Monthly Archives: July 2014

Jul 31 2014

Archaeology in Intergalactic Space

AtStarsEnd-medI’m interviewing Anna Hackett over at USA Today/HEA for my SciFi Ecnounters column, about her HEAnovel At Star’s End. The heroine is a galactic archaeologist who happens to be searching for an Earthly relic – part of the “Mona Lisa.” The how and the why is all part of Anna’s plot and worldbuilding, which we discuss in the column, but I’m perpetually fascinated by the idea of what remnants of other civilizations we might stumble across once we finally get into the galaxy.

I’ve always been drawn to the stories of the old, mysteriously unknowable civilizations on our own world, hence my writing a paranormal series set in ancient Egypt! But when I first started reading Andre Norton’s science fiction novels many years ago, one of the most intriguing aspects of her world building to me was the Forerunners. As I understood it, the Forerunners were actually many alien civilizations and/or possibly one large, unified galaxy-wide association of these worlds. They and their accomplishments were lost in time thousands (millions?) of years before Ms. Norton’s characters ventured on the scene. She was excellent at giving the reader only tantalizing hints and tastes of the Forerunners and I always wanted more.

Her 1955 novel Galactic Derelict was especially fascinating because over the course of this novel an galacticderelict_acef310alien spaceship is located on Earth, having crashed and wrecked maybe hundreds of thousands of years ago. (SPOILERS, although the book dates to the 1950’s LOL.) But conveniently, in this series, humans have time travel (acquired perhaps from another wrecked alien vessel? I can’t remember) so they go back and find the ship when it’s freshly crashed, still in one piece with all its technology and marvels functioning. As the ship is being brought forward to our time, the engines are activated and the ship takes off in the now, trying to complete its long overdue voyage home.

The ship makes stops at various places in the galaxy and each time the unwilling human passengers have to hope ancient mechanisms for refueling are still working, they do some exploring…and then the ship reaches its home and turns itself off. So then the humans have to figure out a way to retrace the journey yet again. In the meantime, home base for the ship seems to have been a central place of Forerunner civilization and we get glimpses of buildings and artifacts and Forerunner descendants…

I was thoroughly and totally hooked, let me tell you!

When I started writing my Sectors science fiction series set in the far future, one world building element I included was a galactic civilization that had come and gone, leaving traces and tantalizing clues, and perhaps even a few working installations. I decided to call them the Ancient Observers  or AO for short (although that’s subject to change). I haven’t been able to talk about it much in any of the books I’ve written to date. One of the AO devices was going to play a part in Escape From Zulaire but my editors and I concluded that adding in any significant discussion of this ancient civilization was just too much for the pacing of the novel. So the device is still in the book but without much reference to who built it. (Hint: think REALLY giant emerald. You’ll know it when you see it!)

I have some other plots in mind for future novels where my Ancient Observers may come up again as hopefully intriguing tidbits, might get more “time on the page”…we’ll see.

So, do you have any novels to recommend that feature archaeology out there, among the stars? Or vanished ancient races on other worlds that our descendants are trying to understand through shards and wall paintings? I’d love to read some more stories along these lines!

WitchesBroomNebula

Jul 30 2014

Wednesday Whimsy Cat Romance Doesn’t Run Smoothly

Continuing on with my current weekly series of fun 1800’s Victorian “trade cards,”  from my collection, here’s one from Brummel’s Fine Candies that I found amusing:

???????????????????????????????“Well, sir, what are you going to do about it?” the caption across the top reads (sorry, it photographs a bit darkly). Sounds like a cat duel will soon ensue! I love the expression on the lady cat’s face. Not too sure what this had to do with candy….I think my money is on the marmalade tomcat….

Jul 28 2014

Guest Author Pippa Jay Talks TETHERED and SFR

Tethered_600x900Veronica: I’m very excited today to have author Pippa Jay as my guest, discussing her latest science fiction romance novel TETHERED. Pip and I are both members of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade and we share a love for all things sci fi. Take it away, Pip!

Pippa:

From the age of eight, when a certain Tatooine farmboy captured my imagination (and my heart), I’ve considered myself a SciFi author. I wrote my own version of Star Wars, a series of scifi stories linked by a bloodline spanning several decades inspired by Anne McCaffrey’s writing, some Doctor Who shorts (what would now be called fan fiction, I guess), and finally a Doctor Who novella that was my first ever completed work (rejected, but the fact that I finished was kudos enough for me at age eighteen).

