Fiona Ingram's Blog, page 6

Ten Gold Coins... The Myths and Fantasy by author Joni Parker

 

Alex’s life turns upside-down when she’s kidnapped by the Rock Elves. What do they plan to do with her? And who betrayed her?

Title: Ten Gold Coins: Book Two of The Golden Harvest SeriesAuthor: Joni Parker

Publication Date: March 3, 2024

Pages: 354Genre: Fantasy/Scifi

Lady Alexin (Alex), the Keeper of the Keys for the Elfin Council of Elders, returns home to Eledon to help her grandmother clean out the warehouse, but she’s kidnapped and forced to use the magical Keys of Eledon in a series of life-or-death missions with consequences that span across the realms. Her captor, Lord Fissure of the Rock Elves, demands her magical help, but once he’s done with her, he turns her over to the Marsh Elf Sawgrass, a criminal, who sends her into the treacherous depths of Hades’ kingdom in the Underworld for his own benefit. To save herself, Alex calls upon the powers of Poseidon, but he enlists her help with the Golden Harvest for Olympus before the Mentors arrive. His brothers, Zeus and Hades, are the only ones who know where the gold is stored, so Alex follows their trail into the mortal world, only to find they aren’t ready to return. What must she do to get them back to Olympus so she can return home to Eledon?

You can pick up your copy at Amazon at https://amazon.com/dp/B0CW1GJDPH .

Book Excerpt:

Cleaning out the warehouse wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for my vacation, but my grandmother thought it was a great idea. Several years ago, my grandparent’s house in the Elf city of Meridian had burned down, but the contents in the basement had been spared and moved to a local warehouse. No one knew how the fire started, but I suspected arson, especially after someone reported seeing a group of Rock Elves nearby. 

The Rock Elves had this vendetta against me—I guess because I had one against them. They had yet to provide one knot of actual gold for the Golden Harvest, even though they were supposed to be the Elfin experts on mining. Go figure. They claimed they couldn’t provide any gold because they were too busy moving from Tulon on the southern continent of Sudin to Nexus Island. Come on. It wasn’t that far, and they had nearly 4,000 years to prepare for this Golden Harvest, just like the rest of us. So, I didn’t buy their excuses. 

And the Mentors arrived early to collect our gold because of them and the Star Elves, after they tried to steal our stored gold. We already told the Mentors we didn’t have the full amount, but they came to stop anyone from trying something else. The Mentors’ ships showed up slowly at first, but now, there were a dozen or more in our skies every morning. 

Since the Mentors didn’t need my help with this phase of the Harvest, my grandmother thought it was a perfect time to empty the warehouse. She assumed the leadership role of our inventory team. Lady Anteron, a Crystal Elf and the Antiquarian for the Council of Elders, and my grandmother would inventory the items, while I opened the boxes and moved them around. In addition, we had help from Vortex and Scala, two androids given to me for my heroic acts on the planet of Oltria. They had proven to be a godsend to my grandmother, who had trouble taking care of our house by herself. In the warehouse, they would provide whatever manual labor we needed to move our stuff around. My grandmother estimated the warehouse project would only take a week. Famous last words…

Whenever we finish, I will then have time to kick back and relax before I return to the mortal world. I really needed to decorate my new flat. I had bought it with the help of Andrew Miller, my manager, and the owner of the modeling studio I work for. I knew nothing about buying property in the mortal world, but Andrew did. He had dabbled in real estate before he got into the fashion business years ago. He even had the previous owner leave all his furniture in the flat since I didn’t have any. The only problem was the color scheme, which was white with brown and gray accents. I needed more color.

My vacation was scheduled to last three months until the end of August, which was longer than normal, because my mortal boss, Étienne, a world-famous fashion designer in Paris, and his boyfriend, Philippe, got married on June the first, followed by a long honeymoon to some tropical island I’d never heard of. To get the time off, we crammed six months of work into three after finishing the spring show in February. We stored the fashion collection in a vault, only to be opened on September first, three weeks before the fall show, but with enough time to make any necessary changes and adjustments. 

On June the first, Étienne and Philippe held the largest wedding I’d ever been to. There were thousands of guests, with celebrities and non-celebrities alike in attendance, and with extensive press coverage. It was the social event of the season in Paris. The next day, the ecstatic newlyweds left for their honeymoon, while I went to my flat in London. I lived there because it was closer to the portal I used to get back home to Eledon, and I wasn’t fluent in French. 

I arrived late in London on the Eurostar, the bullet train from Paris, and spent the night in my flat. Early the next morning, I jogged to Hyde Park with my travel bag and strolled over to the bushes where the portal to Eledon was hidden. After I made sure no one was around, I said the spell to make the portal appear and stepped through the glowing white arch. I closed it quickly to prevent unwanted visitors from wandering in. It happened before.

 

 

Myths and Fantasy

Greek mythology wasone of those classes I took in school and thought I’d never use. After all, theGreek Gods weren’t real. No one could control lightning or create storms,right? Maybe the Greeks were the first fantasy writers in history. 

Or were they? 

Research has shownthat many of the ancient myths and legends have a common beginning with thegods coming to Earth from the stars. Could they have been ancient astronautswho came to Earth, searching for a great place to live? Well, why not? Earth isa pretty, nice planet with abundant resources. One of the more memorableepisodes of Star Trek had Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprisemeet Apollo, the Greek God, on their exploration of space.  

After the Romans tookover the mythology and Rome fell, the gods and goddesses were gone, replaced bynew religions and beliefs. So, what happened to them? Just as the humans forced the Elvesto leave Earth for Eledon, the gods and goddesses left Earth. The Mentors, theElf guides, created a place for them to live somewhere in space called Olympus.The exterior of the globe was uninhabitable and covered with rocks, butinterior had a flat surface on which people could live. Everything insidereplicated what was on Earth, so it was as if they had never left. 

Until they wanted togo back.  

In my book, TenGold Coins, Zeus and Hades have returned to Earth to start new lives, eventhough they weren’t allowed. Zeus had embarked on a successful political careerin Greece, while Hades was upgrading the Underworld into a theme park. It’s upto Alex, my main character, to get them home in time for their Golden Harvestso she can return to Eledon. 

About the Author

Joni Parker was born in Chicago, Illinois, but moved the Japan when she was 8, so her father could become a professional golfer. Once he achieved his dream, Joni and her family returned to the U.S. and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. After high school, Joni served her country for 22 years in the Navy and another 7 years in federal civil service. She retired and lives in Tucson, Arizona, devoting her time to writing, reading, and watching the sunrise.

