Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Mythology and Folklore: Part One By Erika M Szabo

The Turul Bird

by Erika M Szabo
The great mythical Turul bird of prey is one of the most important symbols of the Hungarians. The origins of the Turul legendry go way back to prehistoric Hungarian past. It is the relic of the ancient Hungarian faith, the embodier of the powers above and the monarchic sovereignty, the national symbol of the providence and guidelines. It is the ancient symbol of national identity.

It represents God's power and will. The Turul was seen as the ancestor of Atilla, and it was also the symbol of the Huns. The Hungarian Turul is often represented carrying the flaming Sword of God.
The legend of Emese
A Hungarian legend tells the story of Emese, wife of Ügyek the descendant of Atilla, who once had a dream in which a Turul appeared to her. In this dream, a crystal-clear stream started to flow from her, and as it moved Westward, it grew into a mighty river. This dream represented her symbolic impregnation by the Turul, and meant that she would give birth to a line of great rulers. Emese later gave birth to Álmos, who was the father of Árpád, the great leader of the Magyars and founder of Hungary. This story reaffirms the Hun-Magyar kinship, and the knowledge that the Magyars reconquered Hungary as their rightful inheritance from Atilla's great Hun Empire.
Turul eagle near Buda Royal Palace entrance gate in Budapest, Hungary — Photo by panama7
There were 3 large Turul statues, each with a wingspan of 15 meters, in Greater Hungary (before the country had its borders reconfigured by the Treaty of Trianon). The last of the three stands on a mountain near Tatabánya, Hungary, but the other two were destroyed. It is the largest bird statue in Europe and the largest bronze statue in Central Europe. There remain at least 195 Turul statues in Hungary, as well as 48 in Romania (32 in Transylvania and 16 in Partium), 8 in Slovakia, 7 in Serbia, 5 in Ukraine, 1 in Austria. One of the most recently erected, as of 29 September 2012, on St. Michael the Archangel's Day, is in Hungary's Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park.
Some of the Kingdom of Hungary postage stamps issued after 1900 feature the Turul.

The Turul in my stories

Award Winner epic fantasy series
I lit the sacred candles infused with herbs and then placed them in a silver candle holder on a small round table. The ancient wooden male and female figurines holding hands stood between the candles, with our delicately carved Turul bird with a crown on its head and a sword in its talons. The Falcon held widely stretched wings over the figurines as if protecting them.
The statues had been in my family for centuries, they were small, and had a deep, warm brown color. The rich, shiny brown hue came from the hot herbal tea Elza poured over the statues every morning, as my ancestors had done for generations. Beside the statues was an ancient, dark leather-bound book. Its permanent place was on the Prayer table, and every Hun family had one. I had leafed through our book many times. The first few pages remained empty to me, but the rest of the book contained my ancestor’s names and achievements, written in ancient handwriting. Mom had said when I asked her about the empty pages, “The Book will reveal all its secrets to you, but only when you when you reach the age of maturity.” I wondered if I were ready; I was entering into Hun adulthood after all, so I made a mental note to check the book the next day, after prayer time.
Elza wrapped the ceremonial shawl over my shoulders as I took a deep breath and held my hands above the table. I began the prayer by reading the Hun writing, carved into the leather cover of the book of my ancestors. Following the ancient traditions, we prayed as a family in the morning to the First Mother and Father, and we prayed to the Creator at night, in solitude.
Mother and Father leading in unity,
Protected by the Turul for eternity,
Guide my soul and keep my body healthy.
Test my courage and try my patience,
Let me prove I have endurance.
Let compassion always guide me,
Make me wise to help the needy.
Challenge me on my daily journey,
And give me the strength to prove I’m worthy.
Closing my eyes, I held my hands in silence over the table for a minute and embraced the serene feeling I always had while saying the prayer. Warm energy flooded my insides, and I experienced a deep connection to something powerful, majestic and welcoming.

The Ancestors’ Secrets Series

https://www.authorerikamszabo.com/the-ancestors-secrets.html

 
 

Ilona resigns to live the simple life of a small-town doctor, but her life goes into a tailspin on her birthday. She finds out she was born into a secretive, ancient clan still hidden among us. She starts to develop unusual powers which she finds exciting as well as frightening. She can slow time and heal with her touch, but how and why?

