# Written in 1990, Falling Star Predicted Cosmic Events Now Occurring



## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

_Falling Star_, uncovers the truth about mysterious objects buried deep in the murky depths of the oceans and secret government attempts to uncover their real meaning.

These objects wake up and start sending messages to outer space. Is this the prelude to the next horrifying stage in the human struggle to survive?

Mike is pulled back into a clandestine world that he thought he had left behind to uncover the truth about these weapons. But he is attacked by gangs of ordinary looking Americans and must fight for his very life.

On top of these interwoven threats. Mike learns that an old friend has died. With the death of this friend, is mankind's last hope for understanding this threat from outer space lost forever?

_Falling Star_ has been recommended by Alan Caruba, a charter member of the National Book Critics Circle, who says:

_It is rare when a novelist makes his debut with as powerful a novel as Philip Chen's Falling Star ($15.25, available from Amazon.com, softcover and on Kindle). It begins in 1967 and concludes in the Oval Office in 1993. In between Chen introduces you to an array of characters, all of whom have unique talents, some of whom are U.S. Navy officers, some with the FBI, all devoted to the protection of their nation. They are a handful of people who know about mysterious entities far beneath the surface of the waters surrounding the U.S. Others are members of a rogue KGB unit, moles who lived among us, but whose mission ended when the former Soviet Union collapsed. This novel stands out for the way you are introduced not just to the characters, but the physical reality in which they live, the sights and even the smells. Slowly and then with increasing intensity, the mysteries are unraveled, the enemies identified, as life and death often hangs in the balance. Drawing on his own life as an ocean research engineer, attorney and banker, Chen brings an authenticity to the novel that provides a heart-pounding reality that forces you to ask "What if?" What if Earth was under observation by those from another planet that is circling a dying sun? What if they intended to colonize it? What if the year for this was 2013? If you read just one novel in 2011, make it Falling Star._

Hi,

As I posted in the Newbie thread, I am a first time author on Kindle, and anywhere else for that matter. 

Sorry for the double post, but I understand this is the place to invite comments from readers.

Robin Hathaway, well-known author of the Doctor Fenimore and Doctor Jo Banks mystery series and an Agatha Award (199 and the David G. Sasher, Sr. Award (2009) winner writes:

_The discovery and subsequent search for a mysterious weapon buried deep in American waters, is the chilling subject of this thriller. The author's knowledge of engineering and his use of specific detail increase the credibility of this intriguing story.

A colorful cast of characters are involved in the search and their dramatic interaction is vividly portrayed.

Anyone interested in the future of America's defense and weaponry will find this novel gripping._

_Falling Star_ is available for $2.99 on Kindle here.

The following is a YouTube trailer that I made for this novel:






I hope that you will enjoy _Falling Star_ and I look forward to your questions and comments.

Thank you,

Phil Chen


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

You can download a sample of _Falling Star_ that will set the early stages of the book, but the following is an excerpt introducing one of my favorite characters from the book.

_ Eric looked over his row and smiled at his row mate. In 16A sat a spinsterish older woman who had already started her knitting project. Her white hair was pulled tightly in a bun. Mildred Swensen was traveling to New York on her way to Oslo, Norway, to shop for her Scandinavian craft shop in Crookston, Minnesota.

She was dressed like every Norwegian aunt or grandmother Eric had ever known. Mildred wore a pale yellow silk print dress with a high collar and a light blue summer blazer. She carried the unmistakable scent of lilac. A cameo pin adorned her blazer. Large silver bangles hung from her left wrist. She carried her purse but also carried a large straw bag from which knitting needles of various sizes and yarn protruded. She was working on a knitting project, quite absorbed in her task. From the looks of it, the project was going to be a sweater, probably a Christmas gift for a grandchild.

Eric knew how efficient these Scandinavian grandmothers could be, for example, knitting Christmas sweaters in June. If the visit was at Christmas time, the menu was always the same: fruit soup, boiled potatoes, lutefisk, Swedish meatballs, lefse, and, if you're lucky, Johnson's temptation, a mixture of scalloped potatoes, onions, and anchovies. The smell of freshly baked cookies, evergreen branches, the smoky fire, Yule kaka, sprits, and thumbprint cookies made up for the annual ordeal of lutefisk.

Lutefisk starts life swimming in the North Atlantic as cod. When caught, the cod is dried and salted. To prepare lutefisk, the dried and pungent cod is soaked in caustic soda for several months. The soaking revivifies the flesh of the dried fish. When boiled or baked and served with white sauce, lutefisk becomes a tender, flaky seafood delicacy. Norwegian aficionados of lutefisk compare it to lobster.

Detractors compare it to death.

Comedians have said that the best recipe for lutefisk is to soak the fish, then drain it for two hours on a wood cutting board, and, when drained, throw away the fish and eat the cutting board.

Eric stopped himself. Why am I thinking about Christmas in June he thought, and then he realized how much the lady sitting in Seat 16A looked like his grandmother.

