Finally! MERLIN & ARTHUR: THE AWAKENING Has Been Published On All Amazon Websites Around The World!

Cover Image

By Vladimir Yu. Arkhipov, Arkhivov - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8733781

My new fantasy/sci-fi/international intrigue novel, Merlin & Arthur: The Awakening, has been published in both Paperback and Kindle eBook format on all Amazon websites around the world!

I had originally intended to stay in Europe to complete this project, but because of the coronavirus I was not able to do that. I had to leave early and finish it in the U. S. I'm fine and incredibly happy that, after almost four years of work, the book is done and ready for you to read!

Merlin & Arthur: The Awakening is the culmination of not only a lot of work, sleepless nights, and long hours of research, but it's also the fulfillment of a dream that I've had for a long time. Like many of you, I've been enamored with the legend of Merlin & Arthur since I was young, and to bring them into the future and finally write a book about their latest adventures has been incredibly rewarding...and a lot of fun!

Enjoy reading and let me know what you think of my new creation by either doing a review on Amazon or Goodreads, commenting on my blog, or just sending me an email. I'll be excited to hear from you as always!

Below, I've included the blurb that will be on the back cover of the of the book!

BLURB

In the future, Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Ambrosius are brought back to life, but neither of them have any recollection of who they are or where they came from. Once they finally discover each other and their memories return, the reason for their awakening becomes clear.

An international event has occurred in the Koryak Mountains in Siberia, and that event has reignited earth’s old magic, revived the two legendary heroes, and set off a chain of events that not only threatens Britain but the very future of all life on earth.

It will take all of Merlin and Arthur's skill and cunning, along with those of a large cast of characters within the mighty Western Alliance, to have any chance of stopping what has been set loose upon the world.

Follow the twists and turns of this epic tale, and it will take you to places, scenes, and events beyond imagining.

BLACK GROTTO: Kindle Giveaway Has Finished / Books In Scotland

Just Published!

                                                

The Kindle e-book giveaway on Amazon for my new fantasy novel, BLACK GROTTO, has finished!

I want to thank everyone across Europe and in the U. S. and Canada that participated. I hope you enjoy your copy of Black Grotto!

Facebook Post: Mrs MacIntyre's Coffee House in Edinburgh, Scotland

Below is a Facebook post from Mrs MacIntyre's Coffee House in Edinburgh that I'd like to share with you. To view the post more clearly, click on it, and to see the actual post just search for Mrs MacIntyre's Coffee House on Facebook. If you're ever Edinburgh, it's a wonderful place on the Royal Mile. 

To learn more about BLACK GROTTO or any of my books, go to the BOB'S BOOKS link at the top of this blog.

BLACK GROTTO: Free Kindle E-book Giveaway Has Begun on Amazon!

Just Published!

                                                

The Kindle e-book giveaway on Amazon for my new fantasy novel, BLACK GROTTO, has begun. It started July 10 at 12:01 AM Pacific Standard Time (U.S.) and will end at midnight PST on July 14.

You can get the Kindle version of the book FREE anywhere in the U.S., Canada, or Europe by going to Amazon and downloading it to your Kindle Reader or Kindle App on your smartphone or computer.

To learn more about BLACK GROTTO or any of my books, go to the BOB'S BOOKS link at the top of this blog, and after if you read one of my books, if you could write a review on Amazon, I would really appreciate it.

NEW BOOK PUBLISHED / OVER 10,000 PAGEVIEWS OF BLOG / KINDLE GIVEAWAY COMING SOON / NEW REVIEWS

Just Published!

My new fantasy novel, Black Grotto, is published on Amazon around the world!

My blog just went over 10,000 pageviews!

There will be a Kindle e-book giveaway of Black Grotto for anyone around the world that has a Kindle. It will begin on July 10th and end July 14th. Watch my blog for the details.

Latest Reviews!

