Karilyn Bentley's Blog, page 44

PP Guest: D'Ann Lundun & Desert Heat

          A warm Plotting Princess welcome to D'Ann Lindun who is sharing a bit about her new contemporary western, Desert Heat
Have you ever seen petroglyphs? If not, I have to tell you they are the neatest thing ever! Carvings etched into rocks, hundreds, if not thousands of years old.

I have been lucky enough to see them here in Colorado and also in Arizona. Both times on trail rides, right next to the trail. I don’t usually take something straight from my life and put it into one of my books, but this scene is very close:At the boulders overlooking the ranch, she dismounted and tied Zorro to a Palo Verde’s branch.  She gave his neck a quick pat and turned to admire the view.  Sitting back on her heels, she studied the land.  No one seemed to be around on the ranch, so she lifted her face and looked into the distance.  Even the brown cloud over Phoenix was less today.  The Superstitions looked like rolling green hills, thanks to the rain.  From here she could almost see to Mexico.   She noticed Canyon Lake in the distance and where Tortilla Flat should be, but she couldn’t see it from here.Nothing jumped out at her, so she stood and moved to the rock with the Native American drawings.  Tracing her fingers over the rough surface of the rock, she didn’t see anything she knew.  A stick figure looked like a man, and another figure might’ve been a horse or a mule.  But she wasn’t sure.  Some symbols resembled letters, but she didn’t read Apache or whatever language they were written in.Closing her eyes, she traced the marks again.  Her fingers slid over rough granite, but nothing struck her.  Something here had drawn her back, but what?  Just the mystique of the characters?  No, it was more.  She opened her eyes and stepped back.  Then she saw it.Blurb from Desert Heat:Mallory James doesn’t trust men. How could she when her own father abandoned her twenty-two years ago? Now, when she receives a phone call from a man claiming to have found the body of her father in the Arizona desert, Mallory has no way to find out the truth. For closure, she flies to Phoenix to claim the body.
Mike Malone has more trouble than he knows how to cope with. An environmental group, the Salt River Protection League has gotten an injunction that prevents his guest ranch from operating. Tired of the battle, his longtime girlfriend has left him, and his friends—all depending on him for their livelihood—are getting desperate. The last thing he needs is the body of desert rat, Skeeter James, in one of his vacant cabins. And Mike really doesn’t need a beautiful woman taking his mind off business.
The minute Mallory reaches the deserted guest ranch things seem odd. Mike’s friends aren’t welcoming, and one in particular, Diana, seems to want Mallory gone. A vial of gold and half a treasure map are the only legacy Skeeter leaves. Before she can have the burial, Mallory is lured into the desert, bucked off a horse sabotaged by a thorn under his saddle blanket and stalked. Although she is falling for Mike, she can’t love a man she can’t trust. At first, Mike is skeptical of Mallory’s claims, but as incidents begin to pile up, he is forced to admit someone is trying to hurt. But how can they stop what they don’t understand?
D'Ann is offering a deal on this book…review it on any reputable site, let her know, and she will send you a copy of any of her other books!
D'Ann's Bio:Falling in love with romance novels the summer before sixth grade, D’Ann Lindun never thought about writing one until many years later when she took a how-to class at her local college. She was hooked! She began writing and never looked back. Romance appeals to her because there's just something so satisfying about writing a book guaranteed to have a happy ending. D’Ann’s particular favorites usually feature cowboys and the women who love them. This is probably because she draws inspiration from the area where she lives, Western Colorado, her husband of twenty-nine years and their daughter. Composites of their small farm, herd of horses, five Australian shepherds, a Queensland heeler, nine ducks and cats of every shape and color often show up in her stories! Find D'Ann at:http://dlindunauthor.blogspot.com/http://www.facebook.com/DLindunAuthorhttp://www.amazon.com/DAnn-Lindun/e/B008DKL9TU

What Makes A Perfect Hero?

Short answer: his imperfections.

