Great Summer Countdown Day 11: Cheryl Carpinello

I am retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Quest Books set in these worlds.

I also conduct Medieval/Short Story Writing Workshops in Elementary/Middle School classes. Contact me if you are interested in holding a workshop for students: ccarpinello@mac.com.

Q&A With the Author:

5.    What is your favorite part of writing?

When I’ve finally figured out the path that my characters need to take, and I get the rewriting finished.

6.     Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep plugging along even when what you envisioned isn’t working. There is a path to the solution, you just have to keep writing and thinking.

Connect with the Author here: 

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At the dawn of Camelot, one young girl is about to take her place beside the greatest king in England’s history…. 

She is a mere child of twelve. But in these medieval days, this is the age when childish things must be put away and greater responsibilities accepted—all in preparation for a betrothal of marriage. 

For young Lady Guinevere, on the advent of her thirteenth Birth Day, the whole idea is quite unbearable. After all, what could be better than spending her youth playing with her best friend Cedwyn, roaming the grounds around the castle looking for mythical creatures or hunting rabbits? 

However, the wizard Merlyn—her teacher and friend—knows that destiny has a way of catching up with a person. His arrival sets in motion a series of events that will lead Guinevere to her destiny whether she is ready for it or not. 

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Snippet:

Guinevere stood by the door.  In between glares at Cedwyn, she kept looking out into the bailey courtyard.

            "Hurry up, Cedwyn.  Merlyn’s going to leave without us,” she whispered, not wanting to wake Brynwyn.

            "I'm comin'," he replied, pulling on his other shoe.

            Ready at last, the two hurried toward the castle gate and Merlyn.  The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon.

            "Humph!  About time!" Merlyn said as they reached him.  "Not able to get enough sleep?  Maybe dreaming of dragons?!"  He chuckled as Cedwyn's expression betrayed the fact that he had had a very restless night.  "Well, it's daylight now.  Dragons sleep in the light so we should have a very uneventful trip.  All we have to do is find King Pellinore and that darn bratchet dog!  Let's hurry up now.  We have plenty of forest to cover and who knows what we will come across," he finished as he marched out of the castle gate and toward the forest, his long strides threatening to leave them behind.

            "Do dragons really sleep in the day?  Merlyn, how come you said we would have an unev'ntful trip when we don't know what we will come across?" Cedwyn asked as he and Guinevere hurried after Merlyn.

            Merlyn just chuckled and motioned them to follow.  "One never knows what the forest will reveal, but at least it won't be dragons!"

            "What does he mean, Guin'ver?"  Cedwyn asked, confused by Merlyn's double talk.

            "I'm not sure, but let's not let him get too far in front."  She glanced ahead.  Merlyn was just ducking under the edge of the forest canopy.  Nervously, she looked around, mindful of the last time that she and Cedwyn had been in the forest.  Thankfully, nothing appeared to be moving in the tall grass on either side of them.

            "Do you think we’ll run into that wild pig again?  Will it remember that you were the one that shot it?"  Cedwyn asked.  He had additional questions, but Guinevere turned and put her finger to her lips.

            "If you keep talking so loud, it will find us.  So be quiet and hurry.  Merlyn's already out of sight."

            Cedwyn looked up the path, but Merlyn was nowhere to be seen.  He started to panic.  Once they stepped under the dark green forest canopy and out of the sunlight, Merlyn’s flowing grey robe appeared just ahead of them.  Cedwyn heard Guinevere's sigh echo his.

            Merlyn waited until they caught up before choosing a hidden path through the scrub brush.  The trio moved in deeper in the forest, Merlyn in the lead.  Guinevere came next.  She followed somewhat hesitantly, her and Cedwyn’s run-in with the boar still vivid in her mind.  Her heart raced faster at the thought of meeting another one.

            Cedwyn came last, at times having to run to keep up with Merlyn's pace.  Of course, it would have been easier if he hadn’t kept stopping to investigate the brown and green vegetation all around.  He wasn’t looking for the bugs, worms, or small creatures common around the castle.  No, what Cedwyn watched for was whatever Merlyn referred to when he told them that he didn't know what the forest had in store for them.  He wanted to be ready, but for what he wasn't sure.

