The Synchrotron by Rain Hunter

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Nina Soden

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

The End of the World has Never Been This Incompetent!

The Synchrotron

by Rain Hunter

Genre: Science Fiction Comedy

✔️A deadly virus.
✔️A world overrun by monsters.
✔️ Six scientists on a dangerous mission to cure the world.
We are screwed…

They only wanted a Nobel Prize. Instead, they will have to save the world.

It was going to be the experiment of the year. Preparing to blast x-rays through a piece of palladium at the most dazzling European synchrotron, Anna and five of her fellow scientists expected a few hiccups.

Not a horde of hungry spleen-eating zombies.

The world has succumbed to the virus, leaving only scattered survivors.

When Anna and her friends realise that the infected can be cured back into humans, they pledge to find a cure no matter the cost. Equipped with a lab wrench and questionable lab ethics, Team ID26 are humanity’s last hope.

But what is the price of saving the world?

Running out of time, Anna and her friends will face the impossible choices between life and death, morality and cure. When the future of the world is at stake, what will they have to sacrifice?

**Only .99cents!!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

What is similar between science and postapocalyptic survival?

Everything that can, will go wrong.”

Rain Hunter is a writer of post-apocalyptic science fiction. Having spent years as a materials researcher, Rain intricately weaves scientific precision into the stories. “I’ve had a fun lab run over the years and might have picked some degrees on the way,” laughs Rain. “But the most important thing for my books is that the science has to be real. No more can-and-know-it-all characters! If I know how to cook meth from baking soda and cough syrup, I won’t be able to start a rocket engine, full stop. Even in fiction!”

Rain is a huge fan of the zombie genre, both in movies and books. “I’d kill to be a zombie extra in a film. Even if they smash my brains out in the first two seconds. Sign me up anytime.”

Dark humour and irony are the main ingredients in Rain’s novels. “I am sure the world will die laughing. That’s what I would do.”

Rain lives in Birmingham (England), which serves as a main inspiration for the goriest post-apocalyptic scenes. In their spare time, Rain plays a harp in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Nah, not really.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok * Amazon * Goodreads

Would you like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

How about we speak about all the things that you learn that are NOT writing? Are you an indie author? You will know all about the daily grind of DEY – do everything yourself. From creating your own website to your own ads. Here are some of the professions I’m mastering so that more people could see my books (I didn’t even say buy):

Editor. Here is an example: one of my editors (US-based) offered on her website a separate service for converting British English into American English (all those ises into izes). Reasonable – as a British author I would like to be understood by my American fans. (Hello? Any American fans around?) I specified with her that I was writing in British English (just to make sure). Guess what came back? All my en-dashes brutally converted into a bunch of em dashes. My novel started to look like written by a rabid AI. Well, if she doesn’t know the differences in bloody dashes, how could I trust her as an editor?
Cover designer. It’s okay if your novel is a mainstream romantasy (no disrespect, just not my genre) and you can photoshop some stock images into an epically looking fae/princess/warrior. It’s a completely different piece of guts when you need to explain to people what a synchrotron is. I attached photos. Photos didn’t help.

Also, explaining what is post-apocalyptic comedy turned out difficult. Or I’m just shit in explaining.

Instagram influencer. Yes, it’s a bloody job. Some people are good at it and are paid for it. Not me, sorry. I have 107 followers. They seem to be reading all types of books but not MINE.
Book formatter. Throwing together a printable pdf doesn’t work anymore.
Ads. Holy Odin, if there is Hell, it’s surely populated with ads and people creating ads that nobody ever clicks.
SEO whisperer. Backlinks, keywords, optimisation. When was the last time you searched for anything on Google? What did you find? Did you read past the AI bot at the top of the page? It’s high time we do AIO (AI optimisation).

Join my mailing list for more self-publishing stories. I’m honest and don’t pretend self-publishing is not shit. It is, until maybe book forty-two. Why do I do it? Because some books are too niche for trad pub and I do hope to be able – one day – to pay for a family dinner with the money I make from my books.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Movie Review)

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Nina Soden

Title: Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)

Director: James Bobin

Screenplay By: Nicholas Stoller and Matthew Robinson

Stars: Isabela Merced, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Pena, Benicio Del Toro

Genre(s): Adventure | Comedy | Family

Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes | Rating: PG

IMDB STORY LINE:

Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora for her most dangerous adventure ever: high school. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots, Diego, a mysterious jungle inhabitant, and a ragtag group of teens on a live-action adventure to save her parents and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost Inca civilization. Written by Nick Moreau

Now let’s talk about the movie… That’s why we are here, right?

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW ★★★★ (4 Stars)
Writing/Story: ★★★★ | Cinematography: ★★★★ | Character(s)/Acting: ★★★★

Writing/Story: ★★★★

My kids are still young. Young enough that I remember them watching Dora the Explorer over and over when they were really little. Admittedly, because they watched it… so did I. I didn’t love the cartoon, but I didn’t hate it either. The ‘Map’ song got stuck in my head more days than it didn’t, but those were good times and good memories.

