12 Authors of Christmas Present Fiona Ingram and her Chronicles of Stone Series

The 12 Authors of Christmas and Carpinello’s Writing Pages proudly showcase Fiona Ingram and Book I of the Chronicles of Stone series Book 1: The Secret of the Sacred Scarab. Fiona shares with readers her plans for the series and offers all who comment a copy of The Young Explorer’s Companion to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab.

Fiona, please give us a summary of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab:

The story is about two local heroes who are catapulted into an international adventure: two young South African boys, Justin and Adam Sinclair (aged just-turned-13 and 12-going-on-13 respectively), who visit Egypt with their Aunt Isabel and their grandmother. They are given an ancient scarab by mistake (or is it?) and are plunged into an incredible adventure, escaping death, giant cobras, desert sands, and evil villains in their quest to discover the secret of the sacred scarab, find the long lost tomb of the legendary Scarab King, and rescue the missing archeologist James Kinnaird.

How does the series unfold?

After their adventure in Egypt, it is inevitable that Justin and Adam embark on a series of journeys to locate the remaining Six Stones of Power that have been scattered and lost throughout the ancient world. Adam as the bearer of the sacred scarab, the first stone, has somehow been chosen, and marked with a birthmark in the shape of the ankh sign, the Egyptian sign of life, and it is a role he cannot escape. Adam has mixed feelings about this role. He had so badly wanted to be different, and now that the opportunity is thrust upon him, is not sure he is up to the task. His cousin Justin fulfills his part as helper, friend, and protector, even though he wrestles with natural feelings of jealousy and inadequacy – after all, why wasn’t he chosen?

These ancient stones, having been set as fine jewels, would obviously have been destined for the hands of rulers, either as weapons or decorations of office. The First Stone of Power has been found and is drawing the others towards it. Each stone carries a particular history with it, relating to the place where it is discovered. For example: the sacred scarab belonged to the Egyptian Scarab King; the second stone was set in a sword, which finally ended up in the hands of Arthur, Dark Age warrior and hero-king of Britain. Each stone is almost frozen in time, its place of discovery being the last place it ended up before being lost. The boys discover a strange inscription and a picture in Book Two that helps them create a spiritual and physical map for what faces them.

The series sounds fascinating. Do you mind telling us the titles for the rest of the books?

No, not at all. At the present time, these are the titles and where the stories take place:

Book 2 - The Search for the Stone of Excalibur - Britain (On sale soon.)
Book 3 - The Temple of the Crystal Time Keeper - Mexico’s Jungles
Book 4 - The Cabal of the Orobouros - France
Book 5 - The Eye of the Indian Idol - India
Book 6 - The Curse of the Cup of Jamshid - Turkey
Book 7 - The Sign of the Seventh Crown – Africa (finale)

These are all places rich in legend, mystery, history, and mythology.

Now, I’ve just finished reading The Young Explorer's Companion to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab: The Official Illustrated Guide to Chronicles of the Stone Book 1. It’s such an entertaining companion to Book 1. I loved all the Egyptian history, mythology, and activities for kids. Plus, you’ve included the opening chapters to Books 2 and 3! Are you going to publish a Young Explorer’s Companion to each of the books?

Yes, that is my plan. It’s taken me quite a while to pull all the information together, but I believe it will make the adventures in the series more real for readers.

And for your readers, I am offering (in PDF format) The Young Explorer’s Companion for Book 1 free to all who leave a comment. If readers respond to this post and leave their email with a comment, we’ll delete that before posting the comment. That way their copy of the Companion Book can be on its way quicker.

Want your copy of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab today?

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See The Young Explorer’s Companion to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab here:

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Don't forget to leave a comment on this post with your email address in it for your FREE pdf copy of The Young Explorer’s Companion to The Secret of the Sacred Scarab. (We will not publish or keep your email address.)

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is one of the 30 books in the 12 Authors of Christmas Giveaway! Enter here:

 

Welcome to the fantastic 12 Authors of Christmas seasonal giveaway and blog tour!

 

Our busy Book Elves are giving away a total of 30 prizes of books suitable for Middle Grade readers - age roughly 8 to 14 - although a lot of adults enjoy them too!

Who are the Authors on tour?

All these authors are interviewing each other, reviewing each others' books and more in the Giveaway blog tour starting 1st December. Click the links to go to their websites and find out more about them, and check out their books in the InLinkz list below.

Jemima Pett: the Princelings of the East series (1st, 11th and 18th December)

M G King: Fizz & Peppers at the Bottom of the World (2nd and 10th December)

Fiona Ingram: The Secret of the Sacred Scarab (3rd and 12th December)

Wendy Leighton-Porter: The Shadows from the Past series (4th and 14th December)

Stanley and Katrina (Pet Authors): The Perpetual Papers of a Pack of Pets (5th and 17th December)

Ben Zackheim: Shirley Link, ace detective series (6th and 19th December)

Rebecca Douglass: The Ninja Librarian and Return to Skunk Corners (7th and 16th December)

Cheryl Carpinello: The Young Knights of the Round Table series (8th and 13th December)

S Smith: The Seed Savers series (9th and 18th December)

Julie Grasso: Caramel Cardamom series (11th and 22nd December)

Paul R Hewlett: Lionel's Grand Adventure series (16th and 20th December)

S W Lothian: the Quest series (tba)

 

Check out all these books!

Now Enter the Giveaway!