Eric had been hoping that he would get a chance to sit next to the cute young woman with her pale hazel eyes and blond hair pulled in a ponytail. The one who he thought was trading glances with him in the gate area. He wasn't sure, but the coed had looked awfully familiar. Maybe he had seen her around Northfield. Maybe she was an Ole, as St. Olaf students are called, or, heavens forbid, a student at Carleton College, St. Olaf's arch-rival in the small college town of Northfield, Minnesota._

*[Later on, in New York, Eric and Mildred part ways, but Mildred goes to the LaGuardia - Washington shuttle instead of a plane to Oslo.]*

_ After deplaning from the shuttle in Washington, Mildred took the escalator up from the shuttle gate and turned left toward the rental car stands and the door to the taxi stand. As she turned, she noticed the restroom to her right. Mildred went in.

Almost immediately after she entered, the heavy door slammed shut. Simultaneously, a wire garrote was thrown around her neck. Instinctively, Mildred grabbed the thin wire with her left hand and, in the process, got her silver bangles jammed between her hand and neck, but the grip of her unseen assailant was strong and the wire cut into the flesh of her left hand. Gagging, choking, Mildred tried to think. Stay cool. Try to think. Don't act hastily. God, that hurts. The rush of the kill. Uncontrollable ecstasy.

The unseen foe tightened the garrote. Mildred drew upon strength she had forgotten she had to combat her attacker. Frantically kicking backward with her high heels, Mildred tried to find a vulnerable spot. Her efforts to break free of the death grip were ineffective and her strength started to wane. Mildred's attacker was too well positioned to be pushed off. The attacker exerted maximum power, tightening the garrote while avoiding Mildred's flailing legs.

Mildred was dragged into one of the toilet stalls, powerless to resist the backward pull of her assailant. Desperately, Mildred's right hand raced through her straw bag, searching, hoping, struggling to find the knitting needle. As Mildred's mind started to cloud from pain and the lack of oxygen, she found and gripped the special knitting needle, a number 10.

With one desperate swing, Mildred's right hand jammed the needle into the soft area under her attacker's sternum.

As soon as the tip of the knitting needle, which had been modified by DARPA, the think tank research agency of the Department of Defense, penetrated the attacker's abdominal cavity, the chemical pellet stored in the tip was released. Immediately reacting to the warm, moist environment of the human body, the pellet exploded, releasing gases into the attacker's abdominal cavity. The expanding gases and the shock wave of the explosion pushed the attacker's diaphragm upward into the chest cavity. This had the effect of immediately collapsing the attacker's lungs, deflating them much as a swift blow to the chest might do._

Hope you enjoyed the excerpt as much as I enjoyed writing it.


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

good luck with your book, Phil. Love the cover!

Sandy


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Sandra,

Thank you. The cover is by a friend of mine, David Ross, who specializes in corporate branding at David Ross Design.

I took a look at your website and liked the premise of _Crazy for You_. Although it is only a minor theme in my book, you might enjoy the star-crossed romance between Mike (the main character) and Corrine in _Falling Star_.

I'm not sure I did it right, but I added the tag, "rock-n-roll" to _Crazy for You_. Hope that generates another sector of interest.

Phil


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Philip, and congratulations on your book!

We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Don't forget to bookmark this thread (using your browser's bookmark/favorite function) so you can update it. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

Thanks for being part of KindleBoards! Feel free to PM us if you have any questions.

Betsy & Ann
Book Bazaar Moderators

_The fine print:
Please add to your existing book thread when you have news about your book rather than start a new one, it helps the members who are trying to follow you. You may have a separate thread for each of your books. We recommend you bookmark your post so that you can find it in the future.  You may respond to all posts, but if there have been no member posts, we ask that you wait a week before "bumping" the thread by posting back-to-back posts of your own. And we ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum. From time to time our site rules may change; be sure to check Forum Decorum (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html) for the current guidelines and rules. _


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi Betsy and Ann,

You guys have done a great job with this site and I look forward to participating. Hope you will take a look at my book.

Phil

[Edited: I should try not to post from my Crackberry]


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

_Falling Star_ has received some nice reviews in its short life so far.

_"Mysterious and provocative, an intelligently written page turner by someone who knows his subject."_ - Only me.

_"Anyone interested in the future of America's defense and weaponry will find this novel gripping."_ - Robin Hathaway (Ms. Hathaway is a noted mystery writer.

_"I couldn't put it down &#8230;. I haven't enjoyed a book this much since Tom Clancy stopped putting out novels."_ - J. Faber

_"I will never see the ocean in the same light again. Had intended to read this in nibbles between emails and ended up finishing it in two sittings. Loved it!"_ - Scully

_"I LOVE this book. I work with engineers and just find the level of detail provided in this book absolutely enjoyable." _- C. Merriam[/i]

You can buy Falling Star at the Kindle Store on Amazon at http://amzn.to/Falling-Star

My new YouTube Trailer:


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Two people that I met on JamStudios: Glenn Albert and Wyatt Lamoureux, to the time to take my book trailer and produce a dynamite video for _Falling Star_. It is now available for viewing on YouTube. Hope you will take a look.






