Tree of Bone and Mist By: Melissa E. Beckwith

Tree of Bone and Mist

The Sword of Rhiannon Series

By: Melissa E. Beckwith

The cover of this book is totally awesome, and it goes along with the book exceedingly well. I can totally see the characters on the cover, just as I imagined them. And the two fit perfectly together.

However, I did want to mention something I discovered on Amazon with the listing of this book. It has asterisks and has stated that this book has been previously published as: “The Empress of Ventra.” Therefore, I wanted to put that in here, as a heads up.

Rhiannon Kossi is the main character in this book, and she feels that she has been lied to all through her childhood. Why does she feel this way? Because she is suffering from these nightmares, that keep calling to her, and wanting her attention.

Rhiannon was living on a nice secluded cattle ranch in Montana, where she dealt with the nightmarish memories of wonder.

Until one day she gets forced into a new World where violence forces her to fight to survive. Nothing like she expected, she is forced to discover truths about herself, and try to survive.

Through the discovery of prophecy, legends and worlds and truths, Rhiannon even manages to find forbidden love, as she discovers herself along the way. 

Rhiannon is forced to learn rights and wrongs, and see the light of day through passageways, wants, desires, needs, survival, and discovery.

The descriptions of the World, the people, the life, the needs, and everything throughout this book was just so powerful, it was like you are right there. And the characters are just so unique, not the everyday characters. I like that the elven characters are seemingly a more specific kind, that makes them unique from any other.

This book was truly a five-star enjoyable read. I loved every minute of it, through and through. It was fascinating clear to the end! Definitely an enjoyable read!

Here are my questions for Melissa:

1. What made you write this book and how long did it take you?

Well, unbelievably this story started as a dream I had a long time ago…maybe 15 years ago.  I started to think about the dream a little more and then it just started to grew into this huge plot with characters I could see in my head.  I had to get out.

2. Do you have any photos or descriptions of the characters?

Well, as a race, the Archigos have always looked to me like Native American warriors.  Flath is Suen so he’s of fair skin with blonde hair—his mismatched eyes just came to me one day.  I’ve always thought women of color were incredibly beautiful and graceful so the Forest Folk, or elven race, have characteristics of people of color.  It was important to have diversity in my books.  I’m so sick of the default, standard white people in fantasy books.

3. Did you put yourself into any of the characters?

As writers, I think we all do to some extent.  I guess the character I most closely identify with is Rhiannon.  Who wouldn’t want to be whisked away from their boring, mundane life into another world full of mystery and wonder only to find out you’re an empress?

4. Which one of the characters is your favorite?

Wow, that’s hard to answer.  I love Tim, he’s so brave and innocent.  But I have a soft spot for Shih ‘Ni—who shows up in book two.

5. What are you working on now?

The third book in the Sword of Rhiannon series (Sword of Stone) is going through the final edits and will be going live next week.  I’m about a third of the way done with the final book in the series, but a few weeks ago a started on something totally new.  I’m hoping it will turn into a trilogy, but I’m not sure yet.  I’m going to try my writing skills and imagination on a science fiction romance.  I’m kind of excited about it.  If all goes well, I will be publishing the whole trilogy in the fall or maybe early winter.  I’ve also got a dystopian sci-fi that I started for last years NaNoWriMo that I want to finish and an idea for a historical fiction novel set in the 1800s in the American west.  I know, I’m all over the place.

6. Did you plan on becoming an author when you grew up?

I have wanted to be a writer even before I learned how to read and write.  I used to “write” picture books at the age of 4.  I always knew I’d be an author and I’d tell anyone who would listen.

7. What do you like most about being an writer?

I love creating worlds and people.  My characters are actual people to me…I know, that probably sounds weird but I like to think that Rhiannon, Kyia, Flath and Shih ‘Ni are living in some alternate universe somewhere.

8. What are your hobbies?

My husband and love camping.  I take every opportunity I can to be out in nature.  I love the quiet, serene landscape of our beautiful planet.  Someday I will become a world traveler.  I’m also a taphophile.  I know, most people have no idea what that is.  I visit old cemeteries and photograph the graves.  I find it relaxing and I day dream about how these people’s lives must have been.  What their personalities were like.  I’m also very interested in history and absolutely love art. I don’t know if these are hobbies, per se, but I love animals, I’m an environmentalist, a feminist and mental health advocate.

