The Scribe by Antonio Garrido - Another Epic Historical Novel Achievement! Out Today!

Year of Our Lord 799
  Citadel of Wurzburg, Franconia

And the Devil Came to stay...

Theresa and Gorgias were on the way to work, when they had been attacked and Gorgias hurt. Theresa has worked on it a little but they quickly took him to the surgeon...

It's the same every day, he said without lifting his eyes from the wound. Yesterday someone found old Marta on the low road with her guts cut open. And two days ago, they found Siderico the cooper at the gate to his animal pen with his head bashed in. And for what? To stead God knows what from him? The poor wretch couldn't even feed his children. Zeno seemed to know his trade well. He stitched flesh and sutured veins with the dexterity of a seamstress, spitting on the knife to keep it clean. He finished with the arm and moved on to the rest of the wounds...

Will he recover? Theresa butted in.

He might. Though, of course, he might not. The man roared with laughter, then rummaged in his sack until he found a vial containing a dark liquid. Theresa thought it might be some kind of tonic, but the physician uncorked it and took a long draft...

Theresa;s father was coming round. She ran to the side to stop him from sitting up, but Gorgias would not listen to reason. As he moved, he grunted and winced with pain. After he managed to sit up, he briefly rested before opening his. With his health arm, he nervously kept looking around as though something was missing. His irritation growing, he tipped the contents of the bag onto the floor. Quills and styluses scattered across the pavement. Who took it? Where is it? he cried.

Where is what? Korne asked.

Gorgias stared at him with a wild look, but he bit his tongue and turned his head. He rifled through the instruments again and then turned the bag on its head. When he was sure nothing was left in it, he walked over to a nearby chair, slumping into it. Closing his eyes, he whispered a prayer for his soul.

~~~

The Scribe

By Antonio Garrido

Translated by Simon Brani

I met this author through The Corpse Reader. That fantastic book already brought over 200 individuals from across the world to Book Readers Heaven, but if you haven't read my review yet, check it out! Each of these are so unique in their story line that I can't compare the two. So I'll just say I loved them both! You know, when I say that about a historical novel, which is not my favorite genre, and it is also well over 600 pages, well, you should acknowledge I'm not joking! This author sends his books to us from his home in Spain, where The Corpse Reader was the recipient of the Zaragoza International Price for best Historical novel published there.

Gorgias had been commissioned with a very important job to translate a parchment on behalf of Charlemagne.
It had been stolen when they were attacked!

Theresa was a very fortunate woman for those living at that time. She had been taught to not only read and write, but to do most of what her father's trade was. She was working at a local shop and was due to take an exam the very morning that they had been robbed. Now instead of several witnesses, Korne, her boss was able to administer the test...

Let's just say that Theresa was in the same boat as women throughout history. The men were jealous and afraid of her being able to handle their jobs, so her boss was now going to make sure that she didn't pass the exam! He started what ultimately resulted in his shop being totally burned down and one of his sons killed. Of course he blamed Theresa. She had managed to escape but a young street girl had been there that day and she was also killed; everybody thought Theresa had died...

Theresa knows that she must leave her home town, alone and the story splits at that point to follow her in her travels. At the same time her father, not only has lost the document he was to work on, but his injuries prevent him from working at all. He starts to make excuses, trying to figure out what to do. Ultimately he is imprisoned; forced to work within the home of the local official, deep in the center part where nobody knows he is. Between mourning for the loss of his beloved daughter and being taken from his wife, with little food, he sinks into poorer and poorer health.

Here you have your test, he said, and he opened the latticework lid that protected the pool. "Make ready the skin and you will earn the qualification you so crave.
Theresa's lips tightened. Scraping and preparing the skins was not a task befitting a craftsman, but if that was what Korne wanted, she would not disappoint him. She walked over to the edge of the pool and observed the layer of blood and fat floating on its surface. Taking a space, she pushed the remains left by the caustics to one side and fished around for the skin that she would work on. But after several attempts, she still could not fin one. She turned with a look of puzzlement on her face, demanding an explanation.
It's in there Korne, Korne indicated toward the deepest pool.
Theresa walked over to the pool that received the skins just as they had been torn from the animals. Carefully, she took off her boots. Then she gathered up her skirt and stepped into the water, holding her breath.
Scraps of skin and clots of blood floated in the bath, intermingling with the filth of the maceration pool. under the attentive gaze of the crowd, she lowered herself until the liquid reached her stomach. The cold made her groan.
She waited a moment before taking another deep breath and letting herself sink into the depths of the pool. For a blink of an eye she disappeared underwater, but she quickly emerged with her head veiled in grease. Spitting, she wiped the filth from her face. Then she plunged further into the center of the bath, pushing away the floating detritus. The lime stung her skin under her clothes and the ice number her bones. Under her bare feel she could feel a bed of slime. And she groped the surface like a blind woman looking for a rail to cling to. But she kept going, feeling her way forward as the water lapped against her chin.
Suddenly she bumped into something under the water, and her heart missed a beat. When she managed to calm herself down, she felt the object with her foot to try to identify it. For a moment she thought about giving up, but she remembered her father and everyone who had believed in her. She filled her lungs with air and submerged as her hands touched the object. Its sticky feel made her want to retch, but she suppressed her revulsion and continued to run her hands over the thing until she found a string of beads that felt like little shingles. She felt along the line and after a moment of uncertainty, she realized with horror she was grasping a row of teeth. She almost opened her eyes in fright and would have been blinded forever by the lime, but she kept control of herself. She let go of the jawbone and went up for air, gasping, her face flushed red as the Devil's. As she coughed and spluttered vomiting water, the remains of a putrid and deformed cow's head bobbed up in front of her...

