Title: Feathers of the Phoenix: Under the Norse Star Book 2
Author: Cheryl Carpinello
Genre: Time Travel/Fantasy
Sub-genre: Norse Mythology/Legends/Teens & Young Adult
Language:English
Pages: 132
Paperback ISBN: 978-1804401323
Rosa can hear the dead. That gift has already pulled her into impossible places… and deadly danger.
Now, on the
Autumnal Equinox, Rosa and her cousin Jerome are summoned again. Their
mission: travel to Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice, and retrieve the
second Golden Red Feather of the Phoenix. Because only when all five
Feathers are united can Atlantis rise from the ocean depths and its lost
people finally return home.
But Iceland isn’t empty.
Ancient
guardians still roam beneath the Norse Star… and something far worse has
arrived first. A shapeshifting Horseman rides the frozen wilderness,
hunting the Feather, and willing to kill for it.
With
earthquakes shaking the land, wicked laughter in the wind, and a
mysterious Ancient One waiting in the ice, Rosa and Jerome must survive
the most dangerous quest yet… before time runs out.
Cheryl Carpinello is a retired high school English teacher. Her Tales and Legends
appeal to readers of all ages, particularly those who have struggled
with reading. Through her 25 years teaching diverse readers, she’s found
that stories from the Ancient Worlds and Arthurian Legend draw in
readers of all abilities.
She writes
Arthurian Legend focused on these cornerstones: Courage, Honor, Loyalty,
& Friendship. Her tales from Egypt & the new series Feathers of the Phoenix meld the ancient/medieval worlds with today. The Atlantean Horse and Under the Norse Star, books 1 &2 of Feathers of the Phoenix, brings the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse out of the Bible & into the modern world.
Her Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales,
short illustrated nature stories, help the youngest readers build their
reading skills. At the 2nd grade reading level, these stories are
suitable for readers aged 4 and up.
She also does classroom & zoom visits where students can create their own Illuminated Poetry.
As retired
teachers, Cheryl and her husband love to travel. They attend college
football games around the US each year and also travel abroad for fun
and research. They’ve been to Egypt, the UK, Iceland, Norway, Mexico
& the Caribbean.
Lee J Mavin
is the author of 11 books. He is also a teacher and father. He has a
Masters in Creative Writing and am solely focused on writing fiction
(fantasy and horror) and poetry. He is now in collaboration the
illustrator Karolina Piotrowski, a Polish artist who has brought many
stories to life. He has worked and studied in China and Japan and
studied with Dr Xiaohuan Zhao (a master of Chinese poetry) to complete
his book Li Bai’s Shadow, at the University of Sydney. He has two
children who are both avid readers, so he is always in the loop with
trends in children’s fiction. He is married and lives in Sydney, where
he teaches English.
His latest book is the YA fantasy, The Wars Between.
I
am Lee J Mavin, a middle aged Australian author and teacher from
Sydney. I have two children (one daughter and one son) and have been
married for 17 years. I have published 12 books in the form of poetry
collections, children’s picture books and short story collections and
novels. I have lived in China and Japan and can speak both languages.
Can you tell us about your latest book, The Wars Between?
The
Wars Between follows two main characters, Outis Everrett and Gwenia
Xiachung who are from two different countries who have been at war with
each other for thousands of years. Outis feels like a bit of a failure
to begin with having failed his warrior exams and not being a willing
soldier for his country. He is however a master poet, who has the
ability to craft words that change people’s perceptions of the world.
Gwenia is a strong willed vegan and the youngest of 13 children and
ready to leave the nest. The two of them wind up in an adventure across
the seas.
Is The Wars Between your only book?
No I have published 12 other books.
Can you tell us a little about the main characters in The Wars Between?
(See
above for this response) Outis’s poem is so timeless, the king awards
him the greatest honour, to take it across the sea, to the newly elected
president of Kastanair, Penelope Chinwa. He is guided by the Knights of
Sunrise, who protect him along the way.
Do you see a little bit of yourself in your main character?
I am a little bit like Outis and would like to be more like him.
Where is this book set and why did you choose that location?