But which imperfection? Which flaws make us love a hero most? And which redeeming qualities
make our hearts go pitter-pat? 
Is it the dark brooding hero who finally learns to love? Or is it the bad boy with an engaging sense of humor? The aloof arrogant fellow with a secretly sensitive heart? The wounded beast who risks everything for the woman he loves? Undoubtedly, the answer is different for each of us. We could talk about hero archetypes. But I prefer not to use archetypes in my writing. There’s nothing wrong with them and in the end I suppose we could squish most characters into one archetype or another. But for me it spoils the fun of developing a character. Just as I don’t categorize my real live friends I don’t want to pigeonhole my characters. I enjoy the surprise of unraveling a character’s psyche as I write the story. So just for today let’s ignore archetypes and talk about what specific characteristics makes us fall in love with a hero. Let’s analyze a couple of the fictional heroes we love...
Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice , outwardly he appeared haughty and aloof when underneath he was overly sensitive and somewhat shy and uncomfortable socially. After thinking Mr. Darcy was an arrogant man who thought himself too good for Elizabeth Bennett it was lovely to discover this truth. And his willingness to do good for her without recompense was made us all fall in love. Austen masterfully revealed Mr. Darcy’s true character thus one of fictions most beloved heroes was born.
Twilight ’s Edward. Say what you will about Twilight, the author created one of the most popular heroes in modern fiction. Edward fan clubs sprang up all across our fair continent from New York to Sacramento. Why? What was it about Edward that made women and girl’s fall in love. Why would an aging librarian, when asked about the appeal of Twilight, respond with, "Well, I’d leave my husband for Edward." Because Edward was a man willing to sacrifice everything for the woman he loved. He was superman strong and often rescued the heroine. He also should a super human amount of sexual restraint. Edward watched over Bella and played the devoted protector.
One of my favorite examples of the cocky wounded hero is Jacein The City of Bones . I loved his sense of humor and the way he was so sure of himself, despite being so terribly wounded.
Okay, now it’s your turn. Take our poll and tell us what your favorite hero characteristics are. And if I didn’t include your favorite characteristic tell us all about it in the comments section.
Select as many characteristics as you want:




Quizzes by Quibblo.com
Kathleen Baldwin is an award winning author of several Regency romances published by Kensington and she and her friend Andrea Sisco, an actress and mystery author, recently launched a middle-grade/YA contemporary fantasy romance, Diary Of A Teenage Fairy Godmother.

Michelle Miles: Tempting Eden Release Day!

Hi, everyone! I'm super excited to release my erotic paranormal romance today! TEMPTING EDEN is the first in the new Guardians of Atlantis series and is full of hot sex and hot Atlantis guys. It's available from Smashwords, Amazon and Barnes & Noble (and coming soon from All Romance eBooks!).

To celebrate today's release, I'm giving away one eBook copy to a lucky commenter so be sure to stick around to the end of the post.

Blurb:

Eden doubts a trip to the Bahamas will make her forget her cheating boyfriend, empty bank account and dead-end job. But when her best friend insists the trip is what she needs to forget her troubles, Eden can’t refuse the all-expenses paid vacation. Little does she know a new kind of trouble awaits.

As an elite Guardian of Atlantis, Sabre is on a mission to bring back human females from the surface. The lost continent’s lead geneticist wants to impregnate the women, mixing Atlantean DNA with human genetic material in order to save their dying race. If Sabre refuses, his sister will be killed. Despite his revulsion to such a mission he has no choice but to obey.

When Sabre walks out of the sea and finds Eden on the beach, he can read her deepest fantasies loud and clear. At first it’s enough to simply bring them to life, touching her to ecstasies she’s never before experienced. But when his heart falls under her spell he knows he can’t take her back to the scientists and a life as a guinea pig. He intends to keep her for himself…no matter the price.

Excerpt:

Sabre knocked on Helene’s door and waited for her to grant him entrance. When she didn’t he pushed it open and peered into the small confines of her apartment. In the darkness he could see shapes of her furniture strategically placed in her home. She was meticulous in her décor and he knew there wouldn’t be as much as a speck of dust on anything. He could see sunlight slashing through the cobalt waters beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows and fish swimming by as though they had not a care in the world.

Stepping inside, he closed the door and listened in the silence for some hint of life.

“Helene?”

No answer. He flipped on a light to chase away the shadows and scanned the room. Everything was in its place. The sofa sitting atop the handmade Atlantean rug, the modern art on the walls and the heavy wood coffee table and end tables. Yet there was no sign of his sister.

“Helene, are you here?”

Her bedroom door opened but still she did not emerge. She knew he was there, opened the door to let him know where she was yet didn’t come out to greet him. Balling his fists, he charged toward her bedroom…and stopped short in the entrance.

His baby sister was curled on her side on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. Her eyes were closed and her dark hair was fanned out on the pillow behind her. A stabbing pain slashed through his heart.

“I came to check on you,” he said.