~~~

Theresa on the other hand, has found her way to a distant town and fortunately connected with a man who needs both her skills of reading and writing. For quite some time, she is happy there... But that was after she had been saved along the road and fallen in love with a man whose family she knew...

Sure, you can keep track of the missing parchment--actually Theresa had taken her father's pouch when she left home but didn't know the document was hidden in it... She later raises all sorts of issues about what it really is...

Alcuin was the monk for whom she started to work. I doubt it was intended by the author, but I found this character somewhat like Sherlock Holmes as he got lost in the mystery of this or that. It seemed he was involved in all the intrigues that were happening and the man who she loved told her not to trust him. Indeed, readers will see and hear some questionable things, but like Holmes, Alcuin is all about solving the mystery, planning through the actions that must happen so that something else will happen. I admit that, even recognizing what he was doing, didn't always help to be sure that good was going to win!

In addition to Alcuin, I enjoyed all the characters, including a bar maid that welcomed Theresa into her home, as well as the first family that had found her...

Working the way through this maze will take time, especially if you allow yourself to get to know each of those who got involved. Theresa and her father were committed to each other, but if it hadn't been for others, they would not have survived at this time of high tensions and little food. In the end, however, it is Garrido's meticulous attention to detail that pulls his readers into the stories. Myself, I'd like to have given Krone, Theresa's first boss, a kick or two where it...hurts!

A really fabulous, and yukky, look at how parchments were first handled and used for paper. Historians, don't miss this one! Highly recommended.


GABixlerReviews

Biography

A native of Spain, a former educator, and an industrial engineer, Antonio Garrido has received acclaim for the darkly compelling storytelling and nuanced historical details that shape his novels. Each is a reflection of the author's years of research into cultural, social, legal, and political aspects of ancient life. Garrido's The Corpse Reader, a fictionalized account of the early life of Song Cí, the Chinese founding father of forensic science, received the Zaragoza International Prize (Premio Internacional de Novela Histórica Ciudad de Zaragoza) for best historical novel published in Spain. His work has been translated into eighteen languages, and The Scribe is his second publication in English. Garrido finds his inspiration when he writes in his studio at the Cullera bay, watching the deep blueness of the Mediterranean Sea.

Diana Mitchell Presents The Grey Witch and Other Stories As Delightful Children's Picture Book!

The cat was growing bigger and his furry tail was growing
longer and longer. His fur lay down flat and shiny and turned
into scales. His neck got longer too, so that if he had still been
in the cave, his head would have bumped into the roof.
Oh dear me, something must have gone wrong, said the witch.
The cat, who had become a dinosaur, wanted to say Something
always does...

Once upon a time there was a grey witch who lived in a cave on a hill by the sea. She had a grey pointed hat and a grey robe and a grey furry cat who liked to catch mice. The grey witch had a big grey book of spells which she liked to mix up and cook in her cauldron.
Sometimes the spells smelled terrible and then the grey cat would tiptoe out of the cave and lie in the sunshine outside.
Sometimes the witch used the wrong ingredients because the book was very old and blurred, and even with her glasses on she had trouble reading it. This is why some very unexpected things often happened. One time she mixed up a nice strengthening potion for her cat to make him big and strong, and by mistake she turned him into a mouse and all his friends chased him.
Today she was trying out a new spell which smelled worse than usual and when she was finished, she called her cat to taste it.
The cat pretended not to hear.
The witch took out a big ladle and held it out to him.
The cat pretended not to see it.
The witch told him to swallow it.
The cat pretended to be asleep.
The witch bent down and tickled him and told him to drink it or he wouldn't get any supper. The cat opened his eyes, yawned, and before he knew it he'd swallowed all of it...

The Grey Witch and Other Stories

By Diana Mitchell

With Illustrations by Susan Whiting

Long before schools were available to attend like Harry Potter and his mates. witches were on their own in learning and developing their particular, unique skills. They did have ancient books, some of which were hard to read, so they kept studying, gathering materials...and experimenting. The Grey Witch was fairly young so she would have a few problems once in awhile. Her cat was not happy when she was turned into a mouse--would you be? Still, when she changed the brew a little and gave it to her cat, it too was a disaster!

At least it could have been... Fortunately, her cat was a friendly one, so while the Grey Witch went back to the books to figure out what she had done wrong, the cat, now dinosaur, headed down the hill from the cave where he lived and soon was approaching the school! While he was friendly, as a dinosaur, when he opened his mouth to speak, all that came out was a big roar! 

Well, soon the Witch realized that her cat/dinosaur was gone and she went looking. By that time, there was a crowd and, guess what, the children were taking turns riding on the dinosaur!

