Monday, October 21, 2013

Dragons in the Sky / Beyond the Edge Blog Tour

She might not be the most famous of star gazers but in the opinion of all dwarves and dragons in this cave, she's the loveliest of star gazers and one of the best Space Opera writers around. Just ask her fans if you don't believe me. As promised, today we have....


Maybe you were under the belief that I was the only dragon star you would see shine but noooo. Here comes the expert to point out another dragon that will keep shining upon you and this world long after I'm gone.

Comets and meteors may be the origins of dragon tales. Like the elegant winged creatures, these cosmic objects breathe fire as they streak across the sky.

On any given night, there are 6-10 meteors an hour. They can get big and fiery and cause destruction, but most burn up before they hit ground. Up at the observatory, I’ve seen some spectacular ones that burn like spotlights and blaze across the black, bold as a dragon.

I just finished my 6th summer as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory, and I never tire of catching sight of a meteor. It’s a nightly fireworks show as grand as any.

There’s a possibility of a comet gracing our skies this December. It depends on whether or not it survives looping around the sun. I hope it does. If you want to know more about Comet ISON, check here http://earthsky.org/space/big-sun-diving-comet-ison-might-be-spectacular-in-2013

There’s another dragon in the sky, the constellation Draco. It’s home to the Cats Eye Nebula and some faint galaxies. None are objects I can see with my smaller telescope, but Draco keeps me company all summer long.

Draco Constellation

 
Galaxies in Draco
PGC 39058, a dwarf galaxy found within the Draco constellation – picture taken by ESA/Hubble & NASA.
***


Some truths are better left unfound.

For two years Craze’s dear friend, Lepsi, has been missing. The murmurings of a haunted spaceship might be a message and may mean his old pal isn't dead. The possibility spurs Craze and Captain Talos to travel to uncharted worlds, searching. Out there, in an unfamiliar region of the galaxy beyond the Backworlds, they stumble upon a terrible truth.

Meanwhile, Rainly remains on Pardeep Station as acting planet lord, dealing with the discovery of her lover’s dark and brutal past. Alone and questioning her judgment, her introspection unlocks more than heartache. Latent protocols in her cybernetics activate, forcing her to face a sinister secret of her own.

In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendants to survive in a harsh universe. This is the fourth book in the science fiction series, The Backworlds. A space opera adventure.

  


M. Pax-- Inspiring the words she writes, she spends her summers as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory in stunning Central Oregon where she lives with the Husband Unit and two demanding cats. She writes science fiction and fantasy mostly. You can find out more by visiting her at:



Eternal love vows from the dwarves towards Mary Pax deafen me. Don't pay attention to those Puss in the Boots' eyes, though. They did the same last week for Misha Gerrick and most likely will do it for Lexa Cain on Friday 25 and Christine Rains on Wednesday 30. I should have thought having a parade of lovely creative ladies so close to one another would have some effect on flirty, lonely dwarves.  But it is worth to know that if you miss a dragon in your life, all you have to do is look up at the night sky (on the right place, on the right season, of course. ;)) 

Best luck to Mary Pax and her new book and lots of dragon hugs to you! 

34 comments:

  1. Mary, will you be watching the night skies for that comet? (Obviously with your own telescope since the observatory is closed.)
    And yes, I do miss the dragon...

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  2. That is a crazy awesome cover, Mary! I love star gazing and I know I'd enjoy going on a star tour. Next time I'm out looking at the night sky, I'll try to find Draco. Congrats Mary and hugs to Father Dragon. (:

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  3. That is an amazing cover. I'm going to try to find Draco, although I'll admit I'm not the best 'star-finder.' My kids will definitely keep an eye open for that comet in December. And hugs for father dragon too.

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  4. I would love to go up to that Observatory someday. Although since Oregon is quite a trek for me I will have to rely on Mary's pics for the foreseeable future.
    I want to try to find Draco now. We had a very clear sky this morning and I just loved looking up at all the stars. Beautiful.

    Dragon hugs to you and the lovesick dwarves, Al! :)

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  5. I'm going to look for Draco tonight. Since I can usually only find the Big Dipper, I'll use my phone's Star Walk app.

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  6. What a great job to have, M. Pax. I love looking at images from the Hubble. I hope that comment makes it back in December.

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  7. Love your cover! I love looking at the nighttime sky but I usually just gaze without recognizing most constellations.

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  8. Thank you so much, Al, and thank you for Clark. He did get into my beer last night, though.

    Yes, I'll be watching for the comet, Alex. If the weather is OK, we'll go up to the observatory. Staff is allowed.

