Just one more to go

     Episode #60, The Founders, is now live. Captain Aguire has taken destiny by the horns with some help from Captain Poluka who is still as sneaky as ever.
     Next week the final episode will go live with the epilogue to the story about the explorers of Arcturus.
This is not the end of the Arcturus saga, however, as the sequel, Pioneers of Arcturus is in the works.
     The cover artwork is being created for the ebook and print versions of Between Earth and Arcturus.  As much fun as this has been, I really want to get the novel out in print, and I hope my listeners will help spread the word about it.
     Check back on this site for updates and some short fiction.  And do feel free to leave comments. Joining as a 'follower' is painless and your information will not be shared. I can't even tell who you really are unless you tell me.
     This audio production takes more time than people realize and I'm looking forward to catching up on some reading, as well as a couple of classes that I will be taking at Stanford this summer.
     Enjoy the show.

James

What is the Exploration Corps?

     This becomes the essential question in episode #59, The Governors, when it comes time for Commander Aguire to accomplish in a hearing before the Interim Government what Captain Poluka tried to do by stealth and violence. Specifically, to take ownership of the Hanno.
     Elpastre is secretly attending the meeting, getting a first hand look at what politicians are like on Earth. How embarassing for Earth!
     The King of Arcturus is here for a greater purpose, however, and will be meeting Bart's relatives, the Erosian Elders, in the next episode (#60).

     Many people find it difficult to commit to listening to such a long story, which is quite understandable.  This novel will soon be available in print, and I am working on the sequel novel, Pioneers of Arcturus, which will follow the adventures of Sam Benjamin, Mike Sullivan, and Pazi.
      Sam appeared in episode #11 (Lonely Lynda), and Mike is the spaceport cop in episode #5 (Aguire gets Maneuvered).  Pazi was never named in the story, but was the translator for the meeting between Captain Poluka and Popa Utirka in episode #44 (Matriarch's Lawyer).

Who you gonna call?

     When Commander Aguire needs help handling politicians, he turns to his old mentor...after the alien psychologists straighten him out in episode #58..
     We are nearing the end of the book Between Earth and Arcturus, and the loose ends are getting tied up. Aguire has evolved, just as Poluka has devolved. The planet Earth is a shambles for now, and it could get worse.
    
     As I've mentioned before, this book will be coming out in print form, and I hope everyone who has enjoyed the audio version will help spread the word to those who would prefer to read it rather than listen to it.

Cheers,
James

What about Admiral Fisher?

     Remember Fisher? In those early episodes the Admiral tormented anyone he could. He terrorized Elisa. He murdered Julie Klein.  He never paid for his crimes.
     Remember that Julie has a brother?
     Fisher is about to remember in episode #57, The Chase.

     It's actually a lot of fun creating and posting my book in audio format. It's also been a learning experience for me as I learn more about recording and editing audio episodes.  Many people tell me that they would prefer to read the book than listen to it, and that's my ultimate goal because it takes a lot of time to produce this show.  I need to free up my time to complete the next novel, Pioneers of Arcturus. When the last episode of Between Earth and Arcturus goes live, I will leave all of the episodes posted for new listeners while working on the next novel.
     To add new content I may collaborate with some writers that I know and post some of their short stories, and some of my own.  How would you like that?

     By the way, I'm not getting many comments. Make my day and tell me what you think of the show, or how you feel about the direction today's science fiction and fantasy is going.

     I could really use some more reviews on iTunes, so take a few moments and say something nice about the show. It could help a lot to get through iTunes's mysterious process of qualifying for their searchable directory.

Best Wishes,
James

Episode 56....Blood and Brains

The fight for freedom starts now. Our evil vice president has invited Commander Jose Aguire to the Capitol in order to use him as a spokesman to explain President Garane's death and cement Batastia's position as dictator. Admiral Higgs has already made his excape from the doomed regime and will reappear in the sequel novel, "Pioneers of Arcturus" where he is still trying to build his perfect empire.

Attack on Earth

     Episode 55, Attack on Earth, is entirely from Admiral Higgs's point of view. He is dealing with the dreaded renegade General Hebert, who has returned to the Solar System with a fleet of starships.
     It has been only seven days since the Starship Hanno noticed a group of small ships entering the Solar System, and Commander Aguire has been through a lot in the Zone and at the alien planet of Arcturus.  But a lot has been happening back on Earth as well.

Turn Against the Captain

     The episode Turn Against the Captain (#53) was posted yesterday. I try to get each new episode out on Saturday, but pixies came in the night and borrowed my audio equipment, which delayed production for one day.
      Those pesky pixies have returned the equipment and next week's show will be right on time.
      This episode has the officers of the Hanno quietly debating what to do about Captain Poluka, with Commander Aguire caught in the middle, torn between his loyalty and his better judgement. Aguire is a creature of routine, living by the rules and procedures that give his life stability. The assessment Lynda made about his loyalty to the government in the beginning of the book is being put to the test.

