Dark Genius

Dark Genius

by H. Peter Alesso

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GENRE:  Fiction

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BLURB:

To the insatiably curious—science is the greatest adventure. So, when scientists at CERN announced the discovery of the ‘God’ particle in 2012, all the world wondered, “How did they find it?”

A decade later, despite his past academic failures and egregious family circumstance, Andrew Lawrence embarked on a journey of discovery, competing against rival scientists to be the first to solve the greatest unsolved mystery of the universe—dark matter—and win the ultimate prize; the Nobel. 

Emma Franklin, a PhD candidate at Harvard, developed software for detecting particle reactions using a quantum computer. To the amazement and excitement of the scientific community, her work revealed two possible bumps in the energy curve that were not predicted by any established theory.

At MIT, Lawrence created a model that predicted the scattering processes of a dark matter supersymmetry particle. Though his early work was disparaged, he improved his theory and found that it predicted the data Emma had discovered. Their professional collaboration deepened into a personal relationship, but when critical data was stolen, Emma found evidence that incriminated Lawrence. Though she withheld the impeaching material from the authorities, she felt she could no longer trust him.

Despite their troubled partnership, and notwithstanding the complexities of nature, Lawrence and Emma persevered against the egos, jealousy, and envy of rivals, on their exhilarating quest to find the ‘Holy Grail’ of physics

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EXCERPT:

In one well-lit corner, Professor Stanley Prost sat at his desk studiously examining a computer screen. His long straight nose, jutting prominent chin, and carbon black eyes, gave the appearance of a man not to be trifled with. He held his hand to his brow, masking his eyes, as if to conceal his innermost thoughts. However, his red pitted skin and the twitchy lips destroyed any semblance of a distinguished pose. His overweight frame and slumped shoulders made him look like a bloated figure despite his close-cropped hair and clean-shaven face. An expensive, but ill-fitting suit, hung like a sack over his body leaving an overall appearance of discomfort.

While Prost rapidly slid his finger across the computer screen, Lawrence stood waiting like a statue. He let his gaze wandered to the scene visible from the window—scampering students making their way on their personal college adventure.

Finally, without extending his hand, or looking directly at his visitor, Prost ordered, “Sit.” 

“Thank you, Professor,” said Lawrence in a clear strong voice, despite a peculiar stir of emotions—doubt, tension, apprehension. He had prior experience with this man—with unhappy consequences.

Prost leaned forward and curled his lip as he spat out the words, “Your postdoc appointment was made by the Professor Lloyd—during my absence—without any input from me.”

Lawrence’s eyes darkened to match his tousled hair, but he remained quiet for what seemed a portentous moment. He clenched his teeth and was self-conscious of a bead of sweat on his brow.

Prost waved his right hand in the air and said, “I took no pleasure in the failing grades I gave you, some years ago. Your dismissal from MIT was unfortunate, but I wasn’t the only professor who was disenchanted with a prodigy who skipped classes, took exams cavalierly, and disrupted class with impertinent questions.”

Lawrence shifted in his chair, uncomfortably.

I’m to be rebuked for the sins of the past.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

As a scientist and author specializing in technology innovation, H. Peter Alesso has over twenty years research experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As Engineering Group Leader at LLNL he led a team of scientists and engineers in innovative applications across a wide range of supercomputers, workstations, and networks. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. and served in the U.S. Navy on nuclear submarines before completing an M.S. and an advanced Engineering Degree at M.I.T. He has published several software titles and numerous scientific journal and conference articles, and he is the author/co-author of ten books.

http://www.hpeteralesso.com/images/pete2.jpg

Email: h.alessocomcast.net

Website: http://www.hpeteralesso.com/Default.aspx

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/413852.H_Peter_Alesso

https://twitter.com/hpeteralesso

https://www.amazon.com/H.-Peter-Alesso/e/B001HCY45M/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1482982330&sr=1-3

 Buy Link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075HVG2Z9

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Captain Hawkins

Captain Hawkins

by H. Peter Alesso

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GENRE: Sci-fi

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BLURB:

Jamie Hawkins was living on an obscure planet in the twenty third-century when on one fateful night—his life changed forever. His heroic effort to save the lives of innocent women and children, caught in the cross-fire of war, placed him squarely in the crosshairs of avenging soldiers.

