found a good method of stress relief. When I would get writer’s block or just didn’t feel like I was doing my best, the frustration I felt was intense! So, I would get up, put in my earbuds, and go for a walk as I listened to my favorite music. By the time I got back home, the tension had dissipated, my mind felt refreshed, and I was able to get back to business. I often had to do this several times a day! If you need to take a break, do it, because you cannot be at your best with a stress-encumbered mind.

Number 6: A handy notebook and a pen should be any writer’s traveling companions. Ideas will come to you at the blink of an eye, and should you neglect to record them, they’ll leave your mind just as fast. So, always carry a pen and notebook with you to record your ideas, because no matter what the idea, it was always lead to something you can incorporate, one way or another, into your novel.

Number 7: Although criticism is an important part of success, there are going to be times when you strongly disagree with what was suggested. When that happens, make the choice to believe in you’ve done and go with it. Don’t feel discouraged.

Number 8: An author’s most valuable asset is their perfect reader. A perfect reader is a person that will review your novel and give you an honest, from the heart opinion no matter their relationship to you. Finding that person can be challenge, but the difference that kind of honesty makes is worth the effort.

Number 9: No matter what genre you’re tackling, it’s always a good idea to ask for insight. I have many friends that share my affinity for science fiction, so going to them and learning what different science fiction readers expect helped me to come up with some pretty cool ideas!

Number 10: You are your worst critic! When you feel dissatisfied with your work, don’t let that impede your journey. When it comes to writing, I’m extremely critical of myself. Most authors are hard on themselves. But listen to your feedback. If your editor and your readers are giving you a positive response, trust that.

About the author:
Victor Nieves lives in West Virginia. He enjoys writing, reading, and is a huge horror movie fan, zombies in particular. At the young age of twenty-one, he found a way to communicate his ideas and imagination with others through writing, which he plans on doing for the rest of his life.
His latest book is the sci-fi, Epitaph: Reveille.

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