Authors & Their Supporting Characters

Helen Hollick is Hosting a Fabulous 

Supporting Role Blog Hop 

December 6 through 17 

(Designed for us by Avalon♔Graphics LLC)  

I was given the honor of starting these Interviews on the 6th

(or being the first to jump into the dinghy to test if it leaks, if you will).

My character is - no, not Edward, as some of you who have read the Legends of the Winged Scarab might surmise - but Vergil, a pardoned pirate from Venezuela's infamous San Antonio prison on Isla Margarita.

Even though he only pops up in Book 4 (The Crystal Curse)

as a humble guard on the Bucanero II

(the refurbished "lost" real Russian ghost ship Lyubov Orlova),

and in Book 5 (The Nile Conspiracy),

on the confiscated and renamed Super Yacht Khamsin,

this dubious character begins to play a vital role in the lives

(or, shall I say, deaths) of many - some deserving, others innocent.

Here, he is taking aim at the construction site of the

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

 As they say, "Once a pirate, always a pirate."
(You can read more about his wily ways on the Excerpt tab.)

Every day from the 6th through the 17th,

meet a major supporting character
from the novels of award-winning authors

here:

https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/

Follow/Retweet:

Hashtag #SupportingRole

Supporting Role Features will be on the above blog -
whereas the Links below go to authors' websites -  please, do visit them as well.

6th      Inge H Borg
7th      Matthew Harffy
8th     Alison Morton
9th     Regina Jeffers
10th   Anna Belfrage
11th    Christoph Fischer
12th   Pauline Barclay
13th   Antoine Vanner
14th   Annie Whitehead
15th   Derek Birks
16th   Carolyn Hughes
17th   Helen Hollick  (Our wonderful host for all these great features)

My Review of 1066 Turned Upside Down

Alternative fiction stories by nine authors 

A Superb Collaboration 

This interesting alternative history of England’s tumultuous year 1066 is a collaboration of nine authors, each a successful writer of his/her own historical fiction novels:

     Joanna Courtney

     Helen Hollick

     Anna Belfrage

     Richard Dee

     G.K. Holloway

     Carol McGrath

     Alison Morton

     Eliza Redgold

     Annie Whitehead

     In 1066 Turned Upside Down, each writer envisions a fascinating “what if” version about that fateful year in England's history. And with each outcome, modern man would have inherited a much different world, in some instances giving rise to my notion of “too bad it didn’t happen that way.”

     I must confess to not knowing much about this time in England’s long history. However, having read James M. Hockey’s excellent “Edith Fair as a Swan: Tales of Bowdyn 3” (an excellent series, by the way), I was at least familiar with King Harold’s “common wife Edith.
     Because of this, and the excellent Foreword by C. C. Humphreys, I enjoyed the “what if” scenario in 1066 even more.

Check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/1066

Poetry Perfection

My Review of Jim Bennett's 

Cold Comes Through, 

Poetry Book 1

Writing—and reading—true poetry is often associated with admitting vulnerability. Reading it, you have to let it in. Writing it is a lot more arduous: You have to let it out. And letting it out, Jim Bennett does with Cold Comes Through, Book 1 of his five-volume poetry series.

Having read Bennett’s poetry series in reverse order, his first volume—I find—is the most melancholy as it deals with loss, grieving and remembrance. Death hovers nearby, cloaked in autumn leaves, or the heartbreaking throes of Alzheimer’s. But Bennett’s insight into human nature always treats the most dire of his themes with dignity and grace.

After finally reading Cold Comes Through, I know I shall do so again, as I will surely re-read the entire series from time to time. Poetry creates a cultured haven from the blustery world that trammels us daily. Jim Bennett’s poems are some of the best I have had the pleasure ever reading.

* * * * *

Jim Bennett's 5-Volume Poetry is available here:

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Jim-Bennett

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jim-Bennett

Website: http://jim-bennett.ca/

Jim Bennett's Poetry Series is also available in Paperback on Lulu:

http://www.lulu.com/JimBennett

My Review of Christoph Fischer's Ludwika

It took me a while to digest Christoph Fischer's Ludwika - and to give an "impersonal" review. But isn't why we read certain books to feel, to identify, to learn? And if it's a difficult subject handled well, to remember. 

For me, such is Ludwika, A Polish Woman's Struggle To Survive In Nazi Germany. 

  

WWII and its Civilian Casualties 

Christoph Fischer's LUDWIKA brings back the plight of civilians swept up by WWII, centering on Ludwika's will and tenacity to survive, no matter what she must sacrifice. This book becomes even more personal for those who still remember – or at least, who recall survival stories of their European parents. Those who have never faced an invading army might not easily understand Ludwika’s “pliability,” her willingness to leave her young daughter back in Poland while submitting to a German officer’s romantic promises.

This is a heart-wrenching subject tackled by a talented writer.

I highly recommend Fischer’s novel.

AMAZON-US Ludwika
AMAZON-UK Ludwika
Check out Christoph's informative website:

https://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/

Out of Egypt – Something Horrifying

Lexa Cain (writing as L X Cain) first came to my attention through the beautiful masthead of her Egypt-inspired blog (do go and visit it here). We blogged back and forth, and subsequently it was an honor to receive her endorsement of my descriptions of the modern Egyptian (in Sirocco). She should know: Although born in the US, Lexa has been living in Egypt for many years now.

Today, it is my great pleasure to feature her latest novel released on October 4th:

BLOODWALKER

The story actually has nothing to do with Ancient or present-day Egypt. This book falls truly into the Thriller/Mystery/Horror genres. Already, it ranks high on Amazon with numerous four- and five-star reviews with comments like, “Exceptional from beginning to end.” “I cringed, I gasped, I pondered, I theorized, I begged and pleaded, then finally the ride was over, and I wanted more.”

