The Story Behind Your Mid-Career GPS by John Neral

 

The Story Behind Your Mid-Career GPS: Four Steps to Figuring Out What's Next

By John Neral

My career path is messy. I didn’t plan for it to be. It just worked out that way. I believe we are where we are because of all our experiences. Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.

I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Loyola University in Maryland and went to work as a teacher in a private Catholic high school. I enjoyed it, but after two years, I wanted to do something different. I did some work in various industries but missed teaching so much that I went to graduate school at Monmouth University where I  earned my Master’s in Teaching and a certification to teach mathematics. After graduation, I landed a job as a middle school mathematics teacher in Northern New Jersey.

It was a great job, and I worked with the best people. I loved what I was doing and enjoyed going to work every day. But then, something changed.

After ten years, I was teaching a lesson on multiplying fractions, and I heard this voice inside my head say, “John, You can’t do this for the rest of your life.” I was taken back. I had told everyone how much I loved what I was doing, so how could I be unhappy. It wasn’t that I was unhappy. I just didn’t want to feel “stuck.” I call that my “mid-career moment.”

Feeling stuck is one of the worst professional feelings. I didn’t want to feel as if I was at a dead-end in my career, and I certainly didn’t want to be one of those professionals who got the golden handcuffs and was miserable doing their job every day.

I kept listening to that inner voice and eventually realized that I wanted to work more directly with teachers. I began looking at department chair positions, professional development positions, and anything to leverage my skills as a teacher into a new position.

Several years later, after my mid-career moment, I accepted a professional development specialist role with the District of Columbia Public Schools, where I supervised 21 instructional coaches across 13 middle schools. That job accelerated my career and allowed me to follow the GPS I had created a few years prior.

That position led to other opportunities, and each time, I was able to level up my career. Each time I interviewed for a new job, I was clear on my value. My GPS guided me to whatever was next for my career. Because I was clear on my value, I told my story differently. I came from a place of value and service, rather than feeling like I had to convince someone to hire me.

When I launched my coaching practice full-time, I did so because I wanted to help more people accelerate their careers. The process of finding a job is stressful. You know you need a resume, but if it’s not customized to the job posting, you’ve got a tiny chance of it clearing the Applicant Tracking System.

Networking can be beneficial to secure your next position, but many mid-career professionals don’t like networking. What if you were able to leverage your ability to help people and network from a different place? Your Mid-Career GPS can help you do that.

I’ve interviewed many times throughout my career, and as a former hiring manager, I’ve interviewed hundreds of people. There is an art to interviewing. How do you make yourself stand out from everyone else? Build Your Mid-Career GPS and learn how to tell your story differently.

Lastly, I know that how we SHOW UP matters. This has been the most valuable lesson I’ve learned in my personal and professional life. My #SHOWUP6Strategies will help you position yourself more strategically and intentionally to lead, make a greater impact and thrive in your career. If we all focused more on how we SHOW UP, our career paths would look very different.  

 

Are you considering a career change but doubt yourself or get easily overwhelmed by the entire process?

Are you a mid-career professional ready to level-up, but unsure of what steps to take?

What if there was an easy and supportive way to plan your next career destination?

Your Mid-Career GPS will guide you to create your own professional roadmap so you can find the job you love or love the job have. John Neral, Certified Professional Coach, will help you strategically position yourself in the marketplace while teaching you how to leverage your unique skills from a place of value and service for any organization.

Learn how to prepare, position, and promote yourself as you create a tactical and strategic plan by building Your Mid-Career GPS. Let this book be your guide to answer many of the current questions you have about creating your next advancement opportunity.

John Neral, MA, CPC reawakens, energizes, galvanizes, and innovates the mind think of employees, corporations, associations, and systems. A celebrated executive/career and professional development coach and in-demand, mindset-shifting public speaker, John’s professional walk included a 25-year career in education and a longstanding corporate consultant for Fortune 500 giant, Casio America, Inc. He now leads John Neral Coaching, LLC, one of the most progressive, mindset-shifting professional and organizational coaching and public speaking firms in the U.S. He is the author of Your Mid-Career GPS – Four Steps to Figuring Out What’s Next and SHOW UP – Six Strategies to Lead a More Energetic and Impactful Career and the host of “The Mid-Career GPS Podcast.”

