Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Kiss Me I'm Irish
It seems like every culture has its tales of "little people." There are fairies, brownies, dwarves, gnomes, gremlins, and pixies to name a few, but the one people know best are the leprechauns from Irish folklore
Leprechauns are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat. They are solitary creatures who love to cause mischief, and have a hidden pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If you're lucky enough to catch one, a leprechaun must grant you three wishes in order to be free.
The leprechaun in my short story LUCKY'S LEPRECHAUN isn't male, tiny or breaded, but she does cause mischief and help Lucky find a treasure.
Blurb:
Lucky no longer believes in wishes, hope or dreams. Cheated by his bookkeeper and his ex-girlfriend, he's resigned himself to losing everything.
Twenty-five years ago curiosity about a small human trapped Diamond, a leprechaun, inside a crystal paperweight. Now she has one day left to grant Lucky his final wish or perish.
Can a chance meeting between a little boy and a leprechaun result in love?
A Holiday in Council Falls Short Story
7,000 Words
Reviews:
"This is a cute, short read. Lucky is struggling to keep his bar open and up pops the vibrant Di, who quickly charms her way into his life with her sweet, bouncy personality. He can't help noticing there's something slightly magical about her.
I love a short read - just sitting down with a cuppa before I got to bed and knowing I'm going to go to bed on a happy ending and this delivers. It's a perfect little snack of happiness.
The romance is sweet, with very few sexy moments - aside from a slight reference to the effect Di has on Lucky's trouser department so this would appeal to those who like their romances pretty clean."
"Lucky's Leprechaun is another cute whimsical short story by Elysa Hendricks. Light reading with a touch of magic. Very entertaining."
"This is a short but cute story of magic, wishes and a Leprechaun. I loved the idea that Di was trapped in the crystal paperweight and set free when it broke. A cute and clever story!"
Leprechauns are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat. They are solitary creatures who love to cause mischief, and have a hidden pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If you're lucky enough to catch one, a leprechaun must grant you three wishes in order to be free.
The leprechaun in my short story LUCKY'S LEPRECHAUN isn't male, tiny or breaded, but she does cause mischief and help Lucky find a treasure.
Blurb:
Lucky no longer believes in wishes, hope or dreams. Cheated by his bookkeeper and his ex-girlfriend, he's resigned himself to losing everything.
Twenty-five years ago curiosity about a small human trapped Diamond, a leprechaun, inside a crystal paperweight. Now she has one day left to grant Lucky his final wish or perish.
Can a chance meeting between a little boy and a leprechaun result in love?
A Holiday in Council Falls Short Story
7,000 Words
Reviews:
"This is a cute, short read. Lucky is struggling to keep his bar open and up pops the vibrant Di, who quickly charms her way into his life with her sweet, bouncy personality. He can't help noticing there's something slightly magical about her.
I love a short read - just sitting down with a cuppa before I got to bed and knowing I'm going to go to bed on a happy ending and this delivers. It's a perfect little snack of happiness.
The romance is sweet, with very few sexy moments - aside from a slight reference to the effect Di has on Lucky's trouser department so this would appeal to those who like their romances pretty clean."
"Lucky's Leprechaun is another cute whimsical short story by Elysa Hendricks. Light reading with a touch of magic. Very entertaining."
"This is a short but cute story of magic, wishes and a Leprechaun. I loved the idea that Di was trapped in the crystal paperweight and set free when it broke. A cute and clever story!"
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
A Change Will Do
About 4 years ago, my SciFi book, the Syn-En Solution was released. This was the cover:
I love the cover. It shows an interaction between Humans and Cyborgs.
Alas, my readers hated it. Some were reluctant to purchase it because of the cover. So I hired a new designer and asked her to come up with an alternative.
After a bit of back and forth, she came up with this style. The bottom part represents the cyborgs while the top screams SciFi.
I really love the new design and it will carry through in all my books. Of course, I couldn't contain my inner geek so I have them running from purple to red as in the colors of the visible light spectrum.
I wonder how many folks will get it?
And speaking of getting, the ebook is currently free across most retailers. Please, pick up a copy today:D
Monday, February 15, 2016
WHITE TIGER IS FREE AT ARE! YAY!
