Month: November 2015

Home For The Holidays

For your consideration; a low stress high reward Christmas shopping experience. There is an easy way to complete all you Christmas shopping for your friends and family in just three simple steps.

Step 1: Visit Amazon or Barnes & Noble and order The Land of Look Behind.

Step 2: Print this delightful card/invitation.

Best Gift Ever
Step 3: Place the card/invitation in their stocking.

Done and done. You’ve just given the gift of reading. Plus, one of the best parts of opening a gift is the anticipation. You’ve just gifted them several more weeks of anticipation, as they can now look forward to all the mystery and majesty of a brand new story. What could be better than that, you say? Well as an added bonus they have an invitation to a party. Whaaaaaaaat?!  That’s right, who doesn’t like a party? Not only do they get a book but they get to go to a celebration about the book and meet the guy who wrote it. As a double bonus when they present their invitation at the party and bring their book to get signed they will be entered into the grand prize drawing for a door prize. I know what you are thinking, this keeps getting better and better. But wait there’s more, for every copy you by an angel gets their wings. You’re welcome.

***Disclaimer*** Purchasing this book is it’s own reward. No angels will be granted wings bases on your purchase. Angel wings are granted based on merit and bell ringing. We apologize for this shameless self promotion. You are free to resume your holiday jubilation now.

The Theory Awakens

Like most of you voluntarily reading this, I love Star Wars. One of my most vivid childhood memories is going to see Return of the Jedi in theaters when I was six (I wanted an Ewok so bad). I watched Empire Strikes Back on HBO repeatedly one summer, seriously every time it was on (Obsessed I was). When I was eighteen and hungry for more Star Wars I read a series of books that were set several decades after Episode VI and was able to catch up with Han, Luke and Leia as generals, parents and Jedi masters. I dreamed that one day I would see those stories on the big screen and on December 18th that dream will become a reality. I still cannot believe it.

I have followed the news and consumed the promotional materials and trailers like a wampa at a free tauntaun buffet. As JJ Abrams is famously secretive, there is still much we do not yet know about the story for the new film but I thought I would take a stab at guessing the identity of some of the characters and the plot. This is strictly my theory based solely on the trailers and the interviews I have read from the cast and crew, so these cannot be considered spoilers (The odds of me correctly guessing the plot are approximately 3,720 to 1). And yes, I put way too much thought into this.

The Force Awakens

First, I believe that Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, is without a doubt Luke Skywalker’s daughter. They have purposefully withheld her last name and from the international trailer we hear her say she is waiting for her family. Furthermore in an interview Ridley said her character was abandoned on Jakku when she was five years old. Combine that with the knowledge that the First Order is the re-incarnation of The Empire and has been hunting Luke Skywalker as the despot who murdered the noble Emperor Palpotine and spread chaos through the galaxy (which I believe will be the propaganda The First Order uses to recruit people to their cause). Giving further credence is the fact that we have not yet seen Luke and much focus in the marketing has been on Rey.

We know from Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy that Episodes VII, VIII and IX are a continuation of the Skywalker saga so we are going to be introduced to the next generation in this film. Could she be Han and Leia’s daughter? Sure, and she would still technically be a Skywalker, but why would Han and Leia, who are still clearly around and capable, abandoned their daughter on a desert planet? It doesn’t make sense.

Rey

What does make sense is that Luke had a child and for her protection left her on an isolated desert planet just as was done for him. Luke separated himself from her so she would not be hunted and nobody would know of her relationship to him. Meanwhile, Luke goes off and lives in seclusion to hone his connection with the Force like his mentors Yoda and Obi Wan. And this is where the action picks up in The Force Awakens.

Finn, played by John Boyega, is a Stormtrooper with The First Order. He sees some things that make him question the propaganda he has been fed his whole life. Possibly the torturing of Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac, or the burning of the settlement by Captain Phasma, played by Gwendoline Christie. Finn helps Dameron escape from a star destroyer and he himself is shot down in the process, crash landing on Jakku. He meets Rey, who has returned from a successful scavenging run inside a fallen star destroyer, just as TIE Fighters show up and start blasting the Hoth out of everything. They escape in the Millennium Falcon where they meet Han and Chewbacca. “Chewie, we’re home.”

Uncle Han has been searching for Rey since they learned of her existence and needs her to help find Luke and bring him back out of hiding because there is a emerging threat to the galaxy. The new quartette travel to a distance planet to speak with the pirate Maz Kanata, played by Lupita Nyong’o, as they believe she has knowledge of Luke’s whereabouts, or possibly because she has his lightsaber. Or both? Kanata, who lives in the temple with all the flags, fills Rey in (and also the audience) as to some of the events of the last thirty years and a bit of her family history and why Luke left her. (I’ll hedge my bet slightly here and say that since Kanata is described as a pirate the temple might not be her base of operation, it could very well be the headquarters of The Resistance and Han is taking her to Aunt Leia.)

