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Welcome to my place in the blogosphere!
feel free to explore the Flight Deck and check out my books and website.
Then fasten your seatbelts, sip a glass of something sparkling and let's chat awhile!
I hope you'll stop by again for guest authors and spotlights from time to time.

Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.

Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts

Friday 26 August 2022

Hidden In The Mists by Christina Courtenay -Spotlight, Giveaway and Review


HIDDEN IN THE MISTS is a dual time story set in Scotland, featuring Vikings, ghosts and hidden treasure. Here is a short blurb:-

A love forged in fire lives on through the ages.
Skye Logan has been struggling to run her remote farm on Scotland’s west coast alone ever since her marriage fell apart. When a handsome stranger turns up looking for work, it seems that her wish for help has been granted. But echoes of the distant past won’t leave them alone, and it seems that the ghosts of the past have secrets . . . and they have something that they want Skye and Rafe to know. 

I'm thrilled to be part of this blog tour for Christina Courtenay's new novel Hidden in the Mists and to have been given the chance to review it. Thanks to Christina and Rachel's Random Resources.

I love Christina Courtenay's writing and have always had a fascination with Vikings and Nordic legends, so was looking forward to reading this book. I was not disappointed.The book follows two timelines and two sets of characters, each beautifully drawn and easy to relate to. One pair of characters live in the present time and one pair in a Viking settlement in the 9th century, and a clever touch is a gold bracelet that links the two timelines.  The action flows seamlessly from one timeline to the other and is easy to follow. The historical events, as well as descriptions of traditional crafts such as wool dying, spinning and weaving are obviously thoroughly researched and completely convincing.

There are several similarities between the two sets of characters and events which seem to mirror each other. There is also a hint of the supernatural, which is always in the background without being overdone. On one level, this is a ghost story, but not the blood-chilling scary sort, rather, there is a sense of eeriness and a hint of other-worldliness and maybe reincarnation.  Add to this, page-turning tension and a sense of mystery, not to mention the excitement of an archaeological dig with a possibility of buried treasure. Then, with not one, but two engaging romances, you have a gripping novel full of intrigue, that kept me turning the pages late into the night. For me, this is one of those stories that will remain in the memory long after the book is finished. (Five stars)

This is what the author says about her book:

I absolutely loved Scotland from the very first time I visited, and it has always felt like a magical place to me. The landscape, so often shrouded in mist, is stunning and atmospheric, and ideal as the backdrop for a dual time story. When I was casting around for new ideas for my next book during lockdown, it seemed perfect in more ways than one.


Normally, whenever I start writing a new book, I try to travel to the places where my stories are set, but obviously during the pandemic that wasn’t possible. As I’d been to Scotland before, it wasn’t strictly necessary. I also have a lovely friend who lives on the west coast of Argyll and she was willing to help me with the background details whenever my memory failed me. Add to that the fact that I knew the Vikings had once occupied large swathes of the West Highlands and islands nearby and everything started to fall into place.


The Vikings had already established themselves on Shetland and Orkney, and from there it was only a short journey to the Hebrides, or Western Isles, which was to the south. The Norsemen therefore called the islands the SuĂ°reyar – the South Islands – while after the mid-ninth century the Gaels apparently referred to them as Innse Gall – the Isles of the Foreigners. The Vikings would have set up raiding bases on the islands at first before they eventually became permanent settlements. It can’t have been long before they also established themselves on the mainland, which is where my story takes place.
In the end, I was lucky enough to make it up to Scotland for a visit after lockdown finally finished, so I was able to check the locations for myself. All in all, it seemed as though the Norse gods were with me and this story was meant to be.

Here is an extract from HIDDEN IN THE MISTS:-

 
‘Damn it all, move, you stupid thing!’


 Skye heaved with all her might, but succeeded only in shifting her rowing boat a couple of inches. It had been placed upside down on trestles the previous autumn and covered with a tarpaulin, but she’d recently made sure it was watertight by painting the hull with water resistant paint. However, all that work would be for nothing if she couldn’t get the annoying thing into the sea.


‘Come on!’ She tried one more time and managed to lift one end. If she couldn’t set it down carefully, though, chances were she’d smash all the bones in one or both of her feet, and then where would she be? This was useless.


‘There’s got to be a way,’ she muttered. She could try to push the trestles over with a broom handle, but what if the boat crashed to the ground too heavily? It would break, and she couldn’t afford to lose it. Either way, it was upside down and she still wouldn’t be able to turn it over. She needed it in one piece.


