Gods of Egypt, ancient aliens and myths - by Vijaya Schartz

The male gods: Thoth god of wisdom, Horus the defeated rightful king, Set the evil uncle murderer and usurper

GODS OF EGYPT explodes on the big screen and just blew my mind. Love, passion, hatred, revenge, greed, power hunger, and redemption. It has it all, even humor. I loved the script, the storytelling, and the fresh take on the myth. I like that it respects the legend. I also like the fact that the sun god Ra resides in space, on what looks very much like an alien spaceship. The gods are much taller than humans, and liquid gold flow in their veins. Cool

Don't wait for the DVD. This super-production, reminiscent of the great movies of the fifties with high pagentry and lots of extras, must be seen on the big screen, preferably in 3D. Today, of course, we use digital images and blue screens, and the result is amazing. Morphing gods larger than life and alien ships in orbit are possible, and incredible creatures come alive. We understand why the Egyptians revered their gods when they exhibited such powers.

Hathor, goddess of love and Zaya, beauty of the Nile, a simple mortal in love.

I am a new fan of Nicolaj Coster-Waldau playing Horus. Gerard Butler makes a formidable evil brother Set, and the goddess of love, Hathor is played by the beautiful Elodie Yung. As for the mortal couple, Brenton Thwaites and Courtney Eaton as Kek and Zaya, they have the right amount of innocence, chemistry, faith, courage, and determination.

I like the fact that this movie doesn't focus on the better known story of the dismemberment of Osiris by his brother Set. Instead it features Osiris's son and rightful king, the god Horus. Portrayed as a happy go lucky rich boy who loves parties, Horus has a rocky start when on his coronation day, Set kills his father, beats up Horus and steals his all-seeing eyes, his woman... as well as his kingdom... which Set quickly exploits and enslaves for his own aggrandizement. Blind and dispossessed, Horus falls into depression and despair. It will take the example and encouragement of two of his fiercest worshipers to give him the strength and courage to fight back and free his people.

How relevant to our times is this story? More than you think. Greed and power hunger are still a strong motivation among the elite. Love can still move mountains. A few courageous souls can defy their betters and win great battles against impossible odds. Besides, we still honor the old myths. We only have to look at our dollar bill to see the eye of Horus, the all-seeing eye, atop the Egyptian pyramid. Where do you think this came from?

I strongly encourage you to see this movie. You won't regret it. In the meantime, you can read more about gods and aliens with incredible powers in my CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK series. WHITE TIGER is still free at ARe, and Snow Cheetah just received a 5-star review from Fallen Angel Reviews. "On top of being an incredible Sci-fi story, this book had many unique aspects. The biggest of which was one lovable and fun-loving snow Cheetah called Pangura, a pet, and the soon-to-be Queen Natalia... This story ensnared me from the very beginning with the many plot twists, fascinating characters, many Science fiction themes, and a love story that was truly inspiring. This was a wonderful addition to the Chronicles of Kassouk series." Fallen Angel Reviews - 5 stars

Vijaya Schartz
 Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
 http://www.vijayaschartz.com
 Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo

DAMSEL OF THE HAWK is in pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords!

I'm very excited about my new release, DAMSEL OF THE HAWK - Curse of the Lost Isle Book 7 (standalone) - Medieval Fantasy Romance. Although the release date is April 20 2016, it's already in pre-order:

in kindle http://amzn.com/B01CH93SNM 

at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/620349

 

 

1204 AD - Meliora, immortal Fae and legendary damsel of Hawk Castle, grants gold and wishes on Mount Ararat, but must forever remain chaste. When Spartak, a Kipchak warrior gravely wounded in Constantinople, requests sanctuary, she breaks the rule to save his life. The fierce, warrior prince stirs in her forbidden passions. Captivated, Spartak will not bow to superstition. Despite tribal opposition, he wants her as his queen. Should Meliora renounce true love, or  embrace it and trigger a sinister curse... and the wrath of the Goddess? Meanwhile, a thwarted knight and his greedy band of Crusaders have vowed to steal her Pagan gold and burn her at the stake...

 

HAPPY READING!

 

Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo

 

 

DAMSEL OF THE HAWK - the story behind writing it - by Vijaya Schartz

Getting to the end of writing DAMSEL OF THE HAWK (scheduled for release April 20, 2016), I cannot help but look back upon my first brainstorming sessions for the plot of this book. How it evolved since then amazes me. Then again, it happens with all the books we write. The semi-finished product as I near "the end" goes far beyond my expectations. It's a good thing.

I know many writers write from a rough draft. I never could. When I tried, I had to throw it away and start the novel again from the beginning without looking at the draft. Although I'm a plotter, my plot is never set and constantly evolves with the characters' reactions as the story unfolds. New villains appear out of the shadows, creating different conflicts and changing the backdrop and the course of the story. As I research minor details, better ideas come along and change everything again. Characters are forced to deal with unforeseen situations. The black moment is not what I predicted at all. Until the denouement, I do not know what the theme of the story is. That's what keeps me writing, what keeps me intrigued, what keeps me excited about my characters, what keeps the story alive in my mind, brimming with possibilities.