The Grey Witch Goes to School (Excerpt!)
The grey witch went on down the hill toward the
school. The children were out in the yard playing,
and when they saw her coming, they ran out to
meet her. They opened the gate and helped her
carry some of the things which were in the
cauldron. Then they helped her to set it up on
a tripod, and some of them went inside to fetch
the teachers...
Some of the people who were driving past the
school saw it and forgot about driving carefully
and bumped into each other. When the police
came, the people said they were watching the
archaeopteryx.
~~~

www.kids-dinosaurs.com

With a new brew, soon the dinosaur started getting smaller...and finally became the cat again. Many were sorry to see the dinosaur go! 

But the day was such fun that The Grey Witch was invited back! That day, she went inside to demonstrate her magic...but I'm not going to tell you what happened that day! Let's just say that it might be a long time before she gets another invitation...LOL

Now, before I go any further, take a look at the beautiful cover! Inside are additional full-page portrait-style pictures that places this book into library quality...That house on the front? it belongs to The Orange Witch. Boy, would I love to live in that great tree house! Wouldn't you? In the larger picture, you can see that you can reach out of a window and pick an orange for breakfast!

The police said "What archaeopteryx?
and then they saw it and forgot to give the people tickets...
~~~

 The Yellow Witch always wore a long yellow dress and a yellow pointed hat and used a yellow cauldron to cook up her spells; while The Orange Witch always wore an orange dress, hat and used an orange cauldron. If you didn't see the cats along with their witches, you might think they were the same color--but they really are different. The yellow witch was interested in meteorology and so while studying all of her witch's books, she also studied all about the climate and used the breeze, wind, or rain in casting her spells! That worked out very well for her because she heard some men talking about tearing up the hill where she lived and building apartment houses! Ha! Even bulldozers couldn't stand under all the weather issues that developed!

Fortunately the Orange Witch's tree house was safe! And it was Halloween--her favorite time! One day she met Peter walking nearby and he started talking about going trick-or-treating. Well, would you believe she decked him out as the astronaut he wanted to be--and even created a space ship to travel around that night! "A silver fish In a starry sky, A child's true wish, Personify!" There stood the little space ship that even had room to take the cat with them!

Wait until you ride in it, said the witch. Come on,
jump in.  I'll push you down to the lake.
The cat was trying to think of a polite way to refuse
when she picked him up and dropped him into the
boat...The boat was rocking gently in the water.
The cat wanted to jump out but was afraid to get wet.
He went and curled up on the deck in the sunshine.
~~~

Now the last witch also had a cat, but she wanted to be known as the Blue Witch--she had a blue cape and a blue pointed hat and bluebells grew all around her save...She had a blue furry cat who was really white but she turned him blue whenever she remembered to! LOL and her eyes brilliantly shown against her cape and hat! 

But no matter what color she was, when the Blue Witch decided she wanted to go out on a boat and water ski, that was just toooo much! But, of course, soon there was a new blue boat with a roaring noise, ready to go! 

The cat was not happy! But it got worse! The witch decided she needed a shotgun--and the only animal

who liked water was a terrier... Ohhhhh nooooo...!

Now you haven't seen a great picture for children until you see a terrier dog riding water skis! Wow!

Do you have a library for your children, to read and keep their books for the rest of their lives? Children are always interested in magic and when the witches are kid-friendly, although maybe not so cat-friendly, I think that readers will enjoy meeting each of the "colorful" witches... don't you?! The book is 7 x 10 and the cover is glossy. The pictures seem to be pencil drawn, I think, but are simply beautiful and includes pics of their homes, yellow butterflies, a very large white long-hair cat turned blue, LOL, and many more! While the oranges grown by the Orange Witch might not be magical, how about candy apples growing on trees?

Check this out for your kids, but don't be afraid to admit that you'll enjoy it too... I did! Highly recommended...

GABixlerReviews

About the Author

Diana Mitchell was born in England and went to school at Stoetley Hall in Surrey. She attended college in Godalming. At age 18 she joined the WRNS. During this time she met and married an American flyer and moved to America. She now lives in Rolling Hills, California. She has 6 children, 8 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and many pets.

Beautiful Literary Fiction, One Hundred Names by cecelia ahern, a Dublin Author, Delivers Heartwarming Story

Katherine had finally forced herself to visit Constance in the hospital. She had been ashamed to face her. Constance had hired her on the team at Etcetera, a unique, different type of magazine with Constance at the head... She had more or less let Katherine pick and choose what she would write about...

Now she was used to being told what to write and, her writing in itself had changed...but she didn't realize it...

Some people say that you shouldn't operate from a place of fear, Constance went on, but if there is no fear, how is there a challenge? Often that is when I've done my best work, because I have embraced the fear and challenged myself. I saw this young girl who was afraid she wouldn't fly and I thought--aha--she is the girl for us. And that is what Etcetera is about. Sure, we covers politics but we cover the people behind the politics. We want them for their emotional journeys, not just so we can hear their policies but so we can hear the reason for their  policies. What happened to make them believe in this, what happened to make them feel this way?... We are all about people, about feeling, about emotions. We may sell fewer but we mean more, though that is merely my opinion, of course.

Constance also counseled Katherine about what had happened, but assured her that she had not lost her job at Etcetera. During that conversation, Katherine had asked her if she had one story that she still wanted to write. In response, Constance sent her to her home to a certain file, and told her to bring it back and that they would talk about it and maybe work on it together...

Constance died before she came back to the hospital...

One Hundred Names

By cecelia ahern

The lack of capital letters for this author's name will tell you about her--and her novel. It is such a lovely piece of literature. You can trust that this will make a perfect gift for any adult at any time. It is a precious story that is both memorable as well as a reality that few of us stop to consider. We have a story to tell...

The reality at the start of the novel for Katherine, though, was that she was in a major professional "jam" and, unfortunately, she couldn't get out of it. She had written a story, accusing a man of child abuse, and even, fathering a baby...and it was based solely on the word of the two teenagers involved...and it was run on television! Of course, she was fired, and the company was sued for big bucks! Whoa, the worst type of situation--for everybody!

Is there something you want to get off your chest,
Steve?
I came by to make sure that you were feeling okay
about the trial tomorrow, but the more you talk,
the more I can's help but not feel sorry for you.
You accused a well-respected PE teacher, who is
married, with a young family, of sexually abusing
two students and fathering a child. On television.
In front of the entire country. And you were wrong.
...I know all of this, I know what I did, she said more
confidently than she felt.
And are you sorry?
Of course I'm bloody sorry, she exploded. My
career is destroyed. Absolutely nobody will ever
hire me again. I've cost the network who knows
what, if he wins his case, which he probably will,
and God knows how much in legal fees, and their
reputation. I'm over...
You see, this is what bugs me, Kitty.
What?
Your tone, you're so...flippant about it all...
~~~