‘Would you like a hand with that?’ The deep voice came from right behind her, and Skye jumped and swivelled around, her heart turning somersaults inside her chest.


‘Jesus! Where did you spring from?’ She brought up a hand to push against her ribcage, where her heartbeat was going nineteen to the dozen.


A man stood a few metres away, glancing from her to the boat and back again. His expression wasn’t threatening, but he was tall, and the tight T-shirt he wore emphasised a powerful torso as well as muscular arms and shoulders. She swallowed hard. Calm down. Breathe! Visitors to her remote place were few and far between, but she had prepared herself for this eventuality. In an outside pocket of her combat trousers she carried a switchblade, in case someone arrived who wasn’t friendly. And she knew how to use the weapon; a former boyfriend had seen to that. He’d wanted her to be able to defend herself, should the need arise. Still, the reality of being confronted by an intruder was a lot scarier in real life than in theory only.


He held up his hands in a peace gesture, calming her a fraction. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I parked my van down the lane and walked the last bit. Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your potholes are more like small craters.’ He gave her a disarming smile. ‘Wasn’t sure it was worth the risk to my tyres. Thought you heard me coming, but I guess you were busy.’


Down the lane? He must mean the rough mile-long track that led to her remote cottage. If he’d walked along that, his footsteps should have been clearly audible on the crunchy gravel. Where the heck were her guard dogs, and why hadn’t they barked to let her know someone was approaching? This was the second time in as many days they’d failed her, which was unheard of. Although she couldn’t really expect them to hear a ghost . . . She pushed that thought aside and whistled for them. They came bounding over, wagging their tails at the stranger, who stooped to pat them both in turn. The sight shook her, as it had never happened before. The traitors! They were normally wary of visitors, but this guy had them enthralled. Perhaps they had barked initially, but she’d been so focused on the boat she hadn’t noticed. Still, they shouldn’t be so friendly with anyone unless she told them to. This was worrying.


She stared at the man again. Was he real? Her mind returned – as it had done several times today – to the ghostly figure she’d seen by the shore yesterday. No, he was not a figment of her imagination. For one thing, he was too good-looking. Long golden-brown hair twisted into a messy man bun, big blue eyes under arched dark brows, a perfectly proportioned nose and a mouth surrounded by at least a week’s worth of stubble. The fact that his long-sleeved T-shirt was faded and his jeans ripped and worn didn’t matter – he’d have rocked any outfit, she was sure. The point was that he wasn’t dressed as a Viking, nor was he as insubstantial and shadowy as that woman had been. He couldn’t possibly be a ghost.


She tried to get a grip. She was clearly overreacting a wee bit here. Yes, understatement! But handsome or not, he was big and male, and she was all alone with him. Ghosts were one thing, they couldn’t hurt her, but this man most certainly could if he wanted to. Her hand hovered over the pocket that held the switchblade. The knowledge that it was there calmed her.


She cleared her throat. ‘Why are you here?’


His mouth twitched up further into a smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle attractively. ‘Someone in the village said you might be wanting to hire some help for the summer months. I’m looking for a temporary job. Thought I’d come and ask in person.’


‘Oh. Who said that?’ She’d been careful not to tell anyone that Craig no longer lived here. It was safer that way. People talked, and it was a small community where everyone liked to know everyone else’s business.
The guy shrugged. ‘The owner of the village store.’


That made sense. Mr Fraser must have remembered that they’d hired someone last year to help out for a couple of weeks. God knew she could do with an extra pair of hands, but she couldn’t afford it.


‘This is Auchenbeag, right?’ he added. ‘Whatever that means. And I probably didn’t pronounce it correctly either.’


He hadn’t, and the way he’d massacred the Gaelic word made her want to smile, but she resisted the urge. She shouldn’t find anything about him charming. He was a stranger. Potentially dangerous . . . She shook her head. ‘Yes. It means “little field”, but sorry, I don’t—’


As if he’d read her mind, the man interrupted her. ‘I’m happy to work for nothing but food and free Wi-Fi. No salary necessary. And I brought my own accommodation, a camper van. That is, if I can get it down that bumpy track. But perhaps you need to consult with your husband? Or should I go talk to him myself?’
 