            "Guin'ver?" he asked as he caught up to her where the path widened.  "What do you think Merlyn thinks might be in the forest?"

            "I don't know," she replied, catching herself looking around.  "Let's just stay close.  Merlyn can take care of anything that comes near.”

            "Now, I wouldn't be so quick to say that, Lady Guinevere,"  Merlyn said as he stopped.

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Book Review: Through Paige's Eyes by Melanie Macek

        About the Author:

Melanie Macek is a transplanted Californian desert rat living in Texas. She and her husband are owned by two Bombay cats - Murphy (Smurph) and Charlie (Midget). Luckily her husband shares her love of travel and they are slowly checking off destinations. Many vacations have turned into story ideas. Vacation ideas are welcome!

After trying her hand at poetry, song writing, and short stories, she started writing her first novel after the death of her mother. The urge to commit words to paper became undeniable, though life and work frequently put it on the back burner. It took 14 years to complete that first novel and another 4 to edit and fine tune it enough to release. Melanie currently writes contemporary romance and historical romances. Her love of history does show up somewhat in her contemporary novels, so keep an eye out for tiny tidbits of trivia.

You can contact Melanie at mel_macek@yahoo.com or read her blog at www.featherpenstartandreams.wordpress.com. 
http://www.amazon.com/Melanie-Macek/e/B00B44HEPA/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Through Paige's Eyes 

People say they admire a strong woman...until one has the confidence to defend her high standard of self-worth.

Growing up with a beautiful mother isn't always easy. Especially when you look just like her and she happens to be the woman most men crave...and have tasted.

Paige Nelson is sexually conservative, thanks in part to having a hyper-sexual mother. Her mother flaunts her figure while Paige does everything to hide hers. She would love to experience a satisfying, physical relationship just once in her life. As of high school graduation, she has yet to find someone who hasn't slept with her mother and would date her just for the opportunity to compare the two. Paige moves three thousand miles away in order to get a fresh start.

Not only does Paige discover a passion for history, she finds someone who loves her for herself and does everything to show her that she is worthy of respect. Thanks to his love, she finds her confidence and realizes that enjoying sex does not make her a slut, nor does denying someone sex make her a cold-hearted bitch.  
https://www.amazon.com/Through-Paiges-Eyes-Confidence-Self-Worth-ebook/dp/B01HKCRK8U/ref

Rated 4 out of 5****

From the beginning I was intrigued to see where the story would go. I enjoyed learning about Paige and hated what she had to go through, growing up with a mom who slept with most of the town. Seeing her escape her family's clutches allowed her to become her own woman and it showed in the writing of the story. Ms. Macek truly captured the inner turmoil Paige felt every time she was near a man, let alone being anywhere near her mother.
As the story continued, you could see the beginning of a possible romance. Once they realized their mutual infatuation for each other, I felt like their relationship sped up and went by too fast. The part I loved most about the story was seeing the conflict between Paige and her mother. My only critique was that there wasn't enough of it, especially in the second half of the book.

Book Tour: My Pineapples Went to Houston by Lee Gaitan

Lee Gaitan is a wife, mother, teacher, author and speaker, but above all she is passionately committed to overcoming life’s obstacles, surviving sometimes by the skin of her teeth, but always with humor and optimism. She shares her experience with anyone who will listen with the intent to encourage others to use humor to their benefit.

In the past twelve years Lee has had to deal with more than a healthy helping
of “are you kidding me?” moments. In 2002, she hit rock bottom. It was so bad shelovingly refers to it as a year of “shock and awfulness.” That year her father died,her mother was in the hospital, semi-comatose from grief, and her husband of 22 years lost every penny of their money BEFORE running off to Arizona with his girlfriend, who just happened to be a former stripper. 

That was just the beginning. She spent the next decade struggling with loss and challenges on every front, from finances and family to health and career.