9. Does writing ever over take you and insist on being the center of your life?

Absolutely.  When I’m in the middle of writing a book, I will spend most of my time getting it written and done.  Cooking and house cleaning are not in my vocabulary during this time.  Luckily my kids are grown and I my day job is writing so I have the luxury to do that.

10. What do you think of Amazon deleting reviews?

Well I heard someone say that it’s Amazon’s sad box so they can make up the rules.  The cast a very large net to catch scammers and unfortunately, we get caught in it too, sometimes.  I know I’ve had one or two disappear for no reason.  Reviews are surprisingly hard to get so when they disappear it feels like someone suck the air out of the room but I’m afraid that’s just part of doing business with the giant that is Amazon.

11. What is your upmost favorite book of all time?

Even with the lack of notable female characters I still think The Lord of the Rings books are some of the greatest books written.  I am a sucker for sweet prose and Tolkien’s words are like honey!

12. Share with us your book and social media links:

Facebook:

@MelissaEBeckwith-Author

https://www.facebook.com/caliprincess.beckwith

Twitter:

@M_E_Beckwith

https://twitter.com/M_E_Beckwith?lang=en

Instagram:

Author_Melissa_E_Beckwith

https://www.instagram.com/author_melissa_e_beckwith/

Tree of Bone and Mist: The Sword of Rhiannon: Book One

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Tree-Bone-Mist-Sword-Rhiannon-ebook/dp/B01NBNZ6VJ

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37911511-tree-of-bone-and-mist

War of the Gypsy: The Sword of Rhiannon: Book Two

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0728HH29D

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35214669-war-of-the-gypsy

13. Anything extra to add?

Look for book three in The Sword of Rhiannon series out shortly.  Sword of Stone: The Sword of Rhiannon: Book Three

After book four is out I plan on putting all four books in a set and going wide, so look for that on all platforms in winter 2018.

You can keep up with me on my website.  I post updates, sneak peaks and have a tone of my poems and short stories up there:

www.MelissaEBeckwith.com

You can also join my Street Team and get my e-books for FREE if you join my facebook group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/349448335471217/

Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me!  Have a wonderful day.  😊

Tree of Bone and Mist by Melissa E. Beckwith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The cover of this book is totally awesome, and it goes along with the book exceedingly well. I can totally see the characters on the cover, just as I imagined them. And the two fit perfectly together.

However, I did want to mention something I discovered on Amazon with the listing of this book. It has asterisks and has stated that this book has been previously published as: “The Empress of Ventra.” Therefore, I wanted to put that in here, as a heads up.

Rhiannon Kossi is the main character in this book, and she feels that she has been lied to all through her childhood. Why does she feel this way? Because she is suffering from these nightmares, that keep calling to her, and wanting her attention.

Rhiannon was living on a nice secluded cattle ranch in Montana, where she dealt with the nightmarish memories of wonder.

Until one day she gets forced into a new World where violence forces her to fight to survive. Nothing like she expected, she is forced to discover truths about herself, and try to survive.

Through the discovery of prophecy, legends and worlds and truths, Rhiannon even manages to find forbidden love, as she discovers herself along the way.

Rhiannon is forced to learn rights and wrongs, and see the light of day through passageways, wants, desires, needs, survival, and discovery.

The descriptions of the World, the people, the life, the needs, and everything throughout this book was just so powerful, it was like you are right there. And the characters are just so unique, not the everyday characters. I like that the elven characters are seemingly a more specific kind, that makes them unique from any other.

This book was truly a five-star enjoyable read. I loved every minute of it, through and through. It was fascinating clear to the end! Definitely an enjoyable read!



View all my reviews

 

Marital Advice for my Grandson Joel By: Peter Davidson

Marital Advice for my Grandson Joel

By Peter Davidson

The cover of the book, is truly eye catching, and even real to life. And then to top it off, the very saying on the bottom of the cover is truly perfection. Allow me to share it with you: “How to be a husband your wife won’t throw out the window in the middle of the night.” That right, lets you know that you are in store for a true to life experience kind of read, and not just a boring kind book. And trust me, this book is everything but boring.

The Author to this book: Peter Davidson gives you direction on marriage, from his own personal experience. And he wrote this book, only under advisement by others because he had originally started it out as a blog, and everyone who had been reading it, felt others needed to hear his words, and suggested that he put them into print. So, he did.