If you are an individual that thinks today's news people are going too far to create and exploit sensationalism, you may be happy to hear this--and not like Katherine. This is the intriguing part, because she had to have it drilled into her as to how she had changed, just by going into another type of media... Katherine was just as much a part of the overall story as were the individuals she began to meet...

Other than Constance, her boss and mentor, he oldest and best friend Steve, spent time trying to help her see what had changed about her. After the story on the false abuse had run, she was branded, hunted, haunted...but she was most concerned about herself...

Steve tried to explain that it wasn't about her--it was about the man whose career had been ruined by the story...

But she couldn't hear him at the time...

And probably many of us would not--so concerned and scared about their own career and future...

Interestingly, the new manager that had been filling in for Constance was the "Do it" type of boss that she had just had, but Katherine was not quite as willing to just listen and act. And then with Constance's death, there was much discussion about how to best honor her...

Finally, her husband was willing to listen to Katherine, who had by now started writing under Kitty, to try to allow people to forget...and she brought the file that Constance had asked for. There was nothing in the file but a hundred names... Kitty got the assignment contrary to what the manager wanted... Now she had to figure out what the list was about...how the people were connected...why they were placed on the list, plus get their stories! All within the time before the memorial edition which would run in the next issue...

This book reminded me somewhat of Pat Bertram's Daughter Am I, although without the humor. Still there was attention to the details of the lives Kitty began to gather and told in such a way that it allowed both readers and the characters themselves to be inspired by what was happening! That makes for a very cool book in my opinion! This book is all about the readers being placed in Kitty's position of meeting new people, working to find their secrets--mainly, at that point, to figure out how they were connected--and then, as the writer, to find "the angle" for their personal story...

I found every single one of those interviewed to have such sensitive stories to share. But I think

