Reality vs. Virtual Reality - Which Reality Draws YOU In?

If the past five years have taught us nothing else, they’ve taught us that life will test our core beliefs, values, ethics and mental/physical health, not to mention relationships. We are completely at the mercy of our #reality, one that is currently ripe with division, misguided advice, misinformation, #conspiracy nutjobs, #racism, sexism, and utter selfishness.

We’re in the #MeMe era, and it sucks. It’s sickening watching and listening to the mostly #whiteprivileged who think they have the right to do what THEY want to do, without consequences or sharing in the responsibility we all have to care for our neighbours, friends and family.

Our reality has shifted to one that often precedes war, and in times of war, people have turned to forms of entertainment - books, movies, series, board games, cards, gaming online - and one of the most rapidly developing technologies is Virtual Reality. There are a number of popular VR headsets, controllers and add-ons that can give you a realistic adventure, like Oculus, Samsung Gear, HTC, EVO, Google Daydream and more.

I’ve been fascinated with VR ever since I first heard of it, but I’ve never tried it, which is funny because I come from a very techy family. My father was a brilliant computer programmer (and Canadian secret agent!), and I’m not sure even he had the opportunity to try VR. My mother, the last in our family to get onboard with computers, ended up becoming a gaming whiz. I called her the Queen of WOW. Most of her online friends had no idea she was in her late 70s at the time.

My mom went to visit my brother Derek in Halifax a few years ago. Derek also inherited the computer tech genes of our father, and he had a VR headset that he managed to coerce our mother into trying. But he didn’t tell he that he had set her up with a haunted house reality. When a ghost appeared behind her, she freaked out, but she liked it - and she hated horror movies!

Have YOU tried a Virtual Reality headset? If so, what games or adventures did you experience via VR? How did it make you feel during and after? Which VR headset and games would YOU recommend I buy?

CONTEST! Win a 7-Night Stay at SUITE DREAMS Vacation Suite in West Kelowna, BC, Canada

Enter to win a 7-night stay at our SUITE DREAMS two-bedroom guest suite in West Kelowna, BC, Canada. (4 guests max. Children 10+)

Visit my author Page on Facebook for contest details and to enter…

Mobile friendly link for cellphones/tablets: http://gvwy.io/oq10sxnp

PC/MAC: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif/app/196879103679336

More photos and info on Suite Dreams at:

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Haris Orkin's YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE is "a brilliant homage to everyone’s favorite super-spy"

NEWS RELEASE: West Kelowna book publisher, Cheryl Tardif of Imajin Books, has a gem on her hands, with Haris Orkin's YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE. Currently #31 out of ALL Kindle ebooks on Amazon.ca, #YOLO is on sale for $0.99 until October 21.

YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE is an espionage spy caper that Kirkus Reviews calls, "A manically funny farce, both delightfully absurd and strangely plausible."

http://getBook.at/YouOnlyLiveOnce

From zero to hero…

James Flynn is an expert shot, a black belt in karate, fluent in four languages and irresistible to women. He’s also a heavily medicated patient in a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital. Flynn believes his locked ward is the headquarters of Her Majesty’s Secret Service and that he is a secret agent with a license to kill.

When the hospital is acquired by a new HMO, Flynn is convinced that the Secret Service has been infiltrated by the enemy. He escapes to save the day, and in the process, Flynn kidnaps a young Hispanic orderly named Sancho.

This crazy day trip turns into a very real adventure when Flynn is mistaken for an actual secret agent. Paranoid delusions have suddenly become reality, and now it’s up to a mental patient and a terrified orderly to bring down an insecure, evil genius bent on world domination.

Editorial Reviews:

“A brilliant homage to everyone’s favorite super-spy, and a hilarious, action-packed, made-for-the-movies thriller about a man suavely dancing along both sides of the thin line between heroism and madness.” —Matt Forbeck, New York Times bestselling author

“Pacey and unrepentant fun, Haris Orkin’s You Only Live Once takes the James Bond mythos, gives it a swift kick in the backside and steals its wallet.” —James Swallow, New York Times bestselling author

“Fill shaker with ice. Add equal parts Ian Fleming and Quentin Tarantino. Shake (do not stir). Garnish with Douglas Adams, and you get You Only Live Once, a delicious martini as dry as the dusty California desert.” —Dan Jolley, USA Today bestselling author

“You Only Live Once makes for an engrossing read offering many satisfying twists and turns. Fans of thrillers will be delighted by the various nuances Haris Orkin brings to the table as he introduces a quasi-hero who ultimately faces success despite himself. A healthy dose of humor and irony is added to create a story about a misfit in search of a mission.” —Midwest Book Review

About Haris Orkin

Haris Orkin is a playwright, screenwriter, game writer, and novelist. His play, Dada, was produced at The American Stage and the La Jolla Playhouse. Sex, Impotence, and International Terrorism was chosen as a critic's choice by the L.A. Weekly and sold as a film script to MGM/UA. Save the Dog was produced as a Disney Sunday Night movie. His original screenplay, A Saintly Switch, was directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starred David Alan Grier and Viveca Fox.

