Bumped Back in Time - The Wickware Sagas

September 13, 2014, marks the 200^th anniversary of the Battle of Fort McHenry and the writing of what would eventually become the United States’ national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. 

But once again, historians have left out some important information.  Sammy (Samantha) Brown, a 7^th grader in Miss Wickware’s history class, played a key role in the whole process.  Without her, Mr. Key may have never been on the boat that gave him a bird’s eye view of the whole battle which prompted the famous poet to….maybe you just have to read the story yourself.

Bumped Back In Time Book 4 of The Wickware Sagas.  Take a look at

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=82

http://www.amazon.com/Bumped-Back-Wickware-Sagas-ebook/dp/B00FGDS9MM

http://www.amazon.com/Penny-Estelle/e/B006S62XBY

Excerpt

A full moon lit up the bedroom.  Sammy lay on the feather mattress in the dark, staring at the ceiling.  The window was wide open, a breeze stirring the curtains, though it did nothing to take away the mugginess of the night air.  The nightgown Sarah had given Sammy was drenched with sweat and it stuck to her like a second skin.

She got up and walked to the balcony.  Dr. Beanes had been right about his wife.  Sarah had sat Sammy down and got her a bowl of left over wild turkey and boiled sweet potatoes, which she inhaled.

The older woman tisked her tongue and her head shook in sympathy, distressed at the poor girl’s story.  “Your mother must be worried beyond belief,” Sarah said.

“Oh, I’m sure she’s freaking out all over the place,” Sammy snorted.  “And like she’ll ever buy this story!”

“I don’t understand.  You write stories to sell to your freakish mother?”

Sammy had to chuckle at that one. “No.  She’s just going to kill me.”

Outraged, the woman came to her feet.  “She will do no such thing.  William will make sure that you are safe!”

Staring into the night, Sammy smiled at the memory.  She had assured Sarah it was only a saying, but the woman did not seem convinced.

The sound of horses, riding up to the Beanes’ home, brought Sammy out of her reverie.  At least ten men, all in red coats, jumped off their horses and headed toward the house.            

                         

A serving girl tapped on Sammy’s door before opening it.  “Please ma’am, Mistress Beanes would like you to come to her room, quickly.”  She turned to lead the way without waiting for a reply, Sammy, hurrying to catch up.

The scene that greeted Sammy when the bedroom opened had the hairs on the back of her neck, not only standing straight out at attention, but screaming “run…hide…wake up!”  Goose bumps broke out on her sweaty body.

Dr. Beanes was sitting on a chair putting on his shoes while Sarah was wringing her hands and pale as the snow-white nightgown she was wearing.

Before Sammy could utter a word a BANG BANG BANG came from the door downstairs and that’s when all hell broke loose!

* * * *

Thanks to everybody for stopping by to take a look.  Bumped Back in Time is the fourth story in the Wickware Sagas.  There are five all together.

Billy Cooper’s Awesome Nightmare

Ride of a Lifetime

Flash to the Past

Bumped Back in Time

Riches to Rags

These are all short, time travel adventures involving seventh graders in Miss Wickware’s history class.  They must draw a name from a box and do an oral report.  SOMEHOW, they end up back in time to get up close and personal with their drawn subject!

I also have a printed version of the Wickware Sagas.  This can be found at

http://www.amazon.com/The-Wickware-Sagas-Penny-Estelle/dp/1499179502

 Due to the 200^th anniversary of The Star Spangled Banner, MuseItUp is offering Bumped Back in Time for 99 cents for the first two weeks in September.  Check it out at

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=82

Prince Richard - A Lady Never Lies by Stephanie Burkhart

Thank you for bringing Prince Richard to visit Steph, he's absolutely gorgeous.

Sue

Question: Thanks so much for joining us today, Prince Richard. Inquiring minds want to know: How did you meet Lady Jocelyn Ridgecroft.  She's sooooo… involved in her work.

Richard: Quite by accident, I assure you. The time machine plunked me down in a pile of dirt on my derrière next to a black oil quarry. It was hot, dusty, and rusty. I took off my cravat and trudged over to the quarry in search of a drink and some information and what do I discover but the dirtiest woman in the world looking up at me with the widest, most sincere eyes and calling me a rogue for having my necktie off. A part of me wanted to strangle her and the other part wanted to kiss her.

Question: What attracted you to Jocelyn?

Richard: The girls in my century paint their nails, dye their hair and wear the tightest fitting clothes to grab my attention. They tell me they feel sorry for me because of why my mother died, and then talk about the most insipid things in the world like their favorite nail polish and ask me if Henry VIII really was like his portrayal in "The Tudors." Let me assure you nail polish does not catch my attention., and Henry VIII is quite dead. Jocelyn was the first woman I met who cared more for the world and people around her than herself. I also adored her eyes, bright and sparkling, full of life and personality. I wanted to get to know that woman.

Question: So what are you attracted to in a woman?