Then I didn’t really write anything again until 2009, when I completed my second novel, Keir. It wasn’t until attempting to get what became my debut novel published that I discovered what I was writing was actually a little known genre called science fiction romance. And having found what felt like home, I had no intention of leaving. I love heavy tech SF and reading up on technology, but I try not to put too much into my writing. I won’t spend pages on technical details for how my characters throw themselves through space or the genetics of an alien species for fear it might slow things down too much. I do have psi talents such as telepathy and telekinesis (though these abilities are mostly alien in nature rather than magical). One of my even WIPs has intelligent griffins in it, though that’s not what they call themselves. As I began writing fantasy before I got hooked on SciFi, I guess it’s inevitable that there are still elements of my old genre seeping in.

But Tethered started out with the working title of Succubi. So how did I get from SF to writing a being that sits very firmly in the UF/paranormal category? Well…

I’d been chatting to a couple of friends on Twitter about how elves and dragons had cornered more than their fair share of the mythological representation in books. I was looking for some story ideas, and wondering about taking a lesser known mythical being and putting a SF twist on it. And so Succubi in Spaaaaace began.

Succubi was only the working title though, and a rough summary of my heroine’s ability. Because I am (or was – I’ve written paranormal since) a SF author at heart. And she certainly wasn’t a Daughter of Lilith type succubus. No. Tyree was a genetically engineered clone, and an assassin. She could alter her molecular density to either crush an opponent, or become incorporeal to ghost down corridors faster than a human could run, or walk through walls. Her method of assassination…well. ‘Succubus’ should give you a clue. As Tyree says herself, at least her victims die in ecstasy. 😛

While her abilities might appear more magical/paranormal, they have a scientific basis. Her people—the Inc-Su (taken from incubus and succubus—have genetically ‘perfected’ themselves over the centuries since they divided from humanity. Now living in seclusion from the rest of the human race, they regard themselves as superior, but their limited numbers put them at greater risk, so they still rely on their human neighbours. And as Tyree discovers, she needs a certain human more than she thought, even with her succubus abilities.

Tethered was a lot of fun to write, and I hope it will be fun to read. In the meantime, I’m going to carry on mixing those paranormal and fantasy elements into my SFR, and probably write some more PNR too.

Here’s the blurb for TETHERED:

She can kill with a kiss. But can assassin Tyree also heal one man’s grief, and bring peace to a galaxy threatened by war?

For Tyree of the Su, being an assassin isn’t simply something she was trained for. It’s the sole reason for her existence. A genetically enhanced clone—one of many in Refuge—she’s about to learn her secluded lifestyle, and that of all her kind, is under threat by a race capable of neutralizing their special talents to leave them defenseless.

For Zander D’joren, being a diplomat has not only cost him his appearance, but also the love of his life. Scarred, grieving, he must nonetheless continue in his role as co-delegate to the fearsome Tier-vane or risk a conflict that could only end one way.

Now both of them need to keep each other alive and maintain a perilous deception long enough to renegotiate the treaty with the Tier-vane, or throw their people into a war that could wipe out Terrans and Inc-Su alike. But there’s more at stake than humanity, whether true or modified. Can the love growing between them save them both? Or merely hasten their destruction?

Buy links:

Breathless Press –  (and for the whole of August, Breathless Press is offering 50% off to celebrate their 5th birthday!)

Smashwords    Bookstrand    All Romance ebooks     Amazon US     Amazon UK

Add it to your Goodreads TBR here – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22085149-tethered

Sign up to Pippa’s no-spam newsletter to get updated on the latest releases, giveaways and special offers. Exclusive snippets and stories coming soon! http://pippajay.blogspot.co.uk/p/newsletter-signup.html

A little more about Pippa herself:

pippaAfter spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

(Veronica: I happen to know there are some “chooks” and walking stick insects in the Jay household as well!)

Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include a YA science fiction novel—Gethyon—published through BURST (Champagne Books), three self-published short stories (Terms & Conditions Apply, The Bones of the Sea, and Reboot), and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3rd place), and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2nd place).

You can stalk her at her website http://pippajay.co.uk, or at her blog http://pippajay.blogspot.co.uk, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.

