The Princess in the Tower—Suburban Version by Connie Vines

The Princess in the Tower.  

Chanel, dressed as a princess

I’ve always been drawn to stories where the princess is trapped in a tower. After all, the standard place to imprison damsels in distress and overthrown princes is a tower. Preferably on top of the tallest tower, in the biggest castle, on the highest hill, in the most dangerous land in the whole wide world.

“Rapunzel" (/rəˈpʌnzəl/; German: [ʁaˈpʊnt͡səl]) is a German fairy tale in the collection assembled by the Brothers Grimm, and first published in 1812 as part of Children's and Household Tales. Is one story which comes to mind. 

Among the earliest examples of this theme are Perseus and Hercules saving princesses from hydras or sea creatures. In Yamata no Orochi, a hero also saves the princess from a type of hydra, which could be considered a primeval dragon.

“Beauty and the Beast” (Disney version) This is pretty similar to La Belle et la Bête, the French fairy tale (minus the animated furniture).

Why am I drawn to these stories? 

It sounds gloomy. . .even hopeless, without a chance of a HEA (happily ever after ending).  Unless, your version of the story is set in the suburbs. 

Think about this for a moment, or two.  

Life in the suburbs is hectic without a moment of down time.  Ever.

However, in the Tower there is:

Room Service.  All of your meals are prepared for you.  Clean bedding and clothing are provided (after all, you are a princess). 

View from the Window. Think of your beautiful view.  Clouds, forests, beaches.  A fresh breeze to tangle your freshly washed hair.

Solitude. You could read an entire novel without interruption, play an instrument, or journal to your heart’s content.

Uninterrupted Sleep.  Unless, you have a fire-breathing dragon guarding the entrance (this could present a problem).

Exercise.  With all those stairs, cardio will be a breeze.

Visitors.  Of course, but none will be a shouting solicitor trying to sell you lame horse or home improvement contracts.

Pets.  It wasn’t unheard of for a woman to be allowed to keep her small dog.  (Anne Boleyn had a dog—well, perhaps that’s not the best case in point. . .)

And since this tower is in the suburbs, imprisonment wouldn’t be enforced for very long. 

This does sound like a nice weekend get-away or perhaps, a B & B (Bed and Breakfast).

What is your favorite princess fairy tale?

Your favorite setting?

How do you feel about dragons?

Happy Reading,




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US Space force – the race is on - by Vijaya Schartz

Check out Vijaya's Sci-fi on BWL HERE

As a sci-fi author, I am fascinated by what’s happening right now concerning space.

On December 20, 2019, the US government announced the creation of a new branch of the military to operate in space, called the US SPACE FORCE. The new logo, however, is eliciting frowns. Star Trek fans say it was ripped from their beloved Starfleet badge. Judge for yourself.

But why to go space? And why now? 

The official answer is to protect our communication satellites and the International Space Station… but could there be other reasons? 

Does the government fear an attack from space? 

Is there an asteroid threatening our planet?

Scientists say it’s not a matter of if but when it will happen… and we are overdue. Remember the end of the dinosaurs?

Or is it a race for dominance in Space? The Chinese declared a space race for the moon and have already landed equipment on the dark side. They also have satellites in moon orbit. It didn’t make the headline news, but it was confirmed by NASA. And India just announced plans for its first human space mission.

This month, SpaceX celebrated the successful test of Crew Dragon Capsule that will carry NASA astronauts. Which means, no more using the Russian rocket.

Or was this decision for a new US SPACE FORCE made in order to protect the private companies who are preparing to harvest a wealth of minerals in space? These private companies are already launching their own rockets. First the moon, then the asteroid belt. Like in the old West, there are fortunes to be made. Space has become the new frontier, the new opportunity for those daring enough. 

Space is also a new place to expand for the ever-growing population of Earth that is quickly destroying our planet. Earth cannot sustain the growth rate of our population. Pollution is a direct byproduct of overpopulation. More people means more exhaust gas, more manufacturing, more garbage, more fishing, more plundering of our natural resources.

Some say the race is for alien first contact, in order to benefit from their technology. Or has it happened already? Former astronauts have been warning us for decades that we are not alone in the universe. Now, the scientific community agrees, and recent government leaks informed the world that contact and exchange of technologies already happened with ET races at the highest levels.

Some even say the US already has a military force in space that needs to be legitimized. Others talk about shadows around the Mars Rover on NASA pictures, suggesting a human presence on Mars. Do we already have people there? Or did some alien humanoid help unstick the Mars rover?

Most of us think we would know if that were the case, but sci-fi authors and fans will tell you we would be the very last to know. Remember Stargate? Military secrets are extremely well guarded. And as for the topic of aliens, governments have become masters at systematic debunking, and misdirection. 

One might wonder if there suddenly is a reason to legitimize what is already going on in space, or maybe to provide more funding for new space projects.