‘Um, no, that’s not . . . I mean, he’s not here right now. Family emergency. He might be a while.’
Yes, like for ever. But she couldn’t tell him that. And she shouldn’t have mentioned that Craig wasn’t here – now he’d know for sure she was all alone. What was wrong with her today?


‘Right. Well, would you like a hand with that boat, and then maybe we can talk some more?


‘And yes, please, I could definitely do with some help here.'


She’d be stupid not to accept his offer, because there was no way she’d ever get this boat off the trestles and into the water by herself.

 



Author bio:-

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes.  Hidden in the Mists (timeslip/dual time romance published by Headline Review 18th August 2022) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

Social Media:-

http://www.christinacourtenay.com

https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

https://www.instagram.com/ChristinaCourtenayAuthor/

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Hidden in the Mists,

 Viking tea-towel andViking carved butter knife (Open INT)


*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize

 a Rafflecopter giveaway



 

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Saturday 26 February 2022

Undoing Time - My Review

 Amazon

I spotlighted Undoing Time on this blog on the 3rd of February, while still reading the book. It took me a little while to write a review (apologies) but here it is:

Although I haven't read the first two books, I had no difficulty in following this story and soon got to know and like the main characters. Although part of a series, this is a complete story, can be read as a 'stand alone' and does not end in a 'cliff hanger' (Although some of the chapters did have me on the edge of my seat!)

I enjoyed this original slant on time travel, with its various twists and turns and snippets of historical information, as well as hints of a budding romance.

The ending not only had me keen to read the next book but also to read the preceding ones.

Five Stars

About the Author: 

RACHEL DACUS writes about history, love, romance, and art – usually with a touch of the supernatural. If time travel were possible, she’d hop over to Renaissance Rome, and then check out how the American Revolutionary War is going, and maybe visit an 18th century London artist’s studio. A poet and novelist, Dacus has published four novels and four poetry collections. When not writing, she listens to music, new and old, from indie and progressive rock to classical and jazz. Once a dancer, she’s now an avid walker, often twice a day -- once for the Muse and once for the world’s liveliest Silky Terrier. She blogs about the writing life and has collected a wealth of writing and publishing resources.

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For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Saturday 15 April 2017

GIRL WITH PEN: Review of Dancing With Fate by Hywela Lyn (Song of...

It's always exciting to receive  a new review, especially for an older book, and I was thrilled to receive this lovely review for my fantasy novella 'DANCING WITH FATE'



GIRL WITH PEN: Review of Dancing With Fate by Hywela Lyn (Song of...: When Terpsichore, the Greek Muse of Dance, is assigned to revisit 5th Century Wales, and help the people regain their love of dancing, her...

Wednesday 4 January 2017

New Review for Beloved Enemy

Received a lovely four and a half star review for Beloved Enemy, from Mr N at POTL

"This book was an amazingly enjoyable read!  I had no idea that this was the third book of a series.  This was a fantastic stand alone that can be read without having read the first two of the series. I was immediately drawn to Cat (and Shifter) and Kerry.  The characters were so well written that the reader quickly developed a feeling for them.  I loved the twists and turns as they existed on the planet.  A fan of sci fi will just love this book...."

You can read the rest of the review, here!

https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com/2017/01/04/beloved-enemy-by-hywela_lyn-is-fantastic-bookreview-sfr-twrp/

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join Every new subscriber will get a FREEdownload of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com)

Wednesday 16 November 2016

Review, Guest post and spotlight for 'Written In the Ashes'

Written In the Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt

Readers may be surprised to learn that, despite writing Science Fiction Romance, I have always had an interest in Ancient Egypt so I was delighted to have the chance to read and review 'Written in  the Ashes' by K Hollan Van Zandt and am delighted to welcome her to my blog today.


Written In the Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt
Publisher: Harper Collins (Sept. 27, 2016 Category: Historical Fiction, Tour Dates: October/November, 2016 ASIN:  B01CY3A8X4
Available in: ebook,  554Pages "

Written in the Ashes is one of those rare novels that sets 'history' afire, to bathe readers in the glow of a greater, hotter truth. Fans of The Mists of Avalon will find this romantic/alchemical/feminist/spiritual epic equally captivating."—Tom Robbins, bestselling author of Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. and Villa Incognito

Written In the Ashes by K. Hollan Van ZandtIn the bloody clash between Christians and pagans in fifth-century Alexandria, a servant girl becomes the last hope for preserving peace in this evocative and thrilling tale—a blend of history, adventure, religion, romance, and mysticism reminiscent of The Mists of Avalon. 

