Valerian and the city of a thousand planets - by Vijaya Schartz

Find Vijaya's science fiction at BWL

A phantasmagorie of epic proportions. A thousand worlds anchored into one single city floating in space. Virtual worlds to be sure, but worlds nevertheless, where people thrive and tourism brings millions of humans and alien species. I love the graphics, and the many worlds Luc Besson brought to life.

Impressive photography, I loved all the alien races represented and the many worlds, with their different civilizations. There, a tourist can travel through the universe without leaving the safety of the city in space. A very lucrative business, to be sure.

Of course, all repairs and maintenance are performed by robots... including security, by a cylon-like race of faceless military giants.

The heroes are young and fearless, kind and selfless.

Some aliens are peaceful and idealistic.

They have cute pets that can reproduce whatever you feed them... including priceless energy pearls... which they use to create their own virtual world.

 But that world is threatened by greedy humans, bent on owning the adorable pets for the sake of controlling energy sources.

I loved that famous actors and personalities play secondary roles... including Rihana, who portrays an alien shapeshifter who helps the heroes along the way.

And of course, there are the alien races. Here are a few examples:

And the various habitats of the thousand planets, and the technology, the spacecraft...

All in all, the movie, like Avatar, is an experience you do not want to miss. As for the story and the characters, unlike in Avatar, I found them too simple, and the characters too young and lacking a back story, not deep enough to be interesting. 

Still, if you like science fiction, you will want to see it.


Vijaya Schartz
  Action, Romance, Mayhem
  http://www.vijayaschartz.com
  Amazon - Barnes & Noble -  Smashwords - Facebook

A Call Through Time by Tricia McGill

Tricia McGill's Author page at Books We Love

Award winning author Tricia McGill began life in London, England, but moved to Australia many moons ago. Her published books are all romances but cross sub-genres into fantasy, time-travel, contemporary and historical. Her short stories have been published in magazines (Romances of course). A late starter, she took up writing full time after early retirement. A devout animal lover, Tricia devotes as much time and money as she can spare to supporting worldwide conservation groups, and dogs cats and at times horses have appeared in her books, and she would love to feature an elephant one day.

The blurb for A Call Through Time, her latest Time-Travel:

The Lord of Castlegrove Manor, heir to a vast fortune, is a studious History buff who loves reading about the years following the Roman occupation of Britain. Dissatisfied with running his extensive estate, a distraction from Bart’s boredom is his erotic dreams. No woman but his dream lover will ever offer him the satisfaction he craves.

During one of these dreams Bart wakes up miles from his comfortable existence and in the year 450AD. When he comes face to face with Haesal, he knows instantly this is the woman who has shared so many of his heated fantasies.

Most Celts have fled west to escape invaders from over the seas. Haesal and her brother have been captured by an evil barbarian and Bart comes to realise that his mission is to rescue them and return them safely to their home in Cornwall. Haesal’s belief in shapeshifters and the fairy folk helps her better understand the sudden appearance of this handsome stranger in her life who claims to have a deep knowledge of her. But can the love they find with each other survive through time and treachery?

Tricia McGill’s Books We Love author page:

http://www.bookswelove.com/authors/mcgill-tricia-romance-australia/

Web Page: http://www.triciamcgill.com

A Call Through Time is available at:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/727075

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/a-call-through-time

B&N NOOK: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-call-through-time-tricia mcgill/1126484654

KINDLE: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072C77LZB     

PRINT http://a.co/9DIB5t0

An Idea Evolves and Unorthodox is Born…

Hi everyone, S. Peters-Davis here. Thanks so much for stopping in:)

It’s getting closer to the release date of Unorthodox, A Kendra Spark Novel – book one in the series, and I admit to being geeked – happy, excited, and anxious at the same time. Happy I wrote my first book in this genre blend and excited the release date is fast approaching. But I’m also anxious as the first book in any series does that to me; it’s the foundation for character introductions, relationships, and story threads. All of those components need to be strong enough to evolve throughout the series.

Every book an author writes shares a piece of them, of their life, of their family and friends, and people who’ve touched them in some way…besides the creative imagination that speaks for itself. There’s a number of ways information comes to us: experience, education, books, research, listening in on conversations, TV, movies, and observing (among many others)…nothing you haven’t heard before.

