Loving The Book Presents: Great Summer Reads 2020; #BlogTour, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Giveaway

I’m a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds—Ancient Egypt, Medieval Wales, and coming soon, a hair-raising adventure through ancient worlds in search of 5 rare Phoenix Feathers.

All of my books come with Free study guides and/or extensive Back-of-the-Book materials.

My husband and I love to travel. In 2008, we spent three weeks in Egypt traveling by local train from one end of the country to the other; in 2014, we spent three weeks in the UK driving over 1700 miles through England, Wales, and Scotland; and in 2016, we spent a week in Iceland. We’ve also traveled to Mexico, Jamaica, and Aruba. Our next big adventure will be to Greece and Italy.

When I’m not writing or traveling, our 4 grandkids keep us busy.

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Three Friends

Three Quests

Three Mysterious Predictions

Gavin, Philip, and Bryan bravely vow to clear their friend of murder by taking the Knight’s Oath and embarking on individual quests to save The Wild Man. In the end, each one faces their fears and even death in their determination not to fail.

And one will have to disclose the biggest secret of all.

Join Gavin, Phillip, and Bryan on their quests and share the adventures that await them in the land of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

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Q&A With the Author:

How many books do you have out, and do you have a favorite?

I have 10 books in print. Four are Arthurian Legend (Guinevere trilogy, The King’s Ransom); two are Ancient Egypt (Tutankhamen Speaks, Sons of the Sphinx); two are picture books (Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales 1 & 2); Guardian of a Princess (Arthurian shorts); and a Writing Journal.

It’s hard to pick a favorite.  I love my Guinevere trilogy because it really shows the character growth of Guinevere and Cedwyn. All of my Arthurian stories are fascinating adventures into the days of King Arthur. I absolutely love being transported back to ancient Egypt in those stories.

How do you come up with character names?

I take my Arthurian characters from the legend and from Welsh name lists. My ancient Egyptian characters are actually from history.

Do you have a favorite author/book that inspired you?

In college, I was introduced to writers of the ancient worlds and in-depth Arthurian legend. Rather than a single book/author, this is what inspired me to write, along with my high school students.

What is your favorite writing snack?

Fudgsicles.

What is one piece of advice you could give to a new author that you wish someone had passed to you?

I’ve used this advice for several books: Re-read the previous writing session and then just continue on from here. Let your Creative Voice do the writing and don’t worry about errors. Kick that Critical Voice out the door!

What is the best Holiday/vacation you ever went on?

Without a doubt, the three weeks we spent in Egypt in 2008. We went on our own, stayed in local small hotels and hostels, rode the train from Cairo to Aswan back to Luxor and then on to Cairo, and saw so many amazing sites. I would go back in a heartbeat! I do believe I left part of my soul there.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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Loving The Book Presents: Great Summer Reads 2020; #BlogTour, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #TBR, #Giveaway

I’m a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds—Ancient Egypt, Medieval Wales, and coming soon, a hair-raising adventure through ancient worlds in search of 5 rare Phoenix Feathers.

All of my books come with Free study guides and/or extensive Back-of-the-Book materials.

My husband and I love to travel. In 2008, we spent three weeks in Egypt traveling by local train from one end of the country to the other; in 2014, we spent three weeks in the UK driving over 1700 miles through England, Wales, and Scotland; and in 2016, we spent a week in Iceland. We’ve also traveled to Mexico, Jamaica, and Aruba. Our next big adventure will be to Greece and Italy.

When I’m not writing or traveling, our 4 grandkids keep us busy.

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Their friendship put him in harm's way. Will it be enough to save him? 

Across the dark water to the land of ancient Gaul, renegades take Cedwyn and the littl'uns farther from home and rescue.

Led by her heart rather than her head and without any thought for her safety, fifteen-year-old Guinevere sets out alone to save Cedwyn. And if she fails…?

Eleven-year-old Cedwyn's trust in Guinevere is absolute. But will his sacrifice to save her and protect the littl'uns end with the loss of his own life? 

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Q&A With the Author:

1. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to spend time with my kids and grandkids. The 4 four grandkids enjoy hiking Donkey Mountain (at the end of our street), catching bugs, riding bikes, and just playing. I also love to read. Working in our yard is also something I enjoy although I don’t have a green thumb.