As I discover the heart of my story, that's usually when the final title comes to me. This book had several working titles in the six months it took to write it, none of them worthy of mention. Damsel of the Hawk appealed to me because of its medieval feel, and the tight connection to the heroine and her circumstances. This is also when I start looking for images to inspire the cover designer for the cover. I've been blessed for this Curse of the Lost Isle series:

  

 

The inability to write from a complete draft is what prevents me to participate in events like NANOWRIMO. That draft written in a month would be of no use to me. So I write my novels from a rough outline, ten pages or less, one paragraph per expected chapter, with the beginning, the main scenes, the major plot twists, and the expected ending. I leave plenty of room for change, to implement new ideas as they come, adding more chapters to the outline. Often, it means I have to go back to the beginning and add or rewrite several scenes to accommodate a new plot line, introduce a new character, give the reader clues, or foreshadow a future plot twist. It works for me. I don't mind rewriting as I write.

Then, when I have a complete story with all its intricacies and its nuances, comes the real work, the polishing, the fleshing out, the recasting of every scene to make it part of the whole. Emphasizing the theme, adding emotion, polishing the action scenes, the love scenes, making the reader part of the story by adding more setting and sensory details... That's usually the last month in my novel writing process.

Can you tell I love writing? Well, I do.

DAMSEL OF THE HAWK

Curse of the Lost Isle Book 7 (standalone)

Available for pre-order in early March:

1204 AD - Meliora, immortal Fae and legendary damsel of Hawk Castle, grants gold and wishes on Mount Ararat, but must forever remain chaste. When Spartak, a Kipchak warrior gravely wounded in Constantinople, requests sanctuary, she breaks the rule to save his life. The fierce, warrior prince stirs in her forbidden passions. Captivated, Spartak will not bow to superstition. Despite tribal opposition, he wants her as his queen. Should Meliora renounce true love, or  embrace it and trigger a sinister curse... and the wrath of the Goddess? Meanwhile, a thwarted knight and his greedy band of Crusaders have vowed to steal her Pagan gold and burn her at the stake...

In the meantime, catch up with the Curse of the Lost Isle series at:

 Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo

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

Win DAMSEL OF THE HAWK - Book 7 in the Curse of the Lost Isle series

Hurry to enter the drawing to win a pdf copy of my next book in the Curse of the Lost Isle medieval historical fantasy romance series:

DAMSEL OF THE HAWK

This is book is a standalone story. 

Enter your name in the drawing  HERE.

1204 AD - Meliora, the legendary damsel of Hawk Castle, grants gold and wishes on Mount Ararat, but must forever remain chaste. When Spartak, a Kipchak warrior gravely wounded in Constantinople, requests sanctuary, she breaks the rule to save his life. The fierce, warrior prince stirs in her forbidden passions. Captivated, Spartak will not bow to superstition. Despite tribal opposition, he wants her as his queen. Should Meliora renounce true love, or  embrace it and trigger the sinister curse... and the wrath of the Goddess? Meanwhile, a thwarted knight and his greedy band of Crusaders have vowed to steal her Pagan gold and burn her at the stake...

Winner announced in early March when the book goes into pre-order. Prize delivered when the book is released in late April 2016. Good Luck!

Here are the other titles in the series. You can find them at:

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo

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

FREE, FREE, FREE at ARe in all eBook formats: WHITE TIGER

Book One of the CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK series, WHITE TIGER is free a ARe in all eBook formats. Find it for free HERE

Don't miss this award-winning 5-star novel that starts a wonderful series the reviewers rave about. Each novel in the series is a standalone.

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" Book Ideas.com

"I'm adding this to my 'keeper' shelf and on the 'to be re-read' list." - The Road to Romance

"...fast-paced story that draws the reader in and keeps him/her reading... believable and well rounded." Gottawrite Network

HERE IS THE COMPLETE SERIES:

  

HAPPY  READING!

Vijaya Schartz
 Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
 http://www.vijayaschartz.com
 Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo

 

99cts in kindle, hurry BELOVED CRUSADER, Medieval Fantasy romance

99cts in kindle for a few days:

BELOVED CRUSADER

Curse of the Lost Isle Book 6
(standalone)

http://amzn.com/B00W3T24PK





1096 AD - To redeem a Pagan curse, Palatina the Fae braves the Christian world to embark on an expedition to free the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem from the Turks.

Pierre de Belfort, Christian Knight of Lorraine, swore never to let a woman rule his life, and doesn't believe in love. Thrown together into the turmoil of the First Crusade, on a sacred journey to a land of fables, they must learn to trust each other. For in this war, the true enemy is not human... and discovery could mean burning at the stake.

"... a vivid look at what life could have been for Pagans and Christians alike. Palatina and Pierre are so lifelike, one could expect them to step out of the page, chain mail jingling and swords flashing." 5 stars (exceptional - crowned heart for excellence) Ind'Tale Magazine

"Palatina and Pierre have a magical, but real bond that makes you turn the page to see what happens next. With sexy, sinuous, and dangerous impediments, the metal of this couple is surely tested. By the Rood, Vijaya Schartz sure knows how to turn research and imagination into a Happily Ever After." Hope Chase 5 stars on Amazon.

"a great combination of history, fantasy and adventure coupled with romance... romantic tension between Pierre and Palatina... The religious conflict between Christians and Pagans added to the drive of the story and I found it very informative and enlightening... the writing was very good, the storyline interesting and the characters memorable." Book Nerd Review

Also check out the boxed set of books 1-2-3-4 available everywhere in all eBook formats. In kindle here:
http://amzn.com/B00VGMYSCM

Find all my books at:

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo

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