As a Master Practitioner in the Energy Leadership Index, John’s experience has made him an impactful and valuable coach to his one-on-one and group coaching clients and organizations. With Energy Leadership™, John identifies where people perform at their optimal levels and when they are under stress. Combining the Energy Leadership™ principles, a client’s workplace strengths, and their “unique professional value,” John helps his clients create their career GPS so they can take action toward achieving their professional and personal goals.

A former church organ prodigy, John is an avid traveler–having sojourned to 5 of the 7 continents, a professional bowler and the winner of a Professional Bowlers’ Association Regional Title (2010), and a game-show fan, having appeared on previous episodes of GSN’s Chain Reaction and Make My Day. John is happily married and lives with his spouse and their rescue cat, Amy Farrah Meowler (named after the Big Bang Theory character), in the heart of Washington DC’s Dulles Technology Corridor, Tysons Corner, VA.

You can visit his website at https://johnneral.com or follow him at Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

The Story Behind A Christmas Kindness by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

 

The Story Behind A Christmas Kindness

By Cheryl C. Malandrinos

You know what they say about the best laid plans? Well, that’s so true when it comes to pen names. Many moons ago, when the Muse Free Online Writers Conference existed, I met Vivian Zabel, President of 4RV Publishing. By the time we talked about A Christmas Kindness, I had reviewed some of 4RV’s books, so I knew the kinds of stories this publishing house looked for. I pitched A Christmas Kindness to Vivian during an online pitching session—these existed even before Zoom—and she asked me to email her my story.

As you can imagine, the excitement of a publisher requesting your story never wanes. Even though I have had four stories published, with a fifth under contract, you can’t help but scream in your head, “They like me. They really like me.”

But … I digress. I received the contract for A Christmas Kindness, which I told her I would publish under a pen name. “You sure?” Vivian asked. Of course, I was sure. Right?

I signed the contract and impatiently awaited the creation of artwork and a cover design. Patience will never be my strong suit, but I busied myself getting a website together and setting up social media accounts in that pen name, because you can’t easily promote your book without those.

The illustrations and editing done, the time to publish A Christmas Kindness came. The editing team and I read the final proofs and off they went to the printer. [Imagine Cheryl doing a happy dance.]

Books arrived. They looked fabulous. I shared them with everyone I knew, and from the beginning people asked, “Who is that?”

Whoops! It took a ton of effort to build a new audience who didn’t know that author. They knew me. They knew my other book. But they didn’t know who this author was whose book I was promoting all over the place.

So, in 2014, when 4RV Publishing decided to release a digital version of A Christmas Kindness, I asked them to change the cover design and the interior to reflect my real name. Much better results.

In 2020, 4RV Publishing asked me to produce additional content for A Christmas Kindness, so that we could release a second edition in hardcover and softcover. The only greater experience than having a publisher believe enough in your story to publish it, is knowing they have the faith to publish a new edition (during a pandemic, no less). The second edition has discussion questions, activities, crafts, and more.

The story behind this book is that sometimes we make a decision that winds up not being the best choice. In those moments of discovery and realization, we need to create a plan of action to get us to where we want to be. Then, having a support team behind you, move forward and embrace the change.

 

Eight-year-old Robert is eager to share his wish list with Santa at the mall on Christmas Eve. When he meets Glenn, who only has one request for Santa, Robert is confused about what he should do.  Can he cast aside what he wants and ask Santa to bring his new friend a special gift?

PRAISE:

It is not often that a simple children’s book can nearly bring me to tears, but this one succeeded. There is nothing better than reading a story at Christmastime that reminds you that there are still good people and good kids in the world. This is one heartwarming Christmas story that you and your kids can read and enjoy. It will remind you of the true meaning of Christmas, and I believe that the author’s purpose is accomplished.

– Ruth, Amazon Reviewer

Robert can’t wait to see Santa. He’s got a pile of stuff he wants to ask for. Then he meets Glenn in line, and Robert himself gets to play Santa. I was touched by the main character’s transformation after he came in contact with someone in real need. The glow he walks away with can’t be bought, and he’ll never find it under the Christmas tree, but it’s the heart of the season that he’s found. Nicely illustrated, enjoyable story for readers of all ages. 

– Jude, Amazon Reviewer

• Pick up your copy of A Christmas Kindness at Amazon.

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A member of SCBWI, she is blogger and book reviewer. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married.

Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com and her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com.

Connect with Cheryl on Twitter and Facebook.

