VORTEX: Book III of the Alban Saga — REVIEW!

  

Image: "Vortex bw" by ahisgett is licensed under CC by 2.0

Here’s a review that just showed up on Amazon.com for my new book!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Vortex , book III of the Alban Saga, does not disappoint! Book II of the Saga, Black Grotto, left the reader in suspense. As the reader, I wanted to be able to move right into the next one. Bob kept us all waiting—but it was worth the wait. Book III is rich in detail of Scottish history and tradition. The time travel flows smoothly and paints a picture of the people, place, and events of the period the reader is in. Vortex builds to dramatic endings—yes endings. I’m not going to explain because that would be a spoiler. It would be a great book club choice because it leaves one wanting to discuss and dig into many topics and questions. I highly recommend reading the series in order. However, Bob does a great job of smoothly weaving in enough back story that Vortex can be a stand alone read, I give it 5 stars and plan to go back and read the series again. During the first read I was absorbed in the plots and how they were going to spin out. My second read of the series will be to enjoy the wealth and richness of extensive detail.

VORTEX: Book III of the Alban Saga Is PUBLISHED & AVAILABLE!!

 

Image: "Vortex bw" by ahisgett is licensed under CC by 2.0

I couldn’t sleep any longer. I had to get up and check to see if the Kindle eBook and paperback versions of my new fantasy novel,  VORTEX, were published and up on Amazon.com yet!

THEY ARE!! 

VORTEX is the third and final book of the Alban Saga Series. The other two books in the trilogy are Beatrice and Black Grotto. I’ve loved writing all of them and have become very attached to the Bauman family, as well as all the characters in the books—both protagonists and antagonists—and the stories themselves! What a ride it’s been!

I hope you enjoy the books as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them!

This series or any of my books can be purchased at Amazon.com. If you don’t live in the United States, you’ll be able to find VORTEX on an Amazon website near you; it just may take the book a bit longer to show up on their site. It could take several more days or a couple of weeks, depending on where you live. Just give it some time and keep checking. Thanks for your patience!

Below, I’ve included a summary of VORTEX: Book III of the Alban Saga.

The Alban Saga is a fantasy trilogy made up of Beatrice, Black Grotto, and Vortex. All three books take place in real locations in Scotland, with real Scottish history woven into their plotlines. Vortex begins just as Black Grotto ends. Bea Bauman, a young Druid Priestess, is taken away by an ancient prophet named Erin. She cannot resist his call; he reaches for her from the center of the Vortex inside the Black Grotto, and she takes his hand, leaving her family and friends behind as she travels with him through time and space.

 

Just as Bea enters the Vortex, Aran Brodie, who has become a close and dear companion, cannot let Bea go alone into the void. He jumps in after her. For a time, they travel together inside the violent maelstrom, but they cannot maintain their grip, become separated, and lose consciousness. When Bea finally awakens, she finds herself at the Stones of Calanais, staring into the eyes of Erin the Prophet, on the same day and time she left the Black Grotto. In the meantime, Aran Brodie is expelled from the Vortex to the same location as Bea, but his exit casts him over 4,500 years into the past, where he ends up surrounded by primordial Druids in search of a human sacrifice.

 

As all of this is going on, another character from the previous books also finds herself at the Stones of Calanais, but she is there three years in the future. Her name is Obsidian. For years now, she has been an acolyte in the grove of an extraordinarily powerful Druid Priestess named Brenna. Brenna brought Obsidian with her to this time and place to help her join with her nemesis in order to become the Great Hermaphrodite. However, Brenna is overcome and vanishes. Saddened and distraught, Obsidian is left alone without any way to return to her own time. She wanders aimlessly for days, but then remembers something that Brenna once shared with her. Another powerful Druid lived near the Stones of Calanais, and she was called the Keeper. Obsidian sets out to find her in the hope that she can bring Brenna back and restore her to her former greatness.

