Stingray-24

Recently a wildfire scorched through Hidden Valley and Middletown, my hometown, in the process burning several homes down including my own. My mother and I are now among many victims that are now homeless. Everything I own now are in three large suitcases, plus the clothes on my back and my web sites here on the internet.

Luckily I brought all my computers with my whole digital life on them, so I'll never be behind in my career goals.

Red Cross, Lions Club, and various churches were very supportive to us victims by handing out free meals, clothes, and other goodies. We also had renters' insurance so we were able to claim quite a bit of money for the things we lost. Now we just need to find a suitable home.

I shot video of the fire reaching town plus the aftermath. As soon as I get to better internet I'll upload to Youtube and share at my forum here in this thread:

stingraysrotorforum.activeboar…

So aside from the sci-fi book which I've yet to complete, I now have an aviation book coming soon. I already finished it so it's now in the editing process.

It's about Yakovlev Helicopters and their development history. It will be filled with lots of rare pictures and new information.

I'm very excited.

Man, I haven't done this journal thing in a while.

Anyways, I've put Battlewings on the back burner, because I have made a deal with my friend Konstantin that could actually make me money while utilizing my talents.

Konstantin is the founder/CEO of Avico Press, a popular aviation publisher based in Moscow. I met him through my rotorcraft forum and we've been friends for a few years now.

He said that he would get one of my works published as soon as it's complete, and I promised I would get it done within the year. Though his company is mostly aviation-themed, he has published other genres as well, including fictional novels. So, I pitched the idea of a sci-fi story and he gave me the okay.

The working title is "Netsblane".

Here is the premise:

--

Sometime in the distant future...

Civil war has broken out on the remote harvest world of a distant star system. Stabilization forces touch down from the planet Netsblane, a major political superpower with relations throughout the known galaxy. A ruthless terrorist organization has threatened Netsblane with further retaliation until support of their enemy has ceased, resulting in the destruction of the Netsbli embassy. 

Meanwhile, on board an ancient space station guarding remote bio-sanctuary worlds, Lieutenants Drake Vetro and Ace Cohen of the Netsblane Universal Operations Command wearily await a transfer where they will see action away from mundane security detail. With recent political events unfolding, the two Universal Operatives finally catch their break and are sent to the long-range carrier starship "Nightingale" of the major naval blockade guarding Netsblane.

There they meet an eccentric crew of characters that help them defend the system against the rising threats, battling on land, in the sea, through the air, and in space, eventually uncovering the truth behind the embassy attack and the involvement of a mysterious shadow faction.

--

It's going to be a mix of sci-fi, action/adventure, drama, and comedy with detailed technical accuracy thanks to the help of my military and aviation friends.

I'm also planning on illustrating it, and I hope for it to be the first of a potential series. Aside from the more adult situations and orientations (Drake is zoo), the characters and scenarios are based on the roleplaying combat games I would play with imaginary friends in my backyard when I was a child. The whole "Netsblane" theme lasted for MANY years up until my early teens, so I have PLENTY of scenarios to write about in the future. No sense leaving all that fun trapped in my memories forever...

Yep, I'm leaving behind the heartbreak of losing Alien Reborn and pushing forward with Battlewings, but in a whole new direction! Check it out:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T81Lvo…

As I write the script for this thing, I realized... wait, I need voices for these characters. It'd be awful awkward if it was just me providing all these characters' voices. So, who wants a part in this adventure?

Yep, and you can thank my so-called "friends" for it.
Almost a year they've left me hanging, not even telling me anything or responding to my messages whether they're available or not.

Everything was going great before... now this happens. I don't understand.

So yes, I'm both depressed and very pissed. This was going to be my big break. A project I actually finish, and a worthwhile one that could help me in my future at that.

As to Battlewings? Heh. Yeah right. I'm pretty much turned off to anything film-related now.

I'll be writing my Yakovlev book and fanfics until something convinces me to get back on that track.