Start reading the award-winning CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK sci-fi romance series ABSOLUTELY FREE!
WHITE TIGER, Book One, is permafree at ARE in all ebook formats, for all devices. Get it HERE
CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK:
OVERVIEW OF THE SERIES
Noah's Ark, a transport full of human settlers equipped to seed a new planet with life, crashes on the wrong world, a cold orb beyond the confines of the known universe. Seeking refuge in the abandoned alien fortress of Kassouk, the settlers and their motley crew fight for survival, against hostile natives, and advanced galactic races who consider them cheap labor and research material for their genetic experiments.
Stranded with no hope of rescue, deprived of their technology by the ruling aliens, the humans of Kassouk reverse to a medieval farming society with slight differences. Besides horses and swords, they keep large felines as pets and train them for battle. They also proudly adopt big cat names as warrior names, and women often strive as military leaders.
As they fight their alien rulers to keep their freedom and their pride, as well as the right to freely choose their mates… other, more insidious dangers lurk. Generation after generation, as the people of Kassouk evolve and secretly learn from the alien races oppressing them, a few start developing extraordinary abilities…
WHITE TIGER - Book One
On the frozen plains of Kassouk, where a few aliens rule a medieval Human world, Tora, Human warrior trained by tigers, seeks her father’s murderer. But what she finds at the point of her sword confuses her. How dare Dragomir, the handsome Mutant, question her bloodline and her loyalties? And could a new enemy control the savage hordes of the fringe?
Dragomir offers to help, but Humans and Mutants are forbidden to fraternize under penalty of death... Should Tora trust her mind, her instincts, or her heart?
In the vortex of war, treason and intrigue, among blizzards, avalanches and ambushes, Tora sets out to solve the mystery of her father’s death. When she unveils the secret of her birth, she realizes Dragomir is the key, and together, they must save their planet from the invaders and fulfill their destiny... if they can survive dire persecutions from those they mean to protect.
"...an exceptional tale that belongs in a place of honor on keeper shelves everywhere." Johnna Flores - Coffee Time Romance - 5-cups
"...this is one futuristic that you do not want to miss!" Naomi - Fallen Angels Reviews - 5 angels - Recommended Read
"...kept me enthralled from the first page...a thrilling science fiction romance" Marlene Breakfield, Paranormal Romance Reviews
"...unique and extremely well constructed" 4 1/2 stars Tami Brady at Book Ideas.com
"I'm adding this to my 'keeper' shelf and on the 'to be re-read' list." Niniri Theriault for The Road to Romance
"...fast-paced story that draws the reader in and keeps him/her reading... The characters' personalities are believable and well rounded." Gottawrite Network
HERE IS THE REST OF THE SERIES: Available in all formats everywhere, including paperback.
Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
VALENTINE'S DAY - A SHORT HISTORY
At first for February I thought I'd blog about how Valentine's Day
inspires romance authors, but then I realized I'm not a big fan of the holiday.
There's the whole St. Valentine's Day Massacre thing and my dog died on
Valentine's Day. Not very romantic. Plus, I was pretty sure the idea was
invented by some greeting card company like Sweetest Day and Grandparent's Day.
So I did a little research on how Valentine's Day got started.
Seems the holiday started out to honor several Christian
martyrs by the name of Valentine. The two that are celebrated are Valentine of
Rome martyred about AD 269 and Valentine of Terni about AD 197. The original
biographies of these martyrs make no mention of any romantic elements in their
martyrdom. It wasn't until the 14th century and Chaucer that romance was linked
to Saint Valentine and the distinctions between the two saints were forgotten.
The connection between the martyred saints and romance is
based solely on legends. In one legend Roman Emperor Claudius II tried to
convert Saint Valentine to Roman paganism. Valentine refused and tried to
convert Claudius to Christianity instead and as a result was executed. Nothing vaguely
romantic here.
In modern times the lore has been embroidered to show
Valentine as a priest who performed marriage ceremonies in secret, defying
Claudius II's law that young men remain single so he could grow his army. When
Claudius learned of Valentine's actions he was jailed.
