Russ Wallace's Blog, page 5

Take our Zenobia Survey:

Before you read Russ Wallace's book Zenobia - Birth of a Legend had you ever heard about Zenobia?I have found that most people never have and are shocked to learn Zenobia- Birth of a Legend is based on a true historical figure. On our blog please take the survey and let us know.

In our pursuit to know Zenobia better we've found very few articles about her life. They all vary a little but most all agree on her intelligence, strength, and beauty.
Here are a few quotes from articles on Zenobia. Enjoy! We hope, like us, your desire to learn more about this extraordinary woman grows and her story will be well-known by everyone.   http://royalwomen.tripod.com/id16.html
"Zenobia was prepared for her role as queen. She was fluent in many languages, like Cleopatra: Greek, Latin, Egyptian, and Amharic. She was a beauty, also like Cleopatra. It is said that her voice was very harmonious, that her teeth were pearly white, that her eyes and hair were very dark, and she had manly strength."


"She had a great sense of humor. One tale goes that when Zenobia was to judge a trial about a merchant who overcharged his customers, she brought the merchant into an arena. Thinking he was going to be attacked by a beast, Zenobia let the cage open and out popped a chicken."

http://www.otto-graph.com/samples/4/zenobia.html
"Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, was brave, intelligent, level headed, practical and chocked full of sheer, raw, devil-may-care attitude...a beautiful, courageous woman, a personification of all women's values and possibilities."

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/196205/queen.zenobia.htm"Brave as Diana and beautiful as Venus men called her; known for her wisdom, too, for had not Longinus, the philosopher, the "walking university," come out of Athens to instruct her and make her worthy of any throne? Did she not know Greek, Egyptian, Aramaic and a little Latin? She had compiled a history as well, and was versed in Plato and Homer."  *This article appeared on pages 12-13 of the May 1962 print edition of Saudi Aramco World.Volume 13, Number 5

Who is Zenobia? A 3rd century warrior queen from Syria

A recent article on buzzfeed.com talked about the top 11 queens in history and Zenobia ranked #7. Here is the link to the full article:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/whitequeen/the-definitive-ranking-of-the-11-most-badass-queens-in-histo
"Queen Zenobia ruled the Palmyrene Empire in Roman Syria during the third century. When her husband (King Septimius Odaenathus) died, Zenobia took over. She fought the Romans, conquered Egypt and expanded her empire before eventually being defeated."

Today our world is experiencing so much sadness and injustice, especially in Zenobia’s home country of Syria. My heart goes out to these people and especially the children who are suffering. Here is a full article from abcnews.com:http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/envoy-syrian-regime-rebels-face-justice-19739354

Author Russ Wallace was impressed with Zenobia and he decided to write a series following her life story. In Zenobia- Birth of a Legend, we can learn a great deal from Zenobia’s example. Zenobia's experience can even help us today battle for justice.  A novel that not only entertains but educates us and motivates us into action is what we need. Zenobia as a 3rd century warrior queen fought against Rome and today she would once again battle for justice to free her ancestral homeland Syria. Turning our hearts to our ancestors can help us through these hard times.

Book one, Zenobia – Birth of a Legend is now available at www.geodepress.com ;http://www.amazon.com=zenobia+birth+of+a+legend;http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94629;  and participating bookstores and libraries.
Book two,  Zenobia – Challenging a Legend  will be released soon.
Wallace dedicated his first book to: “For oppressed girls and women everywhere. Hang on to your dreams and know that a better world is coming.” I think this book series is not only for strong women everywhere but for all who battle for justice.

BACK TO SCHOOL! And your next SUMMER READ!

BACK TO SCHOOL TIME? I know it is the middle of summer but here in the west some kids started school today and so it's back to reading, giving book reports, and taking history classes.
Also, for those still enjoying your summer we thought we'd help you decide on a great summer read.
In Book one, Zenobia - Birth of a Legend, you will visit Syrian Desert, Ancient Tadmor (which is Palmyra, Syria today), the Great Pyramids of Giza, and Alexandria, Egypt. You'll experience the excitement of lion attacks, archery, horse races, and education with some of the greatest philosophers.


