A Tale of a Rough Diamond an award winning thriller

By P. J. Mann

A Tale of a Rough Diamond is a tale of envy, dysfunctional family, revenge, and love. I came up with the title as the main character, Stephan is a difficult young man, always looking for excitement. He is like a rough diamond who will shine only after someone spends some time looking for the jewel in his heart. In his case, he will shine through all the troubles he will have to endure.

Stephan was born in a wealthy family, and his life seems going on carelessly. He has everything a teenager would envy, at least, so it seems from the outside.

Going closer to the family life the reader will be brought to discover a dysfunctional family broken by tragedies. Each of the family members has his or her own pain which will carry on for the rest of their lives. But the one who is going to pay for everything will be Stephan himself.

His older brother is envious of his charisma and charm and will devote his whole life to make sure that he will be cast off of the family, even if this will mean becoming a ruthless criminal and selling his soul to the devil himself. 

Once he ends up in jail, Stephan will be left alone by the rest of the family and will have to climb his way up from the bottom he'd fallen to claim justice and regain his place in the family.

In Jail, he will meet many interesting figures, but one in particularly will be a key figure in Stephan’s development from a scared boy into an adult man determined to find justice. Joe Smith is a man who has been convicted for life for having accidentally killed a man. He will carry the weight of regret for the rest of his life and will do everything in his power to protect Stephan and guide him like the father he never really had.

Excerpt:
The Villain:
Roger looked at his hands. They were shaking – that nervous shake he’d learned to recognize and deal with a long time ago. His head felt as if it were going to explode, so strong was the pain he felt.
He reached for the cabinet, where he kept the first-aid kit and took a couple of analgesic pills. He knew they wouldn’t really help, but he took them anyway.
He was expecting two guests, both very important. The first one didn’t worry him at all, as he knew he could easily be dealt with.
The second one, however, was on a totally different level. The success or failure of all he had built so far was at stake – his firm, his career, his wealth, and his own life. That was the reason for the restless state of his mind, that made his hands shake and his head ache.
He looked anxiously at the clock. There was still time, but it seemed as his heart had a different perception of time, and it started to race in his chest. He took a couple of deep breaths and went to sit in the armchair behind his desk.

He made himself comfortable, sinking into the soft leather, and closed his eyes to regain some calm. He thought about what the deal of the game was, and how the success of both the meetings was to be achieved. Success was not an option.

The Hero:
Stephan waited in the darkness, feeling nervous and excited at the same time. Every time he was at that exact spot, waiting for the car of Reece stopping by or for Jonas to whistle him about his arrival, he felt the adrenaline rush, foretasting another adventure with his mates.
A couple of whistles, and he understood his friend arrived, just in time, before that restlessness on the background of his turmoil, would have overwhelmed the excitement and he would have ran away, scared like a child.
“It was about time, where is Reece?” asked Stephan.
“He is waiting in the car a couple of blocks away from here, there was a cop car parked there,” he said, pointing the entrance of a shop.
Jonas walked fast and barely exchanged a single word with him, like he generally used to do.
Stephan didn’t say anything either, but his behavior made him more nervous than he already was.
“Come on guys, we don’t have the whole night,” said Reece impatiently.
“What’s the matter with you tonight, it seems like we’re going to rob the Central Bank in the middle of the day,” said Stephan.
“Shut the fuck up, kid. We are not going to a party,” hissed Reece as he drove as fast as he could to their target.
Stephan could tell, when Reece had been drinking, and knew that he could become quite dangerous; therefore he sat down on the backseat of the car and remained silent as Reece ordered.
As they arrived in front of their target, Reece remained still for a moment, like he was hesitating and was almost ready to give up everything. “Fuck that!” he mumbled.
“Come on let’s go!” Reece added as he got out of the car.
“OK, kiddo, do your trick,” Jonas whispered.
It was a matter of a couple of minutes and the door opened, then a few seconds, and the alarm was put to sleep.
“Jeeha!!” Jonas exulted as they all got inside the house.

