Creating Unforgettable Family Moments

It has been a while since I last posted a blog here. With so much happening, I have only found time to work on new projects (two of them related to THE CONJUNCTION OF THE REALMS) and study for my new Advanced Cinematography class.

Today, however, this trend changes and I would like to introduce you to a concept that is prevalent throughout THE CONJUNCTION OF THE REALMS (Part One): creating unforgettable family moments.

When our daughter was born, I heard so many people say, “Enjoy her as much as you can because they grow up so fast!” I remember brushing off those comments because, of course, I was going to enjoy our brand new baby daughter and I didn’t want other people imposing their thoughts on my experience. Yes, a bit immature on my part.

The years do go by so fast, it is true, and today what I treasure most are the moments we created together as a family. In the book’s preface, I mention how both my husband and I used to make up worlds through invented stories for our little girl who is now an adult. Those were probably some of the best times we had together, when it was just the three of us. She would be laying in her bed, my husband and I would be sitting on the floor, and her room would simply fill up with an almost-visible magic fog.

I decided to bottle that experience and try to share it someday with other parents and kids. That was the main motivation for writing THE CONJUNCTION OF THE REALMS (Part One).

For parents: you can read it for your kids before they go to bed at night. I recommend gathering however many kids you have in one of their rooms, with a dim-light. Lighting always helps create the mood for bed-time stories. Keep them excited about the moment and what is going to happen next.

For pre-teen, teens, and adults: you can leave the pressures of this world and embark in an adventurous voyage to the world of imagination. The characters will come alive to you, and you will keep wanting to go back to that enchanted place.

I hope this gets at least a few to exit for a moment the cares of this world and travel to another, where the love of family is stronger than death and decay, where the imagination within you can create the impossible, and you get to experience an upward spiral with each moment you are engaged in the book.

"If you haven't gotten your copy, you are missing out on the magic."

With Imagination You Could Create Worlds Unseen...

Remember when you were a kid and thought you could fight the darkest monsters or simply fly over a pristine lake? With your imagination you could create worlds unseen and visit them whenever you wanted. But then you grew up. And the worlds you so deliberately crafted disappeared in the past. That is, until now.

The Conjunction of the Realms brings the world of imagination back to you and you back to it. In this whimsical mystery novel written for all ages, Grandpa Kingsley takes his family and the readers on an unforgettable adventure where imagination and reality collide.

As an author of content for kids I know the difficulty of creating a world that is intriguing, engaging and fun. “The Conjunction of the Realms” has achieved that goal, and gone way beyond, in both originality and beauty. It is a giant leap for the genre. This has great “Legs!” — Frank J. Radice, TV Executive

2014 © Livre Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Digital or print reproduction NOT permitted without written consent from Livre Press, Inc.

“The Vesuvius Escapade” by Maureen Cardoso coming in 2014

In “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One),” Maureen Cardoso is the Kingsley's youngest daughter. As a child, she dreamt of being a scientist; she followed current discoveries and was fascinated by DNA sequencing, molecular structures, and genomes. By age ten, she had memorized the periodic table of chemical elements. In spite of her scientific side, she carried strong artistic traits that led her to write poems, stories and children’s books.

Maureen studied macro-biology but interrupted her degree to have Philly, her firstborn. She always carried a pen and paper with her because she was also a writer. Paulo, her Brazilian husband, tried to give her an electronic pad or tablet, but she preferred her paper notepad, claiming that a true writer will use napkins if necessary. A small, local publishing company had picked up some of her children’s books. Still her hope was that someday her books would make it across the isle, into the hands of one of the more prominent publishers of London.

With the advent of electronic publishing, Livre Press, Inc. is making Maureen's books available for download on Amazon, iBooks and Barnes & Noble in 2014. Watch out of the announcement.
Here is a sample of Maureen's writing: the Preface for the first book she ever published, “Voyage One: The Vesuvius Escapade.”

 

Preface

At age 10, I wrote a song about a little gnome who loved to row his boat on the sea waters under the moonlight.  He loved the moon because he thought it was made of vanilla ice-cream, so he followed its reflection on the ocean hoping to reach that inexhaustible supply of his favorite dessert.

