A Little Bit about You and a Little Bit about me

A Little Bit about You and a Little Bit about me

If you clicked on this link you’ve probably read some of my other blogs on writing and publishing online.  I can’t tell you who clicked on my blog but I can tell what country they are from.  I am amazed that my thoughts not only reached across America but across the world, from Korea to Bulgaria, Russia, Spain, Japan, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands, Malaysia, India and Australia and the East coast of South Africa (Godom) to South America.

The Human race has been trying to communicate with each other since the cave drawings, radio, TV and the Internet.

You are all interested in writing.  I can also tell you that its only one or two people from each country that read my blog.  You are my links around the world.  I would like to thank you, “Thank You” for reading my blogs.  If you have a question or want to discuss something please look up “Lord Skyler and The Earth Defenses Force” on FaceBook and send me a message.  We are here to help each other.  Please keep in mind though that I am a writer trying to sell his books, so if you can buy a copy or share my Web site with your network of friends, I would appreciate it.

A little bit about me.  I am a father, a husband and most of the time a Human just being Human.  I am on a quest for knowledge to obtain wisdom.  Everybody is my teacher.  Every door of knowledge I open I see ten more new doors on the other side.  The more I learn the more I realize how much I don’t know.  I wear a smile on my face because I teach by example.  A Happy Life is made up of Happy moments.  Enjoy each moment.

Thanks for your support.

Matt Schott

http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force/dp/0578014181/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322491942&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_11?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+program+thicker+than+water&sprefix=a+program+t

What will the difference be between Smart Houses today and Smart houses Twenty years from now?

What will the difference be between Smart Houses today and   Smart houses Twenty years from now?

You know how the internet records every click you make.  I take that idea and apply it to smart houses.  Your smart house in the future will learn your routines and your likes and dislikes.  It will learn that you change slightly as you grow older.  It will learn to anticipate what you will need.

They’re a lot of advantages to having a smart house that preps your food and screen your phone calls.  It could order your food and give you the daily news that is important to you.  It can make small talk with you as it reads the sports news and looks up certain details that interest you.

After ten years or more its programming might develop glitches.  It could, not let you open the refrigerator door because you need to diet.  It could lock your door because you go out and drink too much on the weekends.  What would happen if your life was threatened?  Could your smart house kill someone protecting you from being attack?  I can hear Isaac Asimoz’s voice in my head now, “The three laws of robotics.” 

A robot will not harm a Human or through inaction allow a Human to come to harm.

A robot must obey orders given by a Human except where such orders would conflict with the first law.

A robot must protect it’s own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first and second law.

The problem with the great Isaac Asimoz’s laws is that Humans will be doing the programming.

I’ve worked in the electrical field for more than 27 years.  The tech for smart houses is here.  We have developed so much technology in the last fifty years that we haven’t applied it or engineer it to its full potential.  I’ve written a scifi short story murder mystery called,

“A Program Thicker Than Water”.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NVRGNU

I take today’s technology one or two steps forward.  Besides showing how smart cars and smart houses will be used I also throw in some tech that allows you to paint the inside of your house without using paint.  You could travel to a space station around Jupiter without leaving your bedroom.  Please download my 9,000 word short story and time travel to the future the next time you have lunch.  Please tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading,

Matt T. Schott

You come up with a great idea for a book, now what?

You come up with an idea for a book, now what?

My Process

I write everything down in a notebook that spews from my brain.  Yes, notebooks spew from my brain.  :-)   I have no idea what the plot is or how the story is going to progress and at this point I don’t think about it.  I know that will come later.  All I know is that this is a cool idea I got.   “A kid takes a disadvantage and turns it into his advantage.”

Next I organize my ideas in some kind of order and the plot starts to grow.   

Now that I’ve got a basic plot I get another blank piece of paper and start coming up with chapters.  In one or two sentences I write down the point I want to get across that supports the plot.

1)    Matt was a talented athlete as a kid.

2)    Matt wants to play pro baseball.

3)    Matt greatest plays in high school baseball

4)    Matt’s devastating injury on the last game of the year.

  

I create a list of chapters headings until I can see a beginning-middle and the end to the book.  It is important to have an idea where you want to be in the plot by the middle of the book, it can change later.  My experience is that I come up with twenty to thirty chapters. 

For me it’s a matter of what comes next.  How do I get from chapter one to the middle of the book?  I find that my character will decide that.  When you start writing the chapters you might find you have to add a chapter to get your charter to the next plot point.

