What Inspired Book 2: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur!

Charming Oxford!

Before I started writing I used to wonder what inspired writers, where did their ideas come from, what could have sparked their story. Interestingly, and something many people already know, my first book The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, was sparked by a family trip to Egypt with my mom and my two young nephews. When I’d written the story of my young heroes’ adventures, I realised they hadn’t had time to save the world yet. Another adventure was needed. But what and where could they go? Like many people I am sure, I am a huge Arthurian fan. I then happened to accompany a relative on a tour of Scotland’s castles, but before we went off to discover them, we stopped off at Oxford, England, also a favourite city of mine.

Scotland was marvellous and I came back with all sorts of images and ideas floundering around in my head, but nothing concrete. By then I’d decided my adventure had to include King Arthur and his famed sword Excalibur (where perhaps one would find a Stone of Power embedded in the hilt?), and I so loved Oxford that I had to somehow have my young heroes go there as well. But how was I to marry all these elements together? I am a big Inspector Morse fan and one night I watched an episode called The Wolvercote Tongue, a story about the discovery of a Dark Ages artefact, a jewelled belt buckle, and it involved the Ashmolean Museum (also a favourite!). I woke up in the middle of the night with the plot of The Search for the Stone of Excalibur complete in my head. Of course you’ll have to read the book to enjoy the story, but here’s a little teaser.

Continuing the adventure that began in Egypt a few months prior in The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair are hot on the trail of the second Stone of Power, one of seven ancient stones lost centuries ago. This stone might be embedded in the hilt of a newly discovered sword that archaeologists believe belonged to King Arthur: Excalibur. However, their long-standing enemy, Dr. Khalid, is following them as they travel to Scotland to investigate an old castle. Little do they know there is another deadly force, the Eaters of Poison, who have their own mission to complete. Time is running out as the confluence of the planets draws closer. Can Justin and Adam find the second Stone of Power and survive?

Fairytale Dunrobin Castle

Somehow I managed to find space for not only the museum, but also the prettiest castle in Scotland, Dunrobin Castle, which fitted the bill perfectly for the old castle in the book. I had visited and already decided to squeeze in the best ruined chapel around, Rosslyn Chapel, just filled with incredible and mysterious architecture. I am still amazed at what inspires a writer, be it an image, an event, a place, an experience.

Mysterious Rosslyn Chapel

 

If you’re looking for more adventures, then please visit The Quest Books, where Middle Grade authors Cheryl Carpinello, Wendy Leighton-Porter and I have teamed up to offer readers an array of exciting quests. Sign up for our monthly newsletter with exciting exclusive material and get your choice of any e-book on the site FREE!

 

 

Book Blast: The Chronicles of the Stone

Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the middle grade adventure series "The Chronicles of the Stone" by Fiona Ingram.

Book 2 "The Search for the Stone of Excalibur" is available for FREE from Amazon (e-copy) between November 18 to 20, 2015.

 

About the Books

Book 1: The Secret of the Sacred Scarab

Title: The Secret of the Sacred Scarab

Author: Fiona Ingram

Publication Date: December 30, 2008

Publisher: iUniverse

Pages: 272

Recommended Age: 10+

Amazon (U.S. Print) * Amazon (U.S. Kindle)

Book Depository * Barnes & Noble

 

Summary: In this exciting Middle Grade adventure set in Egypt, a 5000-year-old mystery comes to life. A scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger. Dr. Khalid wants the relic at all costs. Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them. They learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor. They must translate the hieroglyphic clues on the underside of the scarab, as well as rescue the missing archaeologist James Kinnaird, and their friend, the Egyptologist Ebrahim Faza, before time runs out!

Awards:

• Finalist Children's Fiction USA Next Generation 2009 Indie Book Awards
• Finalist Juvenile Fiction USA National Best Books 2009 Awards
• Winner Pre-Teen USA 2009 Readers' Favorites Awards
• Number 2 in the USA Children's & Teens Book Connection Top Ten Favourite Books of 2009 for Kids, Tweens & Teens
• Winner Silver Medal Teen Fiction 2010 Nautilus Book Awards
• Finalist Children's Fiction 2010 International Book Awards
• Winner Bronze Medal Pre-Teen Fiction 2010 Moonbeam Book Awards
• Finalist 2011 Rubery Book Awards
• Winner Gold Award Mystery Pre-Teen 2011 Children's Literary Classics Awards
• 2nd Place in the 2011 YA Sharpwrit Book Awards
• Winner Gold medal 2013 Wise Bear Book Awards

   

 

Book 2: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur

Title: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur (The Chronicles of the Stone, Book 2) Author: Fiona Ingram Publication Date: October 6, 2014 Publisher: The Educational Publisher / Biblio Publishing Pages: 376 Recommended Ages: 10+