My sister Esther and I grew up hearing fantastic stories about gnomes, my favorite being one whose name was Laddy Dah. Our dad, Phil Kingsley, was quite the old Irish story teller. It is no wonder that at age 10, Laddy and his family were alive in my imagination. His wife’s name was Lynda and they had three kids: Lyle, 11, Lilly, my age, and Cousin George, 12. Dad’s stories were animated and rich in content. Laddy was always at the center of them.

When my first son was born, I began to cogitate on the idea of writing and illustrating Dad’s stories so they would be preserved for our family. I thought of a kids’ book format where each chapter would be a voyage and Laddy would be the guide to take you, dear reader, through amazing imaginary places. This story is the beginning of your journey. There are many more to come from Dad’s story repertoire. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did growing up and as much as I enjoy telling them now.

Maureen Cardoso
8/28/2003

Excerpt From “Voyage One: The Vesuvius Escapade”

2013 © Livre Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted except with written authorization from Livre Press, Inc.

The Mysteries of Easter Island

In “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” Grandpa Kingsley and others make a trip to Easter Island with the purpose of investigating a murder. From Northern Ireland to Easter Island. What is the connection? And why?

To answer properly, one must first understand that there is no distance in the world of imagination, where humans or other beings can travel unhindered from one location to another in fractions of a second. With that in mind, Grandpa Kingsley decided to incorporate Easter Island into the surroundings of his stories because from the time he was a young lad, the island always fascinated him. Especially the legends of the moais.

Now, the inhabitants of Easter Island call its famous statues moai. Those visiting the isolated Pacific Island cannot ignore the prolific presence of moais everywhere.

Throughout the island, moais are found in various stages of preservation. Some have their pukaos intact; pukao is the word for the statues’ red volcanic hats. Others are half-buried. While a few remain placed on a plateau or ahu. There are one-hundred and twenty-five ahus with standing moais. For instance, Ahu Tongariki has fifteen; however, the majority of the remaining ahus has only one. Grandpa Kinsgley taught his grandchildren the following:

Rapa Nui is what the natives call Easter Island. If you ask the people who live there about the origin of its monolithic statues called moai, they will explain that a previous civilization of royal beings transported the large rocks using their minds. Through concentration, they used the power of their minds to move these enormous rocks from one location to another. It is also said of this remote island that it may once have been the site of an astronomical observatory—not an observatory of astronomical proportions, but a scientific outpost of a long forgotten, antediluvian civilization that studied the stars. Not all archaeologists agree with this possibility, but further indication points to the island having been known as Mata-Ki-Te-Rani, which means “Eyes looking at heaven.”

To find out more about Grandpa Kingsley’s trip to Easter Island, you can purchase “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” in any digital platform at Livre Press, Inc.

Photo taken by Ian Sewell, July, 2006. Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island. These moai were restored in the 1990's by a Japanese research team after a cyclone knocked them over in the 1960's.

Who Were the Enlightened Writers?

In the book “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” I make mention of a war that took place in the realm of imagination first, but it then permeated into the realm of man.

Various kids who have read the book, asked me if I could elaborate on this war and explain in more detail what happened. I decided to incorporate in the second book an in-depth description of what became known in “The Conjunction of the Realms” as the 80-Year War.
At Livre Press, Inc. we are also developing an interactive timeline to be featured in a multi-touch “The Conjunction of the Realms” Companion Book to be released on iBooks just in time for Christmas (more about that coming soon). For now, though, I am posting a modified excerpt from Part One and would love to hear your thoughts.  See if you can connect the dots with real world history and find out who were the enlightened writers. Grandpa Kingsley tells the story:

“From the middle ages all the way through the early 1900’s, trolls, rebellious dwarves, evil goblins, ogres, witches, monsters, vampires, werewolves, and all sorts of horrendous, malefic creatures dominated the world of imagination. Children lived in fear. Belief in miracles was at an all time low. Wars were imminent in various countries, and the hope of a better world was waning quickly as people’s hearts grew sick.