The Story Behind No Good About Goodbye by CT Liotta

 

The Story Behind No Good About Goodbye

By CT Liotta

A teen & young adult spy story with LGBT characters was never high on my list of things to write. Cynical GenX writers do not fill YA bookshelves, and literary agents don’t read queries from people like me and say “guys like this who write LGBTQ+ YA books are hot in the genre right now.” 

I was born and raised in West Virginia, but my parents valued exposure to a world outside of coal country. When I was 10, I took my first trip across the Atlantic to the UK. I don’t remember Buckingham Palace, but I fondly remember an excursion to a cinema in Manchester to see Timothy Dalton debut as James Bond in The Living Daylights. Back then, people could smoke and drink beer in UK cinemas, and there was even an intermission. In all my travels, those details—not the tourist sights—paint my memories. 

My mom considered James Bond too violent and inappropriate for children, but by age 9, I had already seen the 14 other Bond films multiple times. My parents did not grasp the power of the VCR as an after-school babysitter and underestimated my ability to pirate videos.

I adored Bond for a few reasons:

• He is unmarried. Even before I knew I was gay, I had an innate sense I would not be marry a woman or have kids. So, along with other unencumbered middle-aged men—Captain Kirk, Captain Picard, Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes—I could identify with the protagonist. A 9-year-old boy doesn’t watch Bond for the women and the sex as much as for the car chases, guns and gadgets, anyway.
• Bond is competent as he moves through the world. Whether he lands in India or Thailand, the Americas or Japan, he never has difficulty getting around. Villains may be scary, but the world is not. He has friends and allies everywhere. The two B’s, Bond and Bourdain, are most responsible for my fearless world travel as an adult—travel I’ll detail, past and present, in my new blog and newsletter.
• He can do everything and operate anything. James Bond is the reason I made sure my first car was a stick shift, and one reason I was flying Cessnas before my senior year of high school. He made me want to know how to do things.

In 2015, during a period of heartbreak, I looked back at my childhood and young adulthood—the books I read, the media I consumed, and the heroes that made me feel better about life—and set out to write a story to my 14-year-old self who was no stranger to the fear of eternal loneliness.

NO GOOD ABOUT GOODBYE is about a worldly 15-year-old adventure hero, Ian (on-the-nose, I know), and his opposite, a 15-year-old undocumented Chinese-American named Will. One has been everywhere, the other nowhere. They both fight to stay alive for different reasons, and ultimately save each other’s lives. They also fall in love without fully understanding or acknowledging what their feelings are. When Ian at last grapples with the fact he’s gay, it terrifies him worse than the grown assassins out to kill him. 

Had I considered the potential audience for such a book, or the mood of the industry, or respected YA Twitter or the writers of other mm ya books, I would not have written it. I always spent my time on the side of the playground opposite the mean girls who made the rules, so I’m glad I followed my bliss.

Young Adult spy novels with boy heroes are difficult to find. Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Robin Benway, and Ally Carter write the best YA spy/mystery novels on the market—all with young female protagonists. Books and shows like Code Name Verity and HANNA lead the genre. 

Alex Rider, CHERUB, and Agent 21 target mid-grade “reluctant readers.” In spy lingo, that’s a code word for “boys who will give up reading for video games by grade 9.”

But, let’s be real: straight boys who play Gears of War aren’t begging for young adult espionage adventures doubling as YA LGBT books. Women and girls may be interested in the gay boy element but not the crude boy lingo, the Clive Cussler-like opening pages, and the homophobia and racism that decorate the book as they do real-life South Philadelphia. And gay boys? The ones I know lean toward Netflix series and graphic novels like Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper, not books that take their cues from old works of pulp fiction.

No Good About Goodbye is not Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Librarians won’t decorate it with awards. I’m more likely to be told I’m far outside my lane and ought not to have written it.

That’s okay. It doesn’t have to be for everyone. It doesn’t have to be loved by parents or librarians or sensitive teens on Twitter, grown men or industry mandarins or straight boys with their PlayStations. It’s for the kid in Peoria or Duluth or Buckhannon, West Virginia who’s sick of the national dialogue, watching Casino Royale, and thinking, “Eva Green is beautiful and all, but I wish I had an Aston Martin so the cute guy in trig class would want to ride with me to the homecoming game at 200 miles an hour.”

If I sell only two copies and one goes to him, I’ve done my job.