She struggles to find answers, but those who try to reveal the clan secrets are severely punished.

A menacing man is following her and wants to kill her. Who is he?

More life struggles continue to plague her. After being thrust into a world of clan mysteries, obscure traditions, and beliefs, her life is drastically changing.

She must seek out and stop Mora’s evil plan. Punished by the ancestors long ago, Mora has waited centuries for the chance to reunite with her beloved Joland and to gain power over the Hunor clan. Revenge has kept her alive for over 1600 years.

Ilona must search for the mysterious Destiny Box that holds a message from her Ancestors while she attempts to sort out her feelings for the men in her life.

The spirits of the clan come to Ilona’s aid with answers to the clan’s secrets and the key to helping her maintain her sanity amidst the fear of danger lurking everywhere as she tries to succeed.

She must activate her Chameleon ability and obtain unimaginable powers. The clan Leaders and Elders are worried knowing that she can use her growing powers for absolute good or absolute evil. But they have no choice, they’re powerless against Mora and must place their trust in Ilona.

With the help of the clan’s Time Bender, her journey will take her back in time to when her people lived as nomads, to the castles of the 14th century as they struggle to overcome the obstacles in their path due to the evils of Mora.

Ilona finds her Destiny Box where the ancestors reveal what she must do—but it does not come without cost.

She must ensure the birth of the Chosen Child in the 4th century in order to save the future of the Hunor Clan.

Will Ilona succeed in saving the child? Will she accept her destiny?


“This is so different from the usual fare churned out by ordinary writers.” -Valerie Byron
“The characters felt real, and the secrets are alluring. You will get hooked in right away.” -Brenda Barry
“Szabo introduces readers to a fascinating world of ancient rights conducted by a secret order.” -J.E. Rogers

COMMENTS

Erika M Szabo shared this via Google+

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Erika M Szabo via Google+

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Erika M Szabo via Google+

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Mythology and Folklore: Part One By Erika M Szabo
The Turul Bird by Erika M Szabo Picture credit: https://www.deviantart.com/tag/turul The great mythical Turul bird of prey is one of the most important symbols of the Hungarians. The origins of the Turul legendry go way back to prehistoric Hungarian past. I...
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Rebecca Tran

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Wow Erika so cool to see where the symbolism in your book came from. I always wondered why you chose a falcon.
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Although the series is not a history book, I used bits of historical facts in the story, and the Turul bird and the Sacred Sword are important part of Hun mythology.

Mary Anne Yarde

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Such an interesting post, Erica. You know how much I love legends!!!
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I know :) You share your legends about Arthur and Merlin and I share bits about my ancestry. We always learn something new from each other

Grace Au

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Brilliant post, Erika! I loved learning about the Turul Bird! Your heritage is a rich one, that is for sure. Thank you for sharing traditions and beliefs with us.
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Thank you Grace!

P. J. Mann shared this via Google+

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Thank you for sharing :)

Bonita Gutierrez shared this via Google+

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Thank you for sharing :)

Eva Pasco shared this via Google+

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Thank you for sharing :)

Joanne Van Leerdam Author & Poet shared this via Google+

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Thank you for sharing :)

Nikki McDonagh shared this via Google+

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Nikki McDonagh

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What an interesting post!
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Rebecca Tran

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Join Erika Szabo as she begins her series on Hungarian myths and legends on Our Author Gang.
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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

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Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Erika M. Szabo​ talks about Hungarian mythology and folklore.
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Joe Bonadonna

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Great post, Erika! Mythology and folklore rock -- and are great for creative inspiration.
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Rich Feitelberg

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Good stuff; local legends and myths are always great to learn about.
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Rich Feitelberg shared this via Google+

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

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Erika M. Szabo​ shares the story of the Turul bird and a snippet from her epic fantasy today. Stop by and check out her post.
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Ruth de Jauregui

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I'm fascinated by the rich legacy of legendary creatures and peoples of the world. Thank you for sharing the Turul bird and a snippet of your epic fantasy!
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Chris Weigand

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Thanks for sharing. It was fascinating.
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Monday, April 23, 2018

The Day After... by Author Grace Augustine #OurAuthorGang


Photo courtesy of Ticketspace

Today is not Earth Day...but yesterday was the 48th anniversary of the first Earth Day.  I remember it well.  As part of the day's curriculum, all of the teachers and students from the junior and senior high schools in my home town hit the streets and parks with garbage bags and "cleaned-up" our town.