Mr. Davidson, felt that when his grandson Joel became engaged, he wanted to be certain that Joel didn’t make any mistakes and that he could live happily ever after, once he and his fiancé took their vows.  

The book has some very good pointers and is written in a context that everyone will be able to grasp. It will even put a smile on your face from time to time. Mr. Davidson reminisces with his own life experiences and shares things that will enlighten every couple, and certainly help anyone to see things to help make their relationship bond stronger, and even certainly reassure them in their own ways. It may also even help some relationships see the error in their ways and mend their fences. Whatever the case may be, I think it is a good read even for someone who may just want to read something and is looking for something different. Because, I found this to be a very fun and interesting read and enjoyed every minute of it! I literally couldn’t put it down, because I wanted to know what Mr. Davidson had to offer, because I wanted to know more, and believe it or not, I actually did learn something along the way! And to be quite honest with you, I feel that this book will benefit everyone, because every relationship you have, even with friends, is a relationship. And the details offered, the lessons learned, and everything shared within this book, will help you somehow along the way, trust me. 

This is a genuine five star read, worthy of much more. You will want to keep it on hand, and you will even read aloud some parts with your significant other. This book will be your reference guide in future relationships. And you will be glad that you made the decision to buy it. You’ll thank me and Mr. Davidson in the end. 

Now here are my questions for Mr. Davidson:

1. What made you write this book and how long did it take you?

  For years, I had teased my wife about "training" me to be a proper husband.  When our grandson, Joel, got engaged, it seemed like a good idea to pass along the results of my training, along with other ideas and philosophies I had about married life that I thought he might find helpful and enjoy as a humorous read.     

Joel and Abby got engaged in February, 2016 and I started jotting down some ideas a day or two after they got engaged.  I wrote down ideas as they came to me and some of the ideas were read at their wedding reception when they got married in December, 2016.  The comments brought down the house.  I continued to write down marital advice in the following months.  In the summer of 2017, I organized the topics for listing on a blog,  "Marital Advice to my Grandson, Joel," and started posting things in September.  Then, I organized the material into a book format and gave Joel and Abby the original manuscript.  They loved it.  The book, Marital Advice to my Grandson, Joel, was published in January, 2018.   So, as you can see, writing of this book went through several different phases as the project evolved from a few notes of advice and wisdom for my grandson to a blog to a published book.  This is not the way most books are created, but it worked for this one. 

2. Do you have a young and recent photo of you and your grandson?

     I never thought about it until you asked this question, but I don't know if I have a photo of just the two of us.  There are numerous family photos, but maybe none of just us two.  At any rate, my wife and I are at our winter home in Arizona and virtually all of our photos are back in Iowa at our summer home.

3. What did your grandson think of the book?

     Joel and his wife, Abby, are wonderful, fun, upbeat people with great senses of humor.  They love the book.  Love it!

4. Did the book help your grandson?

     I am hopeful that he will pick up a few pointers that will be helpful, but more than that, I hope the general perspective of the book of honoring his wife and his marriage,  is a message  that he will apply on a daily basis. 

5. What are you working on now?

     I am working on promoting and publicizing Marital Advice to my Grandson, Joel and expect to do this for at least another four months.  After that, I have a completed movie script for which I want to seek a script agent.  Actually, I have had three agents in the past, two from Hollywood and one from New York.  The agent from New York had strong interest in the movie script from two huge stars who are household names, but ultimately they passed.  Also, I have a book manuscript finished and will be seeking a literary agent to represent it. I do not have any new writing projects underway right now, but I do have some ideas in my file.

6. Did you ever think or plan to become a published writer?

     As a youth, I always had a paperback in my pocket and read every chance I got.  I got the idea in my teens that I wanted to be a songwriter and a book writer.  I have written around a hundred songs; a few have been recorded and one of them was used in a television series in The Netherlands.  I have written all sorts of materials, but mostly books and songs,  virtually all of my adult life.  I have authored or co-authored twenty-nine books published by McGraw-Hill Book Company, Perigee/Putnam Publishers, Northwestern Book Company, Sweet Memories Publishing, and Haworth Press.  My works include novels, non-fiction, college textbooks, children's picture books, and training materials for business and industry.

7. What all education have you had?

     I have a Masters degree in business and have a year of college study beyond that.

8. What is your personally favorite book of all time?

     My favorite writer is John Grisham.  I like all of his legal thrillers, but if I had to pick one I'd probably say,  The Partner.

