Thursday, August 22, 2019

Aquila et Noctua a historical novel - New Release

By P. J. Mann


There is a new release on Mann's house, and that doesn't just mean that I have written a new novel, but I have also experimented something new, a historical fiction.

Aquila et Noctua (The Eagle and the Owl) comes from a story I wrote many years ago and brings me back to one of my loves in life: History, and particularly the history of Ancient Rome. 
The story tells about a young slave, Saul, coming from Jerusalem, and the complicated relationship he will develop with his masters and with the other slaves, who will become a sort of surrogate family; the one he lost once he was enslaved.
Once again, like in my debut novel "A Tale of a Rough Diamond," we have the themes of envy, jealousy, conflictual relationships within the family, and wisdom.
Wisdom is depicted in this case like the Noctua (Owl), and like in nature happens, the owl is going to bring wisdom, with sudden chaos.
The Aquila, (Eagle) represents the Roman Empire and the family who will purchase Saul. 



There is going to be a Release party on my Facebook page: 
It is scheduled for Sunday 1.9  at 10:00 AM EDT and there will be other authors to help me celebrate the release. If you have more questions about this new release this is the right time to have them answered.


EXCERPT:
The sun shone brightly in the sky on that late summer day. The successful campaign in the territories of Palestine brought new glory to the Empire and filled every corner of the city with celebrations.
The massive military action, planned by Emperor Hadrian, had brought about the final defeat of the rebellious Jews in the third Jewish revolt.
Jerusalem was renamed Aelia Capitolina in honor of the victorious emperor and as an ultimate humiliation to the rebels. The prisoners were sent all over the Empire to be sold as slaves while the Roman generals and commanders were decorated in the public square of the Forum.
It was a joyful period throughout all of Rome, and it should have been no exception for Marcus Tiberius Numida. However, something weighed heavily on his mind and alienated his soul from the revelry.
He wandered through the streets of Rome, not paying attention to where he was going until he found himself in the slave market in the Forum.
Several specimens of males and females, crammed into cages, peered from between the bars, waiting to be yanked out and pushed to line up behind the merchant. Their eyes revealed fear and confusion
Each merchant touted the good properties of each slave they were selling, wildly gesticulating to underline their words to attract customers, as crowds of curious people and potential buyers gathered around.
The sobs of the waiting slaves and the clang of their chains against the bars, combined with the din of the curious onlookers and the raucous voices of the merchants. The stench of bodily fluids melded with the scent of food that was sold in the square.

To pre-order the novel, please follow this link:


I hope I have attracted your attention and see you soon at the release party!
Stay tuned!

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Rainbows and Clouds by Erika M Szabo

Short stories about life’s humorous, happy, and dark moments.


Some of the stories are from my years in nursing, Steve's clumsiness and my cooking disasters might make you spit out your coffee laughing. The stories of my pets will put a warm smile on your face, and the stories about life's darker moments might make you wipe a tear or two.

Rainbows and dark clouds are part of life,
Without darkness there can be no light.
Without moments that make us cry,
We can’t enjoy moments that make us smile.
Without moments that make us laugh,
We can’t get through moments that make us sad.
~Erika M Szabo

Listen to a few stories

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Coven by Tricia Drammeh

Paranormal/Horror for Young Adults



Abby has finally put the horrors of the past behind her and is ready to move forward as a medium-in-training, but her vow to refrain from dabbling in the paranormal is harder to keep than she'd anticipated. A strained relationship with a former best friend, a mysterious stalker, and a new friend who is full of surprises turns Abby's world upside down, but when she discovers someone she trusts is keeping a shocking secret, she doesn't know where to turn.​

The Coven is the exciting sequel to The Seance. Filled with magic, chilling suspense, and surprises, this latest story in the Dark Summons series is the perfect read for teens and adults alike!

The Coven is available here: https://books2read.com/u/3kppPR

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Outcast by Rick Haynes

A fantasy tale of love, betrayal, and giants


The freedom of youth quickly disappears as a maelstrom of evil erupts. Torn between blind loyalty to his evil master and freedom, Sigbjorn chooses to escape from the clutches of Lord Uddi. With his two sword shields following, Sigbjorn leads them to Humli, a small peaceful town in the hills. Their hopes of finding a place to call home are soon dashed as a shadow grows in the east. With the vile Guths threatening to align themselves with the mysterious giants, only a tidal wave of hero’s blood can prevent the carnage.                                            https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1093832541

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Creativity - Your Way

Creativity - Your Way

There's the old saying that everyone has a book in them, waiting to be written. While I'm not sure that's true - not everyone wants to be a writer, after all - I think everyone has the ability to be creative. I would even go so far as to say creativity is part of who we are as human beings.


Creativity comes in many forms. Some of us are sculptors, painters, writers, poets, or song writers. There's scrapbooking, photography, crafting, woodworking ... the list goes on and on. Being creative is a way to let your mind run free. It's both relaxing and invigorating. And, even if you don't see yourself in any of the aforementioned creative categories I listed, I'm willing to bet you're still a creative person. Some people use creativty in their jobs - landscapers, architects, engineers, for example. And, then there's some common hobbies such as gardening, sewing, and knitting that require creativity.

If you've always wanted to try your hand at writing, painting, or some other artistic pursuit, what's stopping you? Don't worry about whether or not you'll be any good at it. The whole point of trying something new is to see if you like it. If you enjoy it, that's all that matters, Don't let anyone discourage you from being creative or expressing yourself.

Be creative - YOUR WAY!