A former marine, Hawkins was stunned when his rescue effort was seen as treachery. Unfairly convicted of treason by a corrupt judge, he was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor on an infamous penal colony.

Once in prison, Hawkins was mistreated by a paranoid warden, but his courage and perseverance won him the admiration and trust of his fellow convicts. While he was plotting his escape, an enemy attacked the planet—giving this daring warrior his chance. Together with his fellow prisoners, he launched a bold assault and high-jacked an enemy warship.

From then on, the exploits of Captain Jamie Hawkins became legendary.

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EXCERPT:

“Sir, I was working with the data techs trying to analyze the communication patterns of the enemy fleet,” said Joshua, licking his dry lips, excitedly. “And I’ve came across a very unusual signal.”

Hawkins gave him an encouraging nod.

“It was a burst of radio signals from deep space. I traced it to either a 4 billion-year-old star in a constellation 44.4 light years away, or to another star in that same constellation, but much farther away. That means that the radio waves have been travelling to us for at least forty-four point four years.”

Hawkins said, “Deep space radio signals have many plausible explanations, such as radio interference from planets, or rogue signals caused by local planet microwave devices.

“That’s true, Captain. It could be just the effect of a natural space object like a pulsating quasar, but it’s also possible . . . I think maybe . . . it could be a message from another civilization.”

Now smiling broadly, Hawkins said, “Given the unlikeness of that, why are you concerned?”

“Because it was not a one-off event,” said Joshua excitedly and then pausing to catch his breath. “I’ve recorded a half dozen repeating signals from the exact same source.”

Nodding, Hawkins said, “That’s a little more interesting, but there are explanations for that too.”

“But Captain, the implications could be mind-blowing. Imagine, what if it was an alien civilization, and they were far more advanced than us, and they were trying to make contact? After centuries of fruitlessly scanning the stars and finding no evidence that anyone else is out there, this could be . . .  could be . . .”

Joshua became paralyzed by his own imagination.

“Joshua, even if this signal were not natural, it might still be the product of one of Earth’s colonies—not aliens.”

“No sir, I’ve checked. There were no Earth colonies in the vicinity of the signal’s star cluster when we last had contact with Earth, fifty years ago,” said Joshua.

Joshua wanted to argue further, but couldn’t offer any additional proof for his cause.

Hawkins said, “I agree, we should continue to monitor this frequency, but for now, it’ll have to remain a mystery.”

It was only a few days later that Joshua returned to argue, “I’ve been working to decrypt the deep space signal using our AI computer with the help of a data tech.”

Hawkins was surprised, but also impressed with Joshua’s initiative.

“What does a deep space signal have to do with our enemy’s Top Secrets communication network?”

“Everything.”

“You’ll have to explain that.”

“Let me give you a metaphor for how I solved this puzzle, because it is a puzzle.”

“Go on.”

“Think of a portrait of a woman, say the Mona Lisa. Now consider a jigsaw puzzle of the Mona Lisa—a picture of a woman cut into a thousand irregularly sized pieces and spread out for someone to reassemble.”

“A kid’s game.”

“Yes, sir.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

As a scientist and author specializing in technology innovation, H. Peter Alesso has over twenty years research experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As Engineering Group Leader at LLNL he led a team of scientists and engineers in innovative applications across a wide range of supercomputers, workstations, and networks. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. and served in the U.S. Navy on nuclear submarines before completing an M.S. and an advanced Engineering Degree at M.I.T. He has published several software titles and numerous scientific journal and conference articles, and he is the author/co-author of ten books.