 After she is abducted from her home in the mountains of Sinai, Hannah is enslaved and taken to Alexandria, where she becomes the property of Alizar, an alchemist and pagan secretly working to preserve his culture. 

Revered for her beautiful singing voice, the young slave is invited to perform at the city's Great Library, where she becomes friends with the revered mathematician and philosopher, Hypatia, as well as other pagans who curate its magnificent collections. 

Determined to help them uphold pagan culture and traditions, Hannah embarks on a dangerous quest to unite the fractured pieces of the Emerald Tablet—the last hope to save the pagans and create peace. On this odyssey that leads her to the lost oracles of Delfi and Amun-Ra and to rediscovered ancient cities and rituals, Hannah will experience forbidden loves, painful betrayals, and poignant reunions. But her efforts may be in vain. Returning to Alexandria, Hannah finds a city engulfed in violence, even as her own romantic entanglements come to a head. Now, it's not only her future, but the fate of all Alexandria that is at stake.




MY REVIEW:
I found this an amazing book to read - not only for the story, which drew me in and kept me turning the pages, but for the wealth of description and history that was portrayed. I learnt far more about Ancient Egypt, with which I have always had a fascination, than I ever did from text books. Yes, some of the events in the book are romanticised, but the author does not balk at showing us the bloody and vicious side of the history of this period as well. I felt as if I had journeyed back in time. I liked the heroine, Hannah, the slave girl viciously snatched away from her home and father by the slave traders,  and the way she grew and developed as the story progressed. Not only was she beautiful and quick witted, with a lovely singing voice, but she became a strong and determined woman, like the fabled philosopher,  Hipatia, who, in this book, the author restores to her rightful place in history. Hipatia's conclusions from her research of Mary, the mother of Christ, was fascinating, and the tragic, wanton burning of the great library at Alexandria was vividly portrayed

The beautiful descriptions made me envisage the buildings and landscapes as if I were watching them in a film, and the romance is lightly and sensitively handled. I am full of admiration for the amount of research the author must have put in to make this historical account come alive. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a novel about ancient civilisations, which is told through a story that has realistic, easy to relate to characters, and plenty of action as well as a light smattering of romance.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.


Five Stars

EXCERPT



WRITTEN IN THE ASHES
K. HOLLAN VAN ZANDT

This excerpt is continued from StoreyBook Reviews on Oct 28th.
When Alizar finally stepped back, there was an uproar of chatter, and then preparations for the ceremony began. The complex rituals alone lasted well into the night, for there were offerings to be made, goats to be slaughtered, joss sticks to be burned, precise rules to be followed.

Everyone was tired of sitting by the time the actual ceremony began. Their knees and low backs ached. Their bellies growled. Only Alizar and Gideon seemed unaffected by the demands of their bodies; the Nuapar were known for their ability to wait, poised like cats in alert stillness until the moment of attack.
Deep into the night, a long line of two dozen bare-chested men strode out from behind the walls in long white skirts and stood beside the golden barge, which had been hung with votive cups of silver and oasis fruits.
Then there was a commotion.

A regal woman of Egyptian descent appeared dressed in long striped robes of white and gold, her bare arms covered in bangles, her striking eyes belonging more to a falcon than a woman. Hannah gasped at her beauty and evident power, completely overcome with awe.

Alizar bowed, and the others followed.

“I am Queen Khamissa of Siwa,” said the woman. “Who addresses us?” Her eyes scanned the men before her. Alizar nodded to Hannah, who stepped forward.
Hannah knelt and bowed before the queen. “We have been sent by the Pythia at the Oracle of Delfi, and from Kolossofia Master Junkar on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, to collect the Emerald Tablet. We already possess the one broken half. Without the other, our city is falling into ruin.”

The queen nodded. “We remember the gift given long ago by the oracle of Amun-Ra to Alexander, son of Zeus. But you say it is broken? How?”

Hannah lifted her head. “We do not know, we were only told to seek the other half of the tablet here.”

The queen grew very still. “I have no knowledge of it.” She turned to Alizar. “Is this your question for the Oracle of Amun-Ra?”

“Let the girl pose it,” he said.

The Queen nodded.

