If you’re reading this
post on February 2
nd, this day marks a milestone in my life. I
turned 65, and I’m now officially a senior citizen. Yay, me! Yes, being
well-aged and full of wisdom from the past six and a half decades, I qualify
for my Canadian Old Age Pension, as well as a slew of other benefits our
government passes on to their seniors. The other milestone in my life is a new
knee that’s long overdue after 50 years of knee pain issues and two previous
surgeries. Darn those school sports in the 70s! In retrospect, I should have
never tried a new long-jump technique that I discovered in a book I found in
the school’s library without consulting a teacher! Wink. As mentioned in my
January 5
th post
HERE,
a LOT went on in 2025 that cleared my slate from the past, so I could rebuild
my personal and author life for 2026, and beyond.
Yes, I found two
publishers willing to take my back list, and future books when my former
publisher decided to close up shop by the end of 2025. And yes, we managed to
get those second editions published and marketed by the end of the year. My new
Canadian publisher, Pandamonium
Publishing House also ran a Fairy Falls writing challenge open to the
elementary schools I contacted in my area for grade four through to grade eight
with the theme, The Day I Heard an
Animal’s Thoughts. The winner of the contest received a prize basket which
included a signed copy of Lost &
Found, a bookmark, a journal, fancy pens, a winner’s certificate, a plush cat
toy, and cozy blanket. The winner was announced the first week of December
2025, and it was my privilege to deliver the prize to grade eight student Lexi
R. of Erie Migration Elementary School in Kingsville, Ontario. Way to go, Lexi!
authenticity and voice), and judged by a panel at Pandamonium
Publishing House:
When I woke up, my
palms were sweaty and my right cheek burned with pain. I slowly sat up from the
cold, hard ground, my head throbbing and my vision blurring slightly. I bring
my hand up to my face, gently touching the cut on my right cheek. The wound
wasn’t deep, but it still stung. When my vision came back, I looked around to
take in my surroundings. Tall, dark green pine trees surrounded me. They seemed
to tower over me, like sky scrapers in a city. Where am I? I thought to
myself. That’s when I remembered; I had gone on a walk in the forest to clear
my mind. I must’ve tripped and scraped my face on something before passing
out. I looked around, and just to my side was a jagged rock that I must’ve
hit my face off of. I was busy trying to remember how deep through the forest I
was when I heard rustling in the bushes behind me. My stomach dropped as I
realized I wasn’t alone in the forest. I whipped around, startled by the sound.
But there was no need to be startled, because standing in front of me was a
deer, it’s burnt caramel-colored fur almost shimmered because of the cracks of
sunlight peeking through the pine trees. The deer’s innocent eyes looked
directly into mine, and I realized that something was very wrong. The deer’s
bones seemed too visible, like it hadn’t eaten in days. “I need help.” My
eyes grew wide as I heard those three words echo in my head. “Did you just-” I
paused, unable to even comprehend what just happened. “Us forest animals, we
need help. People from your community keep ruining our forest and stealing our
food.” The dear lowered it’s head in disappointment and defeat. My heart
shattered just looking at the starving deer standing right in front of me, as
well as for the other animals suffering with the same problem. It had never
occurred to me how much humans could be affecting animals and their environments.
“I’m so sorry that this is happening to you. Is there.. anything I could do to
help?” I asked. The deer raised its head. “Yes, helping us would be greatly
appreciated.” Right afterwards, I immediately tried to do as much as I
could to help. I created posters and flyers about how we should stop ruining
the animals homes and lives, and instead we should do everything we can to save
their habitats and keep them safe in the future. I decided to start a volunteer
group to spread awareness for the animals, and we started fundraisers to help
them. Weeks later, I was taking a stroll in the same forest when I heard
someone talking in my head. “Thank you for everything. We owe you very
much.” The deer bowed its head, this time in respect. Before I could say
anything, the dear bounded away, deep towards the core of the forest.
Boy, I’m glad that I
didn’t have to judge. I’d probably have picked all the submissions. LOL!
Seriously though, I loved Lexi’s story and her commitment to nature and the
environment. We need more empathetic and kind kids like her who know they will
have their hands full cleaning up the mess past generations have created. I’ve
also realized through this contest that I need to focus on getting back into the
habit of writing at least three to four times a week. I’ve severely slacked off
my writing discipline this past year with all the juggling I had to do finding
new publishers for all my books. It’s been a roller coaster year for sure!
Now that the craziness
of 2025 is behind us, I usually put my books on sale for the entire month of February
to celebrate my birthday. However, since the first book in my young adult time
travel adventure series is permanently free, I thought I’d showcase The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of
Atlantis ebook in case you haven’t had a chance to download it. Here’s the
blurb and an excerpt to whet your reading appetite…
The
Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book One:
Children are the key to our future. And now,
they are the only hope for our past.
When 13-year-old
Amanda Sault and her classmates land themselves in hot water after a cafeteria
food fight, they're assigned to yard duty as punishment. After the kids uncover
a mysterious stone arch hidden in the overgrown backyard owned by the Witch of
White Pines, they learn that it's an ancient portal created by the lost
civilization of Atlantis.