Website Address: http://www.hpeteralesso.com/Default.aspx

personal links

Goodreads Address: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/413852.H_Peter_Alesso

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jamie-Hawkins-1296787840384241/?ref=bookmarks

Link to book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8HVGS3

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Commander Henry Gallant

Commander Henry Gallant

by H. Peter Alesso

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GENRE:  Sci-fi

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BLURB:

He thought Alaina loved him, but now she’s found someone else. A tidal wave of loss and grief swept over Henry Gallant, leaving him undecided about what to do next, or how to move forward.

Despite his sorrow, he goes on a dangerous mission to an invading aliens’ home world in the Gliese-581 star system. There he uses a neural interface to penetrate their communication network and steal a high ranking alien’s identity. Through this artifice he learns about their history and society, and discovers a way to hinder and possibly defeat them.

A side-effect of linking into the alien network—which was created for autistic savants—is that Gallant’s mind was stimulated and enhanced to the point where he begins to experience superintelligence abilities.

Upon returning from his mission, there is concern that Gallant might pose an even more serious threat than the aliens. While he struggles to fend off those who doubt his loyalty, he fights to win back Alaina.

This is the fourth book of The Henry Gallant Saga, but it can be read as a standalone story.

EXCERPT:

Alaina told him to leave.

Gallant thought they were in love, but now she’s found someone else.

He’s racked his brain—sifting through the wreckage of their relationship—trying to piece together what went wrong.

A tidal wave of loss and grief has swept over him, leaving him undecided about what to do next, or how to move forward—which is ironic because he’s always prided himself on his ability to reach difficult decisions during a crisis. Is this a crisis? Maybe it’s worse because his brain is numb and won’t process facts or ideas—it just kept replaying the breakup over and over again.

***

TWO MONTHS EARLIER . . .

The Warrior was Henry Gallant’s first command. It was the culmination of everything he’d worked for since entering the academy. Her rocket-shaped hull was over a hundred meters long, equipped with stealth technology, an antimatter sub-light engine, and a dark matter FTL drive.

The ship was on course for Elysium, a warm-water planet with oceans coving ninety per cent of its surface and dotted with numerous islands supporting abundant life including birds, mammals, reptiles, and a multitude of plant life. Home to a displaced United Planets’ colony, it was the second of five planets orbiting Tau Ceti, a mustard-yellow dwarf star about 11.5 light-years from Earth.

Sitting in the command chair, Gallant noticed that the bridge was unusually quiet despite the background hum of machinery and the chatter of the bridge crew. There were no alarms, or sirens, or exclamations of concern, all of which was a good thing, but in his heighten state of anticipation he was left with an eerie sense of emptiness.

He could barely contain his excitement at the prospect of seeing Alaina for the first time in nearly a year. His mind was alive with memories—many of which included Alaina’s alluring figure—quickening his pulse. There was nothing auspicious or dramatic about the images—it was just their sheer untimeliness and incongruity that was troubling.

Standing up abruptly, he shook my head to cast off my distracting torpor.

All eyes on the bridge turned toward him.

Chagrinned, he drew a breath and sat back down.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

As a scientist and author specializing in technology innovation, H. Peter Alesso has over twenty years research experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As Engineering Group Leader at LLNL he led a team of scientists and engineers in innovative applications across a wide range of supercomputers, workstations, and networks. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. and served in the U.S. Navy on nuclear submarines before completing an M.S. and an advanced Engineering Degree at M.I.T. He has published several software titles and numerous scientific journal and conference articles, and he is the author/co-author of seven books.

You can visit his Web site at: http://www.hpeteralesso.com/Default.aspx

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Author Social Media:

Author Web site at: http://www.hpeteralesso.com/Default.aspx

Goodreads Address: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/413852.H_Peter_Alesso

YouTube trailer for Henry Gallant Saga: http://youtu.be/2eciKOBFBSM

 Facebook for Henry Gallant Saga: https://www.facebook.com/TheHenryGallantSaga/

Amazon link for the Henry Gallant Saga: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011M9O9RC/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter. Use the link below to enter. 

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