The
book is set in a fantasy world consisting of three countries Asalandia a
proud monarchy, Kastanair a strong democracy and Syanthia, a neutral
state that sells meat and weapons to both countries (and benefits
greatly)
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Dont read negative reviews, edit as much as you can. Don’t change your plot ideas based on someone else’s opinions.
Thank you so much for this interview, Lee. What’s next for you?
I
am currently writing the sequel to The Wars Between which is titled The
Angelic Fallen and is set hundreds of years after the events of The
Wars Between
For centuries there had been an
ongoing war between Asalandia, the proud monarchy of the east and
Kastanair the progressive democracy of the west. However, the years of
war would end with the most unlikely turn of events.
Outis Everrett, the disappointment of
his family, a measly poet, is suddenly thrusted into an epic adventure
across the sea, with the King’s blessing. His poem, the poem that
somehow won the first annual Asalandian poetry competition, was meant to
be taken across the seas, to the enemy island of Kastanair, there, it
would be read by the President of Kastanair, the newly elected and very
progressive, Penelope Chinwa and she was supposed stop the war after
reading those so special words.
So Outis set sail aboard the Golden
ship, guided and protected by the Knights of Sunrise and their
adventures began. The Knights are led by Bartholemew Aries, the most
famous soldier in Asalandia, though when their ship drifts off course to
the mysterious island of Aquos Atalantious, the Princess of the island
soon lures him to stay. So, the Knights of Sunrise become distracted by
the beauties of this foreign island. After failing to find the prince,
who had been taken by a monstrous octopus, the Golden ship sails onto
Kastanair, without its leader, who had fallen in love with the Princess.
They then sail to Syanthia, where the worlds’ meat was produced. There
they meet, the young Kastanairian, Gwenia Xiachung, an enthusiastic
vegan on a mission to stop everyone eating meat. Outis is thrown into a
pig saving mission with Gwenia and is intrigued by the young girl. After
saving the pigs and convincing the head of meat production to change
his ways with a beautiful poem about animal empathy, Gwenia falls in
love with Outis. She joins him and the Knights of Sunrise on the voyage
to back to her country, Kastanair. Once they finally reach the shores of
Kastanair, they are attacked on the shores by a small army, led by
Caslian Jesper, the tough captain who worked his soldiers to exhaustion.
The Knights, Outis and Gwenia are rescued by Nastab and his band of
terrorists who take them on horseback through Kastanair to Mount Xian.
Nastab and his men come from a rebel group who had been dwelling on the
plateau of Mount Xian, plotting to overthrow the government of
Kastanair. However, their leader, who had driven their group to crimes
and violence, was hoarding their food and treasure.
Caslian Jesper follows the terrorists
to Mount Xian, in pursuit of two of his enemies at once, the terrorists
and the Asalandians. Outis and Gwenia are suddenly taken off their
horses by huge hawks, who fly them up Mount Xian, to a cave opening.
There Gwenia and Outis meet The Tall Man, a strange man with huge black
eyes who has no name. He takes them into the cave, and they fall more
tall people. There they learn that the tall people had been in the caves
for hundreds of years and they care not for treasures of war. The tall
man collects water from an underground stream and fruits from the cave
roofs and they take Outis and Gwenia up to the top of the mountain.
There they find Caslian’s army had managed to climb to the top of the
mountain in attempt to attack but they were too drained to fight so the
tall man shared his fruit with them. Both sides rested as Outis read a
poem to the leader of the terrorists.
Outis and Gwenia are then taken to the
capital, by an eclectic group including Nastab, The Tall Man and the
Knights of Sunrise, they journey through the planes of Kastanair where
they are attacked by wolves. The Knights and Nastab fight the wolves off
valiantly and they continue. When they finally reach the capital Outis
reads his poem to the President, but it is not the words of his poem
alone that convince her to stop the war, it is the group he brings with
him, a group of once enemies, who had come together with the same goal.
Lee J Mavin
is the author of 11 books. He is also a teacher and father. He has a
Masters in Creative Writing and am solely focused on writing fiction
(fantasy and horror) and poetry. He is now in collaboration the
illustrator Karolina Piotrowski, a Polish artist who has brought many
stories to life. He has worked and studied in China and Japan and
studied with Dr Xiaohuan Zhao (a master of Chinese poetry) to complete
his book Li Bai’s Shadow, at the University of Sydney. He has two
children who are both avid readers, so he is always in the loop with
trends in children’s fiction. He is married and lives in Sydney, where
he teaches English.