Chosen by an Atlantean Magus, Amanda and her reluctant companions are swept
into the secret world of the Timekeepers: legendary guardians entrusted with
preserving history from a sinister force known as Belial. Their first mission?
Travel back to 13th-century England to ensure a young Robin Hood fulfills his
legendary fate.
But time travel comes with strict rules, and one wrong move could rewrite the
past... and erase the future.
Packed with high-stakes adventure and a touch of ancient magic, THE LAST
TIMEKEEPERS AND THE ARCH OF ATLANTIS is the first book in Sharon Ledwith's
series of novels for middle grade readers and adults alike.
Excerpt:
They were almost inside the glowing archway. Its light felt
warm and welcoming, like the rising summer sun. Treena stuck her thumbs in the
straps of her khaki backpack as if it doubled as a magic parachute. Amanda
mimicked Treena and grasped the straps on Jordan’s backpack that she was still
wearing. Ravi was the only other person wearing one, so all the rest had
nothing to break their fall if that light suddenly cut them loose.
The brilliant, fathomless glow swallowed Amanda, blinding
her. Calm and silence overrode her senses. In that moment, two things
happened—Amanda sensed that there was no separation between her and the
others—as if they were all connected by these tiny threads of light. Second,
she started to feel as though she were free falling, moving fast and out of control.
She regained her vision, just as the white light exploded into a whirling
rainbow.
Drake laughed. “Wicked! This feels like a ride at
Disneyland!”
“It feels better than that!” Jordan replied. “I’ve been to
Disneyland twice, and there’s no ride that even comes close to this!”
“It’s as if we can fly!” Treena shouted, doing a somersault
in mid-air.
“It does feel wonderful, doesn’t it?” Melody said dreamily.
Amanda grabbed both ankles and flipped herself over. She
giggled. This freedom, this feeling, this flux was awesome. The huge, spiraling
rainbow surrounding the group of seven gently juggled them in mid-air like
floating balls in a never-ending lottery game. She glanced over at Jordan’s
uncle. His cheeks were sucked in, and his body flopped one way then another
like a fish out of water.
“Is your uncle okay, Jordan?” she asked.
Jordan maneuvered over to his uncle by spreading his arms
and legs wide as if he were a free-falling parachutist. He grasped his uncle’s
shoulder and shook him. “Uncle John? Uncle John! Don’t make me slap you again!”
He reached over, grabbed Jordan, and kissed him on the
forehead. “It’s all true, Jordan! It’s all true!”
Jordan squirmed. “What’s true?”
“Time flows through us,” he answered, his voice
cracking as if he were a young boy again.
The whirling rainbow burst into shards of light, and they
all touched bottom.
It felt soft—like a cushy trampoline—as Amanda, her
classmates, Melody, and Professor Lucas bounced easily until they all stood
still. Then the ground became solid again. Polished marble walls and finely
crafted pillars materialized through the fading light. A sudden high-pitched
buzzing noise made her wince. Everyone seemed to hear it too; they cringed in
unison. The sound of waves crashing against a shore replaced the buzzing, and a
set of deep purple curtains miraculously appeared in front of them. Amanda
rubbed her eyes. In the time it took her to take a breath, the curtains were
drawn. The brilliant white light that had pulled them into the stone arch now
hovered between the open curtains. It started to radiate out, then draw in,
out, then in, changing its shape with each rhythmic movement, until it finally
transformed into a woman.
The woman was beautiful in an otherworldly way. She had
long, fair, flowing hair adorned with quartz crystals. Piercing blue eyes
stared back at Amanda like she was peering into her soul. She had a long narrow
face with high cheek bones that tapered down to a firm chin. Her nose was long
and slender. Amanda smiled at her. The woman smiled back. Her teeth were white,
small, and even. She was perfect in every way. A rich-blue sleeveless linen
robe adorned her slim body, accentuating her ivory skin.
I wonder if she’s a princess. Amanda didn’t doubt it, especially with all the jewelry
the woman wore. A sparkling metallic snake bracelet wound around her left arm,
a string of gleaming pearls and shells hung around her neck, and a silver belt
strewn with various green, blue, and red gems hugged her waist. The only piece
of clothing that didn’t seem to belong was a plain pair of woven sandals.
Melody pushed Drake behind her and took a few steps
forward. “I demand that you tell us where we are!”
The beautiful woman gave Melody a gentle smile, and nodded.
She opened her arms wide and said, “Welcome to the Temple of Poseidon, in the
City of the Golden Gates.”
Melody jerked. “I-I beg your pardon?”
“Atlantis,” Professor Lucas answered in a whisper. “We’re
in Atlantis.”
UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/4NE2kx
Are you celebrating
any milestones this year? Did you change your life around so that it looks
unrecognizable from last year? I’d love to read your comments. Cheers, and as
always, thank you for spending your time reading my blog!
