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."

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.

Why I wrote a book...

"The Conjunction of the Realms (Part One)" began when my husband, my daughter, and I would sit together in her little room making up magical stories. Those were treasured moments. There were times, however, when neither of us could think of a story. We were tired after working long hours in our startup business, our brains were fried, our imagination was not at its peak. That’s when I began to envision The Conjunction of the Realms. A story so magical and filled with adventures, that parents could read a little bit every night with their kids and live treasured moments of their own. Or those coming of age could read by themselves and feel like they were surrounded by the love of family, even when they were alone. If my books can create these precious moments and bring families together, then I will have accomplished one of my goals.