Marshall Best's Blog, page 4

Blogger Book Fair Starts Tomorrow

     Early last year as I began getting the word out about Marshall's new books, I ran across a tweet regarding The Blogger Book Fair.  Unfortunately, it had already started but Kayla was very kind to add our name to the list for July and as promised, sent a reminder when it was time to sign up.  Kayla Curry and her crew of helpers have no doubt put countless hours and effort into this coming week.  They have many events, giveaways and interviews planned to introduce you to many new authors. 

Blogger Book Fair is a wonderful way to celebrate the creativity of so many authors and bloggers.  We hope this week you will enjoy reading about new stories, their authors and participate in some of the fun events that have been planned.  Discover amazing books, authors and bloggers at the Blogger Book Fair July 22nd!  You can find out more HERE.

As part of this week's book fair, we are giving away the first four books in The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo signed by Marshall.  One winner will receive a complete set of the series so far.  There are five more books to come but these should keep you busy for awhile!  If you are wondering whether it's worth your time, just read what others have said about Guiamo and Cumoro.  We can't wait to meet you all and have you join Guiamo on his grand adventure.  The giveaway will run through midnight July 29th and the winner will be anounced here.

Tomorrow we will have an interview with Katie O'Sullivan, author of Son of a Mermaid and Wednesday we will feature an interview with Tara Entwistle-Clark, author of Butterfly in Winter.  These are two vastly different books and we hope you'll join us to learn more about them.  Come join the fun this week and come back tomorrow when the giveaway will be live and enter for a chance to win some great reads!




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$50 Gift Card Giveaway - Beck Valley Books

   We are winding down our time on tour with Beck Valley Books with a $50 Amazon/Paypal Gift Card giveaway. Thank you to those who took the time to review Guiamo and to those who read the reviews.  We hope more readers will discover Guiamo and grow to love him and his adventures.  

In two weeks we will be joining many other authors and bloggers for the Blogger Book Fair.  We hope you will join us for that as well.  We plan to give away a signed set of the first four books during the fair.  All four e-books will also be discounted during the fair from July 22-26 through Smashwords.  Many fun events are planned that you are sure to enjoy.

Guiamo Book Tour with Beck Valley Books

    We have been enjoying reading readers thoughts on Guiamo this week during the book tour.  If you have been curious about this new historical fantasy series and wondered whether it was worth your time, perhaps the reviews can put your hesitations to rest. Please join us through July 3rd to read what others are saying and end the tour by entering to win a $50 gift card on July 4th. 


     Sharon at Beck Valley Books has been a delight to work with.  If you are looking for someone to help publicize your book, I would highly recommend her.  Thanks Sharon for everything!


According to our sons, book two is even better than book one.  You will find more action and adventure in Cumoro as Guiamo ventures into battle with Julius Caesar, encountering unexpected foes and experiencing life changing events once more.  




Please join us in July for the Blogger Book Fair where over 200 authors will be featured in interviews, giveaways and fun events to share more great reads.  Don't miss it!







The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo 
A historical fantasy series which starts in 60 B.C. and spans hundreds of years covering many of the historical legends, myths, battles and people of England, Scotland and Ireland. It is the story of young Guiamo Durmius Stolo, abandoned at the age of 10. Through the kindness and wisdom of others, his inventive and courageous spirit and a gift from the god Mars, Guiamo will change the world. 

Guiamo Book One - In 60 B.C., ten-year-old Guiamo Durmius Stolo, an exceptionally gifted Roman orphan, is abandoned in Gaul Left to fend for himself, Guiamo is set onto a path of legend. Recognized by the gods as having world-changing talents, he is given a weapon that changes his destiny and the world's forever. 
Combining legitimate legends with actual historical events, Marshall Best weaves an epic story that portrays the ancient world as it might have been, a world which the ancient historians recorded as fact; a time when gods ruled the earth and strange creatures dominated the land. It is the era of civilized conquerors exploring distant and primitive new lands. Scant recordings left to us today by ancient writers only touch on the fringe of the fantastic and brutal reality that existed in those distant lands of the west. Into this age, young Guiamo enters the world stage as the great game-changer, and by his hand the gods and beasts become destined to disappear into myth and legend
Buy the book from...... Author's Createspace Amazon.com  Amazon.co.uk Barnes and Noble Smashwords 




 
prnted book           ebook version




Other books in the Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo 
Cumoro (Book 2) Guiamo Durmius Stolo sails in 55 B.C. with Rome's 7th Legion as Julius Caesar invades Britain. But Caesar has not before encountered the Fomori, a dominion of wicked creatures which wage war against the human inhabitants and dominate much of Britain. Armed with his god-made spear, Guiamo joins with the tribal kings against their Fomori foe when Caesar departs.

