#Heroes binge rewatch & recap!

Oh Heroes, you were pretty awesome, with a few minor exceptions.

I decided to binge re-watch Heroes and last night I finished Season 3. I'm kinda scared to go back to Season 4 but we'll see how I feel next weekend. LOL

I will say this right off the top, the binge watch for this show made it a much better show than when I had to wait week to week. With all the information fresh in my head, I found Season 3 to be spectacular as far as storytelling goes, but I'm jumping ahead and I'm no Hiro, so let's go back...

In the very first episode, I totally fell in love with Hiro and Ando. They were my favorites back then. They spoke in Japanese! How awesome. After the rewatch, I still love them both, but it's Peter who stole my heart this time around.

Admittedly, I skipped over big chunks of Niki's and Micah's story, mostly because I didn't really care for her weirdo dual-personality power thing. Once they got together with DL and went after Linderman, they all became way more interesting. I think the main problem was that the majority of their story was not abilities related, rather mob and crime related which didn't fit very well in my opinion. Also, the majority of Niki's "Hero Journey" was performed by Jessica. Annoying!

Watching the show a second time knowing the backstory for some of the characters like Angela and HRG Bennett definitely made their gray choices much more significant. She got arrested for stealing socks in the first episode and we didn't find out why until late in season 3 but man, it really hits hard the second time around when you put it together because I'll be honest, I'd totally forgotten about that the first time I watched this show. The way the show connected Season 3 and the 1st Generation parents to Season 1 and the kids is utterly fantastic, especially the whole Arthur Petrelli story line. The first time I watched the show, I hated him and his story and thought it was stupid. The second time? Holy crap!

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself, again. The main problem with Season 1 is the extra characters like DL and Eden and Ted and Candice and Molly and pretty much everything that went down in Vegas. There was just too much time spent on these guys in S1 which took away from the characters everyone already loved. Characters like Claude (Doctor #9!!) were perfect in that they advanced a main characters story and didn't stick around too long. I even skipped the Hiro/Ando story in Vegas during the rewatch.

The Company Man is probably one of the best episodes aside from the pilot. This was all about HRG Bennett and man what a character he is. So badass. He's the kind of guy you never see coming. Everything he does is for the love and protection of his family and the world. He's morally gray and has no problems being so.

The second big problem with the show as a whole is that nothing bad ever really happened. Everything that "may happen" was only seen in Flash Forwards when Hiro or Peter moved through time. Even 24 had to make a bomb go off eventually.

The final few episodes of S1 bring all our Heroes together, finally, to stop the big bad from happening and it was kind of a fizzle. Yes, I know they were supposed to save the world, but you had all these amazing characters with powers and no huge ass fight scene? Ugh, it's what we were waiting for!! It really would have been awesome.

Season 2 began with Hiro in the way past, Peter with no memory, Nathan is a drunk bum, and new characters (Maya) that no one really cares about and whose story I pretty much skipped over again. Claire's trying to live a normal life but then West shows up--another good use of a secondary character.

While I wasn't thrilled with the amount of time they spent in feudal Japan simply to introduce us to the Kensi aka Adam Monroe character, who they underutilized completely, I understand why they did it. This was also the time of the Writers Strike in Hollywood, so I'm pretty sure this was not the season they wanted. They began peppering in the 1st Generation parents again, and gave us even more characters not to care about, Monica, Catilin etc. The flashback episode "Four Months Ago" gives you enough information about all the crappy side characters to get through the rest of the season, So, don't be surprised that the same damn thing happens at the end of this season, nothing bad happens. It was kind of a reset button for the most part...on to Season 3!

The third season started off with a bang and almost got very, very confusing with all the face swapping and mental manipulation. I didn't skip the Tracy plot because it was probably the first time she was relevant as a character...although I really hated the twin thing. Keeping her with Nathan saved the story line from getting annoying. But the Mohinder subplot was the one I did skip this season with a few minor exceptions when other characters showed up. I get what they were doing but it felt very out of character for him overall. They also did a great job of putting characters together and in different situations like HRG and Sylar, they had some fantastic moments.

I like how some of the secondary and minor characters from S1 and S2 were pulled together for Arthur's little team in a very organic way. The Flashback episode "Villains" was one of my favorites of the season. It basically tied all the main players together in a massive plot that I didn't see coming the first time and enjoyed even more the second time. However, at this point, they totally screwed Hiro's character and made him rather pointless for the rest of the season much to my annoyance. They did this a couple times, gave characters information or abilities only to take it away a second later for "character development" or conflict.

The new group going after our powered Heroes are set on course by Nathan, of course, big jerk, but as usual  Peter isn't having any of it pitting the brothers against each other, again. Of course Nathan eventually realizes what an ass he's been, but of it's too late, the government is the new "The Company" problem is they don't seem to care about the good powered people, they want to off everyone! Figures.

