There's nothing I enjoy more, than being able to sit down on a quiet weekend afternoon and bury my nose into a quality book. There's just something incredibly magical about being able to be swept away to another world and another place if only for a little while. It's a habit I'm trying to get back into as much as possible, and as I've re-started my weekend reading fiesta, I've found quite the surprise.

Specifically, what the heck do I choose to read? There are books to be found everywhere these days in every single medium and while it's a good problem to have, it does make a digital search a little more daunting. But after a little narrowing down by genre and subject matter, I found a nice little gem in the science fiction genre from author John E. Stith; Manhattan Transfer. 

Now this book answers the question as to whether or not there is life out there in the universe besides us, by introducing us to a race of aliens, who express their curiosity about mankind in the most extreme fashion by carving the city of Manhattan out of the ground and transporting it and the people within the city limits to a planet far, far away and well...I'm going to leave it at that for the plot because this is an intricate story that needs to be experienced and that's largely due to the fact that Mister Stith does such an incredible job of world building. In fact that's really what we are going to be talking about today when it comes to this review, John's amazing ability to create a world and draw you in because once you open this book up, you're going to have trouble putting it down. 

Really what caught my attention about this book, is the sheer fact that it wastes no time in getting down to business. There's no excess of pages here, no long and unnecessary build up to the titular moment where the aliens arrive and do their thing, this story is presented as a disaster would unfold for all of us in real life...out of the blue and moment by moment. The capturing of Manhattan arrives just like that, and the next thing you know, the rich characters that populate this world are forced to spring into action to survive in their strange new home. It's refreshing to say the least because by getting us right into the story and right into the mess these characters are in, we are instantly part of this world and instantly part of their lives and now we are vested and have to know how it ends, and that's where the fun begins since in no time, you find yourself turning page after page to understand more about this strange new world and the incredible situation the people of Manhattan are now faced with.

Either way, it's a fun read, and fair warning, you may find a couple of moments in this book that seem slightly out of date and there's a reason for that. This novel was originally published in 1993, and since the digital age allows for writers to reach so many more people, everything from yesterday is new again and this book is actually a re-release to cater to a new generation of science fiction fans, and as an added bonus, John is actually re-releasing a ton of his work over the next few months, so expect to see more reviews of John's work here at Nerds That Geek. But in the meantime (while I delve into the next release) if you're a fan of science fiction and are looking for a fun novel that delivers a unique idea and wastes no time in giving you everything you want, check out Manhattan Transfer, you'll be glad you did.

In the heart of evil, there is always someone that can rise above it and you guessed it, Iron Man is that hero that everyone needs. Now, I have not been quiet about my love for Iron Man and when reading Extremis, I like him even more. Not being alright with sitting on the sidelines and jumping in when needed, Iron Man would rather face evil head on to save lives rather than sit back and wait for the threat to grow too strong. It is difficult to think that Iron Man would have an equal, but as we all know, he is just a guy in a suit, for now.

​After revealing to the world that he is Iron Man, Tony Stark is consistently being hounded by the paparazzi and needs to find some place to get away from the lime light for a minute. Holding up in his Coney Island office, Tony has been away from the world for over a month working in the garage on different projects when he is forced to the light of day again by his new assistant Mrs. Rennie. Sending Ms. Potts out on a special assignment since he wants to protect her from the press, Mrs. Rennie has taken over and is much more abrasive than Pepper ever was. With his fans following him where ever he goes, the Iron Man decides to give them a little thrill and sends them to the theme park that was built by the World’s Fair before stopping by. With Mrs. Rennie in charge, nothing could go wrong, or so he thought. While taking a spin in his armor, Tony gets word that the Wonder Wheel has come to standstill and a young boy is in danger of falling from his car. Being able to save the boy and allow the ride to come to an end, Tony is ready to put on his armor once again and become the full time Iron Man. 

In Texas, Mallen and his crew are looking for a quiet place to process a quick experiment.  Finding an abandoned slaughterhouse, the group dawns their new find, Extremis and injects Mallen on the spot. Being out for a couple days, Mallen comes to and finds that his senses have become more powerful than they ever were before.  Feeling different altogether, Mallen knows that he is capable of much more, but has no idea of how much until he pays the FBI offices in Houston a visit.  Being able to kill a person with a single punch, rip people open with his new claws and spew fire from his mouth, Mallen has become the hero that America deserves, even though they do not know it yet.  With his hatred for the government beginning at the age of ten and seeing his family killed by FBI agents during a raid on the house, Mallen has decided to take the country back for the normal folk that have been wrongfully punished.  Wanting to make it to Washington DC to make sure that the President knows what is happening is wrong, Mallen encounters many people that say they are following the American Dream, but they are not even close to being on the same level as he is. 