 

  

 

Fifteen-year-old Ian Racalmuto’s life is in ruins after an embassy raid in Algiers. His mother, a vodka-drunk spy, is dead. His brother, a diplomat, has vanished. And, he’s lost a cremation urn containing a smartphone that could destroy the world.

Forced to live with his cantankerous grandfather in Philadelphia, Ian has seven days to find his brother and secure the phone—all while adjusting to life in a troubled urban school and dodging assassins sent to kill him.

Ian finds an ally in William Xiang, an undocumented immigrant grappling with poverty, a strict family, and abusive classmates. They make a formidable team, but when Ian’s feelings toward Will grow, bombs, bullets and crazed bounty hunters don’t hold a candle to his fear of his friend finding out. Will it wreck their relationship, roll up their mission, and derail a heist they’ve planned at the State Department?

Like a dime store pulp adventure of the past, No Good About Goodbye is an incautious, funny, coming-of-age tale for mature teens and adult readers. 308p.

PRAISE

“So many treats are in store for the discerning reader of CT Liotta’s brilliant YA novel NO GOOD ABOUT GOODBYE. There’s a diverse array of multi-racial/cultural characters, organized criminals with complex political goals underway, and keystone-cop humor/blunders often sparking from the evergreen enchantment of a push-pull romance between two young people, neither of whom have yet decided to identify as ‘gay.’ Rich with often realistically crude boy lingo, NO GOOD ABOUT GOODBYE is an utterly charming teenage LGBTQ falling-in-love adventure while simultaneously rocking an international crime storyline.” – C.S. Holmes, IndieReader

★★★★★ “Sharply observed and sarcastic as hell, CT Liotta’s debut is the gay teenage spy thriller we have long needed.” -Matt Harry, author of Superkid and Sorcery for Beginners.

★★★★★ I found this YA spy novel to be an utter delight! Fast-paced and witty, we traverse the globe with Ian, who just lost his mother and is charged with stopping a war with China. All the while he’s 15, enrolled in a High School from hell in Philadelphia and struggling with his identity. The author offers his own particular take on the importance of friendship and found family. He also very cleverly features different viewpoints, so the reading experience never feels stale. Honestly, I did not know what to expect going into this story – I however finished it converted into a fan! – Thomas S., Netgalley

Pick up your copy of No Good About Goodbye at Amazon.

CT Liotta was born and raised in West Virginia before moving to Ohio for college, where he majored in Biology. He now uses Philadelphia as his base of operations. You can find him backpacking all over the world.

Liotta takes interest in writing, travel, personal finance, and sociology. He likes vintage airlines and aircraft, politics, news, foreign affairs, '40s pulp and film noir. He doesn't fear math or science, and is always up for Indian food. His favorite candy bar used to be Snickers, but lately it's been 3 Musketeers. He isn't sure why.

He is author of Relic of the Damned!, Death in the City of Dreams and Treason on the Barbary Coast!

No Good About Goodbye is his latest book.

Visit him on the web at https://www.ctliotta.com.

Sign up for Liotta’s newsletter at https://ctliotta.substack.com.

The Story Behind This Is How I Spell Grief: A Guide to Healing from Loss & Finding Fulfillment by Erik Lewin

 

The Story Behind This is How I Spell Grief

By Erik Lewin

I was grieving the loss of my mom, and the closest book I could find that related to how I felt was Stephen King’s The Shining. There was something wrong with this picture! I didn’t identify with any of the standard “five stages of grief” fare promoted by most experts – so I found myself jotting down my own feelings and observations on the subject; there were certainly many facets to consider.

Grief is first and foremost a human experience. The conviction that no books were particularly helpful gave me the freedom to explore the subject more fully for myself. It helped me touch into some tender areas I had been afraid to feel before, which was ultimately very cathartic. I grew excited to share my findings with others.

We’re all part of a community of mourners, a broken hearts club every human on the planet belongs to. It is a meaningful connection and a common ground. We can help each other face our fears, and writing this book allowed me to be vulnerable, by example.

I’m aware that grief and loss might not be everyone’s favorite topic – not too many people are in a hurry to talk about their lost loved ones – but I figured, somebody’s got to! The idea that I could be of service during such a hard time for a fellow mourner gave me inspiration. Hopefully people accept this offer of service and read the book! It’s an honor to offer it.