Do you know where Bridget lives?
We lived next door to each other for forty years. She's a
great woman. A bunch of selfish good-for-nothings her
children turned out to be. To hear them talk you'd think
they think they're royalty. Far from how they were reared,
I'll tell you that. She had a fall is all, she said angrily.
She tripped. Who doesn't take a tumble now and then.
But, oh no, it was off to the nursing home for poor Birdie
just so that lot could sell that house and spend the money
on another skiing holiday. She grumbled to herself, her
mouth moving up and down angrily, her false teeth
sloshing around inside...
~~~

the first one, a woman who was in a nursing home, with little attention from her family, who had made a bet many years ago, that she would never live until 85... She was very ill at the time and really wasn't expected to live... I guess she showed her personal strength to everyone, didn't she? 

Would you believe the business was still open?! Sadly, the man, who apparently had been an admirer, had already died. But that's not the end of that story...and all the other ones!

Given the time of year, I think the story of the gift-giver was very special as well--although this book won't be out by then! In essence, she would be hired to find the perfect gift for someone to give to another individual. In order to do it, she went to stay with the individual to whom the gift was to be given! I have to say that not very many people would have the "heart" to discover these beautiful gifts... Kitty even got one!

Kitty was immediately intrigued, both by Eva's philosophy and by her earnestness. 
I invest a lot of my time into my clients, Kitts, Eva smiled. I need to know that they care about who they're giving a gift to, or else how can I possibly care? I'm sure it's like you writing a story. If you don't care, how can the reader?...
I'm probably not the person you need for this, Eva said, which surprised Kitty. He was willing to pay her anything and she was turning it down....I'm sorry, George, this job isn't for me. Eva smiled and stood...
...So why did you say no to the job, exactly? Kitty asked.
...I was wondering, can you remember the first gift, really memorable gift, that you received that really meant something to you, that perhaps sparked something inside you? Perhaps it sparked this...this desire you have to buy people the perfect gift...

Eva lied to Kitty and told her "My Little Pony..." But she told her the truth before the book was over!

!!!

Sometimes you just need a "feel-good" book for yourself. One that you can sit back, enjoy... but eventful and insightful enough for you to stop and ponder to yourself. Am I like Katherine? Am I like Mr. Webb for whom Eva refused to work? And, more importantly, do I have a story to tell about my life? 

The only thing I wondered was whether, if you had an assignment, maybe even to yourself, would you make the effort to find those 100 names of people about whom you want to get to know better. The magazine Etcetera decided to continue this on an ongoing basis. I'm not sure it would work for another book, but with this writer, and her imagination needed to create such characters for this first one, hey, I'd look for the sequel...It definitely is a book to share with others. I've never been in a book club, but this one, it seems to me, would be a perfect selection. I'd like to talk about this book and all the memorable stories and why they were all so special...

Highly recommended--for those who recognize this is a book for your TBR list, just from reading my review!

GABixlerReviews

ABOUT CECELIA

Before embarking on her writing career, Cecelia Ahern completed a degree in Journalism and Media Communications. At twenty-one years old, she wrote her first novel,  PS, I Love You which instantly became an international bestseller and was adapted into a major motion picture starring Hilary Swank. Her subsequent novels, Where Rainbows End, If You Could See Me Now, A Place Called Here, Thanks for the Memories,  The Gift and  The Book of Tomorrow were also bestsellers along with her collection of short stories, Girl in the Mirror. 

Cecelia co-created the ABC Emmy Award winning TV comedy Samantha Who?, Hallmark’s Three Wise Women, and adapted her own novella, Mrs Whippy, for the stage. Cecelia’s books are published in forty-six countries and have collectively sold over 13 million copies. She lives in Dublin with her family. 

Vacation Hiro Stars Daddy's Girl, Hiro, in New Adventure by Meg Welch Dendler!

Many of you have already read the first book in this series, but, just in case you haven't, Check out my review and if you have children who love cats...and adventure... Consider both for cool Christmas stocking stuffers!

...Hiro couldn't possible sleep. She was tired and crabby and
worried and lonely...And thirsty. Hiro refused to share the
water dish in the kitchen near the cat food. Drinking that
stale water after other cats had their tongues in it was yukky,
and she would have nothing to do with it...Going into the kitchen
also meant venturing into Miss Fatty Cat's territory. Hiro avoided
dealing with that cranky, fat cat as much as she possible could...
~~~ 

Vacation Hiro:
Cats in the Mirror

By Meg Welch Dendler

Second Book in Award-Winning Series

Soooo, you're probably wondering why I'm starting this review with a picture of Hiro and her Daddy... Well, it's very simple. Daddy left Hiro allllll alone and she was very frustrated not knowing where her Daddy was--in fact, she was quite scared! You see Daddy had tried to explain to Hiro that he and his family were going on vacation. But though he kept on talking, telling her where they'd be and how long they'd be gone...well, when Hiro is safely in Daddy's presence, she's often snoozin' or cruisin' just being happy Daddy's around...

The house had been dark for hours and still no one came.
The yard was quiet. The Beast had not returned since he
got in the car that morning with the family and all of
those bags full of clothes.
But Hiro knew, if she just waited patiently enough,
Daddy would come home soon. He always came home to
her...
Daddy will come home soon, she thought. Daddy would
never leave me alone.
~~~

How could he forget to give me water?
She wondered sadly...
Positioning herself carefully so she
could see the doorway and be reading
for an attack, Hiro crunched and
munched happily...Full and content,
Hiro strode happily out of the
laundry room.
Thawump!
Miss Fatty Cat landed her full and
extensive weight on top of Hiro's head.
Then, with a satisfied snort, the fat
cat stalked back up the stairs.
Hiro, now flat on the floor, sighed.
She had let her guard down...and
taken the pounce she should have
seen coming...
~~~

So when she woke up one morning and they had lots of bags being carried out to the car, she was totally surprised! What would she do without Daddy? He made sure that she had her own food, fresh water, and even a separate litter box...Who would protect her from Miss Fatty Cat (Samantha)? She'd tromped on her every chance she got!

Now, actually, they weren't alone all the time because their Grandma came over to visit and take care of their needs, but that didn't reduce the trauma for Hiro...and she always hid under their bed!

Actually, Miss Fatty Cat had provided some news, quickly telling them that their parents would be gone for a long time--that they had done it before, it was called going on a vacation. But for Hiro and Kimba, this was the first time they'd been left alone. Now, if you read book one, you probably know that Kimba is much more self-sufficient and adventuresome. So being alone didn't bother her so much. But, with Hiro's help, they had both decided after that last scare that they weren't going to have anything more to do with the cats in the mirror!

