Wednesday, April 8, 2015

GUEST POST BY EMMA RIGHT: “The Princesses of Chadwick Castle Adventure Mystery Series”

FREE BOOKMARKS! see below




Some of you might already know me (Emma Right) but for those new to my series, I’ll just recap about myself and the children/ young adult books I write.

First, I’m a homeschool mother. I have been doing it for about two decades now. Started when my son, now happily married and working, was only three. I still have four more under our roof and our youngest is ten. So probably another eight more years to go before the homeschool journey ends. Phew! It’s been a long road (but with many happy memories).

Why did I start writing?

We did a lot of read-aloud through the school years and I’d found that my children not only enjoyed this time together but I, too, looked forward to the discussions and the moments we talked about some of the characters and plots of the books I’d read to them. Sometimes I’d read the whole book to the children. Other times, I’d ask them to read parts. It was fun and gave them a chance to put on different voices as they pretended they were whatever character they were reading.

I actually wrote two of my series as a read-aloud—the Keeper of Reign Series, and now the Princesses Of Chadwick Castle Series.

Why a read-aloud series?

After about a decade of reading aloud, we ran out of good books to read. Don’t get me wrong, there are thousands still available but most were not written for young adults (10-17) and some were just too “heavy”. Also, even though I enjoyed the classics, not all children, especially since our children live in a different era from us, and are used to fast-paced stories, can bear to listen to pages of Dickens’ description of fog in Bleak House, for instance.

So I thought of writing stories for our kids. They enjoyed them, and so I wrote more. Just kiddie stuff –ones I wouldn’t even dream of publishing. But this gave the fruit to my first series, Keeper of Reign, (free now on Amazon as a download) and the rest, as they say, is history.

How did the Princesses Of Chadwick Castle come to be?

Fast forward six years later (last year) and suddenly “Princess” themes became popular. To be honest I’m a bit partial to princess-type stories myself. I’d also been hooked on the Downton Abbey Series—not recommended for children, but interesting for adults. Thus my writing is a princess tale about two royal sisters living in a 19th Century castle in England. It’s a sort of a Downton Abbey for girls minus all the “R” rated drama. But there’s still drama in it, of course. And adventure. But still, at the back of my mind, I wanted this to be a book a mother, or father, could read to her children (ages 6-12) and have all the listening kids enjoy the fast-paced mystery.

But as a historical adventure, is “princessey” tale enough? Even with all the mystery and intrigue?

I didn’t want to just write a chapter book. I wanted it such that moms and their kids could look at pictures too as the story unfolded—sort of like a cross between a chapter book (novella for kids) and a picture book, so both the eleven-year-old and the seven-year-old could enjoy the reading at the same time.

I’d always loved the artwork, pieces from master artists that graced the walls of museums. We have several of those Art books lying around the house. Some of the images though were inappropriate for children. Also, I wanted the kids to have exposure to good art, not just splashes of oil paint people throw on a canvas.

The process of creating the Princess Castle Series

So I started scouring Google images for art that have entered the public domain. And I mean hundreds of hours of scouring! I pinned them on Pinterest and when I was ready, I combed through the pinned artwork and picked those that could be interwoven into my princess stories. Then I reworked the tale so the pictures could make sense and gel with the words on the pages, too. But I didn’t just use the art pieces whole—although I did for some of them.

Most of the paintings were cropped and I’d capture the details of a sleeve, or the hem of a brocade gown, or finger-pointing, or a fallen tiara. Do you get the picture? (Pun, intended). I wanted the readers to see the pain and attentiveness the artists had gone through to give them the art.

Truly, I hope young readers and their moms, dads, or teachers, reading to them, can appreciate the art pieces. At the end of each book, I also feature an artist.

It was a painstaking process procuring the right images and getting the image sizes correct and so forth. But perhaps, long after the story may have lost its charm—through over-reading, hopefully—the artwork could still hold appeal, and inspire the children.

However, because I’ve grown to love the characters of the two princesses, Elle and Belle, I’ve started on a second series that will hold its own set of mystery and intrigue. While the Princess Castle Series deals with art and the end of each book introduce readers to a particular artist, the second series will have write-ups on ballet stories—like Giselle and Swan Lake, et cetera.