Other Blogs & Social Media:

Adventures in Scifi – http://www.pippajay.blogspot.co.uk

Spacefreighters Lounge – http://www.spacefreighters.blogspot.com

Romancing the Genres – http://www.romancingthegenres.blogspot.co.uk/

SFR Brigade – http://www.sfrcontests.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/pippajaygreen

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5054558.Pippa_Jay

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pippa-Jay-Adventures-in-Scifi/114058821953752

Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/pippajaygreen/

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/101080630877126516448/posts

Wattpad – http://www.wattpad.com/user/PippaJay

Amazon page – http://www.amazon.com/Pippa-Jay/e/B0080QVWEE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1406376408&sr=8-1

 

Jul 27 2014

Come With Me MAGIC OF THE NILE Weekend Writing Warriors

WeWriWa buttonA fun way to sample new books and find new writers! Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…

Continuing with the excerpts from MAGIC OF THE NILE…ok, (takes deep breath)…we’re jumping ahead two wonderful weeks with lots of good things happening, up to and including Tyema and Sahure spending their first intimate evening together, having dinner in her quarters and ending up in bed. (The annoying scribe and most of the staff have been sent off to another convenient festival in the village. Your author at work!)  At some point after the lovemaking,, Sahure is speaking:

“Although I hate to cloud a perfect evening with business matters, I should tell you MagicOfTheNile_1600x2400I’ve been recalled to Thebes –  Pharaoh has a new assignment for me, or so the orders indicate.”

Tyema sat upright, clutching the sheet. Hearing his news, she felt as if he’d thrown cold water over her. Why didn’t he tell me this before? “When do you leave?”

He sat up too, kissing her shoulder, “I go to the capital tomorrow and depart for Thebes from there – I have to brief my uncle the Nomarch on my findings, get his seal on the report.” Lazily he reached out to snag some grapes from the bedside table, “I want you to go to Thebes with me.”

Since this is about page 33 of a 229 page novel, you can guess a LOT of things will be happening to them separately and together before the eventual HEA. Because this conversation doesn’t go well….

Question: Do you want one or two more excerpts from this scene or shall I just leave it there (the book is available LOL)?  I’m ready to switch off to excerpting the new science fiction romance that’s coming in August…but I’ll let the majority rule here.

As always, I love your comments and feedback. Although this is a published work, the input helps for the future novels…

???????????????????????????????Here’s the story blurb for MAGIC OF THE NILE:

The standalone sequel to Priestess of the Nile…picks up about fifteen years later and tells the tale of Tyema, who was the younger sister in Priestess of the Nile…

After a childhood spent scorned and ignored by her family because of her crippled foot, Tyema was magically healed then installed as the High Priestess of his temple by Sobek the Crocodile God. But Tyema is still haunted by her memories, scarred by the abuse she endured. Despite Sobek’s protection, as an adult she’s become a near recluse inside the temple grounds…

Until Captain Sahure arrives in her remote town, sent from Thebes on an urgent mission for Pharaoh, requiring High Priestess Tyema’s help. From that moment on, her quiet, safe life is upended in ways she never could have expected.

But after a whirlwind romance with Sahure, the two part as Pharaoh orders him to undertake another assignment on Egypt’s dangerous frontier, far from Tyema’s remote town.

Heart-broken, Tyema is ready to return to her life of loneliness, official duties and, now, regret. But the Crocodile God has other plans for his priestess: she must uncover the sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh’s life with black magic. Soon ???????????????????????????????enough, Tyema finds herself thrown into the chaos of Pharoah’s court, neck deep in intrigue and danger. Just when she thinks she can’t take the pressures of a very public court life and her secret investigation for the Crocodile God any longer, Sahure re-enters the scene.

But is her former love there to help or to hinder? Can they resolve their differences and work together to find the dark sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh and Egypt? Will the love between a proud warrior and a shy priestess lead them to a future together?