 

Vortex carries forth the story of the Alban Saga, weaving the plotlines into a surprising and volatile romp through time, space, and Scottish history. This dangerous journey will either end with the past being completely reshaped, leading to a malevolent and dire future, or the current timeline will remain intact and safe for the development of humankind. Bea Bauman, along with family, close friends, Aran Brodie, her former teacher Anu Grenn, and the Great Prophet Erin, will be at the center of this struggle. She will attempt to unravel and countermand whomever or whatever is trying to alter history while also dealing with her feelings for Aran, her fear for his survival, and having to navigate the treacherous intricacies of transporting oneself in a Vortex.

If you’d like more information about any of my books, just click the Bob’s Books link at the top of my blog page!

A Wonderful DailyKos Article About Ray Bradbury!

I just read a wonderful article in Daily Kos, written by Annette Boardman. I was so taken by it because she spoke so passionately about the great author, Ray Brabury. The title of the article was “It is autumn; it is almost October. It is time for a story from Ray Bradbury.”

If you love to read and enjoy wonderful, creative writing, please read the article. I think you’ll enjoy it!

To go directly to the article, simply click on the title above and enjoy! :)

VORTEX: Edit & Review Complete / Publishing Coming / Two Short Excerpts Included!

 

"Vortex bw" by ahisgett is licensed under CC by 2.0

 

In my last update for Vortex: Book III of the Alban Saga, I mentioned that I wouldn’t do another update until the book was published. I decided to do one more short one!

All the editing, proofing, re-reading, and reviewing of the book is complete as of today. The exact publishing date on Amazon isn’t set yet, but it should be out by the end of September. There will be another update when that happens!

What a lot of work and a lot of fun! 

Below, I wanted to share with you two paragraphs from Vortex that I thoroughly enjoyed writing! I had to chop a little to avoid spoilers, but here they are!

… dawn broke behind a thick layer of fog that had buried the land beneath it for most of the night. Bea, too, had been buried; she was stretched out under a thick, warm comforter, sleeping soundly—unmoving and dreamless—as the minute hand on her bedside clock ticked through its circular arc. The sun, peeking over the horizon, had not yet attained the proper angle to enter her bedroom window and nudge her awake. It had brightened and warmed the air enough, however, to fully dissipate the remaining fog outside, as well as the bothersome midges, which were much better suited to cool and dark than to sunlight. Beneath that same window, the earth and rocks of the meadows and forests on Bea’s family estate had also started soaking up the sun’s rays, releasing puffs of vaporous steam into the air and adding their own type of beauty to the morning. Bea, however, remained oblivious to it all.

 

 

As the deep of night further enfolded the multitudes that gathered round the Stones, the temperature continued to drop, issuing forth countless billows of steam that rose among them as they breathed. Nervously awaiting the start of the grand ceremony, everyone either gazed upwards into the velvety-black sky, bespeckled with countless pinpricks of blinking light, or cast their eyes towards the round, full face of the dazzling Harvest Supermoon. But no matter where their attention lay, all of them had a sense of the critical, earth-changing events that were about to unfold. They knew that whatever happened, it would deeply affect their perception of reality going forward and cause their emotions to vacillate in a constant, chaotic cycle between anticipation, foreboding, uncertainty, and wonder.

You can look at the other two books in the series, Beatrice and Black Grotto, or any of my other books, by clicking on the Bob’s Books link at the top of my blog.

Book II of the Alban Saga: BLACK GROTTO — New Review on Amazon!

  

Below is a new review of Black Grotto! It is Book II of the Alban Saga Trilogy and is a Fantasy/Thriller/Mystery on Amazon in paperback and eBook. It takes place in modern day Scotland with real places and history wrapped into the plot.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perfect Book Two

Just finished Black Grotto; book two in the series. Thoroughly enjoyed the character development and story advancement. Bob is excellent at weaving the narrative and connecting the dots from the first book (Beatrice) and with UNEXPECTED twists. This story is a bit darker but with a totally satisfying ending, cliff hanger, and set up for what’s next. Can’t wait to read book three!

The third and final book of the series, entitled VORTEX, will be out sometime in September of this year on Amazon!

To learn more about BLACK GROTTO: Book II of the Alban Saga, or any of my other books, you can go to the BOB'S BOOKS tab at the top of this blog.