In her office, Maya Hansen is shocked to see that her boss, Aldrich Killian has killed himself and let a sample of Extremis loose on the world.  Calling her old friend Tony for help, Maya knows that the Iron Man will be able to thwart the threat before it gets out of hand. With all of the technology at his fingertips and his personal satellites, Tony is able to track down Mallen with minimal ease, but what he does not know is how Extremis can change a person’s body. Meeting for the first time, the Invincible Iron Man shows that he has met his match and with a broken body needs to retreat before Mallen is able to kill him.  Returning to Maya for help, Tony needs Extremis to survive his injuries and get back in the sky to defeat Mallen before he is able to complete his goal of liberating America.  Not needing all of the benefits that Extremis offers, Tony wants to use its regenerative ability to link up with his suit, so it will operate on brainwaves to speed up reaction time, thus giving him the upper hand to defeat his new foe.  When coming out of his Extremis cocoon, Tony is repaired and ready for a fight of a lifetime against Mallen who wants nothing more than to see the government burn.

This is a great story from Marie Javins and she is able to capture a little bit of the comic book and movie Tony Stark in the pages. With more of a look inside of Tony, you get to see what really drives the billionaire besides being Iron Man, but the wonders of the planet. With all of the killing around the world that has been attributed to Tony and his smart weapons, he is trying to atone for his flaws, but nobody will allow him to live it down, no matter what he does. Wanting to prevent more human casualties, Tony dawns the Iron Man suit to be the deterrent, but that does not always work.   Being defeated by Mallen, Tony knows that the next step must be followed and truly becomes the Iron Man, inside and out.  If that is not love for your job, I don’t know what is.  I need to check out the Graphic Novel for this story since there is a ton of action and even some heads being splattered around and that is not including what Iron Man does when the time is right.

I've always loved the magical feeling that comes with discovering a top notch brand new book. You're introduced to a new world, with exciting new people and plenty of new places to go in your mind and truly, it's an experience like no other. It's the thrill of that feeling that forces me to pour through every sample chapter that I can on Amazon or peruse a few pages at Barnes and Noble so I can find that one special book that ignites the wonder within.

In order for a story to do that for me, the writing has to immediately draw me in and sometimes that means the search for a new book or new book series takes me a little longer as I work to find that story that can hook me immediately. But when I find one that catches my eye, I am truly all in, and recently I finally found a novel that managed to meet all of my criteria and leave me hanging for more with author Sue Duff's latest work; Sleight of Hand: Book Three: The Weir Chronicles.

Now normally, when I discover that an author has a series planned or completed for their story, I try my best to start at the beginning so I properly set the stage in my mind, but the opening words of Sleight of Hand were so compelling, I dove right into the third book in the series and quickly discovered I couldn't put it down, because the entire plot is downright fascinating. Nothing is quite what it seems in this book. What seems like a race against time to save Ian's life when he poisoned by the rebellious Jaered turns out to be an epic for the ages as people uncover long lost truths as the story sets in motion a grand plan to save all of mankind from destruction. 

Now I won't say much else on the plot because it's woven so intricately by Sue that telling you much more will mean that I have to ruin it, and quite frankly you need to read this book because it is an absolute gem, and that's because of how incredible a job Sue does in weaving this fantastic saga. She has built a majestic world filled with a combination of science and magic and it's done in such smooth fashion that you never question it for a second. This is the world that Ian and his friends populate and that's the other part about this book that I thoroughly enjoyed, the fact that the characters jump off the page and you care about them and their cause...well, at least when it comes to the good guys. 

In the end, Sleight of Hand was a fantastic initiation to Ian's world of Weir and this is the first time that I am thankful that I started in the middle of the story, simply because the mark of a great writer, is that they can draw you in at any time in any fashion with the power of their words and Sue Duff has done just that and while the logical thing to do next is to beg Sue for the next entry in the series to come out sooner than 2017, I will do no such thing. I want her to make sure the fourth entry is as wonderful as this one and because I have Books One and Two to go through while I wait to see what happens in Ian's world next.

