A sci-fi lite novel, humerous, heart-warming, with edge-of-your-seat drama.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I'm a British author, London-based, writing under my own name. Science fiction/fantasy, mystery and detective stories are my favourite reading material, and I have been an avid science fiction fan since I cut my teeth on Isaac Asimov's robot stories in my teens. I love to imagine what could happen in the future.
I never, in my wildest dreams, ever thought I'd be writing in the science fiction category - my previous written work being a non-fiction humorous tale about my weightloss struggles (no dieting advice included and no reliable tips) which, I'm pleased to say, is doing very well with steady sales and increasing 5-star reviews. My 'fans' seem to like my brand of humour on what is otherwise a serious subject. It is, however, a million miles away from The AL-EX Project.
The AL-EX Project (Alternative Existence) is a story that I confess was inspired by my guardian angel. No wait! Don't switch off or turn the page or abandon all hope or write me off as a nutter or ...well, just bear with me, it's not as kooky as it sounds, and I'm definitely not nuts; I have to tell the truth and believe me, I confess to being the biggest sceptic. I never even knew I had a guardian angel!
I read this article you see, about guardian angels, by a lady who believes you could ask your own guardian angel for anything you wanted, (assuming it's within reason) and you would get it. Highly suspect I thought, but I decided to investigate this wild claim, so I tapped into my personal guardian angel (no word of a lie) and asked specifically for the kind of imagination that would allow me to write an entertaining and believable fun novel.
Yes, folks, I literally asked the Cosmos, the fairies, the stars, God, and the angels - any supernatural being who would listen - making my request out loud into thin air. I even dared to hope the book I was about to write would become a best seller (that part remains to be seen). And that, my friends, is the truth about how The AL-EX Project (Alternative Existence) came about.
First, I got the title and it bugged me because I didn't know why the name Alex (my main character) had to have a hyphen between the AL and the EX, but once written down, the 'Alternative' and 'Existence' bit explained itself, and I started to listen to my inner angel (or whomever was putting ideas in my head) instead of arguing the toss, and I wrote what I was told. That bit sounds like I'm a raving loony because while I adhered to ideas put in my head, I tended to argue about the arrangement and where I was being led on paper. For example, one of my characters was supposed to die in the story and I wasn't happy with that arrangement so 'we' compromised and the character ended up in a bad accident and almost died. I know - sounds crazy doesn't it?
Really, all I gleaned at the beginning was that the novel would be about dreams which I thought was quite an entertaining subject with great possibilities because I'd always been fascinated by dreams and the idea of our subconscious joy-riding our minds while we sleep.
Then I was prompted to start developing the Alex character. By the time I was three chapters in, I still had no idea where the story was leading or really who the heck Alex was, so that it seemed the only authentic thing about this whole creation was my personal interest in dreams. That's not strictly true actually. The other authentic part was the dreams themselves. They were dreams I'd actually had (yes, even the one where I was a spy and got shot in the side while escaping with stolen official documents). it was a helpful twist for me in that I didn't have to make the dreams up, just modify them a little to demonstrate the dreams of a male character.
So there was some added realism, albeit of a whimsical nature (I used to write my dreams down once upon a time) and it's an entertaining enterprise to read them back in awe at the randomness of dreams.Other than that, I feel my personality is within the pages, along with my questions as to why we dream and why we only remember the tail-end of quite vivid dreams that appear like epic movies sometimes. I picked up on theories about dreams and different interpretations which, to be fair, could be true or could be a load of old tosh, who knows?
When I added other characters, I had the most fun as, within the tale, they were fashioned on either people I knew, people I'd met or those I knew of (the chain-smoking grossly over-weight woman with the hairy wart, clearly drunk at the entrance to a pub on the high street is an actual person I've seen).
Then the first few chapters became 18 chapters very quickly and soon I was on a roll. I even confessed to friends that I had a story rolling out of my subconscious, the plot of which I had no idea of until I started writing. And it was fascinating the way more and more words poured out of me, down my fingers and through the keyboard, and an intriguing and amusing but credible story kept unfolding.
I became obsessed. I spent many a night till early morning tapping away - birdsong indicating dawn fast approaching many a night - staying up till all hours absolutely fascinated with the developing story, introducing more characters and filling out the novel, becoming slowly wiser as to where the story was going and it had become my baby, much like when you stay up frustrated by sleep deprivation with a real baby, sleepless nights stretching before you and in your heart you're glad to do it even if in your mind you wonder if you'll ever close your eyes for more than a few hours ever again. I wrote chapter after chapter and, believe me, by the time I was half way through I could actually see the movie as it would play out on screen. It was gratifying stuff! Then eventually, some three months after I'd "made my request" to my guardian angel (unidentified for sure, but evident just the same) the novel was complete. The AL-EX Project was born and it was an amusing story about a guy and an Alternative Existence, testing the limits of dream control.