Richard: I want her to have a personality that shines. I grew up taught to respect the world and those in it, so that's important to me. I want her to be warm and caring, a bit daring with a sense of adventure, honest and trustworthy. I notice eyes first, they truly are windows to the soul, then lips, then….ah, it wouldn't be gentlemanly if I continued.

Question: How are things going with you and Jocelyn now?

Richard: Tough, I'm afraid. Her father was gravely hurt, and I'm afraid it's my fault. She's been barely civil to me. Then the Prime Minister has asked her to go to York to mediate a coal strike. She hates to leave her father. I'm hoping my constant presence and quiet support will win over her heart.

Question: How do you define hero?

Richard: Oh, that's another tough one. A hero does many difficult things well. He looks danger in the eye then spits in it. He accomplishes his task in the face of adversity. He does not run away from problems, he runs into them. He's not afraid to cry when tears are called for.

Question: When was the last time you cried?

Richard: At my mother's funeral. She died in a plane accident when I was a teenager.

Question: Who is your own personal hero?

Richard: Historically, Winston Churchill. He got his chops beat in World War I, but he looked adversity in the eye, spit, and learned his lessons before standing firm against Nazi aggression. Closer to home, my mother is my hero. I saw her face down reporters. She went against the old fashioned established royal protocol. She was honest and always true to heart.

BLURB FOR A LADY NEVER LIES: 

Jocelyn Dunkirk is not your typical Victorian lady. She dresses in leather, wears goggles and is not afraid to get a little grease under her fingernails. Gentlemen avoid her like a dirty rivet.

Richard Windsor, the Prince of Wales, travels through time to claim Jocelyn's heart, but if it isn't one challenge, it's another. He determines to be a constant, steady presence in her life, hoping to prove he'd make a worthy husband.

Jocelyn's facing a bucket full of problems. The Prime Minister wants her to assist in ending a coal strike before it cripples the nation while her father attempts to recover from a serious injury. Will Jocelyn's dedication to her country and family ruin the one chance she has at love? 

EXCERPT:

She swatted her hand next to her head like she was swatting a fly. Love could flitter away from her heart like a hummingbird for all she cared. Who needed it? Love hurt.

A knock rapped on the door, but before she could voice a reply, Richard walked in. He crossed the room, raw concern splayed over his face and he knelt before her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You look annoyed."

"A lady never cusses," she replied.

His lips tipped in amusement. "What else does a lady never do?"

"They never wear the same dress twice."

He pulled up a chair and sat in front of her. "I believe that."

"And a lady never lies," she said.

He slid his hand over hers and laced their fingers together. A sweet jolt pulsed up her arm and she smiled despite herself.

"So what's bothering you?" he asked.

REVIEWS:

"You've got romance, betrayal, time travel and gadgets. Perfect mix!!! Can't wait for the next book!" The Crafty Cauldron

4.5 Stars, Clue Review

This is a fun series! The author has a huge imagination.

5 Stars,  Michelle Stanley for Reader's Favorites

"A wonderful book."

BUY LINKS FOR A LADY NEVER LIES:

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:

http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/the-windsor-diaries-book-three-a-lady-never-lies-epub/

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-aladyneverlies-1547037-343.html

BARNES & NOBLE (NOOK)

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-lady-never-lies-stephanie-burkhart/1119712149?ean=2940149360352

AMAZON (KINDLE:)

http://amzn.com/B00KX6FD12

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She adores coffee, enjoys coffee and is participating in the 5K walk to end Alzheimer's in Santa Clarita in SEP 2014. A Lady Never Lies is book 3 in her steampunk series, "The Windsor Diaries."

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

The Acadian Secret by Tammy Lowe

Welcome Tammy, thank you for visiting today. You sound as if you have a very exciting life of exploring and experiencing new and wonderful places.

Tammy has given us a teaser of her new release The Acadian Secret. Hope you all enjoy it, I know I did.

Sue

Hi Sue,

Thanks for having me on your blog today. 

I live in Cambridge, Ontario, with my husband of twenty years and our teenage son. 

From September to June, I am surrounded by preschoolers and covered in glitter and glue.

Once school is out, I grab my hubby and our son and we are off on some grand adventure. We’ve explored pyramids in Egypt and sailed down a river in rural China on a tiny raft.  We’ve slept in the tower of a 15th century Scottish castle, searched for the Loch Ness Monster and have even dined at a Bedouin camp in the Arabian Desert. I love to explore this amazing world of ours. 

As a kid, I loved to read books and watch shows like Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables.  I loved anything set in the “olden days”.

When I was about ten years old, I began to wonder about time travel.  My biggest wish was that I’d end up back in the pioneer era.  I wanted to go and hang out with spoiled Nellie Olsen.  I don’t remember why I wished for Nellie over Laura Ingalls, but I think it had something to do with the fact that her parents owned the candy shop.

I had it all figured out.  I didn’t want to live in the 18th or 19th century; I’d miss my family too much. And I can’t live without modern comforts.  I wanted the freedom to travel back and forth through time.