I received another great review on my book from someone named Krnl:

_I started this book on a trip, thinking it could be treated like an 'airplane' book. Wrong. It grabs your attention and you don't want to put it down unless you decide it is time for a break. Thoroughly engrossing and thought provoking. Now I'm waiting for the sequel and, the two or three movies that could be based on this novel. _

This makes six really nice reviews, which I believe is not too bad for a book that has only been out since August 6th.

I hope that you will take a look at my book.

Thanks,

Phil


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

I just got my Lucky Seven review:

_As a retired investigator and security manager, I found Falling Star to be an excellent read. Phil Chen's ability to integrate technical data with an exciting story kept me flipping one page after another! I am really glad I bought it. _

Hope you'll read it, too.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Philip--

a gentle reminder that we ask that Amazon reviews not be posted here, as it is easy enough to find them on your book's Amazon page. You may mention that a new great review is available at your Amazon page.  And that we ask that reviews that are posted be attributed.  (Congrats on the good reviews, though!)

Betsy


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Betsy,

thank you.  I was not aware of that rule; however, ignorance of the law is no excuse.  As a former trial attorney, I should have known that.


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## Brenda Carroll (May 21, 2009)

Hi, Philip!  I'm reading your novel "Falling Star" and find it quite fascinating.  I would like to know if all the vessels names have been changed or if they are based on real ships?  Are any of your characters based on real people... pilots, navigators, captains and such? Enjoying the book.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Brendan,

I am glad you enjoy the story. I am happy to answer your questions, but will stop short of having to label this with the dread "[Spoiler Alert]."

Some of the vessel names used in Falling Star are real, but their use is fictionalized. Other vessels are based on real vessels with wholly fictitious persona. Finally some vessels, particularly when describing incredible activities are from whole cloth. Most of the technical description of deep submergence technology comes from my early career as an ocean research engineer.

When using a real vessel, for example, a fleet ballistic missile submarine, I did research from available sources that would have placed that vessel in the general vicinity of the action described, but the actual descriptions are pure fiction. The reason I did it this way was to give a real feel to the story. If I made up names for something like a fleet submarine, purists would have derided me; if I placed a vessel in the wrong ocean or when it would have been in drydock, someone else would have pointed that out. So I tried to do the best could with the information available to me.

I guess my research works as I have been asked whether this novel is actually a real story. It is not, it is fiction.

My characters come from real life in that all authors are like sampling synthesizers adsorbing riffs or short clips and playing them back in different ways. Some of my characters have been constructed by observing traits from a variety of people whom I have known or who I have read or heard about. By using a bit here and a bit there, my characters start acquiring personalities.

Phil


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Since my last post on this thread, _Falling Star_ has been accepted into Smashwords' Premium Catalog and will be available in major book retailers around the globe. Please visit me there and learn where _Falling Star_ might appear next. http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/24267

Also, I have been accepted into Goodreads' Author Program and started a blog titled, _The Eclectic_, which basically sums up my view on life. My first post on _The Eclectic_ is entitled, "Originalism and the Constitution." In this post, I submit a rational conclusion on how Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia is able to justify his theory of originalism on the court. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4221239.Philip_Chen/blog

I hope that you will join me as I ramble through my observations on life and its proclivities (I love that word!). Occasionally, I will also add cartoons from my collection of quirky views of life from my cartoon blog, _There is Strangeness in the Universe_. Adding to that, if Goodreads permits it, I will add my favorite music and other videos from the web.


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## jackwestjr_author (Aug 19, 2010)

Interesting premise, Phil.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

_Falling Star_ is now available as a Trade Print through CreateSpace via my E-Book Store and will soon be available on Amazon and through retail booksellers. The 354 page _Falling Star_ is priced at $15.25, which is the minimum that could be charged so that it could be economically feasible for me to sell it through retail booksellers.

In honor of this occasion, I am doing two promotions:

1. I lowered the price of _Falling Star's_ Kindle Edition to $0.99 through the month of November 2010.

2. I am offering a coupon in the amount of $2.00 off the Trade Print price of _Falling Star_ to anyone who purchased or will purchase a copy of either the Kindle or Smashwords editions through November 30, 2010 and can accurately identify one of three characters in _Falling Star_. The characters are:

Mrs. Brentwood
James Takeshita
Thurgood Bensen

If you are interested in purchasing the print edition of _Falling Star_ and would like one of these discount coupons please send me a message at my address. The coupon can only be redeemed at my E-Book Store as CreateSpace does not have a system of coupons that can be used elsewhere. The coupons must be redeemed on or before December 31, 2010, and are not redeemable in cash, may be void in certain jurisdictions, and may be discontinued at any time at the sole discretion of the publisher, Eight East Lawn Strategic Consulting, LLC.

