A Legend is Reborn…

This month marks the re-release of the prequel to The Last Timekeepers series, Legend of the Timekeepers through my new publishers Mirror World Publishing! I found this story much harder to write because I was jolted out of my comfort zone of historical facts and into the fictitious civilization of Atlantis. Fantasy isn’t easy to write. You have to come up with a believable world to lure your readers in. And if you write something that doesn’t jive, you risk pulling your reader out of the world you’ve created and possibly out of your book. That said, I’m so grateful for the editorial crew I was gifted with on this book, and my hope is that you’ll appreciate and enjoy the journey we’ve all been through to make this book possible and believable.

Here’s the tagline and blurb from Legend of the Timekeepers:

         

There is no moving forward without first going back.

Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.

Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.

When The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis debuted, I posted my Dedication and Acknowledgements from that book on my blog. So in keeping with this tradition, here is the Dedication and Acknowledgements from Legend of the Timekeepers:

Dedication:

For my mother, Peggy. You taught me to stand up for myself, and never forget my roots.

Acknowledgements:

I said it before and I’ll say it again: Life is a team effort, and nothing is done without the help and support of others. The following people are in some way connected to the fabric of this work, to which I am eternally grateful:

Thank you to the staff at Mirror World Publishing, Justine Alley Dowsett, Murandy Damodred, and Robert Dowsett who gave this book a second chance. Hugs to my rock-star editor Tricia Schwaab who pushed my creative buttons so far I thought I was going through the change of life all over again. Seriously, Tricia, you made me a better writer. And finally, high fives to my book cover artist Kelly Shorten, who knew exactly what I wanted on her very first attempt at designing my beautiful cover—you are truly gifted.

A special shout out goes to my Wenches of Words family, especially to my cohort, Sloane Taylor. You Wenches have made this past year a special one with your show of kindness, support, caring, solidarity, and teamwork. Love you gals! May your lives be blessed with many bestsellers!

And last but not least, a big sloppy thank you to my hubby, Mike. You put up with enough of my melt-downs and tantrums to clear away any bad karma left between us. Again you acted as my pillar, my post, and more often than not, my anchor. God bless.

  

Cheers, hugs, and happy time traveling!

     

Save Atlantis. Save the World... with MG author Mikey Brooks

Book Review: The Gates of Atlantis: Book 6 Battle for Acropolis by Mikey Brooks...

Magic is dying. And it’s up to 13-year-old Talon and his foster sister Hattie to save magic…and Atlantis at the same time. Oh…my…Poseidon! Brooks had me hooked from the get-go. This middle grade read is the sixth book in The Gates of Atlantis series, and it doesn’t disappoint your taste buds if you love adventure, fantasy, and fair play. Brooks has created a world where magical beings, human animal hybrids, and humans come together to save not only Atlantis’s fate, but Earth’s fate as well. Non-stop action and plenty of surprises are the main ingredients to this well done story. Whether you’re looking for your next book series to read, or a new author, Battle for Acropolis may just be your ticket to a world that will put a smile on your face, and take you on a journey you’ll never forget.

Here’s the Blurb:

Thirteen-year-old Talon is in trouble…again. He didn’t mean to burn down the school library. It just happened. Things like that always happen to Talon. His life is a mixture of the weird and bizarre. No one else he knows can shoot fire from their hands or cause an earthquake…but he can. Every night the same dream haunts Talon: the destruction of an underwater city. He hasn’t a clue what it means but he feels like fate is trying to warn him. It’s not until he runs away with his foster sister Hattie that he discovers his trouble-making powers and strange nightmare are connected. Together they are the key to saving magic…to saving Atlantis.

And… here’s my Endorsement:

Things are not what they seem in Mikey Brooks’ Battle for Acropolis, the last installment of The Gates of Atlantis series. And trust me—it’s a GOOD thing! Kids of all ages will love this fantastical adventure that will make them believe that in coming together and acting as one, we can accomplish great things. Well done, Mr. Brooks!

~ Sharon Ledwith, author of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis

Buy Links for Battle of Acropolis:

Amazon ebook: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M34C0CC

Amazon paperback: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1939993334

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battle-for-acropolis-mikey-brooks/1119999700

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/battle-for-acropolis/book-GzG4vK2QvU2rY-Kbq2A8wg/page1.html

About Mikey Brooks:

Mikey is a small child masquerading as an adult. On occasion you’ll catch him dancing the funky chicken,  ABC Adventures: Magical Creatures and Bean’s Dragons as well as the middle-grade fantasy-adventure series The Dream Keeper Chronicles. His art can be seen in many forms from picture books to full room murals. He loves to daydream with his three daughters and explore the worlds that only the imagination of children can create. Mikey has a BS degree in English from Utah State University and works full-time as a freelance illustrator, cover designer, and author. As a member of the Emblazoners, he is one of many authors devoted to ‘writing stories on the hearts of children’. He is also one of the hosts of the Authors’ Think Tank Podcast. You can find more about him and his books at: http://www.insidemikeysworld.com/.

singing like a banshee, and pretending to have never grown up. He is the author/illustrator of several books including the best-selling

The First Timekeepers...