Both Beatrice and The Chosen have new reviews. To read them, just click on the Book Reviews tab near the top of this blog page and scroll down to the image of the book.

BLACK GROTTO: Just Published & Free Paperback Giveaway Contest & New Review of Beatrice

Just Published!

You can now get your paperback or Kindle copy of my new fantasy novel, Black Grotto, from any Amazon site in the world. It's been a long journey, but a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy Black Grotto!

Learn more about Black Grotto or any of my other novels!

CLICK HERE or on the Bob's Books tab at the top of my blog page.

Watch for the free paperback giveaway contest.

The blog post with all the information will be coming soon!

There is a new review of Beatrice!

Beatrice is the prequel to Black Grotto. To go to the review, CLICK HERE or go to the Book Reviews tab at the top of this blog. Then scroll down the page to Beatrice to read the new review.

BLACK GROTTO: Published on Amazon & Other Paperbacks on Special!

It happened more quickly than I thought it would, but you can now get your paperback or Kindle copy of my new fantasy novel, Black Grotto, from any Amazon site in the world. It's been a long journey, but a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy Black Grotto!

To learn more about Black Grotto or any of my other novels, click here or on the Bob's Books tab at the top of my blog page.

My other paperbacks on Amazon are on special right now in celebration of my new book! Take a look!

Beatrice is the prequel to my new book, Black Grotto.

BLACK GROTTO Is Published on Amazon Around the World!

Published!

It happened more quickly than I thought it would, but you can now get your paperback or Kindle copy of my new fantasy novel, Black Grotto, from any Amazon site in the world. It's been a long journey, but a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy Black Grotto!

To learn more about the book, click here or on the Bob's Books tab at the top of my blog page.

BLACK GROTTO: Finished Editing Process

BLACK GROTTO 

Update: Editing Process Is Complete

Just tonight I finished the final read-through of Black Grotto. It was a very emotional moment for me, not only because of completing the work, but also because of the story and characters. The book has several chapters throughout where the plot takes unexpected turns, but the end of the book from chapter 27 on is a real roller coaster ride.

I started doing the research for the book in April of 2015, and I've loved writing it. It's been my longest novel and takes place in Scotland. It's a fantasy, and I'll put the description of the book on my blog soon. Also, it should be published on Amazon sometime in June.

If you'd like to read the first chapter, you can do so by clicking the link below.

Chapter 1

THE CHOSEN IS PUBLISHED & AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!

NEW BOOK!

Cover Art By Greg Opalinski

THE CHOSEN IS PUBLISHED ON AMAZON! 

It is an adult science fiction novel and is the second book of the Room's Series. It can be read without reading Rooms, but the plot definitely continues from where Rooms left off.

The book has been about a seven month project and is my longest book to date - about 88,000 words.

To learn more about The Chosen, you can see a list of the chapter titles, a description of the book, or be able to read an excerpt from chapter's 1-2 by clicking on the BOB'S BOOKS tab at the top of my blog. 

If you want to purchase The Chosen, you can get either the Kindle Version or Paperback online. To download the ebook go to the Amazon.com site or the Amazon site that is located in your country. If you want the paperback, you can get it from Amazon in the U. S., the UK site, or from other Amazon sites across Europe. Just go to the one closest to your country.

I'm really happy with the book and am looking forward to hearing your thoughts about it. Please write a review on Amazon or send me a message through my blog to let me know.

Also, you can take a look at the other books that I've written by going to the BOB'S BOOKS tab above.

Books I've read, Disappointments, and the Future

I've been reading books for the last two years with a different eye than ever before. Being a working author, I see and read them with a much more concentrated fervor. I look at the plot, characters, setting, phrasing, words, and many other aspects of a book in much more detail.

Also, I've chosen the books that I'm reading much more carefully. I've read more Stephen King, Tom Robbins, Ian Rankin, Suzanne Collins, Tana French, Hugh Howey, Sheri S. Tepper, Margaret Atwood, Patrick Rothfuss, George R. R. Martin, Lois Lowry, Mary Stewart, Brian Jacques, and I just finished The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings again by Tolkien as well as several others. They all do things much differently and have varying strengths that I can learn from.