Then I focus on my first chapter.  If it doesn’t flow right out onto the paper I think of how I’m going to get to my plot point for that chapter.  An event with a beginning a middle and an end.  It’s a rough draft the details can come later.  Sometimes I’ll be three chapters away and get an idea and come back to chapter one and fill in some more.

The writing gets easier and easier as I go.  It’s all about what comes next.  Once I’ve gone through the manuscript I take a long good look at all the chapter titles at once.  I find the holes in the story line and fill them in with more chapters.  Some chapters split in two while others I take right out.

Then I rewrite and rewrite for specifics.  I’ll rewrite once just looking to support the plot.  I’ll rewrite another time just to make sure characters are seeing different colors and smelling sweet and sour smells.  Then I’ll rewrite to detail certain descriptions to enhance the moment in the story.

To say I write like this all the time would be another fictional story but I do write like this most of the time.  I believe everybody has their own way of writing but I also believe in the writing craft and still have a lot to learn.  I hoped I’ve helped.

Keep Writing,

Matt T. Schott

http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1314264816&sr=1-1

Using Description Wisely and Purposely

Using Description Wisely and Purposely

             Good description takes on many forms and doesn’t rely solely on adverbs and adjectives.  A simple description, “The man looked upset.” could be all that is needed.  It’s not the number of adjectives in a sentence it’s in the accurate detail and relevance of what you are describing.

The man looked upset.  He pushed the ticket, to the movie that already started, through the small glass window.  His foul mood disappeared from my mind when I turned my gaze into Ginger’s deep brown loving eyes and time seemed to stop.  I was captivated by her rained soaked brown hair.  A droplet of water rested comfortably on to her soft flushed cheek that I gentle brushed away with my finger.  The sunshiny kid’s smile that burst from her heart on to her face from my gesture defied the gloom of the torrential rain fall outside the theater.   I knew then that her beaming smile would guide me to happiness for the rest of my life.

I put as much description in when I’m writing a book.  I try to be like I’m the Sherlock Holmes of writing with out telling the reader directly.  Some details I give are not always relevant until the next chapter.  Some details relate to the plot as a subliminal hint.  When I rewrite I take a step back and make sure that my descriptions are relevant to the moment in the story or tie in with the plot in some way.  If they are not, no matter how good I think they are, I take them out.

The moment in the story two paragraphs above isn’t about the upset man giving me the movie ticket.  It’s about the moment I realized I am in love with Ginger.  If I was to describe the upset man too much it would draw the reader’s attention away from what was important in the scene.  If the ticket guy had a pirate’s patch over one eye with bright red clown type of hair that a veteran circus performer would be envious of, it would take away from the romantic moment and the point of the scene.

It is a tricky balance of not making your descriptions the star of your book.  I believe it should share the stage with the plot too.

Keep Writing

            Matt T. Schott
https://sites.google.com/site/lordskylerandtheedf/

Constant Conflict Can Give you a Head Ache

Constant Conflict Can Give you a Head Ache

I love writing action adventure.  I learned though that constant conflict can dull the action. 

I make sure that each of my chapters has the set up for the action but at the same time making the “action” part contrast the moment in the story to make the “action” part really pop.  A calm before the storm type of idea.

I also rewrite to make sure that the action part of the chapter doesn’t always happen at the same part in each chapter.  I find it easiest to "set up" the action in the beginning, then the action, and then the result with a cliff hanger.   I try not to make this the norm throughout the book ether.  I learned to move the action part or the conflict part to the beginning or the end of the chapter.

I usually look for the book’s rhythm after a couple rewrites.  I lay the chapters out on a table and find the slow spots and the fast spots. I want to make sure they blend together perfectly.  I want the reader on a roller coaster ride for the whole book but I want them to take a breath now and again so they can appreciate the next thrill.

I also noticed another pattern of my writing.  The chapters near the end of the book are shorter and the action is bigger.   I think the shorter chapters near the end of the book make the book feel like the action is picking up speed.   It’s like a trick of the writing trade I learned in a writer’s magazine a long time ago.  If you take a paragraph of action and break it up to smaller paragraphs the reader’s eye will read quicker, there for making the action seem to pick up.

This part of writing isn’t so much the passion on the page a reader will notice.  The reader reads the final product but doesn’t see the hard work underneath the clever ways you turn a phrase or set up the action. He sees the paint on the walls but not the framing in the walls.  I think not noticing the structure of a story is sign of a writer good at his craft.

Keep Writing

Matt Schott

"Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force" now only $2.50 on Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1313508286&sr=1-1
my storefront has a paperback version and a PDF version and is available on 33 online book stores
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Shotc

"A Program Thicker Than Water", a short story of scifi murder mystery now only $1.25
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NVRGNU

I Write For The Adventure!