In the early 1900’s, a few elves began an ‘idea’ revolution, which later became known as the 80-Year War (1903 -1983). Elves in those days were the most advanced of all creatures in the world of imagination. It was not always so. Their existence became almost extinct during the dark ages when the forces of evil ran rampant in the four corners of the earth. Their ingenuity and genuine care for humans stopped the destruction, and they managed to survive. To combat the evil of lies and fear, these same elves invited a small number or writers and story tellers to participate in their revolution by creating new worlds, filled with amazing wonders, adventures, laughter, joy, excitement, and integrity. Even confronted by the danger of being considered crazy and becoming outcasts in the society of the time, the writers began writing, and the first literary pieces started to be released as early as the 1930’s. This new kind of literature was destined to influence the generations to come! It was a war of words; a war between love and hate, truth and lies, faith and skepticism. Their books revealed the triumph of love, truth and faith, causing a relentless reaction in the forces of darkness. The evil forces plotted to fight all truth being propagated by the writers and storytellers. The fight was so intense that it influenced the world of matter, to the point of provoking the horrors of the Second World War. Many good writers and storytellers who survived World War II incorporated their experiences in future literary works depicting the victory of good over evil. But the war was far from over.

Now, the beings from the world of imagination gain strength by becoming known and by having people believe in them. The dark creatures’ plot after the Second World War was to obfuscate the existence of these beings so they became weaker to the point of vanishing. They inspired the rulers of countries to burn books and put in an insane asylum anyone who dared to believe in a world other than the material one; they filled the scientists’ heads with empirical and pragmatic theories so anything imaginable had to be proven in order to be real, and to believe in the invisible was to be an impossible feat. Filling people’s hearts with fear was what the forces of evil did best.

Such plot would have been successful had not Fireno, one of the elves who started the truth revolution, stepped in and paid the high price of annihilating all lies with his own life. The beings that abide in the realm of imagination do not deteriorate, in other words, they do not die of old age. Either a stronger creature takes their life or they lay it down. In times of peace, these beings can live for an undetermined amount of time. In times of war, many lose their lives. Whenever an elf laid down his life fighting against a lie, truth emanated so strongly out of his or her spirit that it took down a great amount of evil (not necessarily the creatures but the forces that made them act that way). Many elves have given their lives throughout the centuries. Somehow, Fireno’s death in 1983 was the last drop, putting an end to the 80-Year War.

The force of truth was mighty inside Fireno. When he died, so did the remaining powers that opposed all truth. Lying creatures, over time, lost their desire to lie and therefore lost their desire to perform their evil deeds. The rulers of the countries that plotted against the stories were removed from power and a renaissance of new stories and ideas based on truth and light began. Today, the world of imagination has been completely rid of evil. Not only we get to live in this renaissance of truth, but we get to participate in the conjunction as the two realms get closer and closer to each other.”

If you liked this and would want to read more about the “80-Year War” please leave me a comment, retweet this post, share it on Facebook, or simply mark it as Like. I will know that it doesn’t mean necessarily that you Like it, but that you would like to know more.

“The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” can be purchased at Livre Press, Inc. in any digital format.

2013 © Livre Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, digitally or on paper, not permitted without written authorization.

Press Release for "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

“The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)”

A thrilling and original adventure to the world of imagination for the entire family.

 

In this whimsical mystery novel written for all ages, Grandpa Kingsley takes his entire family along with the reader on an unforgettable adventure where imagination and reality collide.

Burbank, CA – October 10, 2013 – Sandra Alex is debuting her fantasy literature “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” released on August 1, 2013 through the Kindle Publishing program of Amazon.com. The trilogy collection contains elements of mystery, thriller, adventure and romance for the coming of age demographic, and for parents and grandparents alike. An Irish-themed party will be held in November for the launch with members of the press.

National Emmy Award winner Frank Radice, television producer and co-author of Random House’s popup book “Sam Katz on the Loose,” said, “As an author of content for kids I know the difficulty of creating a world that is intriguing, engaging and fun. ‘The Conjunction of the Realms’ has achieved that goal, and gone way beyond, in both originality and beauty. It is a giant leap for the genre. This has great ‘Legs!’”
 