I was particularly excited to read Tolkien again. It had been a long time, and I also read more about his thoughts behind the book, which were very enlightening.

A great disappointment recently was that Amazon decided to discontinue their Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. They didn't publicize that they were going to discontinue it, and I know that many thousands of writers, including myself, had spent a lot of time preparing only to find out very late that it would not happen.

However, Amazon has started something new that they call Amazon Scout. It looks like a promising venue for indy writers, and I'm going to look into it after I finish The Chosen.

Also, after I get The Chosen published, I will be looking at some other contests, contact more agents, and pursue some other promotional avenues for my works. I will need some time off from writing, as I've been working 6-10 hours, five days a week or more, since April of 2013.

The next project that I will work on will be a sequel to Beatrice. I already have a lot of it planned and ready, but the chance to do something else for a while will be good for me. I would also like to write some poetry again. It's been too long!

To all those who have been reading my blog, I again want to say thank you, and watch for The Chosen. It will be completed and published in March!

Updated Beatrice and Rooms Review

I've just updated my new Fantasy/Mystery/Thriller Beatrice on Amazon. I've changed the cover slightly and made some small changes in the text. I've also included a short description and a quote below.

Description of Beatrice

Magic, mystery and historical events combine in this unique, modern day fantasy written about a family in Scotland. Ewan Bauman was about to have his eighteenth birthday party on his family’s old and venerable estate outside of Edinburgh. On the night of the party, however, a traumatic event occurred that caused his mother, sister and he to lose fragments of their memories, including everything that had happened that night. It haunted them and pushed them apart, but after twenty years, the tug and pull of that night could no longer be ignored. They had to find out what happened. Their search brought them closer together, but it also took them to a very dark and sinister place - one that they could never have imagined - a place from which they might never return.

“I attempted to reach out and touch something solid that I could push against. I had no sense of up or down or movement. I couldn’t feel or hear or smell, but I could see, not in the usual way, but in insignificant bursts that came sporadically as my eyelids opened and closed and opened and closed.  Within those small, fractured moments, I could see that I was surrounded and trapped in a dense, cinnamon-stained vapor that swirled into oblivion. I couldn’t remember how I’d entered that hell, and I had no memory of it ending.”

I've just received a new review of ROOMS that I've placed below.

Beautiful Story With A Timely Message

This book offers a timely view into a future brought on by the consequences of corporate greed and war. As I journeyed with Rad through the Old One's Room, I was not only entertained. I felt Rad's joy and reverence for the Earth and it's people. I felt his growing desolation as he witnessed the slow destruction of the Earth within each successive level of the Room. I struggled with him as he worked with Sparks and Zeer to bring health and hope to the demoralized Terran population.

Since the author left this story open to a sequel, I will be excited to see how his writing style evolves and how he ties the planet Loon (where The Old One and Zeer reside) to Earth and the other human outposts scattered throughout the universe.

New Rooms Review & New BEATRICE Description

Before I talk about Beatrice, I've included below a recent new review of Rooms from Amazon.

Beautiful Story With A Timely Message

This book offers a timely view into a future brought on by the consequences of corporate greed and war. As I journeyed with Rad through the Old One's Room, I was not only entertained. I felt Rad's joy and reverence for the Earth and it's people. I felt his growing desolation as he witnessed the slow destruction of the Earth within each successive level of the Room. I struggled with him as he worked with Sparks and Zeer to bring health and hope to the demoralized Terran population.

Since the author left this story open to a sequel, I will be excited to see how his writing style evolves and how he ties the planet Loon (where The Old One and Zeer reside) to Earth and the other human outposts scattered throughout the universe.

I've included a short new description and a quote from my new Fantasy/Mystery/Thriller Beatrice below. I've just recently published it on Amazon.