“I don’t need you to check on me, Sabre.” Her voice was cold, unfeeling. Desolate.

He paused, not sure how to proceed. He knew she was hurting. He knew she was devastated. He also knew she would survive. She had to. She was all the family he had left. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her too.

He didn’t want to ask about how she was feeling—he knew the answer. He also didn’t want to tell her he wanted to make sure she was all right—that would cause her more pain. She’d lost her child after all. She’d been angry and depressed since.

He’d talk to her about something else.

“I’ve been called to a special meeting with General Bastian,” he said.

“So?” She never opened her eyes. Never looked at him.

“It’s also a meeting with the president. Top secret.” That got her attention and she finally blinked open her eyes. He pressed on. “General Bastian thinks it’s about what’s happening.”

“What’s happening? You talk as though it’s nothing to be concerned about,” she snapped. “Do they even really care, Sabre?”

She sat up, her chocolate locks falling around her face. Her thin, gaunt face. He could see the shadows under her eyes and her sunken cheeks and it pained him. She was not the lively young woman of their youth he remembered. The one who looked up to him as her hero. The one who used to tease him about his fascination with humans. It was why he joined the Guardians and why he worked so hard to become General Bastian’s second-in-command.

Why he wanted to keep her safe and make sure nothing ever happened to her.

“Yes, they do. And they are concerned. That’s why they’re going to do something about it.”

“What can they do? We’re a dying race and everyone knows it.” She clutched the blanket tighter around her shoulders, shivered and laid back down. Her back was to him as though she’d shut him out already.

Sabre feared their world—the one they’d so carefully built over the last few centuries—was coming to an end. He’d known it was bad—he’d experienced it firsthand when his sister miscarried. Her husband, devastated by the loss, committed suicide. The losses had been so hard on her she’d fallen into a deep depression. One he couldn’t get her out of.

But their tragedy wasn’t unique. The women of Atlantis could seldom conceive and if they could, like his sister, they couldn’t carry the babies to term. Atlantean geneticists had determined their race had become too small for them to survive. Even his general wasn’t immune to the tragedy. His wife had lost their child.

Leave a comment and enter to win! Deadline to enter is midnight CT tonight! I'll randomly draw a winner and will notify you by email so be sure to leave your email address in the comment!

ESCAPING REALITY by Kathy Ivan

ESCAPING REALITY WITH A GOOD BOOK

I've had a lot on my mind lately that hasn't been writing related. The real world seems to be flexing its muscles and put me in a headlock and it hasn't been fun. Between job stress, deadlines, health scares with dear friends and associated other things, taking a little time for myself ends up at the bottom of the list.

It shouldn't. Not for any of us. Life's stressful enough—we can use a little escapism from reality. It's healthy for our psyche and our spirits. A fresh new book does that for me.



I can immerse myself in the life and times of people I don't know, places I've never been, or even a galaxy far, far away. Starting a new book is grand adventure for my mind. I get to know each character, care about their goals. I root for the good guys to overcome every obstacle the villain throws their way, urging them to pick themselves up and persevere.

I want the heroine to evolve and grow on her journey through the story. Same goes for the hero. If it's a mystery or suspense, let me follow all the clues as well as the red herrings thrown in the path of the lead characters. Let me see, feel, and taste the nightlife of the seedy bar the private investigator finds the femme fatale in. With urban fantasy—show me the underground city that's the playground for demons and vampires or the shapeshifter leading his pack.

Most importantly, let me feel what the people in the story feel. The curiosity, the wonder, the heartbreak and sorrow, but mostly let me share in the love. Let me have the resolution to the journey I've taken with my new friends be one of hope, understanding and happiness.



Real life often leaves us feeling drained, emotionally and physically. While I may not be able to hop on a plane or stroll onto that departing cruise ship, I can escape for a few hours in the pages of a book.

Do you use books as your coping mechanism, even for just a few hours? Are you reading anything now that's pulled you into the story and helped you escape between it's pages? Share with me, I'm always looking for the next leg on my journey of imagination.

Kathy Ivan writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance and is currently working on two books, one in each genre. Her latest paranormal romance, Second Chances, is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other e-retailers.