So, while I was previously a sceptic about the whole guardian angel thing and requests to the cosmos, etc, I have to hold my hands up and say, I asked and I received, and it's as simple as that!
And thus started my foray into the science fiction fantasy world. Of course it's not hardcore science fiction. There are no aliens or world invasion. No time travel (as such), no intergallactic battles to save the world or indeed unmentionable monsters. But a novel about dreams is still likely to be a bit out-of-the-ordinary with a touch of fantasy, and I'm very pleased with the result. I love that the feedback I've had mentions the additional humour which demonstrates that not all of the inspiration was influenced by a guardian angel but that some of that writing demonstrates my own wit and humour. That's why I have described my story and named my website Science fiction in its lightest form, mainly for those who might baulk at the term science fiction imagining it's all dystopian apocalyptic airy-fairy stuff. By the way, I know nothing about science and had a great deal of research to do and I learned a few things from the works of dream researchers from the past (Aristotle, Jung, Freud et al).
And I seem to have a penchant for clear skies with fluffy clouds and sunbursts. It's my way of depicting the dream-state in illustration.
I do hope you enjoy The AL-EX Project (Alternative Existence) for its own sake. I had a great time writing it, and the sequel is already half written. I have decided that Alex continues to have quirky adventures directly linked to his messing around with things he doesn't understand that affects his perception and gives him an uncanny and unexpected abilty, (no spoilers available as yet, mind you)
I'm a British author, London-based, writing under my own name. Science fiction/fantasy, mystery and detective stories are my favourite reading material, and I have been an avid science fiction fan since I cut my teeth on Isaac Asimov's robot stories in my teens. I love to imagine what could happen in the future.
I never, in my wildest dreams, ever thought I'd be writing in the science fiction category - my previous written work being a non-fiction humorous tale about my weightloss struggles (no dieting advice included and no reliable tips) which, I'm pleased to say, is doing very well with steady sales and increasing 5-star reviews. My 'fans' seem to like my brand of humour on what is otherwise a serious subject. It is, however, a million miles away from The AL-EX Project.
The AL-EX Project (Alternative Existence) is a story that I confess was inspired by my guardian angel. No wait! Don't switch off or turn the page or abandon all hope or write me off as a nutter or ...well, just bear with me, it's not as kooky as it sounds, and I'm definitely not nuts; I have to tell the truth and believe me, I confess to being the biggest sceptic. I never even knew I had a guardian angel!
I read this article you see, about guardian angels, by a lady who believes you could ask your own guardian angel for anything you wanted, (assuming it's within reason) and you would get it. Highly suspect I thought, but I decided to investigate this wild claim, so I tapped into my personal guardian angel (no word of a lie) and asked specifically for the kind of imagination that would allow me to write an entertaining and believable fun novel.
Yes, folks, I literally asked the Cosmos, the fairies, the stars, God, and the angels - any supernatural being who would listen - making my request out loud into thin air. I even dared to hope the book I was about to write would become a best seller (that part remains to be seen). And that, my friends, is the truth about how The AL-EX Project (Alternative Existence) came about.
First, I got the title and it bugged me because I didn't know why the name Alex (my main character) had to have a hyphen between the AL and the EX, but once written down, the 'Alternative' and 'Existence' bit explained itself, and I started to listen to my inner angel (or whomever was putting ideas in my head) instead of arguing the toss, and I wrote what I was told. That bit sounds like I'm a raving loony because while I adhered to ideas put in my head, I tended to argue about the arrangement and where I was being led on paper. For example, one of my characters was supposed to die in the story and I wasn't happy with that arrangement so 'we' compromised and the character ended up in a bad accident and almost died. I know - sounds crazy doesn't it?
Really, all I gleaned at the beginning was that the novel would be about dreams which I thought was quite an entertaining subject with great possibilities because I'd always been fascinated by dreams and the idea of our subconscious joy-riding our minds while we sleep.
Then I was prompted to start developing the Alex character. By the time I was three chapters in, I still had no idea where the story was leading or really who the heck Alex was, so that it seemed the only authentic thing about this whole creation was my personal interest in dreams. That's not strictly true actually. The other authentic part was the dreams themselves. They were dreams I'd actually had (yes, even the one where I was a spy and got shot in the side while escaping with stolen official documents). it was a helpful twist for me in that I didn't have to make the dreams up, just modify them a little to demonstrate the dreams of a male character.
