The Challenge of Writing Sequels

It was relatively easy to write Book 2 (Sirocco, Storm over Land and Sea) of my “Legends of the Winged Scarab,” that takes place in 2012. It seamlessly follows Khamsin, The Devil Wind of The Nile, which plays out in 3080 B.C. With five-thousand years between the two novels, the only tie-ins were ancient Egyptian artifacts: The Golden Tablets, their rims showing a Khepri, a winged scarab, thought to be a First Dynasty high priest’s personal crest (or perhaps a touch of vanity to be remembered in the future).

I am now in the process of writing Book 3, After the Cataclysm. It takes place two to four years later (2014-2016), and I find it infinitely harder to walk the fine line between rationalizing what is happening and why, without regurgitating things from Sirocco. Of course, one could always insinuate to “read bloody Book 2 first.”

Retelling action from a prequel is one of the main reader complaints I am trying very hard to avoid. While some brief flash-backs are necessary, I trust that they will be interesting enough not to arouse the ire of my readers.

Meantime, I keep plugging away hoping for a spring publication of Book 3 with many of the protagonists from Sirocco. I am most excited to reveal then also the name of the real ghost ship (and the website dedicated to its search) that I am using in this new novel, just as I had used a real (stolen) Rembrandt painting for the cover of Sirocco. I think it makes things more exciting and even titillating...if only someone would find them both.

 Don't Google for a ghost ship by this name--it's the new one I gave it.

(I wrote this post only hours before the real Lyubov Orlova heated up the media with supposed sightings and tales of cannibal rats - talk about premonitions)

Mayday. Mayday

Researching the purported sightings of the real ghost ship I am fictionalizing in my novel “After the Cataclysm,” I came across an official website that warns mariners of hazards at sea. The dangers that lurk on an apparently empty ocean are as diverse as they seem to be numerous.

Hence, whether you are a sailor or an aviator—or even a radio amateur monitoring those frequencies--these distress signals must instill fear and empathy in your heart especially if the indication is that there is danger of loss of life. You immediately realize that someone, somewhere is in peril. Unless, of course, you are the one sending an SOS out into the ether. Then your fear becomes eclipsed by pure terror.

Most dispatches are banal, devoid of urgency and only those familiar with the way of the sea know what is behind them.

Somebody out there is in trouble, and an “assist if possible” and a “sharp lookout” – they always add that - may not be sufficient to save someone's life.

My heart goes out to those in peril. The sea can be a merciless mistress to those who love her. I may have turned into an armchair sailor, but I still hear the ocean’s siren song. I must follow it; but these days, I do it through my writing.

Bygone Carefree Days

My Most Cherished Words (3)

This is Book 3 of the Legends of the Winged Scarab, my Work in Progress, with my cover design again having received Diana Wilder’s valuable input.

In keeping with the evil winds theme of the first two books, I had originally come up with a working title of “Southern Trades” as most of the action plays out on an island off Venezuela (caressed by the Southern Tradewinds). Likely too esoteric. Then, according to the Pitch below, I thought the new title might be more fitting.

The eruption of a North American supervolcano and a ton of ancient gold throw together opposing protagonists from Sirocco, Storm over Land and Sea (Book 2) as unwilling passengers on a real abandoned ghost ship believed still to be plying the Atlantic Ocean.

Book 3 of the Legends of the Winged Scarab series plunges straight into this desperate post-apocalyptic world. Egyptologist Naunet Wilkins and her scientist husband Jonathan flee the lawless land following an uneasy offer orchestrated by Egyptian archaeologist Jabari El-Masri, a fugitive from his own country, now living on Venezuela’s Isla Margarita, owned by the fanatic art collector Lorenzo Dominguez. Did El-Masri trade the Golden Tablets and the Americans’ expertise for his own survival?

Once again, Naunet is torn between preserving an ancient treasure and sparing the world from its dire predictions just as a new ill-wind rears up and threatens the Wilkins’s escape from their hellish puppet-master.

Publication is planned for early spring.

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Prologue from After the Cataclysm

(Book 3 – Legends of the Winged Scarab – 2012-2016 AD)

At first, it feels as if the world simply needs to relieve itself of an irksome burden. As the ground’s shivers grow more insistent, however, people stop their holiday revelries and listen to the distant rumbles emanating from far below their feet. All of a sudden—long foretold by scientists but unheeded by politicians—the earth goes mad. With a roar felt around the globe, the North American Yellowstone Super-Volcano explodes.