Thank you all for your support and advice as I wandered through the world of publishing and I hope you have enjoyed this book.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Today's featured author at the Indie Spotlight is

Sunday: Philip Chen - Falling Star

http://www.theindiespotlight.com

Come up and read and leave a comment.

Edward C. Patterson
& Gregory B. Banks


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Last night, DailyCheapReads listed my book on their bookshelf. That was the only change that I did. As of 3:21 PM this was my ranking on Amazon:

# Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #417 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

* #11 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue
* #13 in Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue
* #70 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Suspense

57 copies sold since last night.


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## HelenSmith (Mar 17, 2010)

How exciting! Congratulations.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Thank you Helen,

As of this morning, 74 books sold since DailyCheapReads posted my book.


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## HelenSmith (Mar 17, 2010)

Wow! How exciting! They're great, aren't they.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Thank you Helen.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

I just found out yesterday (call me a neophyte) that Amazon has something they call the Movers & Shakers List, which is an hour by hour listing of the books that make the top 400 books sold for that hour. They rank the books by the percent increase in sales. I thought I had missed a chance to see how _Falling Star_ did during its spectacular run after being listed by Daily Cheap Reads so I Googled "Falling Star", "Philip Chen", "Movers & Shakers", and "Amazon".

This was what I found (screen shot of Googled item):










For once, I am speechless.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Since my last post, several things have happened. First, my print version (recently released) of _Falling Star_ has sold four copies on Amazon and in my eStore.

In addition, I was interviewed on the Basil Sands talk show and on Stacey Cochran's BookChatter.

Don't forget that my 99 cent sale goes through the end of November. If you can correctly identify one of three characters

1. Mrs. Brentwood
2. James Takeshita
3. Thurgood Bensen

in an email to me, I will send you a discount code in the amount of $2.00 off the purchase price of a print copy of _Falling Star_ at my eStore. The coupon code must be used before December 31, 2010. Because of the way that CreateSpace is set up, the coupon can only be used at my eStore and not on Amazon.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

A lot has happened to Falling Star since my last post. To begin with, the print edition of Falling Star will be on Sale during the Holidays at my eStore (the reason being is that it is the only place CreateSpace allows me to give out coupons. If you purchase Falling Star from my eStore before January 1, 2011, and use the following coupon code: *MMZGZGZG*, you will get $2.50 off the list price of $15.25. In other words your copy will only cost $12.75.

The most exciting news is that a charter member of the National Book Critics Circle, Alan Caruba had the following to say about Falling Star in the December 2010 edition of his blog:

_It is rare when a novelist makes his debut with as powerful a novel as Philip Chen's Falling Star ($15.25, available from Amazon.com, softcover and on Kindle). It begins in 1967 and concludes in the Oval Office in 1993. In between Chen introduces you to an array of characters, all of whom have unique talents, some of whom are U.S. Navy officers, some with the FBI, all devoted to the protection of their nation. They are a handful of people who know about mysterious entities far beneath the surface of the waters surrounding the U.S. Others are members of a rogue KGB unit, moles who lived among us, but whose mission ended when the former Soviet Union collapsed. This novel stands out for the way you are introduced not just to the characters, but the physical reality in which they live, the sights and even the smells. Slowly and then with increasing intensity, the mysteries are unraveled, the enemies identified, as life and death often hangs in the balance. Drawing on his own life as an ocean research engineer, attorney and banker, Chen brings an authenticity to the novel that provides a heart-pounding reality that forces you to ask "What if?" What if Earth was under observation by those from another planet that is circling a dying sun? What if they intended to colonize it? What if the year for this was 2013? If you read just one novel in 2011, make it Falling Star._

I hope you will check it out.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Apparently, you can get _Falling Star_ in the UK for the special price of £738.62, limited offer.










http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/145389845X

Don't wait or you will miss your chance at this once in a lifetime offer. I know that _Falling Star_ is a great novel (no modesty here), but didn't realize that it was a collector's item. 

The best part is that they want £2.75 for delivery!


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

I would like to give away twenty free eCopies of _Falling Star_. Please indicate on this thread, if you would like to have an eCopy of _Falling Star_ by January 31, 2011. I will send all respondents a Private Message with a three-digit number. I will then randomly select twenty three-digit numbers using _*Random.Org*_ to select the winners.

Because Kindle does not have a way for me to give out coupons, the eCopies will be from Smashwords, which has an mobi format as one of its choices. I hope that winners of eCopies of _Falling Star_ will write reviews of the book for the Kindle (and other platforms such as Smashwords and Nook as well).

Thanks,

Phil


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## PiedTyper (Aug 27, 2010)

Philip Chen said:


> I would like to give away twenty free eCopies of _Falling Star_. Please indicate on this thread, if you would like to have an eCopy of _Falling Star_ by January 31, 2011. I will send all respondents a Private Message with a three digit number. I will then randomly select twenty three digit numbers using _*Random.Org*_ to select the winners.


A generous offer, Phil! Sign me up for the lottery. The story has certainly received some great reviews in a short period of time.