Available at Amazon   Barnes & Noble  All Romance eBooks  iTunes   Google Play Books

 

Jul 23 2014

Wednesday Whimsy Odd Tentacles

Been a while since I did a Wednesday Whimsy post! I’m going to do something different now – was doing quotes and thematic photos before. I’ve got quite a collection of late 1800s Victorian “trade cards”, some of which have the most unusual or whimsical or pretty designs, so I’m going to share a few of them on Wednesdays. I’m starting with the card pictured below, which was for “Enterprise Roasted Coffee”. I have no idea what the tentacled creature in the photo is supposed to be, or what connection the company felt that the art had with coffee, or with them! but I was entranced by the image:

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Jul 20 2014

Business or Pleasure? MAGIC OF THE NILE Weekend Writing Warriors

WeWriWa buttonA fun way to sample new books and find new writers! Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…

Continuing with the excerpts from MAGIC OF THE NILE =>This excerpt follows after last week’s. Finally alone in the temple’s office, Sahure has confronted Tyema about her “masquerade” on the night of the festival. The conversation continues. (A little editing and some creative punctuation has definitely occurred here.) Tyema has just reminded Sahure she can’t abandon her daily duties:

“I understand but surely you can delegate some tasks, spend a portion of the days MagicOfTheNile_1600x2400with me – the afternoons at least?” Sahure picked up a tablet from Jemkhufu’s desk at random, scanning the hieratic writing. “A request for prayers about the birthing of the new calves?” Staring at her, one eyebrow raised, he said, “You don’t handle every single aspect of this temple’s business and religious activities yourself, do you?”

Actually, I do.  “I can’t tell— are you proposing we conduct business or pleasure together?”

Dropping the tablet on top of the others, he nodded, “Oh, I’m all business, I assure you, with a scroll of authority from Pharaoh attesting to my mission, which I can duly show you if required. I’ve a feeling your overly protective scribe is going to demand the proof…”

As always, I love your comments and feedback. Although this is a published work, the input helps for the future novels…

Here’s the story blurb for MAGIC OF THE NILE:

The standalone sequel to Priestess of the Nile…picks up about fifteen years later and tells the tale of Tyema, who was the younger sister in Priestess of the Nile…

After a childhood spent scorned and ignored by her family because of her crippled foot, Tyema was magically healed then installed as the High Priestess of his temple by Sobek the Crocodile God. But Tyema is still haunted by her memories, scarred by the abuse she endured. Despite Sobek’s protection, as an adult she’s become a near recluse inside the temple grounds…

???????????????????????????????Until Captain Sahure arrives in her remote town, sent from Thebes on an urgent mission for Pharaoh, requiring High Priestess Tyema’s help. From that moment on, her quiet, safe life is upended in ways she never could have expected.

But after a whirlwind romance with Sahure, the two part as Pharaoh orders him to undertake another assignment on Egypt’s dangerous frontier, far from Tyema’s remote town.

Heart-broken, Tyema is ready to return to her life of loneliness, official duties and, now, regret. But the Crocodile God has other plans for his priestess: she must uncover the sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh’s life with black magic. Soon enough, Tyema finds herself thrown into the chaos of Pharoah’s court, neck deep in intrigue and danger. Just when she thinks she can’t take the pressures of a very public court life and her secret investigation for the Crocodile God any longer, Sahure re-enters the scene.

But is her former love there to help or to hinder? Can they resolve their differences and work together to find the dark sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh and Egypt? Will the love between a proud warrior and a shy priestess lead them to a future together?

Available at Amazon   Barnes & Noble  All Romance eBooks  iTunes   Google Play Books

 

Jul 19 2014

SciFi Cover Reveal Mission to Mahjundar

MissionToM2-FJM_High_Res_1800x2700I’m happy to share the cover for my upcoming science fiction romance, Mission to Mahjundar! For a little more about how the tremendously talented Fiona Jayde and I work together on covers, you can visit the USA Today HEA cover reveal post. The book will be released on August 18th! Here’s the story:

An attempted assassination left Princess Shalira blind as a child and, now that she’s of marriageable age, her prospects are not good because of her disability. She’s resigned herself to an arranged marriage rather than face life under the thumb of her cold stepmother. But then she meets Mike Varone, a Sectors Special Forces officer sent to Mahjundar by the intergalactic government to retrieve a ship lost in her planet’s mountains. After Mike saves Shalira from another assassination attempt, she arranges for him to escort her across the planet to her future husband. She’s already falling hard for the deadly offworlder and knows she should deny herself the temptation he represents, but taking Mike along to protect her is the only way she’ll live long enough to escape her ruthless stepmother.

