WHEREVER THE TIDE OF LIFE TAKES YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES
The Origin of New Year’s Day
From the History Channel
The first New Year’s Day was celebrated on January 1 in the year 45 B.C. for the first time in history as the Julian calendar took effect.
Soon after becoming Roman dictator, Julius Caesar decided that the traditional Roman calendar was in dire need of reform.
Introduced around the seventh century B.C., the Roman calendar attempted to follow the lunar cycle but frequently fell out of phase with the seasons and had to be corrected. In addition, the pontifices, the Roman body charged with overseeing the calendar, often abused its authority by adding days to extend political terms or interfere with elections.
In designing his new calendar, Caesar enlisted the aid of Sosigenes, an Alexandrian astronomer, who advised him to do away with the lunar cycle entirely and follow the solar year, as did the Egyptians.
The year was calculated to be 365 and 1/4 days, and Caesar added 67 days to 45 B.C., making 46 B.C. begin on January 1, rather than in March. He also decreed that every four years a day be added to February, thus theoretically keeping his calendar from falling out of step.
Shortly before his assassination in 44 B.C., he changed the name of the month Quintilis to Julius (July) after himself. Later, the month of Sextilis was renamed Augustus (August) after his successor.
Celebration of New Year’s Day in January fell out of practice during the Middle Ages, and even those who strictly adhered to the Julian calendar did not observe the New Year exactly on January 1. The reason for the latter was that Caesar and Sosigenes failed to calculate the correct value for the solar year as 365.242199 days, not 365.25 days. Thus, an 11-minute-a-year error added seven days by the year 1000, and 10 days by the mid-15th century.
The Roman church became aware of this problem, and in the 1570s Pope Gregory XIII commissioned Jesuit astronomer Christopher Clavius to come up with a new calendar. In 1582, the Gregorian calendar was implemented, omitting 10 days for that year and establishing the new rule that only one of every four centennial years should be a leap year. Since then, people around the world have gathered en masse on January 1 to celebrate the precise arrival of the New Year.
By Anthony S. Policastro, Publisher
While we can now communicate in the fastest, easiest and most convenient ways possible using a myriad of devices anywhere, anytime to anyone in any corner of the connected world, I believe we are losing our ability to communicate.
Because communication is now ubiquitous, convenient, easy and instant, we have taken our writing skills for granted. Take emails. I believe that most of us are so comfortable with communicating with this medium that we use it like we are conversing with a good friend. Facebook and Twitter reinforce this mindset because we know our posts and tweets are reaching friends and relatives.
Jeff Bezos
The result is a quantum disconnect fueled by snippets of information that are most times incomprehensible.
When you a sitting face to face and having a conversation, the context of what you are talking about is always top of mind. But when you converse in the same manner with email the recipient may not read email for hours or days. The context gets lost. Complicate that with several acronyms in the copy and you might as well call a cryptologist.
We tend to write emails as if the recipient is sitting across from us leaving out the content because we believe the recipient will know what we are writing about. We have become lazy writers.
And I’m not alone in my view.
Walter Chen in his blog, IDoneThis.com, wrote about Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon who values writing over talking to such an extreme that in Amazon senior executive meetings, “before any conversation or discussion begins, everyone sits for 30 minutes in total silence, carefully reading six-page printed memos.”
Writing out full sentences enforces clear thinking, but more than that, it’s a compelling method to drive memo authors to write in a narrative structure that reinforces a distinctly Amazon way of thinking—its obsession with the customer. In every memo that could potentially address any issue in the company, the memo author must answer the question: “What’s in it for the customer, the company, and how does the answer to the question enable innovation on behalf of the customer?”
Andy Grove, legendary co-founder of Intel
Like Bezos, Andy Grove of Intel finds value in the process of writing, but he doesn’t consider reading important. Grove considers the process to force
yourself “to be more precise than [you] might be verbally”, creating “an archive of data” that can “help to validate ad hoc inputs” and to reflect with precision on your thought and approach.
Writing, according to Grove, is a “safety-net” for your thought process that you should always be doing to “catch … anything you may have missed.”
So what is the solution? Write more, write casually, but include all the pertinent facts and pretend your reader knows practically nothing about what you are writing about.