Chere Berman, author of acclaimed poetry book for women, “Amber String of Beads” offered the following five-star review on Amazon: “Utterly original and spellbinding. The Conjunction of the Realms is quite unlike anything I have ever read… what you will discover will both delight you and release your inner child to consider the possibilities of the world that we live in. The illustrations are winsome and lovely….I can’t wait for Part II!”
 
Sandra Alex is available for interviews and appearances. The eBook is currently being distributed via Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Kobo.com and on Apple’s iBooks store.

About Sandra Alex

 

Sandra, an entrepreneur and creative writer originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been working towards the publication of her first book for the past ten years while raising her daughter, running a successful software business and consulting for major television studios. As a cinematographer, Sandra co-owns Studio City’s production company, Shoot to Film, and is the founder of Livre Press, Inc., an e-publishing corporation that she started to support the release of upcoming books.

For more information about THE CONJUNCTION OF THE REALMS (Part One), please visit: www.livrepress.net or call at (800) 804-1173, Ext. 107.

###

Positive feedback all the way from Germany!

I wanted to share a positive feedback for “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” from Hanni, a native German who lives in Munich:

“It truly amazed me to read such a positive book about love and family, and it seems to make one dreaming… Normally I don’t read fantasy so I don’t have much comparison with others in this genre. But I just liked it. Most (especially sophisticated) literature usually dwells on the negative sides of humanity and this was different. Fantastic job…”

Thank you, Hanni, for liking this book and for your kind words. It was my intent to do just that: dwell on what we can be as human beings, provide a vision for the families, and for a future that is different from what we have now. I understand that by exposing all of the ugliness that exists inside the human heart then there are no surprises. I get that. But I also believe that by focusing so much on the negative, almost exalting evil, a certain cynicism is generated along with a warped look on life.
This is not to say that life is easy, or as my dad used to put it: “Life is not a sea of roses.” “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” does not aspire to be the next Pollyanna, and it definitely does not portray life as a “sea of roses.” I cannot imagine experiencing the loss of a 3-year old child. And yet, that is what happens in our story. For the Kingsley’s family, life took a whole new meaning after that event. They never healed from the loss, but that pain heightened their awareness one of another, and whenever a contentious situation arose, they consciously opted to express kindness instead of irritation; a smile instead of a frown, and so on. I ask of the reader: if I don’t believe that a family like Grandpa Kingsley’s can exist on the earth, what kind of earth am I wanting to leave behind for the future generations? The challenge of “The Conjunction of the Realms” is to provoke the reader to dream and dream big, to think of what the future can be, rather than looking limitedly at how the present presents itself. I hope that more readers can say like Hanni: “…it seems to make one dreaming.”

“The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” can be purchased at Livre Press, Inc. in any digital format.

2013 © Juan Hernandez (used with permission). Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted without written authorization from Livre Press, Inc. or Juan Hernandez.

 

"O Boto Cor-de-Rosa" (The Pink Dolphin)

The pink dolphins are not cartoon characters nor are they to be compared with pink elephants. Well, they can be cartoon characters. In “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” the pink dolphins play a huge part in helping transport the humans to the world of imagination, but in the case of Paulo Cardoso or in our material world, they are real dolphins.

For those who have not yet read the book, Paulo Cardoso made a few documentaries on preservation projects in his homeland of Brazil. One of his films, titled in Portuguese, “O Boto Cor-de-Rosa,” featured Brazilian ecologists’ efforts to save the pink dolphins of the Amazon river, not only rare at the time but also endangered. For those who have never heard of these fresh water mammals, they are called Pink Amazon River Dolphins because of a light pink tinge in their almost white skin pigmentation. The ecological project, supported by Paulo’s documentary, gave birth to legends and stories that would educate the next generation of Brazilian children on the importance of preserving our earth’s interconnected systems. In fact, Paulo’s documentary was so successful that today he states with a sigh of relief that the pink dolphin has been removed from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Resources’ Red List of Endangered Species.