So then an idea forms to light the way…

I picked up a crime suspense-thriller book and was pleasantly surprised to find it was generously laced with paranormal. My love of mystery, suspense, crime stories and the paranormal had me wondering if I could actually combine them with an element of romance for a story? *grins* Wheels churned for a while…mostly because as much as I loved reading crime books, I’d never written one.

I took an online Forensic Science course, stacked up on books about police and FBI procedures, conferred with others who wrote crime stories, joined Sisters in Crime organization and researched everything I thought might be pertinent to start my story.

As I considered my protagonist, I decided she would need some sort of job that made her familiar with a criminal mind, something giving her access and knowledge on what to research…like an author; ) Why not have the main character be a suspense, mystery writer? Hmmm

Finally, Kendra Spark, suspense, mystery romance author, introduced herself to me one night in a dream, and I knew it was time to write.

A writing buddy (close friend of mine) spent four days at an intense writing retreat with me. We brainstormed on a story she was plotting out and also on my story – at that point we didn’t have our titles or a complete list of our characters. Brainstorming with someone who understood my voice and style, my audience, and my mixed genre ended up playing a critical part in my novel writing. By the time we left our writing sanctuary, we had established our characters, main plots, along with a few subplot threads, and our titles.

Unorthodox…a new paranormal, suspense-thriller romance with a generous dollop of supernatural releases September 15, 2017.

Book Tagline:  Kendra’s ability of communicating with the dead is requested by her FBI criminal analyst friend to stop a killer from murdering agents.

Series Tagline: Kendra sees ghosts, and then her BFF, Jenna, becomes one. The two friends and FBI agent Derek Knight fight for justice to the victims of heinous crimes.

Book Description:

Kendra Spark, suspense-mystery romance author and communicator with the dead, is requested to hop on the first flight to D.C.

Jenna Powers, FBI criminal analyst and estranged best friend of Kendra, gets ghosticized in a fatal accident before relaying all the details of the FBI killer case.

Derek Knight, a dedicated FBI Special Task Force agent, takes lead on the case.

The investigation into the FBI agent killings continues as Kendra, Jenna – yes, even after death – and Derek work together on the case before Director of the Special Task Force Jackson Powers’ number is up. He’s Jenna’s father and the end-game of the killer’s target list.

Somehow the elusive killer remains undetected, until Kendra’s unique ability produces results and a final possibility at stopping his killing spree before it’s too late.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Unorthodox-Kendra-Sparks-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B073MZZPVM/

**Don’t forget to check out “Books We Love Frequent Reader Bundles” right here: http://bookswelove.net/books-we-love-frequent-reader/

About the Author:

S. Peters-Davis writes multi-genre stories, but loves penning a good page-turning suspense-thriller, especially when it’s a ghost story and a romance. When she’s not writing, editing, or reading, she’s hiking, RV’ing, fishing, playing with grandchildren, or enjoying time with her favorite muse (her husband) in Southwest Michigan.

She also writes YA paranormal, supernatural novels as DK Davis.

Website – http://suda788.wixsite.com/spetersdavis1     

Twitter – https://twitter.com/spdavis788   

FB – https://www.facebook.com/susan.petersdavis

LinkedIn – https://www.linedin.com/in/susan-davis-8660542/

BWL Author Page – http://bookswelove.net/authors/peters-davis-s/

JUST ONE MORE THING…by Victoria Chatham

Is she a wife or already a widow? Until she knows, ship-wrecked Lady Juliana will not surrender to the captain who steals her heart.

AVAILABLE HERE

I recently had one of those mornings when I woke up really early. One of those instantly awake occasions instead of the usual dragging myself into consciousness mornings. Because I needed to leave home no later than 9.00 AM that day for my round of appointments and activities, I decided there were things I had time to do without waiting for the alarm clock to go off.

I showered but didn’t get dressed yet. Went to the kitchen, put the kettle. While it boiled for my morning cup of tea, I dusted and vacuumed the living room. Once that was done and the tea made, I checked the time. Oh good, only 7.15 AM. Still time to get some other stuff done. I sorted laundry, put that in the washer, poured tea, turned on my laptop. I guess y’all can see what comes next. Yes, folks, I went down the rabbit hole of ‘just one more thing’.

Peter Falk

Emails led to links, which led to more links. It wasn’t idle procrastination either, I was researching information for my Work in Progress. Who knew lamb bones could be used to buff marble? With a mug of tea in hand and one eye on the clock, I continued on my merry way. When the washer warbled that the cycle was finished, I checked the clock which told me it was 8.00 AM. Yes! I had time to put the washing in the dryer and have another cup of tea before getting dressed. 