By Anthony S. Policastro, Publisher When writing a novel it is a bit like taking that award-winning photograph. Don’t worry, you don’t have to take great photographs to be a great novelist.
In today’s world with dozens of media channels bombarding us every minute of the day, your book has to stand out from all the noise.
Here are elements that should be included in your novel and help to make your book stand out. You can pick and choose a few or include all, but you should have at least one.
Now here is how writing is like photography. Look at the photo below. Pretend it’s your realty – what you perceive through your senses. Now write a story about that photograph. You would describe the scenery, the asphalt path, the fallen leaves and twigs…overall what you wrote is pretty boring and a nondescript story unless those elements play a part in your plot.
Neuse River Greenway trail, Raleigh, NC
If you look closely or view the scene from a different angle or perspective there is a better story there. 
The story reveals itself upon a closer look – a nice person found the pink sunglasses on the trail and was considerate enough to place them on the milepost, hoping the person would pass this way again and find the sunglasses. Out of the reality emerges a story. 
The photographer views and analyzes the light, shadows, colors, shapes and how they play against each other and then picks an angle or position for the shot. Writing is the same. A good book is like taking a snapshot of reality, analyzing that realty, digging deeper until the hidden story is found in plain sight and then putting it to words. Tell us what you think. We would love to hear your thoughts.
Did you know Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.
This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins to ward off ghosts.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints; soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating sweet treats.
Reviewed by Steven Felicelli
According to Ron Rhody’s wife, he is not eligible for authoring a memoir. He hasn’t won an Oscar or an MVP or a Nobel prize. And yet Rhody has a story he wants, needs, to tell. His story. And so that’s how he will tell it to us: as one of Our Own Little Fictions.
Reminiscent of Sarah Polley’s documentary Stories We Tell, Rhody meanders through his memory and down the real roads he’s traveled all over the U.S., from his beloved Frankfort, Kentucky, to California and back (via Florida and Alabama) and then back out to California. Along this circuitous route through his youth, manhood, and ancestry, we encounter all sorts of colorful characters, historical events, family triumphs, and tragedies, which in large part amount to the man whose story we’re being told.
The place closest to Rhody’s heart is clearly Frankfort, Kentucky. It is there his father, a newspaperman, fought for civil rights and to put down roots for his forward-thinking family. Though a wanderlust would uproot the Rhodys and send them all over the U.S., Kentucky kept calling them back to the heart of the heart of their country. In Our Own Little Fictions, Frankfort is origin and refuge, and it serves as the Ithaca of the author’s Odyssey.These chronicles of Rhody contain all the joy and pain of an American life that spans the Cold War to the present.
We meet his parents, grandparents, wife and children, friends and mentors. From animated anecdotes of a hard-nosed football coach doling out life lessons to the memorial for a dear friend and author of “sixteen erudite books,” we witness a life pass in time-lapse frames of laconic, Hemingwayesque prose.
Hemingway and his suicide haunt the narrative beginning to end. On a road trip from California to Kentucky, Rhody and his son make a scheduled detour to Hemingway’s home in Idaho (where he’d put the shotgun in his mouth).
”It seemed wrong that Hemingway had killed himself. Nature should have gotten him. Or chance.”
Later in the narrative and earlier in time, news of Hemingway’s suicide reaches Rhody, and he reflects on the premature tragedy, as well as his own (missed?) calling. These two time periods intermingle, and Rhody leaves Idaho with “an answer to a question I hadn’t known I’d asked.” Authorship was an alternative path he’d bypassed only to embark upon late in life.
Later in the narrative and earlier in time, news of Hemingway’s suicide reaches Rhody, and he reflects on the premature tragedy, as well as his own (missed?) calling. These two time periods intermingle, and Rhody leaves Idaho with “an answer to a question I hadn’t known I’d asked.” Authorship was an alternative path he’d bypassed only to embark upon late in life.
Late in life, indeed. The long road approaches its end and the loss of loved ones is an inevitability. Each story has the same conclusion, alas, and many of the characters we encounter in this Appalachian saga pass on in heartrending deathbed scenes and austere funerals. The depiction of these tragedies is sentimental, even cliched, but anything less/more would not be true to life. It is the commonality of these cliches that arise in endless variations, like updates of Shakespeare.