On one of his recent trips to the Amazon forest, Paulo shot a large amount of footage for his new documentary “The Encounter of the Waters.” The encounter of the waters is an unexplainable phenomena where the dark waters of the Negro river and the lighter muddy waters of the Solimões river first collide, then run parallel to each other without mixing for approximately six kilometers (or three and a half miles) and finally join together to form the great Amazon river. The trip required that Paulo contract a small helicopter to get some aerial shots where the contrasting colors of the rivers could be well depicted on screen. After being in the air for a couple of hours, Paulo joined his two-man crew on the small, motorized boat to travel up the Negro River towards Janauari, an ecological park filled with streams and lakes. Paulo, his cinematographer, and their assistant traveled in the small, motorized boat up the Negro River for almost a full day and finally arrived at the ecological park. To his utmost delight, a large pack of pink dolphins, larger than he had ever seen, was at play on the other side of the riverbed. A sight that would have been so rare in the early 1990’s was now more prominent, thanks to his and many others’ efforts to save the happy, playful creatures. Paulo motioned to his camera guy to document the beautiful aquatic ballet. A sighting such as this is simply extraordinary. Every piece of footage on the fresh water creatures is valuable and irreplaceable; Paulo captured every movement of the dolphins provoking each other to good fun while they splashed, jumped, and dove in the river waters innumerous times.

(I do not own the copyright for these images. If the rightful owner wishes to have them removed from this blog, please leave a reply below. Thank you!)

The Hobbit in real life?

(or in the case of "The Conjunction of the Realms, Part One" could it be “Laddy” in real life?)


Another one of Paulo Cardoso’s documentaries: the archaeological discovery of a very small humanoid-type, possibly a contemporary of humans, but supposedly now extinct. Or perhaps they are visible only with the mind’s eye.

Homo floresiensis (“Flores Man,” nicknamed “hobbit” and “Flo”) is a possible species, now extinct, in the genus Homo. The remains were discovered in 2004 on the island of Flores in Indonesia. Partial skeletons of nine individuals have been recovered, including one complete cranium (skull). These remains have been the subject of intense research to determine whether they represent a species distinct from modern humans, and the progress of this scientific controversy has been closely followed by the news media at large.

This hominin is remarkable for its small body and brain and for its survival until relatively recent times (possibly as recently as 12,000 years ago). Recovered alongside the skeletal remains were stone tools from archaeological horizons ranging from 94,000 to 13,000 years ago. The discoverers (archaeologist Mike Morwood and colleagues) proposed that a variety of features, both primitive and derived, identify these individuals as belonging to a new species, H. floresiensis, within the taxonomic tribe of Hominini. The discoverers also proposed that H. floresiensis lived contemporaneously with modern humans on Flores.

To find out more about this particular documentary and the other documentaries from Paulo Cardoso, please visit livrepress.net to purchase a copy of "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)."

The Legend of the Vitoria Regia

Paulo Cardoso is one of the characters in The Conjunction of the Realms series.  Paulo came from the southernmost parts of Brazil and arrived in Northern Ireland as an exchange student during secondary school. Upon graduating, he went to the University of Ulster to get a degree in film. Paulo now has his own film production company. His famous documentaries require constant travel throughout Europe, Africa, Indonesia, and mainly South America. One beautiful documentary by Paulo Cardoso reports on the Vitoria Regia, the most peculiar and largest water-lily in the world, indigenous to the Amazon region. The Vitoria Regias vary from one hundred and forty to one hundred and eighty centimeters or four to six feet in diameter, and can hold up to forty-five kilograms or one hundred pounds. A child can sit in the middle of the plant and neither the plant nor the child will sink. The Brazilian Indian tribe Tupi-Guarani has a legend explaining the origin of this unique water plant (to listen to the legend, instead of read it, you can go to SoundCloud®).

“It was said of the moon goddess, Iaci, that she was known for her majestic presence in the heavens inspiring young native women to fall in love. The legend also tells how the young women who loved and were loved the most, eventually became a shiny star, glamorizing the heavens with their brilliance. Naia, the chief’s daughter and princess of the Tupi tribe, became so enthralled with this legend that every full-moon night, she would climb the hills to be closer to heaven and cry out to Iaci, longing for love. One night, Naia looked down from the top of the hill and saw Iaci’s reflection on the waters of a calm lake, as if spending countless hours contemplating her own beauty. The splendor of that reflection convinced the young Indian that the moon had heard her cry and descended from heaven to bathe in the pristine lake. This was Naia’s chance to be closer than ever to Iaci, when she, too, could be stricken by love and be transformed into a bright, shiny star. In no time, the princess ran down the hill and threw herself into the illuminant waters, in hopes to touch the celestial being. The deeper she swam, the further she became from Iaci; eventually, Naia was overtaken by the waters and drowned to her death. Iaci, moved by the girl’s unfortunate tragedy, was unable to transform Naia into a star in heaven, so she transformed her into a different kind of star: the magnificent ‘Star of the Waters,’ also known as the Vitoria Regia. Thus was born the aquatic plant and its exquisite flower that only blooms during the full-moon, exuding unique, sweet perfume; the flower’s petals are first white to reflect the moonlight; the following morning, the petals turn pink and then red when they finally wither, after only three days.”

