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About ‘Visionary from the Stars’
Title: Visionary from the Stars Author: Virginia Lori Jennings
Category: Science Fiction ISBN # 978-1424158959
Published: January 2007 Price:$19.95
Format: Paperback Pages: 244
Trim: 9 * 6 * 0.6 inches Index: yes
Positioning Statement: Visionary from the Stars is a story about the intergalactic controversy that is created when a group of scientists finds an alien map that leads them across the galaxy in search of the truth.
Selling points:
• Amazing new ideas in technology are utilized in this book
• Explores the idea of where religion would be if we were not the only ones out there.
• An intergalactic controversy, mixed with sci-fi, mystery, and many battles
• Suitable for most age levels
• Written by a young writer who enjoys motivating others to read and write
A brief description: A lone scientist, while observing the activities of a planetary object from her spaceship, is faced with the unbelievable proof that aliens do exist. For centuries, humans have thought that we are the only ones in this galaxy...and here, forcing its way onto her ship, is an alien species claiming to have humanity's best interest in mind. Meanwhile, the Star Traveler's crew sets out on a camping trip on the surface of the moon. They stumble upon an object covered in alien writing that gives them the first piece of a galactic map. Unknown to them, it will lead them into an intergalactic controversy, with a group of aliens called the Platonians striving to sabotage their every move.
Table of Contents:
Prologue ......................................................................................................... 9
Chapter 1: Crisis at Jupiter Station ........................................................... 17
Chapter 2: Traveler ..................................................................................... 35
Chapter 3: The Alien Relic ........................................................................ 43
Chapter 4: The Long Exandrian Winter .................................................. 53
Chapter 5: “The Peace Must Be Kept on Exandra!” ............................. 85
Chapter 6: Allied Forces vs. Platonians.................................................. 110
Chapter 7: Platonia ................................................................................... 136
Chapter 8: M.I.A. ...................................................................................... 168
Chapter 9: P.O.W ...................................................................................... 179
Chapter 10: The Rescue ........................................................................... 198
Chapter 11: The Cylinder ........................................................................ 219
Chapter 12: Visionary from the Stars ..................................................... 230
‘Visionary from the Stars’ By: Virginia Lori Jennings
Get to Know the Characters
1. Main Character: Laurie Kingston: Is responsible for mechanics and special flight control while on the Star Traveler. She is very inquisitive; when the Star Traveler Crew finds the first piece of the map, she is the first one to learn how to use it. She also has an uncanny knack for leadership at such a young age. She finds herself in many situations including joining the ECOP’s, being the brains behind the Exandrian battle front as they fight against the Platonians, and leading a group of fighter pilots in defense of a colonist ship. She also ends up organizing and even leading a rescue mission deep into enemy territory (With Chris’ help of course).
2. Main Character: Chris Hagan: He is Laurie’s best friend, and an Exandrian colonist from Earth. He befriends Laurie during one of Exandra’s month long winter storms. He finds himself traveling with Laurie along on many of her adventures and even joining the ECOP’s himself.
3. Main Supporting characters/groups:
a. Star Traveler Crew: (They found an object on the Earth’s moon covered in alien writing that gives them the first piece of a galactic map. They follow the map to different planets that (unknown to them) will lead them to the intergalactic Bible. However, a group of aliens called the PMG tries to sabotage them around every corner in their attempt to keep the crew from finding the pieces to their map and ultimately completing their mission. The members of the crew are…
i. Captain Frank Mitchell
ii. Dr. Eric Smith (a specialist in almost every science, he is also a bit introverted)
iii. Mrs. Anna Kingston (Laurie’s mother and the doctor for this mission)
iv. Mr. Eli Kingston (Laurie’s father, sent to record all wildlife and plants)
v. Laurie Kingston
b. ECOPs: (Exandra’s Caretakers Of the Peace- Made up from various tribal creatures that live on planet Exandra. This organization was designed to keep the peace and help settle the many quarrels that often come about amongst the many tribes. Their biggest threat is the Platonians (or more precisely the PMGs) that want to keep them from assisting the human colonists in finding the piece of the galactic map that is hidden on Exandra)
c. Laskonians: (They are friends of the human colonists and citizens of the neighboring planet Lask, the closest planet to Exandra. The PMGs, who have been trying to conquer Lask for years, are also one of the Laskonians most ruthless enemies. The Laskonians finally decide, near the end, to stand up and fight; they join their Earth friends and the ECOPs in the all out battle against the PMGs )
d. PMGs: (Platonian Military Guild – The PMG continuously try to keep the Star Traveler Crew from finding the pieces to their galactic map. They try everything from infestation, to subterfuge and kidnapping. Ultimately it comes down to an all out war that will decide the fate of millions)
Author Biography:
I am the author of two science fiction books called “The Alien Mind” (published in December 2005) and "Visionary from the Stars" (published January 2007). I love to write and I have been doing so since the sixth grade. I was born in April 1987 in the state of New Hampshire; I was Home Schooled from seventh grade and graduated at 16 with a GED. Because I was Home Schooled, my family had a big impact on my writing.