Those living close to the huge caldera are quickly incinerated. Others, lucky enough to escape the pyroclastic flow, soon suffocate from inhaling airborne ash particles. For a thousand miles east of Wyoming, the fertile plains are laid bare. Much of the land to the west becomes uninhabitable. The United States of America—the world’s megalomaniac Super-Power—ceases to exist.

World dominance, for what it was worth, shifts dramatically to South America, with Venezuela at the fore and Brazil a close second. A stream of half-starved northern refugees arrives daily at Venezuela’s shores, having drifted on the tradewinds on anything that still floats. But armed patrols prevent these desperados from setting foot on land so that the shoreline soon becomes choked with their bloated bodies.

To be admitted, if not entirely welcomed, to this New World Order, one has to have connections and possess something of great value. 

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My Most Cherished Words (2)

A day ago, my colleague in writing historical fiction, the talented Diana Wilder, author of The Memphis Cycle, interviewed me for her always entertaining and informative blog. You can read the Interview here:

http://dianawilder.blogspot.com/

One of her questions was to tell her about passages in my books that I am most proud of. It made me think. From it stemmed my belief that “my most cherished words” were penned in the Prologues of my historical fiction books.

I already told you about the one for Khamsin, The Devil Wind of the Nile.

Now, let me show you the one for its modern-day but stand-alone sequel.

I really like this novel. It is current, relatable, and more on the thriller-side than its prequel (you may need some Dramamine for the stormy passages).

* * *

Prologue from Sirocco, Storm over Land and Sea

(Book 2 – Legends of the Winged Scarab – 2012 AD)

Trexa! Sorokos!”

Barely, the fishermen pull their boats onto shore when the storm arrives all in a rush, malevolent and laden with Libyan Desert sand.

“Run! Sirocco!” Again, the men cry the warning against the feared wind that had spawned over the Sahara. After giving birth to its unbridled son Khamsin, the Devil Wind of the Nile, it froths the waters of the Mediterranean and mercilessly claws at the islands in its path, scything the coastal shrub into stubble.

The old women of Crete call it The Big Tongue. Innocent-looking at first, a lazy yellow haze comes drifting north. It grows larger, turning the air into choking ochre mist. Its hot breath churns the sea and drives salt spray deep into the island’s interior. As if on cue, tempers turn sour and people suddenly find fault with friend and neighbor. Fights erupt over nothing. Secretly harbored thoughts of suicide and murder attack the mind as voraciously as wild goats strip young plane trees bare. All things bad can now be blamed on the Sirocco.

It is only when the cool steady meltemia breezes blow again out of the northwest that the island breathes a sigh of relief, and much is forgiven.

* * *

Once again, Diana matched the writing on the cover for SIROCCO to that of her design for Khamsin. (Forgive us, Master Rembrandt, but I needed a storm at sea - besides, I still hope someone will recognize this stolen painting and call the authorities.)

* * *

To Self-Edit or Not to Self-Edit

With so many new authors popping up all over the place, the writing community threads are full of warnings never, ever, to self-edit. True, there are always a few ‘nits’ that escape us. Are we really too close to our work? On the other hand, get the wrong editor (friend, paid hireling, zealot), and you might get a lot more—as well as definitely less—than you bargained for.

Yesterday, I briefly mentioned an early mentor/reader of mine. Let me amuse you with a few instances of this self-appointed and—worse—stubbornly self-righteous 'editor' who thought his English was a lot better than this here humble foreigner’s.

When I started to work on KHAMSIN, I was eager, gullible and naive. Hence, I forked over my floppies--yes, those big black squares that swallowed your words and, if you were lucky, regurgitated them with the right prompt. (There was no e-mail yet.) My Mr. Malaprop simply overwrote the floppies with his edits without annotating what he had changed, or where. A disk-compare revealed so many of his misspellings and malapropisms, that I had to chuck the original disks (clever me: for once, I had made backups).

Here is a sprinkling of his (now actually funny) editing:

Borg:             inciting news (there was a battle brewing)

Mr. M:            exciting news

Borg:              impotent anger

Mr. M.            impatient anger

Borg:              The boat was holed (never doubt a sailor)

Mr. M.            The boat was pierced          

Borg:              roiling waters

Mr. M.            vexing waters (by now I, too, was getting vexed)

Borg:              torment

Mr. M.            termoil [sic] (couldn’t spell worth a damn to boot)

But the funniest was this one (I can laugh about it now):

Borg:              They stomped into battle the image of sustained virility.