Here’s a Halloween treat for my readers, straight out of the pages of Legend of the Timekeepers guaranteed to chill you to the bone:

 “W-Where are we?” She-Aba asked, crawling out of the plant.

“I-I’m not sure,” Lilith replied. Her nose flared. It smelled fresh, almost pure to her.

“Well, we’re not in the desert anymore,” Tau said, wiggling and huffing. “Could you two get me down?”

She-Aba smirked. “What’s the magic word?”

Tau stopped squirming between the branches. “Huh? Magic word? How would I know, I’m not a magus!”

“You’re not very bright, either,” She-Aba replied. “What word would you use if you want something?”

Tau snorted. “Now!”

Lilith rolled her eyes. She passed the record keeper to She-Aba, then stuck her foot into the closest, deepest crevice in the tree. She pulled herself up, found another crevice, and pulled herself up again. She looked down at She-Aba. “Go cut a vine for Tau to use to climb down.”

“What’s a vine?” She-Aba asked, frowning.

Lilith sighed. “Over there, hanging from that tree. It looks like a rope. Haven’t you ever seen one?”

“No. I live in the desert. In fact, I find it quite warm and damp here. Not the best place for my hair.”

“There is no place for your hair, fire-head,” Tau said, indignantly.

She-Aba grunted. She opened her satchel, slid the record keeper in, and pulled out the metal clipper she used to cut and style hair. Lilith hid an emerging smile as she observed her friend. Walking proved to be anything but easy for She-Aba, as the forest floor appeared to want to swallow her shoes. Reaching for a long, strong vine that crept around the base of a tree, as if it were a snake, She-Aba sliced through it with ease, untangled it, and hobbled back to Lilith and Tau.

A rancorous scream permeated through the forest. She-Aba froze in her tracks, the vine she cut hanging lifeless in her hand. “W-What was that?”

Lilith’s whole body prickled. No, it can’t be, can it? That would be impossible.

She turned to scan the area. Tau wouldn’t quit wiggling. She reached for his arm and squeezed. “Stop that, I’m trying to—”

Another scream, this time closer, rolled out through the leaves.

“Oh, Poseidon, it is,” Lilith said, feeling her heart start to race. “Quick, She-Aba, throw up the vine and go hide! Now!”

“What’s going on, Lilith?” Tau asked. “Why do you sound so frightened?”

Lilith looked around again. “Because a wyvern is hunting us.”

“A…what?” She-Aba asked.

“A wyvern. It looks like a huge snake with wings, feet like a hawk’s, and a tail like a white crawler.”

She-Aba huffed. “Excuse, me, Miss Bossy, but I think I proved that I can handle a snake just fine.”

“For once would you just do as you’re told, fire-head,” Tau said. “Throw up the vine!”

“You mean this vine, Tau?” She-Aba swung it in her hand.

“She-Aba, you don’t understand, wyverns aren’t like cobras,” Lilith explained. “You’ve never seen one before, so you have no idea what they’re capable of.”

“So enlighten me, then. How do you know so much about these snake-like creatures?”

Lilith scanned the area one more time, before she said, “They’re native to only one place on earth.”

“And where’s that?” Tau asked, grunting, as he gripped the tree branch.

Lilith licked her dry lips, and said, “Atlantis.”

Welcome to the First Anniversary of my month-long Book Release Celebration…

Happy May Day to everyone! The month of May marks a year since The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis made its debut into the world. Actually the precise release date was May 18^th, but I thought why not celebrate the whole month of May with a Rafflecopter giveaway full of book swag, a Goodreads giveaway featuring a signed paperback and trading card, and participating in the Children’s Book Week Blog Hop taking place from May 13^th to May 19^th, where I’m offering a signed paperback and custom crafted Babel Necklace. Party on!

Coincidently, the Timekeepers’ first mission lands them in England in 1214 where they must complete their mission by May 1^st which is May Day—one of the biggest holidays during the Middle Ages. The May Day festival is the celebration of life and love, of procreation and renewal. May Day is a truly a time of games, song, revelry, and tournaments, with the most popular event having men and women dancing and singing around a decorated pole aptly called a Maypole. Celebrants were green sashes across their bodies or wreaths on their heads. I know that doesn’t sound like much fun now, but hey this was way before Disneyland!

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis

by Sharon Ledwith

Giveaway ends May 31, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Here’s the blurb from The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis:

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.

Okay, I’m not going to make you wear a green sash or wreath or dance around a Maypole (unless you want to), but in order to get this May Day party started, here’s what I’m offering one lucky contestant who enters the Rafflecopter below:

·         A signed limited edition paperback copy of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis

·         A custom crafted Babel Necklace (pictured in the sidebar)

·         A blue Ionic Power wrist watch

·         A  few signed trading cards (doubles as book marks too)

·         A couple of wrist bands stamped with ‘The Last Timekeepers’ and ‘We Are One’

The contest will run until May 30^th, and on May 31^st I will announce the lucky winner. BTW—this in an International Contest and is open to EVERYONE. So good luck and let the good times roll, and celebration begin!

a Rafflecopter giveaway