The small group of friends dispersed to the different rooms of the house, looking for something to rob that could give them some small wealth.

Buying links:
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XQ3CH9Z 
Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tale-Rough-Diamond-P-Mann-ebook/dp/B06XQ3CH9Z
Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Tale-Rough-Diamond-P-Mann-ebook/dp/B06XQ3CH9Z

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Website: https://pjmann2016.wixsite.com/pjmann
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/PjMann2016

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J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien:

“father of modern fantasy literature”

Christina Weigand

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein South Africa. His parents, Arthur Reuel and Mabel Tolkien had left England when Arthur was promoted to head of the bank that he worked for. Tolkien had one sibling, a younger brother, Hilary Arthur Reuel Tolkien.

At the age of three Tolkien, his mother and brother went on a lengthy family visit to England. Unfortunately his father died of rheumatic fever in South Africa before he was able to join the family. Mabel, took her two sons to live with her parents in Birmingham. Tolkien enjoyed exploring the surrounding countryside, which would later inspire scenes in his books.

Mabel taught the children at home and Tolkien was known as a keen pupil. She taught him about botany which awakened a love for the look and feel of plants. Languages were by far his favorite subject and his mother taught him Latin very early in his life. Some of his favorite books were Phantastes by George MacDonald and the “Fairy Books” of Andrew Lang. Their influence can be seen in some of his later writings.

Tolkien’s mother died when he was 12 years old and Fr. Francis Xavier Morgan took over guardianship of the boys. Tolkien then attended King Edward’s School in Birmingham and later St. Philip’s School. While at King Edward’s School he joined the Officers Training Corps and helped line the route for the coronation parade of King George V.

During his early teens he had his first encounter with a constructed language, Animalic, that his cousins had invented. After his interest in this died he continued to invent new and more complex languages. Naffarin was the next constructed language and was his own invention. He also learned and wrote a book in Esperanto, The Book of the Foxrook where some of his invented languages appeared.

He also during this time met up with three young men and formed a secret society called the Tea Club and Barrovian Society (T.C.B.S). Through this group Tolkien developed a strong dedication to writing poetry.

After a trip to Switzerland, he began studying at Exeter College, Oxford. He started out studying classics, later changing to English Language and Literature. His travels through Switzerland were reflected in Bilbo’s journey across the Misty Mountains.

When he was 16 Tolkien met Edith, the woman who would one day become his wife. His guardian disapproved of the relationship and forbid Tolkien to have any contact with her until he turned 21. Tolkien obeyed the prohibition and the day he turned 21 he wrote a letter to Edith proposing marriage. After some rearranging of her life she accepted his proposal and they married three years later.

Following completing his finals and wedding they lived in lodgings near a training camp as WWI had started and he had been commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was sent to France. While waiting to be summoned to his unit he composed a poem, The Lonely Isle, which had been inspired by his feelings during the sea crossing to Calais. While fighting in the Battle of the Somme he came down with trench fever and was sent back to England. During his recovery he began to write The Book of Lost Tales.

The first of four children was born to John and Edith and he continued to serve between recurrences of his illness in the military. It was also during this time that the idea of Beren and Luthien came to be.

After the war he worked on the Oxford English Dictionary and took the post as reader in English language at the University of Leeds. He privately tutored young women undergraduates in a couple of women’s colleges. Writing of The Hobbit and the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings happened during this time.

He undertook a translation of Beowulf which he never published. Tolkien gave lectures on Beowulf that changed some of the perceptions of the work.

After WWII he moved to Merton College and became a professor of English Language and Literature. While here he completed The Lord of the Rings.

After his retirement in 1959 he became increasingly disillusioned with his fame and took his phone number from the phone directory. Eventually he and Edith moved to a seaside resort. Tolkien desperately missed C. S. Lewis who he had befriended as well as the Inklings, but stayed with Edith as she was quite content with their new living situation.

In 1971 Edith died. Tolkien returned to Merton College and lived there until his death, September 2, 1973.

After his death, his son Christopher published many of Tolkien’s works based on the extensive notes his father had left behind.

