Empire of Ninety Nine Stars Book 1
Science Fiction
Date Published: 10/10/2019
Publisher: Chandra Press
Edj Dumarc LaRand Bronacious Tarkle, the son of Emperor Risherd Fontanue LaRand Bronacious Tarkle, and the Crown Prince and Heir to the Crystal Throne of the Empire of the Ninety-Nine Stars is on his way to Herrig’s World, a remote planet that rarely warrants attention. However, production of the ore critical to anti-grave tech, minzite, has recently cratered.
There are many ways to address the decline. The navy could be sent in to investigate, but they never do anything small. An official auditor could be dispatched, but he would inevitably find several perfectly good reasons for the decline and file a report saying, oh well, that's just the way it is. Or Edj could go and make a few quiet, discrete inquiries and find out precisely who is profiting. It seemed so simple when his father asked him to investigate matters.
But nothing is ever simple. What Edj uncovers on Herrig’s World is a plot to destroy the foundation of the Empire. With a mindbender named Mala and his loyal android companion, JD, in tow, Edj begins an adventure across the Ninety-Nine stars to stop the conspiracy in its tracks. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what they expect. With his ship barely functional, and the odds stacked against him, can Edj save the Empire before time runs out?
Interview with Timothy Burns
As a writer, what would you choose as your
mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
A: Odin, the Alfather of the old
Norse, has among His attributes the ability to inspire the writer’s frenzy. For
this reason, among others, He is who I call on for inspiration and look to as
my role model.
How many hours a day do you put into your writing?
A: When I can
afford to, I prefer to spend about four hours a day either writing or editing
my work. Of course, the real world often has other plans for me...
Do you read your book reviews?
A: I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a writer who isn’t
interested in knowing what others think of their work. Praise is great to hear,
but it is the more negative reviews that one can learn the most from.
Do you leave hidden messages in your books that only a few
people will find?
A: I certainly do. Star Trek
references are mandatory. Aside from those, I also like to give nods to some of
the great writers who made me fall in love with science fiction, such as Asimov
and Heinlein.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in the Edj of the Empire series?
A: Prince Edj, the title character
and narrator of the account, is a cross between James Bond and Buck Rogers. He
has access to all the best tech yet travels the Empire of the 99 Stars in the
guise of a simple cargo hauler, investigating and solving problems the
individual worlds either can’t or won’t. Sam, his bodyguard, is an immensely
powerful sentient black hole who is sworn to protect the life of the current
Emperor and the waiting heir. Able to shunt most or all of his gravity off into
parallel dimensions, he remains invisible and undetectable unless something
threatens the lives of his charges. Melanada, Prince Edj’s lover, is a powerful
psionic in a universe that fears and distrusts those with mental abilities.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have
planned for the future?
A: Edj of the Empire is a nine-book series I wrote out start to finish
over the course of several years. Only after the first drafts were completed
did I start trying to have them published. This allowed me to make minor changes
in the earlier episodes as plot lines developed which I hadn’t even had in mind
when I began. The series follows a main story arc of the prince tracking down
the man who kidnapped Melanada. As the story progresses, all of humanity comes
under threat of enslavement by psychic post-humans who he himself was duped
into helping create.
Aside from this series, I have
written an unrelated sci-fi based on a far-future Earth where smart matter used
to be everywhere but by the time of the story very little is left and those who
can control it are seen as something like wizards. This I hope to publish after
the Edj series. I also have two self-published, stand-alone books I will
eventually re-release, and I am currently in the process of penning the sequel
to one of these.
Do you allow yourself a certain number of hours to write or do you
write as long as the words come?
A: Holding down a day job makes
finding time to write difficult, to say the least, so I basically take
advantage of any free time I have that isn’t otherwise spoken for.
Do you have a certain number of words or pages you write per day?
A: I feel bad if I don’t get four
pages a day, but time restraints usually limit that to a page or two.
What inspires you to write?
A: I have been an avid reader all my
life, so I suppose it is the drive to tell the same kinds of stories that I
like. I have derived so much enjoyment out of reading that I want to pay it
forward by contributing my own ideas to the world in general.
Would you rather
Read fiction or
non-fiction?
A: I have a nearly equal interest in science and
science-fiction, so for me it is about 50/50.
Read series or
stand-alone?
A: A series any day. I like the longer-term immersion in a
setting that a longer series allows.
Read Science fiction
or horror?
A: Sci-fi wins that one hands down. It’s not that I have
anything against horror (I’ve even included horror elements into my sci-fi
writing at times), but I’ve just always enjoyed the science and technology
aspects the most.
Read Stephen King or
Dean Koontz?
A: Koontz. King is a great storyteller with an absolutely
awesome imagination, but in my opinion he bogs the reader down with far too
much irrelevant information at the cost of smooth story progression.
Read the book or
watch the movie?
A: While there is certainly a lot of good that can be said
for being able to see the characters, props and setting in a movie, I feel like
I get a deeper immersion in the story when I read it, especially when the
writer succeeds in really putting the reader into the character’s minds.
Motivations and thought processes just don’t translate to a video format. Plus,
I can re-read passages multiple times to be sure I didn’t miss anything.
Read an ebook or
paperback?
A: I grew up long before ebooks, so for me reading has
always been about holding a book in my hands. However, much can be said for the
convenience of downloadable content on an ebook reader or smartphone.
Be trapped alone for
one month in a library with no computer or a room with a computer and Wi-Fi
only?
A: The internet maketh all things available.
Do a cross-country
book store tour or blog tour online?
A: A blog tour might generate more exposure, but I would
much rather have the opportunity for in-person, real human interaction that
physically being present with the audience allows for.
About the Author
Mr. Burns is a factory worker who sidelines as a carpenter, computer technician and jack of many trades handyman whose primary interest is hard science-fiction. He has read and loved that genre all his life and has always dreamed of writing books that others would enjoy reading as much as he himself enjoyed those of the great S/F masters. He is very interested in high technology and tries to impart accuracy and plausibility into his work. Other reading and writing interests include fantasy, magic, the paranormal, the Norse runes and nature-centered religions. He lives in northern Mississippi.
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thanks for hosting
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