MilSciFi.com Interviews Barry K. Nelson and Walter Knight

MilSciFi.com, a website devoted to science fiction, with book reviews and author interviews, recently interviewed two Penumbra Publishing science fiction authors...

Barry K. Nelson, author of THE MCKENZIE FILES military science fiction series has one book out now, with the second in the series due to be released at the end of the month. Read the complete MilSciFi interview CLICK HERE.

The McKenzie Files
Barry K. Nelson
Military Science Fiction
Available in print and ebook at Amazon and other online retailers

The United Protectorate is under attack by the Brelac, a bloodthirsty reptilian alien race bent on destroying humanity. A dark alliance between the Brelac and the Vendetta, a separatist organization, looms over the Protectorate. The Brelac's onslaught brings forth the creation of the genetically engineered humanoid weapons called Reploids. Reploids are identical copies of real humans captured, killed, cloned, embedded with powerful psionic abilities, and programmed to serve the Brelac. They are untraceable and blend into human society so believably, the Reploids themselves do not know they are clones.

Colin McKenzie, part of a military team sent to a remote planet to investigate and capture a downed Brelac ship, turns on his commanding officer in an attempt to protect a shipwrecked band of Brelac soldiers. But he is captured and reprogrammed - along with two other arrested Reploids - to serve the government they were originally created to destroy.

The balance is upset when a weapon powerful enough to bring the Protectorate to its knees is about to be unleashed - and the Protectorate's only hope of stopping it is the three Reploids.

_______________________

Walter Knight, author of the humorous military science fiction series AMERICA'S GALACTIC FOREIGN LEGION has twelve books out now, with the next due early November. Read the complete MilSciFi interview CLICK HERE.

America's Galactic Foreign Legion
Book 12: The Ark
Walter Knight
Humorous Military Science Fiction
Available in print and ebook at Amazon and other online retailers

When a huge ship is found buried deep beneath a desert oasis in an unpopulated area of New Colorado’s New Gobi Desert, the race is on between the United States Galactic Federation and the Arthropodan Empire to claim its secrets. General Manny Lopez simply wants to loot the technological treasure. However, the spiders believe the ship is the mythical Ark from their tales of old.

As Caldera Lake is suddenly overrun by the Galactic Foreign Legion and spider marines setting up camp on opposite sides of the line of demarcation running through the middle of the lake, it’s soon discovered that the tranquil looking oasis does not offer a relaxing resort setting. Something’s swimming in the lake, and it’s hungry. Despite the danger, hotels and restaurants spring up to handle the influx of tourists and the curious making pilgrimages to catch a glimpse of the Ark.

The race between the two sides continues amid disagreements and skirmishes unavoidable in a clash of cultural differences. But it’s all done in a sportsmanlike manner – at least that’s what Colonel Joey R. Czerinski ‘The Toe’ and General Manny ‘The Ear’ Lopez claim.

Hungry crocs, graffiti taggers, midnight commando raids, tawdry torture, and lots of fried chicken all take a turn fueling the laughter in this twelfth tale of the seriously silly military space saga.

Two new science fiction releases

Peacekeepers, Book 10
America's Galactic Foreign Legion series
by Walter Knight
science fiction military political humor

Blue is not Captain Joey R. Czerinski’s favorite color – especially not to wear in the New Gobi Desert on planet New Colorado. Blue doesn’t blend with dust and dirt – it’s a beacon inviting terrorists and insurgents to take potshots at him and fellow legionnaires newly assigned as ‘peacekeepers’ to control hostilities between the spiders and scorpions. But whoever put Czerinski in charge of keeping the peace in this volatile area certainly didn’t think things through. A paranoid psychopath interested only in personal gain is not the best babysitter to keep two warring alien factions at bay.

With the rise of two new terrorist leaders – one scorpion and one spider – things heat up in a hurry with the threat of nuclear detonation. But there’s always a profit to be made even amid the bombings and riots – even if somebody has to take a dive to fix the fight. And as long as Pizza Hut and Taco Bell keep their doors open, everybody’ll be happy ... at least for a while.

An old foe makes another showing and scares the bejesus out of Sergeant Green and everyone else in the hallowed tunnels of the Legion’s armory and detention dungeon. Czerinski and his band face dangers, and sometimes those dangers get the best of a few. Death in war is an inevitability, but the trick is to keep on laughing at Death and going about the business of being the craziest bunch of soldiers this side of the galaxy! Laughter is truly the best arsenal in the tenth installment of the seriously screwy military space saga gone wrong. 

Available now in ebook and print - recently ranked #1 in Kindle's political humor section!

The McKenzie Files (Book 1)
by Barry K. Nelson
science fiction military adventure

The United Protectorate is under attack by the Brelac, a bloodthirsty reptilian alien race bent on destroying humanity. A dark alliance between the Brelac and the Vendetta, a separatist organization, looms over the Protectorate. The Brelac's onslaught brings forth the creation of the genetically engineered humanoid weapons called Reploids. Reploids are identical copies of real humans captured, killed, cloned, embedded with powerful psionic abilities, and programmed to serve the Brelac. They are untraceable and blend into human society so believably, the Reploids themselves do not know they are clones.

Colin McKenzie, part of a military team sent to a remote planet to investigate and capture a downed Brelac ship, turns on his commanding officer in an attempt to protect a shipwrecked band of Brelac soldiers. But he is captured and reprogrammed - along with two other arrested Reploids - to serve the government they were originally created to destroy.