Mike, for his part, resists his growing attraction to the princess; he has a mission on this planet and rescuing the vulnerable but brave princess isn’t it. No matter how much he wishes it could be.

But what should have been an easy trek through Mahjundar’s peaceful lands swiftly turns into an ambush with danger around every turn. Shalira’s marriage begins to seem less like an arranged union and more like yet another planned assassination. The more they work together to survive, the harder it becomes to stop themselves from falling in love. Caught in a race against time, can they escape the hostile forces hunting them and make it off the planet?

Can there be a future for a simple soldier and an intergalactic princess?

Jul 17 2014

Tough As Nails SFR Heroines

Heaven's queenOver at USA Today Happily Ever After  I’m interviewing author Rachel Bach for my SciFi HEAEncounters column. Her Paradox Series is one of the best trilogies of science fiction, complete with romance and a kickASS heroine, that I’ve read in a long time. Hop on over and peruse the interview!

One thing Rachel and I discovered we share is an admiration for the character of Ellen Ripley in the movies Alien  and Aliens. Devi the heroine in the Paradox Series has been raised to be a warrior since childhood, versus Ripley who did need to be shown how to use aliens_powerloader
the pulse rifle but then rock-and-rolls with it for the rest of the movie.  I think the two women
would get along fine if they ever sat down for a chat. Ripley had to make do with the futuristic Caterpillar power loader to fight the alien queen and Devi has a much more sophisticated suit to wear into her battles.

There’s another key female character in Paradox, named Maat, which Rachel explained is keying off the goddess Ma’at of Ancient Egypt. In my paranormal novel series Gods of Egypt I feature Ma’at fairly often. She was responsible for keeping the Universe and the world in harmony, preventing chaos. She embodied all the good qualities of truth, law, justice, law and morality. Some Egyptian traditions hold that she was present at the judging of a person’s heart after death, with her red feather of Truth on the golden scales, deciding if the deceased’s ka or soul was worthy to proceed into the Afterlife. You’ll have to read the interview to see how Rachel took the Ma’at concept and applied it to her character Maat.

I think both Ripley and Devi would pass goddess Ma’at’s test, with their strong sense of responsibility and their attempts to do what they believe is the right thing. Ripley and Devi don’t let anything deter them from what they believe is their duty.

FifthElement_264PyxurzAnother strong female heroine would be Leeloo from the movie “Fifth Element,” although she has no suit of armor and is the perfect being, as we get told over and over BUT she’s also a woman with a mission and nothing – not even Bruce Willis at his scruffy best – can sidetrack her from saving the universe. (Although she does need a bit of a pep talk but I always think she’s testing Bruce’s Korben Dallas character at the end there. Oh, sort of like Ma’at weighed the heart? I can find parallels in anything LOL!)

I happen to like the 2010 Science fiction movie “Predators”. I love the character of Isabelle, a tough as nails sniper, played by Alice Braga. She’s not backing down from any challenge and she’s deadly-with-a-heart. “Fear is Reborn” is the movie’s tagline, but not in this character!

Leona the LA police detective, as portrayed by Maria Conchita Alonso in the 1990 “Predator 2” , is another absolute woman warrior in the Predator franchise…

Not all these ladies got to have full blown romance in their stories (although Devi sure does in Rachel’s novel!)

So who’s your favorite gutsy SF&F heroine?

 

 

 

 

 

Jul 12 2014

The Great One Sobek Doesn’t MAGIC OF THE NILE Weekend Writing Warriors

WeWriWa buttonA fun way to sample new books and find new writers! Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…

Continuing with the excerpts from MAGIC OF THE NILE =>This excerpt follows after last week’s. Finally alone in the temple’s office, Sahure has confronted Tyema about her “masquerade” on the night of the festival. The conversation continues. (A little editing and some creative punctuation has definitely occurred here.) :

She started to chuckle, then laughed outright, “Could we start over?” She held out MagicOfTheNile_1600x2400one hand, “I’m Tyema, high priestess of Sobek in the Ibis Nome, but you may call me Ema.”

He walked to her chair. “Much better,” he said, taking her hand and bowing respectfully as if she were the queen. “I’m Captain Sahure, sent by Pharaoh to survey the Nile in this area, to further his investigation into the possibility of building a new port.”

