Posts

Showing posts from 2013

SFR Brigade Presents: Starrie 2.0

Image
STARRIE 2.0 Enjoy some Science Fiction Adventure from the Ambasadora-verse! I'm posting my novel Starrie in order starting from chapter one. This is post eight and the beginning of chapter two. It has been edited for content and space per the SFR Brigade Presents guidelines. Read the rest of the story so far here. And, check out other wonderful posts at the SFR Brigade . STARRIE (FROM THE WORLD OF AMBASADORA) by Heidi Ruby Miller Naela's ears rang as music blasted through the mind minstrel's speakers. Its turquoise laser danced in erratic waves over her head and naked torso. The leather straps lashing her to the bed sliced into her wrists, her ankles, and her throat with each movement. She had always hated the smell of wet leather. She hated it more as it mixed with the pungent scent of her blood. Stavros still jumped around the stone bedroom like a dosed-up fragger, screaming and pounding his fist against his head and his chest in repeated rhythm. He was sp

EVENT: Uniontown Mega-Author Signings

Image
EVENTS On Saturday, December 14 from 1:00 - 3:00 PM, Bradley's Books at the Uniontown Mall will host a book signing for 13 authors from Raw Dog Screaming Press, Dog Star Books, and Headline Books, including Michael Arnzen, Jennifer Barnes, Matt Betts, Leland Pitts-Gonzalez, John Edward Lawson, Heidi Ruby Miller, Jason Jack Miller, Diane Turnshek, Matthew Warner, Albert Wendland, D. Harlan Wilson, K. Ceres Wright, and Stephanie Wytovich. The authors are also guests at Share the Spirit that evening at the State Theater Center for the Arts in downtown Uniontown. The Share the Spirit Author Mix and Mingle begins at 6:00 PM. Both events are free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!

SFR Brigade Presents: Starrie 1.7

Image
STARRIE 1.7 Enjoy some Science Fiction Adventure from the Ambasadora-verse! I'm posting my novel Starrie in order starting from chapter one. This is post seven. Read the rest of the story so far here. And, check out other wonderful posts at the SFR Brigade . STARRIE (FROM THE WORLD OF AMBASADORA) by Heidi Ruby Miller It was damn uncomfortable being buffeted by stronger and colder winds the higher they rose. Ben thought he discerned strains of muffled beats and human voices. He caught Matt's gaze long enough to confirm the occasional echo of music traveling on the icy wind. A warning to outsiders? Or nonchalance, proof that Stavros felt secure in his compound? By the time they reached the underhang and activated their boots' crampon extensions, the music flowed freely, almost vibrating through the rock. The quickening tempo and building beat spurred Ben onward as he climbed and reminded him of training exercises and a few of the kill-on-contact missions Dread

EVENT: #GenreLitChat with Heidi Ruby Miller, John Mantooth, and Nathan Ballingrud

Image
EVENTS From Beverly Bambury Publicity: #GenreLitChat: An Occasional Twitter Chat about Genre Introducing #GenreLitChat, an occasional Twitter chat with writers on the state of genre, and how their work does--or doesn't--fit. The kickoff chat is just in time for your holiday book buying needs! It's this Thursday, December 5th at 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST with John Mantooth , author of The Year of the Storm ( Berkley/Penguin ), Heidi Ruby Miller , author of Greenshift ( Dog Star Books ), and Nathan Ballingrud , author of short story collection North American Lake Monsters ( Small Beer Press ). When you join the chat, you can use this page ( http://twubs.com/GenreLitChat ) which will focus only on the hashtag, and even automatically insert the hashtag for you if you ask questions or reply. Alternatively, you can follow the hashtag #GenreLitChat right on Twitter , but make sure you use the hashtag or your questions and comments may be missed ! You can send

SFR Brigade Presents: Starrie 1.6

Image
STARRIE 1.6 Enjoy some Science Fiction Adventure from the Ambasadora-verse! I'm posting my novel Starrie in order starting from chapter one. This is post six.  Read the rest of the story so far here.   And, check out other wonderful posts at the SFR Brigade . STARRIE  (FROM THE WORLD OF AMBASADORA) by Heidi Ruby Miller Search beacons flashed from the descending voyeurs. One flew so close to Ben's position he heard the whir/snap of multi-directional sensing devices. He could take out the voyeur, but surprise was Dreadfire Team's favorite weapon. Ben looked to Kiki, who monitored his position from a boulder several meters up. She held her palm up to indicate he shouldn't move. His nose always itched when he needed to remain motionless—just the way of things. He ignored the maddening impulse to scratch, knowing it would disappear as soon as he was on the move again. Kiki flipped her hand over. All clear. He removed a collapsible grappler f

Event Photos: Baltimore Book Festival 2013

Image
EVENTS My first time at the Baltimore Book Festival was wonderful. We were there with the RDSP crew, but we also met up with some Seton Hill Writers. Here are some photos from the weekend.        