Description of Beatrice

Magic, mystery and historical events combine in this unique, modern day fantasy written about a family in Scotland. Ewan Bauman was about to have his eighteenth birthday party on his family’s old and venerable estate outside of Edinburgh. On the night of the party, however, a traumatic event occurred that caused his mother, sister and he to lose fragments of their memories, including everything that had happened that night. It haunted them and pushed them apart, but after twenty years, the tug and pull of that night could no longer be ignored. They had to find out what happened. Their search brought them closer together, but it also took them to a very dark and sinister place - one that they could never have imagined - a place from which they might never return.

“I attempted to reach out and touch something solid that I could push against. I had no sense of up or down or movement. I couldn’t feel or hear or smell, but I could see, not in the usual way, but in insignificant bursts that came sporadically as my eyelids opened and closed and opened and closed.  Within those small, fractured moments, I could see that I was surrounded and trapped in a dense, cinnamon-stained vapor that swirled into oblivion. I couldn’t remember how I’d entered that hell, and I had no memory of it ending.”

BEATRICE IS PUBLISHED ON AMAZON!!

BEATRICE is done and published on Amazon. It's in paperback and can be downloaded to your Kindle as well. It's been about 6 months since I started writing the book, and it's quite different from my first novel. This is an Adult Fantasy-Mystery-Thriller and has been a very intricate and interesting book to write. The characters are rich and varied, and it's been a lot of fun putting all the pieces together to arrive at the climax.

I've included a short description and a quote from the book below. I hope you enjoy Beatrice!

Description of Beatrice

My name is Ewan Bauman, and the year was 1987. It was October, the month of my eighteenth birthday. We were going to have a huge bash at our old, historic mansion near Edinburgh. On the night of the party, however, some traumatic event occurred that caused Mother, Fiona and I to lose fragments of our memories, including what had happened that night. No one in the medical profession could determine why or help us remember. It haunted us and pushed us apart, but after twenty years, the tug and pull of that night could not be ignored. We had to find out what had happened. We did, and the search brought us closer together again, but it also took us to a very sinister place - one that none of us could ever have imagined - a place from which we might never return.

“I attempted to reach out and touch something solid that I could push against. I had no sense of up or down or movement. I couldn’t feel or hear or smell, but I could see, not in the usual way, but in insignificant bursts that came sporadically as my eyelids opened and closed and opened and closed.  Within those small, fractured moments, I could see that I was surrounded and trapped in a dense, cinnamon-stained vapor that swirled into oblivion. I couldn’t remember how I’d entered that hell, and I had no memory of it ending.”

BEATRICE Will Be Published Very Soon & A Recent Review of ROOMS

Before I talk about Beatrice, I've included below a recent new review of Rooms from Amazon.

Beautiful Story With A Timely Message

This book offers a timely view into a future brought on by the consequences of corporate greed and war. As I journeyed with Rad through the Old One's Room, I was not only entertained. I felt Rad's joy and reverence for the Earth and it's people. I felt his growing desolation as he witnessed the slow destruction of the Earth within each successive level of the Room. I struggled with him as he worked with Sparks and Zeer to bring health and hope to the demoralized Terran population.

Since the author left this story open to a sequel, I will be excited to see how his writing style evolves and how he ties the planet Loon (where The Old One and Zeer reside) to Earth and the other human outposts scattered throughout the universe.

"Beatrice"

I've finished all the work on Beatrice, and here's the cover! It's been a joy to write this book, and as always, I've learned a great deal and continue to work hard on my writing. One of the things that I especially like about Beatrice is that it has so many twists and turns. I think there are a lot of surprises and interesting scenes in the story and a unique cast of characters that Ewan and his family discover along the way. I especially enjoyed writing about Fergus lister, the family's favorite taxi driver and Marta Pottinger. She actually has a big part in the book, and there are quite a few scenes that take place in her home.

