RED LEOPARD is now in Paperback - by Vijaya Schartz

The Chronicles of Kassouk series is now well on its way to paperback. After White Tiger coming in paper this year, RED LEOPARD is out this month in trade paperback, and Book 3, BLACK JAGUAR is due in the same format in February 2013. The other titles in the series (Blue Lioness and Noah's Ark) will also become available in trade paperback in 2013.

So now there is no excuse. Whether you read eBooks in any format or only paper books, you can enjoy this award-winning series. AMAZON  -  Barnes & Noble – Smashwords – All Romance eBooks

Here is what RED LEOPARD is about:

In charge of the fortress of Kassouk in the King's absence, what is Terek to do when a Goddian spacecraft lands in his medieval backyard, and the striking woman leading the galactic party insists on colonization?

Galya, the Goddian Princess commanding the geological vessel, is bent on finding a crystal with unusual hyper-conductor properties. And the futile resistance of the local population isn't going to stop her. Not even that defiant tribal chief nicknamed Red Leopard, like the infernal feline that follows him everywhere.

Terek and his band of swordsmen and felines must defend their people's freedom, no matter the cost. But with this unexpected arrival, an old prophecy surfaces, taking new meaning and carrying a new threat... When political intrigues, greed, murder and betrayal tip the scales, whom can Galya really trust? Her fellow Goddians? the Mutants bred to serve her race? or her primitive Human enemy?

"action packed, fast paced story... I can't wait to read the next book in the Chronicles of Kassouk series." 5 angels - Fallen Angel Reviews

"This book was so good. The plot, characters, setting, everything was laid out in detail; vivid and believable. I was completely lost in the world Vijaya created and loving every second of it." - 5 stars - Shawna K. - Goodreads.com

"Packed with action and adventure. Galya ... a tough warrior... a sweetness about her that makes her easy to like... I loved how Rascal was Terek's faithful companion and defender throughout nearly the entire story... I really liked Red Leopard." - The Hope Chest Reviews

 AMAZON  -  Barnes & Noble – Smashwords – All Romance eBooks

Vijaya Schartz

Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Steampunk musketeers? Really? by Vijaya Schartz

I watched on cable recently a movie I missed in the theaters last year. THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Yes, I'm French and was raised reading Alexandre Dumas, and this story is very familiar to me. It's also a piece of true history, and this version also includes the scandal of the Queen's Necklace.  The same classic author wrote The Count of Monte Cristo, The Queen's necklace, The Black Tulip, Queen Margot, and many other well known stories.



Loved the actors. They felt very real to me as D'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis



In the first sequence of the movie, the musketeers steal a Leonardo Da Vinci engineering design from a vault in Venice, and Milady double-crosses them and sells the design to the English Lord Buckingham. I thought it was an interesting twist to the original story, but still in line with the characters. The costumes are a little farfetched, but why not steampunk musketeers in at times modern-looking brown leather? Like the classic Musketeers, they wield swords and the palace guards carry muskets (early handguns that shoot once and take forever to recharge).

Very well acted Buckingham and Milady

King Louis XIII is portrayed as a juvenile poppinjay. That's not what I know about him (he was nicknamed Louis the just and was taciturn and suspicious). He also had a speech impediment and a double row of teeths, but too much history is not always attractive. What the heck, some artistic licence is okay. I went with it.

Louis XIII of France

When Milady steals the queen's necklace and has to meander through laser-like lines protecting the vault, I started scratching my head. Lasers? in 1620 France? Or were they silk threads, or spiderwebs? But then why avoid them?

Imagine my surprise, however, when a third through the movie, Lord Buckingham lands his flying machine in the gardens of the French royal Palace. A sea-faring vessel straight out of the British Royal Fleet, complete with sails, but attached to a huge balloon.

This is where the story (set around 1620 at the start of Louis XIII reign) loses all credibility. Hot air balloons were not invented until over 160 years later. The first was tested in 1783 and did not include human passengers. To compound the gross inaccuracy, at one point an entire fleet of flying vessels attacks France. And they are firing traditional cannons from flying ship to flying ship? Get real.

And how did they navigate? From what I've seen the weight alone made these contraptions ludicrous. The science did not add up.