I write for the Adventure

I think I would love fame and fortune at least I know I wouldn’t mind the money.

The real reason I write is for the adventure. I immerse myself in the action and drama the story provides.  When I read or watch a movie it’s for the adventure and the thrill of discovery.  Like most readers when reading I live in the moment the character does.  The writer has taken me on his journey and he keeps it exciting and mysterious.   

I’ve battled the Death Star and fought evil wizards but I never realized how much more exciting it is to write an adventure.

When I’m writing I follow along with the characters not knowing whats next.  When they get into trouble I have to figure out how to get them out of trouble, they never thank me.  Then again I did kind of lead them into trouble.  I become one of the crew.  I get mad when one of them gets hurt.  I get emotionally involved with my characters and believe in their cause a lot more than when I’m reading.  I think that’s because most of the characters in my book are people I know and care about in real life.   I think they really like it when I send them to other planets or give them a hero’s death.

 I am also aware of my reader on the adventure with me and what they might want or expect and then think outside that box. 

The greatest thing is once the adventure is over I realize I have written a cool adventure book and to me that is the treasure at the end of the story.  Writing is not always easy.  There is a lot of rewriting and rewriting.  It can be a lot of hard research that kind of screws with your story.  It is always a battle to finish the book but that’s how most adventures go.

Keep Writing

Matt Schott

In Kindle format

http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1313152805&sr=1-1

Also at my storefront in paperback or ebook

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Shotc

Why I Always write, "Award Winning SciFi novel" when I advertise

Why I always write, “Award Winning SciFi novel” when advertising

I am very happy that self publishing has become easier on the internet these last 3 years.  First I spent money on two different types of edits.  The first one was a 7 page report on the structure of the book, characters, plot, setting and so on.  The other was a line edit.  The line edit was twice as expensive as the seven page report around $600.  For me it was worth it.  Grammar is like a second language to me or fourth.  I barely passed high school English but I loved telling stories.

Once I got the book back I thought I was done and ready to publish.  The first time I got a proof back from lulu the writing was so small I couldn't read it.  So I hired Angel editing to format it($100).  Once I got it back I found a grammar mistake or an extra word on every other page.  I beleive this to be the editor's fault but I know that most books need proof reading after its been edited.  I had an over qualitfied friend do the proof reading for me for free.  It took almost three more months to correct.  He had a day job and did the proof reading on the side.

I then put it out there with a publishing package from lulu, at the time $100 deal.  This put me in all the online publishing stores. After all this I am still on the shelf next to other books that might have printed their first draft and have never seen an editor.

I figure the best way to shine a spot light on my scifi action adventure novel was to enter it in a contest.  I made sure the contest people had a good reputation and has had other contest in the past couple of years.  I also checked out the winners of past contest to see how they were doing now.  I wanted to make sure they were legitimate.  My new problem was what if my book wasn’t as good as I thought it was.  I paid $50 to enter the contest.

In 2009 my scifi book, Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force won Honorable mention in the “Teen” category at the 2009 DIY Book Festival in LA.  I would of went to the awards dinner but the taxi fair from New York to L.A. was a bit too much.

In 2010 Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force won best SciFi/Horror novel at the DIY Book Festival in New York City.

  My wife and I went to the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, famed by Dorothy Parker and her writing cronies. I received my award for best scifi/horror book at the DIY Book Festival there.  It was "Thee" moment for me.  Standing in front of other writers in a glorous, elegant room in New York City on West 44th street and receiving my award is a feeling of achievement I won't soon forget.

I sent my book, with its awards attached, out and I still got no reply from agents or traditional publishing houses even though my book has won awards on both coast. 

I am still learning how to shine a spot light on my book so people can see how I crafted a childhood dream space adventure into a book most people say they can't put down until they finish reading it.  I hope when I come out with the Sequel, The Universe Calls it will bring more attention to the first book or maybe you could help them find my book.  Please help me get noticed.  Visit my Amazon web site and "LIKE" my page.  This will help bring up my ranking on Amazon and my book will come up faster on a search for space adventure.  Please read the reviews.

Lord Skyler and The earth Defense Force can be found on 33 online book stores including Amazon and Barnes & Noble

My storefront- http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

Amazon kindle;

http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311866336&sr=1-1

Amazon reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/product-reviews/B004SI4AR4/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Constructed Criticism

Constructed Criticism

The first time I sent my Sci-Fi manuscript to get a seven page critique, ten years ago, I was floored and angry.  The things said about my baby.  Through a Writer’s Digest magazine ad I found Jane Rafel, editor.  I chose her because she lived close by at the time in New York.