I am also a licensed Real Estate Agent, though right now I am inactive. I enjoy Astronomy and all things science fiction/ space related. I also enjoy coin collecting and camping with my family. I love to collect anything space related. I enjoy working with computers and dream about traveling among the stars.
Lately I spend a lot of my time managing a guild in Neopets where I try to be a role model and encourage younger writers in their own works by offering advice, support and insight into the writing world that is at their fingertips. I do the same thing as well on my Myspace site, though there I am mainly trying to reach out to the teenage population who enjoy writing. I am readily available at these places to answer questions and offer advice and support to new writers, as I make sure I check these sites almost daily.
You may find out more about me, as well as links to my Myspace and Neopets sites at:
http://www.virginiajennings.zoomshare.com
Question & Answer Sheet
1. Q: How long did it take you to write your books?
A: The Alien Mind took about six months, and then another month to edit it before I was ready to send it off to publishers. Visionary from the Stars was an ongoing process that lasted over 6 years (a few of those years it spent in the closet!)
2. Q: How old are you?
A: Twenty this April,( 24th, 2007) though I started writing short stories when I was thirteen and then started writing novels seriously when I was fourteen.
3. Q: What was your favorite subject in school?
A: Science and Language arts, I was home schooled from the seventh grade up until I graduated at 16 with my GED. This gave me the added time to dive further into the subjects that I enjoyed the most.
4. Q: Where do you get the inspiration to write?
A: From the night sky, the marvels and complexities of the night sky reminds me of God and all that he is capable of doing. I also have a habit of collecting pictures and articles of anything related to space and displaying them all over my walls.
5. Q: What do you find the most exciting about writing?
A: I have always found it exciting when I realize that I have learned more about myself through my writing and also about my characters when they evolve from what I had originally intended.
6. Q: What advice would you give to children and young adults who want to be authors?
A: I would tell them to read, read, read. Read anything that interests them and anything they can get their hands on. Secondly, they must write; not just to write but to enjoy themselves through it, to go where they’ve never been and to never give up doing so. They must also learn to look objectively at their own work to edit it and also be able to shut off that internal editor when it is getting in the way.
7. Q: What were your favorite books before third grade?
A: I enjoyed books like Tikitikitembo and Madeline when I was younger. My mom and I would read them over and over again!
8. Q: What are your favorite books now?
A: I love the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. Her use of imagination and the way she describes the magical scenery around her characters makes for a truly mystical read. I also love the Star Wars and Star Trek series… they are what I would consider my foundation for science fiction. They provide the basic theories that provide the inspirational recharge for me if I start getting stumped in my writing.
9. Q: Is there any particular person that has influenced your writing?
A: My family has been my sounding board when I’m trying to come up with ideas. On more than one occasion, either my Dad and I or my sister and I have gotten into long discussions about certain events in my stories. Even though my sister enjoys more history than fiction, she is always full of ideas.
10.Q: Did you do the artwork in Visionary from the Stars?
A: :) yep I did the inside artwork! I had a lot of fun drawing the pictures. I mainly draw pictures during the writing of my story to help me out while I am writing my scenes and descriptions. But it also gives me a little reprieve from writing and helps clear minor cases of writers block! LOL
11. Q: Are you pleased with the results of one book (how it looks and is set up or even the main story idea) more than the other? If so, why?
A: My favorite is Visionary from the Stars for how it looks and is set up, however I favor the story idea of The Alien Mind. But then again they are like my children... it is sooo hard to chose between them that you chose not to have favorites. I definitely feel like Visionary from the Stars came out a bit more professional and is more like a dream come true. Visionary from the Stars first started out as Exandra missions which I worked on for about 4 years. It sat in the closet for one, I went back and totally overhauled it in another, christened it with a new name and it took a year to get published!
12. Q: What advice can you give to writers who write in the same genre as you do (the Sci-fi) besides the usual – keep reading and writing? Is there anything specific they need to look into?
A: The reading and writing advice always stands but you need to do variations of it. If you have a subject that you are writing about, do all your research on it first and see if you can come at it from a different angle. Oh and when you put your story through the word processors spell checker... please watch it, it is only a computer and may take your word or grammar out of context. If you pay attention to the explanations it gives in your grammar checker it will also help you learn your basic grammar better! It is also helpful to get to know other writers so you can critique each others work, therefore both of you will grow!
Contact Information:
Virginia Lori Jennings
129 Lee St
Lake City, SC 29560
Home Phone: (843)699-3079
Cell: 1-910-824-1024
e-mail: virginiajennings@zoomshare.com
Web Site: www.virginiajennings.zoomshare.com
www.myspace.com/virginiajennings
Preferred method of communiqué: please send an e-mail first if possibleAvailability for signings, Author readings, Web chats, etc: Anytime, I also love to speak to classrooms of students.
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