Hannah cleared her throat, pleased she had been given permission to fulfill her quest. “In humility, I address the Oracle of Amun-Ra to hear my words. Our people and traditions are threatened by the growing power of the Christians. We have come in desperate times to beseech the oracle of the ancient god Amun-Ra to give us the location of the lost half of the Emerald Tablet.”

In the light of several hundred flickering candles, the queen and the hierophant, Omar-the-Goat, nodded. Then she stepped aside and he lifted his arms. The men behind him removed his long robes, revealing a white kilt beneath; his arms, chest and ankles were bare except for several large ornamental gold cuffs. Around his neck hung the perennial ankh strung on a dozen strands of rare turquoise beads.

Omar-the-Goat stared straight ahead, his empty white gaze never faltering as the devotees hoisted him up onto their shoulders and passed him into the barge. Then they took their places beside the gleaming golden boat and lifted it onto their shoulders. They spun to face the center of the temple, and then the hierophant began to recite a long list of prayers and invocations as the men who held the barge remained stiff in their places.

Then slowly, the hierophant rose to his feet, the golden ram horn headdress casting massive twin spiral shadows on the wall behind the barge. There was a gasp in the crowd as the people hid their eyes.

Each member of Alizar’s caravan knew the story: Alexander the Great had visited the Oracle of Amun-Ra, and the god had told him that he was the son of Zeus. When he returned from Siwa, he had coins minted with an image of his profile crowned in laurel leaves. He went on to conquer more territory than any general that came before, all in his early twenties. Some said that the oracle also predicted his death, which came shortly thereafter. The oracle had led Alexander to believe he was a god, and soon after the decree, he left the earth, immortalized as the most powerful youth ever to rule the empire. What had he seen in the temple of Amun-Ra? What had possessed him so powerfully after the ceremony that turned him from mortal man to immortal god?

Alizar stood patiently, his hands clasped before him as the golden barge began to sway. Omar-the-Goat, the last ceremonial hierophant of two thousand years, began to shudder and shake until his eyes closed, rolling back in his head. When his eyes opened again he was visibly, if only energetically, transformed. The old man was gone, his body occupied by the presence of the god, Amun-Ra. Whether he was acting, or the transformation was truly complete, the power that now emanated from his eyes was terrifying. The man-turned-god gestured demurely to the men, and slowly the barge began its journey.

Hannah watched the unfolding scene in awe.
Accompanied by twelve singing girls wielding incense trays, Amun-Ra, perched proudly in the golden barge, ordered it onward as though they were crossing a mighty ocean, but then the god would capriciously lift an arm, bark several commands, and the entire entourage would change direction as though caught in the current of some invisible stream.
This excerpt continues at  Our-Wolves-Den on Nov. 21st.


Guest Post:

The New Women of Romance


Thanks so much for inviting me here, Hywela. I feel like my own journey of discovering my deep passion for romantic stories began with my love affair with your country, in the UK, with Jane Austen. I adored her powerful, high-strung, brilliant women who seemed to always find love in the end.

When I began writing my novel Written in the Ashes, I felt very strongly that I wanted to author a book of strong female characters. I love strong women, and have a legacy of strong women in my family.

The protagonist of my novel, Hannah, evolved quite a lot through the drafts of the book, as did her friendships with the other powerful women of the story, like Hypatia of Alexandria, who was the first female mathematician/scientist in history. As the writing progressed I gave her both more challenges and more gifts. In the final draft of the novel, she has significant fight scene that lets her find vindication and healing from a terrible injustice that happens to her in the first few pages of the book.

I wanted to create a narrative where powerful women of action discuss ideas, politics, culture and collaborate on the causes they believe in, like justice, and preserving the world’s knowledge for generations to come from the Great Library.

Hannah, while her heart is passionately entangled deciding between Julian, the spiritual master; or Gideon, the handsome but brash ship captain, must refocus herself on the importance of her quest: finding the Emerald Tablet to save the pagan (non-Christian) people of Alexandria, and the Great Library. This leads her on a wild adventure to consult the Oracles of Delfi in Greece, and Amun Ra in Egypt.

Hannah is an unusual kind of romantic female lead, one whose voice is her power, and her heart is her guide. During her story she goes from being a silenced slave, to finding her voice, strength and freedom.

To clarify what I mean, let me describe the 3 most common types feminine heroines in our books and movies as I see them:

THE COQUETTE- Often a weak second player to a male hero, or a seductress (think Bond girls), the coquette is a sex symbol who ultimately still needs to be rescued, even if she’s capable of kicking ass.

