Red Planet Lancers Guest Post #GoddessFish

 

RED PLANET LANCERS

by Brian H. Roberts

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GENRE: Science Fiction Thriller

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BLURB:

How far will you go to save a friend?

After sweeping Dallas Gordon and the American base from Earth’s moon, Emperor Zhang Aiguo launches an armada to conquer Ep City and control Mars.

Ruthless Colonel Song Dajing leads his Emperor’s flotilla to defeat EPSILON’s isolated Mars colony. He brings the same armaments he used to defeat Dallas Gordon on the moon, plus a high yield missile to annihilate Ep City and its occupants. The US Space Force, occupied with plans to take back the moon, refuses to intervene.

In a race against time, Dallas Gordon must organize a mercenary squadron and pursue Song before he can deploy his weapons on the defenseless colony. Ep City commander Genady Antonov must prepare his civilian workforce for the coming invasion and plan for the unthinkable should Gordon fail to reach Mars before Song does.

Taught and fast-paced, Red Planet Lancers builds tension until the exciting climax. Once you start this Earth-to-Mars rocket ride, you won’t want to stop. Order your copy today!

Excerpt

A private ran up to the Captain, communicating helmet-to-helmet. Zhi relayed the message to Song, “Impact in sixty seconds, sir. Would you like to watch from outside the lights?” Song nodded and the two soldiers walked past the rovers into the Martian night.

The captain selected a location where the view wouldn’t be interrupted by any landers. He pointed to the southwest. “Ep City is twenty kilometers that way.” He stood a respectful distance to the side so his commanding officer could enjoy the moment of his victory.

A flash of dull orange light lit up that sector of the horizon. It was followed by an equally orange mushroom cloud majestically rolling upward, dissipating as it went. Song waited for the expected boom but heard nothing. Sound travels fast in the thin Martian atmosphere but does not carry very far.

Song allowed himself a disappointed sigh. “See to it all rovers are loaded with their full complement of missiles. Issue rifles to all men, with ten spare clips. At dawn, we send a mop-up detachment to Ep City. I want the site fully secured so we can focus on destroying Dallas Gordon’s garrison when they arrive tomorrow.”

Zhi Sun snapped to attention and saluted. When Song returned the salute, the captain disappeared into the burgeoning base.

Guest Post

Eight Ways I Draw My Readers in

I write Science Fiction Thrillers. When asked what that means, I reply that I write in Thriller style set in a future world. So you may recognize these techniques from other thrillers you’ve read.

1) Accuracy. Nothing breaks a reader’s concentration faster than factual inaccuracy. If I just named a semiautomatic pistol in a character’s hand, I had better not have them reload it like a revolver. I’m careful to portray the actual chemistry of environmental equipment, or machinery. I describe the actual landforms an astronaut could expect to encounter in Hellas Planitia, the giant impact crater where Red Planet Lancers takes place. I regard the accurate portrayal of the laws of physics as a compact between me and my readers.

2) Minimize passive language. Even when I’m digressing from the action to describe the setting, or provide background info, I try to avoid flowery, convoluted language. The common term among literati is “purple prose.” I find it annoying to read, and try my best not to subject my readers to it.

3) Write chapters like mini stories. That means each chapter has a beginning, an inciting incident, conflict or struggle, and a final resolution. When I do that, the reader follows along effortlessly. My only exception is when…

4) End chapters, (and some books) in a cliffhanger. When properly employed, a cliffhanger results in that “I couldn’t put it down” feeling we enjoy so much as readers. So if Red Planet Lancers is your first EPSILON SciFi Thriller, I apologize in advance for those mornings when you show up for work all bleary-eyed. But let’s face it, a lack of sleep is a guilty pleasure you can remedy with an extra cup of coffee.

5) Build tension leading up to a showdown. I employ two techniques to accomplish this. One is a countdown. That doesn’t have to be a literal countdown—although it’s pretty easy to do before a rocket’s liftoff. Another variant is to alternate scenes between combatants, with each scene drawing the two a little closer in time and space until they finally meet.

6) Write action scenes in short, punchy prose. Once the fight is on, short sentences using words that convey action, tension, anger, hatred, etc. forces us to read at a faster pace. Our pulse actually quickens. We experience vicariously, what our hero is going through. I like to zero in on descriptions that convey the sense of anger and violence. For example, I’ll describe the anger or fear in characters’ eyes. Their nostrils flare. Droplets of spittle fly in an angry exchange of words. Chest bump. Weapons discharge. Dust flies. You get the idea.

7) Break the tension with a little humor. Let’s face it. Tension continuously mounting chapter after chapter can be exhausting. Sometimes a bit of levity gives the reader a mental breather, preparing them for the next run-up.

8) Show the human side of hero(es). My main character, Dallas Gordon, is a former POW and war hero. He led the first mission to Mars. He has nerves of steel whether he’s climbing a cliff or facing down a fusillade of enemy fire. Exciting stuff. But if that’s all he does, no reader can relate to him. So I made Dallas shy of publicity. He’s deeply in love with Ann, and unsure of the right thing to do with respect to their relationship. He cries with anguish when one of his pilots dies and displays tender respect when he is laid to rest. He gets frustrated when preparations for his big showdown don’t go smoothly. Those are qualities most of us can relate to. And make us more likely to cheer him on when he plays the part of the hero.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

In his first life, BRIAN H. ROBERTS worked as a contractor and civil engineer in bustling Seattle. In his spare time he read novels by the greatest names in science fiction: Andy Weir, Frank Herbert, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and so many others. As he read these authors’ works, he was inspired to write Sci-Fi Thrillers to engage and entertain readers like him.

As with so many of us, life intervened. Raising a family, work, remarriage and finally retirement all placed demands on his time. Desiring a change – and time to write – he and his wife traded big city life for the outdoor adventures of Central Oregon. His writing draws deeply on his lifelong loves of science/technology and adventure sports. The EPSILON Sci-Fi Thrillers is Brian’s first series.

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Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/RED-PLANET-LANCERS-EPSILON-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0CQTJ848W/ref=sr_1_1

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Brian H. Roberts will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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