William L. Stuart

author of The Gemstone Chronicles Series

Book Reviews, Thoughts, and Random Interesting Ideas

Kelpies!!!

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Kelpies!!

I often get asked by readers of The Gemstone Chronicles series how I decided on the monsters that guard the stolen gemstones. Did I make them up or are they based actual creatures (or at least mythical creatures)? The truth is that I did a lot of research before settling on my monsters. I didn’t want to have zombies, vampires – sparkly or otherwise – or werewolves or any of the other currently popular monsters. No, I wanted something different, something outside the norm. What did I settle on? Kelpies!

Kelpies The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian by William L Stuart Cover

The beasts:

So, exactly what are kelpies? Accounts vary as to the origin, but according to Wikipedia the kelpie is a supernatural water horse from Celtic folklore. Similar creatures exist in many other cultures. In The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian, I used the Scottish version of the beast, called each uisge (pronounced as best I can tell ek-wizz-key). Below is an image of the beast in its true form.

Kelpie (artist rendering)

Kind of creepy, huh? But, the kelpies don’t always look likes this. The monster often appears as a white horse grazing peacefully near running water. When a rider mounts the horse, an adhesive traps the rider to the horse’s back and the horse leaps into the water, drowning the rider. Beebop and Maggie experience the kelpie but, no spoilers from me on what happened!

Kelpie leaping into water

One of the more unpleasant aspects to the kelpies is that the creatures will eat the victim, except for the heart or liver, which is allowed to drift to the surface for people to find. Sounds like a perfect thing to guard the Carnelian!

You can see kelpies are unusual monsters and a great fit for The Gemstone Chronicles! Stay tuned, I will be talking about the other creatures in upcoming posts.

What are your favorite monsters? Are they current, well-known creatures or are they more old school? Leave me a comment and let me know!!

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Georgia Guidestones – Thanks to Brad Meltzer’s Decoded

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Georgia Guidestones!

I am going to take a break from talking about The Gemstone Chronicles. Since I’m not writing reviews showcasing other Indie authors this week, I want to talk about something else very cool – the Georgia Guidestones!

Guidestones
Georgia Guidestones

I never knew about the Georgia Guidestones until I saw them on an episode of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded. This past Labor Day, Lana (my lovely and adorable bride of 25 years) and I were riding around in Northeast Georgia and we decided to visit. It was a very interesting thing to see!

First, a little background on the Georgia Guidestones. The story goes that a gentleman named R.C. Christian commissioned the monument. Mr. Christian represented a group that wished to remain permanently anonymously. Mr. Christian and his group, The Guidestone Group, chose Georgia for its granite and its mild climate. Mr. Christian’s great-grandmother was allegedly a Georgia native, so that might have helped. The monument was erected March 22, 1980 in a field off Georgia Hwy 77 in Elbert County. Below is the stone that provides some history and details about the monument (sorry about the picture quality – it was a very sunny day).

Georgia Guidestones Plaque

The Guidestones:

The Guidestones themselves are arranged in a paddle-wheel shape around a central granite pillar. There are 4 vertical slabs around the central pillar, all resting on base slab. The vertical slabs are topped by a capstone slab. The 4 vertical slabs have the following 10 guidelines or principles in 8 different languages (English, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, and Chinese):

  1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature
  2. Guide reproduction wisely – improving fitness and diversity
  3. Unite humanity with a living new language
  4. Rule passion – faith – tradition – and all things with tempered reason
  5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts
  6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court
  7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials
  8. Balance personal rights with social duties
  9. Prize truth – beauty – love – seeking harmony with the infinite
  10. Be not a cancer on the Earth – leave room for nature – leave room for nature

See the pictures below.

The Slabs:

Chinese Slab Georgia Guidestones
Chinese Slab
Swahili Slab Georgia Guidestones
Swahili Slab
Hindi Slab Georgia Guidestones
Hindi Slab
Hebrew Slab Georgia Guidestones
Hebrew Slab
Russian Slab Georgia Guidestones
Russian Slab
English Slab Georgia Guidestones
English Slab
Arabic Slab Georgia Guidestones
Arabic Slab
Spanish Slab Georgia Guidestones
Spanish Slab

Topping off the vertical slabs is a capstone with 4 additional languages: Babylonian, Sanskrit, Classical Greek, and Egyptian Hieroglyphs. The central slab has a hole aligned with the North Star, and there is a slot that aligns with the equinoxes and solstices. Lastly, there is a small hole that allows a beam of sunlight to illuminate the date at noon each day.