Pied Typer


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi Pied Typer,

Check your Private Messages for your number.

Thank you for entering.

Phil


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Philip, I would, but I already own it.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

BTackitt said:


> Philip, I would, but I already own it.


B,

Thank you for owning the book and I hope you enjoy it.

I love your latest Avatars, they are totally mesmerizing. 

Phil


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm interested, Phil. . .thanks!


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi Ann,

Check you Private Messages for your number.

Thank you for your interest.

Phil


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

You're welcome. . . .it looks interesting and a bit genre-defying.  I like that in a book.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yay, Phil, thanks for having a contest!  I'm interested!

Betsy


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi Betsy,

Check your Private Messages for your number.

Thank you for your interest.

Phil


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Hi Sibel,

Check your Private Messages please.

Thank you for your interest.

Phil


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## Sbacer (Aug 20, 2010)

I would Love to join in the Lottery Please.

Thank you
Sandy


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## LTCSZ (Nov 30, 2010)

Please enter me in the lottery! Thanks for the great offer!

Steve


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## iamstoryteller (Jul 16, 2010)

Hi Phil,

I think I would enjoy reading your book. Please enter me in your lottery.

Thanx, Sharon


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## DAFAM (Jan 12, 2011)

Where Do I sign Up?? Just kiddin Fingers crossed


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## Beanster (Jan 11, 2011)

This sounds pretty good, I'd like a copy


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## sabinela (Jan 15, 2011)

sounds like a good read I would be interested 


    thanks Don


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Sbacer said:


> I would Love to join in the Lottery Please.
> 
> Thank you
> Sandy


Hi Sandy,

Please check your Private Messages for your number.

Thank you for your interest in _Falling Star_.

Phil


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

LTCSZ said:


> Please enter me in the lottery! Thanks for the great offer!
> 
> Steve


Hi Steve,

Please check your Private Messages for your number.

Thank you for your interest in _Falling Star_.

Phil


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

iamstoryteller said:


> Hi Phil,
> 
> I think I would enjoy reading your book. Please enter me in your lottery.
> 
> Thanx, Sharon


Hi Sharon,

Please check your Private Messages for your number.

Thank you for your interest in _Falling Star_.

Phil


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

DAFAM said:


> Where Do I sign Up?? Just kiddin Fingers crossed


Hi

Check your Private Messages for a number.

Thank you for your interest in _Falling Star_

Phil


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Beanster said:


> This sounds pretty good, I'd like a copy


Hi,

Please check your Private Messages for your number.

Thank you for your interest in _Falling Star_.

Phil


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

sabinela said:


> sounds like a good read I would be interested
> 
> thanks Don


Hi Don,

Please check your Private Messages for an entry number.

Thank you for your interest in _Falling Star_.

Phil


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## Carol Hanrahan (Mar 31, 2009)

Can I enter the contest too?  This sounds like a great read, and my b-day is the day before the contest ends, so maybe I'll get lucky!


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Carol Hanrahan said:


> Can I enter the contest too? This sounds like a great read, and my b-day is the day before the contest ends, so maybe I'll get lucky!


Carole,

Please check your Private Messages for an entry number. Happy almost Birthday!

Phil


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## Carol Hanrahan (Mar 31, 2009)

Phillip,
Well, I 1-clicked Falling Star yesterday, forgetting I had entered your contest!  Silly me!
So let someone else have my winning - that is IF I win a copy, ok?  Sorry to be so much trouble!


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to welcome Falling Star as our KB Book of the Day!


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## bluefrog (Apr 6, 2010)

Please include me in your contest.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

bluefrog said:


> Please include me in your contest.


Please check your Private Messages for an entry number.

Thanks,

Phil

*KB BOOK OF THE DAY: JANUARY 24, 2011 -

Falling Star, uncovers the truth about mysterious objects buried deep in the murky depths of the oceans and secret government attempts to uncover their real meaning.

These objects wake up and start sending messages to outer space. Is this the prelude to the next horrifying stage in the human struggle to survive?

Mike is pulled back into a clandestine world that he thought he had left behind to uncover the truth about these weapons. But he is attacked by gangs of ordinary looking Americans and must fight for his very life.

On top of these interwoven threats. Mike learns that an old friend has died. With the death of this friend, is mankind's last hope for understanding this threat from outer space lost forever?