SFR Brigade Presents: Starrie 1.5

Image
STARRIE 1.5 Enjoy some Science Fiction Adventure from the Ambasadora-verse! I'm posting my novel Starrie in order starting from chapter one. This is post five.  Read the rest of the story so far here.   And, check out other wonderful posts at the SFR Brigade . STARRIE  (FROM THE WORLD OF AMBASADORA) by Heidi Ruby Miller The chilled air smelled of spice, giving a false sense of comfort to those minutes just before sunset. Above the timberline, but just below the squalling ice storms near the peak, Ben glimpsed part of the great fortress. Its shiny silver reflected the surrounding snow and rock. The structure looked like a double-prowed ship or a wintry bird of prey about to strike. Security voyeurs peppered the sky—hovering, watching, listening. The insulating gel Ben and his team had covered themselves in should dampen any thermal signatures, but it also held in a fair amount of body heat. For Armadans, who ran hot to begin with, the effect was anyt

EVENT PHOTOS: DogCon 2

Image
EVENTS A late recap through images of DogCon2 in Columbus, OH - August 2-4, 2013. BACK (L to R): Emory Pueschel, John Edward Lawson, Jason Jack Miller, Matt Betts, Michael A. Arnznen, D, Harlan Wilson FRONT(L to R): Jennifer Barnes, Chris Stout, Hanna Gribble, Stephanie Wytovich, Heidi Ruby Miller           BACK (L to R): Matt Betts, Michael A. Arnzen, Steven Archer, John Edward Lawson, Jason Jack Miller, Chris Stout FRONT (L to R): Emory Pueschel, K. Ceres Wright, Jennifer Barnes, Hanna Gribble, Stephanie Wytovich, Heidi Ruby Miller, Donna Lynch      

SFR Brigade Presents: Starrie 1.4

Image
STARRIE 1.4  Enjoy some Science Fiction Adventure from the Ambasadora-verse! I'm posting my novel Starrie in order starting from chapter one. This is post four.  Read the rest of the story so far here.   And, check out other wonderful posts at the SFR Brigade . STARRIE  (FROM THE WORLD OF AMBASADORA) by Heidi Ruby Miller He motioned for the left flank to keep to the trees for cover. The tall, fat-trunked pines remained dense until the timberline gave way to a boulder field buffering Durstal Ki, the highest mountain in the Chulama Chain. The sun had a few moments left in the sky to their rear, but the peaks loomed ahead like a black hole, ready to suck them in, never to be seen again.  Like so many women Liu Stavros brought here. Anger threatened Ben's concentration as he remembered how Mari narrowly escaped that fate. He had no business thinking about the woman his brother had killed a man over.  Returning to his combat experience, Ben fed his con

SFR Brigade Presents: Starrie 1.3

Image
STARRIE 1.3 Enjoy some Science Fiction Adventure from the Ambasadora-verse! I'm posting my novel Starrie in order starting from chapter one. This is post three.  Read the rest of the story so far here.   Check out other wonderful posts at http://sfrcontests.blogspot.com/p/sfr-brigade-presents.html?spref=fb . STARRIE  (FROM THE WORLD OF AMBASADORA) by Heidi Ruby Miller In their thirty years of service together, these dozen Armadan men and women had scaled many mountains, blasted into deep reaches of space, hunted down their share of inter-system criminals, and were still going strong.  Sure there were some horrific moments along the way—Ben had lost track if he or Duncan had had more limbs reattached or replaced. Matt had been comatose for six months a few years back. Char nearly bled out during a raid on the Svetz Pods, and Kenya had to be quarantined for seven weeks in a radiation detox facility. Any of them could have died or left the team,

INTERVIEW: The Lost Geek Girl Interview with Jennifer Barnes

Image
INTERVIEWS One year ago I interviewed my good friend Jennifer Barnes for a column about geek girls. I'm happy finally to bring it to my readers and show her how much I appreciated the time she took out of her busy schedule to do the interview for me. Please welcome publishing tycoon and figist—yes, you heard right, figist—Jennifer Barnes! A Love Affair with Books I have always been a geek about books. As a child learning to read I struggled with dyslexia but once it clicked I read EVERYTHING. I spent a lot of time on classics and then works from outsider groups like women's and African-American lit. I also read a lot of horror novels. Of course I majored in English in college and worked in a library—I was in charge of the circulation desk on Saturdays and would read all day. Eventually I went into the graphic design field but when my husband began to get interested in a writing career I helped edit his work. Together we took over operations of an ezine called The Drea

The SFR Brigade Presents: Starrie 1.2 by Heidi Ruby Miller

Image
STARRIE 1.2 Enjoy some Science Fiction Adventure from the Ambasadora-verse! I'm posting my novel Starrie in order starting from chapter one. This is post two.  Read the beginning here . BTW, I'm looking for a more original tattoo for Ben, so if anyone has any suggestions.... Check out other wonderful posts at http://sfrcontests.blogspot.com/p/sfr-brigade-presents.html?spref=fb . STARRIE  (FROM THE WORLD OF AMBASADORA) by Heidi Ruby Miller All in all, they had been fortunate. Ben rubbed the spot of ink encircling his left wrist for some more luck. The black chain tattoo may not have been what kept him safe during his missions, but he wasn't going to take a chance and alter his routine. Matt exited last, the team's eternal sweep. They joked that he always knew more about the landscape behind him than in front of him. Ben switched on his co-com and quietly addressed the men and women tucked in and around the shuttle craft-sized boulders. He c