L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 30 
Edited by Dave Wolverton
Illustrations Art Directed by Stephen Hickman
Publisher: Galaxy Press
Pub. Date: May 6, 2014
ISBN: 978-1619862654
Pages: 400
Buy Link: Paperback, Kindle

Review:

Since 1983 many aspiring writers and illustrators have participated in the annual Writers and Illustrators of the Future competition, which was founded by the late L. Ron Hubbard. Thirteen of the best stories entered into the contest every year will appear in the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future anthology, along with illustrations.

I'm not the biggest science fiction reader, but there is a wide variety of short stories featured in the 30th volume.

The short stories featured in the volume are:

Another Range of Mountains
by Megan E. O'Keefe
Illustrated by Sarah Webb

Shifter
by Paul Eckherat
Illustrated by Michael Talbot

Beneath the Surface of Two Kills
by Shauna O'Meara
Illustrated by Cassandre Bolan

Animal
by Terry Madden
Illustrated by Adam Brewster

Rainbow For Other Days
by C. Stuart Hardwick
Illustrated by Andrew Sonea

Silenced
Alaskan Courage, book 4
by Dani Pettrey
Publisher: Bethany House Publshers
Pub. Date: May 6, 2014
ISBN: 978-0764211959
Pages: 336

Review:

I have read many Christian fiction series and most of them tend to have a different set of main characters for every each new book. The Alaskan Courage series is the exception, which each novel centers on the McKenna family. For a reader, it is nice revisiting likeable characters.

The fourth book, Silenced, centers on the oldest McKenna sibling, Kayden, whom finds herself getting entangled in a mystery when she stumbles upon a dead body while rock climbing. The dead climber's investigation is left in the hands of Sheriff Landon Grainger, but he enlists the help from former Boston homicide detective, Jake Westin, who is someone Kayden would much rather avoid interacting with, but her feelings for Jake can't be pushed aside forever.

Besides from catching a killer, Sheriff Grainger has to deal with Reef McKenna returning to town for the sheriff's wedding to Reef's sister, Piper.

“…Brown and DeFelice are at the top of their game…The pages fly by as fast as the quicksilver drones while Turk faces one exciting, life-threatening complication after another.” – STARRED review, Publisher’s Weekly

Authors Dale Brown and Jim DeFelice have returned with the fifteenth entry in the Dreamland aviation thriller series, titled Drone Strike. Dreamland is a top-secret government base in Nevada, where new advanced weapons, vehicles and planes are developed, including drones.

Drone Strike centers on U.S. Air Force test pilot, Captain Turk Mako, who is assigned to the new "Hyrda" drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) program. These drones are small, near the size of a desktop calculator, but in the shape of a lawn dart. These drones are future of the the Air Force.

Iran's nuclear efforts have moved forward, leading the U.S. government to take action by letting Captain Mako send out his drones in the attempt to stop Iran's attack. He is sent to Iran along with a Delta Force team to locate and destroy a hidden underground nuclear facility.

Way Of The Wicked
Director: Kevin Carraway
Starring: Christian Slater, Vinnie Jones, Emily Tennant, Jake Croker
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Retail: $27.97
ASIN: B00IBKXQF2
Running Time: 92 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Links: DVD,  Blu-ray

Review:

Arriving on DVD and Blu-ray this coming Tuesday, May 20, 2014, is the supernatural thriller Way Of The Wicked, directed by Kevin Carraway and starring Vinnie Jones (X-Men: The Last Stand, Snatch) and Christian Slater (Stranded, True Romance).

By the DVD cover and the tagline, "An Unholy Secret and Inhuman Evil," I thought the film would be an old-fashioned horror movie, but instead Way Of The Wicked is a teenage supernatural romance in the vein of Twilight and Beautiful Creatures. Christian Slater is billed as the star of the film, but he is barely on screen maybe five to seven minutes.

The film centers on a teenager girl named Heather Elliott (played by Emily Tennant). She is fascinated by a new student, Robbie (played by Jake Tennant), whom she was friends with years ago, until another student was mysteriously attacked, resulting in Robbie moving away. Heather is intrigued by him, which causing problems with her boyfriend Greg.

3 Days To Kill
Director: McG
Starring: Kevin Costner, Amber Heard, Hailee Steinfeld
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B00JA3RPAG
Running Time: 117 minutes
Rated: PG-13

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 is the action thriller 3 Days To Kill, directed by McG and starring Kevin Costner. Special Features exclusive to Blu-ray include both the theatrical and extended versions of the film in high definition, The Making of 3 Days to Kill, McG's Method and Covert Operation.

McG's directorial outings have been a mixed-bag with a few blockbusters (Charlie's Angels, Terminator Salvation, and This Means War) and a few flops (Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, We Are Marshall). Similar to other films, 3 Days To Kill received mixed to negative reviews from most critics, but managed to a make slight profit at the box-office, making nearly $45-million on a $28-million budget.

3 Days To Kill centers on terminal-ill CIA agent Ethan Renner (played by Kevin Costner), who is putting down his gun to spend his final months alive in Paris with his wife Christine (Connie Nielsen) and daughter Zoey (played by Hailee Steinfeld). He has been separated from Connie for quite some time and they both have their own places. To his surprise, Ethan finds an African family squatting in his apartment. According to the law, he can't kick any squatters out until after winter.

Just when he attempts to reconnect with his teenager daughter, Vivi Delay (played by Amber Heard), a CIA's elite assassins, enlists Ethan's help in tracking down and killing the arms dealer called the Wolf in exchange for an experimental drug that could extend Ethan's life.

As you have probably read before on this blog, I'm not he biggest fan of WWII dramas, but I have been reviewing a few novels set in the era if either the plot interests me or if have recognize the author's name. In this case, both those reasons are why I wanted to review Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma, as I had read the author's other WWII book (Snow on the Tulips) last year.

Daisies are Forever centers on an American twenty-year-old Gisela Cramer, her cousin Ella and their ailing grandmother living in Heiligenbeil in 1945; near the fall of Nazi Germany. Fearing that the Russians will invade, Ella encourages Gisela to take leave and sneak into Berlin, along with Ella's two young daughters, so they can be safe.

Arriving on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, is the hit BBC/PBS series, Call the Midwife, created by Heidi Thomas based on the memoirs of the late Jennifer Worth. A special feature includes "Inside Call The Midwife - Interviews With Cast and Crew."

Call the Midwife is set in the East End of London in the late 1950s and centers on a twenty-something nurse named Jenny Lee (played by Jessica Raine), whom works side-by-side with the midwives and nuns at the Nonnatus House.

The 2013 Christmas Special bridges the gap between the second and third season. A bomb is found in the district, causing the residents to be evacuated. Sister Julienne and the other Sisters help the homeless find shelter until the crisis is over. The former-nun, Shelagh, is planning her wedding to Dr Turner, but the wedding becomes in jeopardy when a family emergency occurs.

Season Three, Trixie (Helen George), Chummy (Miranda Hart), Jenny Lee (Jessica Raine) and Cynthia Miller (Bryony Hannah)

Episode One is set in 1959 and introduces the new Nonnatus House, as the old house was being torn down. There is also a new nun named Sister Winifred at the house to help out while Chummy tries to adapt at being a stay-at-home mother.