Zenobia on her trip to Alexandria visit 2 of the ancient 7 wonders of the world.In Chapters 29, Zenobia - Birth of a Legend Zenobia visits the Pyramids of Giza.Here’s an excerpt from the experience:Very slowly, the massive monuments grew on the horizon until in the eyes of a young girl, they began to overpower her senses…After quite a while, she saw a third pyramid appear, much smaller than the first two, now set against a deepening purple hue. She engraved the moment in her mind, sensing this could be a singular experience, to be enjoyed again only in memory.Finally, they drew near the base of the pyramids and stopped to camp for the night. Still in awe Zenobia spoke quietly, “They are majestic Mother, and they were especially magnificent with that beautiful sunset. Have you seen them like this before?”


In Zenobia - Birth of a Legend chapter 37, Zenobia visits the Pharos of Alexandria. Read excerpt of Zenobia’s experience:“This looks to be as tall as the great pyramid,” Salim proclaimed.“It is,” agreed Zelina.“Race you to the top!” Zenobia challenged Salim.Zenobia sprinted up the stairs two at a time Salim close behind…At two hundred steps she was gasping for air, but so was her pursuer. Her legs were protesting, and Salim started to pass her, but she lunged ahead for another fifty steps. Suddenly he grabbed her ankle, and she toppled forward, landing lightly on the steep steps. “Cheater!” She yelled as he passed her.Eventually they reached the level of the great mirror. Salim was already exploring, and he was fascinated by the mechanics of the system. The mirror itself nested in a frame which sat on a series of wheels on a wooden platform base. Three slaves pushed on protruding poles to turn it constantly. A central vertical shaft that penetrated the frame appeared to hold the mirror in position as it rotated. A beam of light from above somehow shone down on the mirror and was reflected out through the large windows which ringed the entire level.

Ancient Alexandria, Egypt became and for a long while remained an intellectual capital of the world. Alexandria become home to the world’s first-ever university. Main attraction was the Alexandria library.  Zenobia visits the Alexandria Library in Zenobia - Birth of a Legend chapter 33:After a short ride they drew near the docks lining the harbor that opened onto the Great Sea. “Many of these buildings, and the docks themselves, were once made of wood, but now they are all stone,” her mother commented.“Why?” asked Zenobia. “And how do you know?”“I read a lot and I listen a lot,” came the reply, answering the second question first. “Nearly three hundred years ago, a great fire destroyed the docks, the buildings, and much of the greatest library the world has ever known. Thus, it was all rebuilt out of stone.”“I thought you said we were going to see the greatest library.”“In this part of the world, if you remember. The one in Pergamum is much larger. But the library in Alexandria now is only about one-tenth the size of the original one destroyed in the fire. That one held a million books!”





Attention Teachers and Parents: Throughout the centuries, storytelling and fiction have been popular classroom discussions to present real life situations and problems, and examine resolutions. Instructors encouraged students’ dialogue of options and kindled critical thinking.Russ Wallace plans critical thinking scenes in all books of the Zenobia series. He chronicles Zenobia’s rise to power, capturing her inquisitive nature in strategy-provoking and critical-thinking sessions aimed at the young adult market; though the books have broader appeal.Similar discussions for classroom use are offered by Russ Wallace to help today’s youth learn how to apply critical thinking to their lives. To schedule an interview, please contact Julie Wallace at (480) 305-4372 or email geodepress@gmail.com.
Zenobia- Birth of a Legend, is a 2012 IPPY award winner in Historical Fiction. Book one , is now available at www.geodespress.com; hard cover and kindle format at http://www.amazon.com=zenobia+birth+of+a+legend; in most eBook formats at http://www.smashwords.com/books/Zenobia; and bookstores and libraries.

Zenobia visits Egypt and I visit the-next-best-thing Luxor in Las Vegas

Someday I will tour the real Egypt and see all the places Zenobia would have gone, but for now, I don't need a passport to go to Luxor in Las Vegas.
While Reading  Zenobia - Birth of a Legend  book #1 and  Zenobia - Challenging a Legend  book #2 you get to spend time in Egypt.  Today I tour around Luxor in Las Vegas to see if we can find some of the sights where Zenobia visited in the 3rd century.

