Vijaya Schartz, author of Ashes for the Elephant God, Archangel Crusader, Archangel Checkmate, book reviewer, novelist, writer of visionary fiction and fantasy suspense

What would you do if faced with the stuff of nightmares coming to life in your sister’s bedroom? Zack did the only thing he could; vow to get the aliens, the Anaz-Voohri, and rescue his sister Ashley. After many years spent psychically communicating with his sister, he knew his alien enemy intimately. Having given up his childhood to embark on a quest to strengthen his mind and body, he was ready to take on any and every foe alone, until the FBI recruited him for his vast knowledge and gave him a platoon of soldiers. Could he finally meet his nemesis head on?

Tia Vargas was the best of the best at West Point, and when her schooling was over, had been assigned to oversee the conditioning of a special unit of soldiers. Unaware of the mission they faced, she strove to make sure these men could handle any situation with no questions asked. She excelled at all weaponry, all weather survival, and could handle herself in battle. The only thing that challenged her was her occasional nightmare, filled with strange, disconnected images of an arid unknown landscape which left her shaken and filled with dread. One soldier defied her at every turn, but proved to be her greatest ally. When he told her of their impending mission, all her nightmares came back with startling clarity. Could her mother’s ramblings of alien abductions be true?

Tia and Zack embark on a mission after Captain Kavak of the Anaz-Voohri asks him to meet her concerning his sister. What he encounters is the shell of his sister and a warning to the world. After a decade of silence they are in love in secret, and investigating possible Anaz-Voohri activity, when Zack gets mortally wounded saving Tia from a booby trapped cache of weapons. Feeling responsible for his injuries, Tia responds to an emergency summons and disappears. Zack, alone after being in a coma for months, wonders what became of Tia. Will these two ever reconcile? Is their love strong enough to endure time and circumstance?

Ms.Vijaya Schartz has written an epic novel of enduring love despite Herculean obstacles and extraterrestrial intrigues. I was caught up from the first sentence. I fell for Zack and his plight early on and admired his fight and determination to go after those who took his sister. The heartbreak and feelings of helplessness were communicated in his zeal for strength and mastery of his circumstances. Tia, in her unusual way, manifested the best in a partner displaying an unflinching loyalty and undying love for Zack dispite their frequent separations. Any reader who loves Sci-Fi action and adventure, along with romance, will love this journey. Ms Schartz’s prose will draw you into the book and make you feel for her characters. I adored this book.

"fast paced with just the right amount of action... The romance between Zack and Tia was very realistic... I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it... very memorable."
Five angels rating - Teresa - Fallen Angels Reviews -

Operation: Pleiades - Anaz-Voohri by Vijaya Schartz is the first book in the Pleiades series. This story begins with the telling of an old tale about how the great ones came to Earth and took the greatest of the Anasazi warriors away and changed them. That was the beginning of the Anaz-Voohri who overcame their captors and now they have returned to take over the Earth.

Zack is awakened in the dead of night by a vibration throughout his home with his baby sister, Ashley, mentally screaming for his help. Zack saw something human-like floating over her bed, but before he could do anything, he was knocked out. This is the beginning of Zack’s fight against the Anaz-Voohri, to bring her home. At the same time in outer space, Captain Kavak, the Anaz-Voohri leader, is angry about the nearly botched kidnapping of Ashley and the interference of Zack. The kidnapped girls are going to be altered by the alien scientists and used as weapons. Zack spends his youth looking for Ashley on his own until he meets up with his fate, in the shape of one person, Tia Vargas. Zack and Tia join forces with the government and others to fight off the impending alien invasion. There are many twists and unexpected turns in this fast paced book that are riveting to the reader. The unfolding love story between Tia and Zack forms the basis for the unfolding of the plot.

Ms. Schartz has created a fast paced romance with just the right amount of action that will hold the reader’s desire to find out what will happen next. I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it. The romance between Zack and Tia was very realistic in that even though things didn’t work out the way they wanted, they never forgot or truly gave up on each other. To maintain their belief in spite of all the information to the contrary made this book very memorable. I felt the use of the old legends of Anasazi added another level of reality to this book. I liked how Ms. Schartz created both good and bad humans and aliens, just the way it is in real life. I look forward to reading other books in the Pleiades series.