 

Erik Lewin

  

 

Erik Lewin shares how he turned the profound loss of his mother and father into life-changing growth, with intimacy, warmth and humor. He offers a no-nonsense, commonsense way to create your personal path to acceptance of your loss.

Lewin became an expert in his grief experience twice over, encouraging readers to find their own way, as no two lives or losses are the same. He eschews expert opinions and general analyses of grieving in favor of common sense, letting you know you are not alone in how you’re feeling. He shares how he turned his loss into an impetus to personal change. A former criminal defense lawyer, Lewin is now a full time writer and standup comedian.

This Is How I Spell Grief takes a counter-intuitive approach to self-help; there are no eight simple exercises to get over it. Instead, you gradually learn to address grief on your own terms, to make true and lasting peace with your loss.

PRAISE

“Generous, intimate and deeply personal, even funny at times. I believe this book will help readers work with their own grief.” – NOAH BRUCE, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Director, Salinas Valley Medical Clinic

“Outstanding work. Everything I felt about my father’s recent death and my best friend’s death 14 years ago was articulated in this writing. It truly is a wonderful tome on helping one to manage their grief after the death of a loved one.” – Philip Peredo

“This is the book that I wished I had many years ago when first confronting the passing of my father. The author expertly navigates all of the issues that one encounters when grieving. It’s a remarkable book in that even for those who think we have a handle on their grief, the author helps us understand new ways to engage with grief. It’s definitely not a self-help book, but I found it much more profound and valuable.” – AKF

 You can order your copy at Amazon.

Erik Lewin is the author of three books – This is How I Spell Grief, Animal Endurance, and Son of Influence – as well as numerous essays published in Ponder Review, GNU Journal, David Magazine, Real Vegas Magazine &Literate Ape. Erik is also a stand-up comedian who performs in clubs and venues around the country. He formerly practiced law as a criminal defense attorney in New York City and Los Angeles. He is at work on a new one-man show loosely based on This is How I Spell Grief.

Erik lives in Las Vegas with his wife and their furry pets.

Visit his website at www.eriklewincomedy.com or connect with him on Facebook and Goodreads.

The Story Behind Knights of the Lost Temple: The Bronze Scroll by Paul Donsbach and Alia Sina

 

The Story Behind Knights of the Lost Temple: The Bronze Scroll

By Paul Donsback and Alia Sina

Hi, I’m Surat Romero, but everyone calls me Sam. They say I’m the lead character in The Bronze Scroll adventure-romance novel, but really my love interest, Rebecca Schreiber, steals the show. I’m an attorney who investigates corporate whistleblower claims for a global law firm. My home base is Los Angeles, but I spend much of my time on work assignments abroad. Rebecca’s a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, who lives in Tel Aviv. We met at a conference in New York last November. Rebecca was one of the speakers, and I was really impressed and went up to meet her after her talk. She’s just gorgeous, with hazel eyes and long auburn hair rolling down past her shoulders. She’s deeply spiritual in a new-age sort of way and committed to integrity and community service. In fact, her presentation was about journalistic ethics for international investigations. Listening to her speak, I was captivated.

Our book has two co-authors who are really quite different. Alia Sina believes in new-age Islam and miracles that seem to happen every day. She grew up in an Afghan American family and now has a husband and two young children of her own. She seems to have read every supernatural thriller ever written. Paul Donsbach believes in logic and science and grew up in the Christian tradition. His favorite novels are those that make you question your beliefs and whether it’s possible to believe anything at all.

Despite their differences, Alia and Paul decided to write an adventure-romance novel together. They had each been working on ideas for their own novel and, when they met at a writers’ workshop, realized that their ideas were quite similar. They decided to work together on a story based on an unsolvable mystery, which they saw as a symbol of the discontents of the modern era, when all of the great discoveries seem behind us. After much research, they chose for their impossible mystery the so-called Copper Scroll (actually made of bronze), which is an ancient treasure map found in a Dead Sea cave almost 70 years ago. After it was translated from the original Hebrew and Greek, archaeologists and scholars dismissed it as impossible to decipher, since the treasure locations are described so vaguely and at least partly in metaphorical terms.

Alia and Paul never imagined that Rebecca and I, along with my friends Jason Baldwin and Steve Bellamy, could ever solve this mystery. But that’s exactly what happened. The experts had said that the Copper Scroll was either a hoax or an inventory of the Jerusalem Temple in the first century AD. My friends and I got an e-book version of the first century historian Flavius Josephus’ writings and started running word searches using words and phrases from the mysterious treasure descriptions.

