Picking images for a future release can be pure agony for an author - by Vijaya Schartz

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An unruly Valkyrie on a flying tiger, a stern angel in love with the rules, and evil pounding at the gate… What could go wrong?

Riddled with survivor’s guilt after Ragnarök, Valka wanders the universe as a bounty hunter. But when hired by angels to recruit warriors for the final battle against evil, she welcomes a chance at redemption.

General Konrad Lagarde, First Mate of the angel ship Blue Phantom, strongly rejects Valka’s methods. A stickler for discipline, he also considers this fascinating woman hazardous to his sanity, as she could make him forget all the rules.

Evil from another universe has infiltrated a secret society of former dictators hungry for power. Having massacred all the angels in his former world, the evil one wants to do the same here. The angels of this universe face their greatest challenge yet… destroy the evil one and avenge their fallen brethren… or the bringer of darkness will enslave us all.

Picking the elements of this cover was easy as the sci-fi background was the same for the entire series, and I only had to choose a big cat fitting that story. But my current project CHI WARRIOR presents bigger challenges.

We authors have images in our heads when we write, and the book cover should reflect these images. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to make suggestions to my publisher’s (BWL Publishing) art department, as I’m the only one who knows the world I created. I fancy myself as an artist, but I’m not a professional cover designer. I understand my suggestions might be rejected if they do not fit the current trends or the marketing needs.

Sometimes, the cover artist will take inspiration from the image I suggested and find something similar but better suited to the project.

What are the colors of the created world? What is the mood? How does it make you feel? The challenge is to create an image to make the reader feel, “I want to discover this world, these characters, I want to spend time in this atmosphere, I want to read this story.”

But it also has to reflect the actual setting, story, and characters. You cannot manufacture a tantalizing cover image and not deliver the same flavor inside the pages.

As an added challenge, except for specific historical period novels with costumes, the BWL Publishing covers no longer portray the main characters. Actually, this is a good thing. It’s almost impossible for a writer to find the perfect picture of their hero or heroine in stock photos. And if by miracle you find it, you might soon find another book out there with the exact same picture on the cover. It happened to me once, and I found it frustrating. It also must be confusing for the readers who saw your cover once in passing and are looking for your book.

Looking for these images can also be time consuming, even with the fancy search words and filters. I spent many hours looking at thousands of images… and I am still not happy with what I found.

But I was reminded of deadlines. The art department needs my suggestions now, so I sent what caught my attention so far. I also suggested bright red Asian letters for the main title. I hope the talented Michelle Lee who supervises the cover art, will make something wonderful with it... she always does.

The book, CHI WARRIOR, Protectors series Book One, is scheduled to be released November 1st. Now, back to the finishing, editing, and rewrites… if my kitty cat lets me see the pages.

Happy Reading.

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats
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Writing the book blurb - Every author's nightmare - by Vijaya Schartz

The Blue Phantom glows like a beacon in black space, appears and vanishes,
and never registers on scanners. Rumors say it will save the righteous, the oppressed,
and the downtrodden… and slay the unworthy without mercy.
The space pirates fear it. Their victims pray for it… but its help comes at a price…

The art of the cover blurb is to give a taste without revealing too much.

When I am half-way through writing a novel and I know my story and my characters better, I like to take the first stab at the cover blurb, a short paragraph of about 100+ words, to let the reader know what the novel is about.

First, I need to set the stage. What kind of world is it? In the case of my current WIP the feudal planet was almost destroyed two decades ago and is starting to reorganize itself. Many nobles covet the throne.

Writing the blurb also helps me refocus on the main themes, motivations, and conflicts of the characters in the story. It forces me to reconsider, and to pinpoint the larger scope of the novel beyond the step-by-step sequence of events. Is it about revenge? Thwarting evil? The challenges of doing the right thing? Resisting temptation? Never trusting appearances? Overcoming unsurmountable obstacles? Finding your true self? Coming of age? Seeking salvation for past mistakes? Is it about greed and corruption? Ambition? Intrigue?

Usually in my novels, it’s several of these, but I have to determine which theme dominates this particular story. Then, I can reinforce that theme throughout the book.

It's also time to define my characters in a few words for the reader. In my current project, I define my heroine as a “spiritual warrior woman.” I often have warrior women in my stories, Samurai, soldier, bodyguard, Avenging Angel, Valkyrie, bounty hunter… but this one is different. She adheres to a pure code of conduct, lives in a monastery, and practices meditation and Tai-Chi as well as lethal weapons. She respects all life, loves animals, never took a sip of a fermented drink, and is a strict vegetarian.

Avenging Angel

Bounty hunter

 

Samurai heroine

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The other side of that pure heroine is that she lacks life experience. Believing everyone is basically good and worthy is dangerous for a warrior confronting pure evil. That naivety can be her undoing… or her salvation.