No, Ron Rhody is no Prince Hamlet, nor was he meant to be, but his story of “becoming,” with its conduplicatio, terse punch-lines, and homespun wisdom, is one that will always be in need of telling and retelling.
The feature photo above from left, Ron Rhody’s sister, Ann, his mother and sister, Mary Lou.
Koos Verkaik’s newest novel Heavenly Vision is about a book collector who finds a manuscript in a 1745 Atlas of the Cape of Good Horn that changes his life forever. Read the interview by Deborah Kalb on how Koos was inspired to write the murder mystery, Heavenly Vision.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for Heavenly Vision?
A: For most of my books all I need is one simple fact. One line, one thought, will do to get me start writing. Where Heavenly Vision is concerned, I was intrigued by the fact that you can buy yourself an old book at a flea market and find a priceless drawing or etching between the yellowed pages! That stimulates my fantasy and I get cracking right away – not knowing at all where and when it will end.
I always start to write the first two or three pages with a simple pen on sheets of paper. Only after I know it is all right, I start working on a computer.
Sitting down in silence and write the lines with a pen is something I will always enjoy.
Q: The book takes place in a variety of locations and times. Did you write the novel in the order in which it appears, or did you move chapters around as you wrote?
A: I wrote it in the order in which it appears! When I start writing, there is a complete chaos in my head, but the manuscript must be one hundred percent all right. I make notes on sheets of papers, on beermats, on three different laptops, sometimes on the back of my hand – but finally it all comes together in the manuscript.
After having typed “The End,” the chaos has disappeared. The work is done. Then I take a deep breath… and start working on the next project.
Q: Did you know how the book would end before you started writing it?
A: I never know how my books will end. I know there are authors who make a storyboard, who only start writing after they have figured it all out.
For me every new book is an adventure – for myself and for my readers. The story grows and to be honest; I do know where to go with my stories, it is all somewhere in my head and it has to come out. I never had writer’s block; I have written since I was 7 years old and as a boy I worked at night and saw the sun come up.
Q: How did you research the novel, and did you learn anything surprising?
A: Research is always important. And… the internet is there for the common facts, books are there for the real information. In my work room I am surrounded by a couple of thousand books; I absorb the facts and write fantasy.
Right now I am reading Sapiens and Homo Deus from Yuval Noah Harari. Such a great writer about the history and the future of mankind.
For Heavenly Vision I didn’t have to do much research. Most of the things I wrote about (such as the Dutch East India Company) were already known to me. I am a collector of nonfiction books about science, but also about alchemy, the supernatural, mysterious historical facts, etc. Life is full of odd surprises and I love to write about it.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I always write different books at the same time. There are two series of children’s books, Saladin the Wonder Horse and Alex and the Wolpertinger. Finished the last book of Saladin and work on book 14 of The Wolpertinger; intending to write over 30 different titles.
A new publishing company contracted me for all my novels: Righter’s Mill Press, Princeton. They also have a film company, Three Corners Entertainment. Signed contracts for all titles.
Right now I also started a new novel. And I never tell about a new story until it is finished… When I explain all about it, I feel less urge to complete it.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Yes. Heavenly Vision was published earlier by a Canadian company. Unfortunately the publisher passed away. We had become such good friends, She was such a great person.
Now Outer Banks Publishing Group has taken over; they will also publish my novel The Nibelung Gold soon and they already published the two series of children’s books I mentioned above.
I received wonderful reviews for the first edition of Heavenly Vision, which made me very proud (believe me, it is a great adventure and also a great honor to be published in Canada and the USA when you are a writer from faraway Holland).
About Koos Verkaik
Koos Verkaik, who lives outside of Rotterdam, Holland, is the author of more than 60 books from children’s series to mysteries to sci-fi. When his novels, All-Father and Wolf Tears were published, he earned the moniker as the Dutch Stephen King.
About the cover of Heavenly Vision
The cover was commissioned and created by Doriano Strologo, an illustrator in Numana, Italy, depicting the main character in the book, the mysterious Raso, the man who had the heavenly vision.