My first reaction was she doesn’t understand Sci-Fi, which might be true, but she understood the writing craft all too well.  She pointed out the good about the plot before she pointed to the hole in it.  It took me a week of rereading the insults I had paid her for until my ego finally subsided to the facts that she pointed out all too well.

I’ve learned to be careful about criticizing other people’s work.  First off, they could be bigger than me.  I always try to do it with a smile if possible.  I first point out the best thing about the work in question before pushing their ego into the hole of the plot like Jane did.  Jane did end the report on a positive note about the book.  I did finish “Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force” and its won a couple awards so far including Best Sci-Fi/Horror novel at the 2010 DIY New York City Book Festival.

 It is necessary to point out the mistakes and it’s natural to feel hurt or anger over an attack on your baby.  I’ve learned to let that emotion happen but only when the person who criticized me is not around.  I realize the emotion is a knee jerk reaction.  It usually takes me a couple of days to put the emotions aside and try to see their point of view and use their critique to polish up my book.  I’ve had many more critiques and I have learned from each one, and yes sometimes they don’t know what they are talking about but most times they do.

Jane Rafel’s two edits on my book were well worth the price in lessons learned on the craft of writing.

I believe I will make mistakes in everything I do and I will smile and learn from them and move forward.

Matt T. Schott

Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force

available at Amazon, B&N and 33 other online book stores including my store front at lulu
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326999719&sr=1-1

http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

The Day we all became Human

The one idea I wanted to bring out in my award wining scifi novel was the day the alien Titans invaded Earth to harvest our planet is the day everybody realized that we weren't separate races but we are all part of the Human Race. Its almost like, "I can say that about my brother but you can't say it." type of feeling.
In this time we have now, the Human race doesn't have a goal.  We have fractured ourself's into countries and relgions.  We have to remember before all that we were just Humans.  When Humans ban togeather there is nothing we can't do.  The one thing we have not learned is that we can't force each other to do anything, war on each other is not the answer for Humans to come togeather.  Relgion has too many inturpretations for all of us to agree on.  Humans need an event or crisis to make us come togeather in a common goal to survive.

I would liked to have "Love" bring the Human race together in my book but a couple thousand years since last Monday and it still has not happen.  I quicken the event in my book by having us, me you and everybody else, all hate the same alien race together. Fear, anger and revenge is a strong motivator.  Its not pretty but their is action and adventure. I think more practical too, a matter of survival for the Human race. I think one way of stopping wars on Earth is finding another alien race we can all fear or hate together.

Peace & Love
Matt Schott

Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force
A scifi, action, space adventure
available on all online book stores, I hope. 
Available in Paper back or Ebook at,
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325795162&sr=1-1
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

or on Amazon in Kindle format,
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_ke?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320661694&sr=1-1

 Thanks for you support
Matt T. Schott

How I published my award winning scifi novel online

It took me 15 years to create, produce and finally give birth to my scifi book, Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force. In 2007 I started looking into online publishing. I tried the traditional route and got no reaction except no thanks. I found out I needed a totally finished product before I could publish my book tradtionally or online. So I decided to have my book professionally edited at this time.
Discourage with the traditional route I hooked up with LuLu.com. I found their set up to online publishing was like a smorgasbord of online publishing. I opened an account for nothing and up loaded my book and cover for nothing. I had a copy printed for about $10 and realized I needed to have my book professionally formatted. The print was way to small. I had the book professionally formatted to a 6 x 9 size with all the chapters on the right side and all the numbers and headings looking good.
I read my book and found a mistake on every page. I had a friend proof read the book and I made the corrections, that took two nerve racking months. You understand it took me 15 years to finish, I'm so close I can taste it. Fame and furtune is right around the corner, yea right.
I find now that for a $1,000 to $1,500 somebody will do all that for you. The one thing they don't help you with is marketing.
I enterd my book in 2 contest. Lord Skyler won Honorable mention in the teen category at the 2009 LA Book Festival. It also WON Best Scifi/Horror novel at the 2010 DIY New York City Book Festival. The awards dinner was at the Algonquin Hotel in NYC. A great time had by all.
But still the books were not flying off the online book shelfs. I learned to do free press realeases and my wife hooked me up with a couple book signings but still only a couple books sold here and there.
It is my beleif there is no standard way of promoting an online book except for blogging and networking. Its modern day door to door salesman has become a blog to blog salesman.
Keep in mind that online publishing is still new. Who knows how things are going to go.
Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

Creating a SciFi Universe

I was recently asked how I could keep a whole made up Universe inside my head. First mistake was assuming thats where my brain was. It can be eaiser than it sounds if you know how to use your God like powers.
Its like the saying, "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" When creating a scifi universe it does make a sound. As a matter of fact just before the bark hits the grass, the grass changes to a bright, blinding, holy white in fear that spreads around the trees and through the forest floor into the surrounding meadow and across the planet.