Morlanos (Book 3) Having destroyed the Fomori in Britain , Guiamo Durmius Stolo decides in 51 B.C. to bring the Cruthin people, once slaves to the Fomori, to Ireland , but encounters the Fomori who reside there as well. Guiamo discovers that the gods venerated by the Druids are unworthy. The gods are displeased with him and begin to work against him. 

Inis Emain Ablach (Book 4)In 50 B.C. Guiamo Durmius Stolo finds himself victor over the detested Fomori whose leader, Cichol, is slain and those few who survived are scattered. Guiamo explores the secret places where Cichol kept his most important secrets and discovers there the treasures of Cichol's master, the goddess Domnu. 

About the Author
Marshall Best is an avid reader, father of six and business owner. In the past several years he has found his love of writing as well. What began as a desire to write a story for his children has evolved into a nine book series. 
Marshall has done extensive research into the history behind the legends, people and places of England, Scotland and Ireland involved in his books. He loves being able to weave real people and legends into his stories making them come alive. He is definitely a writer that tends to the details often mapping out timetables, calendars, geneologies, etc. that pertain to his book to ensure that it is as realistic as possible.  
Marshall also enjoys putting real life issues into his books, delving into a bit of philosophy while entertaining with orcs, dragons, magic and battles. He is someone who loves a grand adventure but makes sure it's not a shallow one. 

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Guiamo and Cumoro Reach Best Sellers List

     We would like to say thanks for those who have decided to purchase Guiamo and Cumoro and join us on the journey of The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo.  Although we realize we may not stay in the top sellers list, as of this week, book one and two have been in the top 100 of the Greek and Roman Myths and Legends category on Kindle.  Guiamo now stands at #66 and Cumoro at #72.  Earlier, Guiamo reached #6!   This is very excting for us as the books have only been available for less than a month.

     If you order one of the Guiamo Chronicles books and enjoy them, please recommend them to a friend and take time to leave a review.  We realize that you, the readers, are the best way to share this new series.  If you have any questions or comments, you can find us on Twitter @ancumer or our Facebook page The 
Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo .

     Thanks to those who have already shared their thoughts on Guiamo through Goodreads and Amazon.  You can click here to read the Amazon reviews or visit Goodreads for their reviews here.   As I said in my post Why a Few Moments of Your Time Can Bring Joy to an Author, it means a lot that these few took the time to share their reactions after reading the book.

     Coming on June 22nd, there will be a blog tour for Guiamo with Beck Valley Books.  You can find more information on the tour here.  Each blog participating will be posting a review of Guiamo and there will be a giveaway as well.  Please join us and find out what others think of this new series.

     Thank you once again.  Marshall is hard at work on book five.  There will be four more books after that.  We hope they provide many hours of enjoyable reading for you all.

Why a Few Moments of Your Time Can Bring Joy to an Author

      Authors write for various reasons.  As I've entered into the world of authors while marketing Marshall's book, some describe it almost as a need to survive, as if something burns inside of them.  The only way to find relief is to write.  I'm not a writer to the degree my husband is, but I can relate to this feeling.  Sometimes the thoughts swirl so strongly that you have to put them to the page.  There are others who write for money.  Their job consists of finding information, stories, new achievements to share with the world.  There have been many that have fallen into writing as Marshall did.  What began as a loving father or mother telling simple stories to their children grew into something larger than they ever expected.
     Marshall started writing Guiamo over five years ago for our son William, then age 10.  He never dreamed it would become a nine volume historical fantasy series.  He thoroughly enjoys writing and he feels he has  put together quite a compelling story.  It's important as a writer to be true to yourself and write what you think and feel is the proper story.  Whether anyone else likes Guiamo, Marshall does; however, it's nice when you find out your love of a story is shared.       Today, someone took the time to type a few words on Amazon.  It may not seem like a big deal to them; however, others have read the story, said they liked it and moved on.  This young man taking a few moments out of his day brought joy to my husband and myself.  We all like to be told we have done a good job.  The effort we put into our work, whatever it may be is important to us.  Someone on twitter once said that they wanted to support authors but they were just not wealthy enough to buy the books.  I responded that the best way she could support the authors was to write a review once she read their story.  It doesn't take much time but it means a lot.  It's a shout out to the world that a book is worth their time.  So why not take a few moments at the end of each book you read and tell the world what you thought.  It's not hard and it might make some author's day.  I know it made Marshall's.
     

