In case you missed the initial promotion, here's a second chance to get your free copy of Edge of The Apocalypse, Book 1. https://tinyurl.com/y89w5rwg
The first book of the series literally opens with bang, as the leading edge of nuclear attacks make landfall on Austin, Texas.
The time is here and now, people. This is it! Follow Andrea, a misguided Cyborg, with her dog, Apollo, and her best friend, Maria, as they traverse an American wasteland in the post-apocalyptic year 2157.
Book 1 is now available. Books two and three are due in 2020
Good news for fans of post-apocalyptic fiction, because Book 1, Edge of The Apocalypse is now available on Amazon in paperback and eBook editions. https://tinyurl.com/y89w5rwg
I titled the new series, The Edge of Time and it includes two other books, Epic Apocalypse, Book 2, and Beyond The Apocalypse for Book 3, which will include time-travel events.
I'm very excited about this new series and although I never set out to write about the apocalypse, it turns out that this is topic I really enjoy writing. I got the idea several years ago while developing the Millennium board game (Andrea's Journal) and one thing has led to another and here I am, writing my second book in the series.
So, as if I didn't have enough on my plate already, I've set out to finish two more books. Funny thing is that as daunting as that sounds, I find it very satisfying and a lot of fun to do, so it's not a chore, but a joy for me to accomplish, hopefully in a year or so.
The board game is all but finished and I hope to launch it this September 11 without a hitch. I can't wait for that because Millennium has evolved in amazing ways that I had never thought of when I started designing it back in 2016. It pays to be patient and to sleep on ideas until they are ready to be shared.
These new books are part of the evolution of the board game and writing them is the only option for me. I must write these books and hopefully many more in this genre, not only because the time is right, but because right now this is where my heart and soul is and I'm seizing the moment.
It's going to be a whole new world of exploration in this genre, both post apocalyptic fiction as well as the YA and millennial category of readers.
Lots to learn and a lot to do as things move along towards the year 2020. Here's the link to the new blog,The Edge of Time series of books. I'll also be talking about the book cover designs for all the new books and anything related to the genre.
As an aside, I started watching the post-apocalyptic thriller, Bird Box, a Netflix favorite. I bailed out of it after 20 minutes or so, but I plan to give it another chance this weekend. I didn't get the blindfolding idea. Seemed like a gimmick to me but I'm open to anything so let's see if I can finish watching it this time around.
I did enjoy the opening scenes with Sandra Bullock and her sister, played by Sarah Paulson. Nice tension and dialog.
The movie is actually based on the debut novel Bird Box by Josh Malerman. Rotten Tomatoes has given it a mixed 3-star review and also says that the film lacks tension but has solid performances.
Too early to tell, but we'll see how it ends. That's the true test for any story and I'll post my review and rating in my next post. Stay tuned for much more!
Wise words this author now lives by because I have a good feeling about this amazing new series of books.
What is amazing to me is how this story has seized my mind and soul to the point where I think of very little else except to immerse myself into this apocalyptic world and go along for the ride of a lifetime because writing this series is the most fun I've ever had professionally. What more can one ask for?
I'm constantly taking mental notes, taking notes on my phone, notes on napkins, I'll scribble scene ideas wherever I can at any given time. I often wake up in the middle of the night or early morning to jot down plot events or chapter headings. I am totally obsessed with this story and that's a good thing because I'll have to live with it for a good while until I finish it.
The idea for the book(s) came to me as soon as I thought of including a journal for Andrea's character for the Millennium board game. Nice touch for the game, I thought as I proceeded to outline Andrea's journal. But in the back of my mind, all I could think of was; this could make a good novel or a series of books. Who am I kidding? I barely have time to breathe just trying to finish the board game.
But as the months went by, the journal kept growing and ideas just kept flowing and I couldn't stop writing. Still can't.
Long story, short.
I wrote the first draft of book one in about a week and started outlining and writing the second book as I went along. Before long I had the concept for the series locked-in and hope to publish the two remaining books by early next year.
None of this was planned. It just evolved out of the journal and I am so grateful that I've seized the moment and I've run with it. Best part is that I'm enjoying and savoring every word and every scene as if I was there.
And I am.
I hope you will be too.
Join me on this extraordinary odyssey of words, events, and short stories that I believe can brighten our outlook of the future and add meaning to our days.
Happy New Year, people! We've made it to another amazing year and I'm wishing you a prosperous new year and an exciting and inspiring time reaching your dreams.
For me, there's no better way to start the new year than with new and fresh business plans and ideas. If you're not growing and learning new and exciting things every day, life becomes a monotonous series of daily events. And so with that frame of mind, I'm committed to venture into unknown territory with no fear, no apprehension, and certainly high expectations as I hope you are too.
Pursue what's possible and everything will fall into place. Trust what you know and follow your passion to wherever it takes you and beyond. You'll be surprised how far you can get on a whim.
So along with the new year, comes a new box for the Millennium board game. Yes, this game is alive and well and just about to hit the shelves this coming September 11, 2019, with its companion book, The Edge of The Apocalypse.