Tolkien’s success with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings led to resurgence in high fantasy literature. Tolkien became referred to as the “father of modern fantasy literature.”

The Times ranked Tolkien sixth on a list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”. Forbes ranked him the 5^th top-earning “dead celebrity” in 2009.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s many novels and poems were inspired by his many life adventures. His legacy leaves us many fantasies to lose ourselves in.

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The Last Vestal Virgin by Lorraine Carey

The Last Vestal Virgin~ Lorraine Carey

 
Alicia Keys sings, ‘This Girl is on Fire’, and I can honestly say that Christina Ciccone, my lead character in The Last Vestal Virgin is on fire—and literally!

I got a chance to visit Rome a few years ago and was so taken with the Temple of the Vestal Virgins and their history. I had to learn more and was intrigued enough to write this story when I returned home.

Imagine you are a normal teenage girl and all of a sudden you begin to see and feel things that are not of this world. Visions of an ancient goddess appear telling you that you belong to the ancient cult of the Roman Vestal Virgins that formed back in 717 BC by King Numa Pompilius.

Young Miss Ciccone is troubled and her family and doctors shrug it off as just teenage angst and nerves. Seems her friends also sense something is amiss when they witness strange things happening around their friend.

The Vestal Virgins were chosen to keep the sacred fire burning in the temple, which many believed kept Rome safe.  They were said to possess magical powers as well and worshiped the goddess Vesta. Their duties were to tend to the fire and keep wills and testaments of higher dignitaries safe—including that of Caesar and Mark Antony. They also prepared food for rituals and cared for sacred objects in the temple sanctuary.

Once a girl was chosen to be a Vestal, she would be led away from her parents at the tender age of 6 to 10 years old. It was an honor and one she’d keep for thirty years.

The vestals were ordered to be disbanded in 394, by the Christian emperor, Theodosius. The last Vestal Virgin was said to be Coelia Concordia and the fire was extinguished forever.

Christina Ciccone’s life was simple up until high school and her class trip to Rome would be a life changer, for she would have to choose to let Rome fall into chaos or leave this earthly plane and her family and walk through the fire that would lead her to a place she never knew existed.

The Last Vestal Virgin is a paranormal YA thriller where history meets mystery! Real facts on Rome’s ancient cult of the Vestal Virgins are woven throughout the story.

Amazon link~ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OOWTQ0U/



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Peanut Butter Lesson by Cindy J. Smith

A short story

by Cindy J. Smith

This is a short story about something that happened when I was young. I am sharing it here because for some reason it will not get out of my head.

First, a little background. I attended a Catholic grade school in a small town. We took our lunch to school as there was no cafeteria there. I was young back when milkmen still delivered, and parents could pay to have milk available for lunch. Since there were 6 of us, we were not among those students. However, if a student who did receive milk missed school, their drink was given out to one of us who did not have any. Obviously, I learned to eat without the benefit of a beverage to wash it down.

Two more things before the story. We had bed times. These times were based solely on our age. At the time of this story, I was about 10 and my bedtime was 8:30. This meant I missed the end of lots of TV programs. The final piece of background is my parents both worked nights, my dad left at about 10PM.

THE PEANUT BUTTER LESSON
It was a Wednesday night and my favorite show was on TV. Unfortunately, it lasted until 9 and I had to be in bed at 8:30. Just once, I would like to see the end of the show!

Cheryl and Rae were arguing over who was going to make dad's lunch. Neither wanted to do it and their voices were escalating. I walked into the kitchen and they both turned. It was as if a light lit up as the same idea crossed both of their minds.

"Cindy," they both said, "how would you like to stay up until 9 tonight?"

What could I say? "Of course!!!" Then I remembered who I was talking too and immediately asked, "What must I do?"

Cheryl replied, "just make dad's lunch. It is only 2 peanut butter sandwiches and a thermos of coffee. We'll do the coffee."

"Sure!!! I'll make them right now."

