Shameless biography

Hi fellow critters.  In case anyone is interested, here is a brief biography of yours truly.

I am a freelance programmer specializing in scientific applications.  I've authored seven successful technical books, and a dozen or so short stories were e-published, several winning substantial prizes.  My first co-written novel was published in 2009, and I've subsequently published two full-length science fiction novels.  Please check out TimothyMasters.info.  My short story Through the Window/The Miracle won a Writer's Journal fiction contest and was published in their September/October 2009 issue.  Writer's Journal has published an essay I wrote about how to keep the intrusive author out of your writing.  Finally, I occasionally work as an editor / manuscript doctor for technical books and papers.

I am fortunate to have a wife who is not only wonderful in all wifely things, but who also has taught high school English for 17 years, and English as a Second Language for several more years.  So everything that I post here gets her stamp of approval first, and she's a harsh mistress.

Speaking of my wife, those of you who read much of my work will notice a recurring theme of strong women.  This might have something to do with the fact that my delightful wife happens to be a black belt in Washin-ryu karate.  I guess this is where my taste in women lies.

I have several novels in progress, and I rotate among them.  Although they are all roughly outlined start-to-finish, I occasionally hit a brick wall.  When this happens, I switch to another.  Months later my silent muse tears down the wall, and I go back to the novel that stopped me.

Some of you may notice that you cannot access my work in progress in my port.  This is because most publishers will not accept a manuscript that has been in general public circulation on WDC.  They consider it to be previously published.  However, they have no problem with work that has been posted in a private review group.

These are my works in progress that appear and disappear on the forum:

StarShift - A character-driven SciFi novel about man's first encounter with an alien civilization

The Eyes of Cassandra - A light SciFi novel about what happens when an alien artifact older than Earth itself is discovered and then stolen by a group who doesn't have a clue about what it really is.

Samiana - A hard SciFi / political novel about rebellion in the Martian colonies.

Lady Jessica - A light, baudy romance set in a world similar to medieval England.  A rebellious and ambitious young woman of noble blood joins with an outlaw-with-a-conscience in a romantic adventure across land and sea.

Maybe some day we can trade reviews!

TimM