Also, I realize as a relatively new author, readers might be hesitant to invest in the Princess Castle Books. So I’ve made it easy for everyone. The first book, While Princesses Sleep, is available for download in three formats (Kindle, Nook, and pdf) if you go to the emmaright.com site; the second book, Beaded Dresses Mystery, is free for three days in April on Amazon, and the third book, Lady With the Circlet, will be gifted to all entrants in the Kindle Fire HD Giveaway I am hosting this month. (Check the giveaway link below to win a Kindle Fire HD).

In case you don’t have time to read aloud—consider this free alternative.
I am excited about the audiobook for the first book, While Princesses Sleep. It was professionally read by a British voiceover artist. The story, after all, is set in an English 19th-century castle. For those who write me a review be sure to email me and I will send you the MP3 recording for free! I hope the children will enjoy this feature. They can listen and follow the story with their book—ebook or paperback.

There are eight books in all. It’d only take thirty minutes for moms to read each one. Maybe slightly longer if they dwelled on the pictures.

Synopsis of While Princesses Sleep, Book1 of The Princesses of Chadwick Castle Series

While Princesses Sleep: Princesses of Chadwick Castle Adventure, Book 1 (Princess Castle Adventure Mystery Series) is a tale of two royal sisters who are princesses.

The Princesses Of Chadwick Castle Adventure is an eight-book series set in 19th century England. The adventure revolves around the sisters, Elle, age 12, and Belle, 10. It’s great for readers who love Cinderella-type fairy tales and European princess stories.

While Princesses Sleep opens with Princess Elle discovering a strange sound in the night. Curious, she determines the reason for these mysterious noises and starts the adventure with her sister, Belle. Something is afoot at the castle and they must find out what this is. However, finding the truth behind the secrets they stumble upon leads them to strange answers? What sort of trouble will the princesses get themselves into?

Titles in The Princesses of Chadwick Castle Adventure Mystery Series

1. While Princesses Sleep
2. Beaded Dresses Mystery
3. Lady With The Circlet
4. Secret Mission Princess
5. Pretty Scary Lady
6. Down With The Crown
7. Peasant Princesses
8. Princess Rewards


Leave A Review! (Amazon) For While Princesses Sleep
Leave A review (Barnes and Noble)

Twitter: @emmbeliever

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Several of Emma Right's books have won awards. Before having children Emma Right was a copywriter for two major advertising companies and won several international copywriting awards.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

BOOK EXCERPT: SEVENTH DIMENSION - THE CASTLE: A Young Adult Fantasy: “First Fruits - The Passion of ‘Seventh Dimension – The Castle:’” Devotional by Lorilyn Roberts




I have to confess, I have a hard time now referring to Easter as the day Jesus Christ was resurrected. I prefer to refer to this Sunday as The Feast of First Fruits. The name “Easter” has pagan origins and has nothing to do with the death and resurrection of Yeshua, the Messiah (Jesus, the Christ). 

While writing my third book in the Seventh Dimension Series, The Castle, I did a lot of research that has impacted my understanding of the Passion of Christ. To be completely transparent, I have always tended to skip over that part of the four Gospels. 

What happened to Yeshua is so disturbing, it’s not something I want to think about. I know He suffered and died for me because of my rebellion and sin. I deserve the death He bore for me on the cross. 

Thinking about the cross is uncomfortable. I’ve read those passages many times in my almost fifty years of being a Christian. Yeshua led a perfect life. What He endured was horrible. It’s difficult to read. It’s disturbing. 

The cross is what sets apart the believers from the non-believers. It’s heavy. It forces you to confront your own wicked heart. Once you have accepted Yeshua as your personal Savior, it’s difficult to read those passages because you know the suffering He endured He chose willingly. To put it personally, He did it for you and for me

I spent close to two months reading several books and scouring the web to understand as much as I could about the Passion of Christ. To write about something like this, you need to know it well. And I wanted everything I wrote to be historically accurate. 