For those of you who are saying "What the heck is Earth Day?", let me explain. The information below was taken from the https://www.earthday.org/about/the-history-of-earth-day/  site.

A United States Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, was appalled after witnessing the devastation from the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. He was inspired by the student anti-war movement and decided he could ride the energy of their coattails to raise interest in the environmental issues: air and water pollution, oil spills, garbage along the interstates and roadways.

photo courtesy of pinterest

His next step introduced the "national teach-in on the environment" to the media. He persuaded Republican Congressman Pete McClosky to be his co-chair and Denis Hayes from Harvard served as the national coordinator. Hayes'staff of 85 people promoted events across the US, and April 22nd was chosen as "the" day because it was between spring break and final exams.

On April 22,1970, 20 million people across the United States took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to protest for a healthy and stable environment. Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, and by the end of the year, the first Earth Day led to the creation of what we know today as the EPA...Environmental Protection Agency as well as the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

photo courtesy of Pinterest

In 1990, Hayes was asked once again to spearhead another campaign..this time a global effort. 200 million people in 141 countries gave voice to recycling and also paved the way for the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro where then President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Gaylord Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom for founding Earth Day. The award is the highest award that is given to civilians for service.

Earth Day's current status as the largest secular observance in the world is celebrated by more than a billion people every year,

photo courtesy of the SNS College of Engineering

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day. I encourage all of you to get involved in this movement. Our planet is in serious trouble, and if we don't do something to help her, she won't be around for future generations.

In honor of this milestone, the Earth Day Network is launching an ambitious set of goals to shape the future of the 21st century environmentalism.  You can find out more about this at https://www.earthday.org/earthday/countdown-to-2020/

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Our Guest Today is Author d. Nicole King #ourauthorgang

Welcome, Ms. King. We're so glad you could join us today.


d. Nichole King has always loved the world of books: fantasy, horror, romance, mystery...it didn't matter. If it looked interesting, she'd read it. 

At the age of twelve, King decided to give writing a try. Her first book, KATE'S DIARY, was hand-written and kept secret in a purple three-ring binder. Later, this story was written and became King's best-selling novel, LOVE ALWAYS, KATE.

King writes mostly in the romance genre, bridging the gap between young adult and new adult. She's best known for her ugly cry books and heart-clutching plot twists.

When asked to describe what she writes, King says: 

"I'm a dreamer, an inspirer. I find beauty in weakness, brokenness, and heartbreak. In life, and joy, and happiness. These moments don't define us, but the choices we make in these moments do. I write about these moments, about the choices we make and the paths we tread...about the circumstances that make us who we are and the experiences that will lead us to who we will become.  I write about life, love, pain, and hope."

d. Nicole loves hearing from her readers and may be reached at:
Facebook "friend" page:  https://www.facebook.com/d.nicholeking1
d's Devoted Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/2wT0MrY
Goodreads:  https://bit.ly/2hxd7Y8
  

http://a.co/7rQTVLd

Moments.
Every life is made of thousands of them, each one strung together with the next. Some are yellow and happy, some are blue and sad, and some…
Some wipe out color altogether.
“I love you,” is what I should have told Maverick.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m still fighting.”
Instead I just watched him leave.
Now my husband, my everything is battling for each breath, and all I can do is stare at the machines as the clock ticks off precious minutes.
The doctors said the first twenty-four hours are critical—but every moment is critical.
You never know which will be your last.
This is our story, and I’m not ready for it to end.

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Our Guest Today is Krista Ames


Krista Ames

 I reside in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan with my family.  Please feel free to drop me a note at krista@kristaames.com and introduce yourself.  I'm fairly new to the writing world but i hope to meet many new faces, writers and readers, and make many new friends.
You can find out more about me on my web page or my blog.

Her work An Unexpected Twist is featured in the romance collection Spring Fling.

Spring Fling
A Limited-Edition Collection of Romance

Winter is fading into the distance and the season of love is upon us.

With desires building, passion explodes in this collection of steamy and must-read romances.

