Sample Ebook for Tales of the Dim Knight Released

We've been working very hard this Summer on revisions to Tales of the Dim Knight. You can take a look and see a little of what we've been working on, as our free Ebook has been released.

You can read it online or download it for your Kindle, Ipad, or Sony Reader. We hope to soon have this free book available in the Ipad or Sony stores. Unfortunately to make it available on the Kindle store, we'd have to charge at least 99 cents, which wouldn't work with our free preview cover.

Here's our blurb:

What happens when the World's biggest superhero fan gets superpowers? When Mild Mannered Janitor Dave Johnson discovers an alien symbiot that gives him untold powers, there's only one thing to do. Put on a pair of tights and save the world. In this special free preview, see how Dave's adventures begin as he faces down drug dealers, car thieves, and the dreaded petty criminals

Alpha Redemption Press Release

Debut SF Novel Delves Into Science and Spirituality

September 1st 2010 sees the release of P.A. Baines’ debut novel Alpha Redemption, a story about a man who rediscovers his faith in God through the friendship of a sentient computer.

Auckland, New Zealand – Splashdown Books is pleased to announce the release of an exciting debut novel from a talented new author. It is a tale of lightspeed travel, and also of an inner journey from pain to peace.

Brett Denton is unemployed and has lost his will to live, as well as everything else – his faith, his family, his career. When offered the chance to leave his old life behind in an experimental mission to Alpha Centauri, he gladly accepts, knowing that he may not survive the hazardous journey.

With only the ship’s intelligent on-board computer, Jay, for company, he crosses the depths of space in an epic voyage of discovery. At first he just wants to enjoy his solitude and finds Jay’s quest for knowledge an annoyance. Over time, however, they become friends as Brett slowly begins to heal from a life of heartache.

On arriving at Alpha Centauri they find a planet very similar to Earth, now deserted but showing signs of a once-powerful civilization. When an emergency situation arises, it soon becomes clear that Brett may not be able to make it back alive. And Jay discovers that Brett is not alone on the ship.

Alpha Redemption is 2001: A Space Odyssey meets Robinson Crusoe, with soul. “My idea for Alpha came from wondering what a purely logical being would make of faith and God. If such an entity were to learn about God, what would it make of this knowledge, and would it be able to sway the opinion of an atheist?” said Baines.

For more information on Alpha Redemption, visit www.splashdownbooks.com or the author’s website at www.pabaines.com. The book is available from Amazon.com and other online retailers, and discounted direct from the publisher.

About Splashdown Books:

Begun in 2009 as an independent publisher of inspirational science fiction and fantasy, Splashdown Books has a vision to provide a connection between authors and fans of a genre with the capability to transport the reader to other worlds in their mind.

P.A.Baines was born in England and currently does contract work in Europe where he lives with his wife and two children. He writes computer programs by day and speculative fiction by night, although his dream is to swap those two around. His aim as a writer is to create science-fiction where God is not just present but at the very core of the story. He hopes one day to get a proper night’s sleep.

One month and counting. . .

When you are writing, do you ever take the easy route? By that I mean do you come to a scene and, instead of sweating over how to make it as good as it can be, you rush through it? Or maybe you sneak a little bit of “telling” in when you should really be “showing”? Maybe you whitewash over it when you ought to be getting the easel out and experimenting with the full palette at your disposal. Perhaps you use flat language when you really need to reach for that perfect metaphor. Or you ignore pacing and tension just because you want to get to the intense action scene in the next chapter where you get to describe the battle between the robots and the mole-people.

I’m guilty of doing all these things because there are times when I simply don’t feel like doing more than the basics. Sometimes I’m tired or bored and just want to move on to a more interesting bit of the plot. I do it hoping that noboody will notice. I stand there whistling a nonchalant tune, with my hands in my pockets and my freshly-waxed halo tilted at a jaunty angle, and I push a dull, half-baked, uninspired piece of prose under the carpet. After all, who is going to care if the rest of the writing is to a reasonable standard? Who is going to care if I skip a little polishing and sweep a little dust under the rug? Everyone, that’s who is going to notice.