Dog Or Cat Person

We have two dachshunds that we just love to pieces. Our little male Putz would lick you to death and is a cuddler. He has to be in the same room you’re in or right up next to you if you’re on the couch. He's always close.  (Putz is the light brown long haired and Ashley is the dark wire haired dachshunds. They like to sit on my husband's desk while he works.)
Ashley, our little female dachshund, is head dog. The toys are all hers, both dog beds are hers, the food is all hers and yet she loves Putz. She will bite him on the ear and pull him in the direction she wants him to go. She’s the fierce protector and barks at anything that moves or sometimes doesn’t move. Yet she’s afraid of everything. She will be barking one moment and cowering under the bed the next.
Their personalities are so different and yet we enjoy both of them. Our vet calls them the wild bunch, and when we go into the vet’s office, they cower in fear while the office staff loves on them. They know, the visit is not going to be fun and when we leave, they prance out the door so happy to be going home.I had a dog as a child, but then there was a time period when I didn’t have dogs and I have to say, I’m so glad they’re in my life now. During the time I didn’t have dogs, I had cats. I had three cats, and out of the three, one was very special. She was a stray that wandered into our yard and the male cats chased her up on our roof.  In the middle of the night, I got her off the roof and brought her into the house. I fed and watered her and then put her back outside. The next morning, she was there to stay. She was not leaving, and if any cat decided to come in our yard, she would chase them off.  This was now her home. Fiercely protective, she got into a cat fight one day, and I didn’t think it was bad, until a week later. I had to rush her into the Vet hospital, and they had to lance the place she’d been bitten. Really nasty, but she recovered, and was soon back on patrol.  She would meet me when I pulled up in the drive and at night she curled up beside me in bed. She was unquestionably the most loving cat, I have ever had. Unfortunately, she developed a tumor in her lung, and I had to put her down. I cried for days over losing my precious Felicia. I still miss that cat.  Animals are so loving, so devoted to us and give us such joy. They say that petting an animal for five minutes will lower your blood pressure. I can’t imagine not having my babies in my life. Yet Putz is thirteen, and Ashley is eight.  They’re both getting up in years, and in time will soon be gone.  So tell me about your pets. Are you a dog or cat lover?  Or both? Tell me what kind of dogs/cats you have and their names.  Today I’m giving away a free copy of Wronged – The Cuvier Widows.  Leave a comment and someone will win.

The PP Gals welcome Keta Diablo & her historicals, Sky Dance & Sky Tinted Water

Why I wrote Sky Tinted Water and Sky Dance
First of all, I'd like to thank the Plotting Princesses for hosting me today, and I'd also like to thank you for stopping by. Much appreciated.
Some readers have asked how I choose certain time settings for my books, or maybe a better question would be why? You've probably noticed there aren't many romance novels set during the Civil War, but it happens to be a period in our history that fascinates me. I think about the thousands of lives lost and the boundaries crossed when family members chose sides. It wasn’t uncommon to find cousin fighting against cousin or neighbor against neighbor. The Civil War was a deeply personal war for many, and yet in the end, many soldiers forgot why they were fighting.
It's hard to imagine a country so divided, harder still to think families were torn apart by principles, beliefs and ideals. Imagine drawing a line across the United States – the top half fights for one side and the bottom for the other. And suppose you had beloved family living in Texas and you live in Wisconsin? You can see where I'm going with this, right?  











Sky Tinted Water and Sky Dance take place during the Civil War and a Native American uprising that struck terror in the hearts of settlers. This is a story about two people who lived during this turbulent time and persevered through separation, loss, triumph and of course, love.  Blurb:Familial bonds, malevolent schemes and passion collide in this sweet historical novel. Set in Minnesota during the Civil War and the Sioux uprising, this is the story of Rory Hudson, the exquisite Irish lass with an unbreakable spirit and the
enigmatic Dawson Finch, a man bound by honor, duty and loyalty.
When Dawson enlists in the army to bring peace to nation divided, Rory’s world plummets into a tailspin. War, distance and time separate them, but nothing can dispel the haunting memories of their love. Not even death can destroy their fierce passion or a love so strong it beats the odds of the impossible.
Excerpt:The woods loomed ahead. Here, the path would narrow and she’d be surrounded by clusters of dense hardwood and pines. On the other side of the forest, her sister’s belching chimney would come into view and to the east Jab and Louisa Pearson’s homestead, to the west, Hiram’s. She hadn’t thought of him since her wedding day. Neighbors claimed he’d changed; some said he’d run amok after Jane and Levi died. A pang of sadness cloaked her, but the day was far too beautiful to be bogged down with tragic thoughts.
Entering the woods, the familiar call of a whippoorwill competed with the harsh screech of a blue jay. Twisted limbs and branches hugged the man-made trail and thick bracken and underbrush covered the ground around her. Rory stopped Charmer when an eerie stillness descended on the woodland. The chatter of small critters had stopped and the songbirds had ceased their melodic trills. She forced her eyes to scan the trees in all directions, the lump in her throat tightening.
Looking over her shoulder, she blew a sigh of relief. Minx had paused to nibble on a sprig of grass bursting through the forest floor. The foal would act skittish if danger lurked. She relaxed in the saddle and journeyed on . . . until Charmer’s ears flattened against her head. Had the mare heard a foreign noise or were her muscles preparing for an attack from pesky flies?
Rory turned a keen ear to her surroundings and concentrated on a sliver of sunlight ahead. Keep moving toward the light. A scream tore through the still woods, or a war-cry. She’d never heard a native prepare for battle, but had read about their nightmarish shrills. Charmer whinnied and tossed her massive head and a sense of danger spiked Rory’s heartbeat. Clutching the reins, she looked down at her white knuckles and caught a flash of movement on her left. Her blood ran cold when she spied a tall, dark form stalking her with the stealth of a panther. God’s nightgown, is it human or beast?
Find Sky Tinted Water at:    Amazon  Barnes&Noble  Kobo Amazon UK
 
