Quick note! I was a guest at Janice Hardy’s Fiction University last Friday. Please check out the article – it was an honour to contribute to her site. Janice Hardy is also visiting the Insecure Writer’s Support Group site today.
Corruptions and Villains
When we first meet Professor Harold Lunkin, he’s about to embark on the newly named Princess Ezmerelda to travel to Loretania under the leadership of Chief Scientist George Tindleson. Their mission: carrying crates of antidote to rid that country’s people of a crippling disesase. Our young heroes – Welles, Ez and Mal – are there to wave the scientists off, and there’s lots of jovial banter between them and Tindleson, but Lunkin comes off very differently. He doesn’t acknowledge the youngsters, seeing them as more of a nuisance. They’ve seen him around the science labs but never really spoken to him.
The truth is, Lunkin liked the way things were before under the Reformers’ Government. That was when the truth about Loretania had been kept hidden from the people of Harmonia, who lived in the lap of luxury. He’s going along on this trip grudgingly, loath to give up the comforts he’s enjoyed all his life for a land that’s dirty, smelly, even primitive. That said, he’s nothing if not ambitious. While most of his colleagues have always looked up to Dr Tindleson, he sees him as a pompous gasbag with a dangerous habit of clinging on to ideas and trinkets from the pre-Reformers days – the bad old days, as Lunkin would see them. If he sees a way to get something out of this trip, something that can offer him a personal benefit, he’s going to take it. Maybe he’ll even get a chance to do what he’s always wanted – assume command.
Corruption by Nick Wilford
Book two of the Black & White series
YA dystopian
Wellesbury Noon and Ezmerelda Dontible have found themselves in a position where they can make their native land somewhere that lives up to its name: Harmonia. However, they’re setting their sights further afield for their number one task: eradicating the disease that has plagued the neighbouring country of Loretania for generations and allowed the privileged Harmonians to live in a sterile environment…
*** Warning – this book contains themes that some sensitive readers may find upsetting. ***
Find it on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes, and Goodreads
And part one, Black & White, is currently free: Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes, and Goodreads
Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those early morning times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. Visit him at his blog or connect with him on Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, or Amazon.
Movie Reviews
Alita: Battle Angel
Fortunately, nothing to worry about!
In the 26th century, a cybernetics doctor (Christoph Waltz) finds the remains of a female cyborg and revives her. Unable to remember her past life, Alita (Rosa Salazar) sets out to find answers and to connect to the new world around her.
The story follows the graphic novels very well. It feels a bit rushed at times, but the movie is trying to cram several novels into one. It does manage to cover the key story points really well though.
Visually it’s stunning. The blend of anime and reality is amazing, especially with Alita. The actress becomes a CGI anime figure that is both real and yet not. It does cause a little bit of a disconnect, but not enough to take away from your enjoyment.
The story really focuses on the characters. My wife thought the character development was great and tugged at the heart. It doesn’t lack in kick butt action scenes, though. The bar scene with all the hunter-killers was just awesome.
Highly recommended!
2018 movie - A zombie virus breaks out in South Korea and passengers on a train struggle to stay alive.
Asian cinema has a theme that runs through every film I watch – cue the sad and depressing music. Whether it’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero or The Host, one thing is for sure – you will be sad at the end.
Having said that, this is a solid entry into the incredibly overcrowded zombie genre. There are some really great set pieces and the train provides a feeling of claustrophobia. I appreciated that the film was bloody but not over the top gory. (Good news for squeamish viewers!)
If you’re looking for a film that breathes a little life into a genre done to death (pun intended), this South Korean film gets the job done.
Recommended and bring the Kleenex.
IWSG News
Thanks to everyone who nominated us – we are honoured.
We need co-hosts for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group for April, May, and June! Leave a comment or send me an email if you can volunteer.
Many of you IWSG members have never volunteered – make this your year. It really is more fun on the host side. And all you have to do is visit twenty blogs in a batch. Easy!
Save a New Delhi School
During the blogathon, write one or more posts to talk about love, any kind of love at all, and about honouring the ones you love. All we ask is at the end of your post, you mention the fundraiser, and add the graphic above.
You can support the #HelpMithuSaveSchool fundraiser HERE.
There are many forms of love.
I love people. I used to not love people. At all. But I realized that to love God meant I needed to love His people.
I love my friends. They are there for me, without conditions.
I love my family. No matter what the quirks. They are special people.
I love my wife. She is my best friend. She is the person who brings out the best in me.
I love my Lord. Without Jesus, I have no hope of eternal salvation, and yet all he asks in return is that I accept Him as my saviour and love Him with all my heart. His love for me is true Agape love and He loves me no matter what.
That is how I see love.
How do you see love?
Book News
Featuring an essay by yours truly! Yes, my piece is on the movie Near Dark.
This is an overview of the most offbeat and underrated vampire movies spanning nine decades and 23 countries.
Strange Blood encompasses well-known hits as well as obscurities that differ from your standard fang fare by turning genre conventions on their head. Here, vampires come in the form of cars, pets, aliens, mechanical objects, gorillas, or floating heads. And when they do look like a demonic monster or an aristocratic Count or Countess, they break the mold in terms of imagery, style, or setting.
Leading horror writers, filmmakers, actors, academics, and programmers present their favorite vampire films through in-depth essays, providing background information, analysis, and trivia regarding the various films. Some of these stories are hilarious, some are terrifying, some are touching, and some are just plain weird. Not all of these movies line up with the critical consensus, yet they have one thing in common: they are unlike anything you've ever seen in the world of vampires.
Just when you thought that the children of the night had become a tired trope, it turns out they have quite a diverse inventory after all.
There is also a giveaway through March 12, so don’t miss it.
New release:
With the Magic (Twickenham Time Travel Romance Book 7) by Donna K. Weaver
When Gareth Hildebrand travels from the year 1850 to a future time, he’s not expecting to fall in love.
Find it on Amazon
What do you think of Corruption’s villain? Did you catch Alita: Battle Angel? Seen Train to Busan? What’s your take on love? Can you help a New Deli school? Ready to learn about some unique vampire films? And can you co-host the IWSG in the next three months?
Don’t forget to visit Janice Hardy’s Fiction University.
See you next Wednesday for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog posting!