So there was some added realism, albeit of a whimsical nature (I used to write my dreams down once upon a time) and it's an entertaining enterprise to read them back in awe at the randomness of dreams.Other than that, I feel my personality is within the pages, along with my questions as to why we dream and why we only remember the tail-end of quite vivid dreams that appear like epic movies sometimes. I picked up on theories about dreams and different interpretations which, to be fair, could be true or could be a load of old tosh, who knows?
When I added other characters, I had the most fun as, within the tale, they were fashioned on either people I knew, people I'd met or those I knew of (the chain-smoking grossly over-weight woman with the hairy wart, clearly drunk at the entrance to a pub on the high street is an actual person I've seen).
Then the first few chapters became 18 chapters very quickly and soon I was on a roll. I even confessed to friends that I had a story rolling out of my subconscious, the plot of which I had no idea of until I started writing. And it was fascinating the way more and more words poured out of me, down my fingers and through the keyboard, and an intriguing and amusing but credible story kept unfolding.
I became obsessed. I spent many a night till early morning tapping away - birdsong indicating dawn fast approaching many a night - staying up till all hours absolutely fascinated with the developing story, introducing more characters and filling out the novel, becoming slowly wiser as to where the story was going and it had become my baby, much like when you stay up frustrated by sleep deprivation with a real baby, sleepless nights stretching before you and in your heart you're glad to do it even if in your mind you wonder if you'll ever close your eyes for more than a few hours ever again. I wrote chapter after chapter and, believe me, by the time I was half way through I could actually see the movie as it would play out on screen. It was gratifying stuff! Then eventually, some three months after I'd "made my request" to my guardian angel (unidentified for sure, but evident just the same) the novel was complete. The AL-EX Project was born and it was an amusing story about a guy and an Alternative Existence, testing the limits of dream control.
So, while I was previously a sceptic about the whole guardian angel thing and requests to the cosmos, etc, I have to hold my hands up and say, I asked and I received, and it's as simple as that!
And thus started my foray into the science fiction fantasy world. Of course it's not hardcore science fiction. There are no aliens or world invasion. No time travel (as such), no intergallactic battles to save the world or indeed unmentionable monsters. But a novel about dreams is still likely to be a bit out-of-the-ordinary with a touch of fantasy, and I'm very pleased with the result. I love that the feedback I've had mentions the additional humour which demonstrates that not all of the inspiration was influenced by a guardian angel but that some of that writing demonstrates my own wit and humour. That's why I have described my story and named my website Science fiction in its lightest form, mainly for those who might baulk at the term science fiction imagining it's all dystopian apocalyptic airy-fairy stuff. By the way, I know nothing about science and had a great deal of research to do and I learned a few things from the works of dream researchers from the past (Aristotle, Jung, Freud et al).
And I seem to have a penchant for clear skies with fluffy clouds and sunbursts. It's my way of depicting the dream-state in illustration.
I do hope you enjoy The AL-EX Project (Alternative Existence) for its own sake. I had a great time writing it, and the sequel is already half written. I have decided that Alex continues to have quirky adventures directly linked to his messing around with things he doesn't understand that affects his perception and gives him an uncanny and unexpected abilty, (no spoilers available as yet, mind you)
The BLURB:
With more fiction than science and more humour than was intended enjoy this amusing and whimsical tale about the exploration into dreams. One man, Alex, an ordinary clinical scientist's assistant, embarks on a most unusual journey, one that takes him into a different realm - his subconscious while he sleeps.
He puts his name to an experiment dubbed The AL-EX Project (ALternative EXistence) based on an idea that soon becomes an obsession. There are places to explore and answers to be found to age-old questions into dream interpretation.
And It soon develops into one great adventure. In his dreams Alex is a lottery winner, a secret agent, he can talk to animals, and he even thinks at his darkest hour, that he looked into the face of God Himself. Quite literally he is testing the limits of dream control.
And along with his mentor, (George, affectionately nicknamed The Scientist) they, with advanced technology, are even able to record Alex's dreams and play them back, enabling more accurate almost perfect total recall.
But is Alex playing with fire on a mission; on a slippery slope to a huge calamity very possibly putting his life at risk? Will his marriage stand the neglect as he puts his heart and soul into alternative priotities?
