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.

Sci-Fi Adventure Review:Albert Jenkins and the Lost Cityby Lazarus Gray

I am an author who likes to dabble in mixed genres. This can complicate matters as readers like to follow their favorite genres when selecting books to read. Thus half or more than half of my stories may well go unread by those readers. However, when a story comes along that satisfied both the excitement of an adventure story and the technicality of Sci-Fi, it gets my notice. Especially when it blends to two so easily. 

Albert Perkins and the Lost City is an excellent adventure story that marries both the archeological/geological adventure with futuristic science fiction. It sells on Amazon for a very reasonable price and makes for an excellent debut novel by my friend Lazarus Gray. 

It takes place in the Australian Outback and centers on an aboriginal geologist and his two young crew caught up in a major disaster that leads to an incredible surprise find; an ancient city buried beneath the sands of the Simpson dessert. 

His mentor, and chief supporter is a peered lady of England who had taken him under her wing as a boy and fostered his dreams and education. When an earthquake destroys most of Australia, she and her butler, Jeeves (a very likable chap himself) race to the outback to find, and if necessary rescue their friends. 

 What the five encounter and discover in the desert changes them and their lives forever and brings hope for the future of Earth and humanity. But whether humanity embraces the ideal of the "Second Level of Knowledge" or not, depends on the courage and the compassion of the intrepid geologist and his friends. 

Lazarus Gray brings a heartfelt optimism to his story and has produced a genuinely approachable and easy-to-read adventure that mixes genres seamlessly. I look forward to reading more of his work. I hope you do too. You won't regret it.

Redesign and Review:The Timekeepers' Warby S. C. Jensen

So I was reading my good friend S.C. Jensen's blog about her adventures into the world of sci-fi, both reading and writing and I noticed a key component I had previously thought little about. Her blog focuses greatly on the work of other writer's (see link here). She lifts these other authors up and shows how their work can influence other writers in the genre.

My own blog however had focused quite selfishly on my own work, serving more as self-promotion rather than lifting up other writers in the community. This was a humbling moment for me indeed, especially given that I had recently read Ms. Jensen's novel The TimeKeepers' War and found it both stimulating and an easy and exciting read. To that end, I have endeavored to remake myself a little and have her to credit for it. So, let's open this new version of my personal blog with a review of The TimeKeepers' War.

The story opens on a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world where the Elite of society live in a realm above the lower caste. There is a clear divide between the two city-states and it is heavily guarded by a certain class of genetically enhanced soldiers and accessible only by sealed (or the occasional secret) gates.

The protagonist is a woman named "Ghost" whose search for her long-lost little sister has become all-consuming. She travels the dark streets and canals of the underground looking for clues to her sister's whereabouts. Eventually, she accepts the aide of an unlikely ally. A man (Lynch) who lives outside the law. Together, they navigate the shadowy world of the TimeKeepers, the underground and eventually the City, wherein reside the Elite.

The characters are immediately relatable and the action, fast-paced and believable. The interpersonal relationships are just complex enough to make the hero (Ghost) intriguing without the reader losing focus. Ghost, while not broken, is a slightly wounded soul, racked with guilt over the loss of her sister, worry for her companions and anxiety over her sister's fate. Then, there's Lynch. Is he friend or foe? Is he hero or brigand? Whatever the case, he might just be the help she needs.

Do yourself a favor. Buy this book. You will not regret it. And very likely, like me, you too will become a fan of S. C. Jensen.