THE BADASS- This new breed of female heroines and superheroes are often in a war of some kind, fighting as men would fight. (Think Tomb Raider or The Hunger Games.) You could literally replace one of these women with a man and none of their dialogue or decisions would change. They are stand-in men. But this is still a step up from the victimized coquette, where women now have more power and equality.

THE MYSTIC- This is the fully realized female character who maintains a complete range of feminine and masculine qualities. She is wise, yet she learns lessons. She has strongly defined interests other than love and romance, yet she loves deeply and enjoys romance. She has serious respectable skills. She may be sexy but not at the expense of having a brain or true vulnerability. She may rescue other characters in the story, or not, but her presence is a force for healing, for awakening. She is a role model, and a winning friend.

I think one of the most powerful Mystic characters we have ever seen on screen is Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. How does she save everyone in the story? Not with guns or by dropping bombs or even with magic spells. No, she succeeds by making friends, forging new relationships, forgiveness, and finding renewed faith in herself and her path. (And she even kicks a little ass while she’s at it.)

So keep an eye out for these new women of romance, the Mystics.

And if you’re not sure if a movie or book has a Mystic woman in it, you can use the Bechdel Test. It’s just 3 questions:

     *Are there at least 2 women in this story?
          *Do they talk to each other?
3        *About something other than a love interest?

I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Written in the Ashes, meet Hannah and join her quest, and make some new friends along the way!


Thank you for having me here as your guest.

Thank you, Kaia, that was fascinating! I think most of us aspire to creating the 'mystic' heroine, whether we realise it or not! Speaking personally I love creating (and reading about) a heroine who is strong enough to look after herself, but still feminine and sensitive. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us, and wishing you even more success in the future.




Praise for Written In the Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt

“In her captivating debut novel, Written in the Ashes, K. Hollan Van Zandt brings to life a fascinating and forgotten woman of history: Hypatia of Alexandria, who may have been one of the greatest female minds of all time. If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk the streets of long ago Egypt, then look no further. You will be enthralled!”– Michelle Moran, international bestselling author of Nefertiti and Cleopatra’s Daughter 

 “Van Zandt’s vivid description of the Great Library instantly transported me to a lush fifth century Alexandria. Her lyrical writing style and breakneck storytelling kept me riveted to the very last page.”– Robin Maxwell bestselling author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn and Signora da Vinci. 

 "Going back so far in time leaves an author with little written record to rely on for fact. The burning of the Great Library at Alexandria was a monumental loss to humanity. The facts of the matter aside, this novel was truly arresting and I had a hard time putting it down to get anything done. Ancient history fascinates me. Religion fascinates me. This book manages to tie both together in a story that resonates through time. The book was fascinating. The characters were well developed and I really didn't want to leave this world of ancient Alexandria. The imaginary, magical priests and the beautiful goddesses created by Ms. Van Zandt lent themselves to a mystical world that was quite believable within its context. As the story unfolded I was rooting for Hannah to fulfill her destiny and find peace with her past. I am looking forward to the next chapters in these characters lives."-Patty Woodland, Broken Teepee


Written In the Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt About K. Hollan Van Zandt

Kaia Van Zandt is a celebrated author and teacher whose novel, Written in the Ashes, chronicles the events that led up to the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria, Egypt. Kaia’s spiritual journey began at age 14 when she founded the youth division of the Humane Society of the United States. Then as a junior in high school, she traveled to the Earth Summit in Brazil, where she taught meditation, and was given the opportunity to work with world leaders on the challenges facing humanity and the planet today, an experience that profoundly influenced her work. She’s a graduate of Antioch University, where she focused on the intersection between the ancient Goddess traditions and modern culture. Her fascination with healing-both personally and collectively – led her to yoga. During her career she’s worked with thought leaders like Marci Shimoff and Deepak Chopra, actors like Ashley Judd, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Garry Shandling, as well as Sony ImageWorks, UCLA Medical, and the San Francisco 49ers. Her beloved writing mentor is bestselling novelist/humorist, Tom Robbins.

Website: www.kaiavanzandt.com

Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/Kaia-H-Van-Zandt-62326196268/?business_id=1527166044253916 Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaiaVanZandt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaiavanzandt/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbpNRBX9k7z1bJndQ2a4Rgg

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