The balance is upset when a weapon powerful enough to bring the Protectorate to its knees is about to be unleashed - and the Protectorate's only hope of stopping it is the three Reploids.

Available now in ebook and print

Paranoid Enemies - Walter Knight's newest in the AGFL series

The theme of my newest book America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 7: Enemies is that even the paranoid have enemies. Colonel Joey R. Czerinski becomes more unstable as he suspects the galaxy is conspiring to kill him, including snipers, two alien species, bandits, insurgents, best friends, mafia gamblers, drug dealers, kidnappers, reporters, attorneys, Mafia gamblers, new Legion recruits, and alien mad scientists bouncing mind control pulse rays off the ionosphere aimed at humanity. And, all these groups are wary of each other. Conspiracy theories abound.

Even Czerinski's girlfriend conspires twice with insurgents to kill him. Czerinski would break up with Lydia, but she is hot, and the alternative is sex with aliens, a terrifying prospect he is well aware of. Even after throwing a grenade under her bed during a failed insurgent attack, they get back together.

Speaking of being paranoid, last year I asked my son Michael Knight whether any of my books were being pirated. Michael (a suspected pirate) advised no. I was disappointed because nefarious internet types violating federal law to pirate books is a true test of literary popularity and success. By the way, sales have been great, and I thank all you Kindle readers. Anyway, now my son reports that, yes indeed, AGFL - Book 1: Feeling Lucky is being pirated. Yes! I am so happy.

Walter Knight
http://www.waltknight.yolasite.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Galactic-Foreign-Legion-ebook/dp/B004M18PT6/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1297473871&sr=1-7

Best of the West meets Beast of the East

Authors Walter Knight (America's Galactic Foreign Legion) and Jamie Wasserman (Blood and Sunlight) got to meet in person recently. Jamie, from Ellicott City, Maryland, took a business trip to Seattle, Washington. Both authors were happy to give a brief description of the meeting.

Here's Walt's version...

I recently got to meet fellow Penumbra author Jamie Wasserman (Blood and Sunlight: A Maryland Vampire Story), while he was in Washington state on business. Jamie and a business associate flew to Seattle, staying at the downtown Marriott Hotel. Our meeting was billed as "The Best of the West" meets the "Beast of the East."

I found Jamie not to be a blood-sucking beast after all, but rather a very pleasant and personable fellow. We ate an excellent dinner at the Marriott (on the 26th floor), and Jamie even put the tab on his credit card. We discussed our writing plans and sequels, and exchanged our autographed novels. I gave Jamie my "America's Galactic Foreign Legion (Book 1) Feeling Lucky." Then we posed for photos, holding each other's books. I hope to have the photos on my website soon.

Jamie retired early, but not before sneaking me into the guests only pool area. I live in a very remote part of rural Washington state, so hot-tubbing and a swim in a real pool was quite a treat for me. I don't get to the big city all that often. My how Seattle as grown!

Walter Knight
America's Galactic Foreign Legion
http://www.waltknight.yolasite.com/

And here's Jamie's version...

It was a dark and stormy night. That is to say, it would have been stormy, had it not been for the persistent warmth and clear skies. But it was night. That was evidenced by the presence of both the moon and the amount of drivers on the road who insisted on driving with their brights on.

I was suffering a horrific case of jetlag, daylight savings time-itis, and a strange rash that resembled former heavyweight boxer David Tua. But I was in good spirits, as I was finally getting a chance to meet fellow Penumbra Publishing author Walter Knight.

Walter is a tremendously generous person, and he had been providing me with a steady stream of marketing advice to help get my book out there. His success is a testament to just how good his techniques (and books) are. He was making an 80-mile drive from a small town in Washington, just to meet me in Seattle, so I figured I owed it to him not to scratch myself at the dinner table.

My first impression of Walt was that he was tall (or that I was short). I worried I might be shrinking, but in hindsight, this might have had something to do with the three complimentary Bailey's I had on the plane.

He was soft-spoken but very confident - a man who would probably be equally comfortable rocking his grandson to sleep as he would leading an assault over Pork Chop Hill.

We had a wonderful meal at the restaurant at the Seattle Rennaisance Hotel. (Mention my name and get half off the flan.) I learned that Walter is every bit as interesting as the characters in his books. He's a veteran, father, grandfather, gambler, history buff, and of course a writer. He owns horses and is married to a wonderful woman who works very hard to keep him in line. There's an autobiography begging to be written - and I wonder if he hasn't put some of it in his science-fiction military series!

We talked extensively about his book. I was genuinely impressed with the amount of details Walt pulled into his narrative - from sources as diverse as Woody Allen and war crime trial transcripts. And he makes it work. I still don't understand how the man finds the time to write so much and so well.

After dinner, I dragged my reluctant co-worker to another room in the hotel to take pictures - East meets West, West is moderately irritated with East, but figures he's here and may as well make the best of it, etc. We exchanged books, a firm handshake, a slightly uncomfortable hug, and then I snuck Walt into the hotel pool to get in a few laps. I was most likely asleep before he changed into his bathing suit.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening talking books, the industry, writing, and, oddly enough, architecture. Walt's a great guy, and I came away with a deeper appreciation for his books.

Jamie Wasserman
Blood and Sunlight: A Maryland Vampire Story
http://users3.jabry.com/jamiewasserman/