It's #RogueOne Release Week! #StarWars

There's only one thing on my mind this week, and it's the release of Rogue One at my local cinema in just two days. Woo hoo! Me and my two boys will be seeing it in 3D - eldest is unfortunately missing out as she has a prior date at a music concert. Shame. I could have gone to a one minute past midnight showing on the day, but I'd feel bad about seeing it before my two boys.

Wil Wheaton was lucky enough to get invited to the Rogue One premier, and here's what he had to say...

The last time I loved a Star Wars movie as much as I loved #RogueOne, it was 1977.

— Wil Wheaton (@wilw) December 11, 2016

Does this make me happy? Hell, yeah! I was too young to see the very first Star Wars shown at the cinema (before it ever got renamed as A New Hope), but I still remember the magic of seeing it on TV for the first time a few Christmases later. It changed my life. I went from writing fantasy to scifi, and to a lifelong crush on Luke Skywalker, and to dreams of being a Jedi and flying an X-wing. It sparked my first scifi trilogy (never finished and never to be published, but it was the start). While I'm not expecting to discover a new fictional boyfriend (or girlfriend), after The Force Awakens and hearing Gareth Edwards enthusiasm for Star Wars at the Rogue One panel at Star Wars Celebration Europe, I am expecting to get all the same feels. I think it'll be darker, I'm not convinced there'll be a romance--though probably some sparks--but I am expecting the same Star Wars awesomeness of the originals.

So while you wait for my non-spoiler report next week (when Spacefreighters Lounge will be Going Rogue!), here's Wil Wheaton's non-spoiler take on the premier HERE. (And I haven't read it because I want to go in as innocent as I possibly can.)

Still my favourite teaser!

Happenings
It's also the start of the SFR Brigade Holiday Showcase on Thursday, and I finally completed my first Christmas SFR to give away as part of the event. Woot! The short features my main couple - Keir and Quin from the time travel series Redemption - so if you haven't read the two current books of the series, you might find it a little hard to follow and somewhat spoilerific. Sorry! Of course, you could always buy the two main novels first...

Visit the event HERE from the 15th onwards.

On Friday, my post at Romancing the Genres is all about the inspirations that finally helped me to write my Christmas SFR HERE. After next week I'll be taking time off the internet to spend time with my family but I'll still have two posts going live here rounding up 2016 and looking forward to 2017 before my official return after the 4th of January.

Status Update
The Christmas short is finished and ready to download from the 15th. I'm making more notes on Keir's Shadow, strengthening the secondary romance in the story. I'm hoping to do some reading over the Christmas holidays - long overdue!

Chook Update
My girls are not happy about the cold weather but all is well with them.

See ya after Rogue One!