But there are other constraints in writing the blurb. Usually, online shoppers on a retail site like Amazon can only see the first one or two lines of the blurb. So, the challenge is to hook the reader with the first words, hoping that he or she will want to click on “more” and read the full book description.

Here is my first try at the blurb for CHI WARRIOR, book 1 of the Protectors series. Look for it releasing from BWL Publishing in November 2025.

Blurb for the entire series, called: The Protectors

A few decades ago, a cataclysm devastated the feudal planet. Today, as simple life returns, an elite of mighty warriors protect the Celestial Gate, expecting benevolent Immortals to return from the stars. But they struggle against alien races with advanced technology, who covet their natural resources, and plan to enslave the defenseless population.

Chi Warrior – Book 1 

A spiritual warrior woman faces a fearsome barbarian with a wolf, a double-edged prophecy, and a black cloud with wings.

Anila trained all her life in the monastery of the Celestial Gate, ready to take the vows of the mighty Protectors. That’s all she’s ever known, all she ever wanted.

When a barbarian horde descends from the north, Bayar Khan, their leader, seems unstoppable, determined to destroy everything in his path. Rumors of his cruelty make the most powerful princes tremble in their stone fortresses.

But in the inevitable clash, nothing is as it seems… blurring the lines between good and evil, an ancient enemy rises in the shadows, and the falling darkness threatens Anila and everyone she loves.

In the meantime, you can find all my available novels with strong heroines and brave heroes on my author page at:

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"Phenomenal world building, characters the readers care about, and an intriguing mystery... all the elements one expects from a Vijaya Schartz story! Easily recommended!" Debbie - CK2sKwipsandKritique
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Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz, author

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Did time travelers reset our timeline? by Vijaya Schartz

 

Recently a new theory emerged to explain the slew of discoveries of ancient ruins from civilizations we never knew existed. We are all familiar with the stories of the Great Flood that erased ancient civilizations, and with the extinction of the dinosaurs, but there is another theory.

The new theory, based on the principle that time is not linear and all timelines exist at the same time, is that time travelers from the future are constantly monitoring our progress and resetting the timeline when we go off-course.

The recent discovery of Gobekli tepe baffled scientists
Who built it? and who buried it?

When we cross the line, go overboard, threaten to destroy the planet, these time travelers have the technology to take us back to the point where things were still on-track, or erase us all together and start from scratch. No memories of the erased civilizations remain, except their engineering achievements in stones. Although buried under millennia of dirt, thanks to lidar technology and drones, they eventually resurface and leave the scientists scratching their heads.

Intriguing subject for a science-fiction author.

Puma Punku in Bolivia defies everything we know about our past.
These perfect blocks interlock like a puzzle with a precision and smoothness
we would find challenging today, especially in such hard stone.
They also wear traces of machinery (drill holes)

On one hand, it’s reassuring to think that we will not be allowed to destroy ourselves or our planet… and on the other, it’s frightening to realize we do not know anything about these future humans or their agenda. If they wanted to destroy us, they would have the technology to do so… and maybe they did in the faraway past.

In the meantime, you can read my award-winning Epic Science Fiction Fantasy novels. There you will find strong heroines, brave heroes, a few intelligent cats, a little romance, and a lot of action, on alien planets and in space.

Here are a few for your perusing. Enjoy!

Azura Chronicles
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The Byzantium series is set on a space station and includes telepathic cats
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Blue Phantom trilogy
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Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats
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Breathe happy for energy and inspiration - by Vijaya Schartz

 

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I learned from Tai-Chi that proper breathing technique not only makes for a more enjoyable life, but it can also help you through stress, fatigue, and challenging emotions.

In today’s busy life, sitting at computers, driving to work, taking elevators, getting food delivered, not only don’t we get enough exercise, but it seems we have forgotten how to breathe.

Lung and breathing problems are the most common ailments among mature adults. Even for someone who never smoked, a lifetime of shallow breathing deprives the blood of much needed oxygen, which weakens the entire body, including the immune system.

But there is hope. Healthy breathing at any age increases serotonin levels (which makes us happy). It increases energy levels, boosts the brain power, and benefits the muscles, and all the organs in our body.

Most people breathe from the top of the lungs, lifting the shoulders, or worse, hunched over. Little do they know that the lungs are very narrow at the top, and wide at the bottom. If you only breathe from the top of the lungs, you only use 10% of your lung capacity. But if you breathe from the diaphragm, filling the bottom part of the lungs, you are using 90% of your lung capacity, significantly increasing the amount of oxygen going into your blood.

Simple exercise to train your body to breathe from the diaphragm: 

Lie down on your back (on the floor, a bed, a couch…). Place a hefty book on your stomach. As you inhale, try to make the book rise, and watch it fall when you exhale. If you do this at night before falling asleep, eventually your body will get into that healthy rhythm and keep it all night. In time, your body will relearn to breathe more deeply, and it will become your new normal.