It's one thing to tell you about how awesome a concept Women in Practical Armor will be when Evil Girlfriend Media's Kickstarter for this project is completed, but it's quite another thing when you come to discover that the demand for such a concept has led to women keeping such a noble tradition alive by showing off their skills with a sword in present day America.

Yes, it was recently brought to our attention by way of EGM as we were putting together our coverage for this Kickstarter of a group in the Pacific Northwest known as the Seattle Knights, and in that group are several women who just happen to don full armor and battle it out in front of crowds and we had the privilege of sitting down with two actual women in practical armor, Ann and Rena.

GOG: How excited are the both of you to see an anthology filled with this kind of subject matter? 
Rena: I am so very excited about this anthology about women. At least once each performance I do, there will be a question or comment about my armor as it relates to fantasy writings or movies.  The non-practical armor does nothing to protect a person (man or female) from harm when jousting, swing sword or from medieval warfare! It still amazes me that we are taught the wrong history and that so many believe that women did not defend their families, homes, or lands through the ages. Having an anthology of women in practical armor is a step in the right direction to show a large audience that women have a proper place in history and their attire had meaning not just for the men looking at her!

Ann: Very excited. It should be some fun reading. And I LOVE reading.

GOG: How important do you think it is to see this kind of literature available to so many readers?
Rena: I believe it is truly important for the masses to learn REAL history.  The history that women were fierce and took defending their homes, family, lands and country all the way to the battlefields just like their male counterparts.  The history taught in the U.S. is based on England's written history which the church changed by not admitting women were a part of it. Women were treated lesser than men.  I feel the U.S. should adopt the history of other countries, which have accounts of women throughout history being a large part of the changing face of time.  I am excited about having an anthology that does not play to the fantasy of women but one that focuses on the historical relevance of women in armor.

Ann: I think it’s time for this anthology. Back in the 90’s Esther Friesner edited a series of short story anthologies beginning with “Chicks In Chainmail” and a handful of pun-titled follow-ons. Some of those stories poked fun at the impractical armor stereotypes, others showed more realistic women warriors, they were all fun. Now we’re ready for an attitude shift of “Ok, but seriously now…” and to see some more stories with kick-butt female warriors getting the job done. There are heroines in SF out there, but I’m always up for more of them. It will be good to see how the heroines are interpreted in this round.

GOG: What was it that got the two of you into The Seattle Knights?
Rena:  I was a member of the SCA in the early 80's and discovered a group called The Fantasy Alternative who had branched out from the SCA.  The TFA played quest like games in Seattle parks.  I joined and loved it.  Over time, the Seattle Knights was formed and grew into a performing group which historically has been mostly women.  I had been in the SCA and stayed with the Seattle Knights due to my love of history, learning and teaching.  The Seattle Knights honored women (in practical armor) and the company motto of Education through Entertainment gave me an outlet to teach and learn history and be an entertainer! It has been an honor to work with the Seattle Knights & TFA for the last 30 years.

Ann: I got into the Seattle Knights after seeing one of their shows and hearing that they had sword-fighting classes. I was looking for a fun mode of exercise at the time and missing my days of Tae Kwon Do, and it sounded like fun. It is fun, and then it grows on you…

GOG: Walk us through a typical day as a Seattle Knight.
Rena: Show days are busy and high energy!  I am up early to feed horses (usually 6 am) then off to take care of my meal and getting cleaned up for the show.  A few hours later, I get my horse, Paladin, groomed and tacked up so that I can warm him up.  Then I prepare him by getting his caparison and show gear on. About 30 minutes till show time, I get armored up, get my gear set up for the show such as lance, spears, pennants etc. then meet with my team about what we are doing and need.  My co-workers in the groups I work with help out tremendously since I cannot carry everything out on horseback!  If it was not for our foot troupe, it would be a very difficult show!  All the prepping then comes down to the moment where we are first introduced! I raise the pennant spear and Paladin flies before the crowd and their voices raise in excitement! At this moment, my nerves calm and we get the job done! Shows are 30 to 60 minutes long and consist of equestrian games and the joust.  Depending on how we have decided to do the show, I may do one or 6 jousts!  In the end, the crowd loves it.  At the end of the show, Paladin gets his pets from his fans and I answer questions from the audience. After the show, I take Paladin back stage (so to speak) and care for him. Between shows, I love to walk the faire, talk to people, have pictures done, and entertain. It is great to have little kids look up at you in awe!  At this point, it is rinse and repeat as we do 3 shows a day at most faires.  When all our shows are done for the day, he is stripped of gear, let him roll in the dirt, groomed down, spoiled with treats and a good dinner.  Then I am off to feed me!  Sometimes I clean armor and gear for the next day then it is off to bed to repeat the next day. Each day is different depending on the needs of the client. Even after all these years, I still love doing the shows/faires!

