The Accord Giveaway

Accord-ebookcoverThe Goodreads giveaway of The Accord is now over. My sincere thanks to the 522 people who requested a copy. The books for the ten lucky winners are on their way now (actually mailed Monday). For everyone else, I am planning a giveaway of the e-book version in the near future, and I will let everyone know a few days in advance.

I really appreciate honest and thoughtful reviews of my works. If you can post a review on Goodreads or any of the bookseller sites, that would be great. Reviews are how indie authors like me get discovered. You can also post reviews on this website, or send me notes, comments or questions here as well. Join the Adventure!

The Reluctant Prophet Cover Reveal

TheReluctantProphet-coverHere it is! Book two of the Modern Prophets series is about to be released and I am happy to share the new cover with you all. The Reluctant Prophet: A Love Story tells the story of Zeke Thompson and Bea Watson as they work to stay alive and stop an imminent global nuclear war.

Ezekiel Thompson is a young man with a problem. All of his life, he has had visions of things that sometimes do come to pass. Now, his accuracy rate is about to hit 100%.

For fans of my Dave Brewster sci-fi series, the name Bea Watson should ring a bell. She first appeared in Showdown Over Neptune and again in The Second Predaxian War where we learn she is Dave’s yet-unborn granddaughter who has come from the future to help him.

In this tale, she comes from the future again to make sure that Zeke and his family accomplish their intended destiny to help create the future that Bea and her family live in. Another traveler has come from the future to kill him and change the line of time in order to gain power, without regard for the consequences for Earth. Zeke will face constant danger and threats to his life in this very fast paced novel. He will be arrested and kidnapped again and again as fate works against the new lovers. Only time will tell if Zeke and Bea can stop the end of the world and find happiness in each other’s arms.

I hope you like the cover and please feel free to post any comments here. Also, look for the book, which should be coming out very soon in both paperback and e-book.  Join the Adventure!

Two Doors has arrived

Two Doors has arrived! Book One of the MTwoDoors-ebookcoverodern Prophet series releases in paperback and e-book this week! This new series is a big change for me. While these books retain some elements of fantasy or science fiction, they are suspense novels that move very fast. Two Doors tells the story of Peter Smith, a young man just out of college who moves to New York City to build his future. Almost immediately, he becomes embroiled in the ultimate battle between good and evil, even though he does not know it yet.

Pete has always had lucid dreams that are often frightening, and until now he was able to let them pass into memory quickly. Now, his dreams begin to foretell future events, capturing the attention of two powerful families. Bill Satori and Emmanuel Prospect offer him all he could ever wish for, if he will share his dreams with them. As his visions become more dark and terrifying, he must choose between the two families or forget his dream and hide from them both. Soon, it becomes clear hiding is not an option as the world is torn by terror and chaos. Can Peter fulfill his destiny and stop the madness, or is this the end of the world?

Two Doors is published by Sacred Life Publishers. The e-book is currently available only on Kindle. I will be doing a giveaway on Amazon soon, so if you register on this site, I’ll send you an e-mail when you can download it for free.

You can also follow me on Twitter @karljmorgan, or follow my Facebook page at facebook.com/karlmorganauthor. Also, check out my author page on Goodreads.

Join the adventure.

 

Why I like to write fantasy novels

There is plenty going on in the real world to write about, but somehow I am increasingly drawn to fantasy. It is not because reality is boring. On the contrary, I think reality might be too much to deal with. The frenetic pace of technology, politics, crime, international relations and the general hubbub of life is enough to wear anyone out. There is something about escaping to a different world, perhaps one where right and wrong are more clearly defined, or at least where a person can immerse his or herself in unexpected experiences without facing the day-to-day concerns of real life.

It is also heartening to see heroes overcome obstacles and defeat their antagonists, which is not so easy to accomplish in the real world. Our protagonists can have special abilities or be surrounded by others to help them through the most arduous circumstances. Again, not all of us can count on such beneficiaries, or at least it does not feel like we can. In our real lives, the path forward is often difficult even though the obstacles may seem mundane by fantasy standards. We hear the stories of others who have been supremely lucky and ended up with massive wealth. While we would never begrudge them their success, often their paths turned out to be quite simple (at least in our minds). In a way it is like the lottery. All of us can pitch in our one or two dollars per ticket. The winner is not a better person than us, or more deserving, or smarter. They were lucky, and that luck often evades us.

In a fantasy novel, the hero deserves the reward. They face insurmountable challenges, and through a combination of smarts, unique powers, and the help of friends, they overcome the challenges and win. That reward for hard work and being good makes us feel warm, happy and satisfied. I sincerely hope all of us can experience that in our lives, but in the meantime, I can make it happen for a protagonist in my writing, and then pass the warm fuzzies on to me and anyone willing to read the words.