She decided that risking the slight chance of
being seen in the mirror was better than the
icky communal water dish and dealing with
Miss Fatty Cat. Hiro tiptoed quietly to the
bathroom door. She could see the mirror from
there. Can anyone see me? she wondered.
After gathering her courage, Hiro slunk
rapidly across the open expanse of bathroom
tile. She leapt into the large bathtub that she
and Kimba used to call their nursery and
hunkered down along the side...Now she
hoped those walls would hide her from
whoever might be watching through the
mirror.
After a few minutes of quiet, Hiro felt
confident that she was alone. She snuck over
to the big, silver faucet and reached up high
to sniff at the mesh on the underside of it.
With one paw hooked over the top of the
faucet, she could just balance carefully
enough to lick a few droplets of water with
her rough tongue.
"Greetings, Hiro."
The deep voice echoed through the bathroom.
Hiro froze in fear...
~~~

But now, even though Grandma had taken care of her supplies in the bathroom, Hiro had never had to go in alone--Daddy! Where are YOU?! Some of you may know that there are strange cats in the bathroom...and that's who got them into trouble in the first book! But now, Hiro didn't have a choice, she had to go in any time she needed a drink...or other needs! 

As time went by, however, Hiro knew she would have to go into the bathroom. And worked up the courage to do it! Soon she was even talking to the cat, Artemis, who appeared in the mirror. She did tell Kimba what was happening although initially she was keeping it a secret because of their promise to each other...... And Guess What? Their mother came to visit!

They learned much about their history and, finally realized for the first time, that they were born into a royal family and that their birth mother held a very important position in that government...

I'm not going to tell you anymore, except that Hiro and Kimba both went on a vacation too! 

I have to tell you though, that I was disappointed... I kept repeating "Beam me Up Kimba; Beam me up Hiro" but neither paid any attention! This Trekkie fan was upset...for a little while... But, I loved how the book finished--that Hiro had to rush home because Daddy was demanding that Grandma made sure that she actually saw Hiro, or he was packing up and they were coming home! Well, Hero did make contact with Grandma, but you can be sure that by the time the family came home. Hiro immediately let Daddy know he was upset!

But then Daddy went out and came back with presents, reminding everybody that it was Hiro and Kimba's birthday! "Hiro blinked up at Daddy. She didn't like leaping around in front of the whole family. She preferred private time to hide under the bed...We can play together later, when we are alone, she thought... Hiro leaned in close and rubbed the top of her head against Daddy's furry face. He gave her kisses on the flat part between her ears. Then Daddy sighed, put up the foot rest on the sofa, and turned on the TV."

You know for cat lovers, whether the book is written for children, young adults, or adults, like my mystery cat series, we usually love them, especially this one that had a special Star Trek flavor for those that enjoy space adventures! I personally enjoyed this one more than the first simply because of Hiro's personality. Cats do have personalities and Hiro being shy and timid and scared without Daddy (and Daddy's role in return) was so well written that, of course, it brought tears to my eyes... I've had that special link with a couple of my past cats--it's unique and only happens when a cat has chosen you to be someone special in their life! Kudos to the author for how well she is able to represent the feline species! LOL Quite appropriate for the age group and highly recommended.


GABixlerReviews

Meg Welch Dendler is an award-winning author and a former pre-k, elementary, and middle school teacher who celebrated publishing her first book, “Why Kimba Saved The World,” on February 23, 2013. This story is based on her true-life crazy cat and the other cats in her home…and the idea that they are all really part of an alien race that wants to rule the earth. In October of 2013, “Why Kimba Saved The World” was honored with a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award as “Best First Book — Chapter Book,” Bronze Medal. The sequel, “Vacation Hiro,” is out now.

For over 10 years, Meg worked as a freelance writer, including a year as a columnist for www.religionandspirituality.com, where she wrote movie commentaries and interviews. She has had over 100 articles published in newspapers, magazines, and on web sites and has had the chance to interview Sylvester Stallone, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kirk Douglas, as well as Anita Roddick and the Archbishop of Cape Town. She is a huge movie fan and prefers watching a new movie over most of what is on television.

A supporter of Character Education, Meg served as a teacher and community trainer for CHARACTER COUNTS! and has spoken about the integration of literature in character education programs at MiAEYC conferences and for the Arkansas Association of School Librarians. Meg is a proud member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In the near future, Meg is looking forward to publishing a very different book, “At The Corner of Magnetic and Main.” Set where she lives in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, this story follows several people no-longer living on this plane of existence but still stuck here (aka, ghosts) as they figure out what is holding them here and what is next in their lives. She is also hoping to publish a picture book she has been working on since 5th grade, “The Brave, Frail, and Delicate Princess,” and a YA and teen-focused biography of her hero, actress and philanthropist Betty White. The 3rd book in the Cats in the Mirror series, “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge,” is also in the works.

A Texas native, Meg grew up in the mid-west area of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and then moved to the Metro Detroit suburbs when she was 13. She earned her undergraduate degree in Public Relations at Eastern Michigan University and returned to school there to earn her teaching certification and Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. After decades in Michigan, she and her family moved to Houston, Texas, in 2005. Making a total life and career change, in 2012 they bought seven acres of Ozark mountain paradise, opened a rental guest house business, and focused on allowing Meg time to write and publish. She loves the opportunity to perform wedding ceremonies in their pavilion and be a part of special events for families from all over the United States–as well as getting her books into your hands.

A trained and experienced public speaker, Meg would love to visit your school or book store to share “Why Kimba Saved The World,” have a read-aloud session, and promote reading and literacy for elementary school children. Call Serenity Mountain Publishing at 479-363-6017 to chat or send Meg an email at meg@megdendler.com.

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• Book Blog Tour! Why Kimba Saved the World by Meg Welch Dendler
• review#449 - Why Kimba Saved the World by Meg Welch Dendler

The Wings of Dragons by Josh VanBrakle - Book One of The Dragoon Saga - Cool YA, Adult Fantasy!

www.d20srd.org

"When the session ended, however, all those thoughts came flooding to him at once. Slamming the mop on the floor, Iren shouted. "It's not fair! Everyone else in the whole kingdom is right-handed. Why am I the only Left?" Grasping the rock Balear had thrown at him, Iren whipped around and launched it, not bothering to aim or even care what he hit.
"In truth, he could damage little. His chamber had little adornment: a hard bed with three discarded blankets and a dresser with the few outfits he'd fished from the trash. The only object of merit was a large painting hung on the wall beside the dresser. As if guided by fate, the rock struck its frame, and the artwork clattered to the floor.
"The harsh sound yanked Iren from his temper. He knelt and retrieved both the stone and the fallen painting. They were his finest treasures. The stone, little more than a black pebble, had come from the ocean. The surf had tossed it until it had worn perfectly smooth. Years ago, one of the castle children had brought it home, but his mother had commanded him to get rid of it. Iren swiped it that night, his only possession that had ever touched the sea.
"As for the painting, while he couldn't truly claim to own it, he still considered it his. It had hung in the tower since long before he arrived, yet it apparently held such low value that no one bothered to remove it when he took up residence. Still, he could help feeling a deep attachment to it, the only thing in his room he hadn't stolen or pulled from the garbage. Iren surveyed it closely. "No harm done," he whispered with relief.
"Returning the painting to the wall, Iren stepped back and took in the splendid image: a serpentine dragon. Though unsigned, the painting's remarkable realism made the great beast almost come alive. Blue streaks and hairs off its spine accentuated its gleaming white body. Its wings stretched beyond the paintings borders, so that they appeared to extend forever to the heavens. Though its mouth opened wide in a silent roar, its expression invoked not terror but majesty. The painting's frame held a small plaque that read, "Divinion, the Holy Dragon." 