The lake from which the legend originates is to this day called “Mirror of the Moon,” and it is located near the Amazonas and Pará states border.

Another Positive Review

National Emmy Award winner Frank Radice, television producer and co-author of Random House’s pop-up book “Sam Katz on the Loose,” said:

“As an author of content for kids I know the difficulty of creating a world that is intriguing, engaging and fun. ‘The Conjunction of the Realms’ has achieved that goal, and gone way beyond, in both originality and beauty. It is a giant leap for the genre. This has great ‘Legs!’”
The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One) is available for sale at:

- Amazon.com
- Amazon.co.uk (currently discounted! Only £2.00)
- Barnes & Noble
- iBooks from Apple
- Kobo

You can also Like us on Facebook or follow Sandra Alex here on Twitter or on Google+.

Why Northern Ireland

Beginning October 10, 2013 and continuing for the next thirty days, “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” is being discounted on Amazon.co.uk.

Why is this promotion taking place in the United Kingdom and not in the United States?
When I started writing The Conjunction of the Realm’s first volume, I imagined the story to occur in a magical location, filled with beauty and mystique. A place where the existence of creatures from a different realm was still considered a possibility and bedtime stories never stopped being told; a place where forests, caves, and waterfalls could be found all around. Ireland was my first pick. There Leprechauns are as close to real as rainbows, and there just might be a pot of gold hiding somewhere. Then suddenly my focus shifted to Northern Ireland. Searching the internet, I stumbled upon Glenariff, the most beautiful of the nine Glens of Antrim, sometimes known as the Queen of all the glens. Besides Glenariff and Waterfoot, the cities of Belfast and Hillsborough became strategic locations for The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One). Later, with the advent of Google® Maps, I was able to virtually visit each one of these places and carefully examine them from my MacBook® Pro’s screen. I even had the strange experience of seeing one of these locations in my mind’s eye (Dark Hedges) before I knew it existed.

Northern Ireland also appealed to me because of The Troubles’ history in the late 1960’s, leading to the Bogside Massacre of 1972, or as it became famously known: “Bloody Sunday.” Yes, the same “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” sung by Bono and the U2 band. My heart had always gone out to the people of Northern Ireland. I imagined depicting this beautiful place filled with wonder, where the importance of relationships is paramount, and the love of family surpasses all remaining friction. I imagined my little book making an impact in the lives of those Northern Irish children and families, and eliminating any possibilities of future conflict. Quite the imagination I have, and yet, why put a limitation on it? Why not think big? I began writing, picturing myself in Glenariff, describing each location as best as I possibly could, knowing that since a conjunction of the realms was taking place in the Northern Ireland of my book, the reader would find some aspects from the realm of imagination superimposed on the current state of things, which some refer to as reality.

As if all of the above was not reason enough to have Northern Ireland be the perfect location for The Conjunction of the Realms, this next discovery was about to astound me. Writing Chapter 4, I came to a stand still and began questioning myself: “Why write a book? You’re not even a writer! Who do you think you are?” The wave of discouragement was so strong that it halted my writing for a couple of years. One day, while doing a research for Disney on the 2005 release of “Chronicles of Narnia,” I began studying the life of C.S. Lewis. The first sentence read: “Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland…” At that moment I knew it was no coincidence. The Conjunction of the Realms needed to be written. Thanks to C.S. Lewis and his inspiring legacy which has blessed and continues to bless children all over the world, my goal of blessing the children and the families of Northern Ireland grew stronger and stronger, enough to help me finish the first installment of the series.