He is a WGA Award and BAFTA Award nominated game writer and narrative designer known for Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Tom Clancy's The Division, Mafia 3, and Dying Light, which to date has sold over 7.5 million copies. Haris has contributed chapters to two books put out by the International Game Developers Association; Writing for Video Game Genres and Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing.

https://www.harisorkin.com

About Imajin Books

Imajin Books is owned and operated by international bestselling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif and is located in West Kelowna, BC, Canada. Recently diagnosed with hEDS, a degenerative rare disease, Cheryl has had to cut back on the number of publications she publishes, but she's not giving up.

https://www.imajinbooks.com

cherylktardif @ shaw.ca

Contest: Find Cheryl on THE COMMISH & enter to win 7 Tardif bestsellers + (2) $100 Amazon gift cards

*Available on Amazon Prime Video

Can YOU find me on THE COMMISH? Keep reading and enter to win an awesome prize package!

Back in the early ‘90s, long before I was a published novelist, I had an exciting job in background acting in Vancouver, BC, my birthplace.

One of my favorite projects was the hit ‘80s TV show, THE COMMISH, starring Michael Chiklis, Theresa Saldana, Kaj-Erik Eriksen, Peter Outerbridge, Nicholas Lea and so many other awesome actors. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Michael Chicklis and Stephen J. Cannell, the writer/producer. I’ve always wondered if they thought I was one of the supporting actors, ones with lines. I shook their hands, a bit stunned, that me—an “extra”—was meeting two “artists” I admired.

I’m in a few episodes, if you can spot me. Most were walk-bys, from my recollection, with the exception of one episode, which I’ve never forgotten. I’m featured in this episode very visibly. But you’ll need Amazon Prime Video to watch THE COMMISH.

So here’s your challenge:

Find the Season # and Episode # that matches the photo BELOW, and you’ll find me. As an extra hint, you’ll notice I had Closed Captioning on.

Contest Rules:

Contest open June 3 - July 12, 2019.

This contest is sponsored by the author and Imajin Books. Entrants must be 18+. Entries will be void where illegal. Winner will be notified in mid-July 2019.

Prize package of 7 paperbacks include: Children of the Fog, Submerged, Divine Intervention, Divine Justice, The River, Whale Song and Lancelot’s Lady, and a $50 Amazon gift card.

Ready to enter?

Have you watched THE COMMISH to find the Season # and Episode # that matches the above scene photo? Or, you can always guess.

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Escape from Bowen Island

No, this isn’t the title of my next novel, though maybe it should be! And it’s not the title of the TV series I’m working on. :-)

Ever feel like fate is against you? Like no matter what you do, things are doomed to go wrong? Ever go someplace you were so excited to go, only to have the holiday go down the tubes?

My husband, Marc, was sent to Bowen Island, BC, to work there for 2 weeks. Upon arrival, he discovered he had an entire cabin to himself, complete with 2 bedrooms, a small kitchen and a living room. So being Mr. Wonderful, he drove all the way home, picked me up and brought me to Bowen. Oh the plans I had!

First, this would be the writer’s retreat I’ve always dreamed of. A cabin in the woods that would inspire me to finish episode one of the TV script I’ve been working on. I’d write all day, uninterrupted. I could walk in the park or down to the beach. I could stroll on the boardwalk, eat at unique restaurants, enjoy the peace and quiet. It was so romantic…

I have a Facebook friend who happens to be an actress I respect and admire., and she lives on Bowen Island. Finally, I had an opportunity to meet her! And a possible opportunity to brainstorm with her regarding the leading female cop in the TV series I’m working on. I’ll admit to a bit of fan-girling as well.

Day 1: My husband and I had horrible headaches and neck aches. The cabin proved to be very old—HERITAGE old. Spiders hung in webs, watching me. I don’t do well with bugs; I have a PTSD reaction. I went to get into bed, and saw a millipede running over the sheets. I slept in the other bedroom.

Day 2: My headache turned into nausea, fever and chills. I thought I was going to die. It came on so fast and hard. I spent most of the day in the bathroom. Hubby’s headache worsened and he was sent back to the cabin to rest.

Day 3: I finally felt human and got some writing done. Stayed indoors because of the rain. Hubby felt a bit better.

As the days progressed, hubby’s work became more challenging as they were short on materials. Some of his calls were booked incorrectly via the call center. Some of the residences didn’t show up on Google Maps. That’s BC island living for ya!. Always 10-15 years behind in technology too.

I found more bugs in the bed. Ew! I was sleeping in a tight fetal position and waking up with horrible cramps that took most of the day to work out. The horn from the ferry kept me awake when I tried to nap to get through the pain.

Then my plans to finally meet and chat with my actress friend fell apart. Just bad timing! Easter weekend. We couldn’t make it work., especially since my husband’s work decided he’d be there only one week, not the two we’d expected.

We were then moved to a different cabin, far from restaurants. This cabin was cute and clean. No bugs! However, as we headed down the outside stairs, my husband flicked a twig on the roof and a hefty branch attached to it came tumbling down….on my head. Thankfully, no concussion.

The day we left, we had to joke about how challenging the island had been for both of us. I’ve lived on 3 islands in my life, but this one small island kicked my butt. Bowen Island is a beautiful place, and I believe those who live there enjoy the privacy it has to offer. Now I’ve seen it. ..whether it wanted me to or not.

Have you ever had a trip (work or holiday) go wrong? Tell me about it.