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Fiona’s 2020 Year in Books

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Fiona Ingram

Goodreads Author

Born

Durban, South Africa

Website

http://www.fionaingram.com

Genre

Children's Books, Literature & Fiction, History

Influences

My interest in ancient history, children's classics, and authors such ...more

Member Since

September 2009

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/fiona_ingram

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I can’t remember NOT having a book in my hand. My schoolmates called me a bookworm, and nothing’s changed since then. I was brought up on the children’s classics because my parents are also avid readers. My earliest story-telling talents came to the fore when, from the age of ten, I entertained my three younger brothers and their friends with serialized tales of children undertaking dangerous and exciting exploits, which they survived through courage and ingenuity (of course!). Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and skeletons leaping out of coffins were hot favourites in the cast of characters that populated “Gruesome Gables” where all these adventures were played out. We also acted out the stories for my long-suffering parents, whom I see now w I can’t remember NOT having a book in my hand. My schoolmates called me a bookworm, and nothing’s changed since then. I was brought up on the children’s classics because my parents are also avid readers. My earliest story-telling talents came to the fore when, from the age of ten, I entertained my three younger brothers and their friends with serialized tales of children undertaking dangerous and exciting exploits, which they survived through courage and ingenuity (of course!). Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and skeletons leaping out of coffins were hot favourites in the cast of characters that populated “Gruesome Gables” where all these adventures were played out. We also acted out the stories for my long-suffering parents, whom I see now were remarkably tolerant of my budding thespian and script-writing talents!
I graduated from the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, with a double first in my B.A. (French & Drama). After completing my Honors in Drama at Natal, I then went to the University of the Witwatersrand to do my Masters degree in French-African literature. I also studied drama at The Drama Studio in London and mime at L’Ecole Jacques le Coq in Paris. Upon my return to South Africa, I immersed myself in teaching drama at community centres, and became involved in producing community and grassroots theatre with local playwrights and performers in Natal for several years.
A move to Johannesburg took me in a new direction—that of journalism. I have written freelance for the last fifteen years on everything from serial killers to relationship advice (making me a popular dinner guest to revive any flagging conversations). Writing a children’s book—The Secret of the Sacred Scarab—was an unexpected step, inspired by a recent trip to Egypt. The tale of the sacred scarab began life as a little anecdotal tale for my 2 nephews (then 10 and 12), who had accompanied me on the Egyptian trip. We had a marvellous time and it truly was the catalyst in changing my career. This short story grew into a children’s book, the first in the adventure series, Chronicles of the Stone. After the usual spate of rejections from snobby (British) agents, which I believe it every writer’s baptism of fire, I discovered America and made the decision to be published there. The book has done well there, even though the young heroes are South African, and has already garnered two impressive fiction nominations.
I’m already immersed in the next book in the series—The Search for the Stone of Excalibur—a huge treat for young King Arthur fans (and older ones as well). Although I do not have children of my own, I have an adopted teenage foster child, from an underprivileged background who is just discovering the joys of reading for pleasure. My interests include literature, art, theatre, collecting antiques, animals, music, movies, and wondering when I am going to be the next J.K. Rowling.
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Fiona Ingram’s books

Average rating: 4.61 · 174 ratings · 109 reviews · 8 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Secret of the Sacred Scarab 4.62 avg rating — 89 ratings — published 2008 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Search for the Stone of Excalibur (The Chronicles of the Stone #2) 4.57 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 2014 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper (The Chronicles of the Stone, #3) 4.83 avg rating — 18 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Champ: My Story of Survival it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Poppy Project: How Fiji's Most Famous Dog Got Saved! 4.50 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Young Explorer’s Companion to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	This Enchanted Land: The Saga of Dane Wulfdin by William P. Robertson, Fiona Ingram (Goodreads Author), David Cox (Illustrator) 4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2010 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	BookElves Anthology, Volume 1 by Jemima Pett (Goodreads Author), Rebecca M. Douglass (Goodreads Author), Fiona Ingram (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Fiona Ingram's Blog

Movie Review: A Good 'B' Movie - The Cave

While I am not usually a horror fan, something about The Cave piqued my interest. “In the 13th-century Carpathian Mountains of Romania, an Eastern Orthodox abbey and its inhabitants are destroyed by a landslide. Centuries later, a group of modern-day Soviet and British plunderers search for the long-lost abbey during the Cold War era. They discover the abbey is built above a vast cave system, Read more of this blog post »

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Series by Fiona Ingram

The Chronicles of the Stone (3 books)
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Fiona Ingram (Goodreads Author)

4.64 avg rating — 144 ratings

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The Secret of the Sacred Scarab (Children's Books)

1 chapters — updated Nov 21, 2009 03:58AM

Description: A thrilling adventure for two young boys, whose fun trip to Egypt turns into a dangerously exciting quest to uncover an ancient and mysterious secret. A 5000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another!