Follow Keta's Keep at: 

If you read Sky Tinted Water and Sky Dance, my humble thanks. I hope for a short period you're transported to another time and place and I sincerely hope you enjoy the journey. And watch for SKY DANCE, book 2, coming to a Kindle and Nook near you March 2013.

Vicki Batman: A Wacky Romantic Getaway-San Diego or Bust launch party!

Ever had a Wacky Romantic Getaway?
Launching: San Diego or Bust!!!

  Blurb: When a young woman plans a romantic getaway with her boyfriend, disaster strikes, and she finds her Mr. Right could be a different guy.
          My boyfriend is a dirt wad. I just decided.          With a humpf, I dragged my pink tote up the narrow aisle to the plane's exit, accidentally banging it into the seats along the way. The relieving notion of being back home in Sommerville caused the tension in my chest to fade a smidgen.           A quick peek to the exit told me where Davis, my boyfriend, stood waiting for the okay from the ground crew to head out. His glance my way didn't look at all pleasant. Similar to one wrapped in disappointment with a downward tilt of his mouth.          I didn't care much. I just decided.          The words creep, jerk, moron, and “why in the hell am I still dating him??” jumbled my thoughts around. My heart pounded as anxiety ratcheted inside me again.          Maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe I should not put up with him anymore.           The deepest part of me knew I shouldn’t be with Davis Griffith Swansea, III any longer. I was just in denial. Over the past year, I’d had brief, momentary twinges of dumping him; then, he’d go and do something incredibly romantic like bring me Godiva chocolates—“I know how you love these.” Or buy me a new book by my favorite author—“I happened to see this today.” Or whisk me off to an intimate dinner à deux at the latest and greatest bistro--"I know you'll like this place."          My head had gone stupid.

And in honor of this day,

I have Giveaways!!!

An ebook of San Diego or Bust& Michael Buble's new CD & a $10 Amazon card
In the comments, say where you want to go for a romantic getaway and leave your email address for the drawing.
San Diego or Bust is available at: http://museituppublishing.com/booksto...

Thanks for partying with me!

PlottingPrincesses: Complete the sentence day!

Complete the sentence day!
We provide the sentence and you fill in with another or even a paragraph!
Happy imagination!

Once upon a time, a husband gave his wife three wishes. The first was_______.