Lightning flashes. Another child disappears…

When Zorka Circus performs, its big top roars with laughter and cheers, but when it moves on, there are fewer children in the European towns it leaves behind.

Circus Security Chief Rurik suspects a killer hides among the international performers, but they close ranks—they’ve always viewed lightning-scarred Rurik as the monster. Nevertheless, he's determined to find the culprit and stop them before anyone else dies and the only place he can call home is ripped apart by the murders.

Into Zorka Circus comes the Skomori clan, despised as gravediggers and ghoulish bloodwalkers. A one-day truce allows bloodwalker Sylvie to marry. Instead, she finds a body. Alerting others will defy her clan’s strict rules, break the truce, and leave her an outcast.

When more bodies turn up, the killer's trail becomes impossible to ignore. Rurik and Sylvie must follow the clues—even if they lead to something unimaginable...

A perfect story for Halloween.

But be sure to lock your doors before you settle down to read.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: (Paperback) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1939844258/ 

Amazon (Kindle): https://www.amazon.com/Bloodwalker-L-X-Cain-ebook/dp/B01IAGHS5K

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bloodwalker-L-X-Cain/dp/1939844258

Barnes & Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bloodwalker-lx-cain/

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/bloodwalker

iTunes: https://fnd.io/#/us/book/1116824924-bloodwalker-by-lx-cain

BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Bloodwalker/L-X-Cain

Powell’s Books: http://www.powells.com/book/bloodwalker

Dancing Lemur Press: http://www.dancinglemurpressllc.com/mysteryparanormalhorror

  

L.X. Cain was born in the U.S. but now lives in Egypt on the Red Sea and busily taps away at a laptop, coming up with stories to thrill and entertain readers

Contact L.X. Cain at:

Blog: http://lexacain.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lx.cain

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LXCain

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/LX_Cain

This Bad Boy Shows Up Everywhere

Edward, our charming conman,

plays an ever more intricate and dangerous role
in Books 2 through 5 of the
Legends of the Winged Scarab

In this quick read, however, he is still the charming con artist, albeit just as ruthless when it comes to squeezing money out of his besotted victims.

                                                 

Edward plays an ever more intricate and dangerous role in Books 2 through 5 of the Legends of the Winged Scarab, while here he is still just a charming con artist.

Amazon-US

Amazon-UK

SIROCCO, Storm over Land and Sea

An archaeological thriller 

SIROCCO, Storm over Land and Sea

Book 2 - Legends of the Winged Scarab

Haven't read Book 1 yet?
No problem (although you are missing a terrific saga about Ancient Egypt), Sirocco starts with the Arab Spring in 2012, building on the Golden Tablets hammered out in 3080 BC (in Khamsin).

So, for all practical purposes, Sirocco is the first of Khamsin's four sequels playing out its adventures in modern times.

In Book 3 (After the Cataclysm) the world turns post-apocalyptic following the long-foretold Yellowstone Supervolcano eruption.

Book 4 (The Crystal Curse) takes you deep into the Lost Labyrinth of Egypt (the existence of which is denied by the Egyptian Government).

Book 5 (The Nile Conspiracy) has our main protagonists involved in the very real threat to Egypt's water supply anticipated from the construction of an Ethiopian monster-dam along the Blue Nile.

(You can read Excerpts from all five books on my "Excerpts" page).

* * *

Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
or:
Buy from an Amazon near you:  http://authl.it/B008Y6GXZ8
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/217175
B&N: SIROCCO-Barnes&Noble
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/sirocco-storm-over-land-and-sea
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sirocco-storm-over-land-sea/
Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/SIROCCO

Is it a Dream or Madness?

Inter-Galactica, 

The brief deliciously delirious dream of a spinster - or is it?

She waits, hopes he will come for her -
as he does for all of us - eventually.

Amazon-US

Amazon-UK

Christoph Fischer Releases New Murder Mystery

Award winning historical and crime fiction novelist

Christoph Fischer 

has written a light-hearted, cozy murder mystery.

Order your Copy of 

The Body in the Snow here:

https://www.amazon.com/The Body in the Snow

  

Fading celebrity Bebe Bollinger is on the wrong side of fifty and dreaming of a return to the limelight. When a TV show offers the chance of a comeback, Bebe grabs it with both hands – not even a lazy agent, her embarrassing daughter, irritating neighbors or a catastrophic snowfall will derail her moment of glory. But when a body is found in her sleepy Welsh hamlet, scandal threatens. 

Detective Sergeant Beth Cooper has a string of unsolved cases to her name. Her girlfriend left her and she’s a fish out of water in rural West Wales. Things couldn’t get much worse – until the case of the Body in The Snow lands in her lap. 
Can Beth solve the case and save her career and can Bebe make her comeback?

Read the fascinating back story of

The Body In The Snow, 

a new Bebe Bollinger Murder Mystery, 

which is set in Wales, on Christoph Fischer’s Website:

https://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/

Found: King Nectanebo Shrine

Shrine Dedicated to King Nectanebo I 
Unearthed in Egypt 

An Egyptian and German archaeological team sifting through the ruins of a temple dedicated to the ancient King Nectanebo I has found building blocks and parts of the ceiling, which was decorated with stars. Authorities hope to rebuild and restore the shrine.

(Egyptian Ministry of Antquities photo)

The 30^th Dynasty king, whose name is also spelled Nakhtanebu, lived in the fourth century BC. His house was the last native Egyptian royal line before Persians reconquered Egypt in 343 BC and overthrew Nectanebo’s grandson.

Shared by Mark Miller in Ancient-Origins 

Read the entire article here: http://www.ancient-origins.net/shrine