Please welcome, friend and author, Louise Wise...

... to my blog today. Hi Louise, and thanks for being here. I understand that we are about to meet Jenny, the central character in your book, Eden. Read on... 

Robinson Crusoe, The Martian, Castaway, and Blue Lagoon are timeless tales that have enthralled audiences worldwide.  But can anyone share a similarly captivating, deeply personal narrative?  I can.

As an astronaut, one might assume I was trained to handle any challenge.  We were selected for our resilience and subjected to extensive training, and we pride ourselves on our ability to conquer the unknown.  Yet, at our core, we remain human—vulnerable to the same emotions and fears as anyone else. The only difference lies in our capacity to manage them—or so we believed.

In our expedition to the Earth-like planet called Eden, there were three of us: Bodie, Matt, and myself, Jenny.  Embarking on the first manned mission beyond the solar system filled us with excitement and optimism.  Departing from our mother ship orbiting Eden, we ventured into uncharted territory in our space pods.  Our objective: to implant probes into the planet’s mantle and collect samples, returning as pioneers.

Image courtesy of Louise Wise

No amount of preparation could have prepared us for the awe-inspiring sights of an untouched planet: the twin suns casting a perpetual twilight, the mesmerising dance of eight moons, and the surreal landscape of an alien terrain.  The planet’s beauty was both enchanting and treacherous.

Yet, three perilous errors brought our mission to an abrupt end and forever altered our lives.

Our first mistake was deviating from the plan, leading us to stumble upon a decaying alien spaceship reclaimed by the environment.  Curiosity compelled us to investigate further—our second error.

I squeezed through a gap in the spaceship’s hull, finding myself in a dark, silent chamber filled with countless alien bodies resembling humans.  Amidst the motionless forms, one stood out—it was alive.  The mere presence of the creature filled me with dread.  Its imposing figure loomed over me, casting a shadow stretching for miles.  Every instinct urged me to flee, to escape from this nightmare incarnate.

The ensuing moments are a blur.  I recall a suffocating sensation as I was dragged back outside.  Before losing consciousness, I glimpsed the horror on Bodie and Matt’s faces.

Upon awakening, I found myself alone outside the spaceship, with no sign of the alien or my companions.  Fearing the worst, I could only assume the alien had dispatched my fellow astronauts and absconded to our mothership, Taurus, in one of our space pods.  However, if that were its plan, it would have met its demise upon arrival, as Taurus would have neutralised any foreign threat.

Thus, I found myself stranded on the alien planet—utterly alone, with only my thoughts and the enigmatic landscape for company.  The wonders of the planet were now overshadowed by its perils and mysteries, from its enigmatic creatures to its hazardous flora.

Oh, and my third error?

That was believing I was alone.

about the book… A prison ship, transporting criminals through the galaxy to an uninhabited world, crash lands.

The wardens try to keep control, but full of mutiny, anger and a desire for revenge, the inmates wreak havoc, and the result is catastrophic.

Then the human ship arrives...

Astronaut Jenny finds herself stranded when her malfunctioning spaceship abandons her alone on a planet she was sent to explore.  She has no way of getting home.

She has no communication, shelter or food.

No weapons.

Then she realises she’s not alone after all.

about the author… Louise Wise is a renowned British author hailing from the Midlands in England.  Her most notable work is Eden, a critically acclaimed sci-fi romance, which was followed by its sequel, Hunted, in 2013.

In addition to these, Louise Wise has authored other works such as A Proper Charlie, a romantic comedy, Oh No, I’ve Fallen in Love!, a dark comedy romance, and Wide Awake Asleep, a time travel romance.

Wise’s writing style is a unique blend of real-life situations that encompass both tragedy and comedy.  Her short stories have struck a chord with readers and been featured in various women's magazines, including Take a Break and Woman’s Own.

It's worth mentioning that she also writes under the pen name TE Kessler to explore more mature themes.

You can get the book from Amazon  

You can follow Louise on Instagram Tiktok or Facebook Louise also has a Blog and you can contact her by email at info@louisewise.uk

 

Come stroll with me ...

... through the town of Vernon, which sits on the Seine in the département of Eure.   Read on ...

Back in February, I brought you to this lovely little town, and I left you sitting on the bank of the river in the shade of a vast tree with a view of an ancient mill.  You can read that post Here. I'm back again today because there's more to see, and I'm heading straight into the centre of town.  It's a gentle 10-minute or so stroll.  From my shady spot, I take rue d'Albufera, which leads to rue Carnot.  At the junction, I take a left, and the road into the centre of town immediately narrows and is pedestrianised.  The Boulangerie et Pâtisserie on my left is where I bought the absolutely scrumptious amandine that I had for lunch.

If you follow the rue Carnot, you eventually come to Place Adolphe Barette, a wide square that houses the town hall and what is now the parish church of Notre-Dame.  The building of this magnificent edifice began in the 12th century and continued until the 1500s.  This church is considered to be one of the most beautiful remaining examples of medieval architecture in the whole of France.  The time taken to complete the church means that there are numerous styles of architecture encompassed within and without its walls.

The stunningly flamboyant rose window of the front facade dates from the 15th century. It sits above two galleries in the main body of the church. With the sun in exactly the right aspect, the colours of the window harlequin the floor of the nave.  The nave itself is also 15th century.  The altar and the transept are Romanesque in style, as can be seen from the steadfastly round arches.  The rest of the building is a stroll through Gothic fashion - Early, Flamboyant and Perpendicular - with its high pointed arches over windows, intricate masonry work and what some may consider to be overly ornamented carving.

The organ dates from the 17th century and has been heavily restored. But here in the main body of the church, the stained glass windows are not as expected. They are abstract and were installed in the 1970s to replace those that were destroyed by the blanket bombing of the 39/45 war in Europe. However, if you take a step to the right and go into the second chapel, you will find some of the original glass from the 16th century.

The newer windows may be fabulous examples of modern art, but give me the original medieval glass or the Burne-Jones examples from the 19th century anytime.  Such examples are much more in keeping with the style and decorative masonry that is on display here in Vernon.

Stepping outside into the sunshine again, it takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the brightness.  And in front of me is the magnificent town hall.  But I'll save that for another post.

If you enjoyed this post, come with me to the towns of Joinville  Argentan or Pont de l'Arche  Just click the links...