Come and join us, won’t you? Spring is in the air…

Order here:
Amazon


Teasers from Featured Stories:

Hero by Stacy-Deanne
She ran her fingers through his hair, touching his scalp. “I’ve wanted you since you first came to my house.”
“When you were flirting?” He chuckled, massaging her breasts. “How does this feel?”
“Good.” She leaned back on the shelf, moaning. “Kiss ‘em.”
Scott kissed her breast, tracing his tongue along the brown areola.
“Yes.” She got that swishing motion in her stomach as if she were falling over a cliff. “Yes, Scott.”

Inner Girl Rising by Jan Springer
“You like it, don’t you, having the two of us taking you?” Andrew whispered. His voice was dark and deep and its huskiness rippled along her sensitized nerve endings. Andrew’s palm moved away and fingers teasingly trailed around her slit. Involuntarily, Paisley bucked against him, needing penetration.
Andrew chuckled.
“Spread your legs wider, sweetheart. Nice and wide,” he ordered.

An Unexpected Twist by Krista Ames
“Don’t be sorry Kelsey, you are beautiful and I love touching your body. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it.”
While she watched, still straddling his thighs, he pulled his t-shirt off, then picked her off his legs and laid her on the bed beside him.
“Can I take these off?” His fingers were hovering at the waist band of the shorts that he’d never be able to wear again without picturing her.
“If I can take off yours?”
He jumped off the bed in a split second, grabbed her ankles and pulled her closer to the edge. “Have at it.”


Love Potion by Cara Marsi
She wanted him suddenly, wanted all of him, body and soul, in a way she’d never wanted any other man. Hungrily she wound her arms around his neck and lifted her face for his kiss. He was quick to deliver. His lips, soft at first, grew more demanding, and Nicole’s whole body seemed to come alive at his touch. She opened to him, twining her tongue with his in an erotic dance. When he slid his hand up her ribcage to caress her breast through the thin fabric of the tank top, she groaned. He lay back, pulling her with him until she was on top of him.


Fiery Kisses by Khardine Gray
You never forget your first love.

Mister Write Now by Nikky Kaye
Sophy cleared her throat and opened the book again, projecting her voice to the far corners of the library. “Clarissa reached out and tangled her fingers in his soft hair, pulling him closer to her quivering nest of desire.”

Somewhere in the distance she heard a gasp and she blinked at the words swimming on the page in front of her, realizing she had lost her place. She would not be embarrassed.

Her voice rose as she skipped ahead a few sentences to finish the paragraph. “—she melted against the scratchy straw at her back and her body tensed in anticipation.”

When she turned back to Max, she saw the strangled expression on his face and the small flush in the hollow of his throat, exposed by his starched white shirt. Even though he looked as though he wanted to crawl under the table and die, he gazed at her with a mixture of fascination and something more dangerous.

The Millionaire by Lisa Marbly-Warir
“What are you doing here?” Quisha asked as she opened the door with a towel wrapped around her still damp body.
Without answering he kissed her. She gave in to the kiss. The chemistry between them had been slowly growing and neither of them could deny it. He picked her up and carried her to her bedroom and removed her towel...

Why Not by Dana Kenzi
The pleasure was too much for her, and she screamed when her climax hit. Her back arched off the bed, and Ryan thrust his fingers deep into her. His mouth somehow remained attached to her clit, and he licked her through her orgasm.
His attentions carried her through the waves until she felt too sensitive to continue. Ryan pulled his fingers out and kissed her stomach.
Sadie was exhausted, but she wanted him to know how satisfied she was.

Without Reservation by Lynn Burke
“Give us one night,” Jack said. “Please.”
She peered into his eyes, temptation swirling through her body. Just one night. She wouldn’t see them again, anyway, right? No harm in one little fling. Checked off number one bucket list desire…
Trevor kissed her palm. “Please.”

Tempting Asher by Ja’Nese Dixon
I mistakenly look into his chestnut eyes, stepping forward and I freeze. Accepting the heated offer in his eyes would only make this awful situation worse. I can’t crack.

I can’t pretend I asked, and he agreed. Asher couldn't possibly love me and grant a hall pass. Could he?

Bossy Boots by Nicole Morgan
He thrust forward. Pushing himself inside, reaching parts of her he’d only ever dreamt about. Her body arched into his. Their breaths heavy, their bodies hot and sticky despite the cool desert wind. Neither of them spoke, each of them pushing against and with one another.

Amazon:   http://a.co/8TSPN9F

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