Well, I proceeded to make two PERFECT Peanut Butter sandwiches. My mouth was watering just from looking at them. I carefully wrapped them and placed them tenderly in dad's lunch box. Glancing wistfully back at the box, I went to the living room to watch my program in full.
The next morning I awoke to awful banging. My dad was home and he seemed to be ticked, Suddenly, my name was bellowed by him. I came running downstairs.

"Did you make my lunch sandwiches yesterday?" he asked.

Unsure why he was asking, I answered "yes".

"Sit down right there," he said as he pointed to my place at the table. Then he opened his lunch box and sat one of the PERFECT peanut butter sandwiches before me. "I want you to sit there and don't move until that sandwich is gone!"

I was confused, I mean, here he is giving me a treat when I thought he was mad. But, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I proceeded to enjoy the lovely sandwich. I glanced in the lunch box as I picked up the last half. I noticed that there was at least half of the other sandwich still in there. Hmm, I wondered. If I finish this, will he let me have that piece too?

As I finished the last bite, he came back into the dining room. "Well, do you have something to ask me?" he said.

I glanced at him then at the lunch box. I said, "I peeked in your box and saw the other sandwich, can I have it too?"

Oh my! I have never seen a face change so many ways so fast! When he found his voice, he asked, "Aren't you wanting a drink?" That is when I realized, my father did NOT EAT his lunch. Perhaps, my being told to eat it was NOT a treat but a punishment.

It turned out the lesson I was supposed to learn was there is such a thing as too much peanut butter on a sandwich. The lesson my father learned was this is not true for a child who loves peanut butter!

© Cindy J. Smith on AMAZON

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I Don't Speak Spanish

But I Write Spanish

By Erika M Szabo

https://www.authorerikamszabo.com

Nah, I don't dance Spanish either..
I never learned to speak Spanish and I know only a few words I picked up working as a nurse, but I love a sound and rhythm of this melodious, dynamic language.

And, of course, I love watching the Spanish dance as well.

You might ask how could I publish books in Spanish if I don't speak the language. Well, I met Carmen, an English teacher in Spain, on Facebook, and she mentioned that she needs to refine her English skills. So I asked her if she would translate some of my books. She agreed, and, of course, I paid for the translation because I value the work of others. 

First she translated two of my children's books and later my fantasy series.

A storybook for children 4-12

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A little girl teaches her family and her friends how to relate to someone who is hearing impaired. When Grandma Rosa lost her hearing, Sandra and her parents became frustrated and sad. They didn’t know what to do and how to learn to communicate better with Grandma Rosa. They tried shouting, changing the tone of their voices or leaning closer to her ear when they talked, to no avail. Rosa could hear some sounds clearly, but certain sounds she couldn’t hear well. It became an everyday struggle for the family, and they missed the comforting family conversations at dinner time. Sandra finds a website for hearing impaired people that explains how deaf people communicate. They start learning sign language and to “talk” with their fingers. Sandra and Grandma Rosa find realize that with compassion, love, and hard work, they can overcome the obstacles of disability.

Sandra enseña a su familia y amigos a comunicarse con personas con discapacidad auditiva.

Este divertido libro ilustrado  lleva un importante mensaje para los niños, como aprender a no juzgar o burlarse de alguien sólo porque es diferente.  La vida de algunas personas con discapacidad no es divertida y vivir con una discapacidad conlleva muchos retos, pero nosotros podemos hacer sus vidas más fáciles en vez de más difíciles.

Cuando la abuela Rosa perdió la audición, Los padres de Sandra se sintieron frustrados y tristes. No sabían qué hacer  y cómo aprender a comunicarse mejor con ella. Ellos intentaban gritar, cambiar el tono de voz o acercarse a su oído cuando se dirigían a ella, pero no servía de nada. Rosa podía oír algunos sonidos claramente, pero otros no podía escucharlos bien. Para ellos se convirtió en una lucha diaria poder comunicarse y empezaron a echar de menos las reconfortantes conversaciones de sobremesa.