List Price: $15.99
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
Black & White on White paper
268 pages
Outer Banks Publishing Group
ISBN-13: 978-0990679080
ISBN-10: 099067908X
BISAC: Fiction / Crime
Angel Gonzales is charged with heinous crimes that law enforcement, the media, and most folks in Richmond, Texas, and surrounding communities are certain he committed.
The crimes and trial dwarf anything that has happened in that part of the Lone Star state in anyone’s memory.
When, against all odds, the jury renders “not guilty” verdicts, shock escalates to anger.
In the minds of many, justice has failed, and a brutal criminal is being set free. For Angel and his court-appointed public defender, Marty Booker, being judged “not guilty” isn’t enough.
Together and with help from an unanticipated source, they attempt to prove Angel’s innocence.
In the process, they butt up against prejudice, deceit, and a sheriff and district attorney who put politics, ambition, expedience, and arrogance above responsibility to do their jobs.
It’s a story of horror, hatred, belief, and persistence – a story of a Mexican-American teenager who nearly loses his life on the way to becoming a man.
BASED ON TRUE EVENTS
SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE in 2019
Price: $14.99
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
Black & White on Cream paper
280 pages
ISBN 10 – 0982993137
ISBN 13 – 978-0-9829931-3-2
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Language: English
On the night of July 21, 1948, Robert Daniels and John West entered John and Nolena Niebel’s house with loaded guns. They forced the family including the Niebel’s 21-year-old daughter, Phyllis, into their car and drove them to a cornfield just off Fleming Falls Road in Mansfield. The two men instructed the Niebels to remove all of their clothing, and then Robert Daniels shot each of them in the head.
What followed was the worst two-week killing spree in the history of Ohio.
Here is an excellent video by Michael D. Butler on how to get more reviews for your book on Amazon. You can find more information on his blog, Beyond Publishing.
Only 65% of the world’s books are purchased through Amazon according to Forbes but that is still a big enough number to smartly utilize their platform.
In this video Michael D. Butler, Best-Selling Author, Publisher and Book Launch Expert shows new and veteran authors HOW to get MORE verified reviews on Amazon without getting slapped and shows what is the tipping point to get Amazon to push your book out to the wold.
On this video we talk about:
Getting Reviews on Amazon is not easy but it is very important if you want Amazon to push you out.
In this interview with Outer Banks Publishing Group author Bob Irelan, he reveals what inspired him to write the novel, Angel’s Truth and hopes to help people realize that justice is not always applied fairly, especially when it to comes to racial minorities.
Bob, this is your first novel. What inspired you to write it?
Writing was a large part of what I did during my career — first in journalism and then in public relations/communications. But, until this book, I had always dealt with facts. Reading fiction was my release and I have always appreciated a story well told. In retirement, I found the time to attempt writing this novel. It’s liberating to shape a story, make it believable, but not be bound by actual happenings. With respect to the plot, I’ve most always rooted for the underdog. For me, the character Angel Gonzales fills that role in his fight for true and lasting justice.
Were the characters inspired by real life people?
Public Defender Marty Booker was shaped at least in part by a public defender I was exposed to years ago as a member of a jury. I was impressed by how hard he worked on behalf of his client, a minority. Angel and the others were creations of my imagination.
You started your career as a journalist and then moved into corporate public relations and communications. How did you research the information for the story? Did you have any experience in the justice system?
I have to admit I didn’t do a lot of research. I lived in Sugar Land, TX, near Richmond, where the story takes place. Those locations and nearby Rosenberg are real but my description of them — most of the buildings, the park, etc. — is made up. I decided to create a setting that would work with the story I wanted to tell. My knowledge of the justice system is limited, but it’s drawn from jury service, a lifetime of reading and viewing courtroom dramas, and having a father who was a lawyer and a U.S. Attorney.
How long did it take you to research and complete Angel’s Truth?
The better part of a year, although I sometimes took breaks of a week or two. I admire writers who discipline themselves to a daily schedule. I’m sure that’s a more efficient approach than the one I followed.
I wanted to make the point that the truth often is not obvious; that finding it takes persistence, commitment and, if you’re lucky, some help from unanticipated sources. I also wanted to remind the reader about how, too often, justice is unevenly applied — especially as it relates to racial minorities. We’re not yet where we need to be as a fully inclusive society. Despite this, I wanted to write a story where hard-fought truth prevails.