GRAB A COPY FOR FREE FROM AMAZON - Nov 18 to 20, 2015

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Goodreads

  Summary: A modern-day adventure as our protagonists search for Excalibur and the treasures it holds! Continuing the adventure that began in Egypt a few months prior in The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair are hot on the trail of the second Stone of Power, one of seven ancient stones lost centuries ago. This stone might be embedded in the hilt of a newly discovered sword that archaeologists believe belonged to King Arthur: Excalibur. However, their long-standing enemy, Dr. Khalid, is following them as they travel to Scotland to investigate an old castle. Little do they know there is another deadly force, the Eaters of Poison, who have their own mission to complete. Time is running out as the confluence of the planets draws closer. Can Justin and Adam find the second Stone of Power and survive? And why did Aunt Isabel send a girl with them? Join Justin and Adam as they search not only for the second Stone of Power, but also for the Scroll of the Ancients, a mysterious document that holds important clues to the Seven Stones of Power. As their adventure unfolds, they learn many things and face dangers that make even their perils in Egypt look tame. And how annoying for them that their tag-along companion, Kim, seems to have such good ideas when they are stumped. Awards:

• 2015 Children’s Literary Classics Award Seal of Approval and finalist
• 2015 Children’s Literary Classic Silver Medal (Pre-teen & Tween)

 

The Buzz About "The Chronicles of the Stone"

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab:

"Wow! That was an action-packed story! I loved how Ms. Ingram just dove right into the story. From the time that Adam is given the scarab to the time that Adam and Justin return home, there is non-stop action. Through Ms. Ingram’s fantastic writing skills, I was able to visualize all of the events as they were occurring. I can totally see the story in this book transformed into a screenplay for the big screen. I think it’s a fabulous story filled with mystery, intrigue, and action." ~ Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

"Author Fiona Ingram mixes history and legends in this fast action adventure that keeps you reading till the very end. The characters are cleverly written. Young readers can easily step into the shoes of these two cousins and experienced this exciting adventure that takes you into the heart of Egypt. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery..." ~ 5-Star review from Coffee Ramblings "Billy", Amazon (US)

"This story ROCKED! It was exciting, action-filled, adventurous and history filled book! It pretty much had everything me (as a boy) would want in a book - danger, mystery, legends, exciting setting, myths and much more. The story was written really well and it kept me reading page after page. I really liked the simple pencil illustrations in the book. I liked the characters of Justin and Adam. They were both nice, smart and brave. The book has no bad language or graphic violence in it..." ~ Tween Review, Erik @ This Kid Reviews Books

The Search for the Stone of Excalibur:

"The Search for the Stone of Excalibur is an enthralling sequel to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab and features strong character development; an exciting, action-filled adventure; an unpredictable plot featuring many twists and turns; and many interesting and educational historical facts seeking to clarify Arthurian legend and folklore." ~ Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews

"Character development is the key to the story, and the dialogue is snappy... If there are young reluctant readers in your family, this might just be the kick they need to get over that hump. (5 Stars)" ~ Lit Amri, Readers Favorite

"Fiona Ingram has once again taken myth and legend and blended it into an exciting page turner. The mystery will keep the reader on the edge of their seats as they follow the cousins in their search for clues in old books and on the grounds of a Scottish castle. The story is well told and is suitable for tweens and up. (5 stars)" ~ K. Springs, Amazon

 

About the Author: Fiona Ingram

Fiona Ingram is the author of the middle grade adventure series The Chronicles of the Stone, which includes the multi award winning The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, and soon to be published The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

     

** Book Blast Giveaway **

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Giveaway ends: December 2, 11:59 pm, 2015 Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Fiona Ingram and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

How Much Do You Know About Ancient Egypt?

Readers who've been following my Middle Grade adventure books will know I love including history, geography and archaeology in my books and that requires a huge amount of research. Sadly, one can never put all that information into a story, but the writer needs to know all the facts about a location, a period in history, and sometimes a few famous people of the era if they're going to produce a well researched book.

One of my very first books as a child was Ancient Egypt, a Time Life series book. Can you believe it? From the link you can see it 's still in print! I loved this book; I loved everything I read about ancient Egypt. Maybe that's why it was so easy for me to start writing a book for kids after my trip there with my mom and my two nephews.

Mom, me (behind), "Adam" (green T-shirt), "Justin" (blue T-shirt)

Most people have, at some time or other, either studied ancient Egypt at school, or know stuff because of their own reading interests. Here's a quick quiz to test how much you know about ancient Egypt.

1.      Name the great river that runs through Egypt.

2.      Name the capital of Egypt.

3.      Name the process used to prepare the bodies for death in ancient Egypt.

4.      What is a Sarcophagus?

5.      What is the name of Egyptian writing?

6.      What did the ancient Egyptians write on?

7.      The people who did the writing had a special name or title?

8.      What is the name of the most famous pharaoh?

9.       Can you name one Egyptian god?

10.  What is Egypt most famous for?

11.  Name any three animals you’ll find in Egypt.

12.  What sort of environment will you find in Egypt?

13.  What is a scarab and what does it do?

 

 

I'd love to see how many readers get all the answers right so to add a little incentive, I'm giving away a few e-books to those who get all the answers right. You can put your answers in the comments box, or, if you're not keen on that, email me directly at fiona@fionaingram.com - looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Book 1: The Secret of the Sacred Scarab and Book 2: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur are both available on Amazon and other book sites.