More Positive Reviews for "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)"

Today I would like to post another positive review from Amazon.com and respond:

Fantasy: a Fun, Happy, Read with Depth September 14, 2013

By S. McMullen

Format:Kindle Edition

This book surprised me. I am not a fantasy genre fan but I enjoyed reading this book. It takes you on a journey between the real world with its beauty and wonder and the world of imagination. There is enough science fiction thrown in to make you buy into and consider alternate realities. Perhaps this alternate world has more truth in it than the world we think we live in.

Dear S. McMullen:

Thank you so much for your review. A lot of research went into The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One), to make it as believable as it can possibly be. Even the archeological findings of the homo floresienses, proving the existence of a newly discovered species with human characteristics but of a much smaller stature, served well to have readers ask the very question you did on your review: could this alternate world be true? I hope The Conjunction of the Realms series can inspire young and old to abandon for a moment this cynical world we live in and enjoy a magical and unforgettable adventure to the world of imagination.

All the best!

- Sandra Alex

The above image is copyrighted by Livre Press, Inc. and is not available for reproduction without written permission from the author. 

2013 © Livre Press, Inc.

 

Positive reviews for "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)"

It is not everyday that you fill your heart with courage to publish a book and a month later find amazing reviews posted by the readers. The next three blog posts will be devoted to these reviews, along with my comments.

This post came from Dream Detective on Amazon:

“dream detective” (Los Angeles, CA) – See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase (What’s this?)

This review is from: The Conjunction of the Realms (Part 1) (Kindle Edition)

The Conjunction of the Realms is quite unlike anything I have ever read, even though as a college literature instructor I have read hundreds of books considered to be in the genre of fantasy. At first, I was surprised that the writing was unabashedly non-formulaic, or expected. Before I could consider another question, I was caught into the intrigue of the magical characters and their world–which really is “the conjunction of realms” between a believable family in the 21st century and the many spirit creatures and understandings they encounter and interact with. The story line continues to broaden and draw you in, and what you will discover will both delight you and release your inner child to consider the possibilities of the world that we live in. The illustrations are winsome and lovely….I can’t wait for Part II!

Dear Dream Detective:

What an inspiring review! It is so encouraging to find out that you enjoyed the story and was caught in the conjunction of the two realms: imagination and our perceived reality. To portray a 21st century family was a huge part of the plot. Most magical stories have their origins in the past, so no wonder they are not believable. I wanted the readers everywhere to realize that the world of imagination is alive and well! And it is also very accessible. Anyone can go on an adventure. Thank you so much for your kind words, and if all goes well, Part Two will be released August 2014. All the best!

Sandra Alex 

The Legend of the Pink Dolphins

Occasionally Pink lake’s reflection looked pink, especially when the sunset and clouds’ positions were just right, but most likely the lake's name was inherited from the old legend of the pink dolphins. There was a time when dolphins played in those waters. The swimming mammals were exactly like the endangered species of fresh water dolphins found in the Amazon River; they are called Pink Amazon River Dolphins because of a light pink tinge in their almost white skin pigmentation. Many young men growing up in the Glenariff area, including Phil Kingsley, cringed at the thought of having to call the lake such a girly name.

Paulo Cardoso made a few documentaries on preservation projects in his homeland of Brazil. One of his films featured Brazilian ecologists’ efforts to save the endangered pink dolphins of the northern river.

Legend tells that these pink dolphins appeared in Northern Ireland in the early 1900’s. These were not ordinary animals, but creatures endowed with powers to communicate with humans and supernaturally carry them from the material world to the realm of imagination and back. Some say they used to live in Pink lake at a time when fairies and gnomes and other creatures of the sort were visible to the human eye.

To find out more about the endangered pink dolphins and their adventures with the Kingsley family on Pink lake, you can download "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" ebook in the U.S. on Amazon.com or Kobo.com, in Canada on Amazon.ca, and in the U.K. on Amazon.co.uk.

2013 © Livre Press, Inc.

Copyright © 2013 by Livre Press, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part not authorized without author's written permission.