And don't you think I would have heard about this battle in my history books? I didn't, because it never happened. It's one thing to frictionalize history. But to change true history and use the name of the original author is akin to intellectual property rape. This movie is not even labeled as fantasy or alternate history, and it's not a time travel either. It is presented as The Three Musketeers.

I often heard of authors scandalized about how Hollywood changed their stories. Unfortunately this author is not here to defend his work. Although Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) must have been familiar with hot air balloons, he must be turning in his grave, because all his novels were always historically accurate. That's one of the things I love about them. The man did his research.

Historical rape aside, the movie was well acted, with lots of action scenes. Loved Milla Jojovich in the role of Milady. All the musketeers were likeable and fantastic swordsmen. Too bad the writers botched the history and the science, and didn't bother to make the story believable. Special effects alone do not a movie make.

I can easily guess the movie did not make it big in France.

Whenever I write, history, science fiction, even fantasy, as an author I make sure my science is believable, as well as the historical details. But, that's just my opinion. I guess it's a matter of ethics.

Vijaya Schartz

Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Find the links to my books at the top right column.

Kitten lost, kitten found - by Vijaya Schartz



Stinky, happy to be saved



The abandoned cats I shelter and feed in my backyard are as much part of my life as the three house cats living inside my home. Yesterday one of the feral kittens, a beige freckled baby who usually lounges on the back porch with her mom and two brothers, seemed to have disappeared. The mother called and meowed, bringing a small toy to attract the stray kitten, but no amount of desperate calling brought the tiny creature back to her.

Came the evening feeding time, nursing time, treat time, and the stray kitten still had not reappeared. We had our first chilly night in Phoenix last night, and I feared the kitten would be cold, alone, far from his comfy bet, and his mother's and brothers' warmth.

This morning, when I went out to feed the feral cats, the mother was nowhere in sight, and the kitten was still missing. Except that a very loud meow resounded through the patio, but I still could not see the culprit. From the desperate sound of the meow, I knew someone was in trouble, and it sounded like a very upset kitten.

Searching for the origin of the sound, my gaze fell upon a tall trash can reserved for recycling cans... too tall for a kitten to jump or climb. The top is a revolving door, automatically closing and hiding the unsightly contents. When I lifted the top, sure enough, here was the tiny kitten, trapped at the very bottom, angry and hungry and stinky from having peed and pooped for an entire day and night.

I didn't reach for the tiny creature, unwilling to get clawed. I laid the trash can flat and it leaped and ran out like a jack in the box. He stunk so bad even the other cats growled when he tried to rub against them. I think this one got his name. He'll be known from now on as Stinky.

Now, the mother is still MIA. I'm surprised she abandoned two of her kittens to go look for the missing third, but I guess even in cats the maternal fiber is strong, and this mother cat is especially protective.

As I'm writing this, I hear the mother calling her little ones. She has returned. Good. Because although her kittens are practically weened, they still need their mother's reassuring presence. But all is well that ends well in the cat land my backyard has become... just like in one of my novels.

If you want to read more about cats, read my books. All my sci-fi romantic action adventure stories have cats in them. Whether house kitties or tigers, lions, leopards or jaguars, cats are part of my writing life as well. Just look at some of my covers.

Vijaya Schartz

Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

NIGHTWALKER series by Rhonda L. Print

Welcoming Rhonda L. Print today and her Nightwalker series. Not exactly Sci-fi, but definitely romance with an edge, kick-butt adventure, and a warning. Her books are hot! Here is a piece from her main heroine in the series:

Why I fell in love with Ian Nightwalker... by Leah Wolfe

He wore all black. A tight black shirt highlighted his wide shoulders and was tucked into his pants at his narrow waist. The pants were of a thicker material than denim and they fit snugly over the curve of his ass, a very nice ass. The pant legs disappeared into tall leather boots that form-fitted his calves up to his knees, similar to the boots of a pirate or a musketeer. I thought his hair was short until the moonlight glinted on it. It was actually as black as his clothes, wavy and inches from the middle of his back. It was longer than mine, but his body was all masculine male. He stood over six feet tall…

He turned slowly. His front was even nicer than his back. He looked good coming and going. His face was pale in contrast to his hair and clothing. His eyes were partially hidden behind his hair and while I couldn’t tell the color, they were deep set and inquisitive through the veil of his hair. His somewhat aristocratic nose set well in his masculine features and his mouth was full and bow shaped, his lower lip jutting out slightly.