For me personally, there is still a bit more to it than that. I have a life-long love for science fiction and hard science. I enjoy reading books and watching programs on cosmology, theoretical physics and quantum mechanics. Crazy, right? Something in the scientific community has been grating on me for a while. Perhaps it is just some of the science television programs I watch, but there seems to be a kind of zealotry brewing. To be clear, I am not a scientist, and they may be 100% correct in what they say. My issue is dark matter and dark energy.

For clarity, based on observations, galaxies are rotating at rates that should cause them to fly apart, based on the calculated mass of the material in each galaxy (hundreds of billions of stars plus planets, gas and black holes). Since the galaxies are not flying apart, there must be A LOT more mass that cannot be seen, which is labeled dark matter. It is estimated there is 5 times more dark matter than the matter we can see or account for. So far, it has not been seen and cannot be detected, but according to science, it is there.

Similarly, according to observations, space-time expansion is still accelerating 13.8 billion years after the Big Bang. In a typical explosion, after the energy is expended, things slow down and eventually stop. That happens with a firecracker in a couple seconds. In the universe, it is continuing to go faster 13,800,000,000 years later. For the observations to make sense there has to be another source of energy out there, which is dubbed dark energy. That stuff makes up 70% of everything in the universe. So the breakdown is: Dark Energy 70%, Dark Matter 25%, the galaxies, stars, planets, you and me, and everything else detectable 5%.

I am not saying any of that is not true, although the descriptions provided to date are very unsatisfying. I just saw a program stating that the expansion of space generates dark energy. That means the vacuum containing absolutely nothing is generating power. Hey, energy crisis solved! The zealotry I mentioned is the certainty some express regarding the nature and effects of these undetectable or measurable things. I was always taught to say “I don’t know” if that was the truth. Obviously, others are more confident in their knowledge.

While I have no better answers, these less-than-scientific theories are incredible fantasy and science fiction fodder. Everything we have known or detected since the dawn of time accounts for 5% of reality. What is the rest of it? Phantom planets in parallel dimensions? Invisible demons moving through us and changing our minds? Perhaps.

I have enjoyed weaving my own theories into stories and plan to continue to do the same. No one can tell me I am wrong? But I am not saying I am right either. I am a storyteller after all, not a scientist. Read one of my stories or write your own. The Dark stuff has given us a whole new genre to exploit.

Two Doors Cover Reveal

TwoDoors-ebookcoverHere it is! After months of work on my new novel, I am happy to share the cover with my friends. Two Doors is the first book in the Modern Prophet series. These books tell the story of young men who discover abilities far beyond those of normal people. They are then pounced upon by new foes who will do anything to control or kill them.

Two Doors tells the story of Peter Smith, a man who finds himself caught between two powerful families (but they are a lot more than that).

Now you’ve seen the cover, just wait for the book! Join the Adventure!

Get Ready for the Modern Prophet Series

I am thrilled to announce that the first book of the Modern Prophet series is about to be published. Two Doors will be available in paperback and e-book versions. First, a bit about the series:

These novels tell the tales of young men who discover they have very unique abilities. Their talents bring the unwanted attention of others wishing to control them, and failing that, kill them. The stories are very fast paced and the action builds as more and greater hazards befall our hero. They will encounter friends to help them as well as foes trying to stop them. The plots are generally set in our time with current events as a backdrop, although as things devolve, the actions begin to stray into fantasy.

Two Doors is the story of Peter Smith, a recent college graduate who moves from Iowa to New York to build a life and find his fortune. All his life, Peter has suffered with terrifyingly lucid dreams. Now, some of those dreams are starting to come true. As his talent grows, he gains the attention of two powerful families, each trying to control his gift. Emmanuel Prospect and William Satori each offer him incredible wealth and safety if Peter chooses them, but it is all too good to be true. Why are they so interested in him and his dreams? But all is not as it seems.

The struggle to control Peter leads him down a horrific path from terrorist attacks and murder to global war and anarchy. Events move from more mundane events like car accidents and muggings toward almost supernatural battles that could lead to the destruction of Earth. Peter must choose which door to open, all the while uncertain what will happen if he chooses poorly.

I have added some of my favorite things into the story, and many of the places I have lived and visited. I hope those add some depth and warmth to the tale. Keep an eye out for the cover reveal in the coming days, and please Join the Adventure!

Cyborg Invasion

Accord-ebookcoverImagine what could happen if mankind continues it use of robotics to the extreme. Imagine a planet where people not unlike us are so afraid of an alien invasion that they create space-based defensive weapons controlled by disembodied human brains. The people of Skee Lotho are so certain that their former masters will return that they create The Accord, a society of cyborgs whose sole goal is to protect the humans on the planet.

Eventually the Friends of The Accord realize that even time is an enemy to the survival of the people on the surface below, after all, even stars grow old and die. To provide the ultimate protection, massive planetoids are constructed to house the people and avoid eventual destruction by a future nova.