The Passion of Christ in The Castle has been the hardest material I have ever written. I suffered immensely. Much of it, I believe, was due to spiritual warfare. One morning I woke up from a disturbing night’s sleep, and before I could pray, God spoke to me. He said three words: “Finish the book.” So that's what I did. The first draft is finished and I am working on my own edits before submitting it to beta readers and professional editors.

I remember many years ago when I went through a painful divorce, someone said to me, “I wouldn’t want to go through what you've been through, but I envy what God has taught you.”

When we suffer, when we dig deep, when we read, when we pray, the amount that we invest in that process God honors abundantly. He comes alongside us and gives us Himself. He pours His Spirit into our souls. He opens our eyes. He talks to our hearts in a spiritual language that is far deeper than our human understanding of Scripture


Yeshua underwent six grueling appearances before the political and religious leaders in the twenty-four hours before his brutal death. Below is an excerpt from The Castle of one of those appearances.  

I don’t want to tell you to enjoy this excerpt. I do hope it will make you uncomfortable. Mostly, I hope on Sunday, you will set aside some time to truly reflect on what the death and resurrection of Yeshua, the Messiah, means to you. He was the First Fruit, meaning He was the first to be resurrected of the millions who will be resurrected at the last trumpet.


To give you a tiny bit of background, Daniel, Sperling, the protagonist in The Castle, is a witness to the events that took place. At this point in the story, he is twenty years old, Israeli, and does not believe Jesus is the Messiah. He is from our time and was transported back to the first century—to what I call a spiritual reality, the Seventh Dimension. The excerpt concerns Yeshua’s appearance before Herod Antipas, the fifth appearance in His six-part trial before being executed by crucifixion.


Chapter 23, Clowns and Circus

We entered the Hasmonean Palace where Herod Antipas stayed on his infrequent visits to Jerusalem. The attendants greeted us with guarded cordiality, but their uncomfortable glances at Yeshua spoke of silent apprehension. I doubted many prisoners appeared before Herod Antipas—especially ones sent from Pontius Pilate.

A runner must have warned Herod Antipas of our impending arrival. We seemed to be expected. Once the porter closed the door, the soldiers shoved Yeshua forward. His chains dragged along the marble floors and the heavy grating echoed off the walls. We crowded around and waited. Hopeful anticipation covered the faces of Caiaphas and Annas. A few minutes later, the Tetrarch made a flamboyant entrance. Exaggerated gesticulations of his hands revealed his extreme delight in meeting Yeshua.

The Tetrarch plopped down in a large chair and his attendants spread out the oversized robe beneath his feet. Once the servants took their positions beside the ruler, Herod turned his full attention to Yeshua. Twirling his hand, the Tetrarch smirked, “So at last we meet.” The Tetrarch rolled his eyes. “And under such extraordinary circumstances.”

Yeshua, bruised and exhausted, said nothing, not even to lift his head.

Herod took a different approach. "Come now, Rabbi, I have heard much about you. In fact, I have wanted to meet you for a long time, but perhaps the reports of your miracles are greatly exaggerated.”

Yeshua still said nothing. His silence put a damper on the Tetrarch’s enthusiasm, but Herod wasn’t so easily deterred. I knew his reputation. He couldn’t let this supposed miracle worker make him look bad.

With an air of flattery, Herod continued. “I’ve heard that you cast out demons.”

Yeshua’s countenance never changed. He stood, blood-shot eyes focused on the floor, arms behind his back, chained and bound between two guards.

When Yeshua remained silent, Herod Antipas filled the awkwardness with rambling blather, boasting about his authority, how much he liked John the Baptist—another of the rabbi’s kind—and how unfortunate it was that he had to behead him.

Yeshua remained silent.

“Oh, let me see, what have I forgotten?” the Tetrarch mused. He flashed his eyes at the ceiling. “Yes, you even raised a man from the dead." An awkward silence followed again when Yeshua refused to answer.

Caiaphas and Annas waited patiently as the Tetrarch rattled on at the rabbi’s expense. The scene reminded me of a trapped, helpless animal taunted by bullies, only later to be slowly tortured. I glanced away, as had a paltry few others—resigned to the inevitable.