Just pouty enough to make you want to kiss it. Repeatedly.

While sex appeal is important; and Ian Nightwalker had it in spades; it doesn’t always translate to love. I’d found that out the hard way when my former fiancé Joaquin Wildhorse crawled into the bed of another woman.

I thought maybe love just wasn’t for me and told myself that was okay. As a federal agent for Supernatural Investigations of Non-Human Species, SINS for short, I had my work, my family and my friends to fill the void where love was supposed to be.

Then Ian Nightwalker came into my life and I quite literally swooned at his feet. Okay, so I passed out and hit my head on a rock but swooning sounds so much more romantic.

Ian seemed to love me from the start. Why, remains a mystery to me. I fought against it every step of the way.

I came with a lot of baggage. Among my plethora of gifts is the ability to feel the emotions of people around me. Empath is the official title. I also speak to the souls of the dead. Not exactly traits conducive to being good girlfriend material and exactly the things that came between me and Joaquin.

But Ian came with some baggage of his own. He was a centuries old vampire with a hidden agenda that nearly tore us apart. He is also sexy as hell.

Where Joaquin wanted to change me, mold me into his perfect little wife to fit in with his perfect little plan, Ian just wants me. He pursued me with the patience of a man who’s lived for hundreds of years. He stood by me while I fought, let me lean on him when I cried and sat silently when he knew that I needed to talk. He slipped into my life with vampire stealth and pushed me to let my battered heart love again.

The bottom line is that he loves me, just as I am. What more could I ask?

You can read more about Leah, Ian and Joaquin in NIGHTWALKER: A LEAH WOLFE SINS NOVEL, THE ORDER OF CHAOS and JUSTIFIED, released October 1, 2012. Rhonda L. Print is also the author of GUARDIAN. Learn more about the author and read excerpts from all of her books at www.RhondaLPrint.com

JUSTIFIED: October 2012 release

http://www.lsbooks.com/justified-p708.php

 

Leah Wolfe, federal agent for the Supernatural Investigations of Non-Human Species—SINS—is determined to put the pieces of her personal life back together. Her relationship with Ian Nightwalker, her vampire lover and a Marquis in the vampire ruling council, has heated up and is going further than she’d ever thought possible.

When her ex-fiancé, Joaquin Wildhorse calls Leah in the middle of the night and asks her to come to the home of Louis Deveraux, Alpha of the largest wolf pack in the country, her first instinct is to hang up. Until he asks her to bring Ian. Lewis has been gruesomely murdered, leaving behind a daughter and a decree that Joaquin is to be the new pack Alpha.

Now as the slain bodies of more shape-shifters start turning up closer to home, Leah’s personal and professional lives collide. She knows who the killer is but legally can’t touch him. She'll need the help of Ian and Joaquin to step outside of the law and stop a killer to protect the lives of those she loves the most. If she can manage that, things just might get interesting.

WHERE TO FIND THE other BOOKS:

 

Nightwalker:

http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/nightwalker.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Nightwalker-ebook/dp/B004D9FYKA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1291577997&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nightwalker-rhonda-l-print/1029827441?ean=2940043344854&itm=2&usri=rhonda+l+print

Paperback

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b116324/Nightwalker/Rhonda-L--Print/?si=0

http://www.amazon.com/Nightwalker-Leah-Wolfe-SINS-Novel/dp/1463613466/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332612228&sr=1-3

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nightwalker-a-leah-wolfe-sins-novel-rhonda-l-print/1037584082?ean=9781463613464&itm=1&usri=rhonda+l+print

The Order of Chaos

http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/theorderofchaos.htm

http://www.amazon.com/The-Order-of-Chaos-ebook/dp/B005U5JE9I/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b128367/The-Order-of-Chaos/Rhonda-L--Print/?si=0

Guardian

http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/guardian.htm

HAPPY READING!

MY FELINES ARE NOT FURRIES

It came to my attention that because of the gorgeous covers with feline heads for the Chronicles of Kassouk series, some readers assumed my characters were either shape shifters, or part-human intelligent beasts known as furries. Not so. Talking lions who walk on two legs and behave as people are not my style. I pride myself in writing believable stories.