(Naked Noba tribes wearing feathers around their neck and a protective penis tube tied around their middle—get the picture?)

Mr. M             They strutted off with a viral [sic] erection. (Evoked howling fit)

I am ashamed to say that I slammed into the misguided man like a German wrecking ball and then followed this up with a scathing letter to tell him to take his ‘viruses’ and buzz off.

All that said, I am fortunate now to have a wonderful Beta-reader who not only knows her grammar but checks my chapters for continuity. For instance, in Sirocco, I was diddling around in the Red Sea when she wrote back: They’ve sailed past Port Said; shouldn’t they already be in the Med? (Oops ... What was that I gloated about not contradicting a sailor?)

Self-edit? Yes. Over and over again.

And then pray for a knowledgeable Beta-reader. A fresh pair of eyes can make or break our reputation as a writer to be taken seriously.

So, be grateful, I say, for those kind and patient souls who read our ARCs and review our books so that the end-consumers, our readers, can be assured to get an almost flawless product. After all, where would we writers be without our readers?

My Most Cherished Words (1)

Recently, I was asked about my “most cherished words.” I admit that I am most partial to my Prologues. They set the mood, introduce foreboding, and even help clarify my titles.

When, years ago, a self-appointed ARC reader (alas, a veritable Mr. Malaprop) tried to mess with the prologue for Khamsin, I fiercely declared my words as untouchable. He circled the passage in red and wrote “Holy” into the margin. Darn right!

(In a few days, I shall show you some amusing “edits” Mr. Malaprop attempted in the original manuscript; it’s funny now, but for sure wasn’t at the time, believe me.)

* * *

Prologue from Khamsin, The Devil Wind of The Nile

(Book 1 – Legends of the Winged Scarab – 3080 BC)

                                     

Rih al-Khamsin!”

It was an eerie howl rather than a cry. It multiplied, and it traveled fast. The urgency of the warning sent the inhabitants of the far-flung settlements scurrying. In great haste, children were collected, drinking wells covered, and home sites secured. All against the onslaught of the feared wind whose turbulent airs had gathered strength from far away.

Its father, the Sirocco, was spawned over the hot desert. Before it abandoned its cyclonic origins to reach across the vast stretches of the Great Green Sea, clawing young islands along the way, racing toward the densely forested virgin coast of the primitive Northern Continent, it gave birth to its unbridled son Khamsin, the Devil Wind of the Nile.

This new turbulence then grew into adolescence over the desolate sandy expanses of the great desert, gathering strength and hot dust, reaching merciless maturity as it slammed into the broad Valley of the Nile. With the Khamsin’s arrival, the populace knew to expect accompanying sand storms; and swarms of vermin covered the ground bringing widespread devastation to the already parched land.

Only when the Great Wind’s hot fury was spent, did its evil spirits seem appeased, and the land and its people could breathe anew, and anticipate the life-giving flooding of their river once again.

Just as once again, the principles of Ma’at would be adhered to. It was their cornerstone of all life, of all culture. Its teachings were to suppress all chaos stemming from ones emotions, feelings and reactions. To keep life in absolute order. No deviation was permitted. Those who offended its strict laws were severely punished—often by a cruel death.

But during those enervating days when the incessant wind raged, Ma’at was often breached; usually calm tempers flared; violent crimes were committed. And it was said, that people vanished without a trace.

* * *
Anybody dare to comment? (I promise, I won't bite)

* * *

The amazing cover was designed by Diana Wilder, herself a prolific writer of Egyptian novels, and the author of The Memphis Cycle.
http://www.dianawilderauthor.com/my-writing.html

Boundaries / No Boundaries

What better time for an artist than the beginning of a new year to set boundaries as well as – much more importantly – explore new horizons without boundaries. The emphasis here is on artist, as I include not only us writers, but painters, musicians and all those who create something emerging from their talent, passion and perseverance.

Today, my admiration jumps from the written word to the painter’s canvas. I have a wonderful long-time friend, whom I knew first from our workplace where we both spent our days (and many late nights) hammering out bureaucratic and legal documents. It paid the rent and allowed us to retire.

And it was then that our true souls emerged and our creative juices urged us to escape the boundaries of our formerly productive yet restrictive lives.

