Catch a Falling Star by Michael Beyer
It was after midnight in 1990, and a group of NASA technicians are playing chess in the lounge. They never notice the soft clicking noises as radiation detectors kick in and a strange code begins taking over a computer monitor. As a glowing saucer zips past the Voyager, locks itself into orbit around Neptune, rolls over, and then disappears from view, the technicians loudly argue over the rules of the game—unaware that aliens are headed toward Earth.
Unfortunately, the amphibian-like creatures—who reproduce in alarming numbers—have made a serious mistake. They have chosen a small town in Iowa as the place to launch their invasion, mistakenly thinking they can attack under a cloak of invisibility. But this rural setting is protected by the Pirates, an elite team of adventurers and foilers of evil plots comprised of the most dangerous creatures on planet Earth—young boys. As the alien invaders kidnap one of the pirates and begin to examine him for weaknesses, they have no idea that they have in their possession the girl-hating, chaos-creating nuisance that is the bane of all fourth-grade math teachers in town.
It may be the last mistake they’ll ever make.
Catch a Falling Star 
Congrats on your book!
Thanks!
Sounds like a fun read. The plot is completely different, but I can’t help thinking of Zathura. 🙂
Was it Zathura or another movie that came out a few years ago about little green aliens being confronted by a “Little Rascals” club of kids or a family in their attic? I thought the above description sounded veeeery familiar aside from the astronauts/Neptune bit.
There was a movie called “Aliens in the Attic”, but that came out in theaters after my book was already in the process of being published. It was kids versus aliens, but in a very different way from my book. I started writing the novel in 1990, the year when the book is set.
I think that was the one. So, then when was your book published? It’s either an eerie coincidence or one of you creators got ripped off by the other.
I started writing my first novel/graphic novel/series in 1994, and I still haven’t completed that one:P Strangely enough, some of the things I envisioned in my first attempt at a draft have become reality since. Granted, there were similar versions in Star Trek shows. But, it’s scary when you write something and it comes into being.
My book was published in 2012, which looks bad in view of the fact that Wikipedia says the movie was released in 2009. But I’m not worried about plagiarism lawsuits. I saw the movie. My plot is entirely different and there is no similarity in any of the main characters. Only the premise is the same, with very different outcomes.
Okie dokie, then.
It’s not particularly up my present alley–so to speak–but I probably would have taken to it as a kid when I still dreamed up cute little aliens like Marvin of WB fame instead of more adult Star Trek-ish ones:D
Sounds hilarious! Congratulations.
Thanks. You have some real writing talent on your blog. Sorry I couldn’t figure out how to leave a comment. I am old and goofy…things that are not usually considered assets.
Love the tongue-in-cheek blurb and the premise! 😀
🙂
Hi Michael,
Thanks so much for following my blog! I plan on spending a little time making my way around yours.
See you around the blogosphere 🙂
PS – I tried commenting on your “About the author” page but when I click in the box to submit a comment it keeps opening up your photo.
Thanks for visiting. I have no idea why the “About the author” thing misbehaves, but, oh well, technology…
Congratulations on your book 🙂
Seems that it is about alien invasion fantasy story. Is it?
Yes. Incompetent aliens who can’t overcome the typical stubborn and stupid Iowegian.
Hm…I went to leave a comment on your “about page” and got repeatedly “kicked out”….starting to take it personally, ya know??? I’ll try again later….:)
I don’t know why, but I’ve had that problem before.
Hello Authormbeyer,
Your book Catch A Falling Star sounds like a nice combination of science fiction and comedy and adventure, and it sounds family friendly. 🙂
-John Jr
It is supposed to be a Young Adult novel, aimed at middle-school readers… the ones I used to teach.
Hello Authormbeyer,
I thought so. 😉
-John Jr
Sounds like I need to read this book!
My kind of book.
I hope you enjoy it enough to look at some of my other books which I have written since. They might even be cheaper to buy.