I do love cats, obviously. I have a few of my own. And large felines are an integral part of the world of Kassouk, but they are secondary characters. Especially when writing romance, I prefer to deal with human emotions and human bodies. I sometimes have a few human-like compatible species as well. But if the hero and heroine are going to be romantically involved, and be happy ever after and start a family, they better be physically compatible.

The animals depicted on the award-winning covers (designed by the talented Jenifer Ranieri for Desert Breeze Publishing) are actual felines featured in the story. In this series, my human protagonists are warriors who take the name of a cat as their warrior name. Often they also have a matching feline as a pet or as a fighting companion.

For instance in Book Two, Red Leopard is the warrior name of Terek, a human warrior of Kassouk. His companion and loyal friend is a fighting leopard named Rascal. White Tiger is the nickname of the heroine in Book One, because she learned to fight among white tigers and uses their fighting technique. Blue Lioness is the warrior name of the heroine in Book Four, and her lioness companion is Hellion. In Black Jaguar the warrior of the same name owns a jaguar named Diablo. In Noah's Ark, because it's the prequel and the large felines have not yet proliferated on that planet, the cats are just big farm cats, rat hunters brought by the settlers. In this novel, the hero, Kostas, makes a friend of a fat yellow cat with long hair he names Viking.

But the felines are not just for the beauty of the covers. They take part in the story, as animals. Rascal, in Red Leopard, is especially brave, and even won an award as the best animal character in a book for 2010.

You can find this series and many other books of mine in eBook everywhere. White Tiger is also in print. Red Leopard comes out in print December 1, and Black Jaguar will be in paperback in February 2013.

Here are the links to find my books on:
AMAZON - BARNES&NOBLE - SMASHWORDS - ALLROMANCEeBooks

 

Happy Reading.

Enjoy my human and my feline characters.

 

Vijaya Schartz

Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

 

BLACK JAGUAR is coming out next year in print! - by Vijaya Schartz

After WHITE TIGER out in paperback this year, and RED LEOPARD coming out in print in December, I just learned that BLACK JAGUAR, book Three in the CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK series, will be released in paperpack in February of next year.

So now, even if you do not read eBooks at all, you can still enjoy this wonderful award-winning series.

If you do read eBooks, you can find this title at every major eBook retailer in all formats. Click on the links below to find it in:

AMAZON KINDLE - B&N NOOK - at ARe ALL ROMANCE eBOOKS - KOBO - SONY - etc.

Here is what BLACK JAGUAR is all about:

Kahuel volunteered to sail away on his brother’s Galleon to get away from a roguish past, and prove his worth as a prince. The last things he expects on this virgin land are tragedy, natives, or scheming Mutants. Talina never saw a foreigner, until destiny brings to her shores baffling strangers who can’t read minds... among them a prince, and the Lost Daughter of the prophecy. Her fate is about to change, but the Star People protecting her clan view the outsiders as a threat to their crucial experiment. Can Kahuel, with a few warriors and felines, save Talina and her people from a horrible fate?

HERE ARE A FEW REVIEWS:

"This blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and sweet romance is a great way to whisk yourself off to another time and place without ever having to leave your comfy chair." Coffee Time Romance & More - 4-cups

"...spellbinding series with this fast paced story that ensnared me from the very start... The visual descriptions of the jungle scenes brought them to life for this reader. I for one can't wait for the next book in the Chronicles of Kassouk series." Teresa - Fallgn Angel Reviews - 5 angels

" an exhilarating story of adventure and the power of love... economy of words to paint vivid pictures... plot is tight and filled with surprises ...a great cast of characters that will quickly endear themselves to the reader ...love scenes are tasteful and sensual. Black Jaguar shines... does not disappoint" 5 Stars - Stephanie Burkhart - GoodReads.com

"...a good story with a futuristic world building... written very well. The reader will be drawn into the story and find it very hard to put down until the very end... very believable and engaging..." 4 red roses rating - Red Roses For Authors Reviews.

Here is the complete series available in all eBook formats:

Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com

LET'S TALK ALIEN SHIFTERS - by Vijaya Schartz

I like it when villains can be as mean and dangerous as a shapeshifting alien. Since it's Halloween month, I'll talk today about the shifter featured in ALIEN LOCKDOWN. He has a personal vendetta against the handsome human captain who captured him, and since the prison is in chaos due to a series of disasters, he finally gets his chance to confront the hero. But it doesn't go well.  How can a simple human fight a shapeshifter?