Simple principles:

Breathe from the diaphragm. It provides more oxygen to your blood. If you are not used to it, it might make you dizzy at first. Just sit down. Your brain will quickly welcome the extra oxygen.

Always breathe through the nose. Mouth breathing doesn’t filter the air of impurities, nor does it change the air temperature before it reaches the lungs. And exhaling through the mouth might be too fast for your system.

Never completely empty your lungs. A small amount of carbon dioxide is still needed in the lungs to carry the oxygen to the blood. People who exhale too fast and too completely can go into panic attack mode. In that case, the doctor will tell you to breathe inside a bag. Guess what’s in the bag? The carbon dioxide you just exhaled.

Keep your back straight and shoulders down. You cannot fill the bottom of your lungs if you are hunched over.

These principles only apply to everyday life, they do not apply to special breathing exercises, like prana-yoga, and various meditation methods using the breath to achieve a specific state of consciousness.

And if you need feel-good books to place on your stomach, don’t forget these epic science fiction fantasy series.

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Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

https://www.vijayaschartz.com

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Everyday foods and spices that can keep you healthy - by Vijaya Schartz

 

There is a phantom ship that glows like a beacon in black space,

appears and vanishes, and never registers on scanners.

The space pirates fear it. Their victims pray for it... but its help comes at a price...

Find my books on my publisher's site HERE

For the longest time, particular foods and spices have been known to have healing or preventive properties.

My mother always told me to eat my carrots for rosy skin.

Blueberries are good for your eyes.

A spoonful of peanut butter a day will keep children (and adults) free of warts.

Chicken noodle soup will help cure a cold.

Garlic, a natural antibiotic, is good for the heart and will kill worms in the digestive system.

Honey is a natural antibiotic.

Blue cheese (the stinky kind) is also a natural antibiotic.

Chamomile tea will calm your stomach and help you sleep.

Warm milk before bed will help you sleep.

These old-wives remedies have proven in time to be not only effective but medically sound.

The modest myrtle plant

Even our universal aspirin, salicylic acid, now synthesized and produced chemically in pharmaceutical labs, comes from nature. Myrtle is a humble flower European people steeped and consumed as a tea to ward off headaches. In antiquity, the same substance (salicin) was extracted from willow leaves and bark.

But spices in particular are still regarded as potent remedies in many parts of the world. Here are a few interesting ones:

A pinch of Cayenne Pepper in your morning coffee is good for your heart and blood.

Curry is a gentle laxative, especially with vegetables.

A concoction of turmeric, fresh ginger, cinnamon and milk will ease arthritic pain.

Moroccan spice (blend of paprika, cumin, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and cayenne) taken daily will prevent herpes flare ups.

Cinnamon lowers blood sugar.

Sage can help brain function, even in Alzheimer’s patients.

Turmeric is all the rage, hailed as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic remedy (but beware of contraindications like gallbladder disease, blood clotting disorder, liver disease, diabetes, blood thinners, antiplatelet medications).

Wishing you all a healthy and energetic life.

And don’t forget that reading feel-good science fiction for entertainment is also healthy, so check out my novels on these retail sites: 

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Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

https://www.vijayaschartz.com

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Are we real? What is reality? - by Vijaya Schartz

 

Find these and many other novels of mine on my BWL page HERE

As a science fiction writer, I am fascinated by the new theories emerging from the scientific community, about the world we live in, about the universe.

What if the world we live in is just a dream? What if our dreams are real in another dimension? What if our minds are creating our reality as we go? What if we are pre-programmed characters in a gigantic videogame? What is Artificial intelligence, and can it evolve to our level, including emotions? These are only a few of the theories serious physicists are discussing in recent papers.

Many physicists today are reconsidering the world we live in, and discovering that what we believed for so long might not be true at all. The physical world is not as concrete as we think, since atoms vibrate, and what we consider solid matter may not be solid at all, but malleable and changing. What if by changing our own vibrations we can shapeshift? Some animals do it. An octopus can change color and shape for camouflage. Chameleons can change color to blend in.

The Octopus can mimic shapes and colors to blend into its environment.

Reality is also different when analyzed from different points of view. Two telescopes will reveal different and sometimes contradicting information about a galaxy, a star, or a planet. Perception is relative. Not everyone sees the colors the same way. Our brain is filling the blanks and might be quite creative about it. The world we see and touch and hear and taste, as well as our feelings, may only exist in our mind.

As we are limited by our perceptions, there may also be an entire world around us that we cannot see, hear, or touch. Life could exist around us in vibrations invisible to us. The eye only sees a very small part of the light spectrum.

This is how little we perceive of the light around us

Our mind is very powerful and can influence and even create our own reality. Negative thoughts create negative outcomes, and vice versa.