After a while, Herod must have realized Yeshua wasn’t going to answer him. The pompous ruler clapped his hands. "I insist you show me a miracle."

Yeshua remained silent.

I remembered being at a circus when I was young. My memory superimposed itself on the room. Another dimension had found its way here. That moment wrapped itself around this one. Time once again became an illusion.

Blue and yellow floodlights tracked through the room. Herod’s servants, dressed as clowns, danced beside him. Caiaphas and Annas were string puppets. Hysterical laughter filled the room. Colorful stripes covered Herod's kingly robe and banners waved from the ceiling. A faint smell of sulfur turned my stomach. I began to heave and wanted to run out of the room.

She was here.

As quickly as the strange vision began, it ended. Yeshua remained quiet, distant, and unfazed.

The Tetrarch demanded once more, “Show me a miracle,” but it was to no avail. Then Herod snapped his finger and ordered that the uncooperative guest be dressed in a royal robe.

An attendant placed an extravagant robe in the bloodied hands of Herod and the soldiers wasted no time wrapping the robe around Yeshua. The soldiers mocked the rabbi, played with him as if he were a toy. I watched from the back, feeling Yeshua’s humiliation, embarrassed by the soldiers’ carnal behavior.

Caiaphas and Annas and many members of the Sanhedrin watched with smug satisfaction. The baseness of their depravity astonished me. The High Priest and his father-in-law seemed like demonic puppets.

After the soldiers had had their fun and Herod had been sufficiently entertained, the Tetrarch ordered Yeshua to be sent back to Pilate, better dressed than when he arrived.

Time was quickly passing and the urgency to accomplish the task wore on the faces of Annas and Caiaphas. Exhausted, I lagged behind as the assembly hurried back to Pontius Pilate at the Antonia Fortress. 


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Please visit http://LorilynRoberts.com to sign up for Lorilyn's email list and to receive notifications and special offers on her books.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

END TIMES SHOFAR, PASSOVER BLOOD MOON, RARE SOLAR ECLIPSE, AND CALL TO PRAYER: Christian Blogger Lorilyn Roberts

The press release below arrived in my in-box this week and highlights some things God has shown me as I write the third book in my Seventh Dimension YA Series, The Castle


My research, geared toward the Jewishness of the Bible, has revealed many interesting events and facts I find hard to ignore. Because the fourth book in the series will be focused on the future, I've needed to consider important elements that will affect the plot.

Based on historical precedence, I would be surprised if the following events don't happen by the end of the year: War in the Middle East, a worldwide financial collapse similar to 2001 and 2007, and increasing persecution of Christians and Jews in the Middle East. 

Many Christians are not aware of the significance of the Jewish festivals, Jewish calendar, and signs in the heavens related to Jesus' first and second appearance. I hope blog posts like this will shed light on God's timetable. While we don't know the exact date of Jesus' return, we do know the times. God has given us many prophecies and warnings so we could know. I am one of those who longs for Jesus' return. Please keep reading to learn more.



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PRESS RELEASE

Passover Blood Moon Preceded by Exceedingly Rare Solar Eclipse Prompts Global Call to Prayer
  
Contact: Tuly Weisz, 786-275-5904

JERUSALEM, Israel, March 12, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- An exceedingly rare solar eclipse will take place next week over a most symbolic location on a day infused with both great natural significance and profound religious meaning, according to Root Source.

“There will be a total eclipse of the sun for two minutes over the North Pole on Friday, March 20, the day of the Spring Equinox which coincides with the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan, the first month in the Biblical calendar year, a solar occurrence that has likely never happened before in human history.

“The concurrence and rarity of this natural event, together with the times in which we live, indicates the finger of God,” said Gidon Ariel, an Israeli Jew and co-founder of Root Source, an online platform where Christians can learn Jewish concepts, ideas and thought, and more deeply understand the roots of their faith.

“A total solar eclipse at the North Pole on the first day of spring occurs once every 100,000 years. For it to occur on the first day of the first month of the Biblical calendar year is, however, entirely unprecedented since this is only the year 5775 according to Jewish tradition, meaning that there has never been such a solar occurrence in human history.