Another addition to The Golden Legend with no basis in fact
is told by American Greetings (yep, I knew a greeting card company was to
blame) to History.com. The night before Valentine was to be executed he
supposedly wrote the first "valentine" card to a young girl he
addressed as beloved. The card was signed "From your Valentine." A
bit more romantic in a sorry, sad sort of way. No Happily Ever After for St.
Valentine.
Then there are Valentine's Day cards - a whole other subject
I'm not a fan of. Like Charlie Brown said, "I know people don't like me,
but why do we have to have a holiday to emphasize it?"
Remember how in grade school there was always a Valentine's
Day party? There'd be cupcakes decorated with red, pink and white frosting.
Each child made fancy lace cards with glitter and painted macaroni glued on
them, and decorated a shoebox to set on their desk. Then they'd all walk around
the classroom and drop the cards into the boxes of their friends. Well, up
until some sympathetic teacher made it mandatory for the kids to make cards for
everyone, not just their favorite friends my box was usually pretty empty. I
was not a popular kid.
Except on the playground. There I was the queen of
storytelling.
When in third grade some mean boys teased that because I
didn't like kickball I was an alien, my always active imagination took flight.
For the rest of the school year, every day at recess I spun tales of being from
Venus. Being in the accelerated reading group and an avid reader of science
fiction I drew on the stories I'd read and created a fictional world and
persona that kept my tormentors interested in something other than teasing me.
Unfortunately it didn't earn me any more Valentine's Day cards.
After that I discovered that I liked making up stories with
happy endings about fictional places and people. So I guess in a way
Valentine's Day did inspire me and set me on the path to becoming a romance
author.
Monday, January 18, 2016
Space Exploration, not all roses and romance - by Vijaya Schartz
I'm old enough to
remember January 28, 1086. It was an age of innocence, when we
believed space exploration had been conquered, and we would soon venture
into space, build bases on other planets and soon reach the stars. Then
it happened, the tragedy that broke the space program. Challenger
exploded 73 seconds after lift-off.
The Challenger
shuttle disaster 30 years ago is one of those moments carved into my
memory. I will always remember it, like people remember where they were
when Kennedy was shot, or when the towers fell. I had a teacher friend
who had applied for that coveted seat on the space shuttle. I was so
glad he didn't get picked.
The event was transmitted live on TV and the tragedy occurred as the world watched. At the time, it was a rare event, and children in their classrooms watched it happen with their teachers.
The explosion killed the entire crew, including a civilian, a beloved female teacher. Heroes, all of them.
The explosion killed the entire crew, including a civilian, a beloved female teacher. Heroes, all of them.
Left to right are Teacher-in-Space payload specialist Sharon Christa
McAuliffe; payload specialist Gregory Jarvis; and astronauts Judith A.
Resnik, mission specialist; Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, mission commander;
Ronald E. McNair, mission specialist; Mike J. Smith, pilot; and Ellison
S. Onizuka, mission specialist.
Image credit: NASA
Image credit: NASA
The exact timing of the death of the crew is unknown; several crew
members are known to have survived the initial breakup of the
spacecraft. The shuttle had no escape system, and the impact of the crew
compartment with the ocean surface was too violent to be survivable.
At 5 pm President Regan addressed the nation live and ended his speech with: The crew of the space shuttle Challenger
honored us by the manner in which they
lived their lives. We will never forget them,
nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and
waved goodbye and "slipped the surly
bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."
In my novels, of course, I can control what happens, and I don't kill my heroes. One of the NASA space shuttles is featured in my series ANCIENT ENEMY, available everywhere in all eBook formats.
Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo
Monday, January 11, 2016
A prison break on an alien world is just the beginning... ML Callahan
Ryu's Paradox ONLY $.99
What happens when a genius scientist on another world invents a time travel device?
Ryu's Paradox is a short story that explains how the Timewalker Chronicles began, with a prison break on an alien world, a scientist who turned to the dark side, an evil queen, and the immortal Seer who is burdened with trying to stop the rise of an evil empire determined to take control of Earth for all time.
Ryu's Paradox is just the beginning, but it's one hell of a bumpy ride.
ONLY $.99 - Get your copy today!