I am so proud to introduce not only a wonderful friend, but

Victoria Smith Porcello,

The Painter

“Pele” 30 x 30 Acrylic on Canvas

© Victoria Smith Porcello

(Posted by Special Permission from the Artist)

This is my favorite painting of Victoria’s.

Victoria also has a way with words. This is her own definition of respecting boundaries while fearlessly also soaring above them:

* * *

BOUNDARIES, NO BOUNDARIES

Boundaries may create safety and security, or they can restrict and isolate.  A lack of boundaries creates chaos, while stretching or reaching beyond our boundaries can be fun, exciting, and sometimes dangerous.

Boundaries are made by the physical, a fence or wall for instance, or political, such as the borders drawn by different states or even ideas.  Boundaries can be cultural and societal, determined by history or by the march of modernity.

As we mature in our lives, our sense of boundaries changes, our experience of boundaries changes.  Our challenge is to look within and without and ask ourselves, are these our boundaries or someone else’s that I have been asked, or forced, to accept.

As an artist, I am challenged with each painting I create to assess whether to accept or possibly change and expand my artistic boundaries.  Each painting is also an invitation to explore my own life boundaries.  This exhibit is just such an invitation for each of us.

Victoria Smith Porcello © 2014

* * *

Through February, Victoria will be the Featured Artist at the Sandstone Gallery in Laguna, California.

That's a great honor. I only wish I could be there.

Congratulations, my Friend,

and Much Continued Success for 2014.

Please, visit Victoria Smith Porcello’s amazing Gallery

on her personal website:

http://www.victoriasmithporcello.com/index.html

Ancient Egyptian Historical Fiction: Deep, Dark and Dramatic

STEPHANIE DRAY is a bestselling, multi-published, award-winning author of historical women’s fiction and fantasy set in the ancient world.

Her critically acclaimed series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into more than six different languages, was nominated for a RITA Award and won the Golden Leaf.

Her focus on Ptolemaic Egypt and Augustan Age Rome has given her a unique perspective on the consequences of Egypt's ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion.

Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today.

She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has-to the consternation of her devoted husband-collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.

Buy Stephanie’s Books

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I hesitated to contact Ms. Dray. Would she even answer me? But true to form, Stephanie graciously agreed to let us get into her writer’s brain so that her fans can get to know her better. Here are the questions I posed to her:

* * *

Stephanie, was there “an epiphany” that led you to write about Selene (Cleopatra’s daughter) in particular?

Cleopatra VII of Egypt was the most powerful woman in the history of the world. I don’t say that lightly. There have been other queens and female secretaries of state and prime ministers, too. But none of them had the same relative wealth, geographic dominion and unfettered power enjoyed by this iconic woman. That her legacy could have ended with her was something that always saddened me, so when I discovered that she had a daughter--one who carried on that legacy--I had to write about her.

Considering that Selene was brought up in Rome, not only did you have to do research about Egypt’s history, but Rome’s as well. Emperor Augustus’s reign is well-documented. Hence, there could be no fudging the facts (or widely accepted fiction, as it were). That the reign of Augustus is relatively well-documented was a big help to me because Selene’s life could only be reconstructed by using the information we know about the men in her life, including Rome’s first emperor.

Though there are touches of magic realism in my story, I was constrained by the facts. Luckily, the facts surrounding the Julio-Claudian dynasty are deliciously operatic, complete with wife-swapping, superstition and political plotting. As I explain in my author’s note, the most outrageous things that happen in the book are actually true.

You have had an astounding success with your books. Did you first go the painful traditional route (querying agents, etc.), or self-publish to begin with?

Thank you for your kind words; I hope my publisher agrees with you about the success of my books! I did go the traditional route of querying agents and going out on submission and suffering rejections, etcetera. My self-publishing ventures have, so far, been quite limited.

I am currently giving away THE PRINCESS OF EGYPT MUST DIE, a short young adult novelette, for readers to get a sense of my storytelling, and I intend, at some point, to follow that up with a full-length book about Queen Arsinoe II, which I might publish myself!

How would you describe your writing style?

Deep, dark, and dramatic.

Apart from the Selene books, you have other historical fiction novels, also about Ancient Egypt.

Just the one novelette, but I intend to do more! And, lastly, can you tell us what you are working on now? This year I’m taking a brief detour away from the ancient world and into the Revolutionary War era. I’m so excited about this new project! Together with the brilliant and talented colonial historian Laura Kamoie (aka NYT Bestselling author Laura Kaye), I’ll be writing the story of Patsy Jefferson, whose loving but deeply destructive relationship with her father, the third president of the United States, defined her life and our national legacy.

