Fact in Fiction - Part 5 of 5

The Nile Conspiracy

Book 5 of the Legends of the Winged Scarab Series

Love the cover (if I say so myself). It’s part of an original photograph taken in Morocco’s desert by Canadian poet Jim Bennett. 

(Do check out Mr. Bennett's wonderful poetry here)

I approached Jim if I might use part of it for The Nile Conspiracy’s cover as it so aptly portrayed Egypt’s fight for water. He generously granted me the rights.

The main gist of the novel centers around the (real) Grand Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam – and Egypt’s grave and most real concern about the Blue Nile (from where the country receives 85% of its water). Could the Nile downstream turn into a trickle once the gargantuan dam reservoir starts to fill (supposedly taking up to five years). In the novel, Egypt sets out “to do something” about it with the "help" of one of my bad boys, Vergil. (Hopefully NOT to become a reality).

Read "An Interview with A Pirate" here on this blog:

http://devilwinds.blogspot.com/2018/08/an-interview-with-pirate.html

Check out an Excellent BBC YouTube clip about the Nile’s Journey, entitled:

The Grand Renaissance Dam| Why Egypt Will Go To War with Ethiopia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVdbiQC0Ick

When I stumbled upon the idea of using the Dam in my novel, it was supposed to be opened in 2016. I never imagined that it would become such a controversial project for Ethiopia, Egypt and the Sudan.

In July, Ethiopians were in shock and in a state of disbelief following the tragic death of Semegnew Bekele, chief engineer of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam who oversaw the multi-billion dollar dam project. Officially, his death was ruled a suicide due to mounting pressure about the dam’s delays and cost overruns. There is also an unconfirmed belief that he was murdered. So sad. He was a good man and a dedicated engineer.

https://www.nazret.com/2018/07/26/engineer-semegnew-bekele-is-found-dead/

Interspersed in the book are many other trials and tribulations my protagonists (and their adversaries) must face – along with a treasure hunt through the real Lost Labyrinth of Egypt. 

 

While The Nile Conspiracy brings the Legends of the Winged Scarab series to an end, there might be a prequel about Ancient Crete – way before the Minoans. Following a prehistoric eruption of the volcano Thera, could those survivors have become the first Egyptians of 7000 years ago? We’ll just have to wait and see if this writer can get off her ... well, you know.

For now, however, I hope your curiosity was peaked to pick up some of these historical fiction and adventure novels.

 Check out the entire series starting with Book 1, in Khamsin's Ancient Egypt, to modern-day adventures in Books 2-5.

http://www.amazon.com/Inge-H.-Borg/e/B006QYQKUS

Fact in Fiction - Part 4 of 5

The Crystal Curse 

(Book 4 of the Legends of the Winged Scarab series).

http://www.amazon.com/B00ZCLW7EY

Sailing around the island of Malta on their way from the Canary Islands to Crete, my protagonists must skirt a real  number of oil rigs surrounding this historically significant island. They are often towed through busy shipping channels creating hazards to transiting vessels (yes, there is an incident in the book).

  -- Remember the Malta Conference held January 30 to February 3, 1945 between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill planning a final campaign against the Germans. They also agreed on the undesirability of the Red Army pushing into Central Europe.

-- This was followed by the Yalta Conference in Crimea (February 4–11, 1945), between Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Premier Joseph Stalin, divvying up war-torn Europe by demanding the unconditional surrender of Germany, and other then-secret agreements.

In The Crystal Curse, once again, the new leaders of the supervolcano-devastated world plot on Malta, with China and South America in the fore. Here, I touch on the island-building fortifications by the Chinese on and around the hotly disputed Spratley Islands in the South China Seas.

If you think "well, that's far away," think again. This YouTube video may just tell us of how China ramps up its island-building for military purposes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luTPMHC7zHY

 

But mostly, together with my “goodies and baddies,” we explore the dangers and wonders of the Lost Labyrinth of Egypt near Hawara in the Fayum. The complex is deemed to predate Egypt's Old Kingdom by thousands of years.

This ancient underground maze was off-limits to researchers, and until something huge was proven by ground-penetrating laser,  the Egyptian Government largely denied its existence. Were they hiding something sinister or too valuable for it to be explored? 

Here a brief excerpt from an interesting article:

  "The labyrinth is said to be an extraordinary underground complex which could hold the key to mankind’s history. ... there, we could find details about unknown civilizations in history, great empires, and rulers that lived on the planet before history as we know it began."

 https://www.ancient-code.com/researchers-confirm-giant-ancient-egyptian-underground-labyrinth-exists-and-could-rewrite-history/

 

 But back to the fiction in The Crystal Curse: 

 Will Naunet and Jonathan escape with their lives as the Curse of El-Hanash, the Crystal Snake, seems to befall all who enter the Lost Labyrinth.