After we started solving the Copper Scroll's mysteries one by one, Alia and Paul had to rewrite the plot with a more optimistic theme. Maybe there's no such thing as an impossible mystery after all.  But does this mean that anything is possible? Even our dreams of peace and unity? What about the legendary lost Ark? Is its location really listed on the Copper Scroll? Not once but twice? I won't answer these questions here, but I have to say our story ended up more interesting than Alia and Paul's original idea of a mystery that remained unsolved.

Thank you again for the opportunity to be here, and please feel free to check out the book. I think Alia and Paul are pretty good writers, but I have to say that Rebecca is the main reason to read the book. I've never met anyone so accomplished and present. She just has that magic.

Stay tuned for the next book in our series too. Now that The Bronze Scroll has been published, Alia and Paul are working on the The Last Pharaoh. I'm having a great time with my friends in Greece, Egypt, and Italy, and hoping to see Rebecca again soon too. Will the sparks of our romance turn into true love? I certainly hope so, but in the meantime I've got my hands full with ancient mummies and a scorpion queen. 

 

The authors of The Bronze Scroll are excited to announce the publication of their first book in the Knights of the Lost Temple adventure-romance series. This groundbreaking novel, co-authored by Paul Donsbach and Alia Sina, tells the story of Sam Romero, an investigative attorney who has uncovered and solved hundreds of high-profile corporate crimes and scandals. But nothing has prepared Sam for the mysteries of his latest investigation—an ancient treasure map stolen by corporate thieves, an Israeli land-permitting official murdered, and a local reporter kidnapped and held hostage by a rogue executive, Roy Griffin III. Racing against the clock to rescue the beautiful reporter, Rebecca Schreiber, Sam has only hours to prove that he can solve the mysteries of an ancient bronze scroll and find the Temple treasures hidden during a time of war.

“We want to surprise our readers with stories of making the ‘impossible’ become real,” said co-author Mr.  Donsbach.  “The world is truly ours to remake with a vision of unity, diversity, and inclusion. Through our fictional characters, we will work to show that “ordinary” people can accomplish seemingly miraculous feats through friendship, inspiration, and love. In fact, history teaches that this is the only way that positive change happens. “

Remarked co-author Alia Sina on creating their book: “While on our own separate journeys, we found ourselves working on a story that flowed with ease given each of our strengths that complimented one another in the world of fiction. We each were working on our own novel and, at the suggestion of our moderator for our writers’ workshop, we began working with each other. What was intended to simply be an “experiment/project/let’s see what happens” turned into a commitment we both developed to the characters and their story. As a fan of supernatural suspense novels, and now as an author, it never ceases to amaze me how real the characters could become. Having written my first novel with Paul, I feel the characters waiting to continue their story.”

A New-Age Journey of Discovery: For their first novel in the Knights of the Lost Temple series, co-authors Paul and Alia chose the so-called Copper Scroll (which is actually made of bronze) as a central element in the characters’ story. One of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in a desert cave in the 1950s, this artifact is a treasure map listing tons of gold and silver hidden at vaguely described locations that scholars had given up on deciphering. As a supposedly “unsolvable” mystery, the Copper Scroll would serve a symbol of the discontents of modern life, in which the great, achievable dreams seem to have already been accomplished.

There was just one problem. The Copper Scroll wasn’t unsolvable after all. As Sam and his friends work to decipher this ancient treasure map, its mysteries unravel one by one. By searching for the listed treasure descriptions in the e-book version of the ancient historian Flavius Josephus’ writings, Sam and his friends discover that most of the treasure sites involve metaphors or legends important to the leaders of the Judean provisional government at the outbreak of the Great Revolt in 66 CE. They realize that this treasure map must have been made for a peace speech before the Bronze Gate to the Jerusalem Temple in May of that year, in which one of the leaders (probably the chief high priest) urged negotiations with the Romans to end the revolt.