Falling Star has been recommended by Alan Caruba, a charter member of the National Book Critics Circle, who says:

It is rare when a novelist makes his debut with as powerful a novel as Philip Chen's Falling Star ($15.25, available from Amazon.com, softcover and on Kindle). It begins in 1967 and concludes in the Oval Office in 1993. In between Chen introduces you to an array of characters, all of whom have unique talents, some of whom are U.S. Navy officers, some with the FBI, all devoted to the protection of their nation. They are a handful of people who know about mysterious entities far beneath the surface of the waters surrounding the U.S. Others are members of a rogue KGB unit, moles who lived among us, but whose mission ended when the former Soviet Union collapsed. This novel stands out for the way you are introduced not just to the characters, but the physical reality in which they live, the sights and even the smells. Slowly and then with increasing intensity, the mysteries are unraveled, the enemies identified, as life and death often hangs in the balance. Drawing on his own life as an ocean research engineer, attorney and banker, Chen brings an authenticity to the novel that provides a heart-pounding reality that forces you to ask "What if?" What if Earth was under observation by those from another planet that is circling a dying sun? What if they intended to colonize it? What if the year for this was 2013? If you read just one novel in 2011, make it Falling Star.*


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Today is the last day of my 20 eBook giveway contest for copies of _Falling Star_. I will start handing out the winning copies tomorrow, February 1, 2011.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

For those who missed the chance to compete for a free copy of _Falling Star_ on the KindleBoard's giveaway, there is one week left on the giveaway that I am sponsoring on the Amazon Forums. http://www.amazon.com/tag/kindle/forum/ref=cm_cd_pg_oldest?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdPage=1&cdSort=newest&cdThread=Tx2CZ9BN6FVRMGJ&displayType=tagsDetail


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

I would like to thank all the respondents across the four forums for their interest in _Falling Star_. I ended up giving out 81 eCopies. I am pleased that I have received several nice reviews from this program and hope that those who have read and enjoyed _Falling Star_ will help me get the word out.

Thank you.

Phil


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## Raybrite (Feb 9, 2011)

While reading _Falling Star_, I am not entirely convinced this is a fiction novel. Could it be that this is real and the names have been changed?
Hmmmm.
Great Read.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Raybrite said:


> While reading _Falling Star_, I am not entirely convinced this is a fiction novel. Could it be that this is real and the names have been changed?
> Hmmmm.
> Great Read.


You never know, do you? I'm glad that you are enjoying my book.

A bit of neat news. My alumni magazine for the University of Virginia has a short blurb on _Falling Star_, in their "New & Notable" section on books. _Falling Star_ is right there with books from Dutton, Random House, and the Oxford University Press; just like one of the big boys. It is obviously the only self-published book to be so noted. Made me very proud to be a Wahoo!


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Latest News on _Falling Star_

*Falling Star Breaks into the top 100 for Thrillers>Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue*

Nice way to wake up. As of 4:15 AM, March 7, 2011, according to Amazon, my novel is outselling the following:

85. John LeCarre, _A Most Wanted Man_
89. Tom Clancy, _Patriot Games_
91. W.E.B. Griffiths, _By Order of the President_
96. David Balducci, _Last Man Standing_

amongst others at _*#84 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue *_
























*The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Dated March 4, 2011)*

I have just added reviews of _Falling Star_ on my *webpage* that were not also posted on my Amazon US Product Page (28 Reviews). In the spirit of candor, I have listed all the reviews that I received to the above date. By my count _Falling Star_ has received 20 - Five Star, 13 - Four Star, 1 - Three Star, 1 - Two and One Half Star, 1 - Two Star, and 1-One Star reviews for a total of 38 Reviews overall. The 38 reviews do not include the very strong recommendation from book critic Alan Caruba, charter member of the prestigious National Book Critics Circle, who concluded his commentary by saying, "_If you read just one novel in 2011, make it Falling Star._"

Reviews appearing on Nook and Sony have been listed on other sites.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Thank you Sibel for that great review.

*Breaking News:*

Falling star breaks into the top fifty:


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## Dana Taylor (Jan 8, 2010)

Philip Chen said:


> Thank you Sibel for that great review.
> 
> *Breaking News:*
> 
> Falling star breaks into the top fifty:


Congrats, Phil!

Hard work and good writing are paying off!

Dana


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

If I had to choose between breaking the sound barrier on the Concorde (which I did twice) and breaking the 1,000 "Paid in Kindle Store" Ranks (which I just did!), I will pick the latter. 

Quick someone get the nitroglycerin tablets, I feel a heart attack coming on!!!

*# Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #836 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

* #20 in Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue
* #18 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue
*

At 7:02 PM EDT


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

_Falling Star_ is hitting its stride in book sales this month, averaging 30-40 per day. Thank you readers. For those who haven't had a chance to download a copy, be sure to get it while supplies hold out. * Huh?* It's an eBook and they can't run out? Oh, never mind, but I hope you will read it anyway.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

After nine months and eleven days, I just logged the 2,500th copy of _Falling Star_ out the door (sold and gifted, but mainly sold). As a first time published author who was roundly rejected by the DTB industry, I feel pretty good. My favorite saying is, "_I suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous rejection by righteous agents and publishers for far too long before I found Kindle_". 

Maybe readers finally heard noted book critic, Alan Caruba, charter member of the National Book Critics Circle, when he said, "_If you read just one novel in 2011, make it Falling Star_."

_Falling Star_ has been staying consistently in the top Fifty for the category of "thrillers > spy stories & tales of intrigue" since the beginning of April. It has survived two piracy attacks successfully and has suffered through some cranky reviews, as well as basked in the glow of many wonderful reviews. I would like to thank all reviewers whether you liked my book or not for your honest comments.

