Sarah E. Seeley's "Driveless"...A Compelling Little Story

Today I read a story from Sarah Seeley entitled, Driveless. You can pick it up from Amazon: HERE. It's a great little story.

Driveless takes place in a world where self-driving cars are commonplace. So, what can go wrong with cars that drive themselves?

You can probably guess.

It's amazing that we live in a world where such technology is possible. It's also amazing how trusting we are of this technology. Past generations envisioned horrors when mankind relinquished control to such powerful machines. I wonder why we see things differently. Is it because we think we have control over the computers, the drones, the self-driving cars? Do we follow a flawed assumption that these things would in no way harm us?

Driveless centers around Howard, his infant daughter, and his new self-driving Prius. Soon Howard finds himself powerless to control his car, then things really go bad. Howard then must do all he can to rescue his daughter from the technology that's supposed to make life better, not put life in danger.

Short stories are the YouTube of the literary world. You would think they'd be more popular--and maybe they are. I haven't done any research to say one way or the other. I do know I liked this story and I'd read more of her's in a heartbeat.

If you've got a few minutes and you'd like to read a story that's timely and engaging, give Driveless a go. It's a great little story.

I've Been Tagged...Seven Lines From Page Seven, But That's It!

Tonight I was tagged. I was picked by a fellow author to share a portion of my latest Work In Progress.

There's three parts to this little 7/7/7 game. I'm to share seven lines on page seven of my WIP. And then, once I've shared these lines, I'm supposed to tag seven other authors and have them do the same.

That's where I draw the line. I mean, I feel good that I was included, that someone thought I'd like to participate and that they'd like to read what I'm writing. To be honest, I'm interested to see what those seven lines will be from my story.

So, here's those seven lines from page seven of my story:

Eyal jumped as the door to the adobe home flew open and crashed against the wall. Avi’s black frame stood in the doorway, and a rush of wind engulfed the home’s interior, extinguishing the flame and awakening Eyal’s mind.

“Eyal! The sheep—hurry!”

The boy sprang to his feet and followed his father out into the storm.

“What’s wrong?” Eyal yelled. Avi ignored the question, but ran with a determination Eyal seldom saw.

That's it. Thanks Sarah for thinking of me! Sorry I stopped this particular line of the game. But, with everyone else tagging seven other people, I'm not worried it will continue. Oh, and if you'd like to read more, give me some time. It's not done yet. ;)

Thanks Sarah...And Dave...And Craig!

I woke up this morning and found I had an e-mail informing me I had received a review for my book of short stories. This one brought the total to three.

I knew the book was not going to get wide-spread exposure and that was okay. Of course, I'd love for it to be wildly successful, but I'm content with how it turned out and the place it serves within the grand scheme of things.

So when I found that a friend had written up a review, it put a smile on my face. When I read the review, the smile grew and just kept on growing. Sarah's review of my little book was so sweet and thoughtful, I knew I needed more than a "Thanks, Sarah!" response on Facebook.

I've had two other reviews of my collection, both from fellow authors I know. I've read and review books from both those authors. Now I need to read and review Sarah's books, Maladaptive Bind, and Blood Oath: An Orc Love Story as well as those published in Xchyler's Anthologies. These will be read, hopefully soon. You can access Sarah's blog: HERE.

Thank you Sarah for those beautiful words! And thank you Dave Butler and Craig Nybo--you're all heroes to me!

Conduit 25...I've Been There And I Went Back Again

A few years ago I had no idea how many literary symposiums and conventions there were out there. Then I got a short story published and everything changed. Now, they seem to be all over the state. I'm sure the same could be said for Colorado, Arizona, Idaho and Nevada. If I wanted to, I could most likely attend a convention that benefits writers every weekend.

One of the conventions I had never heard of before last year was Conduit, a local science fiction and fantasy convention held in Utah each year. Last year's event was held in connection with the first ever FantasyCon so Conduit got lost in the mix. This year it was all by itself.

I was asked to participate on one panel, Geek Parenting. I love those kinds of panels. You're pretty sure what you're going to get from both the panelists and those there to listen to them. The panel was held in the strangest room for a panel that I've ever been in. It was right next to the swimming pool. Had someone been swimming during our discussion, we would not have been able to hear ourselves talk.

On our panel was me, Tom Carr (one of the very first people I ever met at a convention...) and John Olsen, fellow Xchyler writer. We had nine people attend, including two youths. We pointed out that those who brought their kids to the convention were on their way to successful Geek Parenting.

I saw fellow writer friends--Holli Anderson and Jason King pictured above--and even attended a panel on the latest Star Wars movie developments. I wish I could have stayed for other panels and to hear Sarah Seeley, Xchyler Author extraodinaire, when she gave a reading. 

When I attended my first convention I had no idea how they worked, what I was supposed to do or much of anything. Now after a couple of years, things have changed--and for the better. You might say, I'm now a "Professional."

Sarah Seeley...The Sweet POLAIK

When you first meet my next POLAIK (Profile Of Local Authors/Artists/ I Know) Sarah Seeley, you'd never have guest she'd be the one who penned a book titled Blood Oath: An Ork Love Story, or Maladaptive Bind, a book one reviewer wrote about on the book's Amazon page: 

I had heard of Mormon Sci-Fi and Mormon Steampunk or Best-Selling Horror written by a Mormon (Michaelbrent Collings). But, Never Mormon Horror. I just finished The best book in that genre. I didn't even know what genre it was until I was almost half way through. All I knew is it kept me wanting to read. It is written in present tense. Seeley does wonderful in this tense. It is both a tear jerker and a make you want to be a better person kind of horror book. It is an AWESOME read.

No, Sarah is somewhat of an enigma. She's brave enough to self-publish a novel and a short story, be on panels at the largest convention ever to take place in Utah, and yet, those same crowds can sometimes make her a little nervous. You can visit her author website: HERE.

I've gotten to know Sarah better from the various events in which we've appeared and manned booths. She's another author I plan to read in the future. I know she's talented because several of her short stories have been chosen for anthologies for Xchyler, and everyone I know who has read her books has nothing but good things to say. If you attend a convention, conference or symposium where Sarah is either a panelist or a bookseller, do yourself a favor and go introduce yourself. She loves talking to people about book and writing and even geology. You'll be glad you did.

Utah Winter Faire, 2014 Edition...

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My publisher, Xchyler Publishing, rented a space at the 2014 Utah Winter Faire. It opened today and I was there.

And the best thing about the event is that it's basically in my backyard.

Okay, so it's a mile or so away from where I live, but I LOVE that, even though I haven't really traveled far to attend a conference. Here's some pictures of just some of what I saw today!

The event goes from today, December 5 through Sunday, December 7. You can access their website: HERE. It's in Farmington. If you're in the area, drop by! Be sure to check out TexaSmoke BBQ (delicious!), Art by Sean Ricks and Xchyler authors, Candice Thomas, Sarah Seeley, Scott Tarbet, Jay Barson, and your's truly! And, if you're lucky, you might even run into the Talking Rat Lady!

* Photo used without permission from: http://www.utahwinterfaire.com/