Today, I finished uploading all the files to CreateSpace and completed the design of the cover. It's done. The book will probably be up on Amazon in the U. S. and other parts of the world within two days or so. Then I can publish the Kindle version as well.

After I finish this project, I'm going to stop writing for a little while and work on getting an agent. I know that will take some time and effort, but I'm looking forward to the process. In the meantime, my books are on Amazon, and people are buying and reading them, which makes me very happy and pleased.

Below I've included a new, shorter description of Beatrice with one quote from the book. I'll also probably include the first two chapters on my blog in a few days, just like I did with Wheatgrass and Rooms.

Description of Beatrice

My name is Ewan Bauman, and the year was 1987. It was October, the month of my eighteenth birthday. We were going to have a huge bash at our old, historic mansion near Edinburgh. On the night of the party, however, some traumatic event occurred that caused Mother, Fiona and I to lose fragments of our memories, including what had happened that night. No one in the medical profession could determine why or help us remember. It haunted us and pushed us apart, but after twenty years, the tug and pull of that night could not be ignored. We had to find out what had happened. We did, and the search brought us closer together again, but it also took us to a very sinister place - one that none of us could ever have imagined - a place from which we might never return.

“I attempted to reach out and touch something solid that I could push against. I had no sense of up or down or movement. I couldn’t feel or hear or smell, but I could see, not in the usual way, but in insignificant bursts that came sporadically as my eyelids opened and closed and opened and closed.  Within those small, fractured moments, I could see that I was surrounded and trapped in a dense, cinnamon-stained vapor that swirled into oblivion. I couldn’t remember how I’d entered that hell, and I had no memory of it ending.”

Tree/Moon Image from:

Forest Blue Moonlight Wallpapers.. Digital image. Travelization. N.p., 30 June 2012, Web. 16 Mar. 2014. <www.travelization.net>.

Beatrice: Started the Fifth Draft

Before I talk about Beatrice, I just wanted to remind you  to check out my adult science fiction novel, Rooms, and my young adult novelette, Wheatgrass: An Irish Fantasy on Amazon if you haven't yet.

New Book: "Beatrice" - Fourth Draft is Complete

(Forest)

The fourth draft of my new book, Beatrice, is finished. I started going through it again. It's getting very close, but I'm still finding small things that need changing. I'm getting tired, but I want to finish it this week if I can.

I'll say again, that I love the ending now. The book is up to almost 78,000 words and soon I will put a description of the story up on the blog.

Tree/Moon Image from:

Forest Blue Moonlight Wallpapers.. Digital image. Travelization. N.p., 30 June 2012, Web. 16 Mar. 2014. <www.travelization.net>.

Reminder about Rooms & Wheatgrass / New Book: Third Draft Completed

Before I talk about Beatrice, I just wanted to remind you  to check out my adult science fiction novel, Rooms, and my young adult novelette, Wheatgrass: An Irish Fantasy on Amazon if you haven't yet.

New Book: "Beatrice" - Third Draft is Complete

(Forest)

The third draft of my new book, Beatrice, is finished. I will start going through it again today. I have had a lot more changes and edits to include than I thought I would, but I think it's just the nature of this book. It's very complex, and all the small details have to fit together and work like a very huge puzzle.

I've had to adjust some character traits and physical features, and because this book is written in both first person and third person, it can be tricky. I struggled with whether or not I should do this, but it just helps the feel of the book to make Ewan, the main male character, talk in first person when he is alone.

The book should be out in a week or so. I'll let you know.

Tree/Moon Image from:

Forest Blue Moonlight Wallpapers.. Digital image. Travelization. N.p., 30 June 2012, Web. 16 Mar. 2014. <www.travelization.net>.

REVIEWS of ROOMS & Some thoughts on ROOMS and WHEATGRASS: AN IRISH FANTASY

Cover Illustration and Design by Greg Opalinski

Below are some of the first reviews that have come in from Amazon and Goodreads for my science fiction novel, Rooms, since it was published about two weeks ago.