Amazon -- Apple iBooks -- NOOK -- KOBO
About Ryu's Paradox:
Time travel was outlawed thousands of years ago on the planet Itara. But one man refuses to obey the law.
Droghan is a Forbidden Son, one of the most feared of his race. Born with a curse that grants him incredible power, he has been locked away in a prison ship with others of his kind. Trapped in a small cell orbiting Itara's moon, Droghan has one goal...vengeance. To achieve his goal he'll have to escape from prison, murder the Queen of Itara, and take the throne.
Celestina is a sacred Seer, and the only one who fears the monster the Itaran Queen locked away. When Droghan escapes, Celestina will do whatever it takes to stop him from dragging Itara into a bloody civil war, even follow him through a rift in space and time...
Ryu's Paradox is science fiction, action adventure short story of 11,000 words that takes place in the Timewalker universe. It can be read as a stand alone adventure.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
What Makes It a One in a Million Story
By S.E. Smith
A recent review sparked my interest when they called my story The Old Dragon of the Mountain's Christmas: Dragon Lords of Valdier Book 9 a one in a million story. I knew the story was different when the idea came to me. I wrote the Prologue and the first chapter and sent it to a friend, asking her if I should finish it. She told me that if I didn't she would come half way around the world to kick my butt. This was unusual as she is usually the one who keeps me focused on what I should be writing. Still, it was such a powerful story of family, acceptance, rejection, compassion, and yes, the power of believing that you are never too old for love, that I knew I had to finish it.
The story starts when Christoff is a young boy. He works on his parent's farm with them in a small mountain village. Born prematurely, he is ridiculed for being smaller than the other boys. Even his older brother wants nothing to do with him because Christoff is considered too weak to be a warrior. On top of that, his dragon's wings never develop so he can't fly.
His parents love and accept him for his gentle personality and his compassion. When the mountain erupts and his parents are killed, Christoff escapes to the mountain in the hope of calming it. A hermit for centuries, he spends his life guarding the people who shunned him - that is until a group of mischievous Dragonlings, determined to save Christmas, visit him, the mountain erupts, and a powerful 'goddess' changes his life forever by sending him to the place where the Dragon Lords began, Earth. This is a story of the power of family and finding love at any age.
So, you wonder, what makes a story a one in the million one? To be a unique story, it needs one major element - a connection with the reader that makes them react to it in a powerful way! A story that pulls the reader into the world, makes them laugh on one page, while having them sobbing uncontrollably on the next page. It has to be a story that makes the reader have to know what happens next, makes them say I don't care if I have to work or get up tomorrow; I'm not putting this book down until it is finished. It also has to have characters that the readers can relate to.
It doesn't matter that this is a Science Fiction/Paranormal story with a shape-shifter dragon and his symbiot. The reader feels Christoff's loneliness, his symbiot's determination not to leave his friend and companion to die alone, his dragon's sorrow and guilt at feeling inadequate because of its' deformity. The reader feels the innocence of the Dragonlings, Roam, and Alice and their true desire to be the Old Dragon's friend so he won't steal Christmas. The reader feels Crystal's anger and grief at the loss of her best friend and her feelings of not being whole or worthy anymore because of her own injuries. The reader feels Edna's love as she finds a second chance at love and life. The key is the reader FEELS!
That is what makes a story one in the million. So, whether you are an author or a reader, make sure that you search for that one in a million story and don’t forget to share your enjoyment with others!
S.E. Smith is a New York Times, USA TODAY, International,
and Award-Winning Bestselling author of science fiction, fantasy,
paranormal, and contemporary works for adults, young adults, and children. She
enjoys writing a wide variety of genres that pull her readers into worlds that
take them away. Fans can contact her at http://sesmithfl.com or email her at sesmithfl@gmail.com.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
CUPID IS COMING!
Christmas is over and a New Year is about to dawn. To me January has always been the month to settle back and recover from the hectic days of Fall and its myriad of Holidays - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and many more. So while we're waiting out the slow holiday season here are a couple of short stories to get you ready for the next wave of celebrations.
To earn her wings, Cupid's apprentice Medarda "Dar" has until
Valentine's Day to match two-time Loser Laura Quinn with Boring Brian
Hoffman. When Dar's love arrow goes astray and hits the sexy PE teacher
Flynn Sullivan instead things get interesting.