*******************

To read more of Tricia Drammeh's post, please visit her blog: https://authortriciadrammeh.wordpress.com/

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Cursed Bloodline by Erika M Szabo

Romantic historical suspense 

by Erika M Szabo

EBOOK     PRINT
I recently changed the cover because readers suggested that the story is a bit darker than the cover indicates it. Judge it for yourself. Scroll through the book presentation below, read excerpts from the book and find links.

Friday, August 9, 2019

Hometown Memories Part 3.

 Falls and Creeks 

Terry F Conrow
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  From my viewpoint nothing is more majestic than the creations of Nature.  Whether a small cascade found along a hidden creek, or a well known falls like Chitenango Falls and Montour Falls, my connection is the same. 
Montour Falls by Terry F. Conrow

Chitenango Falls by Terry F. Conrow





















New York is home to many beautiful falls, most of which I actually had no idea existed.  Even these ones in my own hometown I had no knowledge of until I began this blog series.
Peggy Fly

Amanda Castilla
Jan Dainard
But, seeing them in these photos, I am still refreshed.

My attraction to water has been with me my entire life.  What is odd is that when I lived along the gulf coast in both Florida and Louisiana, my reaction was not the same.  I found going to the shore relaxing but not refreshing.  The music of the waves, watching the tide playing tag with the shore, was pleasant.  However I my soul did not seem to revitalize, my worries did not fade.  I am not certain if it was the water itself smelling like fish and leaving my skin feeling sticky and dirty or just the fact that the water was the temperature of a bath.  It just was not the same.

As a final show of beauty, I am sharing other falls from my home state.  I hope they refresh you as they do me.

Glendora Falls by Terry F. Conrow



Ithaca Taughannock Park by Heather Ratigan

Corbetts Glenn by Rogina Davis

Falls in Dansville taken by Austin Passamonte

Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca  by Heather Ratigan

Honeoye Falls by Jan Dainard


Austin Passamonte

Wolcott Falls by Terry F. Conrow



Aunt Sarah's Falls by Terry F. Conrow
Akron Falls by Terry F. Conrow

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Re-blogged by Erika M Szabo: The Warning Signs of Vanity Publishers

Wolves in sheep's clothing


I wrote this article on my website in February and I hope author and especially aspiring authors will benefit from reading about the warning signs.

Re-blogged:
"Vanity publishers contact me, and I assume they contact as many authors they can find, from time to time either on my website or on the phone (which supposedly hidden on social sites, but I guess made accessible to those who pay for the list)

​They hire great salespeople, I have to give them that!

I had a message and a pleasant female voice stated that she read my book, loved it and would like to offer a publishing contract. Not knowing where she was calling from I called her back.
"Which book did you like?" I asked.
I heard papers shuffling and keyboard clicking and then she said, "The Ancestors' Secrets trilogy."
"What did you like about the series?"
"Uhm… I really like the story and I'd like to publish it for you. It has great potentials and you will make a large profit after we publish and market your book."

It was obvious she knew nothing about my books and was trying to find a naïve and willing pigeon to make a large profit.

Lately, since self-published or first time publishing authors are more aware of the pitfalls of vanity publishers, they often pose as a traditional publisher.

When asked, they vehemently deny that they are vanity publishers.
"We don’t accept everyone who submits their manuscript." They'd say.
Yeah, right! They're hounding authors all over the net."

CONTINUE READING



Saturday, August 3, 2019

August Book Fair

Online Book Fair from August 3rd to August 17th



Authors and Readers of all genres are welcome to our Book Fair Event August 3rd to August 17th.

Authors:
Please add your book links to the appropriate (or closest) genre posts any time during the event with short taglines.

Readers:
Pop in any time during the event to browse, buy books, and enjoy.


Hope we'll see you there!

Friday, August 2, 2019

Got That Special Formula for Writing Magic?

Beg, borrow, steal, or create your own?



Any way you look at it, it’s a tough decision if your use magic in your writing. As writers, we do our research searching for that perfect incantation, spell or ritual to use in our story, but one size does not fit all. With that we need to think which is the best kind of magic for our characters, and is this a good fit?

Magic is unique to the creator and usually is specifically designed to work for that person with which their intention has been set for such purpose. So why not make it unique to your character?Now grant you, ancient spells have been published, along with numerous books on spells from healing simple ailments to love spells. Many of these are hundreds of years old and still being used by many. New spell books have emerged with the ever-growing Wiccan popularity.

As writers, we are indeed creators of our own fictional world and so many are opting to use a hybrid form of traditional magic or create their own. You hold the power, so why not come up with your own form?

I have a few friends who are Wiccan and traditional Witches and have been told to be careful when altering or borrowing a spell for a story. The best practices are to write it in the fictional sense— or if you do borrow a real spell, change the wording so that you are not intentionally practicing real magic if you have not had a background in this area. 

Let’s face it—magic is magic and can be unpredictable. I can tell you that I learned this the hard way—I will save that for another post. (You’ve been warned).

As for my writing, I have incorporated goddess magic, high Egyptian and Greek priestess magic, Italian Strega magic and a bit of old witchcraft. 

I have borrowed from old texts, various forms of research and modified old ones. I’ve found that the best forms of magic and spells are the ones I create. I thought it would be difficult at first, but it actually has turned out to be fun! Just imagine the possibilities!

So get that pen or athame ready and have fun with it, but make sure to practice safe magic.

Here is a link to 8 rules for safe spell casting~

Check out Lorraine's magical stories on AMAZON
Book 1 & 2 are available and book 3 of the trilogy is coming soon


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