*****
I started Rooms one evening and found the story line engaging and the characters interesting. The next day I picked it up again planning to read for a bit. A third of the way in I couldn't stop--reading all day until finished. The characters became more and more real. The diversity and fullness of the plot held me.

Stegner touches on many issues--environmental, political, social, moral & spiritual. In the process he has also created just a darn good story. It engaged me in ways I did not expect and left me wanting a sequel!

*****
The story line/plot found in this novel grabs you from the very beginning and holds your attention to the point you cannot put it down. It has twists and turns that will take a reader by surprise. The book highlights many important social and cultural concerns that really need to be addressed today as our world moves forward through time to an uncertain future. This novel is destined to become a movie - Order it now --- you are in for a very interesting ride through time and space.

*****
Beautiful, deep story that captures your imagination. As you read the book, more and more elements of the plot come into play. The unique feature of the book is that it is not only a story written to entertain a reader but is also a deep, wise and touching story that will make you think about the world that we live in, what it is and what should be really important in our lives.

*****
What a great ride and adventure! You see people give books reviews all the time where they say they couldn't put the book down, well don't start reading unless you want to stay up all night with this one. Excellent writing style, you really get to know and care about the characters. It also really makes you think about what if. Love it!!

To find the book on Amazon, you can click the links below.

Paperback on Amazon
Kindle eBook on Amazon

A Thought About Rooms: Being outside in the open, under the sun, beneath the stars - being Free!

As I wrote Rooms, I thought a great deal about the world we now live on and how people of all ages yearn for and even crave open, natural places. You see people walking in parks or along rural, city and mountain trails, families having picnics by a river or even a small pond, and others simply lying outside on the grass on a bright, sunny day watching the world pass by. It’s incredibly basic to our nature.

In my book, it is one of the themes that is woven into the plot. I thought of the human race migrating to different rocks throughout the galaxy, ingeniously figuring out ways to live and survive and all the time actually searching for another earth-like planet. How would it be to live beyond the earth, always within something? How would it affect us? How would we cope? And what would happen to us if our planet’s environment was so polluted and damaged that simply being outside could kill us?

In the first chapter, the main character, Rad, finds himself thinking back to a time when he took a chance and exposed himself to the elements, even though he was living on a lunar planet with no oxygen, little warmth and hardly any water. His primeval need took over. He had to do it. Below is an excerpt from chapter one, where he is thinking back and remembering how it felt.

“He had been living on a settlement where he’d received his first assignment after leaving the lifeglobe where his parents had raised him. It was a lunar planet with no atmosphere. Rad had walked outside the lifeglobe one night in his survival suit and had dared to shut off the system and open the optical face of his headgear for less than a minute. He remembered it very clearly and could still feel the rush of air from his suit and see the unobstructed view of the horizon and stars in the distance. The experience had been extremely frightening and yet magnificent at the same time. The cold had been severe, threatening to freeze his skin. His lungs had ached from the need to inhale, and his eyes had clouded rapidly with exposure to the elements. He’d become light-headed and dizzy in seconds; his head had pounded and ached from the rapid change in pressure. But even with all of this, the experience had made him feel extraordinarily alive. It had been a rush, more exhilarating than anything he had ever known. He’d only been exposed to the elements for a few seconds before closing the face of his helmet and re-pressurizing his suit, but being out in the open, unblocked and free, had been something that he would never forget. Everywhere he had ever been, there had always been the necessity to look through something, always needing to be protected from the ‘out there.’ Everyone was always protected from the ‘out there.’” 


A Thought about Wheatgrass: An Irish Fantasy: The background behind the book.

I wanted to briefly give some background behind the writing of Wheatgrass: An Irish Fantasy. I knew someone once who was in an abusive relationship, one that they felt they simply couldn't leave. It broke my heart, so I wrote this story.