2. What was the hardest part of writing your book, and how did you overcome it?

The ending of the story was the hardest in Guinevere: The Legend. I didn’t know what my characters were going to do, and I was afraid of what would happen. That sounds crazy, I know, but when I’m writing, it’s the character(s) and my creative brain in charge. It took me about six weeks before I finally just sat down and let them finish the story.

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Our next big trip will be to Greece and Italy. I’m somewhat obsessed with the ancient world and can’t wait to see the ancient architecture in those countries. Greece: the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Olympia, and Mycenae to name a few. Italy: Pompeii and Herculaneum which were buried in the Mt. Vesuvius eruption, the Colosseum, and the Circus Maximus to name just a few.

Made our trek to Egypt a few years ago.

4. Where do you get information and ideas for your books?

My ideas for the basis of my stories come from literature of the ancient and medieval worlds. From there I determine what stories I could write set in those worlds that would appeal to young readers (and mature readers). Since I taught a lot of the literature from those time periods, I have a good idea of what will attract readers (ages 9-17) to my books and characters.

5.  Tell us a bit about a future project you are working. Do you have any little sneak peaks you can share?

Currently, I’m working hard on book 1 in my Feathers of the Phoenix series. It’s called the Atlantean Horse. The series follows Rosa (from Sons of the Sphinx) and maybe her cousin Jerome—still debating that one—as she/they search and track down the five feathers from the fabled Phoenix bird which Poseidon expelled from the island of Atlantis before he sank it.

Also on the back burner is book 2 in my Young Knights of the Round Table series. I’ve had numerous inquiries about it, but haven’t settled on a solid idea yet.

Here’s the current opening for The Atlantean Horse:

Chapter 1

It’s late April here next to the foothills on the edge of the Denver suburbs, and yesterday’s storm dropped two feet of snow. Overnight it turned into a roaring blizzard plummeting temps below zero. The snow has moved on, but not the biting cold. The wind gusts not only create impassable drifts, it keeps the wind chill factor far below freezing. Even sheltered behind this window in my darkened living room I find myself rubbing my arms for warmth.

Outside, newly leafed trees fight against the ice coating their branches, a fight lost for some of them. The crackle of breaking limbs echoes through the glass. I shudder from sadness at the thought of the new life brought to an end so soon after emerging. But that’s Colorado for you. Here the weather changes from one day to the next, sometimes from one hour to the next.

For the second day, schools are closed. My friends are inside playing video games or chatting online hoping that the afternoon will be calm enough for sledding and snowball fights. I’m usually one of those. Nothing like a wet spring snow and a roaring ride down the hill below my house. I might even talk my dad into sledding, if it’s not too dark once he and mom get home from work.  I’m not a fan of the snowball fights—though my cousin Jerome, who lives across the street, is—after having my nose broken by an errant snowball. On these days, I can still feel the impact, the pain and the blood running down my face and throat. A warm liquid that is nothing like a cup of hot chocolate soothing as it goes down. This almost gags me even now.

Usually I welcome Mother Nature’s little tantrums, but not this late. The wet cold hangs in the air and in my body refusing to let go. And today, in particular, I long for the stifling heat and that burning orb of the desert on my skin. Heat so thick I can see it rising in twisting streams from the blistering sand. And the sun literally baking my body, my hair, my skin. Never thought I’d wish for that again.

I don’t hear dead people anymore either. And that makes me sad. You heard right, sad. After all I went through with Tut and Hesena in ancient Egypt...1330 B.C. to be exact…I miss it. Well, let me rephrase that. I don’t miss the dead that talked—complained is more like it—before Tut came to me. I miss my Nana’s gift that let me help Tut find Hesena, his love, and helped him restore his family’s good name.

Those others, the ones who wanted a second chance at life, are gone now. I’ve even gotten through almost two years of school without the other kids wondering if I’m ever going to be sane. I’m sure they’re as relieved as me that those dead don’t interrupt my classes or my tests. A small part of me even misses the challenge of defeating General Horemheb, though not the almost dying part.