So strong was my wish to time travel, I even dressed the part, as much as I could, without raising anyone’s suspicions. I wore dresses to school every day, when all my friends wore jeans and t-shirts. I had to be prepared just in case it worked and I was whisked through time. That summer, I even begged my mom to buy me a bonnet.  She did.  I wore that white bonnet everywhere.  If I ended up in Walnut Grove or Avonlea, I was prepared. 

By the sixth grade I was old enough to realize that time travel probably wasn’t going to be a reality for me, so I decided that when I grew up, I’d write a book about a girl who could travel back and forth through time. 

THE ACADIAN SECRET is a Tween/YA Paranormal Action-Adventure about a young girl who can…time travel.

Elisabeth finds she can play in the past;

when bosom friends, treasure hunters and tormented alchemists are still the norm.

BACK COVER:

Elisabeth London is keeping her new friends a secret from her parents.  Not only do they live on the other side of the world in the Scottish Highlands, they lived more than three hundred and fifty years ago. Her mom and dad would never allow her to go gallivanting about seventeenth century Scotland.  They won’t even let her go to the mall by herself yet.

Twelve-year-old Elisabeth is old enough to know there is no such thing as magic, but when her quartz crystal necklace has the power to transport her back and forth in time, she no longer knows what to think.  The only thing she is certain of is that she loves spending carefree days with Quinton, the mischievous nephew of a highland warrior, and sassy little Fiona, a farmer’s daughter. 

However, Elisabeth’s adventures take a deadly turn when she is charged with witchcraft.  At a time and place in history when witch-hunts were common, those found guilty were executed, children included. Elisabeth must race to find her way back home, while trying to stay one step ahead of the witch-hunter determined to see her burned at the stake

Excerpt:

As the afternoon sun began to travel behind the mountains, it cast an emerald glow across the glen. The valley was littered with boulders, while a small river twisted its way toward a distant forest.

Malcolm Craig was stalking his prey. He was a tall, strong man with piercing blue-green eyes, a short beard, and wild black hair that gave him a crazed look. He smelled the boar before he saw it. Talbot, his hunting dog, lunged into the brambles after the wild pig which began to grunt in anger. That was when something to the right caught his eye. A young girl lay motionless in the heather.

"What the devil?" Malcolm said as he jumped down from his horse. While still keeping his hearing attuned to Talbot and the boar, he walked over and bent to peer at her. He breathed a sigh of relief to find she was fast asleep. Malcolm scooped the sleeping girl into his arms. “You’re lucky I found you, lassie, before that beast did.”

With a sigh, she rested her head against his chest and put her arms around his neck. “Daddy…” she said in her sleep.

Malcolm laughed. “Daddy? I’m nae your daddy. No daughter of mine would be dressed like this, wandering around barefoot in the middle of…”

Elisabeth’s eyes popped open and she let out an ear-piercing scream. She bit Malcolm’s shoulder and he dropped her.

“Och, child! You bit me!”

The silence in the valley broke as Talbot howled, the boar squealed and Elisabeth jumped to her feet and wailed in horror.

"Dinnae move, lass!" Malcolm yelled to be heard over the pandemonium. He reached for his dagger. It was almost time for the kill.

The enraged boar deserted his hiding spot in the brambles and charged toward the dog, its lethal tusks ready to kill. Talbot was well-trained so, instead of turning tail and running, he danced backward, facing the pig, luring it away from his master. With the boar now in pursuit of the dog, Malcolm did what was natural to any man born and bred in the Highlands: he ran at the beast as if he were a wild animal himself. Jumping on the boar from behind, he grabbed its ear, yanked its head up and slashed its throat.

Elisabeth continued to scream. Malcolm jumped off the boar as it fell limp at his feet and cleaned the blade on the carcass before putting it away. He walked toward Elisabeth, his bloody hands held in front of him.

“Enough, lass. It's all right now.”

Her wide eyes fixed on the enormous man dressed in a skirt. “You’ve got a knife!”

“Aye. And a sword.” He smirked as he pointed to it.

“You’re armed!”

“I’m nae going to harm you, though. I was hunting.”

“Hunting what? Little girls? Where am I?”

Not waiting for an answer, she ran from Malcolm and toward the forest, her bare feet slowing her great escape.

“That lass is completely mad,” Malcolm grumbled while rubbing the shoulder she had bitten.

Malcolm mounted his horse; he couldn’t leave the terrified girl alone out here. It wasn’t safe and would soon be dark. She would be easy enough for a blind man to find again because she hadn’t stopped screaming. For some reason, he hadn’t stopped smiling.

His black warhorse was as large and intimidating as Malcolm was, and the animal’s powerful legs kicked up tall grass and thistles as it barreled along. The sound of its hooves seemed amplified as it raced toward Elisabeth. Malcolm caught up to her. Without needing to slow his horse, he reached down, scooped her up into his arms, and placed her in the saddle in front of him.

“There. Now be a good lass. I promise, I’m nae going to hurt you.”

And with that, Elisabeth fainted.

“Well now, that certainly makes things easier,” Malcolm muttered under his breath as he wrapped her in his plaid and nudged his horse on.

You can find me at www.tammylowe.com