Fascinating! And if that doesn’t want anyone to pick your books off from under the tree, I don’t know what will. Stephanie, a great thanks for sharing a writer’s insight and process with us. And I am certain, your fans can’t wait for more of that “deep, dark and dramatic” story-telling you do so beautifully.

Thanks so much for having me!

* * *

Somewhere on her own blog, Stephanie vows to “hibernate for the Holidays.” A commendable effort; I say effort because it is so difficult to keep away from our passion, especially when those great ideas spawned at two AM cry out to be put to paper. But for the time being, I will take her advice – and hibernate as well (for a while, anyway).

Happy Holidays, everyone.

* * *

Now, go and cuddle up with Stephanie Dray’s wonderful Nile Trilogy:

Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...

To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?

Buy Lily of the Nile

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Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra's daughter is the emperor's most unlikely apprentice and one woman with the power to destroy his empire...

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land. The magic of Isis flowing through her veins is what makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra's daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother's throne be more than she's willing to pay?

Buy Song of the Nile

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Based on the true story of Cleopatra’s daughter…

After years of abuse as the emperor's captive in Rome, Cleopatra Selene has found a safe-harbor. No longer the pitiful orphaned daughter of the despised Egyptian Whore, the twenty year old is now the most powerful queen in the empire, ruling over the kingdom of Mauretania—an exotic land of enchanting possibility where she intends to revive her dynasty. With her husband, King Juba II, and the magic of Isis that is her birthright, Selene brings prosperity and peace to a kingdom thirsty for both.

But when Augustus Caesar jealously demands that Selene’s children be given over to him to be fostered in Rome, she’s drawn back into the web of imperial plots and intrigues that she vowed to leave behind. Determined and resourceful, Selene must shield her loved-ones from the emperor’s wrath, all while vying with ruthless rivals like King Herod. Can she find a way to overcome the threat to her marriage, her kingdom, her family and her faith? Or will she be the last of her line?

Buy DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE

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And for a Bonus Free Sample of Stephanie’s Work….

Before she became one of Egypt's greatest queens, she was a lonely princess who ached to belong... Princess Arsinoe came of age in the glittering court of Ptolemaic Egypt. Abused by her ruthless sister, a pawn in the dynastic ambitions of her father, and dismissed by the king who claimed her for a bride, young Arsinoe finds herself falling in love with a young man forbidden to her. She dreams of a great destiny, but if she is ever to rule Egypt, she must first survive the nest of vipers otherwise known as her family.

Get THE PRINCESS OF EGYPT MUST DIE

Free

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Christoph Fischer Gets 5 Stars from the Bookish Owl

You already know that Christoph Fischer is one of my favorite authors as I have featured him several times on this blog. Hence, I simply had to reblog this from his own website; His book Sebastian a must-read for anyone interested in WW I as well as the human condition during desperate times.

http://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/review-sebastian-the-three-nations-trilogy-2-by-christoph-fischer/

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The following is a review of Sebastian by the Bookish Owl.

Publication Date: May 2013 by CreateSpace
Format Acquired: Digital copy from the author

Sebastian is the story of a young man who has his leg amputated before World War I. When his father is drafted to the war it falls on to him to run the family grocery store in Vienna, to grow into his responsibilities, bear loss and uncertainty and hopefully find love.

Sebastian Schreiber, his extended family, their friends and the store employees experience the ‘golden days’ of pre-war Vienna and the timed of the war and the end of the Monarchy while trying to make a living and to preserve what they hold dear.
Fischer convincingly describes life in Vienna during the war, how it affected the people in an otherwise safe and prosperous location, the beginning of the end for the Monarchy, the arrival of modern thoughts and trends, the Viennese class system and the end of an era.

As in the first part of the trilogy, “The Luck of The Weissensteiners” we are confronted again with themes of identity, Nationality and borders. The step back in time made from Book 1 and the change of location from Slovakia to Austria enables the reader to see the parallels and the differences deliberately out of the sequential order. This helps to see one not as the consequence of the other, but to experience them as the momentary reality as it must have felt for the people at the time.
Thank you Christoph for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review! 