6. Tell us a story from your childhood.

Every August my family would spend 10 days at a small resort in Gunnison, Colorado. My dad was a fisherman. He would fish everyday. My mom would bring her sewing machine, patterns, and cloth to sew our school clothes. My grandparents used to come also. My brother and sister and I would hang out with the kids of the owners. We climbed the same mountains year after year, walked for miles, built forts in the willows by the river, and many times took the raft across the river to explore.

Over time (around 12 years), we became such good friends that the bond forged back then has carried into our adult lives. Some of the siblings, theirs and ours, have passed on, but we still stay in touch. When we do get to talk or get together, it’s like we just saw each other last summer.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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Loving The Book Presents: Great Summer Reads 2019; #BlogTour, #NowAvailable, #OutNow, #Giveaway

I’m a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. 

Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. 

Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds.

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 If they fail...

She could die over 3300 years from home!

Tackle the elements & evil of Ancient Egypt...

A history-changing battle & Time Travel Thriller...

Fifteen-year-old Rosa doesn't see dead people...

She hears them & talks to them.

When she agrees to help King Tut's ghost find his lost queen & clear his family's name, she doesn't count on falling for him.

She & Tut must also outwit an evil pharaoh determined to stop them...

Even if it means one of them must die.

Get it today and see who triumphs.

2015 IAN Book of the Year Finalist YA

2015 CAL Book Award Finalist YA Fiction

2015 Readers' Favorite Finalist YA

2014 Literary Classics Seal of Approval

2014 Literary Classics Silver Medal for PreTeen/Tween

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Snippet:

No way! “Hey, Tut. This sphinx still has its nose. This isn’t The Sphinx.”

“What are you saying, Roosa? Come and help me clear the sand away from the stele.” “I said, this isn’t The Sphinx. It still has its nose.”

“Of course, it has a nose. That’s the way it was made.”

“No. You don’t understand,” I protest. “The Sphinx in my time has no nose. It’s been broken off for centuries.”

Tut casts me a perplexed look. A tingling sensation goes through me like when you touch your tongue to the two terminals of a battery. “Come, Roosa.  We need to unbury the stele.”

I follow blindly, still looking at the undamaged face of the Sphinx.  It’s definitely more striking to see it in one piece.

“People have always wondered what happened to it,” I say more to myself than to Tut. “Guess I won’t find out now.”

It is only as I help Tut scoop the sand away from the top edge of the stele that I realize the sand has drifted and blown all around the Sphinx, burying it up to its neck in places.  No wonder it appears smaller.

“The desert always reclaims its own, even mighty Pharaohs.”

I jerk my head up searching for the voice. I glance at Tut, but he continues to dig.

My hands wrap themselves around my stomach. The nausea’s coming back.  It is her. It is Ankhesenamun.

“It is all right, Rosa. Here in my homeland I find communication easier for short moments.”

Tut stops digging, his eyes glued on me. “Please, Rosa. Show him I still love and support him.”

Confused, I start to question her, but like an avalanche, the answer bursts into my mind.

The picture at home in my room. The two of them. Her longing sits heavy in the pit of my stomach. Unable to do anything else, I nod ever so slightly. Then, with Tut’s expression still questioning, I reach out and touch him as she does in the picture.  Energy flows down my arm into my fingertips. Tut grips my hand and presses it to his heart.

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Loving The Book Presents: Guinevere: At The Dawn Of Legend by Cheryl Carpinello; #BookTour, #OutNow, #Review, #Giveaway

Rating:  4 Stars

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received this book for review from Loving The Book and the author.  I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".

"Think before acting," her father always warned.  But Princess Guinevere is ruled by her heart. Her betrothal to King Arthur has
not changed this.

When Guinevere and Cedwyn's latest adventure takes a dangerous turn, they find themselves embroiled in a life-or-death struggle as foretold by Merlyn's Goddess of the Stones.

Renegades--foiled in their attempt to kidnap the princess--steal the children of Cadbury Castle to sell as slaves. Guinevere and
Cedwyn vow to rescue the children, but a miscalculation puts them all in more danger. The plan quickly unravels, and Guinevere's impassioned decisions come crashing down as Cedwyn chooses to turn his dream of becoming a knight into reality. Will their courage be strong enough to survive, or will one make the ultimate sacrifice?"

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The author writes a personal message to readers.  Please take a moment to read.

This book is a nice alternative to the older or adult edition.  Especially when trying to get younger readers to understand the Arthurian era.  It gives the younger reader a different perspective.  But it’s also a story that both young and old can enjoy.  The author keeps her story short which is good for those with short attention spans.  It also lets them read the full story in parts.

As I started this book, I found wanting to sit where I might have nature around me.  It would have to be somewhere quiet or has sounds that are muted so that I don’t get distracted.  I want to enhance the reading experience not detract from it.  I don’t know that you could do that in a classroom but teachers are very creative and I’m sure that they could come up with something.

It’s a great story to show the differences in our lives.  How our beliefs have changed.  You tend to forget how old Cedwyn and Guinevere are in this tale.  They are wise and do things beyond their years but every once-in-a-while their youth seeps in.  If the “audience” loves to learn about times long ago than they will enjoy this.  The author has included discussion questions that a teacher or parent could use to test their understanding.  It will also let you know if they have retained any part of what they read.

I’m a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long
past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds—Ancient Egypt, Medieval Wales, and coming soon, a hair-raising adventure through ancient worlds in search of 5 rare Phoenix Feathers.

All of my books come with Free study guides and/or extensive Back-of-the-Book materials.

My husband and I love to travel. In 2008, we spent three weeks in Egypt traveling by local train from one end of the country to the other; in 2014, we spent three weeks in the UK driving over 1700 miles through England, Wales, and Scotland; and in 2016, we spent a week in Iceland. We’ve also traveled to Mexico, Jamaica, and Aruba. Our next big adventure will be to Greece and Italy.

When I’m not writing or traveling, our 4 grandkids keep us busy.

Connect with the Author here: 

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Book Sound Track for Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend, book 2.

Stand By Me by Ben E. King

Fight Song by Rachel Platten

I’ll Be There For You by The Rembrands

B.B.B.F.F. (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Float On by Modest Mouse

Learning to Fly (Brave) by Tom Petty

Learn Me Right (Brave) by Mumford & Sons, Feat Birdy

Touch The Sky (Brave) by Julie Fowlis

Author Interview with Cheryl Carpinello

1. When did you start writing and was there a specific event or person who influenced you to become as author?

I’ve been writing for a long time; I wrote my first poem in eighth grade. My college years and my teaching career solidified my love of the ancient world and the times of King Arthur. It wasn’t until I retired from teaching literature and writing that I had the time to devote to my own tales which had roamed around in my head for years.

2. Are you currently working on a project, and if so, can you tell us about it?

Yes and yes! I have started a new five book series Feathers of the Phoenix, and the first book The Atlantean Horse. Rose from Sons of the Sphinx will share the spotlight in this series with her cousin Jerome. Both of them have special abilities that they are struggling to live with and still be teenagers. The adventure revolves around an old prophecy that says one day when the five feathers of the Phoenix bird are reunited with a white stallion and one-who-survived—both of which were saved from destruction by Poseidon when he destroyed Atlantis—the lost island will rise again long enough for all three to return to their home. It will then disappear forever. Naturally there are those who want to be at the rising in order to steal the treasures rumored to be in that lost city.

3. What is your favorite writing snack?

Red licorice.

4. If you could have dinner with any of your characters, which ones would you choose and why? What food would you serve?

I would love to sit with young Guinevere from my Guinevere trilogy, but I’m a picky eater. There’s very little food from Medieval times that I would eat.

5. How do you relax, or what do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

I love spending time with our grandkids. We two boys, ages 9 & 4, and two girls, ages 2 & 1. They are a lively bunch and keep us running.

6. What’s your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to reach it?

Traveling. I want to visit those places in the ancient and medieval worlds—whose literature I taught--that I’ve read and written about. We’ve done Egypt, Wales, England, Iceland, but have a lot more to explore. Every other year we pick a destination and plan a 3-week trip. Due for the next one in 2018. Wonder where we’ll go?

7. What do you fear most?

Losing those I care for most. We’ve had a lot of loses in our family in the past, and just in the last nine months, we have said goodbye to three.

8. What advice would you give someone who wants to write a book some day?

Ask yourself these questions:

What type of story do you want to write?

Who are you writing for?

How will your characters/plot appeal to readers?

Why do you want to write?

  

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