    Thanks Elise. Draco isn't too hard to find... well, if your sky is dark enough.

    My cover artist is a gem, T. Well, if you could see it, I'd point out Draco with my green laser pointer. Always a hit with the public [the laser].

    It's one of the easier constellations to recognize, Julie.

    It's near the Big Dipper, Diane. In fact, most mistake Draco for the Little Dipper since the Little Dipper is actually a rather faint constellation except for the North Star.

    It's most fun, Susan. I've learned so much volunteering up there with people who know waaay more than I do. Although, it turns out I'm the resident expert on Neptune and Triton.

    That was me before starting at the observatory, Nicole. I had no idea what I was looking at.

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  9. Fantastic, Mary. And the Dragon did a bang up job, too! Keep looking at those stars. There are more out there than we ever imagined, aren't there?

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  10. I never knew about the connection between meteors and dragons.

    Mary, I hope you do well with your book.

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  11. Love star gazing, I am totally picking up all of Mary's books when I'm done with Alex's. :)

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  12. Yes, there are, Lee.

    It makes some sense, Martin. Both are quite spectacular.

    It's a lot of fun, David.

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  13. What a neat idea to think of how comets/meteors could be the dragon fire people see! Congrats, Mary, on your newest release!

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  14. There are 6-10 meteors per hour??!! Wow. I guess it's lucky they mostly burn up and don't come dropping on our heads, otherwise we'd all need insurance for death by meteor. Great info Mary! Thanks for plugging my coming visit, Father Dragon! :-)

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  15. I may have heard that on History Channel, Cherie, so it may not be true. :)

    Yes, Lexa. More during a meteor shower. It is very lucky for us. Our atmosphere protects us from most of it.

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  16. Wonderful post, Mary. The night sky is definitely a big inspiration for all sorts of tales. I never feel alone when looking up at the stars.

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  17. Great cover. I bet your job at the Observatory has helped open those creative channels for storytelling. It's amazing how life experience fuels the writing. What an awesome job!!!

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  18. I never tire of looking at the stars, Christine

    It helps an immense lot, Robin

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  19. Wow. Talent which burns brighter than any constellation can be found in your cave. Thank you.

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  20. Al,

    This was the challenge at Matthew MacNish's site:

    List one to three bloggers you really miss and one to three bloggers you would miss if they stopped blogging. Then go leave a comment on those blogs.

    I nominated you. I really enjoy this blog and hope that you get back to blogging more often.

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    1. I thank you for thinking of me, darling Robin, but I'm afraid you got it wrong. The blog you had to sign up for the bloghop is yours, and then on November 8th, you post about those bloggers you would miss. ;)
      Plenty of Dragon Hugs!

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    2. Wrong or not, I'd miss you, too, Al. Don't you dare quit blogging. ;)

      What cool pictures! Great post!

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    3. I'm starting to wonder if there is a leak of information in the cave. Maybe those dwarves you saw over your blog were actually mine undercover.

      Dragon Hugs, Melissa, thanks for letting me know. :)

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  21. Stepped outside tonight and saw several shooting stars. Lovely!

    Congrats Mary, on the release! Flirty dwarves - something every lady needs to experience just once in life!

    Hey Father Dragon, wishing you well too!

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  22. Al does have a great cave. It'd be fun to move in, Child

    Thank you, Yolanda. Glad you got to see some shooting stars.

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  23. Beautiful cover. I'm really terrible at spotting the constellations, even when someone points them out to me. However, I think all eyes should really be focused on those amorous dwarfs. Don't want them getting Father Dragon in trouble.

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  24. It took me some practice, LD, and my more knowledgeable friends pointing them out several times with a laser pointer.

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  25. I love staring at the night sky and the stars, so naturally I loved this post!
    Congrats & best of luck, Mary :D

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  26. Thank you, Rachna.

    I love that, too, SK

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  27. Doubt I could see Draco from our balcony, but its a fascinating concept to know there is a permanent dragon in the sky. I bet it doesn't give dragon hugs though.

    Will check out your books, they sound good.

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  28. It sounds like we'll never see ISON, but we'll always have Draco Mary. Great guest post Al!

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  29. Draco might be hanging out in the stars but Father Dragon IS the star! Many congrats to Mary and her fantastic series! She has oodles of adoring fans for her Sci/Fi and I am one of them. I probably don't squee as loud as a dwarf though. I hear the dwarf you gave her has developed a drinking problem up on Space Dock 19 and calling out the stars for a rumble...

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  30. Maybe a twinkly dragon hug, Jo.

    We may see ISON. I hope so, Maurice.

    He most certainly is, River.

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