What I should have done, of course, was to have got dressed and applied my makeup then. Unlike Peter Falk’s Lieutenant Columbo, who’s last minute line of ‘just one more thing, sir’, being the question that usually tripped up and caught the murderer and tied up the case, because of my ‘one more thing’, my day slowly unraveled.

But it’s not that day that concerns me now. No, it’s how that line has inserted itself into more recent detective series. I enjoy watching a good series on TV or Netflix and have heard that line repeated in Hawaii Five-O, the BBC’s Inspector Frost and Death in Paradise, especially the series with Kris Marshall playing the hapless Humphrey Goodman. In fact, the role of Humphrey, with his crumpled clothes and air of distraction could have been modeled on Columbo. In my case ‘one more thing’ was one thing too many which caused me to rush through my day. There’s also the old adage of less haste, more speed. From now on I think I’d better pay attention to both!

  

You can find Victoria’s books at Books We Love on her 

Books We Love Author Page 

or at 

 www.victoriachatham.com

Vancouver’s Spirits

 RELEASE DATE SEPTEMBER FIRST

 Stillwaters Run Deep 
Book Two

Vancouver’s Spirits

Available From Amazon

Frank Talaber, The Writer:

The Mad Muse inside keeps my pencil writing. Yes, I still actually use a pencil to write down story ideas first before using the laptop. Currently living in Chilliwack, BC. I usually write urban fantasy, crime, mystery, science fiction and romance (the really hot stuff, read my novel Shuttered Seduction available through BWL and Amazon, see links below). But enough of me, on to the novel.

Vancouver’s Spirits, The Novel:

Vancouver’s mayor is found brutally slain in Stanley Park against Pauline Johnson’s memorial. His family and wife are missing with no clues to go on Carol Ainsworth’s first big detective case begins.

Toss in a hot male reporter, who goes on a hot date to a bar in Stanley Park and ends up in a strange part of town, with no memory of getting there. A vengeful Biker, who will stop at nothing to wreck justice on those who killed him. A sexually starved succubus, who will also stop at nothing to return to our realm. A boatload of out of sync demi-gods who have returned and have never seen concrete and electric lights. Finally toss in a disappearing, slightly deranged shaman who just happens to hold all the clues. Only Carol has to prove he actually exists and find him before a gang war threatens to explode on the streets of Vancouver.

Yes, it’s going to be a fun night in the park.

My BWL Author Page and Links to where to buy my novels 

 http://www.bookswelove.com/authors/talaber-frank-suspense-urban-fantasy-canada/



Smashwords Site

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/553807

Kobo Site

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/raven-s-lament-3

Amazon Site

https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Talaber/e/B00UC407R0

My Facebook Author's Page

https://www.facebook.com/FrankTalaber/

My Twitter page

https://twitter.com/FrankTalaber

Taking Time to Be Mindful by J.Q. Rose

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose
Romantic suspense available in eBook or Paperback

Taking Time to Be Mindful by J.Q. Rose

Grandsons on the shores of Lake Huron--a moment captured with my camera

Time is flying by too quickly. When the sand in an hour glass slips through to the bottom, we can just turn it over and start again. But time doesn't stop for us. We ride it like a rocket ship through the ages and stages of life. At times we need to slam on the brakes of that rocket ship (if they have them?) and take time to be present in the moments of our lives.

I'm slamming my foot down on those brakes this week to be mindful of the moments in my life. I came to this realization because school begins next week for one set of grandkids and the week after Labor Day for our other kids. The summer flew by. Each child is growing up too quickly. This summer I have two grandsons who have their drivers licenses! How did that happen?

Can you see these children all grown up? As they grow, their time with us shrinks. Friends, sports, activities in school will fill up their lives.  Time spent with the grandparents is squeezed into little moments when they are free, instead of the entire long, luxurious days of summer.
 

Appreciate every moment

I decided this week I'll take the time to appreciate the present. I will be mindful of every moment and imprint it on my mind to keep in my heart forever. I want the experiences and to capture each one so one day I can pull them from my memory box and I will savor the memories.

How many of these summer days and evenings do we take for granted? What gorgeous sunsets have we missed this year?  And what delicious food have we just scarfed down and not even tasted?

I hope you have the opportunity to take time to be in the present and appreciate those moments by immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of each one. 

Click here to connect online with JQ at the J.Q. Rose Blog