As we head toward the end of S3, we get some fantastic flashbacks of the 1st Generation as teenagers and learn how and why The Company formed. The extended Petrelli family, including Claire and HRG come together, heal their wounds and finally all start working together for a common cause, taking down the new group and a newly evil-fied Sylar. Despite the fact that so much has changed, it seems like we are heading toward Sylar as Nathan becoming President...anyway. I'm not sure why they went this way because they ended up killing Nathan to do it which kinda sucked, but gave us a great scene with Angela, man I felt her pain.  And again, nothing majorly bad happened as we come to the close of S3.

I'm not sure I'll watch all of S4. I may just watch everything pertaining to HRG and Hiro since they are in the new show, but I can't see myself caring much about anything that happens at the carnival save the last episode, which also comes into play with Heroes Reborn.

Although we don't have Peter or Nathan in Heroes Reborn, we do have Hiro! And HRG and Angela, too, and they are a pretty creeptastic badass team. I'm looking forward to it. How about you? Did you make it past S1? Who is your favorite Hero? Do you wish Sylar was coming back too or do you think Zachary Levi's eyebrows will fill the void?

New Release from Leslie Talley!

New Release from Leslie Talley! 

Innkeepers Clarice and Otis Campion, along with Miss Letty, former star of the Silent Screen, have a penchant for stumbling over bodies, from fresh to skeletal. At their historic B & B, Belgrath House in Daytona, Florida, Otis discovers a skeleton in the dumbwaiter [Make Old Bones]. When they act as exchange innkeepers at Castle Keep in St. Augustine, they find the body of a homeless man in a dragon sculpture and a skeleton in an icehouse [Bred in the Bone]. So it isn’t any wonder that their sojourn in Flanagan’s Guest House, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, could be more of the same.

From the first they find themselves between two feuding families, the Quinns and the Donovans. Assorted disparate winter boarders add fuel of their own. Seamus Quinn is found stabbed and bleeding out on Flanagan’s doorstep, but the trail of blood comes from the Donovans’. Had Seamus Quinn tried to blackmail someone? Why do people keep disappearing and reappearing at Flanagan’s? And when Fergus Flanagan returns abruptly from his exchange at Belgrath, who put foxglove in his tea?

Inspector Swaney thinks he knows: those obnoxious American exchange innkeepers. Clarice and Miss Letty have better ideas. Their search for answers has them crisscrossing Ireland.

But the murderer has plans for Clarice. Clarice’s escape and the resulting revelations rock Ireland to its core.

Excerpt:

The wail grew closer, sounding more dirge-like. I felt the rumble of the ground under my feet, reminding me of a Shuttle launch. Would I ever see the Space Coast again? Would I ever see the contrail, hear the cheers and applause as another rocket roared into the Florida sky?

I was brought back to earth by an arm around my neck almost lifting me off my feet. One toe dragged in the dirt as she inched me forward. I needed to get her off balance. I remembered the classic moves I had heard from a police officer on TV one night. How to escape from someone who grabbed you from behind. Instep! Elbow to stomach! Two fingers aimed at the eyes! And while your assailant doubled up from the stomach blow, turn and lift that knee and lift it high.

Probably didn’t hurt a woman as much as a man, but effective, nonetheless. I executed Steps One, Two, Three, and Four as if I’d taken karate all my life instead of just Tai Chi. I ground my heel into her left instep, slammed an elbow into her ribs, rammed two fingers blindly backwards and felt a satisfying squish. I whirled around. She doubled over, clutching at her eyes. I raised my knee to her groin and sprinted out of her way. I raced towards the house, panting so hard I couldn’t scream. My feet actually kicked my butt as I churned up dirt. I risked a glance over my shoulder for my pursuer, but no one followed. No one stood on the embankment.

When I heard that dreadful screech of brakes on rail, I knew why.

Wild Child: http://bit.ly/CloserTheBone

All Romance eBooks: http://bit.ly/CloserTheBoneARe

Amazon: http://bit.ly/CloserTheBoneAM

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/CloserTheBoneBN

iTunes: http://bit.ly/CloserTheBoneiTunes

Author website: 

Author contact email: leslietalley@hotmail.com

Author Bio:

I am the product of basically three states, Kentucky, Missouri, and Florida. I grew up in Ashland, Kentucky. I graduated from a diploma nursing school in St. Louis, my parents' birthplace. I transferred my credits to the University of Kentucky (Go Wildcats) and received a B.S. in Nursing. After working briefly for the St. Louis County Health Department, I married Luke, an engineer with McDonnell-Douglas and fellow Wildcat. We have lived in Titusville, Florida ever since. 

When I turned forty, I returned to school, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where I changed majors and received a B.A in English (Literature) and an M.A (Creative Writing). I taught Business Writing, Technical Writing, and Creative Writing there as an adjunct for ten years. 

My husband and I, both retired, have two grown children: daughter Terri, a CPA and Wild Child Publishing author of Carbon Copy; and son Damon, a former Education Specialist with Kennedy Space Center and now employed by Harris Corporation. They have given us four grandchildren. I enjoy water aerobics, oil painting and drawing, writing and reading mysteries, and messing around on Google Earth.

Cover Reveal with @Rayna_Vause - Demon of Mine!

Demon of Mine

by Rayna Vause

Blurb:

Climbing the corporate ladder can be hell….