“And the Great One Sobek does not set limits on what I do with my personal time.” Tyema smiled, gazing into his dark brown eyes, enjoying the warmth of his reciprocating grin.  Glancing at the piles of tablets and the rolled papyri on her desk, Tyema said, “ Alhough I can’t abandon my daily duties.”

Nearly done with excerpting this section of the novel.  One more week for sure, maybe two…As always, I love your comments and feedback. Although this is a published work, the input helps for the future novels…

???????????????????????????????Here’s the story blurb for MAGIC OF THE NILE:

The standalone sequel to Priestess of the Nile…picks up about fifteen years later and tells the tale of Tyema, who was the younger sister in Priestess of the Nile…

After a childhood spent scorned and ignored by her family because of her crippled foot, Tyema was magically healed then installed as the High Priestess of his temple by Sobek the Crocodile God. But Tyema is still haunted by her memories, scarred by the abuse she endured. Despite Sobek’s protection, as an adult she’s become a near recluse inside the temple grounds…

Until Captain Sahure arrives in her remote town, sent from Thebes on an urgent mission for Pharaoh, requiring High Priestess Tyema’s help. From that moment on, her quiet, safe life is upended in ways she never could have expected.

But after a whirlwind romance with Sahure, the two part as Pharaoh orders him to undertake another assignment on Egypt’s dangerous frontier, far from Tyema’s remote town.

Heart-broken, Tyema is ready to return to her life of loneliness, official duties and, now, regret. But the Crocodile God has other plans for his priestess: she must uncover the sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh’s life with black magic. Soon enough, Tyema finds herself thrown into the chaos of Pharoah’s court, neck deep in intrigue and danger. Just when she thinks she can’t take the pressures of a very public court life and her secret investigation for the Crocodile God any longer, Sahure re-enters the scene.

But is her former love there to help or to hinder? Can they resolve their differences and work together to find the dark sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh and Egypt? Will the love between a proud warrior and a shy priestess lead them to a future together?

Available at Amazon   Barnes & Noble  All Romance eBooks  iTunes   Google Play Books

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Jul 9 2014

K is for Keanu

speedStill working my way through the A to Z challenge here…going by my “what comes to mind first keanucatltrule”, Keanu  is at least one of the first things I thought of. Of course the original owner of the name is the very easy to look at actor Keanu Reeves. But I also named my rescue cat Keanu because he’s a cool cat, with a kink in his tail from some kittenhood accident before I knew him, who wants affection when he wants it and otherwise he’s fine, thanks.

Keanu the Actor really hit my radar screen with the 1994 movie  “Speed.”  (“Get Ready for Rush Hour”) What’s not to love? Especially as a Southern Californian, I could really relate to the challenge of keeping that bus moving at no less than 50 mph on our  streets and freeways. I wanted to have hair like Sandra Bullock’s and dress like her….well, none of that exactly worked out but still…the beginning, with the people trapped in the elevator about to fall – have I mentioned I have an elevator phobia? So I was riveted during that whole sequence. And when the bus jumps the 50′ freeway gap (is that a spoiler 20 years later? really?) – WOW.

Of course he’d done a lot of acting by that point (Babes in Toyland, Jack B Nimble anyone?) and I did like “Point Break” quite a bit. I thought his coolness played well off Patrick Swayze’s incredibly charismatic Bodhi…

I saw the first “Matrix” and was astounded by the concepts and the world building, so different at the time…much copied, parodied and meme-d now. I enjoyed “The Lake House”, although it wasn’t quite the Reeves/Bullock reunion movie I could have wished for…I really enjoy “The Replacements”, partly because I like NFL football so much and the movie does have a sense of humor about it (to put it mildly)….love how they cast a leading lady in that movie who could not so subtly remind us of Sandra B.

There was a great Buzzfeed post yesterday “Can You Guess Which Keanu Reeves is Older Keanu Reeves?”  – try it, you might be surprised. (Of course one commenter thinks the results are skewed by what and how much of certain substances might have been partaken of at any given time…but as they say, never read the comments on the internet.)

I think he’d be a very interesting person to meet. You’d either have the best conversation of your life or else there’d be awkward silence, I’m guessing, depending on the day and the time and how the world seemed to him and to you……

K can also be for king, kumquat, Khufu (but I’m trying not to overwhelm my readers with Egyptian references in this Challenge), Kleenex, key, koala….

Now to start pondering the letter L!

keanu facing awayalt