You could win a prize from one of these authors. Most are offering one or two books from their series: if you've already got the first, they may offer you a different one if you win. The prizes are as detailed on the rafflecopter form.  
Contest runs: December 1st to 23rd, 11:59 pm EST, 2013  
Open: Worldwide  
How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.  
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Winners 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 until 28th Dec. to respond. If the winner does not respond in that time, a new draw will take place for a new winner. No cash alternatives to the ebooks offered. Authors may (at their sole discretion) offer a different ebook from that listed if the winner already owns the prize listed. 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 the authors named and is hosted and managed by Jemima Pett, the Princelings author. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to jemima (dot) pett (at) gmail (dot) com.
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet Fiona Ingram, Award-Winning Children's Author

Please welcome children's author Fiona Ingram to Carpinello's Writing Pages. I met Fiona about two years ago after reading her book Secret of the Sacred Scarab. We discovered that our writing interests are similar - ancient Egypt and the Legendary King Arthur. Fiona and I share writing tips, marketing ideas, and plan to team up in 2013 for an exciting joint marketing venture when her next book The Search for the Stone of Excalibur is published.


Fiona, please tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a South African children’s author. Up until a few years ago, I was a journalist and editor. Something rather unexpected sparked my new career as an author—a family trip to Egypt with my mother and two young nephews. We had a great time and I thought I’d write them a short story as a different kind of souvenir…. Well, one book and a planned book series later, I had changed careers. I am well into the third book in my MG adventure series Chronicles of the Stone, with a movie option signed for Book One (The Secret of the Sacred Scarab), and the editing process under way for Book Two (The Search for the Stone of Excalibur). 




Why did you pick to write books for MG?


My two nephews who inspired the young heroes of my story were 10 and 12 at the time. Their excitement, their wonder, and amazement at everything we saw in Egypt opened my eyes to the magical age of middle graders. They still believe in the incredible possibilities of life, and their viewpoint is refreshing and enchanting.  


What types of books do you like to read?


I read just about anything but I’m not keen on chick lit (I find it improbable) and (I confess) Young Adult because the main characters are usually intensely self-absorbed. I love detective, mystery, historical, and archaeological thrillers. I also enjoy political thrillers and 19th century writers.


When you are not writing, what do you like to do?


I feel so guilty when I am not writing—it’s like having permanent homework—that I keep finding excuses to get back to the computer. However, I love movies, musical and dance theatre, actually any kind of shows, travel, art, reading, enjoying my beautiful home and my pets. Lest I forget, dining out only at restaurants that have the best desserts in town.


The Secret of the Sacred Scarab has proven to be an award-winning story. Tell us about it.

As I mentioned earlier, my writing career veered sharply in another direction after my trip to Egypt. It started off as a short story for my two nephews and then just grew into a book, another book idea, and finally a series. It was impossible to save the world in one book! The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is a middle grade children’s adventure, filled with action, mystery, history (yes!), geography, archaeology, and all the kind of hands-on/solving clues stuff kids love. The story is a thrilling adventure for two young boys, whose fun trip to Egypt turns into a dangerously exciting quest to uncover an ancient and mysterious secret.

My book has also done me proud in Book Awards and various contests.

• 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
• 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

What other books have you written?


I wonder if I should confess now to having written historical romance novels under my pseudonym Arabella Sheraton. I love Regency novels, and am a huge fan of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. One day my mother (who sadly passed away just recently) said she thought I could also write a romance, and that I should try. She was a Mills & Boon addict. I said, OK, and produced my first novel, which was (amazingly) snapped up by a fabulous publisher. Thereafter, they commissioned more. I have written four Regency romances with a Valentine novella and another full-length novel contracted. You can find the first two books on Amazon. The others will be available shortly. 


What’s next for your MG writing? Are you working on a new story?


I am halfway through The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper in The Chronicles of the Stone series. Of course, I am at the point where I absolutely have to take a trip there. My young heroes have crashed into the Mexican jungle and have been rescued by an uncontacted tribe as they search for the Third Stone of Power. All very dangerous and lots of fun.


What advice do you have for other authors?


I love this question and always give the same answer:

Never give up.

Make sure your writing meets the industry standards - i.e. get it professionally edited. 

Tell someone about your book every day. Word of mouth is the best advertising.


Share with us your journey as a writer.


It has been an incredible journey and not without its dark and dreary moments. Living in South Africa affords very few good opportunities for publishing. Hence my decision to find a publisher in the USA. That too has its drawbacks—I can’t do as much as I would like with book readings etc. But the benefit of the Internet has proved itself! I have found that through blogging, tweeting, Facebook, and other online means, I have been able to build up a good author profile. 


Anything else you want readers to know?


Just that my greatest ambition is to write a detective novel, since I enjoy them so much, and I hope one day I can work out an intricate plot that will keep everyone guessing to the last page!
 


And now a glimpse into The Secret of the Sacred Scarab.

A 5000-year-old mystery comes to life when 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 survive terrifying dangers in a hostile environment (such as a giant cobra, as well as sinking sand), pursued by enemies in their quest to solve the secret of the sacred scarab. 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. They must also learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor. With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another! 


My Review of The Secret of the Sacred Scarab.


This was the second time I've read Fiona's book, but that didn't lessen the excitement. Instead, I found myself talking to the boys, trying to warn them, much like I would do each time I re-read Romeo and Juliet with my freshmen students!

The mystery and excitement that is Egypt will hook young readers from the start. Adam and Justin are characters that are easy to relate to as each exhibit the qualities of caution and rashness. Don't we all. When one is ready to race onward, the other puts the brakes on. 

The ancient settings of Egypt are always intriguing and add to the mysery of the boys' journey. Fiona's first-hand knowledge of these sites puts readers right there beside Adam and Justin.

Lots of twists and turns round out this award-winning story.


Links for Fiona and her books:


Author Site: http://www.FionaIngram.com 
Blog: http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com 
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/fiona.robyn.ingram 
Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/fiona_ingram 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FionaRobyn 
Book website: http://www.secretofthesacredscarab.com     

Amazon Kindle 

Amazon Paperback