In any case, I will be keeping an eye on what’s developing in space. That’s where we are headed, that’s our future, and I feel lucky to be alive now, at the beginning of what can only be a great adventure.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep writing, and researching. This new phase of our evolution is bound to inspire many stories. Maybe you would like my Byzantium space station series. Here is the latest:

AKIRA'S CHOICE

Byzantium Book 2

by Vijaya Schartz

Find it from your favorite retailer HERE

When bounty hunter Akira Karyudo accepted her assignment, something didn't add up. Why would the Galactic Trade Alliance want a young kidnapped orphan dead or alive?

She will get to the truth once she finds the boy, and the no-good SOB who snatched him from a psychiatric hospital. With her cheetah, Freckles, a genetically enhanced feline retriever, Akira sets out to flush them out of the bowels of the Byzantium space station. But when she finds her fugitives, the kidnapper is not what she expects.

Kazmo, a decorated Resistance fighter, stole his nephew from the authorities, who performed painful experiments on the boy. Stuck on Byzantium, he protects the child, but how can he shield him from the horribly dangerous conditions in the lawless sublevels of the space station?

Akira faces the worst moral dilemma of her career. Law or justice, duty or love. She can't have it both ways.

"Wow! If readers want to see and feel and believe they are in deep space, then ‘Akira's Choice’ is the perfect choice! With a touch of romance, the vivid descriptions and beautifully developed characters masterfully presented by Schartz create a virtual world that invite the reader not merely to observe, but to walk amongst them and participate... This is a delicate art, and Schartz wields her weapons with precision and skill. Banzai!" 5 stars - exceptional - recommended read - Ind'tale Magazine

"A captivating story with interesting, appealing characters. Being a cat lover, I found the relationship, with its psychic element, between Freckles and Shane absolutely captivating. As always, Ms. Schartz’s solid plot and crisply-written prose incorporates a good blend of action and intrigue... This story can easily stand alone... but I believe you’ll enjoy this exciting Sci-Fi series much more if you start reading it from the beginning... a must read for all fans of Sci-Fi romance. Go pick them up and settle into your favorite armchair for some entertaining reading." 4.5 stars - Manic Readers

Keep reading!

Vijaya Schartz, author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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When did chivalry die? Tricia McGill

Find all my books here on my BWL page

Was there really an “Age of Chivalry” and if so when did it die, for die it certainly did. It never occurs to most men to open a door for a woman nowadays. A smile and a thank you go a long way to making someone’s day more pleasant.

The following is one of Edmund Burke’s quotes in his “Reflections on the Revolution in France” written many years ago.

“The Age of Chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded; and the glory of Europe is extinguished forever. Never, never more, shall we behold the generous loyalty to rank and sex, that proud submission, that dignified obedience, that subordination of the heart, which kept alive, even in servitude itself, the spirit of an exalted freedom. The unbought grace of life, the cheap defence of nations, the nurse of manly sentiment and heroic enterprize is gone!”

More of his amazing quotes can be found here:

https://www.goalcast.com/2019/05/29/edmund-burke-quotes/

I learnt about Sir Walter Raleigh at the primary school I went to in London many years ago, but mainly I remember that he was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth the first and was well-known to have laid his cloak down over a puddle so she would not get her dainty feet muddy. I didn’t know in fact that he was beheaded for treason. To me, as a child, I thought what he did for his Queen was very polite and chivalrous. You can learn more of him here:

https://www.history.com/news/sir-walter-raleigh-execution-reasons

I am of an age when I am entitled to grumble about the poor manners of the young people of today. In fact, to meet someone under 30 with perfect manners is such a rarity that it is a pleasure when you come up against one. We were taught as children that we did not interrupt adults when they were talking, but every day I come upon a child who thinks nothing of tapping his mother on the arm constantly while she is in conversation, and she does not reprimand him/her.

My list of bad manners in today’s society is very long, and shared by all my contemporaries.

I love my mobile phone and would not be without it in case of emergencies, but one thing I would never do is answer it while waiting in a queue, while sitting in my Doctor’s waiting room, while on transport—the list goes on. Why do some people have the notion we wish to be a part of their conversation? Why do you need to tell your boy/girlfriend, husband/wife that you have just arrived in the supermarket or just got onto the train home, or worse still tell them all about your problems that should be discussed in the privacy of your home.

In the process of relocating last year, I had to sit in the waiting room of a Government office where out of work people go to sign on to collect dole money, etc. In my instance the government needed me to go in person, as for some reason it proved too difficult to change certain details over the phone (Insert big sigh here). Anyway, for the entire hour I had to wait for the interviewer, I was forced to listen to a young girl’s endless chatter on her phone to first one friend then another about her problems with her car. Unfortunately, if I had complained to the person about her bad manners I would doubtlessly have been confronted with a bad-mouthed response about minding my own business.

I am tired of hearing about people being booked by the police for using their phones while driving, this is not only against the law, it is downright dangerous and another case of senseless rudeness and inconsideration for others—in fact bad manners. Turn your phones off or to mute while driving why don’t you?

Don’t get me started on drivers these days. One day while in my hairdressers a young girl was bragging about the thousands of dollars in speeding fines that she had accumulated. When someone told her she could end up doing jail time she thought that hilarious. Let’s hope she is now sitting in a cell somewhere meditating on her stupidity.

Tricia McGill web page