~~~

The Wings of Dragons:

Book One of The Dragoon Saga

By Josh  VanBrakle

Ok, listen up everybody! Until I read this book and started working on my review, I knew nothing about what is out there on the subject... So if you are a gamer and some names might be similar --I don't do games and have no knowledge about whether there is any correlation to the gamer sites I just found through a search for pics... My review is based solely on what Josh VanBrakle has written in Book One... It's a fun book I enjoyed reading and would recommend it to all those who love fantasy and, in particular, dragons! Pics were selected as close as possible to the descriptions of those identified...

Now there were a couple of things that I was impressed with... the left-handed differentiation of what must have been a species that looked like humans, except that they were left-handed... Seems everybody is afraid of people who are different! Geesh! This poor guy, Iren, was placed in a tower to live when he was found and taken to Haldessa as a baby. Even now, after living there all of his life, everybody shunned him except the soldier who had first found him...He had to steal food or eat from what he could find in the garbage. Stealing was the only way he could have any kind of life. He even turned to playing tricks on others to get attention, even negative, that most of us covet... But the last time, he went too far!

"As he reached the doorway out of the men's bath,
though, a shadow passed the corner of his eye.
Reflexively, he turned, watching intently, but the
only movement came from torchlight playing off
the pool's surface and the shiny tiles.
"The feast must have started already," Iren said to
the empty quad...This was great. He could sneak in
without noticing, all the better for pilfering a bite
 or pulling someone's chair out from under them...
"Iren nicked some food off the tray of a passing
servant and took up a standing position along the
back wall, searching for easy victims to prank.
The ideal candidate, of course, had to be King
Azuluu...
"In the place of honor immediately to the king's
right sat the man of the hour: Captain Amroth
Angustion, leader of the Castle Guard...
"Amroth," the king continued, "I know of no
mightier warrior in all of Lodia, and your talents
extend off the battlefield as well. I cannot in good
conscience allow you to remain merely a captain.
No, for the first time since taking the throne, I
will formally offer to someone the position of
king's chief advisor. I offer it to you, Captain
Amroth Angustion. Do you accept?"
~~~

Amroth, the soldier who had originally saved him years ago was being honored at the Castle. If it had been anybody else--and if it didn't mean a huge meal that he wouldn't have to steal, Iren wouldn't have gone. But finally he talked himself into going, knowing that the first thing he would have to do was take a bath...

This was a fun scene to read as he shared his thoughts! Specifically, since he was shunned, everybody ran when he entered the public pool...

"The moment Iren began walking across the courtyard, the girls
stopped talking and stared at him with cold, empty eyes. Most
everyone in the castle looked at him that way, with eyes that
saw past him, a thing so contemptuous the senses rejected it...
"Undressing, Iren stifled a chuckle. He never tired of what came
next. Grabbing a towel and washcloth from the pile, he slammed
open the door facing the pool and paraded forward, grinning
broadly. As the noise, several faces turned and initially disregarded
him as just another bather, albeit a noisy one. A few seconds later,
their heads snapped in a double take as they realized the bather's
identity. Shouts filled the bath, and the furious splashing of water
as everyone rushed for the edge only added to the din. In less than
five minutes, the uproar ceased. The chamber had emptied
completely.
"Sliding into the water, Iren laughed. "How luck I am!" he shouted,
a little louder than he'd intended. "Nobody else gets to bathe in
private!"
Please note, I know this female wouldn't be in the men's bath,
but she looked soooo comfortable, I had to use! LOL
~~~