National Celebrate Your Genre Day

I write mysteries. You write or read the (fill in the blank) genre. What makes us so different?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this since my latest book SHATTERED released last week. If you ask me about my stories, I will tell you every time that SHATTERED is my favorite, the book of my heart. This was the first book I ever wrote, and I don’t even want to tell you how long it took!
It was also the book that got some of the best rejections I’ve ever had. The consensus was that although there was much to be loved about it, you can’t have a romance set in a Third World country nor can you have two heroes in one book. And God forbid if the hero doesn’t show up until the middle of the book. I’m pretty sure the guns and explosions didn’t win anyone over, either.
You see, I was trying to sell SHATTERED (originally titled SHATTERED DREAMS) as a romance. I even had an excerpt from a poem in the front of the book from the great Kahil Gibran’s The Prophet about how love can make you feel like you’re on top of a mountain one minute and then shatter your dreams the next. That makes it a romance, right? Wrong.
Imagine my surprise when my agent told me I was more of a mystery/suspense writer than a romance one. In retrospect I probably already knew that. For one, my reading tastes always leaned more toward romantic suspense. (Think Sandra Brown.) More importantly, I skim all the introspection that is so important to a romance since it’s all about getting into the H/H’s heads. Sometimes when I’m reading a straight romance, I want to throw the book across the room and scream, “Kill somebody, dammit! (For those of you who love romance, I’ll bet  you feel the same way about mysteries –I can hear you saying,  “Have sex, you idiots!!”)
Anyway, I put SHATTERED on the back burner when I started my publishing career with the Clueless Cook mysteries from Berkley. In May my debut of A Dead Sister Talking mystery releases from Midnight Ink. SHATTERED was not the only story I had that didn’t seem to fit any genre exclusively, either. There was also MORTAL DECEPTION (available on all the buy sites.) Shameless plug—sorry!
I know now that what I write would probably best be described as romantic mystery. There’s always a hot guy and usually a steamy sex scene or two. MORTAL DECEPTION is definitely a whodunnit with romance. SHATTERED is more of a woman in jeopardy but with a beautiful love story that if I did it right, will make you tear up a little.
So to answer my initial question, what makes my writing different than yours,--absolutely nothing. Where I see guns and killers, you see heartbreak, secret babies, fairies, or werewolves (waving at a couple of my fellow Princesses.)
You may know about wolf packs and immortals, but trust me when I say, I know murder!
So I decided to call today--celebrate your genre day. I’d like to hear what genre you write or read and a small blurb about your favorite story (or readers--why you loved that book.) Some lucky commenter will win a free download of  SHATTERED. Come back at the end of the day (9 PM Central) to find out who that will be.  And just to tease you a little, here’s the blurb for SHATTERED.
Jennifer Lozano was on her way to a friend’s bachelorette party in Costa Rica. But things don’t always work out as planned, and she ends up in a remote jungle in Colombia where she has to rely on her nursing skills to stay alive.


Jenny was hoping a few days on the sandy beaches would help ease the pain of a broken heart. Little did she know that when she walked into the airport terminal with the Dallas businessman, she’d end up a hostage for a group of Colombian rebels after a botched kidnapping attempt. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that one of her captors has plans to dump her body on the side of the road after they use her to escape. But the rebel leader has been wounded, and as long as Jenny can keep him alive, she lives another day.

Hi, my name is Michelle. And I’m a Trekkie

I have a confession to make. Long before the days of ST:TNG (that’s Star Trek: The Next Generation for those of you who don’t know), I was into Star Trek. I watched the original series with humble devotion. Back then there was no such thing as a DVR (horrors) and I set my VCR (remember those?) to record every episode of the old three-season show.

Was it cheesy? Yes, of course it was. We always expected at least one Red Shirt to get killed during the show. Because, as we all knew, Captain Kirk, Spock and Bones would never get a scratch. “The Trouble With Tribbles” was a natural favorite. “A Piece of the Action” another. I loved seeing Kirk & Co. in 1930s Chicago-esque clothes toting real guns.

When the ST movies came, the first one was a total disappointment but the second one made up for it. Kahn, that old Space Seed, came back to haunt us! It was the first time we saw our heroes in real peril. And Spock’s self-sacrifice actually turned out to be quite logical.

After The Next Generation came on strong, the Star Trek Conventions started up. Anyone remember these? They were solely devoted to us Star Trek Fans. Yes, I admit it. I went. I toted my Star Trek Compendium and had some of the original crew members autograph it. (I still have it!) I got to meet Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, James Doohan, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart.

My friends and I played the Star Trek RPG game. I wrote fan-fiction.

Ah… those were the days.

I wasn’t much into DS9 or Voyager or Enterprise. By then, my interest in Star Trek had waned some. I was busy with my life, raising a kid, starting to write books again.

So when I started seeing previews for the remake of Star Trek by Lost-Gods J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, I knew my interest would spark again. It looked awesome. It looked amazing. It looked like I needed to beat a direct path to the movie theater.

Of course everyone had seen it before me but I finally managed to get to the theater to see it. It didn’t disappoint. There were a few things in the move that bugged me as a die-hard Star Trek fan. But overall, it was probably the best sci-fi flick I’ve ever seen. It tops out anything the previous Star Trek films did. I can't wait for the second one!

You better believe I’ll be in line at the theater to see them.