When I write I focus on my characters and their reactions the first time through. When I do my first rewrite its like I dropped my characters in a puddle and their universe are the ripples. A scifi universe like any other universe is only as big as the characters can see. I find if I can describe in detail a small part of my made up universe the reader can fill in the rest, actually it becomes his made up universe.
I take my childhood friends and put them on an action adventure that would make Yoda take notice.  Please check out my award winning scifi book
Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325966964&sr=1-1
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc
and 33 other online book stores

My scifi Sequel, the youth are in charge

I'm almost there, The Universe Calls, has 51,000 words. All I need is a; edit, rewrite, cover, format, proof read a copy, fix proof another copy, moments of doubt and I'm there.
In my sequel, like in the first book, the youth of the world are in charge of the planet. Its eaiser to run the planet now 3/4 of the population has been killed by the invading aliens. There are plenty of resources to go around but there is this Galactic war thing. The front lines now crossed through Earth's solar system.  Traditional racialism has dissapeared on Earth.  After the alien invasion you are Human or alien from now on.  Its amazing what Humans can do when they work togeather.
The youth adapt quickly. Its tougher now defending Earth than it use to be going to a regular school but you could end up flying an Ancient Aderain Space fighter. Considered one of the most deadlest weapons in the known universe. That is if the Aderain Space fighter chooses you to be its captain.
Most Aderain space fighters are at least a thousand years old. Born in a laboratory it lives its first twenty years as a house computer for any common family. The family raises the computer like it is it's own child.  Then the Aderain computer program moves to a military college where it learns tactics and how to fly. When its deemed ready it is transfered into the ultimate, smooth egg shaped, space fighter with all the tricks to the trade and a little bit more.
The youngest Aderain space fighter is a thousand years old because thats when the Aderain home planet was taken by surprised by the invading Titans. The only Aderain fighters that survived were the ones out of the solar system during the invasion. The only good things to come out of the Aderain civilizations destruction was the Titans never got hold of the secrets of building the Aderain Space Fighter and the surviving Aderain fighters exist to destroy the Titans.

Award winning Scifi novel

http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326710410&sr=1-1

http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

The Hero in All of Us

Most of the characters in my scifi novel are people I grew up with or became friends with in real life. This made describing the characters in the book eaiser. I know how my friends would react in different situations, what they would say or how their body would move during a conversation.
Now my friends might not like the responsiblity I put on them in my award wining scifi novel, traveling to another planet and training to fight the aliens that invaded earth but..., well I'm the author so there. Thats what happens when the last one pick in stick ball becomes a scifi writer, you never know.
My friends need not worry. Because I know underneath all that, "busting my chops" type of stuff they are the best and purest of souls. When so called common, hard working people are put in different and tough circumstances they really shine and save the day. They know the meaning of self sacrifice, honor and courage. They just don't wear it on their sleeve. True, great leaders and heros are forced into the situation and do not look for fame and glory. They would rather stay a fireman, policeman, doctor, nurse, teacher but once they're called on they know they can't go back.
If your looking for a hero for your book, try looking to your right, there siting right there.
Matt T. Schott
Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force
winner of the 2010 best scifi/horror novel at New York City DIY Book Festival
available at most online book stores, kindle & paper back
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326310120&sr=1-1

Coloring in the details of my novel

I'm at the "coloring in stage" of my sequel to Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force.   The name of the sequel is The Universe Calls.

The coloring stage is where I read through a scene and I freeze the moment and look around the room that the characters are in.  I smell the sweat burning off the characters necks.  The taste of their dry mouth and maybe a throbbing head ache that won't go away.  I hear the contrast of the moment with the young kids playing outside the door and the intensity on this side of the door. 

I see everything that is in the room, some of it I'll end up describing some I better off not mentioning.  Sometimes I'll look for something in the room that brings up a memory for the character that is important to the character and the moment he is in now. 

Its the part in the book where the warrior comes in and sees the wilting rose that his dead lover gave him before she was killed by the enemy.  The curves of the pedals, the hopelessness of the bent stem.  Its describing the room and how "things" relate to the mood and the story.  Its the fun part.



My storefront
http://stores.lulu.com/shotc

Also in Kindle format,
http://www.amazon.com/Skyler-Earth-Defense-Force-ebook/dp/B004SI4AR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311704863&sr=1-1