The high priest’s speech would have begun with treasure site 1—seventeen talents (about 900 pounds) of gold and silver hidden in the Valley of Achor. This matches the seventeen talents of gold and silver that Josephus recorded as being stolen from the Temple by the Roman governor, triggering the revolt. As the high priest would explain to his audience, the Valley of Achor was a biblical location where a thief was executed for stealing gold and silver from the Temple. Having condemned the Roman governor in this manner at the beginning of his speech, the high priest would move on to the other metaphors in the treasure sites listed on the Copper Scroll, including the 900 talents (sites 3, 56 and 58) that Josephus identified as the annual taxes paid to Rome by Judea and the other Jewish client states, and the 300 talents of gold (site 47) that Josephus described as being allocated by King David for his son Solomon’s use in building and furnishing the inner sanctuary of the Temple.

A Sacred Relic of the Exodus from Egypt: As they decipher this ancient treasure map, Sam and his friends realize that the 300 talents of gold that site 47 says were hidden underground on the west side of the Pool of Siloam match another legend of hidden Temple treasures being recorded on a bronze scroll. They learn of a legendary account in the so-called Treatise of the Vessels of a bronze scroll being made during a time of crisis, as a permanent record of King Hezekiah, or one of the other listed leaders, hiding the Ark and the gold from Solomon’s Temple in an underground cistern near the Gihon Spring (the water source adjoining the Pool of Siloam), to be revealed at the time of the Messiah, son of David.

But, the characters wonder, is this what treasure site 60 means when it says that the Book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) is the “deciphering scroll” explaining each of the hidden treasures? After all, its famously enigmatic epilogue (chapter 12) cryptically refers to the Exodus story (almond blossoms and locusts), the Tabernacle (a silver cord and a golden pitcher), a spring and a cistern, and “every hidden thing,” to be revealed at the time of judgment. Could this be a secret biblical code recording that the lost Ark and the gold from Solomon’s Temple were hidden in a underground cistern by the Pool of Siloam near the Gihon Spring?

A Time for Peace: As the adventurous Bronze Scroll novel moves toward its surprise ending, the characters decipher more of the Copper Scroll’s metaphorical treasure descriptions (including the cursed son of King David at site 48, the Samaritans’ version of the lost Ark legend at site 57, and the bronze sacrificial altar at site 59). Using mysterious spiritual powers that he has long resisted, and the protection of a secret knighthood that he discovers, Sam must learn the scroll’s remaining mysteries before Roy makes good on his threats. He must learn the explosive truth needed to save Rebecca and, in the process, uncover the true spiritual meaning of this ancient bronze scroll.

But what could that be? Is it Kohelet’s message about a “time for peace”? Or does an ancient scroll found soon after modern Israel’s independence tell us something about the time of judgment? As the Knights of the Lost Temple series begins with this first novel, Sam and his friends start an exciting journey of discovery in search of this hidden truth.

The authors of this new adventure-romance series invite you to join them on this voyage. Currently working on the second book in the series, the authors believe that the world’s diverse spiritual traditions hold answers for our troubled times. Paul, who identifies as “spiritual but not religious,” and Alia, a “new-age Muslim” from an Afghan American family (writing under her pen name), believe that greater understanding among the world’s different faiths and beliefs is essential to solving the world’s current problems. Recognizing that even the smallest miracles—like an ancient treasure map found in a desert cave—can make a big difference, the authors welcome you to share this journey together.

For More Information:

Publication date: August 11, 2021, 291 pages; an independent publication of Knights of the Lost Temple, LLC.

E-book:     $9.99; 978-1-7373978-0-9

Paperback:          $19.99; 978-1-7373978-1-6

Hardback: $29.99; 978-1-7373978-2-3

Book website: https://www.knightsofthelosttemple.com/

Rebecca’s blog (under pen name): https://veilsofdesire.com/

Amazon Selling Page: https://amzn.to/3BcelQr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Knights-of-the-Lost-Temple-105963305136800

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knightsofthelosttemple/

Co-author Paul Donsbach is a Texas native and a lawyer. Raised in an era when those working for social progress were rooted in religious faith, he believes that many of today’s problems likewise require a renewed commitment to spiritual ideals.

Co-author Alia Sina was born and educated in the greater San Francisco Bay area. She was raised in a first-generation, close-knit Afghan American family. Some of her formative experiences  involved her interactions with people who embrace cultural diversity, as well as those who are hostile to families from a different background.

For More Information:

Book website: https://www.knightsofthelosttemple.com/

Rebecca’s blog (under pen name): https://veilsofdesire.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Knights-of-the-Lost-Temple-105963305136800

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knightsofthelosttemple/