Author Links  

Website | Twitter | Facebook 

 

Book Spotlight: Mastering Your Scenes by J.A. Cox

 

All the tools that you need to create engaging scenes and permanently remove the bane of writer’s block.

 

Title: Mastering Your Scenes: Your Blueprint for SuccessAuthor: J.A. Cox

Publication Date: August 27,b 2020

Pages: 78Genre: Nonfiction/Writing 

Mastering Your Scenes was written with one main purpose, to help give authors and writers a creative boost in their scene writing and toss writers block into the oblivion of the abyss. In order to accomplish this each chapter is written in a workbook like format so that the steps provided can easily be implemented after they are explained. For each element of scene writing that is presented J.A. Cox explains the How, Why and When of its use along with his own description so that the information is easy to assimilate. He provides copious examples from his own writing of these elements in action as well as from shows and movies.

You will be given an anatomical look of what composes a scene and understand what goes into creating scenes that are engaging, seamless, and bristling with activity without any fluff. Mastering Your Scenes gives you the practical advice you need to keep your readers turning pages and falling in love with your characters. With the steps you will learn there will be no more question of if that scene fits or seems out of place.

“A slim, concise and well focused treatise on how to write and master scenes and how writers can become authors by mastering scene writing. The various elements of a scene are discussed with well known examples and the key facts of each element are presented in depth, with a well laid out structure. The focus on the when, why, how, and the practical application tie up the various aspects of an element neatly and are very well explained. The author’s observations based on experience in each area further adds to the utility of the treatise.”

– The International Review of Books

Buy Links:

Amazon | Kobo

 

Since this book is all about writing a scene, it would be a good idea to discuss what it is before we begin talking about how to build one.  I am sure that you already have many ideas on how to answer the question above, but please humor me for now.  

Let’s look at a scene in this manner:

As an episode.

As a segment of an episode.

Some episodes are short, and some are long, it really all depends on how they are made.  Also, an episode is the medium in which a portion of a series plays out.  A scene can also be viewed in the same manner, as a medium in which a portion of your story plays out.  On that notion, some may be short, and some may be long, but they still fulfill the same purpose.  They provide the boundaries to contain all of the myriad of things that will take place at a certain point in the story.

Consider that within an episode that there are segments in which very particular things happen, such as a robbery at a bank, a high-speed chase along the highway or even a ship being boarded by pirates on the high seas.  All of these segments placed into a written format would actually be the scene itself.  I hope I am not confusing you but am just trying to convey the fact that a scene in a story fulfills the purpose of both episode and segment combined.

The purpose of this book is to look at the pieces that go into creating the segment so that you can create the most dynamic episode possible.  Another very important factor about a scene, is its continuity.  Whether one scene directly spills into the next or it is briefly interrupted as you transition to something else for a few scenes and pick back up where you left off, you still want things to be seamless. One of my goals is through the use of these elements to empower you with the ability to do so with ease. You can think of each element as a layer on which to build each scene in your story and as your story evolves your use of each will shift as some may not be needed and others will be essential.  I will help you to realize how they all tie together to bring out the best in your scene creation.

– Excerpted from Mastering Your Scenes by J.A. Cox, J.A. Cox, 2020. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

J.A. Cox is a husband, father and disabled veteran. He is passionate about Jesus Christ and has a desire to allow God to use his writing to bring glory to his name and reach others for him. His other passions lie in: 1) Empowering people by teaching about things that he is knowledgeable in in a simple and fun as well as interesting manner. 2)Inspiring others that they may realize how the true potential to overcome their perceived dilemma lies right between their ears and how they allow it to manipulate what their eyes behold. 3) Helping people to realize that being healthy truly begins with realizing how important it is for them to be intimately acquainted with their own body in order for others to help them resolve its maladies that beset it. Along with those, he enjoys entertaining with fiction based on the concept that fact is stranger than fiction and then stretching it just a tad to create some memorable page turning moments that you will likely recall for some time to come.

Author Links  

Website | LinkedIn

 

Sponsored By:

Book Spotlight: Finding Fran by Nancy Christie

 

 

Once a best-sellingromance novelist, 55-year-old Fran Carter is now dealing with a slow but steadydrop in book sales and a major case of writer’s block, complicated by theknowledge that her lover, a professional photographer, has been on the wrongside of the camera (so to speak) with his models. (So much for her authorbrand, built on the premise that women in their fifties and beyond can stillfind love and happiness.) Her solution is to spend a week in isolation at anorthern California bed-and-breakfast. There she hopes to resolve herprofessional and personal conflicts, and ultimately create a new and betterfuture for herself by writing a new “story” for the Fran she wants to be!

Purchase a copy of Finding Fran on Amazon, Barnes and Noble,and Bookshop.org. You can also addthis to your GoodReads reading list.

 

About the Author, Nancy Christie

Nancy Christie is theaward-winning author of eight books—two novels: Reinventing Ritaand Finding Fran;three short story collections: Mistletoe Magic and OtherHoliday Tales, Traveling Left of Center and Other Storiesand Peripheral Visions andOther Stories; two books for writers: Rut-Busting Book forAuthors and Rut-Busting Book forWriters; and the inspirational book, The Gifts Of Change.Her short stories and essays have appeared in print and onlinepublications, with several earning contest placement. The host of the Livingthe Writing Life podcast and the founder of the annual “Midlife Moxie” Dayand “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day,Christie teaches writing workshops at conferences, libraries, and schools. Sheis a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA),the Florida Writers Association (FWA)and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA).

 

You can find heronline:

 

Website: https://www.nancychristie.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyChristieAuthor

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NChristie_OH

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancychristie_author

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@nancychristie_author

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nancychristie_author

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nancy-christie

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nancy-Christie/author/B001K8GBYK

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1048768.Nancy_Christie

Midlife Moxie NovelSeries on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@midlifemoxienovelseries3804

Books by NancyChristie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NancyChristieAuthor

Living the WritingLife podcast: https://livingthewritinglife.podbean.com/

Growing Up in the Family Business by author Lisa Braxton

 

Dancing Between theRaindrops: A Daughter’s Reflections on Love and Loss is a powerful meditationon grief, a deeply personal mosaic of a daughter’s remembrances of beautiful,challenging, and heartbreaking moments of life with her family. It speaks toanyone who has lost a loved one and is trying to navigate the world withoutthem while coming to terms with complicated emotions. Lisa Braxton’s parentsdied within two years of each other—her mother from ovarian cancer, her fatherfrom prostate cancer. While caring for her mother she was stunned to find outthat she, herself, had a life-threatening illness—breast cancer. In thisintimate, lyrical memoir-in-essays, Lisa Braxton takes us to the core of herloss and extends a lifeline of comfort to anyone who needs to be reminded thatin their grief they are not alone.

