WATERY DEEP Book Three of The Colonial Scouts Adventures by Roxanne Smolen
science fiction for young adults and the young at heart
Natica and Impani are Colonial Scouts, an elite group of teenagers who search the galaxy for habitable planets. The girls were best friends until the day a terrible accident took the life of an innocent colonist. Now Natica is consumed by guilt, and she hates Impani for not understanding. She quits the Scouts and returns to her water-world home. The family reunion is not what she expects, however. Her twin brother is missing–and her clueless ex-friend, Impani, has followed her home.
Join the fun as the girls battle sea serpents and pirates, escape an exploding police station, and chase across the floating cities in a speedboat as they search for Natica’s brother. When they find him, they learn he plans to have gills implanted and join a cult living beneath the sea.
"Watery Deep is a creative and original story with an interesting blend of fantasy and science fiction and a great sense of adventure. The characters are feisty, emotional, and real, with shifting dynamics between their friendships and alliances that makes for suspenseful reading!
I particularly enjoyed the tumultuous friendship between Natica and Impani, two girls from very different backgrounds with very different strengths and weaknesses. There is spitefulness, jealously, and underneath it all, caring and compassion as they sort out their own problems with themselves and their world. Teenage angst abounds in full throttle, which makes every scene a delicious read.
Natica’s home planet of Naiad is full of vibrant imagery and alien atmospheres. Almost entirely covered by water, the cities float on coral, the taxis are airboats, and devious pirate gangs roam the waters. It is one of the most creative worlds I’ve ever read about, and makes the story all that more intriguing.
Complete with romance, adventure, shifting alliances, and good family values, The Watery Deep is an excellent story for all ages."
Labels: science fiction
Reviewed by Aubrie Dionne at Book Reviews by Aubrie
ISBN: 0-7443-1635-9
To Purchase: SynergEbooks Store
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From left: Kristin Nelson, Frances Julia Kemp, Del Landis.
Writers' conferences can be expensive. Are they worth it? Get the lowdown from an agent and two veteran conference attendees.
Kristin Nelson learned the ropes from another literary agent before opening her own Nelson Literary Agency. She has been a college English teacher, freelance writer, and corporate trainer. She studied creative writing with National Book Award Nominee Patricia Henley at Purdue University, where she earned her M.A. This experience made her particularly interested in representing fiction.
Frances Kemp's short story "Black Infinity" won the Australian Sisters in Crime Scarlet Stiletto Young Writer's Award; this year she placed third in The Writing Show's own First-Chapter-of-a-Novel Contest. Originally from Australia, she lives in Peoria, Illinois.
Del Landis has written five unpublished novels in the romantic suspense genre. Affaire de Coeur magazine published his short story, "Unasked Prayers." A career in aerospace engineering has allowed Del to travel and collect experiences to use in his fiction. He studies history and different cultures. His writing training is self-directed and includes conferences, workshops, and personal training by industry pros.
Please join agent Kristin Nelson, writers Frances Julia Kemp and Del Landis, and host Paula B. as they tour the conference landscape, including:
Interviewees: Kristin Nelson, Frances Julia Kemp, Del Landis
Host: Paula B.
Date: November 23, 2008
Running time: 01:09:35
File size: 33 megabytes
Rating: G
Kristin Nelson's Web site: NelsonAgency.com
Frances Julia Kemp's Web site: FJKLiterary.com
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Creative writing
in a stream of conscienceness
Dreams, creating
a life of happiness
Happy go lucky
every day that passes by
Life can be funny
blogging
reading
The world passes me by
In front of my window
Saturday night I learned that my book, Fly With The Mourning Dove, is a finalist for a Willa. This is a literary award given by Women Writing The West in honor of Willa Cather. There are several categories, mine is creative nonfiction, and each category has a winner and two finalists who will be honored at the conference in October in San Antonio, Texas. Librarians from all over the country judged the entries. They haven't all been posted on the website yet, but I'm so excited I'm posting mine everywhere I can.
I've won some awards during my writing career, but none as significant and exciting as this one. Excerpts from my book are on my website www.veldabrotherton.com and www.authorsden.com/veldabrotherton
I have not written much lately. Just copied. The "I want to write" - seasons may be short or long. This time it has been short. It is easier to keep the creative period going when you have someone by your side. Someone who cares about the story and the characters. And that someone can also brainstorm with you. It helps - at least in my case.
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