As a Collections Demon, Zavier grants his “clients” one wish in exchange for their souls. His job sucks, but once you make a deal with Corporate South, they own you. The trouble is, Zavier’s not a very good Collections Demon, with his tendencies to spurn authority and find loopholes to help deserving clients out of their contracts. He’s under scrutiny from the head of his department, who would quite literally like to see him burn. He just needs to close a simple deal to get upper management off his back. Instead, he meets Ryan.

Ryan is desperately searching for a way to save his dying sister. He doesn't believe in magic and demons, but he’s out of options. Zavier’s not what he expects in a demon, and even more unexpected is the strong sense of familiarity—very intimate familiarity.

While trying to free Ryan from his contract, Zavier discovers secrets unscrupulous even by South standards. Exposing them could cost Zavier everything, but it might be Ryan’s only hope.

Available for pre-order at 

Paperback pre-order

Release Date: 

August 28, 2015

Excerpt

 “What person in
their right mind would text a random stranger and tell him to come to the
middle of a field in farm country?” Zavier rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know. People do stupid things just for shits
and giggles all the time.” The man shrugged, pulling his jacket tighter around
him.

“For that matter, what idiot follows those instructions
unless they have a damn good reason?”

Again the man simply shrugged, then stuffed his hands in
his pockets. “Look, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to ask for proof
that you are who you say you are and that you’re actually capable of doing the
things that book said you could do.”

Zavier paused for a moment, considering, impressed by
his guts. Most took his abilities on faith, hope, and a bit of greed. Instead
of turning on the intimidation as he usually did in an effort to keep these
encounters short, he decided to oblige. He balled his fist and squeezed. When
he opened his hand, an orb of electricity danced in his palm. The man gaped and
stumbled back a step. After a moment, his expression changed from fear to
fascination. He stepped closer to Zavier in an attempt to get a better look.

“Can I touch it?” The man inched his hand closer to the
tiny lightning flashes that danced across Zavier’s hand.

“Only if you’re in the mood to be electrocuted.”

The man jerked his hand back, tucking it under his arm.

Zavier stifled a laugh, then turned down the intensity
until the ball dissipated and all that remained were strings of power arcing
between his fingers like a Tesla ball. “Here, touch my hand now.”

The man hesitated, then reached out and placed his palm
over Zavier’s. “Wow. That’s awesome.” Leaving his hand there, seeming to enjoy
the light tingle Zavier’s abilities had generated, the man laughed a warm sound
that rolled through Zavier.

Zavier took a moment to study the hand touching his. He
had long, slim fingers, like those of a pianist and soft, yet slightly
calloused palms. The man’s jacket hid his arms, but the opening revealed a
form-fitting white T-shirt molded to a rather impressive set of abs and a
broad, muscular chest. Very nice. Oh yeah, a night or two with this guy
could definitely improve his mood. Call him shallow, but he couldn't help but
admire a well-toned body.

Tearing his focus from the guy’s pecs, he scanned upward
to take his first good look at the man’s face. Strong chin, lips made for
kissing, and long, dark lashes that shielded the man’s eyes. Zavier wanted to
see those eyes.

“Convinced?” He spoke a little louder than necessary in
an attempt draw the man’s attention.

The man’s head jerked up. When their gazes met, Zavier
froze. The world stopped spinning as he stared into gorgeous, green eyes.
Something about them tugged at his memory, causing a tingle at the base of his
skull. Zavier shifted his attention to study the rest of the face before him.
He clasped the man’s wrist, preventing him from backing away.

Think dammit, think. You know this face. Vague
irritation churned inside of him at his inability to remember. Sometimes the
rules and regs of demon life sucked, especially the “Swiss cheese memory”
policy.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

Zavier’s attention turned back to his potential client,
when both the words and the tugging on his arm finally registered.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry about that.” He released the man, who
took a step back. “So, let’s get on with this.” Zavier stared at the ground as
he stepped back, needing to regroup. Nothing about this assignment was going as
expected.

“Uh, sure. H-how do we do this? Do I need to say some
type of special incantation? Offer up more blood?”

“No, just tell me what you want. This is demonology 2.0,
the upgraded edition. We've phased out a lot of that old school, bodily fluids
stuff.”

About The Author

Rayna Vause loves to craft romances that mix a little action, a little adventure, and, often, a touch of the paranormal. She’s voracious reader and a perpetual student. Rayna has collected more degrees and certifications then she cares to admit and eventually she’ll probably earn a few more just because. She is a proud geek who injects a little bit of her geeky, tech obsessed soul into every story she writes.

When Rayna isn't busy make up stories, she’s likely indulging her love of video games. Why? Because playing through the action, adventure, and romance in a role playing game is as good as reading a romance novel and is sometimes great inspiration for her writing. She’s a martial artist having studied American Kenpo Karate. She is also a Disney fanatic of epic proportions.   

Rayna is a member of RWA, RRW, and a founding member of Liberty States Fiction Writers. She lives in southern NJ, just a bit outside of Philadelphia and shares a home with a cat who thinks she’s royalty.

You can find Rayna at 

            

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