Some years ago, a colleague asked me to read his completed novel. It was an epic science fiction fantasy in the vein of Star Wars. He had spent many years working on it, and he was rightly quite proud of his achievement. He had previously shown me a few extracts and I was impressed. The writing was rich and flowing. The scenes were captivating. I couldn’t wait to see the finished product. Then one day he announced that it was finished and I volunteered to have a read. I was so disappointed. It contained scene after scene written in the style I had encountered in my earlier glimpses, and yet the novel did not work. The problem was not with the exciting scenes, but with the bits in between. It was as if he couldn’t be bothered to worry about the “boring” parts because he wanted to get to the interesting stuff. The end result was disastrous. It was like looking at a diamond mounted on a soda can pull. The diamond was still beautiful, but all you could see was the piece of scrap-metal it was mounted on. He sent it off to be edited. I don’t know what they told him, but he was not happy. He moved on and I’m not sure if he ever revised the manuscript. I hope he did. I hope he listened to what the editor had to say and applied it because I’m sure he would have found a publisher one day if he would just go back and do some more work.

The reason I mention this is because my story is currently at the end of the editing process. The person responible for this daunting task is Cathi-Lyn Dyck (or Cat for short). Cat works as a freelance editor and also for Splashdown Books. And, boy, she is thorough! When I received my first set of comments from Cat, I realized that not only had she lifted the carpets to check for dust, she had also pulled out a magnifying glass and done a full forensic CSI thing on it. Looking through her comments, I soon realized that all of of my moments of laziness had been spotted and dragged, dazed and blinking, out into the open. Luckily, there weren’t that many, but she spotted them all. I remember thinking while I was writing those parts: “that’ll do.” Let me tell you, they won’t do. I’m currently listening to a best-selling science fiction author. This morning I heard something that dragged me right out of a particularly interesting part of the story simply because he told me something rather than showing me, and in such a blatant way as well. By the time I got back into the plot I had lost a few seconds of dialogue and had to rewind and try again.

I’m still learning the craft and I’m aware how much I don’t know, and I think that’s important. Problems start when you think you know enough. Cat has taught me an awful lot through this process. There were things I didn’t really understand and she was happy to explain them to me until I did understand. Best of all, she “got” my story. She understood what I wanted to achieve and then helped me to get there. And she spotted things that I would never have seen in a million years.

So with a month left to go, Alpha Redemption is almost ready with just a few more bits and pieces to sort out. I’ve learned from experience not to count my chickens until they’re running around the yard in a squawking flurry of feathers, but everything is currently on track for September 1st.

And if you are looking for an editor, I can’t recommend Cat enough. She is professional, thorough, patient, and supportive in equal measure. Details of her services can be found on http://scitascienda.com/scienda-editorial/. In Cat’s words: “My inbox is always open for general questions or hellos, and people are welcome to contact me through ScitaScienda.com, Facebook, or email (on the sidebar at the blog’s mainpage).”

Ask a Superhero:Superhero Gadgets

Welcome to our continuing weekly feature where we ask a question of a Superhero, Dave Johnson, aka Powerhouse and the Emerald Avenger.

Interviewer: Our next question comes from Clive Staples nominated Author Fred Warren.
"There are a lot of wannabe superheroes these days, so I want to make sure you're the real deal...every superhero has his own supply of super-cool super-high-tech gadgets. Do you?"

Dave: I don't need superhero gadgets on hand. I can create them with my mind.

Int: So you have a super imagination?

Dave: Yes, I can imagine anything I want and it'll appear. This is great for me. Bruce Wayne may have the batcave to put all of his stuff in, but I'm not a billionaire, and my garage is already full. This way, I can imagine a device to be there for me when I need it and then just imagine it out of existence later. And no chance the kids might find my rocket pack and take off with it.

Int: So tell us what are some of the high tech gadgets you imagine yourself having that we'll see in Tales of the Dim Knight?

Dave: There's my rocket pack, a 50 foot giant robot, and a flying stealth aircraft with retractable whips and machine guns that fire rubber bullets.

Int: Pretty impressive. What do you use the 50 foot giant robot for?

Dave: You have to read the book to find out.