The book (available in three formats) will be published sooner but the official launch for both products is 9.11.2019.
New Book Cover
In case you missed it, here's the new cover for the book. As you can see, I've added a pier and Andrea's dog, Apollo. I resolved the problem with the missing feet and so the book should trim close to how this one looks. I think I'll keep these colors and not try to match the book cover to the board game cover.
Although, the more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to tone down the colors on the book cover to almost black and gray, mostly because when you pair these products in one shot they should match in some way. I don't think that will make or break the presentation either way but I'll juxtapose a gray version of the book cover to see how they look together.
There are subtle differences to the game box too. I switched out the main font for the Millennium name because the Montalban font is more distinctive and looks more futuristic. I also toned down the grunge filter so the name stands out a bit more.
About The New Box
The big difference with this new box is the style of the box itself. This is Game Crafter's 9x12 Large Retail Box. At first glance it's a bit unusual because the sides (from the top of the cover) don't reach the bottom of the box. The top and bottom of the box halves (each 1" deep) meet half way to the middle and that's why it looks split. See the Game Crafter video to see how they explain the reason for this kind of box. They claim it's stronger and more durable when folded this way.
I'm sure it is a sturdier box but I'm not so sure it's a great idea for the sides because it limits the width (2 inches) of the space for images, but I do think it looks different and eye-catching enough that buyers might be inclined to pick up the box off a shelf just out of curiosity.
One can also try to match the bottom of the box to the top of the box to create a seamless image on the 2 inch sides but I doubt these images will match up because the first prototype box top was off by almost half an inch! I'm not sure what happened with their registration marks but the cover was way off, with the name too close to the edge on the top of the box. I'll be sure to comment about that when they print this next 9x12 prototype. Either that or I'll be more careful to position the cover image exactly how I want it t appear.
We are all born with great intuition and natural instincts.
These qualities are all we need to survive in life.
Thriving is just a matter of details.
I never fussed about it because these are only prototypes, but I hope this next box looks a lot better than the first. Another concern was how dark most of the images printed. I've made adjustments to the artwork by increasing the brightness about 20% on Photoshop so when the PNG files upload and you enable the color filter, the artwork will not appear or print as dark as it did before. This box is also big enough to fit the 6-fold game board that I'm using so I can fit the entire U. S. map as opposed to just the east coast as in the first game.
Millennium has evolved in so many ways and my advice to game designers is to start with a solid core concept and develop the game from that concept outward until you reach a conclusion that satisfies the players.
You must have a clear event or incident that sets the game off and leads to both short-term and long-term goals leading up to the game's conclusion and the big finale; the ultimate strategy and final goal that makes the game worth playing from start to finish.
Millennium's Concept
In Millennium's case, a nuclear explosion in Austin, Texas, sets the game off in a big way and triggers apocalyptic events revealing the attacker's Manifesto with their warnings and taunting demands. As explosions randomly ripple across the land, you solve clues and anagrams to stay clear and avoid the next bomb.
You can also rescue survivors for extra points as you try to avoid a variety of obstacles and pitfalls along the way. You can find different modes of transportation, such as electric cars, scooters, and even an Amtrak train.
If you reach Brooklyn, NY, you can travel back in time via a time portal at the Meridian line via Coney Island's Astroland Amusement Park. Each of these events and cities have card decks to help you get there and accumulate points as you go.
In short, it's an interesting and fun American history lesson as you make your way across the map to your nearest safe haven.
There's much more to the game, including video links, a Rule eBooklet with all the game rules and game play you need to know, right on your phone or tablet. They are minimal because the game is designed intuitively since events happen sequentially as they might in real life.
As the day of publication nears, I'll post more details about how to play the game. The rule book is only about 15 pages long and the game is very easy to learn. In addition, all card decks provide plenty of information on your next move so it's a quick game to learn as you play.
Here are several tips to help you improve your book cover layouts. For this cover, I wanted to show the apocalypse in a different, more sophisticated way as opposed to the usual burning buildings and explosions, that are so typical of this event.
The ominous sky and its warm/cool colors are reminiscent of a lunar eclipse. The skyline is not on fire, but you can see evidence of a blast blowing across.
In the foreground, the main figures (Andrea and Apollo) stand and watch the event as if protected from the blast and superior to its effects.
The actual story starts off with a blast in Austin, Texas, but of course, New York City is the center of 9/11 and so I felt it was more important to feature that city on the cover. Besides, Andrea and Maria eventually wind up there.
This composition needs a bit of work because the main image is competing with the background (Freedom Tower) so I'll have to take more time to tweak it. Chances are that I'll have to reduce the size of the tower and that should fix the problem, but we'll see.
I also added Andrea's trusty pooch, Apollo, to the cover because they are inseparable. The main reason for adding these two images was so that the book cover resonates with the game box cover. I'm still debating if I'll match the gray colors of the box with the book. (A compromise would be desaturating the colors in the book cover.)