“Root Source founders Bob O’Dell, a devout Christian, and Gidon Ariel, an Orthodox Jew, are both calling all Christians and Jews to join them for two minutes of prayer as a response to the solar eclipse. O’Dell and Ariel chose a specific Bible verse for the global prayer. 

“‘I will be praying Isaiah 11:9 for two minutes at the Western Wall in Jerusalem at 12:18 PM local time,’ Ariel said.

“‘I invite Jews and Christians worldwide to join me at that exact moment, and to speak that verse out loud as a prayer in your native language. May God hear and quickly answer the combined prayers of all of us around the world,’ said Ariel.

“‘God directed Gidon and me to pray Isaiah 11:9, as it describes a future where all land is a place of safety because the knowledge of the LORD is as omnipresent as all the earth’s oceans, signified by the path of an amazing eclipse that eventually reaches the top of all the world's oceans,’ said Bob O’Dell.”

For more information, visit www.root-source.com.



II Cor 15:52 states, “It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed” (New Living Translation).










Tuesday, March 10, 2015

CREATIVE WRITING INSIGHTS: “My Favorite Top Five Young Adult Books of all Time are…Drum Roll,” by Lorilyn Roberts



Well, I had to list six. I couldn’t limit it to five. Some of the books I have listed here are not Christian books, but I didn’t know about all the great Christian authors when I was a young adult since I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. Thus, I didn’t say “Christian books,” I just said books.

For instance, I did not know about C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, George McDonald, and many other Christian authors. I did discover in the library A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine I’Engle when I was about 12, which is the only “Christian” worldview book I read as a teenager, and loved. I lament that I didn’t discover other Christian authors until I was in my 30’s, when my birthfather (whom I didn’t meet until I was 30) introduced me to C.S. Lewis.



I was introduced to other wonderful authors/books when I homeschooled my daughters, and so I have a new set of books I love in this genre now.

My first all-time favorite would be The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I have read this book at least three times and it embodies much that I want to write in my own books: Characters that are memorable, a Christian theme without being preachy, original creativity, a well-constructed plot, meaningful symbolism, and redemption. When I think of a story that is among the best, this book always comes to mind.



The second would be The Giver, by Lois Lowry. I have read this book twice, once with each of my daughters. It is hard to believe that this story isn’t real. Ms. Lowry writes such a believable story that I wonder if I could ever come anywhere close to emulating her. Because my YA Seventh Dimension Series is a fantasy of sorts (part of it), I have reflected on how she made the story seem so real.

The third book would be Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan. Again, I loved the Christian message, the symbolism, the struggle, and the redemption. I can relate to the protagonist and all that he went through.

My fourth and fifth all-time favorite books are Gone With the Wind and The Exodus. I remember how I felt reading them as a YA and the sorrow when I finished them. I didn't want the books to end. I still remember the young girl in The Exodus who died; my heart was broken. It’s interesting that I don’t remember the exact plot. I remember the characters. I fell in love with the protagonist in The Exodus. I didn’t know it was possible to fall in love with a fictional character in a book. The same holds true for Gone With the Wind (Yes, I thought Rhett Butler was handsome and charming).

I recently read The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank, and I couldn’t avoid listing it here. I don’t have the benefit of time to see where it will eventually fit into the collection of books that I have read as my all-time favorites, but because of the way she wrote it, the book touched my heart. I was drawn into her world of suffering, and the way she described the people in the attic and all the things that happened, it was hard for me to believe she lived and died before I was born.

Even when I was young, I enjoyed books that had significant undertones/struggles, and these also are the books that have made significant contributions to the literary world. I believe teens can handle difficult, heavy topics. My dream is to write books that can touch the heart of YA readers and influence their worldview with Christ’s love—enabling them to grow and become the person God created them to be.

I’d love to hear from you: What are your favorite YA books?

Note: I didn’t include The Lord of the Rings Trilogy as I consider it to be more for adults. The pace is rather slow to engage YA readers, though maybe I should have listed The Hobbit. Sigh. It’s so difficult to narrow it down, isn’t it?