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Between-Raindrops-Daughters-Reflections/dp/1961864088/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dancing-between-the-raindrops-lisa-braxton/1144935014?ean=9781961864085

Add to your Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208947069-dancing-between-the-raindrops?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=WYkO4vLd07&rank=2

Growingup in the Family Business

Dad was a childentrepreneur. Growing up in rural Virginia, near the Blue Ridge Mountains inthe 1930s and ‘40s he learned how to make a dollar and supply merchandise tohis neighbors before they knew they needed it. He went door-to-door sellinghousehold products to stay-at-home mothers. He had his own store, a woodenshack only open on Sundays when the blue laws restricted most businesses fromoperating.

Years later, after he andMom married and moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut and my sister and I were born,he decided to take an early pension from his machinist job at the local factoryand relive his childhood ambition. Mom didn’t think it was a good idea, buteventually agreed to support his dream. The result was Braxton’s Men’s Shop,which opened in the late 1960s and was in operation for more than 40 years.Here are some lessons I learned growing up in the family business:

You don’thave to be a grownup to help a business grow

I was in 3rdgrade when Braxton’s opened. One day Dad said, “I see from your report cardthat you’ve done well in all your subjects, including math.” He broke the sealon a large box that had just been delivered. “Count these pairs of slacks.Write the number down and compare it with the number on this packing slip,” hesaid, unfolding a piece of translucent paper that had been sealed to the frontof the box. Pretty soon he had me counting items from all the shipments.

Opening abusiness on a corner, is good strategy

Braxton’s was on a heavilytrafficked road with commerce coming and going between Boston and New York. Onthe block was a dry cleaners, restaurant, bank and ice cream shop. A recordstore was across the street. We got countless spillover foot traffic.

Eye candyis essential

Because we were on acorner, pedestrians walking in front of the store, or the side street weretreated to display windows of the latest fashions and accessories.

Running abusiness can make you a rockstar

The business was unusualfor its time. There had been businesses owned by African Americans for years,but not a high-fashion men’s clothing store. It caught the attention of cityhall. Dad became a district alderman and served several terms as the presidentof the local branch of the NAACP. My high school teachers would pull me asideand tell me they’d read in the papers what Dad was doing for the community.

Spousesand partners considering going into business together may want to reconsider

When Braxton’s was just anidea, mom was hesitant to agree to it. She didn’t think Dad had the personalityfor it. Dad wanted to be friends with customers, giving them discounts, andletting them have clothes on credit. Not credit cards, but “credit.” Mom sentstern letters to customers and called them to collect what they owed. Once afterweeks of toil, Mom proudly announced that she’d collected every penny that customersowed. Dad turned around and gave people credit again. Mom soon left the storeand let him run it by himself. Dad was hoping when he retired, my sister and Iwould take over the business. We both said a vehement “no.” Neither of us have entrepreneurialinclinations and after growing up in the family business we’d seen thepitfalls. However, we learned life lessons that guide us to this day.

 

About theAuthor

Lisa Braxton is the authorof the novel, The Talking Drum, winner of a 2021 Independent Publisher (IPPY)Book Awards Gold Medal, overall winner of Shelf Unbound book review magazine’s2020 Independently Published Book Award, and winner of a 2020 OutstandingLiterary Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and aFinalist for the International Book Awards. She is also an Emmy-nominatedformer television journalist, an essayist, and short story writer.

She is on the executiveboard of the Writers Room of Boston and a writing instructor at Grub StreetBoston, and currently serves as President of the Greater Boston Section of theNational Council of Negro Women and is a member of the Psi Omega Chapter ofAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

You can follow the authorat:

Website: https://lisabraxton.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.a.braxton/

Twitter:@Lisaannbraxton  OR @LisaReidbraxton

Instagram:@lisabraxton6186

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabraxton/

The Inspiration Behind I Will Ruin You: The Twisted Truth Behind Kit Martin's Murder Trial by Emilio Corsetti III

 

Details of a murder trial in which many believe an innocent man was convicted of a triple homicide.

Title: I Will Ruin You: The Twisted Truth Behind the Kit Martin Murder TrialAuthor: Emilio Corsetti III

Publication Date: March 26, 2024

Pages: 196Genre: True Crime/Nonfiction

Moments before boarding a passenger flight on 11 May 2019 as the first officer, pilot Christian “Kit” Martin, a former army ranger, was arrested by a swarm of heavily armed officers for the murders of three of his neighbors. The arrest captured global attention as Martin’s mugshot, clad in a pilot’s uniform, spread across the internet, sparking a media firestorm with headlines such as “Monster in the Cockpit.”

A combat helicopter pilot, Kit Martin had seen his life unravel after seeking a divorce. His wife’s threatening words, “If you leave me, I will ruin your life …,” overheard by his daughter, seemed to have become a grim reality, escalating to a court-martial and culminating in a high-stakes murder trial at which he was convicted.

I WILL RUIN YOU: The Twisted Truth Behind the Kit Martin Murder Trial delves into the complex circumstances behind Martin’s story. It looks beyond the sensational headlines and legal turmoil into the heart of this controversial case.

You can purchase I Will Ruin You: The Twisted Truth Behind the Kit Martin Murder Trial at Amazon.

 

Not long after Kit’s call to the Christian County Sheriff’s Office and Joan’s 911 call, two police cars showed up at 458 South Main Street in Pembroke, Kentucky. Sergeant Andrew Trafford was first to arrive, followed shortly after by Deputy Eddie Frye and Officer John Bruce. Alma, whose bedroom faced the street, watched the scene unfold from her bedroom window.

Deputy Frye was barely out of his car when Joan approached and said, “He beat the shit out of me again.” Deputy Frye asked Joan where she had been hit. Joan pointed to her temples and the back of her head. Deputy Frye used his flashlight to examine Joan. When Deputy Frye indicated that he didn’t see any marks, Joan replied that her son was upstairs and that he should talk to him.

Deputy Frye then headed to the back porch, where Sergeant Trafford spoke with Kit. Frye told Sergeant Trafford that he would go inside and question the kids. When the deputy entered the residence, the first thing that caught his attention was how dark it was inside. He had to use his flashlight to see. 

McKenzie was the first of the kids to talk to Deputy Frye. She indicated there had been a verbal argument, but she hadn’t seen anything. When Deputy Frye asked where the “boy” was, McKenzie said he was upstairs.