Bilingual storybook for children 4-12

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Sarah, Emma’s mom, promised to bird-sit Pico for two weeks but soon regrets her decision because the noisy parrot keeps screeching and squawking all day, annoying her family and the neighbors. When Pico makes a mess of Emma’s room, Emma gets very angry, but her friends help her. Charlotte notices that Pico seems sad, and Pedro finds out why Pico is shrieking so loudly all the time. The parrot is frustrated because nobody pays attention to him, and nobody understands what he wants. The purpose of this English and Spanish bilingual book is to show children the beauty of another language and that learning a new language doesn’t have to be boring, it could be fun. The story also delivers a message that when we don’t take the time to listen to each other, we tend to judge others quickly before we get to know them

Sarah, la mamá de Emma, prometió cuidar de Pico durante dos semanas pero pronto se arrepiente de su decisión porque el ruidoso loro se pasa todo el día parloteando y chillando, molestando a su familia y vecinos. Cuando Pico desordena la habitación de Emma, ella se enfada mucho pero sus amigos la ayudan. Charlotte se da cuenta de que Pico parece triste y Pedro averigua porqué Pico está chillando tan alto todo el tiempo. El pájaro está frustrado porque nadie sabe lo que quiere ni le presta atención.

 La propuesta de este libro bilingüe inglés y español es mostrar a los niños la belleza de otra lengua y que aprender un nuevo idioma no tiene que ser aburrido, y puede ser divertido. La historia también transmite el mensaje de que cuando no nos tomamos tiempo para escucharnos los unos a los otros, tendemos a juzgar rápidamente antes de llegar a conocernos.

Alternate history fantasy

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Durante siglos, Morana esperó el momento adecuado para reunirse con su amado Joland y conseguir el poder necesario para gobernar el clan ancestral, que aún persiste oculto entre nosotros, con su estricta jerarquía, reglas mortales y tradiciones. Ilona no sabe que ha sido elegida para detener el malévolo plan de Morana. Tampoco sabe nada acerca de su legado personal ni de leyendas o rituales, cuando comienza a recordar las instrucciones de su madre, ocultas entre rimas. No es consciente de que su tranquila vida como doctora está a punto de cambiar y que se verá arrastrada a un peligroso mundo lleno de secretos. El descubrimiento de su poder de sanación y su capacidad de detener el tiempo son a la vez, emocionantes y aterradores. Aparece un hombre siniestro e Ilona relaciona su presencia con una serie de misteriosas muertes a su alrededor. Por otro lado, habiendo estado enamorada en secreto de su mejor amigo, de repente, se siente atraída por el extraño que aparece en su sueño, sintiéndose muy confundida por el fuerte sentimiento de atracción.

The series is also available in English

EBOOK available as box set or 3 separate eBook and paperback on AMAZON

When a young doctor, Ilona, starts to develop unusual powers, her life and her beliefs change. Thrown into a world of clan mysteries, traditions and secrets, she begins remembering her mother’s instructions concealed as rhymes. Punished by the ancestors long ago, Mora has waited centuries for the chance to reunite with her beloved Joland. Now, she seeks to gain the power to rule the ancient clan with a strict hierarchy and deadly laws that still exist hidden among us. Ilona has been chosen by the ancestors to stop Mora and save the future of the clan. She has been in love with her best friend but is also drawn to the stranger who appears in a peculiar dream. Does she have the strength to fight evil?

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En el libro 1, “Protegida por el Halcón”, Ilona ve como le es arrebatada su tranquila vida y se ve obligada a enfrentarse a lo desconocido, lo cual la lleva a descubrir secretos ancestrales de los hunos. En el libro 2, adquiere poderes inimaginables para proteger a su familia y el futuro de su pueblo. Ella puede usar sus poderes para el bien o el mal absoluto, la elección sólo depende de ella. El derecho de Ilona a ejercer como curandera se entremezcla con sus deseos de mujer y eso la lleva a tener que aclarar sus sentimientos acerca de los dos hombres de su vida. Viaja con Ilona desde los tiempos en que su pueblo era nómada, pasando por castillos del siglo 14 hasta la actualidad, mientras lucha por superar los obstáculos en su camino.

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