Will there be a sequel? Will you write another book?
I’m not sure, but probably. I found the challenge of creating a plot and developing the characters to give it life very stimulating. Also, in writing this first novel, I overcame some personal doubts and uncertainties. For instance, I had not really written dialog before so that took some learning. The reader will judge whether I succeeded.
Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction and why?
I don’t have a preference. l love biographies and works of history. But I also love fiction, especially mysteries and those that include some courtroom drama. I admire greatly those who write well, those who can draw a picture for the reader. I love a book that grabs my attention and leaves me wondering how the heck the author came up with this or that idea.
Who are your favorite authors and did any inspire you to write Angel’s Truth?
I like John Grisham, Mark Sullivan, David Baldocci, Dan Brown, to name a few. I also like historical novels by authors like Ken Follett, Erik Larson, and Anthony Doerr. In my mind, they are all amazing story tellers. And, yes, I drew inspiration from all of them as well as others.
As a first-time novelist, do you have any advice for potential authors starting their first book?
Yes. Just start writing. Don’t wait until you have everything figured out before you start. Don’t be deterred by not knowing at the outset how your story is going to end. Keep writing and see where your imagination takes you. Learn from the words and phrasing of writers you admire. Bounce ideas and text off people whose judgment you respect — those who will tell you if something is good or not. Take breaks when you need to but commit yourself to a finished product. You’ll be glad you did.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Take your time. Don’t rush the process. This was advice I got from an experienced, successful pro, and it proved to be very helpful. Don’t be shy about asking for help. There are a lot of smart people out there willing to hold your hand on this exciting journey.
___________________________________
Angel Gonzales is charged with heinous crimes that law enforcement, the media, and most folks in Richmond, Texas, and surrounding communities are certain he committed.
The crimes and trial dwarf anything that has happened in that part of the Lone Star state in anyone’s memory.
When, against all odds, the jury renders “not guilty” verdicts, shock escalates to anger.
In the minds of many, justice has failed, and a brutal criminal is being set free. For Angel and his court-appointed public defender, Marty Booker, being judged “not guilty” isn’t enough.
Together and with help from an unanticipated source, they attempt to prove Angel’s innocence.
In the process, they butt up against prejudice, deceit, and a sheriff and district attorney who put politics, ambition, expedience, and arrogance above responsibility to do their jobs.
It’s a story of horror, hatred, belief, and persistence – a story of a Mexican-American teenager who nearly loses his life on the way to becoming a man.
Reprinted from Smart Marketing for Authors
Interview with Netherlands author Koos Verkaik, who has written and published over 60 titles. He is currently an Outer Banks Publishing Group author with his four-book children’s series, Saladin the Wonder Horse.
You are a Dutchman. Many of your books are in English. How does that work?
I have written over sixty different titles, both novels and children’s books. I think and write in Dutch, then translate my work. Anthony Policastro from Outer Banks Publishing Group, publishes my series of children’s books, Saladin the Wonder Horse. He can work with my English texts and takes good care of the necessary editing.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
For me writing is work and work can make you tired. I am used to write till late at night.
Did you ev
er consider writing under a pseudonym?
I wrote lots and lots of books under pseudonym, mainly to make money. That work has nothing to do with the 60 titles I wrote under my own name, Koos Verkaik. I wrote four novels each month for a publisher/distributor – adventures using different nicknames. My full name is Jacobus Jan Verkaik. One of my pseudonyms is Jan Jacobs. Wrote a series of children’s books under that name: Slimmetje (somewhat like Smarty). It sold over 450.000 copies in The Netherlands only!
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I had only one job in my life, working as a copywriter for a huge agency in Rotterdam. There I learned to write what people want. And my commercial books also gave what people wanted to read. My own novels come straight from the heart and I don’t wrote them for a certain audience. So, in short, I know how to attract attention and I know how to get to the point in a pleasant way.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Each novel stands on its own. I have a contract now in the USA with a publisher and a film company for 14 different titles. All stories on itself. In May this year, Righter’s Mill Press, Princeton comes with my novel HIM, After the UFO Crash and in the summer they will publish Dance of the Jester. Both books are also considered for film. And then they will publish 2 to 4 new books each year.
