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.

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.

The Various Types of Gnomes: 1. The Leprechauns

Gnomes are responsible for watching over the forests, the beaches, the dunes, the deserts, the mountains, and all the animal creatures that inhabit them. The guardians of the forests in Ireland are the Leprechauns. They are well known for their intelligence, craftsmanship and humor. Their humor was always present—gnomes find most situations funny—but ever since the Leprechauns learned to drink Irish beer from the humans and began producing their own home-brew poteen, belly-laugh attacks surged throughout the community. A laugh attack is synonymous to uncontrollable laughter; a belly-laugh attack is the same thing but “boisterous.” Because of laughter’s highly contagious nature, the Leprechauns’ humor is, to this day, at an all-time high. They are about twenty-two inches tall, or fifty-six centimeters, and live in small cottages usually located at the foot of large oak or elm trees.

To find about more about Leprechauns, 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.

Preface for "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)"

I decided to add here the Preface for "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" so that those who wish to read it have an idea of the some of the topics this book covers. It is a kids' book, but hopefully the fantasy genre will intrigue parents and grandparents who are determined to create a better world for the next generation. When you see Phil Kingsley mentioned, please know that he is a father and a grandfather. He will lead you along with his family on a thrilling adventure to the world of imagination.

To buy this book, please click here.

Preface

One of the reasons why I envisioned the adventures of the Kingsley family—who they are and what that they do—was to take you on a journey to the realm of imagination. Although the existence of the realms can be a debatable subject among many, much less a “conjunction” of the realms, the world of imagination is there for you and me to construct. People reading this book will find a piece of themselves in it, because imagination and creativity live inside all of us. You don’t need to have special powers or be magical. It is available to anyone who dares to believe.

Besides imagination, there is another reason why this book was written: for families. The most important aspect of the entire book is the love that binds families together; blood families or families of the heart.

A family filled with love will be unstoppable, like Phil Kingsley’s family. For those who do not have a blood family, I challenge you to choose your family of the heart—those who love you for who you are and are there for you through thick and thin. Families of the heart are as real as blood families because love is what binds us together!

The wisest man to walk the earth once said that love is as strong as death. I’d say it’s stronger! Not even death can put love asunder. Does that mean that the end of death can come about when love grows that strong? I put that one before you and ask: why not?

Sandra Alex

January 28, 2013

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

Writing for Preteens brought back memories of being eight-years old

When I started The Conjunction of the Realms, since I was writing for preteens, my memories brought me back to the time when I was eight. I began missing my family in Rio de Janeiro. We were three kids living with our parents in a very small Copacabana apartment. Every night our dad would come to the tiny room where the three of us were laying in bed, and would tell us original and hilarious stories. Sometimes, when he was really tired, he would just say—and I will attempt to translate from the Portuguese: “Once there was a cat named Lee who let out a fart for you three.” And leave the room. The three of us would be there whining, complaining, hoping he would come back and tell us a real story. It never worked. Not once.

For my 9th birthday, he asked me what I wanted. "The entire Disney collection with all the cartoon characters, and the entire Jules Vernes collection." I was hungry to read! We were not rich. Such collections would have cost him a fortune. Instead, he went through the trouble of finding an original Adventures of Donald Duck book and a hard copy of Twenty Leagues Under the Sea, both translated into Portuguese. It wasn’t a collection, but those two books were the best birthday present ever. My love for reading began to flourish. In that same year, I went on to read the entire Monteiro Lobato collection, the kids' Bible, The Indian Anhangüera, and other great pieces of Brazilian literature. "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" has a slight literary resemblance to some of these authors. I would not dare compare me to any of them, but rather thank them for their inspiration and originality.

The second reason why I wrote a book...

The second reason for this book: when I began writing, I wanted to reveal a world where neither children nor adults needed to have special magical powers to accomplish great feats. In other words, I wanted to unlock the power of imagination that lives inside each one of us. The Conjunction of the Realms introduces the young reader to a place where those who live in the realm of imagination and those who live in the world of humans can interact and go on adventures together to solve mysteries, defeat enemies, and create new worlds together. If, after reading this book, a young adult embarks on a journey of discovery to unveil mysteries, or seeks to better understand and know the invisible intelligence that has created us, or realizes that the creativity that lives in us came from the creator of all things, and that nothing is impossible to those who believe, then my second goal for writing this book will have been accomplished. Imagination and creativity are gifts that every human being is endowed with from their creator. I hope that "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" provokes the youth of our world to not believe in limitations, to not ever second guess themselves, and to know that each one is destined for a great future, one that they can create with their imagination, one that will be free from the tentacles of evil and perversion.

TCOTR's First Review and Viewers Also Bought...

I didn't think that my little eBook would be so quickly spread on Amazon.com's site, but it is picking up momentum. What a thrill!

It got one five-star review today, and it is on the first page of recommendations with the book "The Case for Christ," by Lee Strobel, which has sold over a million copies.  I am attaching the pictures to prove it.

The review read:

"This book is awesome. Great for all ages, children all the way to grandparents. It is a fun adventure story about all sorts of creatures and the battle between good and evil. It is a very good read and I would recommend it to anyone."

"The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)"

"The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" is finally published

On August 3, 2013, the first edition of The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One) was published. To put it simply, it is a thrilling adventure to the world of imagination for the whole family to read together or for those coming of age to enjoy reading on their own. I thought it would be a huge accomplishment after ten years of writing, re-writing, seeking for an illustrator, designing covers. Except... my work has just now started. Now I get to switch hats for a while and begin the marketing campaign for this book, which is currently available only on Amazon.

On December 1, 2013, iBooks and Barns & Noble will carry it as well. I will definitely post it here.

Easter Island Map

I found this map of Easter Island on Wikipedia. It is amazingly detailed with all of the locations outlined. Hanga Roa is where most ships and boats dock. Ahu Tahai, mentioned in "The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)", is close to it. There are five moai on that particular Ahu. The following picture depicts it well. One of them is mostly defaced.

Finished Writing, Now Off to Edit, Illustrate and Publish!

On July 19, 2012, I finished the first book of an upcoming trilogy that will soon become known to many. In 2003, my daughter and I started to put together ideas, name characters, create a world. She was 11 at the time. We wrote the first few chapters together. As time went by, she grew out of our book and became interested in less childish themes.

Nine years later, after going through writing dry spells, it is written. There are approximately ten people reading it right now for the readers' evaluation phase. In the mean time, I have met with a book cover designer and am looking for an editor. The illustrations are few. One of my friends showed interest in coming up with some of the characters and scenes. If he can do it, that will be a dream come true.

After this first book is edited, my goal is to e-publish it on three platforms: iBooks, Amazon and Barnes & Nobles' Nook, and translate it into Portuguese for a Brasil release. Depending on the amount of sales from the electronic world, a paper version may materialize.

The truth is that I am not even a formal writer. English is my second language, but it has been a dream of mine since age sixteen--way back in the stone age--to write a fictional book that depicted how families interact in an environment filled with magic and dreams.

Below is the family that started it all: Laddy, his wife Lynda, their kids Lyle, Lilly and Cousin George. For now, I will leave it at that... as time goes by, this blog will become a place where I can discuss with all of the readers more about the first book, and give hints, sometimes spoilers, on the second one of the trilogy which is now underway.

Hopefully, this enchanted world that my daughter and I created will become a place where we can all unlimitedly visit with our thoughts and witness the triumph of light over darkness, love over hatred, life over death.