When I heard they were making a live action Dora movie, I was not surprised. My kids weren’t all that interested in seeing it in the theatre, nor was I, but free on TV… sure why not. Especially since I was asked by a reader to review it.

The screenplay was written very true to the original cartoon. It definitely felt like they brought the cartoon characters to life. I appreciated their loyalty to the original animation and found that it was surprisingly really fun to watch. I agree with Libby when she says it was refreshingly funny.

Cinematography ★★★★

It was live action… as life action as a kid’s movie can get. The cinematography helped to bring the audience into the action sequences making viewers feel like they’re in the action and running through the jungle right alongside Dora and her friends.

Character(s)/Acting: ★★★★

The kids in this film did a great job. They took on their roles 100% and looked like they were having so much fun during filming.

FUN FACTS:

* Isabela Merced, who plays Dora, had earlier starred as Dora’s friend Kate in Dora and Friends: Into the City! (2014)

* Weeks before the film’s release, a pair of red boots were digitally applied to Boots after it was found he wasn’t wearing any.

* The film was released in 2019 which is one year shy from the 20^th Anniversary of the original Dora the Explorer (2000) series.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE:

“This is a golden poison tree frog! Can YOU say ‘extreme neurotoxicity’?” ~ Dora

“Oh look, Dora brought a knife on the field trip everybody!” ~ Sammy

TO SUM IT UP:

Not my favorite movie of the year and I probably wouldn’t watch it again, but I enjoyed it and I’m glad I saw it.

Have you seen Dora and the Lost City of Gold yet? If so, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If not, I highly recommend seeing it for yourself and forming your own opinion.

YESTERDAY (Movie Review)

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Nina Soden

Would you prefer to watch the video review, instead of reading it? CLICK ON THE VIDEO BELOW!

Title: Yesterday (2019)

Director: Danny Boyle

Story By: Jack Barth and Richard Curtis

Screenplay Writer: Richard Curtis

Stars: Himesh Patel and Lily James

Genre(s): Comedy | Fantasy | Music

Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW ★★★★ (4.66 Stars)

Writing/Story: ★★★★★ | Cinematography: ★★★★★ | Character(s)/Acting: ★★★★

IMDB STORY LINE:

In Lowestoft UK, Jack Malik is a frustrated musician whose musical career is going nowhere despite the faith that his friend/manager Ellie Appleton has in him. However, on the night Jack decides to give up, the whole world is momentarily hit with a massive blackout that lasts just 12 seconds. During this strange event, Jack is hit by a bus. Upon regaining consciousness, Jack learns to his astonishment that he is apparently now the only one who knows the music of the Beatles. Realizing this improbable opportunity, Jack begins playing the music of the greatest rock band, claiming it as his own. It pays off quickly and Jack becomes a worldwide musical sensation. However, Jack finds himself drifting away from Ellie, only realizing his love for her when she has become intimidated by his success, which is dependent on a blatant plagiarization that no one could find out. Now, Jack must make a fundamental moral decision about his music to satisfy his conscience as he decides what he truly needs.

MY 2 CENTS:

This movie went under the radar for me. I never heard about it until I was scrolling through my movie apps one day. I had seen Bohemian Rhapsody (which I loved) and Rocketman (which I thought was just ok), but had never even heard of Yesterday. When I found out it was all about The Beatles… and that it takes place in modern day, I was intrigued.

Basically, it asks the question; What would you do if you were a musician and one day you woke up and The Beatles never existed? You’re the only one who knows who The Beatles are—or were—and you know all their songs. Would you play their music and claim it as your own?

That is exactly what Jack Malik, played by Himesh Patel, did in this film.

Writing/Story: ★★★★★

This film was fun and fast paced. The way the writer incorporated the music of The Beatles so smoothly really leads to the question, if The Beatles has started today… would their music have done as well? The music was obviously fantastic for anyone, like myself, who loves The Beatles. If you don’t like the music of The Beatles, don’t watch this film.

To be honest, I don’t typically enjoy musicals. I can watch them. I can appreciate the talent it takes to create them. However, I have a hard time suspending my disbelief. I didn’t have that problem with this film. Yesterday is different than other music centered films such as Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody. This one isn’t about The Beatles. It’s not about the band. At its core, Yesterday is a musical rom-com. It’s a romantic comedy, centered around a musician who just so happens to be the only guy in the world who knows the music of The Beatles and the girl who loves him.

Cinematography ★★★★★

I really enjoyed the cinematography throughout this film. The global blackout, the moment Jack gets hit by the bus, the concert scenes… and so many other scenes are visually stunning.

Character(s)/Acting: ★★★★

OK, first let me just say that the chemistry between Himesh Patel and Lily James is amazing! For that reason alone, this is a great film to go see.

Himesh Patel is a wonderfully talented actor and musician. He actually did all his own signing and playing in the movie. He is completely natural on screen and just seems to slide right into this role.