Zenobia- Birth of a Legend  chapter 29, Zenobia visits the Pyramids of Giza. http://www.touregypt.net/giza.htm


Zenobia - Birth of a Legend  chapter 37, Zenobia visits Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria. http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pharoslighthouse.htm


The Sphinx at Luxor in Las Vegas is in a lot better shape than the original, it's approx 4,500 years newer.


"This monumental statue, the first truly colossal royal sculpture in Egypt, known as the Great Sphinx, is a national symbol of Egypt, both ancient and modern. It has stirred the imagination of poets, scholars, adventurers and tourists for centuries and has also inspired a wealth of speculation about its age, its meaning, and the secrets that it might hold."Read more: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/sphinx1.htm#ixzz2XB3XKNhj

4 star review for Zenobia - Birth of a Legend

Mary rated a book 4 of 5 stars Zenobia Birth of a Legend ( #1) by Russ Wallace (Goodreads Author) 
Read in June, 2013 " This is a great story with interesting characters and interesting events. I enjoyed everything I learned from it and I enjoyed the characters. Being a girl, and having been raised on horse back- at least partially, I felt a connection to much of the story. My only advice to the author would be- trust your audience to get it. Show don't tell- wrap your facts within the flow of the story, allow us to become a part and to think for ourselves. Your characters are great, the story is great. That being said, I would recommend it especially if you love the ancient world." - Mary Goodreads Review


If you haven't joined Goodreads yet you really should. It's free and a great way to connect with other readers and find new books and authors. http://www.goodreads.com/


If you're already on Goodreads add Russ Wallace as a friend http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...


If you're an author you should take advantage of their great authors program http://www.goodreads.com/author/program

Here's some information about Goodreads from their website:

18 Million MEMBERS 

 570 Million BOOKS ADDED

24 Million REVIEWS 

Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. Our mission is to help people find and share books they love. 


A Few Things You Can Do On Goodreads:

-See which books your friends are reading.
-Track the books you’re reading, have read, and want to read.
-Check out your personalized book recommendations. Our recommendation engine analyzes 20 billion data points to give suggestions tailored to your literary tastes.
-Find out if a book is a good fit for you from our community’s reviews.

 A Message From CEO and Co-Founder:

When I was in second grade, I discovered the Hardy Boys series. Ever since, I've loved to read — both for fun and to improve my mind. And I'm always looking for the next great book. One afternoon while I was scanning a friend's bookshelf for ideas, it struck me: when I want to know what books to read, I'd rather turn to a friend than any random person or bestseller list. So I decided to build a website – a place where I could see my friends' bookshelves and learn about what they thought of all their books. Elizabeth, my co-founder (and now my wife) wrote the site copy and I wrote the code. We started in my living room, motivated by the belief that there was a better way to discover and discuss good books, and that we could build it. Goodreads is that site. It is a place where you can see what your friends are reading and vice versa. You can create "bookshelves" to organize what you've read (or want to read). You can comment on each other's reviews. You can find your next favorite book. And on this journey with your friends you can explore new territory, gather information, and expand your mind. Knowledge is power, and power is best shared among readers.

 Otis Chandler
CEO and Co-Founder

"CREATE AN EFFECTIVE BOOK LAUNCH" by Melissa Foster

http://www.melissafoster.com/
I recently watched a video by Melissa Foster who is founder of World Literary Cafe http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/ and a great author. Her website  http://www.fostering-success.com/ helps authors and is where she shares her expertise.


Below are my notes I jotted down while watching her free video. If you wanted to watch the whole video here is the link. http://www.fostering-success.com/free-videos  (my thoughts are italicized)


Know your audience: (Who will buy your book?)

AgesInterestHangoutsCan your book cross audiences?
Remember to use your brand:
Your launch should reflect your brand for yourself and your books. Materials should carry your brandOnline presence should carry your brandYour books should carry your brand
What is your budget?What is your monetary budget- remember to include not just ad costs but printed copies for signings, posters, book-markers, etc.