The Various Types of Gnomes: 5. The Scandinavian Brothers

The two comedic gnomes who complete each other’s sentences, Barbegazi and Vatir, are from Scandinavia. They dress like the peasants of Villands Vånga and wear oversized wooden clogs. Villands Vånga is the name of a very small Swedish farm town.
To find about more about Barbegazi and Vatir, and their adventures with the Kingsley family, you can buy “The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)” on Amazon.com and on Kobo.com.

2013 © Livre Press, Inc.

2013 © Livre Press, Inc. All rights reserved. No duplication in whole or in part without written authorization from the publisher.

Koalani, the Detective Nixie

Koalani was  a beautiful nixie, even considering her bright green hair and green teeth. She wore skirts  made of rose petals, and a blouse of interwoven seaweeds; mother-of-pearl jewelry adorned her necks and wrists. Although they carry the same powers as the fairies and exhibit many of the same characteristics, nixies are actually water fairies, abiding mostly in fresh water lakes or in the rivers.

Koalani grew up hearing detective stories from Shannia’s grandfather, Watson. Murder mysteries from the past intrigued her. For those who don’t already know, Watson was the gnome in England who inspired a legendary Scottish writer from the late 1800′s to write stories about a pipe-smoking, magnifying-lens carrying, cap-hat and cape-wearing detective.

To find about more about the Koalani, Shannia and Roxy, and their adventures with the Kingsley family, you can buy "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" on Amazon.com.

 
2013 © Livre Press, Inc. All rights reserved. No duplication in whole or in part without written authorization from the publisher.

The Various Types of Gnomes: Half-Chilean-dwarf and half-menehune

Kon-Tiki

Kon-Tiki was born of a Chilean dwarf mother and a Polynesian Menehune father. His parents faced quite the controversy in their day when gnomes did not intermingle with dwarves; the fruit of their union, however, was the extremely intelligent, witty, exotic and adventuresome Kon-Tiki. He grew up to be quite the character, friendly to all, with a warped sense of humor that he still possesses.

To find about more about Kon-Tiki and his adventures with the Kingsley family, you can buy "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" on Amazon.com.

2013 © Livre Press, Inc. All rights reserved. No duplication in whole or in part without written authorization from the publisher.

The Various Types of Gnomes: 3. The Menehunes

Another group of gnomes, those responsible for the beaches, the dunes, the valleys and the Pali in the Pacific Islands are the Menehunes. These incredibly smart creatures each perform duties related to their respective area. It is said that Menehunes sailed from New Guinea to the Marquesas Islands, continued their voyages to Easter Island between Tahiti and the coast of South American Chile, and later arrived in Hawaii. To this day man cannot explain how the legendary structures found in Easter Island or the fishpond wall at Niumalu on the mountains of Kauai were constructed. Many believe that humans could not have built some of these ancient sites.

Some believe that the Menehunes have left Hawaii and moved on to Tahiti and then New Zealand. Even though gnomes live in a realm not visible to the human eye, a realm that is not bound by physical distance, there is documented proof that Menehunes can still be seen with the mind’s eye at isolated sites in Maui and in Kauai.

To find about more about the Menehunes and their adventures with the Kingsley family, you can buy "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" on Amazon.com.

2013 © Livre Press, Inc. All rights reserved. No duplication in whole or in part without written authorization from the publisher.

The Various Types of Gnomes: 2. The Saci Pererê

Some gnomes are pranksters, like the mythical Saci Pererê who lives only in the Brazilian folkloric legends. Commonly known as Saci, this one-legged little dark child smokes a pretend pipe and wears a red cap. His red cap gives him magical powers such as being able to appear and disappear. Saci is famous in Brazil for startling people and playing pranks. One of his favorite pranks is to braid horses’ tails at night. Those who find their horses with braided tails in the morning know that Saci has been there, playing with the animals. He also loves to jump into small whirlwinds and spin, but don’t get him near the water. Saci Pererê can’t stand being in the smallest brook or the largest river. Ironically, he lives near the Amazon River.

To find about more about Saci Pererê and his adventures with the Kingsley family, you can buy "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" on Amazon.com.

2013 © Livre Press, Inc. All rights reserved. No duplication in whole or in part without written authorization from the publisher.