Excerpt:

One by one, the heavy tablets were handed down the dangling starboard gangway and lifted into the A&N’s impressive captain’s launch. Hovering on the upper steps were an anxious Lorenzo and a very jittery Jabari. Despite both men suspecting they had lost their own claim to ownership of the ancient gold, every time the launch’s bumpers clanged against the small bobbing platform, the two men winced.

“Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?” 

Jabari adopted a conspirator’s tone. “What if he sails off in the middle of the night with our gold?”

“In the middle of the night, you and I will be on the A&N.” 

Lorenzo’s mood had turned as dark as the ominous haze bunching up on the southern horizon. “

 As soon as we’ve loaded the last of this lot, I want you to get my group together to be ferried on over.” By his group, he meant himself and Edward, as well as Jabari, Zahra, and Aziz. Cheryl and a more than reluctant Naunet made up the rest to spend the night on the Russian mega-yacht.

 Lorenzo pulled the two crystal halves from his pocket and handed them to Jabari.

“Here. Before we leave, have Browning glue these back together. And make sure the Wilkins woman knows her hocus-pocus. If I can’t persuade Alexei this thing has special powers, we’ll all be taking a long swim.”

* * *

Fact in Fiction - Part 3 of 5

The fiction here is that the Yellowstone Supervolcano caldera finally blows its top, devastating the North American continent. (Now, that bit I really, really hope will remain fiction - at least for another millennia, though the warnings from scientists are real).


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 Supervolcano explodes.  ...   

As to the Facts: The Lyubov Orlova is a very real ghost ship [this link is still good - more on links below]. 
I am giving the old wreck a new life in

After the Cataclysm, Book 3 

of the Legends of the Winged Scarab series.

   

Everyone thinks the Russian derelict has slipped beneath the waves of the Atlantic - thus, I was free to do with her as I pleased. I even included the cannibal rats she supposedly still harbors while she's adrift in the North Atlantic Gyre. 

(The new owner's cook does wonders with his stews for the crew!)

My Bostonian scientists have barricaded themselves in Jonathan’s home in Marble Head. 

 

 [I was always fascinated just peeking through the wrought-iron fence who lived there in such splendor.]

Soon, their only hope to escape the hungry, murderous rabble pushing east is via sailboat (remember from Book 2, Jonathan is an avid sailor). The vessel here is a sturdy 34-foot Fisher Ketch.

 [I've always liked the looks of the sturdy little double-ender.]

  

Having pushed through the ash sludge in the harbor, they get a message from the former Cairo Museum director (through ham radio operators, the only link to the outside world left) that Jabari el-Masri is on a Venezuelan island; and he has the ancient Golden Tablets. They should come and work on the translation left unfinished before. 

During their perilous journey, looming above them out of the dark is an unidentified ship. It almost runs them down. On the way, they make a grateful stop at Necker Island in the Caribbean. (The real owner of this Island is none other than Sir Richard Branson – who is not in residence nor is he mentioned in the book as the owner).

Isla Margarita, a real Venezuelan prison colony. It becomes the luxurious lair of one of my "bad" guys; as well as a refuge (aka forced confinement) for my protagonists.

And they say the writing of a novelist is all make-belief.

Now, a warning to myself and other authors: 

We sometimes include links to websites of particular interest to attest to our research. In my Foreword, I had (and I say, had) included a site to the missing Russian ghost ship, the Lyubov Orlova. A friend of mine was re-reading her Kindle edition. “You may not want this link in here,” she messaged me. I pompously let her know that I did this, because blah, blah, blah... Curious, though, I pulled up the book’s Look Inside and clicked on this link.

To my shock, up came several suggested sex sites. Holy Cow! Apparently, the group had given up on their domain, and it was now available for “others.”

If you bought Book 3 and come across this link, I do apologize. As I have said in Part 1, “check and double-check.” I quickly heeded my own advice, re-uploaded the book sans this link, and also checked any other links that might have run amok with the passing of time.

 * * *

Excerpt:  

“Jonathan?”
“Hm?” He was not ready to abandon the sweet drowsiness, feeling satiated, and in love with this exquisite woman next to him. His wife. His Nefertiti. The last thing on his mind was being drawn into any conversation. But he could feel it. It was coming.
“What really happened with Edward that day?” Naunet felt him tense in her embrace.
He did not have to ask ‘what day,’ and he took his time before he answered, “I met up with him on the cliff, just before I found you.” He paused.
She waited before prompting him, “And?”

“We fought. As we struggled against the wind and with each other, we lost our footing and crashed into the shrubbery growing out over the cliff. I managed to hang on to an exposed root.”
Naunet waited some more before she whispered, “And Edward?”
“He missed.”
“And then?”
“Sweetheart, all this was a couple of years ago. What makes you bring him up now?”
“I need to know.”
Jonathan sighed. He had always known the day would come when he would have to tell her. Why today? Why now? Had his making love to her triggered some sordid comparison? Damn the blasted man. Would they ever be free of his ghost? ...

* * *

(Read more on the Excerpts Page on this Blog)