His latest book is the YA fantasy, The Wars Between.
Mike Martin
was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives
and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his
articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online
across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.
He is the award-winning author of the
best-selling Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, set in beautiful Grand
Bank. There are now 17 books in this light mystery series with the
publication of A Change in Plans.
A Tangled Web was shortlisted in 2017 for the best light mystery of the year, and Darkest Before the Dawnwon the 2019 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award. All That Glitters was shortlisted for the LOLA 2024 Must Read Book of the year award.
Some Sgt. Windflower Mysteries are now available as audiobooks and the latest Darkest Before the Dawn was released as an audiobook in 2024. All audiobooks are available from Audible in Canada and around the world.
Mike is Past Chair of the Board of
Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian
crime and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writers’
Guild and Capital Crime Writers.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? Are you a full time author?
I am mostly a full-time writer, but I still do some communications
consulting work. I write every day, usually in the morning
Can you tell us about A Change in Plans?
A Change in Plans
is the 17th book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. It is a light
mystery series set in Grand Bank, Newfoundland, on the easternmost tip
of Canada.
Can you tell us a little about the characters?
Sgt.
Winston Windflower is a police officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police, the Mounties. He is also a Cree from Northern Alberta who gets
stationed in the small town of Grand Bank where he falls in love with
the place. His wife is Sheila who is the former Mayor of the town and he
has two great friends, Eddie Tizzard, a fellow Mountie and Herb
Stoodley, a former Crown Attorney
Where is this book set and why did you choose that location?
A Change in Plans
is set in Grand Bank, Newfoundland, on the easternmost tip of Canada.
It is small, fairly isolated with a history of rum running during
prohibition and the love of smuggling runs deep. It is the perfect
location for a series of mysterious crimes and adventures.
How can people benefit from reading A Change in Plans?
It
is a light mystery series that is more about food, family and friends
than about murder and mayhem. It is cozy, clean Canadian crime fiction
at its best.
Is A Change in Plans your only book?
A Change in Plans is Book 17 in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series.
Thank you so much for this interview, Mike. What’s next for you?
Book 18 is in the works and should be out in 2027.
Today's guest isMarcus of the Avalonfrom
inside the pages of THE SIREN OF PARIS by David LeRoy. It is a pleasure to have him with us at The Literary Nook!
What is your name?
Marcus of the Avalon.
My seal of my office is here.
What do you look like?
Middle Age Garden variety of movie star looks. My society is VAIN. But the vanity has gone out the window as other trends take hold.
Where are you today and what are you doing?
I live above the clouds close to a local our ocean port and near a major airport. Today is nice but the other day there was a huge storm that came roaring through with a tornado warning. It has been a violent weather year. Today was a typical day. We have had several close calls with birds, planes and other ships of the air. Never a dull moment here up above the ocean.
Describe the outside of your home.
It is a wonderful metallic structure that has view. The antigravity systems are below and just a standard every typical view overlooking the ocean and the port of Atlantis, We are in complex of known as The City of Clouds. It started off small but it grew over time into a massive floating structure.
It is discreet as to not alarm the passing airplanes.
There are huge problems with planes. We believe they like to buzz the City of Clouds to impress the passengers. It gets annoying. I was on the balcony one morning and here comes along a very noisy supper jet, and all you see is are people faces up against the windows. Come on people. They act as if they have never seen a floating city before in the entire life. Truth is they were living in the city until the announcements. Something tells me that they are never to return.
What's the mood outside right now?
Well, Please do not repeat this and you did not hear it from me, but there are rumors running wild through the City of Clouds. The one that has everyone talking is that a very large comet is going to come close enough to the earth to strike it or fragments will hit the earth. We have heard these alarms in the past, but it is a bit different now.