It was fun to see that Ed Sheeran has a memorable role, playing himself in the film, and honestly did a great job. He stated in an interview that The Beatles are his main inspiration for his songs.

In my opinion, the weakest role was that of Kate McKinnon. She plays the Hollywood producer that takes Jack on and jumpstarts his career. She was fine, but she played the same over the top role she plays in most films.

FUN FACTS:

Screenwriter Richard Curtis asked for Paul McCartney‘s approval of the title of the film. Sir Paul gave his blessing, but also suggested they call it “Scrambled Eggs” instead. This was a lighthearted reference to the fact that before coming up with the lyrics for Yesterday, Paul McCartney had the temporary lyrics of Scrambled Eggs as a placeholder for the song.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE:

“You want a good life? It’s not complicated. Tell the girl you love that you love her. And tell the truth to everyone whenever you can.” ~ John Lennon (Yesterday)

TO SUM IT UP:

This film is definitely worth the time!

Have you seen Yesterday? If you have, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If not, I recommend seeing it for yourself and forming your own opinion.

Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.

Swiped (2018) Movie Review

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Nina Soden

Would you prefer to watch the video review, instead of reading it? CLICK HERE

Title: Swiped (2018)
Director: Ann Deborah Fishman
Writer: Ann Deborah Fishman
Stars: Noah Centineo, 
Kristen Johnston, George 
Hamilton, Christian 
Hutcherson, Kendall Ryan 
Sanders, and Nathan Gamble
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 93 minutes

Let me first say this… Just because I didn’t really care for this movie doesn’t mean you won’t like it. I don’t typically review movies and books that I don’t care for because I don’t want to discourage anyone else from seeing a movie that they might enjoy.

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW ~ Overall: ★★ (2.5)
Writing/Story: ★★ Acting: ★★★

STORYLINE: James, a college freshman and computer genius, is enlisted by his womanizing roommate, Lance, to code the ultimate hook-up app. But when James discovers that his divorced mother is using the app, unexpected consequences ensue.

MY 2 CENTS:

Writing/Story: ★★ This one is cliché! We’ve seen this story a thousand times… sure it’s updated a bit with the introduction of technology and the invention of an app, but honestly its just ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ meets ‘Sydney White’ meets ‘American Pie’ meets ‘Animal House’. The problem is, this one doesn’t quiet hit the mark.

Acting: ★★★ Leigh-Allyn Baker (Leah Singer) is the one shining light in this film. She does a beautiful job playing the single parent trying to be ok with her situation while inside she is broken.

MY FAVORITE QUOTES:

“You must be my, soon to be transferred to another college, roommate.” ~ Lance Black

Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.

View the Official Trailer Here!

Extended Trailer:

Murder Mystery #SundayScreening Movie Review

Posted on June 30, 2019 by Nina Soden

Would you prefer to watch the video review, instead of reading it? CLICK HERE

TITLE: Murder Mystery (2019)
DIRECTOR: Kyle Newacheck
WRITERS: James Vanderbilt
STARS: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans, and Terence Stamp
GENRE(S): Action, Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Romance
RUNTIME: 97 minutes
RATED: PG-13

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW

WRITING: ★★★  CINEMATOGRAPHY: ★★★ STORY: ★★★ ACTING: ★★★
OVERALL: ★★★

STORYLINE:

A New York cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage, but end up getting framed and on the run for the death of an elderly billionaire.

MY 2 CENTS:

Writing: ★★★ The writing is really the only thing holding this film together and it wasn’t that great. It has a decent plot – a New York cop and his wife go on a vacation they probably can’t afford and they end up getting framed for the murder of a billionaire. I guess they would have motive because they don’t have much money to start with, but come on.

Alternate Ending… There were hints at the beginning of the film… Jennifer Aniston’s character commented on how her husband, played by Adam Sandler, never listens. She has wanted to go on this vacation for years. In fact, it’s their honeymoon, but they have been married for a pretty long time already. Second hint… he was reading a murder mystery on the plane – she loves them. Where, as an author, I thought the film should go was that Adam Sandler was saving money for years, planning the perfect murder mystery vacation for his wife. In the end we would find out it was all a big game, just like in the movie The Game.

Nope, that isn’t what happened. You’ll just have to watch it for yourself to see the disappointing end.

Cinematography: ★★★ There were some decent shots when they were in the car chase, but other than that, the cinematography was nothing to write home about.

Story: ★★★ I thing I covered this when I was talking about the writing. I would have done things a bit different with the ending to allow for a plot twist that this movie failed to give the viewers.

Acting: ★★★ I’ve never been a huge fan of Adam Sandler; he tends to yell to much in his films. However, he didn’t do that in this one. No, in fact, he was very subdued. The acting wasn’t terrible, but it could have been better.

I like Jennifer Aniston, I have since her time on Friends, but she is a lot like Brad Pitt… nice to look at but a little one noted when it comes to character development.

MY FAVORITE QUOTES:

“All women are actresses, dear. I’m just clever enough to get paid for it.”