Ann: Heh – a typical day as a Seattle Knight is usually whatever you do for your day job, followed possibly by a Knight practice in the evening. But if there’s an event, for me the typical day actually starts the day before, when you make sure you’ve got all the costuming you need, that it’s clean and in good repair and has all the parts. That might include boots, the arming clothing that you wear under your armor, the armor itself, any cords, belts, or other attachments you’ll need to hold it all together, and so forth. I like to put that together at least a day ahead in case I find anything that needs more washing or more repair – and I don’t want to forget anything. Then you pack it all up, including anything your horse will need: food, tack, costuming, and treats. Don’t forget any weapons you’re planning on using, and a spare in case something breaks. We usually have a call time of an hour or so before an event is supposed to start, where you’re already in costume, or at least mostly, and your horse is tacked and ready. That gives us time to go over the order of events for the show. We try to alternate events for the horses with fights on the ground, so that everyone gets a little bit of a rest before they have to do something again. At the end of each show, we try to give the audience a chance to chat, ask questions, and pat the horses – sometimes that’s my favorite part, and the horses’ favorite too. The other favorite part is when we finally get to take the armor off again – if we’ve been wearing it all day, it gets pretty heavy towards the end, and taking it off can feel very nice indeed.

GOG: What kinds of empowering stories for women would you like to see in literature or popular culture?
Rena: The type of stories I like to read include characters who are empowered but the stories are more historically based than out in left field fantasy.  I like characters who are strong and real.  One that I can believe and care about. I like characters that make me get caught up in their story and I need to keep reading!

Ann: I like the sort where the female characters are just doing what they need to do, competently and without explanation, apology, or extensive justification.

GOG: Where can people see The Seattle Knights perform or learn more about your group?
Rena: The Seattle Knights can be found online at www.seattleknights.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/seattleknights.  We will be at the Snohomish County Pumpkin Hurl & Medieval Faire September 12-13 in Everett, WA.  Our calendars are on the website and FB page!  There are currently loads of wonderful pictures of both Ann and I as we have been at the WMRF for the last 2 weekends jousting! 

Ann: The best place to find out about our performances is on the calendar page of the Seattle Knights website, http://www.seattleknights.com/calendar-upcoming-events.html. We also have a Facebook page where events are posted, but the Calendar page has the full listing all in one spot. Events are added as they are confirmed, so check back in case things change.

Our thanks again to Ann and Rena for taking the time to talk with us, and as an added treat for all of you, here is some video footage of both Ann and Rena showing off their combat skills. Enjoy and for more information on Evil Girlfriend Media's Kickstarter for Women in Practical Armor, head here. 

There's something quite magical happening right now in popular culture and literature, the demand for some strong female characters. Yes, stories that feature damsels in distress that need to be saved by a dashing young man are quickly becoming things of the past. 

Instead people are now expecting their female characters to lead the story, to become the independent characters and people on the page that they already are and it's a wonderful thing to see such sweeping changes happening in the creative world. As it turns out there is one publisher out there who is going all out to bring forth an anthology of nothing but strong women, who just happen to be empowered warriors with Evil Girlfriend Media's newest project, Women in Practical Armor. 

EGM is no stranger to anthologies, having already released some quality short story collections revolving around robots, vampires, zombies, you name it. Now, Owner Katie Cord believes it is high time they contribute to the fantasy genre with this particular project, one that snaps away all stereotypes and tropes and features strong and intelligent women who can lead armies into battle and get the idea that combat means covering up any part of your body that would be vulnerable to assault.