While there have been many bounces up and down over the years, Lee has finally
bounced back and it was well worth the effort. She has happily remarried, working at a job she loves and has published her second book. She even has children on three continents and a granddaughter far too far away!

Connect with the Author here: 

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Heartbreak, Humor and, ultimately, Hope

That’s the message that comes through loud and clear in My Pineapples Went to Houston,  Lee Gaitan’s personal and powerful tale of surviving a decade of relentless chaos and loss. The “shock and awfulness” began in 2002 when her father died, her mother teetered on the brink of a coma and her husband of 22 years secretly lost all their money and ran off with a stripper. And it was all downhill from there!   

 Then one day in the midst of all the chaos—somewhere between loud cursing and crying—she recalled an amusing anecdote she’d heard about pineapples that spoke to her circumstances in such an unexpectedly humorous way that she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“That moment of laughter was a small epiphany for me. I realized that I had allowed my sense of humor, which had always mitigated the bad breaks in my life and enhanced the good ones, to fall victim to the machete my ex-husband had taken to my life. I determined right then and there that I could no longer permit that. I instinctively knew that humor was the most potent, and just about the only, protection I had at my disposal to survive the crises unfolding around me, and I vowed to keep it alive.”

Told with honesty and insight—and, of course, humor—My Pineapples Went to Houston both inspires and entertains readers and offers hope and encouragement to those struggling with their own “plans gone outrageously awry.”

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Character Casting

Me—Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Jorge—Andy Garcia

Dick—Vince Vaughn

Snippet

I realized for the first time that enough does not mean meager or insubstantial. It is not the opposite of abundance; rather, it is the very essence of it. Enough is about training our hearts, our minds and our spirits to embrace what we have in front of us, in the present, and trust that for right this minute, it is enough. It is this trust—that we will be given enough in every circumstance of life—that allows us to navigate, one trusting step at a time, from what may appear to be a rather spare present to a richly abundant future, however we may define that.

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Great Summer Countdown Day 10: Nanette O'Neal

Musician, author, and avid Star Trek fan, Nanette loves anything that challenges her mind and enlightens her spirit. She got the idea for her book series from her faith and love of family. Wouldn’t it be neat to travel back and forth through time to discover hidden powers and your true potential? Nanette thought so, and thus began the Doorway series. Believe is the first of seven books designed to entertain and inspire both young and seasoned readers. She is a frequent hiker at Glacier National Park, loves her dear husband and family, and when she isn't writing, takes her dogs on long walks.


Q&A with the Author:

5.    What is your favorite part of writing?

I’m a plotter who lets the pantser come out every now and then. I’ve had the most fun lately writing the first draft of my 3^rd and 4^th books in my Doorway series during the National Novel Writing Month challenge. I would take a few weeks before the event to plot the basic beats of the novel, and I’d force myself to hold back until the event began. Then I’d write like a madwoman, connecting the beats with amazing scenes that would bring characters to life in ways I hadn’t anticipated. It’s so fun to see what my characters will do—as if they already know their story and I’m only the scribe.

6.     Do you have any advice for other writers?

Be teachable. Be humble. Take advice with grace and dignity. Don’t give up on your dream, especially if you get a bad critique. Don’t be such a perfectionist by withholding your story from the world. Someone is patiently waiting to be uplifted by what you have to offer—don’t let them down. You have a story to tell. You have a gift to give.

Connect with the Author here: 

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Every great warrior begins by taking a stand.

Best friends share everything, right? Unless it’s a secret that could cost them their lives. Robyn and Kit are born with forbidden magic-sense, the power to see and hear beyond Earthly sight and sound. It’s a curse that haunts them, but the girls are strangely drawn to it—could there be more to this power than they’ve been told?

When they spill their secret, it opens a doorway back to Forever—a beautiful realm where magic-sense began. They learn the truth: they have been given a noble gift. It connects them to the Skyborn royalty of this new world. They’ve been summoned back by the forces for good to preserve the kingdom and revive the power where it once flourished—on Earth. It can thrive again, if Robyn and Kit are brave enough to follow.

