New Book: Eye on Orion by Laura Bastian

My friend, Laura Bastian, just came out with her first book. I haven't had a chance to read this yet, but if it is half as good as some of her unpublished works, this should be a very enjoyable read. Laura's characters and world building is a lot of fun, and this is firmly hitting my to-read list.

Laura's Author Bio 

Laura grew up in a small town in central Utah and now lives in another small town in northern Utah. She always loved stargazing and imagining life outside her own little world. Though they grew up only thirty miles apart, she didn't meet her husband until they went to college. A graduate of Utah State University with a degree in Elementary and Special Education, Laura has been using that training as she raises her children and writes make believe worlds. You can usually find her on her laptop either typing away, or on social media interacting with friends.

Eye on Orion

Falling in love with your gorgeous new neighbor isn't a bad thing, but when he turns out to be the bodyguard of a princess from a planet nine billion light-years away, life gets complicated.

Seventeen-year-old stargazer Holly Adams never imagined she’d find herself trying to prevent the overthrow of an alien government. When Jai and his sister Amira move into the house down the street, Holly is immediately drawn to them. Jai acts suspicious of her from the start, making Holly more curious about their oddities. When Holly learns they are from a different planet, she does what she can to help protect Amira from Shander, a man who wants to marry her by force in order to take over the kingdom her father rules. 

Mistaken identity, a botched kidnapping, and a first kiss that bonds Holly and Jai for life are hard enough, but when Shander believes Holly to be the princess, things get even more dangerous.

Excerpt From the Book

“Do you think there could be life out there somewhere on other planets?” he asked quietly.

“I do.” I rolled onto my side, and propped myself up with my elbow to see him better.

“Intelligent?”

“Yes.”

“Green?” he asked.

“No.” I smiled.

“Really? What makes you think there are others out there?”

“Why not?” I shrugged with one shoulder. “Why would God stop here? Why not make more? What about you? Do you think there is life out there on other planets?”

“I do.”

“Green?” I asked.

“No. And I am sure they are intelligent,” he said with a small smile.

“And what makes you think so?” I asked, returning the smile.

He rolled onto his back and looked at the sky. “Because with so much space, there has to be something else like Earth somewhere. It is just so far away you would never find it unless you knew where to look.”

“I wish I knew where to look.” I lowered myself onto my side, resting my head on my arm extended straight on the blanket. “The discovery of other worlds out there would be fantastic.”

He turned to face me again. “It would be.”

More Information / Links

You can purchase this book from Amazon by clicking on this line.
Laura's Facebook
Laura's Website

My Conversation This Morning

Too many of my morning start like this

Voice: Hey, James....

Me: *Snort* Huh?

Voice: Jaaaaaaaaaames, wake uuuuuuuuup.

Me: *Nonsensical words, I think the word "rabbit" was in there*

Voice: JAMES!

Me: Ah! What?

Voice: I have a lot of things to discuss with you. I thought since you'd been asleep for half the morning, now might be a good time.

Me: What--? Dude, Brain, it's four in the morning. Can't this wait?

Voice: No, now is perfect. I've got so much to say.

Me: No. Stop. Don't. Seriously, Brain, I'm going back to sleep.

Voice: So, I've been working on this plan on how to dominate the world. Want to hear it?

Me: Why would I want to take over the world? That sounds like a lot of extra work I don't want right now. Plus, I can barely keep a goldfish and house plants alive, why would anybody want me ruling the world?

Voice: Well, if we discuss it now, you can think on it and when you've got the spare time and motivation, BAM! World domination.

Me: Not interested.

Voice: France would fall first.

Me: Okay, I'm a little interested. However, I'm still more interested in sleep.

Voice: Okay, well, I've got other ideas. Want to hear them?

Me: Oh my gosh, Brain. I just want to sleep! Now leave me alone or, I swear on everything I'm worth, I will beat myself over the head with a hammer until you SHUT. UP. AND. LET. ME. SLEEP!

*Silence*

Me: Aaahhhhh, sleep. I'll just turn the pillow over to the cool side and--

Voice: --I think I'm going to call your bluff. I don't think yo--

Me: Fine! I'm up, I'm up. Let me pee first.

Voice: Yay!

Me: *Two minutes later* Okay, Brain. What did you want to tell me?

Voice: *Makes bodily fluid sound*

Me: What was that? Did you toot?

Voice: Toot? Don't be such a girly-man. I farted. Yes, I had a brain fart, and I forgot everything. Come to think of it, it might not have been too important in the first place. You can go back to sleep now.

Me: AAAARGH!!

A Search for Happiness: Remembering The Goodness in Mankind

About a decade ago, I worked for a video news-clipping agency where I watched over 24 hours of news per workday (obviously, most of it was in fast forward). I noticed that most of the news was negative. After the sports and the weather, you might get treated to an uplifting human interest story right before closing the show. If you were lucky.

Same goes for online news. A glance at any news site will headline people dying, wars, financial ruins, scandals, political corruptions, fear, affairs, hatred, lies, gossip, and very little to make me happy.

I understand why they do it. The negative aspects of the world get people to tune in. It's a lot like writing; if your character is perfect and everything goes his or her way, your readers are going to close the book out of boredom... no matter how extravagant the prose, setting, or whatever else is in there. Unfortunately, in the news, they can lay it on a little thick. Well... a lot thick.

About a year ago, I decided to seize 90% of my news consumption. I still tune in to catch the highlights (for instance, there seems to be a lot of people playing sports in Russia this week), and I've found this decision to be a positive influence in my life. I'm happier. I worry less. I would actually recommend it if you are looking for an emotional pick-me-up.

Plus, I often run into videos like this. This is not in English, but really... it doesn't need to be.

Or this video of 24 photos that will restore your faith in humanity.

One of those photos was of these two girls, who decided that people were more important than winning a race. I say they both won a lot more in the end because of an unselfish act of kindness.

Or stories like this, where one woman ended up making a huge difference in several lives by an anonymous act of service.

(This video won't play embedded in this blog post. 

Click and it will take you to YouTube)

And videos like this one that shows that walking an old lady across the street is an act that hasn't been forgotten.

Or videos that sum up what I'm trying to say perfectly in this video, that there are good and honest people out there.

In the world of instant and sensationalized media, it is easy to look at the world and see all the ugliness and hatred. It is easy to lose hope in humanity and miss the goodness the world has to offer. But I'm a big believer that their are more good people than bad... by a long shot. Yes, it isn't perfect and there are certain situations you should be cautious about, but it is far from lost. You just need to look for it.