This is both a romance and an action adventure sci-fi story. It's now available everywhere eBooks are sold, in all formats. It's a full novel for only $2.99. Find it at:

AMAZON kindle - B&N nook - SMASHWORDS - ALL ROMANCE eBOOKS - KOBO and many more....

ALIEN LOCKDOWN:

the year is 3033, and deep in the bowels of the underground galactic prison, something has gone terribly wrong. Rhonda Alendresis never wanted this prison job. When the civilians vanish and an earthquake damages the nuclear reactor, she must go down to repair it with Captain Perfect himself, Cole Riggeur, who always plays by the rules and never trusted a woman in his life. But deep in the underground penitentiary, the most wicked convicts in the Galaxy are loose, and a treacherous shape-shifter plans his revenge. Disconnected from the Garrison, against impossible odds, Cole and Rhonda now face their greatest challenge... trusting each other in order to survive.

REVIEWS:

"The action reminded me of an INDIANA JONES movie and the romance was equally intense." --Paranormal Romance Reviews

"...the fantastic anticipation only a ticking bomb can generate, I was enthralled from page one" --Lynn Lowe - Ecataromance

"...suspenseful, gripping saga of survival, betrayal, and hope...the resourcefulness and courage that occurs when a person refuses to admit defeat and die." --Dena - Fallen Angel Reviews - 5 angels

HAPPY READING!

Vijaya Schartz

Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick

Visit my site at http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Science Fiction Double Feature - By Lisabet Sarai

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

the BOREALIS SERIES is alive and well

BOREALIS 7 - BLACK DRAGON, one of my sci-fi romance novellas published by Desert Breeze, just received 5 kisses from TwoLips Reviews.

Merrylee really liked it. She says: "I love the Borealis novellas, and in particular, this one by Vijaya Schartz. As always, her action-packed, well-plotted out prose kept me glued to the pages of Black Dragon from start to finish."

This series is available in KINDLE, NOOK, at ARe, and at Desert Breeze Publishing.

ABOUT THE BOREALIS SPACE STATION:

In orbit over a deserted outpost at the edge of conquered space sits an aging space station under the control of the Trans Planetary Protectorate. It's name is Borealis and it is slowly falling apart as the Protectorate funnels its massive resources into the border wars, and keeping the outlying systems in line, as insurrections break out.

BLACK DRAGON:

A gambler is cheating in a den of the Borealis space station, and Lieutenant Zara  Frankel intends to catch him in the act. She always gets her man, but this one could prove more than she can handle.

Captain Czerno Drake, code name Black Dragon, has come under cover to break his innocent uncle from the most secure penitentiary in the galaxy, on the Borealis space station. He will stop at nothing to succeed, even enrolling the help of the lovely straight arrow TPP enforcer. When Zara realizes that she's been used by a shrewd but seductive rebel, her reaction surprises everyone, most of all herself.

Other reviewers joined the chorus:

"I like the balance of humor and danger in this story, and the action kept me glued to the pages...  I enjoyed watching as suspicion turned to admiration, and admiration became the first flickers of love between Czerno and Zara... Pick up a copy of Borealis: Black Dragon, by Vijaya Schartz, and enter a world of adventure, romance, and a spoiled cat named Marshmallow." - Long and Short Reviews - 4½ books rating - sensual

"Vijaya Schartz is known for her strong female characters and Zara is no exception...  gives the reader lots of action and a sweet love story." - Single Titles Review - 4½ stars

Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Noah's Ark is a finalist! - by Vijaya Schartz

Not that I should get any credit for it, but the cover of NOAH'S ARK is a finalist in the EPIC Ariana Book Cover Contest in the Science Fiction category. Winners will be announced in March 2013.

The cover was designed, like all the others in this series, by Jenifer Ranieri, the talented cover artist for Desert Breeze Publishing. In 2009, when the first book in this series was released, WHITE TIGER, it won the Ariana and the Quasar awards for the best overall eBook cover of 2009.