Smile at Alex's antics, and shake your head in despair as he travels further into the unknown, encountering inexplicable situations and beings not of this world. It's all make-believe however...but it could happen. This light-hearted read contains a little bit of fantasy, a little bit of sci-fi, some science thriller with a dash of romance thrown in.
Click on the link below which you might find of interest. It's a recent newspaper article about inroads being made in dream research at this present time:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/science-technology/389663/Scientists-predict-images-in-peoples-sleeping-mind-with-the-dream-catcher
REVIEWS:
". . . I couldn't put the book down until I'd read it from cover to cover -- a fantastic read especially if you ever wonder about your dreams. I was laughing, sad, pitying and willing things to happen -- very well researched, and loved the Author's comical additions. Enough said, - READ IT - you will love it . . ."
* * * * *
". . . Alex, the main character along with his cohort the "Scientist" dug deep for answers in the center of their mission, The AL-EX project, to record and question dream visions like, the meaning of the talking white lion Alex met in his dream state. The symbolic clues lie within the long hours in a lab while Alex is asleep and dreaming, hooked up to probes while the Scientist is able to record the dream on a monitor. Fascinating! . . ."
Check out a brand new review from Nikki on her website highlighting her favourite reads and what she has to say about them. It's a multi-genre website, perfect for the avid reader, and her reviews are detailed and honest.
http://whatnikkiread.weebly.com/1/post/2013/08/the-al-ex-project-an-excellent-original-read-5-dreamy.html
With more fiction than science and more humour than was intended enjoy this amusing and whimsical tale about the exploration into dreams. One man, Alex, an ordinary clinical scientist's assistant, embarks on a most unusual journey, one that takes him into a different realm - his subconscious while he sleeps.
He puts his name to an experiment dubbed The AL-EX Project (ALternative EXistence) based on an idea that soon becomes an obsession. There are places to explore and answers to be found to age-old questions into dream interpretation.
And It soon develops into one great adventure. In his dreams Alex is a lottery winner, a secret agent, he can talk to animals, and he even thinks at his darkest hour, that he looked into the face of God Himself. Quite literally he is testing the limits of dream control.
And along with his mentor, (George, affectionately nicknamed The Scientist) they, with advanced technology, are even able to record Alex's dreams and play them back, enabling more accurate almost perfect total recall.
But is Alex playing with fire on a mission; on a slippery slope to a huge calamity very possibly putting his life at risk? Will his marriage stand the neglect as he puts his heart and soul into alternative priotities?
Smile at Alex's antics, and shake your head in despair as he travels further into the unknown, encountering inexplicable situations and beings not of this world. It's all make-believe however...but it could happen. This light-hearted read contains a little bit of fantasy, a little bit of sci-fi, some science thriller with a dash of romance thrown in.
Click on the link below which you might find of interest. It's a recent newspaper article about inroads being made in dream research at this present time:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/science-technology/389663/Scientists-predict-images-in-peoples-sleeping-mind-with-the-dream-catcher
REVIEWS:
". . . I couldn't put the book down until I'd read it from cover to cover -- a fantastic read especially if you ever wonder about your dreams. I was laughing, sad, pitying and willing things to happen -- very well researched, and loved the Author's comical additions. Enough said, - READ IT - you will love it . . ."
* * * * *
". . . Alex, the main character along with his cohort the "Scientist" dug deep for answers in the center of their mission, The AL-EX project, to record and question dream visions like, the meaning of the talking white lion Alex met in his dream state. The symbolic clues lie within the long hours in a lab while Alex is asleep and dreaming, hooked up to probes while the Scientist is able to record the dream on a monitor. Fascinating! . . ."
Check out a brand new review from Nikki on her website highlighting her favourite reads and what she has to say about them. It's a multi-genre website, perfect for the avid reader, and her reviews are detailed and honest.
http://whatnikkiread.weebly.com/1/post/2013/08/the-al-ex-project-an-excellent-original-read-5-dreamy.html
WHERE TO PURCHASE YOUR COPY:
The AL-EX Project (Alternative Existence) Testing the limits of dream control
by C.M. Donaldson
Kindle edition £1.98 on Amazon.co.uk and $2.99 everywhere else (ALSO Available in paperback)
Publication Date: March 24, 2013
Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Lulu.com
Unfortunately no longer available on Smashwords
The AL-EX Project (Alternative Existence) Testing the limits of dream control
by C.M. Donaldson
Kindle edition £1.98 on Amazon.co.uk and $2.99 everywhere else (ALSO Available in paperback)
Publication Date: March 24, 2013
Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Lulu.com
Unfortunately no longer available on Smashwords