Goodreads Giveaway - Two Signed Copies of Cumoro by Marshall Best

 
   Nearly 1200 people entered the Goodreads giveaway for a copy of book one in The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo.  It seemed a good time to start a giveaway on Goodreads for book two.  We will be giving away two signed copies of Cumoro, book two in the Guiamo Chronicles, shipped anywhere in the world.  We are connecting with more and more readers who seem to have an interest in the series.



     Now is the time to get your copy of Guiamo and read it in hopes of winning book two!  The e-book of Guiamo is only $2.99.  It is not available through Amazon yet, but hopefully will be soon.  You can purchase it on Smashwords where you can download it in various formats.  It is also available along with the print copy through Barnes & Noble.  If you'd rather have a book to hold in your hand but can't afford to buy it right now, why not ask  your library to order a copy for everyone in  your area to share?  If you are the type that saves up all their money for books, well, then feel free to order Guiamo or any of the other books through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  If you do get a copy of the book and enjoy the story, be nice and share the adventure with others.  Don't be stingy!  We truly believe this is a great series.  We're just waiting for you , the readers, to confirm that to us.  The world is swimming with books everywhere, so thank you for your interest in Marshall's work.  We count in a great honor that you are taking some of your day to spend with us.

     Guiamo has many lessons to learn, adventures to experience, foes to vanquish.  Come along on the journey with him.  We think you'll enjoy it!


The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius StoloBooks 1- 4Book 5 is in progressBooks 6 - 9 planned

Guiamo Giveaway Ends Tuesday April 9th

     Nearly 700 people have entered the giveaway on Goodreads for Guiamo, the first book in The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo.  There are four more days until the giveaway ends.  We would like to say thank you to the many readers who have expressed interest in this new historical fantasy series.  We plan to run more giveaways in the future for Cumoro, Morlanos and Inis Emain Ablach, books two, three and four in the series.  If you have an e-reader and would like to read Guiamo now so you can be ready for the next book when it's given away, it's only $2.99 at Smashwords.  If you like the feel of a book in your hand, you can order through Createspace.  Once you've read Guiamo, please let us know what you think.  What did you like?  What would you like to have added to the book?  Was there anything you thought was missing or didn't need to be included?  Book five is in progress and your thoughts will be helpful as the series continues.  We realize there is a sea of books out there from which to choose.  Thanks for taking the time to join Guiamo's adventure.  We don't think you'll be disappointed that you did.  If you haven't had a chance to read about all the books in the series, you can read more here.  Marshall loves history and has woven much of history into this fantasy series.  If you run across articles that may be of interest to him, please feel free to share them with us.  Have a great day and happy reading!

Guiamo Chronicles Available at CreateSpace

     All four books in The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo are now available through CreateSpace.  Click here to order your copies now.  We are also running a giveaway on Goodreads now through April 9th.  More giveaways will be scheduled in the future.  We are excited to hear what the readers have to say about the Guiamo Chronicles.  It has been an enjoyable journey writing the books and Marshall hopes you enjoy reading them just as much.  We hope to post a blog entry in the near future featuring a list of characters in the series as well as some of the historical people, legends, myths and battles that are included in the series.  Keep checking back.  We will improve the blog as time allows.  Feel free to comment below with anything you would like to see included here on the Guiamo Chronicles blog.  Have a wonderful day and happy reading!

People are People are People, No Matter From Where They Come

     One thing I have found true in my life from the small amount of travel I have done outside of the United States, is that at their core, people are basically the same.  Sure, they may have different color skin, wear different clothing, eat different food, live in different houses, share different customs, but they are not all that different.  Everyone longs to belong and be loved.  The human spirit, no matter where it resides in the world can overcome great obstacles, rising above seemingly insurmountable odds.  At other times, it may sink in despair having been seemingly beaten by life's circumstances.  The circumstances each must face can vary drastically depending on where a person is born; however, the spirit within remains the same in so many ways.  Humanity loves to laugh, to be a part of something, to learn, to grow, to excel.

     The amazing technological world that we live in is the reason my thoughts have returned to this fact.  We are thrilled to have welcomed people from all over the world to our blog.  I'm sure to many our numbers may seem small, but each person matters, no matter their country, their circumstance, their culture.  We thank you for choosing to take even a small moment of your life to spend with us.  Time is precious to us all.  We hope you have enjoyed your short stay.  I will continue to update this post as the numbers and countries change.  Invite your friends from around the world.  Let's see how many countries we can touch.  Just for fun (and to verify how many actual human visitors we have rather than computer generated visitors), we would love it if you would leave a comment below with your name, your country and a little bit about yourself.  We look forward to hearing from you.