While the concept alone is fresh and original, Evil Girlfriend Media has decided to take it a step further by involving readers out there by putting together a Kickstarter campaign to bring this project to life. The amazing news, is that this book was funded in a matter of days, because as I mentioned before, there is a strong demand for this type of literature within the market, but they still need your help.

For starters, EGM wants to celebrate this unique piece of art with every single person who took the time to donate to it by offering up a Backers Only Release Party when the book is finished at last, something I've never seen any kind of publisher do in my time, but they aren't quite to that stretch goal just yet. Plus there is a secret stretch goal waiting for when they hit the top mark, something incredibly special in fact but they need us to make that happen. So, swing by their Kickstarter page here, and stay tuned to this site as well...since we have some special interviews lined up around this original and wonderful project. 

I guess to paraphrase one of my favorite films, as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a writer.  As a kid, stories were my thing.  My toys didn't merely get played with...they told a story.  Sometimes it ended happy, sometimes it ended sad, but stories fascinated me from the get go.  

Film only made it worse as the years grew on. The idea that you could tell an incredible story in a matter of two hours utterly fascinated me and at the end of high school, I took my first real shot at writing and penned my first screenplay. Needless to say, it was bad, real bad.  So we'll leave it at that.  Instead I took time to study scripts and writing and a few years later I entered my first screenplay contest and placed in the top five.  This led to another script contest a few years later with a couple of pals to see if we could get a television show idea put together and once again, we placed in the top five.  

Yet after that, I more or less forgot about writing.  I knew I had the potential, I just moved on to other things, floating about until I realized that I truly missed writing and after much soul searching I realized I couldn't waste anymore time in my life and needed to get back to the one thing I always felt I was good at, writing stories.  So I set out with a few goals in mind.  For one, finish what I started with screenwriting and get a film sold and produced.  I also wanted to get a short story or two published, followed by the big one...publish a series of novels. 

I told myself I couldn't deviate from the plan, that I had to accomplish these three things as quickly as possible and as I write today, I feel good about my progress so far.  I've written a screenplay entitled Hurricane Kid that is currently under contract and in development out in Los Angeles. I've actually written a produced radio commercial, which I guess was a surprise bonus goal and I get to sit here on a regular basis and blog on this website, which has been a blast.  

But while one might think I would spend some time talking about Hurricane Kid, that's for another time. Because as I said before, there are three goals on my list.  I now know I can write a film and be taken seriously for it, but filmmaking and writing is quite different from published writing and it's a topic I will discuss in detail another time.  

You see, while getting a script out there is an incredible boost, I was always concerned if I was good enough for the publishing world.  There are writers out there who can write scripts but cannot do novelized work and vice versa.  I was always fond of the thought of just being able to write whatever story I wanted in whatever medium.  At last I can say...that might be the case. On November 1, 2013, Evil Girlfriend Media made a second wish on my list come true by publishing my short story An Undying Love in the horror anthology Roms, Bombs & Zoms and I have to tell you, I could not be happier or more filled with pride and also incredibly grateful for being given such an amazing opportunity. 

To see my name in print, and know that my story is out there...is an incredible relief.  Whether it be film or printed work, a common word to hear...is no.  So to hear a yes, is a weight lifted from my chest.  I can do this, was the first phrase that came to mind when the book was released, followed by...I am good enough after all.  I say those insecure things because writing is a scary venture.  You don't know how it will turn out until someone else has read it, it's truly an intangible idea until that moment.  

But more importantly, it means that two goals on my list are down.  While I've enjoyed basking in the awesomeness of finally being published, it has in turn galvanized me further.  There is more work to be done, there is a novel that sits finished on my shelf that needs to be looked over once more before heading out to agents.  I have to finish the list, I have to see this through to the end.  Because what it means to be published...is that you are only fueled that much more because all that fear is gone. Instead it is now replaced with determination and a sense of accomplishment that I've never known...and want more of. 

Maximillian, the Great Delacorte is nearing the end of his career, at least that is what his agent and wife believe.  But Maximillian is not willing to go down without a fight.  He has one or two more tricks up his sleeve being an accomplished magician and such.  Max is looking to prove himself to the loved ones in his life, especially his wife and assistant Cassandra who has been looking elsewhere for work right now. 