However, the doorway awakens more than magical fairy-tales. A dark force is unleashed—one that has battled the Skyborn since time began, and it wants the girls dead, the Earth destroyed.

Beyond the doorway is where the adventure begins—trickery, kidnapping, a prison break, rescue teams, sword fights, magical gold-dust, holographic medallions, and singing orbs—but only for those who have the courage to believe.

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Snippet:

After a few minutes of silence, Kit spoke up again. “Look at the geese.” She pointed to a flock of birds flying in V formation in the distance. She sat up to watch their approach. “Most people call them Canadian geese, but my dad told me the correct name is Canada geese.”

Robyn sat up too, and then cocked her head as she stared more closely at the oncoming birds. Their wingspan was awfully broad … and the necks were longer, thicker, with something feathery streaming from them. A mane? She shaded her eyes from the sun. Could it be? Were there four legs dangling underneath, with hooves? Robyn darted a look at Kit. Can she tell yet that there are twelve flying horses in the sky?

“My dad hates Canada geese. Back where I come from, they’re everywhere, and they poop all over the sidewalks and you can’t get them to leave. And the honking is so loud.” Kit shaded her eyes too. “See how they make that V?”

“Yeah … I see the V …”

“That helps them fly better—something about aerodynamics, and less stress on the whole flock. I’ve never seen other birds fly like that.”

“Or anything else, either …” Robyn clamped her lips shut. Yes, these were horses, flying horses. Twelve flying horses. Each one had a rider wearing shiny robes and armed with swords at their waists. The leader had his sword extended outward. Two riders from the tail end of the right side of the V veered out of formation—a man and a woman. They pulled back on the reins and their horses lifted their heads high, then changed direction and dove directly for the girls.

Robyn shot up like a rocket. “Come on. Let’s get going.” Kit was up too, eyes plastered to the sky. They bolted down the hill in opposite directions, headed for home.

Robyn looked back at the riders. The V formation was heading onward. The two lone riders circled above the hill, then picked up speed to catch the flock. That was like nothing I’ve ever seen. She slowed her pace and caught her breath as she watched them fade out of sight.

***

When Kit got home, she raced up to her room and slammed the door behind her, panting the entire way. She charged into her closet and dug out the hidden book, then flipped to the chapter on A Brief History of Magic. She read again—The gift of magic dates back to the beginning of time. When the dark poison of Sylvare was unleashed in the cosmos, Skyborn travelers brought magic to Earth as a gift from Barsoum and Calemir. It shielded the Earth from the dark poison created in the Before-Time. Below the paragraph was a picture of twelve flying horses with riders dressed in cloaks and wearing swords at their sides. The lead rider had a crystal object the size of an egg in his hand. He held it high between his fingers. A soft stream of glittering vapor swirled from the orb and floated in the air, trailing behind the squadron of riders. The picture was familiar to Kit—their formation was that of a V, like the Canada geese she saw today. Weird. She closed the book and got out the notebook she had been keeping on magic-sense.  If she didn’t write down what she’d heard on the hill, she’d forget the details.

Today was a strange day. The police were hassling Mr. LaCorte about his family flag. They said it was associated with magic, and he should take it down. Mr. Fischer stood up to them, and I thought he was going to punch that Grimmer guy in the nose! Anyway, the flag looked familiar, though, like something I once saw in Dad’s old box from the attic. (Note to self: check that out later). Then Robyn and I went to eat our cookies on Mountain Goat Ridge.  I almost told Robyn about my father’s stuff, but she was so quiet, I thought maybe I was scaring her with the stories about the police in my old town. Then a flock of geese flew overhead. At the same time, I heard that deep, kingly voice from before say, “Skyborn warriors, look below. See the two girls on the hill? They are almost ready for their Awakening. Michael, Gabriella, take a closer look.” Right after the voice said that, the strangest thing happened. Two of the geese broke formation and swept down at us. Robyn said, “Let’s go.” And I wasn’t going to argue! Then I heard two more voices say, “Yes, I see them now” and “I see them too.”  I got up and ran home.

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