Still using his flashlight to guide him, Deputy Frye climbed the steep stairs to the second floor. Both Alma and Elijah met him at the top of the stairs. Frye indicated that he wanted to talk to Elijah. After introducing himself, he asked Elijah to tell him exactly what he had heard and seen. He added that he needed to know one hundred percent what had happened, no matter who was at fault. Elijah said that his dad was upstairs on the couch and that his mom came upstairs and yelled at him. Elijah then emphasized that “he never touched her.”

Deputy Frye asked again, “You never saw him hit her?” 

“No,” Elijah answered. “He did not hit her.” 

  

TheInspiration Behind I Will Ruin You: The Twisted Truth Behind Kit Martin'sMurder Trial

In May 2019, Iheard a story about an American Airlines Pilot who had been arrested for atriple homicide. I was working as a pilot for American Airlines at the time.I've flown with some pilots who had issues, but a triple homicide is on anotherlevel. 

I did a littleresearch and learned that this person worked for PSA Airlines, an AmericanAirlines regional carrier. I also learned that he had been arrested at theLouisville International Airport moments before he was scheduled to work theflight as the first officer. He was still wearing his pilot uniform when he hadhis mugshot taken.

I didn't go muchfurther than learning about the charges against him. Two years later, in June2021, I heard he had been convicted. Then, in September of that same year,Dateline did an episode about the case titled The Evil That Watches.I'm a big fan of Dateline. But as I watched the show and listened to theevidence against him and his interview with Keith Morrison, I got the sensethat something wasn't right.

Fortunately, theentire murder trial was filmed by Court TV and available to view online. Ispent the next month or so watching every minute of that trial. When I finishedit, I was convinced that he was innocent. I know that the prosecution did notprove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

By this time, Iwas four months away from retirement. I had written two books—both werenonfiction narratives about aviation stories. I started to consider making thisstory the subject of my third book. I've always been fascinated by stories ofwrongful convictions and have written extensively about them on my review site www.everythingnonfiction.com.

I did a littleonline sleuthing and found a Facebook group called Free Kit Martin. As it turnsout, thousands of other people felt the same way as I did about his innocence.I joined the group and, in no time, was able to reach out to Kit (the name hegoes by) through a prison email account.

My thinking atthe time was that some well-known author surely had to be all over this story.But I was happy to learn that no one had approached Kit or his family about abook. Once everyone was on board, I was given access to a wealth of materialdating back to 2012. I started writing in November 2021.

My previous bookshad taken between three and five years to write. Now that I was retired, I wasable to dedicate as much time as I needed. I had a first draft by the summer of2023. I contacted the family and told them there were two choices: I could publishthe book myself, or I could try and find a traditional publisher. I gave themthe pros and cons of each path. The family decided that I should try thetraditional route first and do it myself if I could not find a publisher.

I wrote aproposal and started sending out query letters to literary agents. I startedracking up rejection letters as fast as I sent them out. I was willing to giveit six months to a year. The problem with doing that, however, is that therewas still no guarantee that I would even get an agent, let alone a publishingdeal. And if I did manage to find a publisher, it would be another year or morebefore the book ever saw the light of day. Meanwhile, Kit was sitting inprison, having to rely on two appeals attorneys who didn't seem all thatinterested in their jobs.

I decided tosubmit the proposal directly to WildBlue Press, a publisher known for its truecrime books. I had read and reviewed a book from this publisher called Failure ofJustice by John Ferak. Somehow, my proposal landed in thehands of one of the two founders of the company. Within a very short time, Ihad a publishing agreement, and here we are now. And soon a lot more peoplewill learn how the State of Kentucky convicted an innocent man.

About the Author

Emilio Corsetti III is a retired airline pilot and the author of the bestselling nonfiction books 35 Miles From Shore and Scapegoat. Emilio is a graduate of St. Louis University Parks College of Aviation. He and his wife, Lynn, reside in Dallas, Texas.

Author Links  

Website | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

 

Sponsored By:

Book Spotlight: Who Saved Who by Roslyn Cohn

 

Growing up inbeautiful bohemian 1970s Marin County, the daughter of a funnypawnbroker-jeweler with vision who knew the streets and a warm, independent Momturned Naturalist-Animal Rights Activist, Roz is an award-winning actress whospent 20 years in NYC, where she worked on stages from the size of a postagestamp to Broadway.

Roz begins Who SavedWho with her unique parents and upbringing which is so crucial in understandingboth her and her journey during 2022. While living in a post-Pandemic world,her career on hold and with politics and the environment in a persistent stateof toxic tension, there was little left of life to be desired, so believedMarin County raised and NYC ripened Roz. Told through words, pictures, and video, Who Saved Who is an honest,sometimes funny, many times moving, and ultimately joyous journey of 2022 witha woman who was lost. With messages from the Other Side and the words that her mothersaid to her years ago, “We save dogs, Roz, that’s what we do,” Roz was able toclimb out of deep sadness and found a purpose ignited she didn’t know wasflickering inside.

 

In Who Saved Who, readers may recognize their own journey in loving dogs – perhaps healthemselves from the loss of their own beloved furry family member – and best ofall, readers may find their hearts open to saving their next canine companion.“Who Saved Who” does more than warm the heart, it can help heal the spirit.It’s an easy and fulfilling read – paws down.

Purchase a copy of Who Saved Who on Amazon. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

 

About the Author

Roslyn Cohn is anactress who has worked from stages the size of a postage stamp to Broadway withthe likes of Tony Randall, Jack Klugman, Jerry Stiller, Julie Hagerty, andEllen Greene as well as appeared in TV, film, and commercials. Roz has wonawards in Intimate Theatre (known as 99 Seat) in Los Angeles; awards for herShort “Essential Tremors” about her neurological disorder; and in 2013, withJake Anthony and Joshua Finkel, co-wrote and stars in the groundbreaking,Broadway World Award-nominated “diffiCult to leave,” about her 23 years in theCult of Scientology. The entire show lives on her YouTube channel: RoslynCohn.You can visit her at: www.RoslynCohn.com.#WhoSavedWho #ShelterDogsRock #AdoptDontShop

You can find heronline at:

 

Her Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/rozcohn

Website: www.RoslynCohn.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roslyncohn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rozcohn

10 Things You Might Not Know About How to be Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work by Dr. Helen Ofosu

 

An essential guide that equips readers with a knowledge base to make informed decisions around building and sustaining a thriving and resilient career.

Title: How To Be Resilient In Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at WorkAuthor: Dr. Helen Ofosu

Publication Date: February 23, 2023

Pages: 196 (7 hrs. 30 min. on Audible)Genre: Business / Careers / Management / Leadership

How To Be Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work shares vital career advice to help professionals navigate common "internally disruptive" career experiences such as harassment and bullying, imposter syndrome, membership in an underrepresented group, toxic workplaces, discrimination, and more.