Maximillian spends most of his time in the Magic Room, aptly named as this is where he develops and refines his tricks before taking them on stage.  Now Max’s father stays in the house as well.  Suffering a stroke on stage, his father is more or less a vegetable for the time being, not being able to move on his own, or much less speak, he just sits in his chair and watches his son work.  But there is one special afternoon that his father will never forget, as he is witness to a fantastic and magical, albeit terrible performance.

Harry Kendal, Max’s long time agent comes to visit his soon to be ex-client. Unless Max will update his act and start going to events again, Harry will have to drop him from the client list.  Although Harry loves this old performer, he seems to have eyes for his wife, Cassandra.  With Max not in the house upon Harry's arrival, Harry takes the opportunity to put the moves on young Cassandra in the Magic Room, right in front of Max’s father.  Knowing that dear old dad would never be able to recount this to his son, much less anyone else, Cassandra is quite willing to let him watch. Then poof, as a true magician should enter, Max magically appears in the room, seemingly out of thin air.  Sending his wife out to the store, Max sits down with his agent and they begin to discuss their future together. 

Richard Matheson has the character of Maximillian completely locked down in Now You See It.  Max is not willing to lay down or be taken off of the main stage at this point and is more than willing to take his tricks to the extreme.  Just starting to play with his agent, Max has a camera that captures facial features and projects them into a little globe.  Being able to control the speech patterns, Max is more than willing to trick someone into having a conversation with themselves without any consequences, at least not right away.  Harry is impressed by this new trick, but as the afternoon sets in, the tricks get more extreme and someone is going to end up getting hurt.

Not being able to give away too much about this book, it is about a magician of course, Matheson has the attitude locked down of a man at the end of his rope.  This book is a page turner, especially at the end of each chapter, because you will need to know what happened a page or two previously.  Full of twists and turns as only a master of suspense can provide, Matheson delivers wonderfully with this book.  If you have ever been fascinated by magic, fine writing and twist endings, you will not be disappointed by this novel at all, ‘for a magician must foremost be an accomplished actor.’  You got that right. Happy reading!

Could it be possible to have your life stolen from your right in front of your eyes?  Your identity being taken out from under your nose?  No one believing you are who you say, not even your family?  These are questions that Chris Barton is left to ask himself after it happened to him.

Working for the government on a top secret project, mathematician Chris Barton has found himself in sort of a rut.  Not being able to crack his next equation, Chris is feeling burnt out and in need of a break from his work and his life.  One night when leaving his military installation, Chris finds that his car is missing.  Borrowing his co-workers car to get home for the night, Chris stops and picks up a lowly hitchhiker, just to break the monotony in his day.

The old man he picks up is named Albert Veering, and Chris would not forget this trip for the rest of his life.  The old man asks Chris many questions, about what he does, where he works and if he would be able to tell if something in his life was unreal.  Chris tries his hardest to deflect these questions, but when the trip ends for Veering, the old man insists that a wager be placed. ‘I will wager you the security of your existence against your assumption that you know what’s real and what’s unreal in your life.’  Chris, now exhausted from his day, and from talking with the old man, accepts the wager, a decision that will change his life forever.

When you pick up 7 Steps to Midnight, you do not know what to expect.  Someone having their identity stolen in today’s society is no more than having your credit destroyed, but in this novel it is much, much more involved.  Chris Baron is forced to find a way to survive while no one believes he is who he says he is.  Trying to prove his identity, Chris turns to the authorities for help, but is met with resistance when outside agencies are called in.  Now his situation is growing more serious, with spies on his tail at every turn. 

Chris is forced to leave the United States and travel overseas to find someone, anyone that is willing to help him or at least keep him alive for the night.  Not knowing who he can trust, Chris is forced to fall back on anything he can find about espionage.  Not being a spy himself, along with being a mathematician, Chris has no training for this sort of thing, but the books he reads give him an idea of what he needs to do to survive. With different agencies following his every move, Chris has to play his cards right to survive, and hopefully find out what he has in his head that is so important to everyone that is chasing him.

This is a fantastic page turner from Matheson.  Not knowing who he can trust, Chris Barton is on the adventure of his life leaving his home to find refuge in London, Paris and Lucerne.  With more twists and turns taken at every chapter, you never know what is going to happen next.  Also with murders, druggings and a great car chase, you will be doing to your best to catch your breath with where this novel takes you.  Just sit back and enjoy the ride and do not let your paranoia get the best of you. 

Get settled in, the story is about to begin...