What is your timeline?How much time can you dedicate to your launch?What timeline do you anticipate you'll need?How long do you want to launch?Prior to launch you want to do the following:
Submit ARC's for reviewContact book clubsIssue press releaseCreate Facebook event (I've attended a few of these online and they are really fun. Most events have trivia question that can be found on authors website, blog, publishers website, Facebook, twitter, and pinterest accounts and attendee's receive prizes.)Goodreads event  And email announcement (hopefully you've been collecting emails on your website from your fans.) 
What is your goal?Before your launch you should define your goal:
Sales (for example: 500 books)Exposure (top Amazon 100)Capture a certain audience
Action items: How do you plan to reach your goal?

List your action items- (in person events, ads, blog tours, etc.)
Ideas:
Insure online presence is solidCreate book trailerSchedule blog tourSchedule in person events Coordinate paid and free adsContact media (TV, radio, newspaper)HAVE FUN!I recently attended an event of a favorite author online at http://booktalknation.com/index.html and thought what a great idea for authors to reach more fans. (You can use this service whenever, not just for a book launch.)
Think outside of the box. Example: your MC likes chocolate, have an event at a chocolate store.
Make sure as an author your always building relationship. 

A place for Readers and Authors to unite!

We found a great website geared towards writers and we wanted to share with our author friends in hopes it can help you too. Check it out http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/
WLC has tweet teams, FaceBook teams, and blog teams that you follow them and they follow you. We only had 3 followers for the longest time at http://geodepress.blogspot.com/ and now we have 23 and are still growing. We've found new and exciting authors we enjoy interacting with.
Our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/geodepress is about to hit our 200th like and we have WLC to thank for that. Come like us on Facebook for a chance to win a copy of Zenobia- Birth of a Legend.

Our twitter account https://twitter.com/Zenobiaseries has grown leaps and bounds with great authors and readers to follow all from joining this great community.
It's a one stop shop for all your needs as an author. Readers get free books and learn about new authors on the rise. Check them out, you'll be glad you did.
Here are some places to connect with WLC:
Follow on Twitter@WorldLitCafe@Melissa_Foster (Founder)

Like on FacebookWorld Literary CafeFeel free to leave your links on Facebook pages!
WLC promotes the writing community!

Zenobia in Alexandria Egypt

Because of Zenobia I have a soft spot for learning more about ancient Alexandria, the location where Zenobia was educated and started her on the journey of justice. You can read about her visit in the 3rd century to Alexandria, Egypt in the last half of Zenobia - Birth of a Legend; and the whole book of Zenobia - Challenging a Legend takes place in Alexandria.

My favorite tour guide Rick Steves is on his Europe tour right now and I've really enjoyed following along. I especially appreciate his visit to modern day Alexandria. You can follow his whole trip on his Facebook account but I have copied the visit to Alexandria here with pictures from his site. 

https://www.facebook.com/notes/rick-steves/alexandria-egypts-pearl-of-the-mediterranean/10151407478814702

Most tourists in Egypt visit only Cairo and Luxor. Few visit Alexandria, just a three-hour drive away — the country’s second city, and one of the great cities of the Mediterranean. Egypt’s historical capital for almost a millennium, today the “Pearl of the Mediterranean” is a favorite summer getaway for locals who appreciate its cosmopolitan flavor and cooler climate. It’s like Cairo in its mega-millions intensity, but cleaner and quieter, and facing the Mediterranean instead of the Nile.

Alexandria, with a panache unique in Egypt, jams 5 million people up against the Mediterranean.

Alexandria, founded in 331 B.C. by Alexander the Great, is a fabled place. Queen Cleopatra ruled from here, back when the city was, along with Rome, one of two in the ancient world with a million people. Back then, it rivaled Rome as a cultural and intellectual capital. Alexandria's awe-inspiring lighthouse (or Pharos) —one of the seven wonders of the ancient world — marked its harbor, and its legendary library was the world’s largest. No ship could dock here without giving up its books to be copied for this, the ultimate repository of knowledge. Tragically for all of civilization, the library burned (likely around 48 B.C.), and today only its legend — and a fragment of a single scroll (now kept in Vienna) — survives.

History has been harsh: No trace of Alexander’s day survives, Cleopatra’s city is now under the sea, the library is long gone, and the lighthouse has tumbled (the only surviving image of it is engraved on a coin). Of its ancient wonders, only a hint of Alexandria's street plan, a few archaeological digs, and the towering Pompey’s Pillar survive today.