Dr. Helen Ofosu draws on twenty years of helping employers acquire talent and coaching professionals through difficult career choices to unpack these layered and complicated issues in an easy-to-follow way. Dealing with the dark side of management, the book outlines various issues that can occur in the workplace, or during a person's career journey, and offers practical advice on how to overcome these obstacles and setbacks. Using her considerable HR experience, Dr. Ofosu also offers coveted insights from the employer's point of view. For people who have already tried other options to resolve their complicated career issues, this book offers an essential guide that equips readers with a knowledge base to make informed decisions around building and sustaining a thriving and resilient career.

How to be Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work is a reliable resource presented with nuance, depth, and specificity. Psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, and HR professionals who are looking for effective advice when supporting people struggling with these issues, will greatly benefit from this book, as will early career professionals, and established earners looking to resolve their career issues.

You can purchase your copy at Amazon at https://t.ly/_rspc. 

Other Buy Links:

Audible | Barnes & Noble | Indigo 

Book Excerpt:

As a Work and Business Psychologist, I have seen the immense value of using psychometric testing to support my clients’ efforts. Psychometric tests provide test-takers with objective feedback about themselves. Depending on the test, it can give insights into someone’s personality and how that may impact their relationships with their peers, subordinates, superiors, clients, etc. In terms of personality tests, I prefer those that measure or are linked to the "Big Five" Factors or traits of personality sometimes known by the acronym OCEAN or CANOE. Regardless of the preferred acronym, the letters stand for Openness to experience (intellectually curious, imaginative, and spontaneous vs. practical, confentional, and preferring routine), Conscientiousness (discliplined, dependable, and careful vs. spontantaneous and disorganized), Extraversion (warm, sociable, and emotionally expressive vs. reserved and thoughtful), Agreeableness (trusting, helpful, and empathetic vs. critical, suspicious, and uncooperative), and Neuroticism (anxious and prone to negative emotions vs. calm, even-tempered, and secure). Each of us will fall somewhere on a continuum for each of these traits and these qualities are stable across our lifetime.

10 Things You MightNot Know About 

Howto be R esilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work

By Dr. Helen Ofosu,Psychologist, Consultant, Career and Executive Coach

1.      Thisbook was inspired, in part, by someone in my business network who said heplanned to write a psychology book. He had no work experience or formaltraining in psychology. I thought, “If he can do it, I can definitely do it!”

 

2.      Thebook started as a pandemic project to give me something to do that wouldn’tbother my husband or son during the lockdowns.

 

3.      Fourteenpublishers rejected this book before Routledge accepted it. Although thatsounds like a lot, many famous authors had their first books rejected many moretimes. Stephen King, Alex Haley, and James Patterson are a few examples. 

 

4.      Myapproach to writing is based on advice from a close friend named Amber. She's aformer journalist and an extraordinary writer who helped me find my authenticvoice when I started blogging in 2013.

 

5.      Iwrote this book for many reasons. One of them is that I believe if I hadlearned the lessons shared in this book earlier in my career, I’d have beenmore successful much sooner.

 

6.      Myoriginal title for this book was simply The Resilient Career. Themarketing folks at Routledge strongly encouraged me to change it to How toBe Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work.

 

7.      AlthoughI am very proud of this book, the ideas and content I set aside for futureprojects are at least as compelling—but also more niche and possibly moreprovocative. Lately, I’ve been reflecting on leadership challenges unique topeople who are part of traditionally marginalized groups. If you’re curious,check out my recent blogs andpodcastinterviews. 

 

8.      Howto Be Resilient in Your Career: Facing Up to Barriers at Work hasbeen nominated for a 2024 Trillium Award! This prestigious award is theprovince of Ontario's leading award for literature. Past Trillium winnersinclude Margaret Atwood (author of The Handmaid's Tale) and MichaelOndaatje (author of The English Patient). The Trillium Award is open tobooks in any genre: fiction, non-fiction, drama, children’s books, and poetry.I could not be more excited. 

 

9.      Throughthe magic of analytics and algorithms, it’s clear that the key messages in thisbook are not reaching the people who could benefit—especially if they havetraditionally been marginalized. This book does not spark outrage orpolarization—it’s mostly helpful and affirming. This means my book’sreach has been limited.

 

10. This book is also available on Audible.When my young adult son started listening to it on Audible, he said it feltamazing, like I was talking just to him. Other listeners who are not close tome have said the same thing.

About the Author

In good times and bad, resilience is one of the major keys to success – including career success. Dr. Helen Ofosu believes this applies to employees and entrepreneurs, individual contributors, subject matter experts, leaders, and executives.

That’s why her approach to career and executive coaching is to help people get ahead in a way that insulates them from future setbacks – or recover if things have gone sideways. This is also why, as a consultant, she helps organizations become stronger and more resilient, so they are ready for both the anticipated and the unexpected challenges that all organizations face at some point.

Part of what sets her apart from many career and executive coaches is her experience on the inside, as an HR and professional development professional, within large corporate workplaces and her intimate knowledge of typical HR processes and systems.

Clients come to her when the stakes are high. They can count on her to share insights and customized services that few others can deliver. They love that she has developed countless hiring tools and helped to resolve many HR problems over the years.

Her “insider” experience gives her clients an edge in getting hired and promoted in the public (and private) sector, and in managing their careers as they progress.

And as an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist (her field is more commonly known as Work and Business Psychology), she takes an evidence-based approach by using the latest research and best practices to increase the odds of her clients’ success.

Author Links  

Website | Brainz Magazine | Podcast Interviews | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

How Not to Get Bit by a Giant Rattlesnake by Rosanne S. McHenry

 

TalesFrom a Rogue Ranger is full of stories that speak tothe comedy and tragedy of being a park ranger: a job that is nothing like youmight imagine. Set against the stunning backdrop of California's American RiverCanyon, this is an engaging and wildly unusual read about the untamed life of awoman ranger. From a miner riding a mule to a young man lost in the system,these tales show the kaleidoscope of characters a park ranger encounters,giving the reader a fascinating look into a true ranger experience. Readerswill laugh out loud, cry tears of sadness, and feel the greatest joy as theyrevel in this amazing book!