Fast forward a few hundred generations and the cyborgs have become more machine than man. They begin to look at the flesh and bone creatures as inferior, not different from farm animals that can work for a time and then become a food source. In their effort to be safe, the humans have become slaves and sources of protein. This is the world that Dave Brewster finds himself facing in Book Five of the Dave Brewster Series.

The planets of the Magellanic Clouds are running out of metal, and now The Accord is headed toward our own galaxy to survive and grow. Can the worlds of the Free Society stand up to the unbelievable power of the cyborgs? That is the lesson of The Accord. To Join the Adventure, please check out this outrageous tale of war, newfound love, the transcendence of the spirit, and the most powerful force in the universe.

Sale on Second Predaxian War

For a limited time, the e-book price for The Second Predaxian War, Book 2 of the Dave Brewster Series has been reduced to $0.99. This is as special thanks to those who took advantage of the earlier sale on Showdown Over Neptune. It might take a little while for all the bookseller websites to adjust the price, but I’ve already done it on my end.

Showdown ended with the star fleets of Earth and Greater Gallia rushing to the Predaxian frontier where an armada of their vessels had broken the peace treaty and threatened to start another interstellar war. The emperor of the Predaxian Alliance (that handsome fellow on the cover) thirsts for revenge for their loss in the First Predaxian War, and seeks to enslave the Galliceans. This story also introduces us to new aliens and the mind-blowing technology of a Hive.

Please check it out. You can read more about it on my website too. If you have read any of my books, I humbly request you post a review either on the site where you purchased it or on Goodreads.com. Reviews are the lifeblood of new indie writers. Your words can help me reach even more readers.

The cover for this book was the first made by my artist, Ron Calica, and probably my favorite of the six he had created. The detail on the emperor’s uniform, and even to the glint in his eye and the drool in his mouth really highlights how sinister this creature is. Join the Adventure!

 

Time is Almost Up!

ShowDown CoverYour chance to get Showdown Over Neptune at a bargain price is almost over. The e-book is available FREE on most sites, and is only $0.99 on Amazon.

Please check it out before the deal ends. And let me know what you think. If I get some positive responses, I will follow up with a similar deal on Book 2, The Second Predaxian War. Join the Adventure! Here is a link to buy now:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/346703

 

The Electoral College is Good

It seems 12 states have already passed laws granting all of their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote in the country as a whole. We all remember Al Gore winning the popular vote but losing the election due to the Electoral College system our Founders gave us. I understand people’s ire with that result, but we need to really consider why the Electoral system was envisioned as the optimal choice for our great country.

Even though the Federal government has been growing like a weed for decades and most people have forgotten, the United States was formed as a union of independent states. When the country was founded, the people in each state were proud of the culture, history and way of life in their state. I would like to believe we feel that way to this day. In my opinion, the elimination of the Electoral College is a direct affront to state’s rights, and may well lead to state governments being nothing more than the local branch offices of the Feds. I don’t think that would be a good thing. Here are a couple examples:

Let’s say you live in Iowa, where I spent many years and attended college. At the 2010 census, Iowa had a population of 3.0 million. In some future presidential election, imagine that 99% of Iowans vote for candidate A, about 1.5 million votes. Candidate B ends up winning the popular vote by 500,000 votes nationwide. With these new laws, Iowa gives all their electoral votes to B, negating the votes of virtually all Iowans. Perhaps the best candidate did win, but the will of the people of Iowa is wiped away.

Now here is the insidious part. According to that same census, the US population in 2010 was 312.9 million. The nine most populated states account for more than 1/2 of the total. The top 16 states account for 2/3s of Americans. The rest is spread among the remaining 34 states and our territories (mainly Puerto Rico). In a United States without the Electoral College, no candidate is going to campaign heavily in any of those other states or territories. What’s the point? Focus on the highly populated states and major cities. Spend a little money on a network on the next tier of ten states. The rest only account for 16% of the popular vote. You can afford to ignore them and spend money where the bodies are. If you prevail, you’ll get their votes by default.

To me, this will disenfranchise those states, turning them into back waters no politician every talks about or visits. That isn’t right. Each state should have its own voice and it should be heard. And so this isn’t considered a partisan post, here are the bottom ten on the list, excluding territories: New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Washington DC, Vermont and Wyoming. Combined into one state, they would be the 12th largest in population, but now their 8 million voices will be silenced.

What the Electoral College does is to force candidates for President to campaign in every state. Not only is each person’s vote important, but so are the issues and needs of the states they live in. I believe these new laws will lead us backward in time to the days of the Boston Tea Party. What was that brouhaha about? Taxation without representation. Every state counts. When I was younger, I did not really understand state’s rights or the Electoral College. Now it seems so clear, and our Founders were right!