"The reader will be glued to the pages. This promises to be a great series"
Candy - Ecataromance - 4.5 star rating

"This one will keep you wondering till the end of the book and, even then..."
4-star rating - Ann M. Beardsley - Scribes World

Zack Duncan is eighteen when his seven-year-old sister is captured by aliens -- yes, those bald, bug-eyed, monsters who abduct upstanding citizens for nefarious purposes. But now, the aliens -- the Anaz-voohri, have a plan, and nothing is going to stop them. Zack, however, isn't going to let that get in his way, and he dedicates his life to getting his sister back. When part of his plan takes him into field training with Lieutenant Tia Vargas, the last thing either one of them had on their mind was romance. But war makes for strange bedfellows, and soon romance is blooming. But is Tia really an alien plant, a hybrid? And when Zack suffers a tragic accident, can they overcome the distance that's now between them?

This one will keep you wondering till the end of the book and, even then, I suspect the author's plotting a sequel or two (hurrah!). The dialogue is natural, and the plot is imaginative. Schartz's writing is so good, you can easily see the scenes in your head as if a movie were unfolding there. If you like science fiction but with more of an emphasis on romance, this book is for you.

"a fantastic futuristic science fiction adventure...definitely out-of-this-world!"
4.5 clovers rating - Debbie, ck2kwips&Kritiques

ANAZ-VOOHRI is a worthwhile addition to the library of all science fiction/futuristic fans who want a taste of romance in their books. The overall plot focuses on Zack’s efforts to thwart the alien culture that kidnapped his sister but the romantic element is still present and intertwined in the storyline. Vijaya Schartz has written a book that is definitely out-of-this-world!

We meet main character Zack as a teenager on the day he witnesses the alien abduction of his little sister. From that night on, he is relentless in his pursuit of the truth, defying the CIA, the FBI, and the American government while he’s at it. Eventually, he begins to cause too many problems and is given a choice - either he works with the powers that be as a consultant or he faces elimination. The story would have been pretty short if he chose the latter, so luckily he goes off to boot camp.

This book is not a romance but it does have a love story at its heart. It is actually a science fiction story about aliens planning to take over the world and the men and women devoted to stopping them. When Zack Duncan was a young man his little sister Ashley was snatched from her bed by an alien being. Zack witnessed the kidnapping and should have died, but Kavak, the war leader of the Anaz–Voohri, messed up and he survived and recovered. From then on he was determined that the truth should be heard and devoted his life to finding his sister. Along the way he met an army lieutenant Tia Vargas and despite the tough training he endured at her hands, he began to fall in love with her. However, these are dangerous times and when Zack is terribly injured protecting Tia it leads them down separate paths for some years. I have to admit that this isn't my favorite genre, though I thought the book was tense, exciting and imaginative. I liked Zack's tenacity and the way the story panned out at the end. I think this must be one of a series, which I am sure will enthrall lovers of this genre for some books to come. For the romance that it does contain I award four red roses.

When Zack Duncan awakes one July night in 2003 to no power in the house and a strange vibration permeating the wall little does he know that before the night is over he will embark on a journey the likes of which even the X-Files could not have imagined. To Zack’s horror, once he finally gains his sister Ashley’s room, he finds a tall alien in the process of taking his little charge. Despite his near heroic efforts, he cannot get to his sister in time and she is taken by Anaz-Voohri leader Kavak.

ANAZ-VOOHRI is a definite “must” read for both existing fans of this series as well as those new to it.

In a plot to take over Earth, the Anaz-Voohri kidnap twelve young girls. One of these exceptional children was the sister of Zack Duncan. Thus begins his lifelong quest to destroy the Anaz-Voohri and rescue his sister. The only thing in his life as important is Tia Vargas.

For this reviewer, the hero Zack is what causes the whole tale to be so engrossing. He is just a teenager when his sister is kidnapped and the reader is able to follow this remarkable man’s tale until his late 30’s. Zack is a very intelligent and complex man that this reader would love to be able to sit down and talk over a good cup of tea.

"Vijaya Schartz has turned out a true winner in Anaz-Voohri and it is a book not to miss."
Five-star rating - Two Lips Reviews