     This is upsetting! My audio equipment has gone missing. It may turn up, but in the mean time I will have to record the intro/outro part of the next several episodes using only my laptop computer. The audio quality will suffer, but only for the intro/outro announcements.
     I've got about two hours of raw recording saved that just needs the intro/outro and music added, so the quality of the readings will be fine for the next four or five episodes.
     Still, I'm getting anxious about what happened with my equipment: It's mystery....

     This has delayed episode #53, but I hope to make it available for download later today.

The Erosians

     We finally learn a bit about the mysterious Erosians from Gentry Stokes in episode #52.  He has spent years looking through the Hall of Records on Arcturus-4 but there are still some gaps in his knowledge.
     Commander Washington would also like to know more about the Erosians, and advocates using force to get the answers. This will further divide the crew's loyalty.

     Yesterday episode #51, Return to the Zone, went live. This wraps up the plot that was conceived before I took a ten year break from writing.  Before I took the matrimonial plunge I wrote every evening while soaking in a hot bath. I had no aspirations of becoming published, but I so thoroughly enjoyed writing that I could not get to sleep at night without first putting some words onto the page.
     I really did lose all perspective on the plot as described on the Become a writer page of this website.  When I got out my manuscripts ten years later, I wasn't sure I could pick up where I left off and, indeed, I did not. I had changed. I had been through too much to just finish the story. I had to rewrite it.
     The story from this point on was all conceived much more recently, and with the hope that it would be published. This story has grown around a theme of broken family relationships that may find healing, or may not. At this point, the relationship between Earth and Arcturus, who are related in the distant past, is souring quickly. But the story does not end with this book. There are two more in the works, and the next story, Pioneers of Arcturus, will pick up where this one ends, following the adventures of Pazi, the young Arcturusian boy who worked as a translator for Popa Utirka in episode #44, Matriarch's Lawyer. Mike Sullivan, the spaceport cop will also have a prominent role, as will Sam Benjamin, the hotel manager whom Lynda Stokes met at a lecture in episode #11, Lonely Lynda.
     This week's episode begins the collapse of order aboard the Starship Hanno as Captain Poluka and Commander Washington plan to lead them into battle against the Space Navy of Earth, and Commander Aguire opposes the plan.
     I hope everyone enjoys the show, and feel free to leave a comment.

The good, the bad, and the relatives.

     It seems I got a little behind on these updates--sorry about that. 
     Episode #45, Doctor Payne, focuses on the good doctor's confrontation with Captain Poluka when he resists the medical order to be examined, and continues with more information from Cliff about the Arcturusians.
     In A Woman's Touch, #46, we get a visit to the Starship Hanno from alien doctors with our favorite Russian spaceman, Ivan Tershensky acting as translator.
     The 47th episode, Persuasion, has the Arcturusians trying to persuade Captain Poluka to send his wounded crewman to the planet. They have three efforts: The alien doctors working with the crew, the alien diplomats meeting with the officers of the Hanno, and psychic influence from the planet surface.
     In the next episode, #48, Diplomacy, we see the result of the psychic persuasion, and the Old Rulers choose a violent demonstration to stop the Earthmen.
     #49 Fire, was posted a week ago and shows how the Old Rulers have ruined the king's plan.
     Tomorrow morning #50 will go live. The Good, the bad, and the relatives document the fallout from the Starship Hanno's appearance at Arcturus.
     Future episodes will bring us back to the sticky problem of the Earth's government wanting everyone on the Hanno to die, but first, the officers and crew have a few of their own issues to solve.  There's bloodshed and mayhem ahead aboard the Starship Hanno.

Hi Folks!

     It’s hard to tell from the statistics I get on downloads, but I suspect some people have discovered my podcast in the middle of the story, so I’ve been announcing the episode number at the beginning of each recording and how to find the first episode.

     The podcast of the book, Between Earth and Arcturus, begins with The Starship Himilco (part 1), and each episode is numbered.  It’s a full length science fiction novel. It took quite some time to write and is currently going through a critique process with my writer’s group.

     Unfortunately, we only meet once per month and review ten pages of each writer’s work. So it takes years to get through an entire book. The podcast is actually ahead of the critique now and I expect to have the whole thing posted here before July.

     Please visit the Show Notes to see what is available so far.  The 48^th episode, Diplomacy, will go live this coming Saturday.

     And, please, spread the word about this story. If you download from iTunes, leaving a review will really help to get the show into the iTunes searchable directory.

 

Matriarch's Lawer

     Episode #44 went live this morning giving us the first glimpse of the Old Rulers. These guys are the political opposition on Arcturus-4. They've been waiting thousands of years to get rid of the king of Arcturus and take back the power that they had during the Epoch of the Flood.
     The time has come.                                              


     Captain Poluka is disturbed by the idea of Earthmen mating with natives of Arcturus-4. When he meets with the representative of the Grand Matriarch of the Old Rulers, Poluka is sympathetic to their views, and suspicious of his own officers.
     A note to my Russian listeners: It is simply a coincidence of language that the alien lawyer's name sounds like it means something a bit nasty. Ivan Tershensky laughs about it all of the time.
     You can find an episode guide for the podcast of the novel Between Earth and Arcturus on www.workingthegalaxy.com by clicking on Show Notes.
     Please leave a review of the show on whatever site that you download from, and feel free to leave a comment on this site.

