Bubbles in Space

What can I say about S.C. Jensen? Here is an author that knows how to deliver! I have already reviewed one of her works, "The Timekeeper's War", here in this blog. But her latest offerings are absolutely stunning! Bubbles in Space is a futuristic, Cyber-Punk adventure with a Detective-Noir bent that really packs a punch.

• For any who enjoys a gritty private eye tale, with it's dark, film-noir tone and course, hard-hitting first-person narrative, replete with witty slang and pithy dialog, this is the series for you. 
• For those of us who love to speculate on futuristic possibilities with a cyber-punk bent, these tales really deliver. 
• For anyone looking to find a strong feminine hero that muddles through all that life throws at her and still comes back punching, despite her own faults, this set of stories hits the mark.

That S.C. can package it all up in a complete series and make it approachable to nearly everyone, is a marvel! Let's set the stage. 

Betty "Bubbles" Marlowe is a P.I. in HoloCity, a future world where people can get the latest cybernetic replacement body parts for the right price. Where virtual pets are a reality and they communicate with you as easily as any living person via A.I. programming. Due to an injury she received on the HCPD force, which nearly took her life, through the nearly divine intervention of her dearest friend, she has received a new cybernetic replacement arm. Now, on the mend both as a wounded, former police officer and a recovering alcoholic, Bubbles faces a new chapter in her life taking on the hard-hitting role of a private detective.

The series starts off with "Tropical Punch". Bubbles is still new to the PI gig when she gets a case from a mysterious woman who winds up dead. Worse yet, her former partner on the force is doing everything in his power to keep her off the case and now she is framed for the murder. She escapes to a cruise ship in space to investigate further and solve the mystery of the dead woman. Yet, everywhere Bubbles goes, the woman appears again and again. Can she solve the mystery in time? And how exactly does the Humanist cult figure into all of this?

I've just read the second book in her series, "Chew 'Em Up" and oh boy, does it pack a punch!  Bubbles never faced a tougher case than this new one. Nor one so close to home. Her dearest friend Rae, the woman who saved her life and helped set her on the path to her new career is in trouble. With Rae's life on the line and social media fanatics hounding Bubbles, placing her in harm's way and making every effort to get the act on video, she makes the decision to take her friend and find sanctuary off-world. But is it hope or is it Hades? Only time will tell. Enemies turn out to be allies and friends show their darker sides.

If you haven't heard of S.C. Jensen before, look her up and read her work. 

You will never regret it! And please leave her a review. Oh, and don't forget to check out her website, "SCJensen.com". Where you can join her book club and get a free copy of "Dames for Hire", a prequel to the "Bubbles in Space" series.

Run to Ius - Book Cover

Release date is near at hand! I thought I'd give a quick glimpse at the front cover for the book. Let me know what you think!

Excerpt from Run to Ius

It's Memorial Day, 2021 and I've finally finished the edits for "Run to Ius'. It has taken nearly two years of story collection, five rounds of edits and a Beta read return to get to this point. After much consideration of advice received, and re-reads and polish edits, I have concluded that to push the story to further pages would in many ways detract from the impact of, or at the very least dilute the message. As such, I am content to deliver this tale as a novella.

 

"Run to Ius" is a story of a man's struggle to keep his family safe amid world-wide crises, corruption, pandemic and even person-to-person conflict. It is a Sci-Fi/Noir story told from the standpoint of a single person, Jak Wilder, who's character arc evolves from a meek-mannered husband and father, through various stages of grief, insecurity and guilt, to eventually rise as a pivotal person in a global revolution.

 

I'm in the final stages now of putting together a cover, a book blurb and promotions. My inclination is to self-publish, as I did with my first book, "Sparrow's Flight", book one of a fantasy series on which I am actively working with book two expected to be ready to release this Fall. But that one has yet to reach a wide enough audience to garner much attention.

 

Whether or not to continue to self-publish or rather try my hand at the traditional route has been a major struggle for me. I would gladly welcome any comments on the matter. But first, let me post a tiny excerpt of the story. A taste of what you, the reader can expect: