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

I am a children’s author, but up until a few years ago, I was a journalist and editor. Something rather unexpected sparked my new career as an author—a family trip to Egypt with my mother and two young nephews. We had a great time and I thought I’d write them a short story as a different kind of souvenir…. Well, one book and a planned book series later, I had changed careers. I have now published Book 3 (The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper) in my MG adventure series Chronicles of the Stone, with many awards for the first book, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, and a few for Book 2, The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, and one already for Book 3! I also teach online novel writing for aspiring authors and I find that very satisfying. Relaxation time finds me enjoying something creative or artistic, music, books, theatre or ballet. I love doing research for my book series. I love animals and have written two animal rescue stories. I have two adorable (naughty) little dogs called Chloe and Pumpkin, and a beautiful black cat called Bertie.

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In this exciting Middle Grade adventure set in Egypt, a 5000-year-old mystery comes to life. A scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger. Dr. Khalid wants the relic at all costs. Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them. They learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor. They must translate the hieroglyphic clues on the underside of the scarab, as well as rescue the missing archaeologist James Kinnaird, and their friend, the Egyptologist Ebrahim Faza, before time runs out!

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Q&A With the Author:

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

I love reading, movies, staying at home, but also visiting new places. Especially places of interest with something historical to learn.

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

I am in the middle of my MG adventure series and, honestly, there’s nothing hard about any of it. I don’t get writer’s block and I am never short of ideas and creativity.

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

My current book in the series (The Eye of the Indian Idol) is set in India and although it would be lovely to explore in real life, the corona virus has put paid to many travel planes. But if I could go anywhere right now, it would be to India.

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

I do LOADS of research, and read nonfiction books around the places, the legends and the mythology of the countries where my young explorer go in their quest to find the Seven Stones of Power.

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

I’m busy with Book 4 (The Eye of the Indian Idol) but also planning for the next one, Book 5, called The Curse of the Cup of Jamshid. Sorry, I can’t give away anything at the moment…

6. Now that we've gotten to know each other, tell us a story of a favorite childhood activity you used to do during the summer. It can be long or short. Funny, sad, or somewhere in between. Just make sure it's yours. Tell us a story?  

I am one of five children and we grew up very poor. The beach was close by and since it was free, my parents took us there a lot. We had many picnics, swam in rock pools, played in the surf, dug sandcastles, and brought home endless buckets of smelly seaweed and crabs, thinking the little creatures could live with us. My most vivid memories are of riding on my dad’s broad shoulders as he walked into the waves and screaming with delight every time he ducked down lower so I could get splashed. The smell of sunscreen lotion, the taste of cotton candy, and salt water is unforgettable. Some of our happiest times as kids.

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I hired her to distract my enemy. Now I'm determined to have her for my own.

I’m Maxon Reed—real estate mogul, shark, asshole. If a deal isn’t high profile and big money, I pass. Now that I’ve found the property of a lifetime, I’m jumping. But one tenacious bastard stands between me and success—my brother. I’ll need one hell of a devious ploy to distract cynical Griff. Then fate drops a luscious redhead in my lap who’s just his type.

Sassy Keeley Kent accepts my challenge to learn how to become Griff’s perfect girlfriend. But somewhere between the makeover and the witty conversation, I’m having trouble resisting her. The quirky dreamer is everything I usually don’t tolerate. But she’s beyond charming. I more than want her; I’m desperate to own her. I’m not even sure how drastic I’m willing to get to make her mine—but I’m about to find out.

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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.

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