I also just submitted the eBook version of the first collection of cartoons from _There is Strangeness in the Universe_ TM, some cartoons from which have been appearing on KindleBoards. The POD edition of this collection is given below in my signature line. I will be starting a Book Bazaar Thread on the Cartoon Book as soon as the book goes live on amazon.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Someone on the Amazon Forums sponsored a flash fiction "contest" in which you had to write in your genre on a food topic. This was mine (slightly corrected). Hope you enjoy it.



> *Kenneth Jameson Was In A Hurry.*
> 
> Kenneth Jameson was in a hurry. In his haste last night he forgot to set his alarm, so there wasn't time to do much more than shower and get downtown for that meeting on the Roritan Generator financing. Those idiots at the firm can't ever get these things straight, he thought as he rushed through his morning routine. Can't eat now, but I can grab an energy bar at the newsstand in front of the office.
> 
> ...


_Falling Star_ remains in or near the top fifty for the Amazon category of Thrillers > Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue. Thank you.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

There is a new blog called, Indie Snippets, which challenges writers to put a 200 word (and only 200 word) snippet on the blog. Falling Star was featured on Monday. My snippet:

*[Mildred, a sweet old Norwegian grandmother has just gotten off a plane in Washington, D.C. -]*

The unseen foe tightened the garrote. Mildred drew upon strength she had forgotten she had to combat her attacker. Frantically kicking backward with her high heels, Mildred tried to find a vulnerable spot. Her efforts to break free of the death grip were ineffective and her strength started to wane. Mildred's attacker was too well positioned to be pushed off. The attacker exerted maximum power, tightening the garrote while avoiding Mildred's flailing legs.

Mildred was dragged into one of the toilet stalls, powerless to resist the backward pull of her assailant. Desperately, Mildred's right hand raced through her straw bag, searching, hoping, struggling to find the knitting needle. As Mildred's mind started to cloud from pain and the lack of oxygen, she found and gripped the special knitting needle, a number 10.

With one desperate swing, Mildred's right hand jammed the needle into the soft area under her attacker's sternum.

As soon as the tip of the knitting needle, which had been modified by DARPA, the think tank research agency of the Department of Defense, penetrated the attacker's abdominal cavity, the chemical pellet stored in the tip was released.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

_Falling Star_ is ranked 87th in the 100 Top Ranked in Amazon's thrillers > spy stories & tales of intrigue.

It continues its run in the top 100, going in and out of the top fifty, books sold in that genre as well.

thank you Readers.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Real-life explorers have apparently found a large mysterious object in the Baltic Sea. You guys probably thought that I made this stuff up.

Also, Falling Star is now:

#34 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > High Tech
#35 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > High Tech


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

_Falling Star_ is a hit in Germany:

Amazon Bestseller-Rang: #999 Bezahlt in Kindle-Shop (Siehe Top 100 Bezahlt in Kindle-Shop)

Nr. 1 in Kindle-Shop > eBooks > Fremdsprachige eBooks > Englisch > Fantasy & Science Fiction > Science Fiction > High-Tech
Nr. 12 in Englische Bücher > Fantasy & Science Fiction > Science Fiction > High-Tech
Nr. 13 in Kindle-Shop > eBooks > Fremdsprachige eBooks > Englisch > Krimis & Thriller > Thriller


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

You may wish to consider reading this novel if for no other reason than the fact that it's story keeps getting more real each day.

First, there was the Russian spy ring that was uncanny in the way they hid in plain view for decades, just like the fictional spies in my novel written over twenty years ago (and released on Amazon in response to the news in 2010).

Second, my novel is about large mysterious objects accidentally discovered deep in the ocean. Recently, Swedish explorers found such an object deep in the Baltic Sea.

And now comes news of a third amazing life imitates art incident.

As readers of my novel are aware, the principal character is a member of a super secret governmental agency called CSAC which draws its forces from the most elite military forces in the nation. The charter for CSAC is to do the things that other agencies of the government cannot or will not do. It's agents have the power to terminate situations with extreme prejudice. One of CSAC's primary missions is to deal with the mysterious objects in the ocean. Fiction, right?

Think again. The Washington Post reported recently that there is a super secret force comprised of personnel drawn from the most elite military forces. Its mission is to do the things that other agencies like the CIA cannot or will not do. The members of this super secret agency can terminate situations with extreme prejudice. It's name? JSOC.

JSOC > CSAC? Coincidence? Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

*ONLY ONE MAN CAN SAVE THE PLANET; SMALL PROBLEM HE JUST DIED.*

A very realistic science fiction thriller about the accidental discovery of mysterious, but mute, objects in the ocean in 1967 and what happened when they woke up in 1993 and began sending signals to. outer space. Mike, pulled back into a clandestine agency to finish the job he began over twenty-three years ago as a. navy ensign , is strangely attacked by gangs of what look like ordinary Americans. Attacks he can handle, but he is shaken when he learns that a revered friend has died. Will the death of Mike's friend mean that the secret of these mysterious objects will be locked forever in the dark ocean bottom?