     I have enjoyed writing this blog for the Guiamo Chronicles so much that I am contemplating starting a blog of my own.  Not sure what I'll call it, but I will link the two blogs to each other once I start.

Thanks again to all our visitors below,
Tracey, on behalf of Marshall

United States - 2228Germany - 93United Kingdom - 41Netherlands - 9Sweden - 9Canada - 7Poland - 3Ukraine - 13Australia - 5Moldova - 3Saint Lucia - 2New Zealand - 1Philippines - 3Russia - 109Indonesia - 3Denmark - 1China - 2India - 9France - 4Japan - 4
Kazakhstan - 3
Kenya - 1
Turkey - 1
Saudi Arabia - 1
Brazil - 1
Spain - 1
Malaysia - 2
Pakistan - 6
Bosnia and Herzegovina - 3
Trinidad and Tobago - 1
Italy - 1
Macedonia [FYROM] - 5
Bosnia and Herzegovina - 3
Chile - 1
Nigeria - 1
Romania - 1
Finland - 1
Lithuania - 1
Hungary - 1
Greece - 1
Vietnam - 1

Pieces of Marshall Best's Puzzle

     The inspiration for What Defines Us? came from my thoughts over the years regarding my husband.  In the article below, I share about the pieces that make up the puzzle of Marshall Best.
     

     Eight years ago, Marshall Best took the plunge into the entrepreneurial world, a world of ups and downs, excitement and disappointment, beginnings and endings, knowns and unknowns.  As a man who believes that God sometimes guides us very specifically, he had felt very certain that starting his own company was the next step God had for him.  Being an entrepreneur is a risky business, one that requires you to pour all that you have into a venture you hope and pray will succeed.  There are stresses involved with being the owner of a company that can’t compare to being an employee of a company.  In a sense, an entrepreneur places their life on the line.  Mankind has a tendency to define themselves based on their successes and failures.  On some of those more disappointing and worrisome days over the last eight years, I began to think of all the things that defined Marshall Best that had nothing to do with owning a company.  We all want to succeed; however, I realized that even if the company didn’t succeed, it was only a small part of the man that I had married.  So below I have listed many of the pieces of the puzzle of Marshall’s life.  They are pieces of a picture that help to answer the question, “Who is Marshall Best?”  We thank God for bringing us through many hard times.  Marshall Best Security is alive and well today and we owe it all to Him.

Marshall W. Best
Third son of four born to Walter and Dona Best in Seattle, WashingtonLoved to play toy soldiers as a boyHad quite the temper when youngerCollector of coins, stamps, soldiers, and toy airplanesSaver of penniesLover of reading from an early ageOne of the millions of piano students practicing, practicing, practicingGrandson of an inventor and business ownerSon of a WWII Flight Instructor WWI ace Weir Cook taught his father to flySolo flight at the age of 16
Hates coffee and would pay to not go to a basketball gameGraduate of Heritage Christian School, Indianapolis, IndianaLover of military history, especially memoirsRebuilt three T-16 Universal Carriers from WWII with two of his brothersOne of those brothers restored a Sherman tankEnjoyed dropping flour bombs on tanks from WWII Stearman biplane with his brotherOne of his best days was shooting guns at a local rock quarry, dreaming of the future
Saw the original Star Wars 21 times at the theater (it ran 56 weeks)Loved and still loves fishingHis mother’s apple pie and rice pudding put a smile on his faceBusiness graduate from Olivet Nazarene University, Kankakee, IllinoisNo stranger to loss and sorrow
A follower of Christ
A man bent toward generosityFormer Vice-president of manufacturing for Best Lock CorporationLoves hunting for a find at antiques storesEnjoys a good laugh via The Far Side and Calvin and HobbesLoved watching Star Trek The Next Generation while eating gingersnaps and drinking Coke out of a bottle (with real sugar and real caffeine!)One of his favorite places to visit is Brown County, IndianaAppreciates quality art and sculptures
Collects Best Lock memorabilia and plans a museum in the futureQuiet until you get him talking about something he lovesHis wife thinks he’d make a great history professor
A man committed to high principlesAbsolutely adores his six childrenMarried to his wife Tracey for 19 years come March 2013Is strong for those who are weakIs thrilled to share Guiamo Chronicles with readers around the world


written by the wife who loves him