The air traffic is taking more people away from the city than bring them into it. I have several rentals and no one is coming for the vacations any longer. I also believe that the atmosphere has intensified once the military showed up and with the declaration of a potential need to get into evacuation mode. People became more preoccupied than usual once the idea that the potential was real this time. There more people now wanting to leave than transports can take, but the bottle neck line is not too long. Other than the fear, most are behaving well.
What is your favorite piece of clothing?
I enjoy a casual wear of a blue shirt with silver pants. This is just everyday uniform of my world that is required by law. The blue is the highest ranking citizen. It is a signature of my office. My role is largely ceremonial but recently, I have been called upon to make important decisions.
What scares you?
Normally, I have no worries. But, recently I am more concerned about when or where should I go in the event that everyone must leave the City of Clouds. North is horridly cold. Plus, the animals are extremely vicious. Later today, there is going to be a meeting of the counsel of Atlantis, and with the City of Clouds. My hopes are that it does go well and that there is no panic. There are the concerns such as are there enough evacuations ships. Someone I am sure is going to raise the issues of food, provisions and how should we live without our technology. My role is to maintain order and calm. It has been challenging recently.
How would your family describe you?
I think they describe me as a calm and principled Emperor of Atlantis and just an all-around nice guy. With my age I have gained some weight, looks are not everything. I will be 119 Years old in two months, should I live that long.
Who is your best friend?
Truth is told it is God. I don’t believe it is a very good for moral for me to leave the City along with others, and I also know that the evacuation plans and technological recovery require my leadership. Today they are taking the library out and later today they are going to remove the medical laboratories. It is odd. But I suppose that all things must end and that creates new beginnings. I have enjoyed this talk, but I have to go. The City of Clouds is about to get some bad news from me and I need some time to prepare, pray and get emotionally grounded. Oh dear Lord, there is a run on the Quantum Computer Solid State Crystals on the main market. Well, I am sure it will work out. Big Smiles, Positive Attitude, maybe it is for the best that I stay with the city as it goes down? I detest most of the ice age animals of Earth. The wooly mammoths can be stubborn.
Oh the staff has done such a good job with a nice lunch of the Senate of Atlantis. I do hope that they will eat some instead of breaking out into a food fight. I have given up on attempting to abdicate my role, or to simply ‘disappear.’ They will find me, and just bring me back to the throne of my destruction. I feel the weight of destiny. Now you know why I pray and talk to God as I wait for the light in the sky to strike us down. Um, there is a shrimp platter today. I should get a plate before I speak in case they don’t like what I have to say.
Today will be the last of these meals. I am ordering that all staff is now first off and we who have rule shall be the last. Please pray for me.
What's the last thing you do at night?
It is to pray. I pray that the comet will pass, but it is looking like it could hit. I pray that people will survive without our world’s technology. I know that some will survive, but just not sure of whom when, and the where. I pray that my family will receive the training the need to survive. My oldest son is struggling to accept the possibilities of a very different future. My youngest daughter left two days ago on one of those planes. Recently I have been praying until I perhaps break down into crying, and well, fall asleep.
About the Book
Journey through the dark, violent, and
haunting landscape of World War II in Paris and beyond – Take on a
harrowing tour through the depths of human depravity, exploring themes
of love, loss, guilt, and redemption in this gripping historical tale.
Marc Tolbert, a young French-born man
from a prominent American family, takes off to Paris for a fresh start
after a breakup in 1939. Pursuing his dreams of attending a prestigious
Parisian art school, he soon makes friends with some of history’s most
notable figures, including Sylvia Beach and William Bullitt. Falling in
love with an art model from one of his classes, he is blinded to the
escalating violence around them as the war inches closer to the City of
Lights.
What started as an adventure quickly
becomes a nightmare as the war worsens, and Marc is faced with choices
that will change his life forever.
When he finally faces the reality that
he must leave Paris, fate deals him a cruel hand. Surviving the sinking
of the RMS Lancastria, Marc is haunted by the deaths of his friends and
the regret of not leaving sooner.
Returning to Paris, Marc is drawn into
the resistance movement, risking everything to help those trapped
behind enemy lines. But after being betrayed, he is captured and sent
away to face the horrors of war and the guilt of his past mistakes.