Purchase a copy of Tales From a Rogue Ranger on:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Rogue-Ranger-Book-Trip/dp/B0CWSV7J2G

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-from-a-rogue-ranger-rosanne-s-mchenry/1145038291?ean=9798350936056

Kobu: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tales-from-a-rogue-ranger

You can also add this toyour GoodReads reading list

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208913582-tales-from-a-rogue-ranger

 

How Not to Get Bit by a GiantRattlesnake

As a park ranger I often warned park visitors to be careful onthe trail: “Watch out for critters, especially reptiles, as they are out thistime of year. Watch where you put your hands and feet at all times. Bringplenty of water and a first aid kit. Always tell someone where you plan to go.” Visitors nodded in agreement and went outside with watchfuleyes. If I’d only followed my own advice that day … I was a park ranger in Death Valley National Park. It was a veryhot day. Springtime temperatures can easily climb over 110 degrees and sometimesthe only way to escape the heat was to go to a higher elevation. I headed to theupper Monarch Canyon area. Situated 1000 feet above the valley floor, itoffered relief from the oppressive temperatures below. Days of persistent heathad fried my brain, and I foolishly forgot to tell anyone where I was going. Iparked my truck and walked down Monarch Mine trail towards the spring. It feltgreat to be outside in comfortable temperatures. I strode confidently down thecanyon, past the old mining ruins, marveling at the beauty of the place. I wassurrounded by steep canyon walls of tortured metamorphic rock.

I reached the overlook above the springs and perched on a knobof rock, contemplating the stark beauty around me. It was getting late in the afternoonas the sun fell toward the horizon, casting its long rays across the rocky landscape.I’d better start heading back, I thought to myself, as I gathered up my thingsand headed up the trail. Evening shadows darkened the canyon walls and floor,making it harder to see the trail. I was looking down, deep in thought, not reallypaying attention to the path in front of me. Then suddenly, I heard it: a deep buzzing sound echoing off thecanyon walls. It sounded eerily alien and somewhere nearby. I looked up and sawit: a huge, coiled rattlesnake! It was only a few feet away, in a stack ofboulders. It violently shook its rattled tail, warning me to back away. It was enormous,at least three feet tall, weaving its head and tail back and forth. 

“Get back or I’ll strike!” it seemed to say.

I obeyed and leaped back several feet, yelping in alarm. Thatsnake could have struck me dead, but it chose to warn me instead.

“Thank you, my brother,” I said softly, as I gave it a wideberth and stumbled up the trail back to my truck. I could have been killed, and no one would have known where tolook for me. I was in a remote area, miles away from the main park road. Itcould have been days before someone found me. I remembered the advice I hadgiven to others: “Watch out for critters, and let people know where you’regoing.” Hmm… good advice to follow, Ranger Rose!

 

About the Author

Rosanne S. McHenry hasworked as both a U.S. National Park Ranger and a California State Park Ranger.Her ranger experiences include the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, MountRainier National Park, the Auburn State Recreation Area, Folsom Lake, MarshallGold Discovery State Historic Park, and Death Valley National Park, amongothers. In her latest book, Tales From aRogue Ranger, McHenry shares her experiences about the rough and tumblelife of a patrol ranger near Auburn, California. A park ranger’s job is nothinglike you might imagine! Set against the stunning backdrop of California’sAmerican River Canyon, this is an engaging and wildly unusual read about theuntamed life of a woman ranger.

McHenry, who also wrote Trip Tales: From Family Camping to Life as aRanger, currently lives and works in Auburn, California, with her husband.The beautiful American River Canyon is adjacent to their home in the SierraNevada Foothills.

You can follow the authorat:

Website: https://triptalesbook.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066900574228

Instagram: @askrangerrose https://www.instagram.com/AskRangerRose/

Book Spotlight: Raising the Dead by Jayne Lisbeth

 

 Raising the Dead is the journey of a naive young woman who grows to maturity through the love and mentoring of friends, both living and dead.

 

Title: Raising the DeadAuthor: Jayne Lisbeth

Publication Date: August 15, 2023

Pages: 330Genre: Paranormal Fiction / Supernatural / Mystery

A naive 20-year-old bride, Emeline, is grief stricken after the deaths of her beloved parents. She believes she has made a grave error in moving with her husband 3000 miles from her beloved California Delta childhood home to Charles Town, Virginia, to be closer to her husband Randy’s mother. Emeline is bereft in sorrow, marooned in grief until a mysterious woman, Felicity, wanders into her life and changes her world forever.  When Felicity disappears as mysteriously as she arrived, Emeline is determined to unearth her older friend’s whereabouts. What she ultimately discovers forces her to question her sanity, world, memories and newfound joys.

REVIEWS OF RAISING THE DEAD

Author: Jayne Lisbeth, Cover Artist: Tim Gibbons

Publisher Austin Macauley: “Raising the Dead is a deep and emotional account of Emeline’s introspective journey, with a wholesome, spiritual supernatural angle. An inspirational, assured novel that is sure to resonate with the target audience. The poignant plot, very well-structured, the assured writing style and the events that unfold unveil a strong narrative arc Ultimately, it is thought to be a worthy addition to the genre, sure to appeal to a wide audience.”

Mary Lea McKennan, Idaho: 5 Stars:

“I just now finished the final pages of Raising the Dead!!  ‘Awww’, is what I said aloud along with shedding a few precious tears of joy! The characters within this book have rekindled the love in my heart for all of my own friends and family, current and past, who are there to guide us and teach us throughout our lives. You’ve done a wonderful job of weaving the ups and downs of everyday life into a heartwarming tale that will strengthen all who read it.”

Roberta Flowers Dillman, St. Petersburg, FL: 5 Stars:

“Raising the Dead is like a delicious layered dessert. Just when you think you got to the best part you turn the page to a more delightful part. I loved this journey and I love a deep read that’s easy to read. Raising the Dead is both. Great work, Jayne.”

Howard Gordon, Eugene, Oregon, 5 Stars: “Blew me away”

“This book was given to me by a friend and when I began reading my first impression was that it was too descriptive. Details, details, details. As I continued to read I found that these details as the story goes on formed a basis for an intriguing story of thoughtful and surprising characters. It turns out that I couldn’t put the book down.  I was bounced from sadness to joy to wonder at the author’s use of words and changes of mood. I was then flummoxed by the addition of a second story contained within the book which made everything crystal clear. I had read Ms. Lisbeth’s previous book, Writing in Wet Cement, and this one convinced me that there is an upcoming bestseller in the future.”

Paula Stahel, Breath and Shadows Productions, Tampa, FL

“A Lovely Read“”  Jayne Lisbeth has conjured a sweet story of a young, naive newlywed whose world opens to new ideas, skills, and the discovery of fulfilling friendships after an unexpected mentor literally walks into her life. And ultimately comes to understand the lasting power of love.”