46 four and five star reviews on Amazon US and UK. 98,250+ words. Many more on other platforms. 354 pages.

This book is so realistic that readers often finish the book wondering, "if this story might not be fiction at all, but something very real and very disturbing."

Strongly recommended by noted U.S. book critic Alan Caruba, who says, "If you read just one novel in 2011, make it Falling Star."

This book actually described later real events in chilling detail such as the 2010 Russian spy ring in the U.S. and the recent discovery of a mysterious object in the Baltic Sea. Now we know about JSOC. Get it before it becomes nonfiction.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

_Falling Star_ is about to pass the 4,000 copies sold mark on Kindle since its release in August 2010 (over 4,300 sold overall). It is now at 3,992. Hope you will check it out.

Thank you, readers!

BTW, I created an Author account on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PhilipChenAuthor Hope you will friend me there!

Apparently, FB thinks I sent too many friend requests out at one time and blocked me from transferring my friends list from my personal account for two days. So if you were on my friends list before and did not receive a request, that is the reason. Please send me a friend request at _http://www.facebook.com/PhilipChenAuthor_

Thanks,

Phil


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

♦ ♦ ♦ Holiday Sale of Falling Star, a very realistic science fiction thriller: 99¢ through December 31, 2011 ♦ ♦ ♦

In 1970, the U.S. Navy discovered that the continent is surrounded by huge mysterious objects buried deep in the ocean. These objects, while ominous, stayed mute for over twenty years. However in 1993, they started sending signals to outer space triggering a frantic search for answers.

But it wasn't just the American government that wanted to know what was happening; others were also suddenly energized to find out what going on or stop the inquiry. Which was it?

Amidst all the violence triggered by the sudden awakening of these enigmatic structures, a gentle soul passed on. The shock of this revered person's death was even more troubling to the banker abruptly pulled back into the fray to finish a job that he had started twenty-three years before as a young navy ensign. Does his friend's death mean that the mysteries of the dark undersea pods will forever remain buried in the silt and muck of the abyssal plain?

Find out why readers often finish this novel wondering, "if this story might not be fiction at all, but something very real and very disturbing."

Strongly recommended by noted U.S. book critic Alan Caruba, who says, "If you read just one novel in 2011, make it Falling Star."

44 four and five star reviews on Amazon US and UK. 98,250+ words, 354 pages.

In other news, I just released the second in my series of cartoon books: _Happy Holidaze and Other Tragedies of Life_, see below.


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

ALL  MY TITLES ON SALE FOR 99¢ ON KINDLE THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2011


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

_Happy Holidaze and Other Tragedies of Life_ is free March 14th and 15th to celebrate my Meet n Greet on Buggie4book where Mellisa Neal will be giving away five free copies of _Falling Star_.

I will be talking about all my work, especially my new collaboration with best selling authors Michael Wallace and Gordon Ryan: _A Triple Thriller Fest_


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

Life's journey is not a straight line. After a few detours on the highway called life, I am now back to writing the second volume of my saga; the first of which was Falling Star.

In this second volume, Mike is taken in new directions and love lost is lost again, or is it. My fans and critics will find answers to many of their questions in this volume, but new ones will appear.

My first chapter,

http://fallingstar1970.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/chapter-one-plain-view/


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

In 1990 I wrote a novel that predicted the government would try to convince the population that atmospheric events were only near miss asteroids and meteorites.

For twenty years, no one would touch this incredible story. In 2010, when elements of this story involving Russian spies started appearing in prime time news, I decided to publish it on Kindle. Since then, it has been downloaded over 29,000 times and enjoys a 4+ star rating in reviews.

The novel predicted that in the 2013 time frame certain events would occur that the government does not want you to know about. The cover story would be that asteroids and meteors would rain down from the heavens. We see this almost on a daily basis these days. A near miss asteroid here, a streaking fireball there. What's going on? Latest Story

My very realistic science fiction thriller, *Falling Star*, is available as a Kindle book and in other online booksellers. Get it and find out what the government doesn't want you to know. Join the over 29,000 other readers who have sought out what is happening. Maybe get it before the government finds out and shuts it down.

Just too many of these near misses to be so conveniently explained.

As one reviewer said:

"Mr. Chen's writing style is precise, almost military and chock full of information that makes the reader wonder if this story might not be fiction at all, but something very real and very disturbing."


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## Philip Chen (Aug 8, 2010)

_*Read about cosmic events here*_

_*Or maybe something else. *_

You seriously need to read my very realistic science fiction thriller, Falling Star, to find out what the government is hiding and why they feel the urgency to explain away all anomalies as dwarf planets, asteroids, meteors, etc. Are they preparing us for something more cosmic?

Have you wondered why there have been so many revelations about these atmospheric events since 2013. Read my book and find out.

You can get it at *Here*

Get it before it is too late.


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