Int: E-mail your questions for Dave to askasuperhero@laserandsword.com. Then follow his story every Tuesday at Laser and Sword Magazine. Tales of the Dim Knight is set for release November 1st.

Ask a Superhero: Pet Peeves and Politics

Welcome to our continuing weekly feature where we ask a question of a Superhero, Dave Johnson, aka Powerhouse and the Emerald Avenger.

Interviewer: Kat had a few more questions.

Dave Johnson: She gets more than one?

Int: Well, it's not like we're brimming with questions.

Dave: Okay, go ahead.

Int: She wants to know if you have any pet peeves about superheroes.

Dave: Not about the real ones.

Int: What about in the comic books?

Dave: Well, I do have one big pet peeve and that's Superheroes getting involved in politics. I want to see heroes fighting the bad guys, not mouthing off about Dole v. Clinton or whoever is running for President. Or bashing tea parties or having political talk show hosts as Cyborg heroes. Superheroes have no place in politics.

Int: I'm curious. Do you vote at all?

Dave: I believe it's every citizen's obligation to vote. However, you should never vote in a specific race where you don't know what's going on.

Int: So how do you vote?

Dave: I go and get a ballot and then put it in the envelope with all the races I know something about filled out.

Int: How many is that usually?

Dave; Um-uh-zero. They always say that I'm the quickest voter they've ever seen. But I get the "I voted" sticker. That's what counts.

Int: So you really aren't political at all. I don't know how you'll deal with this next question. She wants to know, If you could choose one superhero to run for President who would it be?

Dave: I don't know why a Superhero would want to run for President. Being a superhero is far better, and you don't have to be dishonest like in politics. But I think the only logical choice would be Iron Man, Tony Stark. First, it takes a lot of money to run for President, and Stark has even more money than Bruce Wayne. Secondly, if you run for office, it's always those you love that get hurt most. Most superheroes have secret identities to protect their families and would never do anything like run for office. However, Tony Stark would be a good candidate for office as he's a narcissist who wouldn't be as bothered by his friends getting some unfavorable press, and being emotionally wounded. They'll get over it.

Int: Well that makes sense in a cynical sort of way. We'd love to answer your questions. E-mail your questions for Dave to askasuperhero@laserandsword.com.

Dave: I will hold my breath until I get an e-mail.

(Dave inhales deeply and holds breath.)

Int: That's not a good idea, you could pass out.

Dave (through clinched teeth): Nonshense, I'm a shuperhero.

Int: Want to read more about the wild and varied adventures of Dave Johnson? Then follow his story every Tuesday at Laser and Sword Magazine. Tales of the Dim Knight is set for release November 1st.

(Dave collapses.)

(Interviewer runs over to Dave and slaps him.)

Int: Come on. Get up. Anyone got any smelling salt?

Cars, brick walls, and learning to drive.

I was fifteen years old when I first sat behind the wheel of a car with the intention of driving it. My mum suggested I park her prized VW Golf in the garage. I’m not sure how the subject came up. I don’t remember asking her or even discussing driving. Maybe she figured I was just getting to that age. All I know is that I ended up sitting in the driver’s seat with the keys in my hand and with my mum in the passenger seat. A few seconds later, we would be sitting in exactly the same positions, but with the nose of the car pressed firmly against the back wall of the garage and a thin pall of dust drifting slowly to the ground.

As with all of the traumatic events in my life, the whole thing is indelibly etched into the region of my brain that holds onto things that it deems so important for my survival that, if it were capable of clutching a permanent marker, it would scribble them on my forehead. I remember my mum explaining the functions of the different pedals. I remember nodding and possibly smiling with that “don’t worry, I know what I’m doing” grin that usually precedes a disaster. I recall pushing down the clutch pedal and placing the car in gear. I then recall that I pushed down on the accelerator and slowly released the clutch. With testosterone rushing through my pimple-strewn body, I clearly remember propelling us towards the open garage door and the wall beyond.

Now I’m not someone who learns by watching or listening. I prefer to try things for myself. More often than not I will fail but eventually the neurons start firing in the right sequence and things begin to make sense. Was it Edison who said that, in the process of inventing the light-bulb, he discovered a thousand ways how not to make a light-bulb? That has always inspired me because it proves the old adage that discovery is ninety percent perspiration and ten percent inspiration. So what on Earth possessed me to think that I was going to be able to park the car on my first attempt?