The second book in Christoph Fischer’s Three Nations trilogy is even better than the first. My information about World War I is very limited, going only as far as the knowledge that it was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Reading Sebastian made me learn a lot of things about World War I and while I couldn’t understand some of the political aspects due to perhaps my age and disinterest in politics, Sebastian was definitely a fascinating learning experience.

‘“Us old ones, we have already lived our lives, now let the young ones lead theirs.”’

Here’s the thing about this book; there is a wide variety of characters with their own personalities that are so different from each other that it was never a tedious read. Their individuality made it easier for me to empathize with them especially when it came to Sebastian. I loved how the author put a subtle twist of irony in the plot; Sebastian was a Jew, albeit a non-practicing one, who survived the war due to his mother’s Christian friends supporting them while Margit was a Christian living in Jewish charity. It really showed the stark reality of war, while nations may be fighting and grappling for power, individuals set aside their own differences due to a sense of duty towards another human being. It was a very small plot-bunny but beautiful nonetheless.

‘”Sometimes in life you have to compromise and realize that something which is merely good enough is good and enough. Keep reaching for the stars and see what it will get you.”’

Christoph created such realistic people that I could totally understand where they were coming from even if I live in such a wholly different era from them. Vera and Piroska were two characters so brilliantly written that they felt like actual breathing figures instead of ink on paper. I thought that Vera was a very weak woman with loads of self-pity while Piroska was just plain hateful with her brainwashing and paranoid disposition. It is weird that I both loved and hated these characters. Although I disliked them initially, their complexity was very endearing.

‘”Fear of bad news is sometimes worse than knowing the worst has come true.”’

While I couldn’t comprehend most of the political elements Sebastian had to offer, the author’s research was really commendable. He was able to paint a clear picture of Austria during World War I and it wasn’t difficult to visualize the lives Sebastian and his family led during these trying times.
Christoph Fischer’s Sebastian is a bittersweet piece of historical fiction filled with flawed characters that made my heart melt and realize that desperate times make us more humans. The Three Nations trilogy was much better with the second book and I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the series. I can’t wait to see what Christoph Fischer has up his sleeve!

FINAL VERDICT:

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Congratulations, Christoph!

The Mask of M. Robertson

M. Robertson wears a mask – not to cover the face; rather, it is a sacred jade mask and the subject of the exciting debut-novel “Mask Among the Bones.”

I usually feature history and archaeology on my blog and this adventure-thriller deals precisely with both. But its location is on the other side of the world from Ancient Egypt. The breathtaking action takes place in the jungles of Belize.

As someone always threatening to move to a warmer climate, I again became curious about Central America and had to ask a few questions of my own:

M. Robertson, how did you come up with Belize?

My spouse and I had been fantasizing about retiring somewhere warm and tropical. We started looking at Belize after a friend raved about a vacation on one of the islands. The more we looked the more we loved what we saw.

Without giving away a spoiler, tell us about the Mask in your title and its history.

While researching Belize I began reading about the Mayan civilization. That lead on another path and I wandered off into the mystical powers of crystal skulls and found a beautiful photo of a mosaic mask that peaked my curiosity. While poking through information on the skulls I read a tiny little paragraph about jaguar priests in Belize and that some still practiced today. I loved James Clavell’s Shogun and remembered that he had based his entire book on one sentence he had read about a British samurai.

Mask among the Bones has been simmering for a long time. When I first started research for my story Desert Storm was going on in the Middle East. I was horrified as I watched their museums being looted knowing that the public would never again see their historical treasures.

How difficult was it to research real locations and historical facts?

I read everything I could find on the early civilizations in Central America and combined information on multiple digs in and around Belize. Does this particular jade jaguar mask really exist? Who knows. The Tikal funeral mask made of jade, jasper, serpentine, obsidian and shell was discovered in northern Guatemala in 1963, and later featured on the cover of National Geographic.

I love your writing style. Are you planning a sequel?

Thank you. I know I left it open for a possible sequel, but some other characters are running around in my head screaming for their day on the page. One takes place in a little town called Hardly, Arkansas and the other is based on our time spent living in a haunted house. We’ll have to see who keeps me up at night the most.

Thank you so much for telling us about your debut-novel. I am sure you will soon have a following of readers clamoring for a sequel; so, think about it.

For an intriguing Look-Inside, visit M. Robertson’s Amazon Page:

http://www.amazon.com/Mask-Among-Bones-M-Robertson-ebook/dp/B00GZWCAEG/