As it was before with only the skyline, there was no point of reference to the board game. Besides, I think this image of Andrea tells a deeper story overall. If you look closely, she's carrying a gun for protection and you can see that her hand is mechanical (as in cyborg).
Revised version
Notice the subtle but very important differences in these two covers.
Let's start at the top with the hook.
I added the word and with an ellipsis so it flows better.
I moved my name under the title so I could unclutter the main image.
I also reduced the size of the background tower a bit so it doesn't compete with the main image.
I'll have to figure out what to do with the color band running across the bottom, now that I moved the name up. Most likely I'll remove it when I fix the artwork (missing feet). Right now I'm not sure of the trim on the bottom so that's still a bit of trial and error.
So far, I think this works and hopefully, I can keep it this way up to the date of publication unless I find another way to improve it. But as a group, the freedom tower, Andrea, and Apollo make a nice diagonal line for a much more pleasing composition. I might either blur or take down the saturation of the tower just a bit to see how that looks, but the Freedom Tower is an important part of this story and that's why I'm thinking of leaving it alone.
Current Box
So the whole point is that you should always show your main image at its best. In this case, the juxtaposition of the main image grouped with the background is symbolic of the events in this story so it's okay to visually group them as one.
You want to tie-in the main image with anything that will tell a deeper story at a glance.
The real trick for me with this unusual array of products is to prioritize the purpose of each product. My main goal is to promote the board game with the book. But at the same time, the board game should also promote the book. It's a balance of design and writing that works discreetly with subtlety, although, it's really all about the board game.
For those of you following the evolution of this game, I'll be posting updated photos of the new game board and several new card decks soon.
I'm getting really close to locking down all the elements and mechanical aspects of the game and synchronizing the artwork as a whole. The most important development to the game has been the addition of the Manifesto Card Deck, which sets off the game in a grand way.
Nothing else changes as far as skills and rescue goals. Everything remains as it was, but the Manifesto serves as an "inciting incident" (novel speak) of sorts. This was the big thing I'd been missing and finally found a way to include it and present it without too much additional cost.
Final Revision
Here's the final version (subject to change) with a pier to ground the figures. A small portion might be trimmed when printed so I'll have to make adjustments after the first proof.
Overall I think it works so we'll see how the actual printed version looks.
Visions of permanent human settlements on Mars all include methods by which inhabitants can grow plants and produce food. Picture: Bryan Versteeg/Spacehabs.comSource:Supplied
It's Mars or bust, says Buzz Aldrin,
Apollo 11 hero and space explorer extraordinaire in an interview with
News Corp.
“I
don’t think we really understand how much we can take of that,
[radiation] or from how much we can be protected in efficient
ways..."
While
in Australia, Buzz Aldrin spoke to News Corp. about his passion for a
human outpost on Mars. The promo is part of National Geographic’s
series of talks, Mars: The Live Experience.
Would
Buzz take such a risk?
Buzz Aldrin Speaks
“Well,
it may hurt! But to have a very challenging life from age 40 when you
get to Mars, and returning at 60, may be worth it having sacrificed
for your country, or for humanity ... This is a concept that I don’t
think very many people have come to grips with yet.”
Traveling
to Mars is much more difficult than flying to the Moon in every way.
“Then
we didn’t know,” Aldrin said.
There
launch window is narrow. The trajectory and thrust have to be very
exact. About half of the Mars missions have succeeded so far.
Buzz Aldrin Mars Promo
“You
have to get it 100 percent: 95 percent, you don’t get to Mars. You
don’t come back,” he says.
“No
free return and no backup system, no alternate. I’m disturbed about
that.”
Aldrin
says that independent, short missions are doomed to fail.
“Probably
the third time we get there, Congress or somebody will say ‘here,
we know how to do that — lets spend that money over here ...’ And
that will be it for Mars.”
Aldrin
believes that high risks can be managed by sending mission components
separately.
“You
can have a year-and-a half tour of duty, a five year tour of duty, a
seven-and-a-half ... and come back,” he says. “You’re sending
as many as you’re bringing back.
"Are
you disappointed you never got to fly to Mars?"
“No.
See, we’d already flown,” he says.
MARS Series for Nat Geo
“The
three of us (from Apollo 11) felt that being so fortunate to have
come out with the mission and end up the first landing that we didn’t
feel like flying another mission was fair to other guys. We’d be
taking a potential mission away from them." Aldrin hopes NASA accepts his "master plan" which is already working on the spacecraft and the rockets to launch astronauts to Mars by 2030. And he expects a Mars settlement by 2040, around the 70th anniversary of his Apollo 11 moon landing. Aldrin also envisions using Mars moons, Deimos and Phobos, as stepping stones for astronauts. He doesn't like the label "one-way" and he imagines tours of duty, lasting up to 10 years.
A.R.
Arias, a Mars enthusiast, is the designer/developer for Terra Nova
Board Games. His debut game, Millennium-Glory Beyond The
Ages, and its companion short story, Girl With A Broken Heart,
launches 9.11.2019.