So, back at the soon-to-be disaster: I had the car in first gear and we were drifting at a slow but steady pace towards the waiting garage. I felt cool and confident. I felt in control and in charge. I was the master of a finely tuned piece of machinery. I was also hopelessly deluded. At some point between the entrance to the garage and the wall, I forgot where the brake pedal was. I know that sounds dumb because, let’s face it, there are only three possible choices in a manual-shift vehicle and they were all right at my feet. But the neurons were not firing in sequence yet and I suspect the brain-cell that was holding the key to speed-reduction success was sending its message to my elbow or my ear, instead of where it should have been sending it: my right foot.

There was a moment of panic as my elbow, or maybe my eyebrow, tried to figure out how to stop a ton of metal from slamming into a brick wall. I turned to look at my mum and she turned to look at me with a wide-eyed expression of surprise and mild alarm that I can only assume I was also wearing. Time slowed to a crawl. If either of us had spoken I am sure it would have come out in a deep drawl that you hear when the film reel has jammed and is about to snap. And then we hit the wall.

The damage was minimal with just a small dent on the front bumper, but my confidence was splattered all over the brickwork so finely that I was going to need DNA sampling to confirm the identity. My mum said something about horses and getting back into the saddle but I was too shaken to get behind the wheel so soon. A few days later I did try again but this time I practiced braking outside the garage where there wasn’t a brick wall to punish my mistakes. Later I successfully parked the car inside the garage. Soon my mum would be leaving the car out every evening so that I could practice the simple act of starting a car, driving it a few feet, and stopping it without the aid of a wall.

So what did I learn from all of this that can be applied to writing? Well I already knew that I’m the kind of person who learns from making mistakes. And I already had a pretty good idea of the importance of having someone supportive by my side to get me back on track when things go wrong. And I knew that sometimes you can sit and stare at what should be obvious but still have no idea how to continue because your brain cells are trying to figure out that your right foot is not attached to your elbow.

No, if I learned anything from that experience, it is that sometimes God can put brick walls in your way for a reason. It could be that you need to smash through and learn perseverance, because sticking with things is not easy and you will almost certainly end up with dents and scratches. Or perhaps you need to stop and take a different route because the one you are on is a dead-end. Or maybe He is trying to tell you that you’ve reached where He wants you to be and it’s time to turn off the engine and just rest in Him until He says it’s time to get moving again.

These days, if I see a brick wall, I still get nervous and I have times when I panic, but I try to remember to figure out if and why God might have put it there and, more importantly, what He wants me to do about it.

Ask a Superhero: Origins of the Superfan

Welcome to our weekly feature where we ask a question of a Superhero, Dave Johnson, aka Powerhouse and the Emerald Avenger.

Interviewer: Our question this week comes from Kat Heckenbach.

Dave Johnson: Cat? Is she any relation to Catwoman?

Int: I don't think so. Anyway, her question is based on the fact that you are not only a Super Hero, but one of the top Super Hero fans in all of Western Washington. She asks, "I'd like to know how Dave first discovered comic books/superheroes. How old was he?"

Dave: When I was four, my father died in a car wreck, and then my paternal grandfather came to live with us. Grandfather introduced me to superheroes, and we spent all of our spare time together reading comic books, watching reruns of Superman and Batman on TV along with some of the new cartoons that came out in the 1980s, watching the Fleischer Cartoons on VHS tapes, listening to old radio episodes of the Shadow, The Green Hornet, The Blue Beetle, and of course, Superman. He took me to see Superman III and Superman IV in theaters. Grandpa died when I was ten, and left me his collection of super hero stuff. Mom thought I ought to sell it go to college. No way. I got a GED even and I still have the collection.

Int.: Got a question for Dave? E-mail askasuperhero@laserandsword.com. Want to read more about the wild and varied adventures of Dave Johnson? Then follow his story every Tuesday at Laser and Sword Magazine. Tales of the Dim Knight is set for release September 1st.