Lucky no longer believes in wishes, hope or dreams. Cheated by his
bookkeeper and his ex-girlfriend, he's resigned himself to losing
everything.
Twenty-five years ago curiosity about a small human trapped Diamond, a leprechaun, inside a crystal paperweight. Now she has one day left to grant Lucky his final wish or perish.
Can a chance meeting between a little boy and a leprechaun result in love twenty-five years later?
Twenty-five years ago curiosity about a small human trapped Diamond, a leprechaun, inside a crystal paperweight. Now she has one day left to grant Lucky his final wish or perish.
Can a chance meeting between a little boy and a leprechaun result in love twenty-five years later?
Monday, December 21, 2015
Crop circles, evidence of alien presence? by Vijaya Schartz
The first representation of a crop circle comes from a Seventeenth Century wood carving, and represents the devil cutting a circle in the crops. How else, could such a circle have appeared overnight? This phenomenon, however may have occurred much earlier. It could also have inspired the construction of circular and concentric structures, like Stonehenge, in an area where crop circles are frequent.
Detractors will tell you the circles are man made, that two British men claimed to have made them, and it is likely they made a few as a hoax. But the fake circles do not show steep increase in radiation levels, nor the strange blisters at the bend of the stalks, indicating a heat or radiation process. Besides, the phenomenon is not particular to one area or to one time in history. It happened for centuries and still happens all over the world. Usually, small spheres of light are seen over the field at night, and the circles seem to appear instantly. When day breaks, the circle is here for all to see, and curious visitors find out the energy around the field interferes with their electronic equipment. Sometimes small flying balls of light hover around the field, as if someone is remotely watching the native's reactions to the phenomenon.
Some of the motifs of these crop circles were found on ancient artifacts, usually considered sacred, as if coming from a higher power, a higher intelligence, usually the gods. Also, not all of them are actual circles.
An interesting fact is the increasing sophistication of these circles, demonstrating ever more complicated high mathematical principles, as if testing our knowledge and technical advancement. Could some alien intelligence be trying to communicate with us, like overseers checking on our advancement?
This one, in particular, seems to be a replica of the Arecibo binary radio message we sent into space decades ago, describing our solar system and showing our appearance. Some of the information, however seems to have been altered to show a different system and a different appearance to the beings inhabiting the planet in question. Coincidence? I think not. Is it so hard to believe that our message would have been received, and this is some kind of response? Why did we send the message in the first place, if we did not hope for an answer?
Waiting for official first contact (I believe unofficial contact has already been made) you can read about imaginary aliens and their worlds in works of fiction like those:
Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo
Friday, December 18, 2015
Time Travel and Sci-Fi and Romance, Oh My
Note: This post is a reblog from 2014
According to Wikipedia, time travel is an off-shoot of science-fiction. My book series, Tennessee Waltz, is time-travel plus sparkles--fairy sparkles that is.
And the final book in the series is almost here!
What started back in 2011 with Kiss Me, I'm Irish,
and Kiss Me, I'm Home in 2013
has finally come to fruition with Kiss Me, I'm Home.
Well, almost. It's currently in the editing process, but I wanted to give you a peek of the cover!
Here's the teaser:
The prickly Morgan Lee Faye has a penchant for
family TV dramas and a dislike for the people around her, but she's the
best travel agent in Tennessee. So good
that she catches the eye of the mysterious proprietor of Avalon Travel
Agency, Mr. Kane.
If Morgan accepts the job, she's promised adventure
around the globe and gold for her pocket, but she worries the offer is
too good to be true. It is. And Kane isn't the only with a creepy
agenda. Her co-workers all seem to want a piece of Morgan's secret—even
the two office hotties.
Honestly, she just wishes they'd all go away so
she could watch Little House On The Prairie.
From Nashville to Avalon, faerie mischief is back!
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE!
During the short days of winter with snow blowing outside, what better way is there to get into the Christmas mood than curling up under a comfy quilt in front of a crackling fire with a steaming cup of hot cider while reading an even steamier romance?