For children I love to write series. Alex and the Wolpertinger will be published in May this year – the first two books from a series of 30.
Outer Banks Publishing Group has published number one of the series Saladin the Wonder Horse, book two is ready for print.
How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
I was only 18 when my first novel was published. And 16 when I write scripts for comics. It did not change my process of writing. I wrote fast, I still write fast. That first novel was written during a long weekend. 5000 copies sold.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
I started writing stories at the age of seven. I was amazed by the fact that I could make all characters act the way I wanted them to do. That gave me a miraculous feeling of power.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
None. All books I ever wrote have been published.
What’s the best way to market your books?
Use all possibilities that the Internet gives you. Never be lazy, take your time to look for new ways, new chances. The world is changing. The Internet makes it possible for me to work with an agent in New Zealand and publishers in the USA. This is an amazing time. Facebook is important, when you are writing. And of course you need your own website.
Bruto, the bear, Joe and Angie from Book 2, Saladin and Silver
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I have a personal library containing about 3,000 books. I read lots and lots non-fiction about science, about the paranormal, about everything. And I am always able to find things back; I know exactly in which book I can find what I am looking for. And the Internet is very helpful when you want to do good research.
How long were you a part-time writer before you became a full-time one?
As I told, I have been a copywriter once. I was only 20 then. When I quit, I became an adventurous writer, finding my way in the labyrinth of the publishing world. Writing commercial stuff under pseudonyms, novels and children’s books under my own name. I wrote hundreds of scripts for comic artists, articles for magazines, recorded albums, etc.
How many hours a day do you write?
I am used to get up at half past six and start working at half past eight to about seven o’clock in the evening. And often I work till late and I also work on the weekends. I write children’s books and novels. More than often I write two books at the same time. All I need is one single idea – that is enough to start writing, I never know how it will end. There is a chaos in my head and I need to put an avalanche of words on the screen or I have to start all over again and concentrate on writing new things. As a boy, I was, of course, not allowed to write to late at night. The bookkeeper of my father’s business knew I had that drive to write after midnight. He gave me a special old light bulb that was used during the Second World War; lights were forbidden then, they could attract bombers. I used the bulb to write at night: a small beam shone down on my paper. Only was able to see it. It was exciting to write my stories in the dark. The old bookkeeper encouraged me to write my stories when I was still a kid.
Can you tell more about the new series Saladin the Wonder Horse?
Book 1: Saladin the Wonder Horse
Angie looks after the horses of Lord Baltimore.
It is a rough time in England, where Prince John sits temporarily on the throne of his brother Richard the Lionhearted.
The girl plunges into wild adventures when she tries to keep a colt out of the greedy hands of the prince. She meets a mysterious knight, who gives her his horse – Saladin, the black wonder horse.
With the two faithful animals, Angie manages to reach the camp of Robin Hood, bringing him an important message.
Silver, the colt she saved, learns quickly from the clever Saladin.
The exciting adventures of Angie, Silver, and Saladin come to a head as the girl resolves to outsmart Prince John.
And of course she cannot achieve that without her special horses … and some very special friends.
Book 2: Saladin and Silver
Angie roams the country that is reigned by the ambitious Prince John.
An encounter with a mysterious knight saddles her with a mysterious horse: Saladin the wonder stallion. This horse reveals himself as the teacher of Silver, her own, silver colored horse. This way Silver becomes a wonder horse as well.
Angie has gone far away from Nottingham and the castle of the prince.
Of course she rides Silver. The beautiful horse is no longer a colt, hardly seems to feel the weight of the young girl and loves to be together with her.
Again Angie meets the most odd people – a tinker, Joe and his bear Bruto and especially the spoiled Princess Wanda, daughter of Prince John, who is after her favorite horse! Angie has become an outlaw and a fugitive: she has to keep Silver out of the hands of the greedy princess!