But even as the speeches were going on, Iren was looking for some type of prank to pull. Of course, Amroth was watching him while he was sneaking around, although he didn't show it! Little did Iren realize that he was playing right into Amroth's hands!

And Amroth almost was killed by announcing right then and there, in front of his world, that he was choosing Iren Saitosan and Sergeant Balear Platarch to go with him on a special, secret mission! Well, actually, he was almost killed because he spooked Iren in the midst of his prank! And, of course, the king immediately said--off with his head! No, no, LOL...that's another story...! Anyway, King Azuluu was furious and did command that he be killed but Amroth talked him out of his fury and into understanding what may be a death mission for the boy--for all of them--anyway. But something had to be done to get rid of the Quodivar!

So Iren was placed together with a trained Sergeant, who was NOT happy about it, and the three prepared to find the Quodivar. Iren had, of course, never been permitted to train with the regular soldiers, although he had sometimes watched from his tower home and tried to learn their moves. Now he was being given a sword and expected to fight enemies! The only reason Iren was going was he didn't have a choice! And he did have a debt to pay to Amroth.

About this time, readers will begin to wonder... You should! Why would a young man who had been ostracized his entire life be taken on a special secret mission? Then, it really gets strange, because the woman to whom he'd first been given when a baby, declared she was going with this group! 

Well Amaroth confessed some of his past actions, one of which was to apologize for suggesting Iren be kept in the Tower, which led to his being treated so badly. Now, he wanted Iren to be able to prove himself...and to also avenge his parents, telling them about the night they had been murdered... Hearing the word Avenge immediately caught his attention and he really started listening... Iren had one goal now--revenge!

www.dreamstime.com
To Iren, she probably lookedliked this--but his image of her
changed greatly by the end!

Rondel was one of my favorite characters--looking like an old hag who was constantly drunk. She had watched and kept track of Iren since he had been moved into the Tower. So, upon hearing the news, she had immediately packed and prepared to go with them. From Rondel Iren learned to fight and oh so much more! Let's just say that she knew what had happened when Iren had been given his sword, and it had immediately...accepted...him! None of the three men knew how much they would need Rondel as they began riding out on their mission! Loved her!

www.draconika.com

Lots of mysticism, strange characters and magic in this book that I'd love to go ahead and tell you about but I'm not going to so I won't give anything away, other than to warn you: Be on the alert when you reach forest lands... and...Look out for the "Red" Dragon!

There is even a potential love interest for Iren which hopefully will continue into the next book!

There are some underlying principles for living that I appreciated and enjoyed for differentiation of good and evil--because we all know that all dragons are not evil! This is a wonderful, well-written story, while at the same time, the author has given sufficient enemies for us to hate and fight against. Mainly, I just loved the mysticism and use of magic the most! Some really creative images for us to visualize... Highly recommended!


GABixlerReviews

My name is Josh VanBrakle, and I'm an author of the perfectly logical combination - to me, anyway - of epic fantasy novels and environmental non-fiction.

Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, I spent most of my life in Hershey, PA. Before you ask, yes, it really does smell like chocolate there! In the past few years, I've shed the suburban life for a rural one in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York with my wife and two ill-behaved cats (excuse me a moment; one of them is chewing on an electrical outlet).

I grew up with a passion for both reading and the outdoors. My parents claim I learned to read using dinosaur books, because all the dinosaur names had phonetic spellings after them. I was introduced to fantasy the way many of you likely were - through The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. From those first few pages, I knew I wanted to write a novel someday.

Unfortunately, this little thing called life intervened. It was a dark time, but I somehow graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a degree in Environmental Economics and from the State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a Master of Science in Natural Resource Management.

I might never have gone back to writing had it not been for a serendipity moment. A local author, Shannon Delany (awesome woman - author of the 13 to Life series and theWeather Witch series), held a free writing workshop series. I just happened to see it advertised in the newspaper and decided to attend.

It changed my life. If that sounds like exaggeration, it's not. I dove back into old manuscripts, refined my characters, built a whole new world and narrative to go along with them, and revised, revised, revised. Thanks to the help of some great friends, The Wings of Dragons was born.

While I continue to grow my writing career, I also work a day job at a local environmental nonprofit promoting rural land conservation. In my "spare time" - as if I had any - I enjoy hiking, kayaking, nature photography, and generally being outdoors wherever and whenever possible. Check out my photo gallery below for some examples of my wanderings in the Catskill Mountains and the rest of my site!