Well, since we relocated to sunny warm Florida, comfy quilts, crackling fires, and hot cider are out. The closest I get is sitting in a lawn chair wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and sipping ice tea. So I've found that the only way I can get into a Christmas frame of mind is to read Christmas stories.
Whether you live in the frozen North or the sunny South, here are three short Christmas reads to help put you in the Holiday mood.
Well, since we relocated to sunny warm Florida, comfy quilts, crackling fires, and hot cider are out. The closest I get is sitting in a lawn chair wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and sipping ice tea. So I've found that the only way I can get into a Christmas frame of mind is to read Christmas stories.
Whether you live in the frozen North or the sunny South, here are three short Christmas reads to help put you in the Holiday mood.
Two Christmases ago when Dani Martin lost her parents and fiance in a car accident she gave up on love.
Jackson Connor has finally realized his dream of owning a farm when he's presented with the result of a one-night stand he had years ago - a son.
On Christmas Eve, can a snow storm, a little boy, and a kitten bring together two lonely, damaged people?
Jackson Connor has finally realized his dream of owning a farm when he's presented with the result of a one-night stand he had years ago - a son.
On Christmas Eve, can a snow storm, a little boy, and a kitten bring together two lonely, damaged people?
A Short Holiday Story.
Approximately 2772 Words.
Left alone on Thanksgiving can a sad and lonely little girl find a way to make all her dreams of home and family come true?
Approximately 2772 Words.
Left alone on Thanksgiving can a sad and lonely little girl find a way to make all her dreams of home and family come true?
A Short Christmas Romance
Approximately 3,000 words
While waiting to purchase another house for her Christmas Village collection Sara falls and hits her head. Transported to a fantasy world she falls in love with a man in her dream.
Is she willing to give up real life to be with him? Or should she trust that he'll be there when she wakes up?
Approximately 3,000 words
While waiting to purchase another house for her Christmas Village collection Sara falls and hits her head. Transported to a fantasy world she falls in love with a man in her dream.
Is she willing to give up real life to be with him? Or should she trust that he'll be there when she wakes up?
Have the Merriest Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year!
Monday, October 26, 2015
More about ancient aliens - by Vijaya Schartz
As I am researching the tribes of the Steppes for a medieval fantasy novel in progress, I came upon an interesting fact. The tribes of the Golden Horde when Genghis Khan came to power had many gods, but their principal deity was the sky god Tengri.
According to their creation myths, Tangri terra-formed planet Earth at a time when it was completely covered with water. He balanced the elements, created all life, and gave man a soul. When man died, his soul would return to Tengri's "Fly Away Paradise." What kind of paradise flies away, unless it's a spacecraft?
Lamaism in Tibet has kept many of the remnants of Tengrism alive, and when you add to the mix the mythology of India with their gods waging war in flying chariots of fire and weapons that struck like lightning with sounds of thunder and could melt a city in one blow, it's tempting to come to the conclusion that most religions were started by the arrival of visitors from the stars.
Besides, most of these ancient gods described in details the planets they came from, and pointed at them in the sky. The Dogu Tribes of the southern Sahara believe they came from a star near Sirius, a star which, until very recently, no one knew existed. The Egyptian gods and the Anunaki of Sumeria also came from specific constellations. So did the Katchina teachers of the Hopi tribe in the southwest. So, why is it taking us so long to recognize the evidence left in so many ancient texts?
As for the more and more complicated crop circles demonstrating sophisticated mathematical principles, why are we so quick to ignore them? The messages they contain could not have been designed and even less executed by pranksters. Besides, they appear all over the world. They also form instantaneously when small balls of light are sighted over a field. That, to me, denotes intelligent design, not any freakish feat of nature.
Jesus himself said to his disciples in recently translated Essene texts, "If you believe that my father is the creator god of the Jewish bible, you are gravely mistaken." Which means that even Jesus was trying to explain that there were more than one divine entity, and that the creator of the ancient testament was not his father, not the god in whose name he preached his message of love. That would also explain the various instances of divine cruelty in the ancient testament, which do not seem to align with the preachings of Jesus.
As for romance and love stories among these extra-terrestrial gods, they are very much alive in the ancient myths all over the globe. It seems love is not just a human emotion. It is a universal truth.