Then early 90-foot-tall Pompey’s Pillar, carved out of a single mighty piece of granite, was shipped 500 miles from Aswan down the Nile to this spot 1,700 years ago. It stands like an exclamation mark, reminding all who visit that today’s city sits upon what was a mighty urban center of a million ancient Egyptians.

The Alexandria National Museum (with wonderful treasures from the time of the pharaohs, a small bust of Alexander, and fine early Christian art) tells the city’s story in an old mansion that once housed the US consulate. Alexandria gave Rome a toehold on Egypt. This is where St. Mark arrived to introduce Christianity to the land. The invading Muslims bypassed it for Cairo. In the Middle Ages, famine, civil wars, earthquakes, and disease left the once-mighty Alexandria just a village of 10,000. Then, in the 19th century, the city enjoyed a resurgence — becoming one of the liveliest ports on the Mediterranean, with a cosmopolitan mix of Greek, French, English, and Italian influence. By World War II, 40 percent of the population had come from other countries. But then, with the anti-colonialism of the 1950s, foreign interests were nationalized, and most of the foreigners who brought such vitality to the city fled.
Today, Alexandria’s early-20th-century grandness is musty and caked in this generation’s dirt. The city is a teeming and thoroughly Egyptian metropolis of about 5 million. It feels spirited, young, and progressive. In fact, Alexandria helped spearhead the revolution of 2011.

Alexandria is a long and skinny port town, just two miles wide but stretching 12 miles along the seaside Corniche — which feels like Nice’s Promenade des Anglais hurled into a Blade Runner furnace. The wistful Cecil Hotel, built in 1930 and overlooking the harbor, gives the visitor a comforting home base with a nostalgic touch of belle époque elegance.



Alexandria’s top attraction is its futuristic modern library. Norwegian-designed and built in 2002 with a dazzling reading room accommodating 2,500 readers, it stands near where the fabled ancient library stood (www.bibalex.org shows off all its wonders). While the library is a delight of modern architecture, the highlight of the city for me was exploring the Anfoushi old town. More on that tomorrow.

Are we repeating history?

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One great thing I love about promoting Zenobia and her story is she fought for freedom and wanted to stop the injustices. I'm hoping instead of repeating history we can learn from our past and correct it before it's to late. 






Are we repeating history? For a brutal truth watch the video by FreedomFest2013 at Geode Press website http://geodepress.com/are-we-repeating-history/

Book Review

"Zenobia is an inspirational story of a young woman trying to find her way in a male dominated world. She fights her passion for learning and her quest for justice, for her desire to prove a girl can be just a good warrior as any man.Enjoy her adventures as you read this wonderful novel by Russell Wallace."Review by Maria Romrell
I received this review for Zenobia – Birth of a Legend the other day and the reader said I've never done a review before. I thought about the thousands of readers who also have never written a review. Author http://www.melissafoster.com/and owner of http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/ posted this statement. “Did you know that positive reviews and sharing of books you love is a great way to thank and support your favorite authors? Even authors with hundreds of reviews appreciate each one they receive. Authors work hard to produce books you can enjoy. Share the love.”

Every time I post a review on Amazon I get a computer generated email that says thanks for reviewing as millions of buyers depend on this.
Why I started writing book reviews? I am reading all the time and when I started a blog for my writing (because that’s what my writing group suggested), coming up with material to blog about wasn't as easy and so the decision to combine my love for reading into my blog was a simple idea. On my blog I shared a great article on how to write a review: http://juliemartinwallace.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-decided-since-i-love-reading-i-might.html
Hopefully this will help you write a review for the next book you read. You may still ask yourself why should I write a review? Here are a couple thoughts on why I think everyone should write a review:
As a personal journal to keep track of books you read and enjoyedTo socialize and share with others what you loved readingTo let authors know you appreciate the time and talent they share with the world

There are probably many other reasons to write a review but these are a few that motivate me. As a reviewer, every time I read a book I post a review on my blog, on Amazon, on Barnes and Noble, and on Goodreads in hopes it will help you decide on your next book to read; and if you do the same than I can decide on my next book To Be Read.
Happy reading and sharing!