Click here to read more reviews.

Buy Links:

Amazon  | B&N | Kobo | BooksAMillion

 

Book Excerpt:

One hundred and fifty-five years after Mildred Hanson's death, Randy Upswatch carried his bride, Emeline Jannison Upswatch, across the threshold of Cabin #25. Randy gently set Emeline down on the heart pine kitchen floor. The windows let in bright splashes of the morning light through the wavy old glass. An antique black wood stove squatted in a corner, next to a small fireplace with an open hearth. The original porcelain sink had been retained but over the years the plumbing had been modernized. Across the room, an old gas stove nestled adjacent to a vintage Frigidaire. A scarred wood plank shelf was built into the wall between the stove and refrigerator, with drawers installed beneath. Knotty pine cabinets and shelves provided plenty of room for Em's collection of antique bowls and pitchers. Next to the fireplace, a pantry with floor to ceiling shelves completed the kitchen, empty storage begging to be filled.

Emeline's heart lifted, then sank, when she remembered the days she and her mama, Cleo, had filled their own pantry shelves. Mother and daughter would process their Sacramento Delta crops into jeweled jars of vegetables, relishes, jams, pickles and chutneys. Her eyes teared up, which she quickly hid from Randy. She scolded herself. Damn, girl, it's been two years since Mama's passing...[TG1] isn't it time for you to move on? She thought to herself.

"Sure, wish I'd paid more attention to Mama's cooking," she said aloud.

"What?" Randy asked.

"Oh! I didn't realize I said that out loud. Just thinking that Mama always needed my help with jamming and canning, but never taught me to cook. She really wanted her kitchen all to herself."

But Randy didn't hear this response as he was busily exploring the rest of the cabin. "Holy Shit, Em, lookit this!" he exclaimed. Emeline followed Randy down a central hallway leading to other rooms. At one end of the central hall was a large bedroom. Windows sparkled as lacy light fell through the trees surrounding the cabin. A smaller bedroom at the opposite end of the hallway seemed forlorn. A large tree shadowed the room, darkening the interior. In the center of the hallway and next to the kitchen was a small bathroom boasting an enormous clawfoot tub. A window over the tub with a deep sill would be perfect for African Violets and geraniums, Em thought.

Off the center of the long hallway was the living room. It was just big enough to hold their old couch, her mama's ancient Lincoln rocker, and two end tables. An old black stove, sitting on a raised platform of bricks was nestled in a corner of the room. At the far end of the room were glass French doors, obviously an addition to the original structure of the cabin. Throughout the cabin, light scattered through many antique windows. Emeline pushed Randy aside and walked through the French doors. "Randy, it's the best part of the cabin!"

Through the doorway, she had spied bookshelves. Views of the surrounding pastures were idyllic portraits framed in the old windows. Directly in the center of the room was another door to a back garden. It would be perfect for cross ventilation when both the kitchen and library doors were opened. Wildflowers of all colors were woven into the bucolic pasture in the distance. The flowers gently danced in the spring breezes from the surrounding hill, transporting the outside world into this inner sanctum. Shadows from a large willow tree quivered as the tree shook its slender green leaves on delicate branches, nearly touching the ground. Em was reminded of children around a maypole, all wearing long green dresses. "Oh, Randy, there's a window seat!"

The cozy seat under the large window was laced between the bookshelves. A stone fireplace beckoned in the corner. Em lifted the lid of the window seat and a smoky scent of old fires wafted up to her. It was the most peaceful room in the cabin, exuding warmth and history. Em imagined the hours other occupants had sat on this window seat, immersed in a book. She walked to the door. "Randy! It's a Dutch door!"

"A what?"

"A Dutch door, see, the top and bottom open separately. We can just open the top and get the breezes and leave the bottom latched. Oh, I've always wanted a Dutch door!"

Em turned to Randy and enveloped him in her arms. "It's a perfect home for us. It's beautiful. This room is where I bet I'll be spending my time. It's the jewel of the cabin. What a special place. It's a library, Randy."

"Oh, yeah. My mom told me the lady who built all these cabins insisted her people led educated lives. She had a little school where she taught the kids how to read. Imagine that, teaching slaves to read, even giving them places like this to live. Mom said everybody in the town thought the old lady was nuts. They couldn't stand the way she treated her slaves. She didn't even call them slaves! She actually paid them, as her 'employees'. That was 200 years ago. Things have certainly changed since then," Em said thoughtfully.

Emeline felt as though she were in the middle of a pumpkin with the cabin's knotty pine walls, the colors of burnt sienna and sunsets. She felt the rooms had been warmed by years of sunlight, woodsmoke and the fingertips of many inhabitants, completing the warm embrace of each room.

Emeline caressed the beautiful wood paneling as she returned to the living room where Randy stood next to the small Franklin stove. "I had no idea these cabins were so lovely. Mom just said they were old. She didn't tell me anything about what great shape they're in." The glow on his face helped to light up the room.

"We should set up our bed and try it out in our new home, don't you think?" Randy said with a bright smile.

Em's mind was elsewhere, busy with all she would do to make their new home a nest she could feather with her dreams.

They returned to a slower examination of all the rooms. The antique pine floors creaked beneath their feet. In her mind's eye, Em began placing their furniture in each room.

She lingered in the smaller of the two bedrooms as Randy left to retrieve boxes from their U-Haul. The entire cabin was infused with rainbows of light except for this small room at the end of the hallway. This room was darker, more somber. An enormous tree towered above this end of the cabin, blocking out the sunlight. The room seemed more silent than the others, with their creaking floors and squeaks. This room had a sad, lonely, uninhabited feel to it.

--Excerpted from Raising the Dead, by Jayne Lisbeth. Austin Macauley, U.K., 2023. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

Jayne Lisbeth was born in NYC and continued her life’s journey from Long Island, to New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, California and Tampa, all places featured prominently in her writing.  Her first book, a memoir, Writing In Wet Cement has been published internationally by London based publisher, Austin Macauley. Jayne’s second book, Raising the Dead, a work of historical fiction, mystery, friendship and the supernatural, was published in 2023, also by Austin Macauley.  Ms. Lisbeth publishes monthly “Food for Thought” blogs on her website, Jaynelisbeth.com. Her “Food for Thought” blogs are based on her reflections of  life, friendship, love, and topical subjects of interest. Ms. Lisbeth’s non-fiction, poetry, and short stories have been published from Vermont to California to Tampa, Florida where she has received awards at the local level. She has been published locally in Pages of Our Life, volumes I and II which is currently part of the USF, Tampa, Geriartic Studies Programs. Ms. Lisbeth’s short stories have been published in the LEC Phoenix Anthologies, 2015-2023. Jayne’s interests include writing, reading, exploring, traveling, calligraphy, gravestone rubbing, entertaining and cooking.  Jayne’s author’s website is Jaynelisbeth.com.