Book 3: Silver and the Ghost Horse
Again Angie and her wonder horse Silver plunge into the most dangerous adventures. It all starts, when a sly councilor and a giant soldier decide to destroy the camp of Robin Hood. No one knows where to find that camp of Robin and his men. No one, except for Angie! Soon everyone is looking for her and things don’t look good for the girl. But she can count on the help of Silver and Saladin and of her friend Joe and his bear Bruto. And another party is interested in Angie and Silver! A strange man, who calls himself Sultan! And where do these mysterious ghost horses come from? Angie and her horse stay tough. For together they are strong, together they stand tall in a land full of enemies and problems.
Book 4: The Jester of Nottingham
Prince John reigns over England, now his brother Richard Lionheart is not there. He exploits the people and wears Richard’s crown. Everyone fears this mean prince. Except for men like Robin Hood and girls like Angie!
Angie roams the country on the back of her wonder horse Silver and comes across the most odd persons. She runs into knight Rush and his little son Arthur; she meets a merry rat catcher and returns to the camp of Robin Hood. In the meantime, Prince John organizes an election: the man who becomes the Jester of Nottingham is allowed to reign the country for one week. He does not know that King Richard has set foot on English ground again! Angie knows where she can find the king and finds him with Silver and the mighty Saladin.
And the king can use the help of Angie and her wonder horses!
The novels All-Father and Wolf Tears gave him the name of the Dutch Stephen King. Koos was invited by Bill Thompson, the editor of the first Stephen King and John Grisham books. In New York’s Empire State Building. they polished one of his best and most intellectual books: Dance of the Jester that will be published this summer by Righter’s Mill Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
Learn more about Koos on his website > https://koosverkaik.com
Buy a copy of his book
https://www.amazon.com/Saladin-Wonder-Horse-Book
Koos Verkaik Music: https://soundcloud.com/user-224641692
Koos Verkaik Books: https://readwatchandthink.wordpress.com/tag/koos-verkaik/
If you vote for Trump and his MAGA GOP members you may indirectly start World War III.
If Trump and his MAGA GOP take control of our Congress, they will cut off support for Ukraine. They already cut support on the advice of Trump when the Congress was ready to approve the spending bill with support for Ukraine.
What will happen next?
said Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. “This is supposed to be the party of conservative principles, of tradition, of respect for customs and rules that make society governable.
“The idea that the law does not apply to Republicans is something that has now become part of the mainstream of the Republican party. We see it in terms of the approach to elections. We see it in terms of the treatment of immigrants. Some of the actions with regard to abortion may approach that level. The Republican party appears to consider the law and the constitution to be optional and to have lost legitimacy.”
From The Guardian
Republicans’ lawless leaders at odds with midterm law and order message | Republicans | The Guardian
If you vote Republican you are supporting:
– 19 GOP red states have pending laws suppressing voter’s ability to vote. Historically, dictators and Fascists have suppressed votes to stay in power.
– The GOP has come out in support of QAnon, The Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys
– You may lose a loved one, a relative or a friend in a train crash, a bridge collapse or a plane crash as Republicans strip funds from President Biden’s infrastructure bill.
– The Texas abortion ban if left to stand will be passed in several other GOP states. Idaho will pass an anti-abortion law based on the Texas law. 16 states have “trigger” abortion ban laws.
by the US Supreme Court.
https://cnn.it/3RaW1zm
https://nyti.ms/3IcANNo
With the recent Supreme Court banning EPA authority from polluters
https://bit.ly/3IfQ1Bf
on Gun Purchases – will never get passed.
Watch Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional plea to improve gun purchase background checks
https://cnn.it/3AnRweO
– will never go up leaving 18 states still paying $7.25 an hour.
– the last thing America needs are conservative leaders, especially some Republicans who want to keep America from progressing. The last thing America needs is backward-thinking leaders in the 21st Century.
– Republicans have turned to cheating to stay in power or to get back into power…and nothing is getting done by them for the American people.
The enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.
and everything America stands for: Truth, Justice and Liberty for all? Look what is happening in Ukraine.
*Of course, not all Republicans are like those described above. Here is a list of those who should stay in office.
House of Representatives – those who voted to impeach the former president
Senate – The Republicans who voted to convict the former president after impeachment:
YOUR VOTE COUNTS. It’s a lie to think otherwise.
Paid for by Jake Stone for American Democracy
VOTE like your freedom depended on it…because it does.
Books of the NY Times