So, until the world at large recognizes the ultimate truth, that we are not alone in the universe, you may have to read science fiction. For sci-fi adventure with a romantic slant, I recommend the Chronicles of Kassouk series, available in all eBook formats and in paperback at all online retailers.
Find them all on my Amazon page HERE (Go to next page for more).
Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
TANGO IN PARADISE
At nearly 40, JASON BLACKHAWK feels too old to be working as a mercenary
in the steamy jungles of South America. His mission - monitor the
situation in the small country of Paraiso so the US government can
decide whether to quell the rebellion and solidify the current
dictator's regime. He can't let the right or wrong of the conflict
concern him. He gave his word to his commander, the man who mentored him
and saved him from wasting his life.
Looking for adventure and a change from her quiet life as a small town grade school teacher, 29 year old DARCY "DC" CAMDEN travels to Paraiso as a nanny for a businessman. Her idealism and compassion for the downtrodden populace draws her into supplying them with food and medicine. Her involvement increases and she agrees to help the rebels overthrow the dictator by hacking into his computer to find information they can use against him.
When the conflict escalates into war DC finds herself on the run with a man she doesn't know whether to fear or trust, hate or love.
Reviews:
5-Stars
Looking for adventure and a change from her quiet life as a small town grade school teacher, 29 year old DARCY "DC" CAMDEN travels to Paraiso as a nanny for a businessman. Her idealism and compassion for the downtrodden populace draws her into supplying them with food and medicine. Her involvement increases and she agrees to help the rebels overthrow the dictator by hacking into his computer to find information they can use against him.
When the conflict escalates into war DC finds herself on the run with a man she doesn't know whether to fear or trust, hate or love.
Reviews:
5-Stars
"I became familiar with Ms Hendricks books having reviewed what I would
class as her more sweet romances and, becoming a fan, looked forward to
reading this. I was apprehensive, however, in part because of the
setting and because I had no idea if Ms Hendricks could do suspense.
My fears were unfounded. This book made my stomach twist, my heart leap into my mouth and all the great things that a wonderful story can do to you. I worried that it might be too heavy politically, but the story line was strong without drowning out the most important part - the romance.
I love tortured heroes and Jase is the ultimate one! Essentially honourable, if jaded by life, the beautiful DC tests him to the limits. He wants her, maybe even loves her, but knows he couldn't possibly fulfil her desires. In his desire to protect her, he also wants to protect her from himself. Occasionally I felt like giving him a kick up the backside, especially when he was callous with DC, but for the most part it was balanced out by his fear that he simply wasn't good enough for her.
DC was a great heroine too. I get a little sick of these feisty females who can do everything, cope with everything and not show an ounce of fear. While she retains her strength, she shows a realistic and sensible amount of fear in the face of danger. She pulls on her courage to drive her through and I thought Ms Hendricks balanced this nicely, giving us a likeable women that most people would admire and feel sympathy for.
The love scenes were not particularly drawn out - I tend to like mine quite long and detailed - but they were sexy and sensual and well-timed. The story sucked me in and kept me gripped as I prayed for them to make it through their ordeal alive and for them to finally understand one another. With the addition of a country in turmoil and some mercenaries on their tail, Tango in Paradise is a thrilling, beautiful tale of romance and suspense, melded perfectly as one. High up on my recommendations list."
My fears were unfounded. This book made my stomach twist, my heart leap into my mouth and all the great things that a wonderful story can do to you. I worried that it might be too heavy politically, but the story line was strong without drowning out the most important part - the romance.
I love tortured heroes and Jase is the ultimate one! Essentially honourable, if jaded by life, the beautiful DC tests him to the limits. He wants her, maybe even loves her, but knows he couldn't possibly fulfil her desires. In his desire to protect her, he also wants to protect her from himself. Occasionally I felt like giving him a kick up the backside, especially when he was callous with DC, but for the most part it was balanced out by his fear that he simply wasn't good enough for her.