The Siren of Paris
is a powerful and emotional story that will keep you on the edge of
your seat. With its compelling plot-driven narrative, vivid scenes, and
intense action, this novel will transport you to the heart of war-torn
Paris and leave you contemplating the weight of human choices and their
impact on others. Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction, war
stories, or symbolic themes, this novel will captivate and intrigue you
from start to finish.
“The
soul of this book is found in LeRoy’s analysis of human nature through
the main character. There really is nothing like a life-or-death
situation that can split human nature so cleanly and show us what being
human really means. The author shows us how a person can be completely
changed from this experience, how in a few short years, in a few short
moments, or even in a split second, everything can become drastically
different. This book is suited for those with a love for history and
those with a love for fiction alike. This novel brought tears to my eyes
and left me with a more enlightened heart, so it is with absolute
pleasure that I say The Siren of Paris is highly recommended.” – Boyu
Huang, Allbooks Review Int.“I’ve just finished reading Siren
of Paris by David LeRoy and it’s a story that will stay with me for a
while. It has a complex, well developed plotline and presents the story
in a tantalising way. I’ve read quite a few books set during the Second
World War… this one especially gripped me.” – Dianne Ascroft Ascroft
About the Author
David LeRoy
is an author and avid explorer of the intersection of philosophy,
psychology, and art. His debut novel, The Siren of Paris, is a poignant
work that emerged from personal family research he undertook in 2010 to
locate missing persons of WWII.
LeRoy’s fluency in French and two-year
sojourn in France afforded him unique insights into the French culture
he deftly weaves into his literary work. With a Bachelor of Arts in
Philosophy and Religion, an MBA from California State University
Sacramento, and an MSc. Applied Data Science from Paris, France, LeRoy
is a polymath with diverse interests and an insatiable curiosity for
knowledge.
He currently resides in California, where he continues to write and pursue his creative passions.
Marie McGaha
is an award-winning writer whose work includes clean historical
romances, Christian devotionals, and heartfelt children’s books. A
storyteller at her core, she weaves faith, resilience, and gentle humor
through every page she writes.
She makes her home in southeast
Oklahoma, in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, where life is
anything but quiet. Her days are shared with four spoiled dogs, a
crippled rooster with more attitude than feathers, a noisy guinea who
believes it runs the place, a couple of flighty hens, and a watchful roo
who keeps an eye on everything that moves. This lively little
farm—equal parts sanctuary and circus—provides endless inspiration,
companionship, and the kind of grounding only God’s creation can offer.
Whether she’s crafting a tender love
story, guiding readers through Scripture, or bringing the Bible to life
for children through animal characters, Marie writes with a voice shaped
by faith, loss, healing, and the stubborn hope that refuses to let go.
Her work reflects the heart of a woman who has walked through fire and
come out carrying stories worth telling.
You can also join her for daily devotionals on YouTube at @HeReignsChurch, where she shares encouragement, Scripture, and the steady reminder that hope is still alive. You can contact her by email: church.hereigns@gmail.com.
Why did you decide to write Your Ghost: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Echoes That Remain?Did the inspiration come at a particular moment or had you been planning to write the book for a while?
I had not planned on writing this book. After my husband of 23 years died, I fell apart. At some point, I began writing my feelings just for my own sake. I was a wrecked and not doing well, and writing has always been how I express myself best, so I wrote down everything. Eventually, I began going over what I had written and decided maybe what I was going through was what other widows go through too, so I began editing and what remained became this book.
From the time you started writing Your Ghost, how long did it take to get it out there? Any obstacles along the way or none that you can think of?
It's been nearly five years since my husband died, so it's been a process. Grieving isn't linear, it's circular, sideways, pear shaped, all over the place, so the biggest obstacle was my own emotions. Sometimes it was too difficult to continue and I had to stop for days on end before I could continue. Eventually, I finished the book, and the rest was relatively easy.
What are some of the positive results or responses you have received since publishing your book?
So far, reviews have been good, but my hope is that it might help others who are going through the loss of a loved one.
List three interesting facts about your book.
Nathan is the love of my life and always will be.
It ripped my heart out to lose him.
I never want to go through that again.
List three interesting facts about yourself.
I began writing children's books last year and have three published so far.