Ms. Lisbeth and her artist husband, Tim Gibbons, are the owners and founders of Funky As A Monkey Art Studio, providing art in public places and launching new and emerging artists in exhibiting their art.

Author Links  

Website | Amazon Website | Publisher’s Website | Facebook | Instagram Booksigning Event at The Corner Club

 

Book Spotlight: The Edison Enigma by Thomas White

 

A physicist discovers the secret to time travel only to find out he was not the first, it is now his task to go back and repair history.

 

Title: The Edison EnigmaAuthor: Thomas White

Publication Date: February 29, 2024

Pages: 196Genre: Scifi/Mystery 

Edison, a Chicago physicist, manages to successfully transport an object through time. Almost immediately following this success Dr. Edison is shut out of the facility and told by benefactor Raphael Barrington, to take a vacation. He is contacted by Don Rivendell, a grizzled old man with a secret. Rivendell explains to Tom that he is not the first person to discover time travel. Someone else went back and changed history by saving a young girl from dying in an internal combustion engine explosion.

Dr. Edison is tasked with going back and fixing history. He travels back to 1904 to find the younger version of Rivendell and stop him from saving the girl. 

You can purchase your copy of The Edison Enigma at Amazon at https://t.ly/_NOoo.

 

Book Excerpt:

Tom, Lori, and Jerzy entered the lab and stood on the landing, looking over the commotion. There was a hustle and bustle of frenetic activity as lab personnel moved from station to station, checking data, preparing modules, and entering critical information.

“Every time I come in here, I expect to see tables with bubbling test tubes and old, toothless women sweeping the floor,” Jerzy said.

Lori laughed. “Well, it would be hard to explain what bubbling test tubes have to do with this project, but I get your drift. We are kinda like Dr. Frankenstein with this whole thing.” Tom vaulted down the stairs and skipped to the control area on the opposite side of the room. He high-fived everyone he passed and crossed to an older, balding man with a semi-circle of gray hair around the fringe of his scalp. A short gray mustache covered most of his upper lip. The man had a slow gait caused mainly by forty straight hours on his feet. Tom hugged him. 

“Bruce! This is it! I feel like tap dancing!”

“Well, I’ve put up with worse from you. We’re just running the final check-down now; almost complete. The data you just sent down is perfect.” Bruce had a New Jersey accent highlighted by a Yiddish lilt that caused his mustache to bounce when he spoke. 

The retrofitting of the building was designed specifically for this project. Constructed like a sports arena with a high domed ceiling, the lab was ten thousand square feet open from wall to wall. Three levels encircled the room starting at the floor. Each subsequent level rose above the one below and contained a series of computer stations lined up like the NASA control room, collating, interpreting, or generating data. The entire room was connected, hardwired, and air-gapped to The Quint's central motherboard. The Quint was the fastest and most potent AI computer known to man and contained the most significant elements of learned behavior and artificial intelligence. More significantly, it could determine and pinpoint a specific moment in time. 

In the main staging area, in the center of the room, was the masterpiece of the entire project - The Time Tube. The Time Tube was a four-story, transparent tube made from indestructible acrylic conducive to energy absorption. As energy swirled through the Time Tube, it created the power needed for time travel. It stood 18’ tall with an eight-foot diameter. A raised platform ran halfway around and had six steps that led up to a full-size door allowing access to the Tube. 

The lab's roof was six stories high and supported a series of lighting instruments, air conditioning units, and safety mechanisms.  Among the other things that lived in the ceiling was a series of tubing that wrapped around the room like a tornado and converged from the roof to the lab's centerpiece. This series of tubing was called the Cyclone. Air was pushed through the Cyclone at incredible speeds, producing centrifugal force. That energy transitioned to Euler acceleration, creating a variation in the angular velocity. Theoretically, this opens a window in time and allows the object to pass through.

After years of research, study, and failed experimentation, Tom finally understood that time is, in fact, parallel, meaning that time moves through us rather than us moving through time. In essence, time is an ever-evolving moment. We move from one plane to the next as we move forever forward. The wonder is that it is infinite, never-ending, so we will never reach the edge of time as time continues to build moment next to moment. Once Tom accepted that theory, the means of moving through time began to evolve. 

With enough energy, we can freeze ourselves in a moment, thus staying still as time moves on. The challenge became moving through thousands of moments to move back in time, or more accurately, let a specific moment of the past catch up to you. It had taken Tom and his crew almost five years to reach this point. They believed they could generate enough energy to move back and forth within their time sphere to moments that have happened or will happen and return to their own designated moment and survive. 

One of the most daunting challenges the team had to overcome when sending something through time was having the entire entity arrive in the same moment. Any portion of an entity that arrived a millisecond later than any other part of that entity would be split in two by the paradox of time. Using an optical lattice clock allowed the team to calculate to a precise moment. When coordinated with The Quint, the top or bottom, front or back, the side to side of any entity would arrive at the same exact moment in time so as not to be split apart. 

Subsequently, above the main control area, against the back wall, was the read-out of an optical lattice clock, accurate to one second every 400 million years. It was this technology that allowed Tom and his staff the ability to pinpoint a single moment in time. The optical lattice clock uses laser beams instead of atoms to calculate the second. The light from the laser excites the strontium atoms and increases the accuracy of determination of time.

With The Quint’s exceptional calculation ability, Tom could capture moments within a zeptosecond, one trillionth of a billionth of a second, targeting specific areas of history or periods of time, with phenomenal accuracy.  Projecting these moments into the future would allow them to move forward in time as well. Theoretically, at least. 

That theory would be tested this afternoon.

About the Author 

Thomas White began his career as an actor. Several years later he found himself as an Artistic Director for a theatre in Los Angeles and the winner of several Drama-Logue and Critics awards for directing. As Tom’s career grew, he directed and co-produced the world tour of “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out Of Their Shells”. The show toured for over two years, was translated into seven different languages and seen by close to a million children. Tom served as President and Creative Director for Maiden Lane Entertainment for 24 years and worked on many large-scale corporate event productions that included Harley Davidson, Microsoft, Medtronic Diabetes, and dozens of others. The Edison Enigma is Tom’s third novel following up Justice Rules which was nominated as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2010 Literary contest, and The Siren’s Scream.

Author Links  

Website | X (Twitter) | Facebook 1 | Facebook 2 | Goodreads