DC was a great heroine too. I get a little sick of these feisty females who can do everything, cope with everything and not show an ounce of fear. While she retains her strength, she shows a realistic and sensible amount of fear in the face of danger. She pulls on her courage to drive her through and I thought Ms Hendricks balanced this nicely, giving us a likeable women that most people would admire and feel sympathy for.
The love scenes were not particularly drawn out - I tend to like mine quite long and detailed - but they were sexy and sensual and well-timed. The story sucked me in and kept me gripped as I prayed for them to make it through their ordeal alive and for them to finally understand one another. With the addition of a country in turmoil and some mercenaries on their tail, Tango in Paradise is a thrilling, beautiful tale of romance and suspense, melded perfectly as one. High up on my recommendations list."
4-Stars
"I am an avid reader with romance and it's various sub-categories being
one of my favorite genres. This book pulled me in right and the
beginning and kept me engaged through the whole story. It is long enough
to fully develop the plot and characters while still being short enough
for a pretty quick read (so if you don't want to make a big time
committment to a book right now - this is a great choice). The book had
romance, it had action, it had a kick butt hero - hiding vulnerabilities
of his own - and a lead female character that was strong and vulnerable
at the same time. If you want something with a lot of surprises and
plot twists this may not be the read for you, but if you are looking for
a good romance with elements of action and suspense, a story that will
bring a smile and make you hurt for the characters - as well as want to
reach in and smack them (ok him) now and then, then this is a great
choice. I thoroughly enjoyed the read!" Shannon Sonnerveldt
Monday, September 28, 2015
More evidence of life throughout the universe by Vijaya Schartz
Our dreams of colonizing other planets and meeting other intergalactic cultures is not so farfetched. With plans of a spacial base on the moon and projects to explore Mars, the human race is pushing forward. Why? Because it is in our nature to explore, and maybe to find out where life originated, where we came from, what our purpose on this earth is supposed to be.
It's human nature to search for the truth... out there in the great swath of black space surrounding us.
Every week now the Kepler Space telescope discovers new habitable planets very similar to Earth. You can see the forests and the deserts, the mountains, and the water, just like on Earth. If there is green plant life, there probably is animal life as well, and if there is animal life, some of it could be intelligent, self aware, and even civilized to the point of technology.
This is what science fiction writers have been hoping for so long. Now, we have proof. So it's only a matter of conquering the vast expanse of space to reach these faraway planets. And if we are studying the problem, some other civilization could have done it before... tens of millennia ahead of us.
That's why we find on this planets relics of civilizations dating from before the accepted rise of modern man. That's why most of the ancient cultures and religions all over our world talk about gods coming from the sky in flaming chariots of thunder and metal, to teach the people of Earth.
It's not science fiction anymore. It's science reality, and we are allowed to dream, and write our science fiction, because in the end, we are just visionaries, seeing the future of our species as we embark on the greatest adventure of all times... across the universe, to join other intelligent beings, and learn the truth about our origins.
In the meantime, waiting for the news that we officially made contact with another galactic race, we can dream and read the more and more realistic stories of how we explore the universe.
SNOW CHEETAH
Chronicles of Kassouk
by Vijaya Schartz
All the books in this series can stand alone. Available in paperback and in eBook everywhere:
Amazon -
Barnes & Noble -
All Romance eBooks -
Smashwords -
iBooks -
KoboOn a mission to annex a planet for Earth, Captain Martial Terrien faces a culture with incredible psychic abilities, and falls for its lovely queen.
Natalia, future queen of Kassouk, pressured into bonding with a power-hungry prince, yearns to improve her people's lives. She finds the handsome Earth captain a refreshing distraction, despite his five fingers and ridiculous claim of being human, like the lowly workers of her world.
Captain Martial Terrien, nano-enhanced Space Marine from Earth, is on a secret, desperate mission to find his people a new home. The unexpected population on the chosen planet complicates his task, especially since the ruling caste can read minds, levitate, and teleport at will. Furthermore, the lovely princess and her pet cheetah take a shine to him, and beautiful women always spelled disaster in his past.
Natalia's jilted suitor, determined to reign at any cost, vows to annihilate the Earthlings. When the conflict escalates, can Martial obey Earth Central Command, or will he jeopardize the future of his race to save Natalia and her people?
5-stars on B&N
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo
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