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Fiona Ingram wrote a new blog post Movie Review: A Good 'B' Movie - The Cave While I am not usually a horror fan, something about The Cave piqued my interest. “In the 13th-century Carpathian Mountains of Romania, an Eastern O Read more of this blog post »
Apr 04, 2021 12:11AM · like
Fiona Ingram rated a book it was amazing Ethan Murphy and the Quest for the Minal by Anita Mishra (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Ethan Murphy is just an average boy living an average life… or so he thought. The only thing marring it is the fact that his dad broke a promise. Four years earlier, he promised to come back from one of his expeditions and never did. On Ethan’s thirt ...more
Feb 04, 2021 05:11AM · 2 likes · like · see review
Fiona Ingram and 1203 other people liked Louise A's review of The Silent Patient: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Apr 30, 2020 03:06AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Fiona Ingram rated a book it was amazing The Shadow of the Witchfinder (Shadows from the Past, #15) by Wendy Leighton-Porter (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The tenth adventure in the Shadows of the Past series, The Shadow of the Witchfinder finds Max, the talking Tonkinese cat, and the Lancelot twins Jemima and Joe with best friend Charlie transported back to the 17th century, a terrible time in English ...more
Feb 12, 2020 01:28AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Shadow of the Witchfinder by Wendy Leighton-Porter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Shadow of the Witchfinder by Wendy Leighton-Porter <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Fiona Ingram liked Ben Gartner's review of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab: "This is an original story that will have you and your kids on the edge of their seat. There are moments when you'll worry that Adam and Justin couldn't possibly find their way out of the trouble that has fallen upon them, but rest assured they do! Th" Read more of this review »
Feb 10, 2020 08:00AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Fiona Ingram rated a book it was amazing The Eye of Ra (The Eye of Ra, #1) by Ben Gartner (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The Eye of Ra by Ben Gartner is a middle grade adventure fantasy featuring time travel, action, suspense, intrigue, and lots of Egyptology for young explorers. John and Sarah Tidewell are about to embark upon a new life adventure, a move from Colorad ...more
Feb 10, 2020 06:23AM · 2 likes · like · see review
Fiona Ingram rated a book did not like it Sanctus (Sancti Trilogy #1) by Simon Toyne (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I'm not the only reader who gave this book a one star. I am a big fan of all things to do with ancient and/or biblical history. I was intrigued by the author's personal story and how he was inspired by a cathedral in France. The story started off rat ...more
Nov 14, 2019 11:24PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Sanctus by Simon Toyne. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Sanctus by Simon Toyne <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Fiona Ingram and 323 other people liked Ova - Excuse My Reading's review of Something in the Water: "I am very frustrated to the fact that Steadman (and the editor ) never realised these mistakes about Turkey / Turkish in the book. First Gaziantep, a big city in Turkey with nearly 2 million inhabitants is told as : "a small village". Yes, with this " Read more of this review »
Sep 25, 2019 07:39AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Fiona Ingram rated a book it was ok Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I thought it was just me but a quick look at other reviews shows my opinion is not wrong. Something in the water? Well, it isn't a good book, that's for sure. Why? First it is written in first person present tense which has to be the most uncomfortab ...more
Sep 25, 2019 07:36AM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Fiona Ingram rated a book it was ok Dark Sacred Night (Harry Bosch, #21; Renée Ballard, #2; Harry Bosch Universe, #31) by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Before I wrote my review I checked others to see if it was just me. No, it wasn't. Although I have never read any others of this author's previous novels, Dark Sacred Night has put me off. The character of Bosch was flat and dull, Ballard was okay bu ...more
Sep 11, 2019 06:50AM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
SA Book & Challen...: The Secret of the Sacred Scarab	1	9	Nov 21, 2009 05:27AM
Great Middle Grad...: #MGBookElves Giveaway by the 12 Authors of Christmas - COMPLETE	9	23	Dec 10, 2013 05:46PM
Great Middle Grad...: Goodreads Giveaway for the BookElves Anthology volume 1 - ends 31st Oct	1	8	Oct 01, 2016 01:38PM
What's the Name o...: YA/teen novel, pre-2005 - A group of travelers in Egypt are involved in a search for a jewel - a Ruby - and/or a Raven	8	603	Dec 04, 2020 08:35PM

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Fiona’s Quotes

“The end of man is knowledge, but there is one thing he can't know. He can't know whether knowledge will save him or kill him. He will be killed, all right, but he can't know whether he is killed because of the knowledge which he has got or because of the knowledge which he hasn't got and which if he had it, would save him.”
― Robert Penn Warren, All the King's Men

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