Brothers

      If you haven't noticed by now, the common motif in this story is family. The Stokes family; the Poluka family; Bart Hanson's dead parents and his adopted family; Commander Aguire's orphan existence and his dread of losing people who are like family to him; and the relationship between Earth and Arcturus is family because the two worlds have common ancestors separated for thousands of years, and now they must reconcile and reunite, just as the two Poluka brothers must reconcile and reunite.
     This is the theme of this story: Families that are wounded and now have the opportunity to heal. Will they choose love, or reject love? 
     This is a very real crossroad that we all reach at some point in our lives. Some go right. Some go left, each for their own reasons. I know I have. Don't be stupid...choose love.
     In the episode going live today, Brothers, we see Captain Paul Poluka hear from his brother Cliff that "family" can be more than anything he expected. 
     I have lived with this story for many years of writing, editing, revising, and contemplation. I still don't know what I would do if I were Paul Poluka.  What I can imagine is Cliff's position.

Epoch Of The Flood

     Episode #42 will be available on Saturday, 2/2/2013, continuing with Elpastre, the king of Arcturus, meeting with the explorers from Earth.
     Elpastre tells of his world's ancient history and the cataclysm which shaped their culture.
     Commander Leroy Donno tells Commander Jose Aguire about landing and meeting Miyuree, the child princess of Arcturus.
     Captain Poluka's brother Cliff also reappears for the first time since the episode Himilco (part 2 of the prequel). More of the survivors of the Starship Himilco will show up in future episodes.
   
     If you are new to this story, you can check out the Show Notes (warning: spoilers) to get an idea of what to expect.  This audio novel begins with the prequel episodes about the Starship Himilco, ten years before the events in the novel Between Earth and Arcturus.
     There are 3 prequel episodes and (so far) 39 episodes of the novel, with more coming each week.  I try to get a new episode posted each week. 
     This is a finished novel and I'm estimating that there will be another 20-25 episodes before reaching the end.  A sequel novel, Pioneers of Arcturus, is in the works.
      Princess Miyuree will have a much larger role in the sequel novel.

     By the way, I sometimes provide links to other websites at the bottom of the page, but for some reason the links don't always show up unless you mouse over them. The Google Chrome browser seems to work best. 

     Episode #40, Flight to Arvod, will post on 1/19/13 as the explorers begin to interact with the native people of the fourth planet of Arcturus.
     #41, Royal Welcome, will become available for download on 1/26/13 with the king and queen meeting with a group from the starship.
     Each episode is a different length, depending upon the content of the story. If you have a preference of either long or short episodes, I'd like to hear from you. You can leave a comment on this page.
     The advice I got when this show was conceived was that people want podcasts that are between 15 and 30 minutes in length, so that they can listen to them while driving to work. Unfortunately, I have no way of checking how this is working out unless my listeners let me know.

I've just added a page at the top. A listener asked to see the character profile of Lynda Stokes. This is what I use for developing the story and as a reference to keep consistency.  I will add other profiles as time permits.
My biographical page has been removed, but may reappear at a later date.

Hi Folks!
  We just got back from a little cruise to Mexico for Christmas and had some nice swims in the ocean. The last two episodes were uploaded before I left, and published while I was gone. Now I have to get busy with the next episode to get it out this weekend.
  The whole book has been written for some time now, but presenting it in audio format requires some tweeking to the prose because it really is a different effect when it is listened to instead of read on the page.
  I've been getting some pressure to get the book out in print, so I'll be working on that in the coming months. Also, I need to work on the sequel novel and have my writers group review it while Between Earth and Arcturus is being shopped around to publishers.
  I hope all of you have enjoyed the holiday season, especially my listeners in Leicester, UK who are my most loyal listeners, and my new listeners in Birmingham, Alabama.
  I've recently picked up a new audience in Russia (S Novem Godim!) as well as Latvia, Ukraine, and Poland. I am always thrilled to see both new and returning listeners. This show is for you.
 

Planetfall (#35) went live this morning. Commander Aguire's shuttle was lost to the Hanno in the last episode. Now we go to the lost shuttle to find out what happened to them. In upcoming episodes our explorers will meet the indigenous people of Arcturus-4, and become involved in their political problems.
I will try to get a few more episodes recorded, edited, and uploaded before the Christmas holiday slams into my schedule.

Red to Blue

    The 34th episode, Red to Blue, was posted this morning. This tells of Captain Poluka's rash decision to ignore the advice of his officers and send six teams in shuttles to investigate the strange atmosphere of Arcturus-4.