MazKanata

In the meantime, Captain Phasma and The First Order shows up and starts wrecking shop outside the temple. Troopers capture Han, Chewie and Finn but just in the nick of time they are rescued when Poe Dameron and the rest of The Resistance show up and an epic X-wing/TIE Fighter battle ensues. LeiaTFAGeneral Leia, who orchestrated their rescue, arrives and is reunited with Han. Rey meets Aunt Leia and Finn officially joins The Resistance.

The First Order is forced to retreat and Captain Phasma must report their failure to General Hux, played by Domhnall Gleeson. From interviews by Gleeson and Abrams, Hux is an ambitious General who has his sights set on running The First Order. His rival is the Vader fanatic Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, who is the disciple of Supreme Leader Snoke, played by motion capture wizard Andy Serkis. Kylo Ren, if that is his real name, is obsessed with Vader and the dark side and collects Syth relics. He wants to finish the work of his grandfather to bring order to the galaxy and turn Luke to the dark side. “Nothing will stand in our way. I will finish what you started.” That’s right I said it, his grandfather. Kylo Ren is none other than Han and Leia’s prodigal son. Boom! (Whaaaaaaat??)

Snoke is the master behind the scenes and while General Hux is focused on completing and activating their terrifying weapon (a new Death Star) from the Star Killer base on the ice planet, Kylo Ren is tasked with hunting down Luke and any potentially Force-sensitive life forms, a.k.a. his cousin.

FirstOrder

While General Leia, Admiral Ackbar (that’s right, he’s back), Poe Dameron and the rest of The Resistance address the impending threat posed by the new Death Star; Han, Rey, Chewie and Finn continue on the search for Luke.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Ph: Film Frame © 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Right Reserved..
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Ph: Film Frame
© 2014 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Right Reserved..

I have no idea what happens from here but this is how I would love to see Episode VII end. Kylo Ren catches up with his father, his cousin and Finn on a remote forest planet where both parties believe Luke to be hiding. Ren attacks them and cuts off Han’s hand (it’s Star Wars, you know it’s gonna happen) and is bearing down on Finn. Finn produces Luke’s lightsaber (which he’s only wielded a couple of times) and prepares to defend himself. Ren soundly defeats Finn and is about to end him when out of nowhere a cloaked figure appears and Force pushes Ren through about a dozen trees with power and intensity we have never seen. The figure turns to Rey and Finn and removes his hood to reveal a grizzled and bearded Luke Skywalker. [Cut to black] Bring on Episode VIII!

KyloRen

Things I hopeI’m Luke Skywalker. I’m here to rescue you.”
star-wars-imax -Han and Leia are indeed together in this movie.
-Leia will have honed the Force and will have senses and abilities of a Jedi
-Rey has Darth Plagueis’s staff.
-Supreme Leader Snoke turns out to be Darth Plagueis.
-We see the bones and skull of a certain Gungan Senator in the background of a shot.
-Any character who says “midi-chlorians” is immediately dismembered and thrown down a long shaft.

Things I fearI’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
-Finn is Lando Calrissian’s son. That’s just stupid.
-Rey built BB-8. It was idiotic to have Anakin be the creator of C3-PO, don’t do that again.
-Han dies in this movie.
-Chewie dies in this movie.
-Luke has turned to the dark side.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you think is going to happen? Comment below or on my Facebook page or tweet at me. #EpisodeVIITheory

Night Raiders

The following is an excerpt from the journal of Lieutenant Benjamin Jarvis, a British soldier in the mid-seventeenth century. These events, and those that will follow, lead directly to The Land of Look Behind; available everywhere February 9, 2016.



Andrew is dead. He never got off the ships, never set foot on this island, never drew a breath of the fresh ocean breeze. He died in his bed. Words cannot express the unspeakable sadness I feel. I would not have come this far without his companionship. He was a boon to my soul and I looked to him for strength beyond my own.

I have not even had the time to properly grieve his passing as we were set upon by the cowardice mountain rebels the eve I received word of Andrew’s death. Like thieves in the night they descended on the town while we slept. So swift was their attack that the night watchmen failed to raise a proper alarm. They burned the officer’s quarters and the estate where many of the soldiers slept. The commotion roused me from my sleep and through the window I could see the town ablaze. We labored through the night to extinguish the flames and with our forces occupied those bandits made off with much of our supplies and animals.

I curse the very winds that carried us to this wretched place and would give anything to be free of it. Many of the prisoners will be put on a ship for the nearest Spanish port tomorrow, I pray that I be sent to oversee their deportation and put these nightmarish days behind me.

Entry I – Enter the Caribbean
Entry II – Caguay Bay Landing
Entry III – Spanish Town Prison

Pre-order today at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

The Land of Look Behind Trailer

When Gideon discovers a mysterious drawing tucked in an old journal he returns to his mission area in Jamaica with dreams of finding a legendary treasure. Some would kill to keep the treasure secret. This thrilling adventure takes you deep into Jamaica’s treacherous cockpit country and back in time for a spine-tingling mystery you won’t be able to put down.

Pre-order today!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Please and thank you.