Have I scared you, yet?

Don’t worry. Training our brain to think in a positive way is beneficial to our health, our success, our happiness, our wellbeing. So, let’s see the good around us and be happy about it. React positively, be kind, nurture, encourage, ignore toxic people, and create your own bubble of positivity and love. Good luck.

In the meantime, you can read feel-good stories, like my science fiction novels, with plenty of action and adventures, strong heroines, and brave heroes… and always a satisfying ending.

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Happy Reading.

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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Starting a new series involving Tai-Chi - by Vijaya Schartz

 

Find more of my books on the BWL site HERE

I wrote many series, mainly science fiction and fantasy, and each time I say goodbye to one to start another, it’s a bittersweet experience. I am sad for leaving the angel ship Blue Phantom behind. It’s like letting go of grownup children so they can have their own life.

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I wrote three series in the Azura universe, populated with strong heroines, brave heroes, and galactic supervillains: Azura Chronicles, Byzantium, and Blue Phantom. In that universe, Avenging Angels with special powers fought sinister entities to maintain the balance of good and evil throughout their galaxy. I find it difficult to leave that special world behind. But in this vast universe, I can imagine many worlds and civilizations coexisting very far apart. The new worlds I create now might even collide with the old ones at some point.

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Write about what you know is one of the golden rules of writing. I was always a Martial Artist, and maybe you can tell from my female warriors and epic battle scenes. But for well over a decade, I’ve also immersed myself in the world of Tai-Chi, the way of the peaceful warrior, and the energy of Chi-Gong. I studied, I practiced daily, and now, although I remain a lifetime student, I have also become a teacher.

Celebrating Global Tai-Chi Day in the park, with a few of my students.

So, I came up with a premise for a three-book series called THE PROTECTORS. The setting will be a post-apocalyptic planet after a cataclysmic event that wiped out most of the population. As the planet recovers slowly, the feudal society is reorganizing around the populated hubs, and among the surviving nobles, the race for power is on. Soldiers are recruited to fight the barbarians unfurling on the plains. Their weapons of choice are the sword, the spear, the bow, and they ride horses.

The heart of the series is a Tai-Chi temple built like a fortress atop a steep outcrop in the desert. At the main courtyard entrance, between two giant stone pillars, is a Celestial Gate, constructed eons ago by space travelers from other parts of the universe.

The Protectors are a special corps of elite warriors trained at the temple and sworn to protect the gate.

There will be plenty of action and adventure, some scary characters, a little romance, intrigue, and drama. Things and people are not always what they seem. But even if you get scared for the main characters, good will prevail over evil forces at the very end.

I’m enjoying plotting and writing this new series. The first book will be released in November 2025. You still have time to read my other books.

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Happy reading!

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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Why we write and read popular fiction - by Vijaya Schartz

 

New Release: ANGEL REVENGE, Blue Phantom Book 3 (standalone) - by Vijaya Schartz

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An unruly Valkyrie on a flying tiger, a stern angel in love with the rules, and evil pounding at the gate… What could go wrong?

Riddled with survivor’s guilt after Ragnarök, Valka wanders the universe as a bounty hunter. But when hired by angels to recruit warriors for the final battle against evil, she welcomes a chance at redemption.

General Konrad Lagarde, First Mate of the angel ship Blue Phantom, strongly rejects Valka’s methods. A stickler for discipline, he also considers this fascinating woman hazardous to his sanity, as she could make him forget all the rules.

Evil from another universe has infiltrated a secret society of former dictators hungry for power. Having massacred all the angels in his former world, the evil one wants to do the same here. The angels of this universe face their greatest challenge yet… destroy the evil one and avenge their fallen brethren… or the bringer of darkness will enslave us all.

WHY DO I WRITE AND READ POPULAR FICTION?

I always resented the authors who killed the protagonists at the end, after you invest your emotions in liking them. I usually never read another book from such authors, and I stay away from tragic endings. To this day, I cannot watch Titanic to the end although it is a true story, or suffer through the last episode of Castle. And I’m glad Shogun found a happier alternate ending in the most recent series.

If I want to wallow in sadness, I only have to watch the news. Life is difficult enough, complicated enough, hard enough, sad enough.

I read popular fiction to get uplifted, to forget about my problems, be transported to another world, another time, a place where it is safe to be scared and challenged, where justice will prevail… because I trust the author that the heroes will triumph and all will be well at the end.

It’s a secret pact between the author and the reader. No matter how bad it gets for the protagonist, even if a few secondary characters don’t make it, the hero or heroine will find a happy conclusion.

So, if I challenge my characters, if I make them suffer, be assured that it will all be worth it at the end. They will have matured, widened their understanding of life, and overcome their barriers to experience the rewards they deserve.

You can safely read my book, knowing that even if you cry a little, all will be okay at the end. 

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Happy Reading

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
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