Crossing my fingers for NOAH'S ARK

Download it in kindle at: http://amzn.com/B007QHHIL4

Oh, and this is the prequel to the series, what happened before Book One. Here is what the book is about:

When Trixie's star freighter, Noah's Ark, drops out of jump space in an uncharted part of the universe, she believes the M-class planet on her viewer represents hope and salvation for her motley crew and the ragtag settlers aboard her ship.

Kostas, ex Space Marine, the expert survivalist recruited for this expedition, doesn't believe in coincidences, and knows that when something looks too good to be true, it usually is.

Everyone on this voyage to seed a new planet with life, is running from something, and harbors dangerous secrets... including Trixie, who vowed to never let a man control her life again. As for Kostas, he would get lynched on the spot if anyone suspected who he really is.

But on this seemingly abandoned planet, others are watching, herding them for evil purposes... And when the truth emerges and secrets unravel, Trixie and Kostas will have to fight for survival, for freedom, and for the right to love...

Reviews:

"Filled with action, adventure, greed, betrayal, and love... Having read the other books in the series, I was anxiously awaiting the prequel and Schartz delivers. She engages the reader right from the opening. Her writing style is crisp and easy to read. Schartz excels at world building as she layers the humans' discoveries... The dialogue adds a rich authenticity to the story. It's the little touches which bring the humanity into the story from Viking the cat to Tabor's horseback riding lessons... " 5 stars - Amazon (Steph).

Enjoy the read!

Vijaya Schartz

Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

Watching Warehouse 13 - by Vijaya Schartz

Imagine a warehouse where all the most secret and the most dangerous devices, scientific, alien weapons, or magic artifacts, are stored and protected from the wrong hands. This secret facility is hidden under a mountain, and the innocent entrance looks like an old-fashioned barn. Who would search for powerful artifacts in a barn? Of course, the barn leans on a mountain side, and the enormous facility is hollowed out in the rock under the mountain range.

This steampunk, sci-fi, paranormal series is fun and engaging, and sometimes dramatic and gruesome. The romance between the two protagonists is lacking, although there were attempts at romance in previous seasons. I guess that's why the creators introduced a new fresh character, Claudia. She fell in love but her love interest was killed in a previous episode.

Not to worry, this is Warehouse 13, and the young man can be revived... although there will be a price to pay.

In a typical episode, an artifact is missing, or an artifact is sighted somewhere in the world, wreaking havoc, and our two FBI special agents have to retrieve it, often pry it off the hands of some bad guys bent on world domination. The plots are full of adventure. Saving the world is a daily occurence. Sometimes it requires going back in time to undo some evil... always at a price, though.

I'm watching religiously on SyFy on Mondays.

FUN WATCHING EUREKA! - Too bad it's being cancelled

I'm a sci-fi freak. Whether or not there is romance in it. And I have to say that most of the time, there is. Right now, I'm really enjoying season five of EUREKA on the SyFy channel on Mondays. Although the setting is contemporary or only slightly futuristic, I love the concept. The writers also do a fabulous job at stellar dialogue, the situations are as often funny as they are dramatic, and always full of action and intriguing suspense.

The Eureka concept:

Somewhere in a tucked away mountain range is a small town, which is nothing but ordinary. A bunch of  scientists live there, working on a myriad of top secret scientific projects, including spaceships, artificial intelligence, supercomputers, time travel, talking houses, flying cars, reviving the dead, constructing biological entities... you name it, they are working on perfecting the prototypes.

Of course, as in all good stories, everything that could possibly go wrong does, and often with epic consequences. Try going back in time and changing a few things during WWII, then come back to a different present with lots of surprises.

What I also like about the show is that the characters are so human, corky, and torn by impossible ethical conflicts. And they still dare fall in love despite the consequences.

In yesterday's episode, a new thread started where the evil seems to be in the machine. In a town where you can build human bodies and imbue them with the electrical impulses of an existing human mind, someone is building replicas and taking over the town... to be continued.

Not all the characters are geeks. Sheriff Carter is just a good guy with an inferiority complex. Who wouldn't feel inadequate among all these geniuses? His character is the perfect plot device to educate us muggles in lay terms when necessary.

That's why I'm so bummed that the SyFy channel did not renew the show for the next season. There won't be a season 6. I sure hope they make a movie. In any case, I will be watching the reruns.

Vijaya Schartz

Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick

http://www.vijayaschartz.com