9.  What are your hobbies?

     These are not the normal hobbies, people would probably list, but I have three that I pursue.  (1)  Found Money: I have three jars, two completely full and one half full, of money I have found over the past four decades or so.  There's lots of pennies and other change, but there's a surprising number of $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills.  I also found one $100 bill and one $100 gaming chip in a casino.  My money jars are labeled, "Money I have found, just a-lyin' on the ground." Yes, I'm the guy who picks up pennies lying on the sidewalk.  Unlike many hobbies, this one has monetary value.  (2)  Penny Hoarder:  I have kept every penny I have gotten my hands on over the past 45 years or so, which amounts to about 105,000 pennies.  As a result of this hobby, I wrote the book: PENNY: Hands I passed through... Things I Saw... Stories I can tell! that was published in 2017.  It is the story of the final copper penny ever produced in the United States on October 22, 1982 and the stories of the people whose hands it passed through.  (3) Casino Players Cards:  Virtually all casinos issue plastic cards about the size of a credit card that a player can insert in a slot machine to keep track of their play, for which the player can receive cash back and/or comps from the casino. Most of the cards are very attractive, with photos of the casino, artwork, or designs. The casinos issue these for free and you don't ever have to use them if you don't want to.  I have over  600 of these players cards, including many that are duplicates but also some that are from casinos that have gone out of business or have changed their names.  The value of these players cards?  No monetary value, just fun for me.

10. Please share with us your social media and book links:

amazon.com link to Marital Advice to my Grandson, Joel:  https://www.amazon.com/Marital-Advice-Grandson-Joel-Husband/dp/0692998152

Blog for Marital Advice to my Grandson, Joel:  www.maritaladvicetomygrandsonjoel.com

Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/author/show/80432.peter_davidson

LinkedIn: https:// www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-davidson/87/916/981

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/authorpeterdavidson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeterDavidsonau

11. Anything extra you would like to add: 

     I had more fun writing Marital Advice to my Grandson, Joel  than any book I have ever written. It started out as a personal project and evolved from there. The book was written as a message to my grandson and evolved into a book with the same message but  for  a broader audience to include all men. Readers have described it as being true, honest and humorous; some have even said hilarious. Women have reported that they also love the book for its upbeat and positive message.   I hope readers enjoy the book and find some truth and wisdom in it that will help them enjoy a happy and loving marriage.   

Marital Advice to My Grandson, Joel: How to Be a Husband Your Wife Won't Throw Out of the Window in the Middle of the Night. by Peter Davidson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The cover of the book, is truly eye catching, and even real to life. And then to top it off, the very saying on the bottom of the cover is truly perfection. Allow me to share it with you: “How to be a husband your wife won’t throw out the window in the middle of the night.” That right, lets you know that you are in store for a true to life experience kind of read, and not just a boring kind book. And trust me, this book is everything but boring.

The Author to this book: Peter Davidson gives you direction on marriage, from his own personal experience. And he wrote this book, only under advisement by others because he had originally started it out as a blog, and everyone who had been reading it, felt others needed to hear his words, and suggested that he put them into print. So, he did.

Mr. Davidson, felt that when his grandson Joel became engaged, he wanted to be certain that Joel didn’t make any mistakes and that he could live happily ever after, once he and his fiancé took their vows.

The book has some very good pointers and is written in a context that everyone will be able to grasp. It will even put a smile on your face from time to time. Mr. Davidson reminisces with his own life experiences and shares things that will enlighten every couple, and certainly help anyone to see things to help make their relationship bond stronger, and even certainly reassure them in their own ways. It may also even help some relationships see the error in their ways and mend their fences. Whatever the case may be, I think it is a good read even for someone who may just want to read something and is looking for something different. Because, I found this to be a very fun and interesting read and enjoyed every minute of it! I literally couldn’t put it down, because I wanted to know what Mr. Davidson had to offer, because I wanted to know more, and believe it or not, I actually did learn something along the way! And to be quite honest with you, I feel that this book will benefit everyone, because every relationship you have, even with friends, is a relationship. And the details offered, the lessons learned, and everything shared within this book, will help you somehow along the way, trust me.

This is a genuine five star read, worthy of much more. You will want to keep it on hand, and you will even read aloud some parts with your significant other. This book will be your reference guide in future relationships. And you will be glad that you made the decision to buy it. You’ll thank me and Mr. Davidson in the end.

View all my reviews