Conspiracy theories:

With all of the languages, the guidelines (especially the one about keeping population below 500,000,000), and the astronomical alignments, there is little wonder that the guidestones have become linked with many conspiracy theories. Because of that, the stones themselves are subjected to vandalism on a regular basis. Too numerous to go into in this post, you can do an Internet search to discover more. One to ponder is whether this is the work of the New World Order…

The Georgia Guidestones are enigmatic, mysterious, and kind of bizarre. Set in a field about halfway between Elberton and Hartwell, they suddenly appear at the side of the highway. While we didn’t get any spooky feelings, or tap into any of the cosmic consciousness, it was a very cool place to visit! Thanks Brad Meltzer for letting us know about this wonderfully odd Georgia treasure!! If you’re ever nearby, visit! If you do, let me know your thoughts.

What mysterious places exist where you live? Have you investigated them? Leave me a comment and let me know! I can’t wait to hear your stories.

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You can also connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, You can email me at bill@williamlstuart.com. If you don’t want to miss a post, feel free to subscribe to the blog. I enjoy meeting new friends, so say hi. Let’s start a conversation!

Born of Water by Autumn Birt – My Review

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Born of Water!

Born of Water – My Review!!

Born of Water by Autumn M. Birt Cover

I saw some chatter about Born of Water by Autumn M. Birt on Twitter, connected with the author, and took a look. I liked what I found! Read on for my thoughts.

Synopsis (from the author):

In a world controlled by magic, not everyone wants the “honor” of being an Elemental Priestess and becoming a slave to the Church of Four Orders. But when Ria calls upon magic to save her best friend’s life, she discovers there is something worse than being able to control water, air, fire, or earth.

There is another power, one that is forbidden, and its use is punishable by death.

Ria must flee everything she has known to outrun a creature sent to capture those who use tainted magic. Her best chance of success comes in the protection of an outcast Water Priestess who might choose to betray her as much as help.

In a desperate race to save her life, Ria must discover just what is the magic she controls and why the Church of Four Orders wants anyone born with it killed before they capture her.

What I liked about Born of Water:

I enjoyed the way Autumn Birt fleshed out her characters and her descriptions of events and  locations. The sailing scenes were very well done, as were the events in the forest where they meet Darag. I particularly liked the evolution of the relationships among the characters. Some were predictable, while others a surprise.

The narrative itself entertained me and the author’s imagination worked well with the use of the Elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Niri, a Water Elemental, finds creative ways to use her powers to further their quest, and who knows what else they will discover before the quest ends?

What I didn’t like:

I found a few spelling errors that distracted me a bit. Ty’s mood swings and odd outbursts needed some explanation (but perhaps they will be explained in the sequel). More background on each character would have been helpful in understanding the characters actions and reactions.

Overall impression:

Born of Water is a very nicely told story with a fresh take on the four elements, I recommend it to fantasy adventure fans, those who like a little romance, and anyone who is a fan of magic! I know I will read the next installment!

My rating:

4 Stars (out of 5)

Nana and Beebop’s Mountain Home (From The Gemstone Chronicles)

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The North Georgia Mountains have been a wonderful find for me. I grew up in New Mexico and Colorado where we were near mountains and spent some time in them while I was young, but I never really gained an appreciation for them. When we moved to North Georgia, I had the opportunity to explore the mountains and find lots of inspiration. As most of you know, I have become an avid gem hunter and gold prospector. It was during one of those trips that I found the house that would become the model for Nana and Beebop’s mountain home in my fantasy adventure series The Gemstone Chronicles!

The Home:

Beebop's Home

What an amazing place this looked to be! I’m not sure how much land belongs to this place or if there are any old mine shafts on the property, but it easy to imagine there would be. And what about elves, magic, and missing gemstones? They could all be a part of this gorgeous scene! And it was the model for Nana and Beebop’s home!

Running near the property is a gold-bearing creek. How do I know it is gold-bearing? Well, that same creek runs through our favorite gem hunting spot where people have found gold! It just adds to the mystery and possibilities of the mountains.

The River:

Now, in the books, there is a river running through Beebop’s property. Right down the road from the house pictured above, is the Chestatee River (also know to have gold in it). In fact, the Chestatee River runs through one of the gold prospecting properties I visit on occasion! Here is the river that inspired the one running through Beebop’s land.

Home River

I had always heard that the mountains could be such a wonderful place to visit and live near. Having spent much of my life in deep South Georgia where it is about as flat as it can be, discovering the wonders of the North Georgia Mountains has been a blessing.  They certainly provided me the inspirations for many of settings for my books!

Do you have a favorite spot in the mountains? Do you visit them for scenery or recreation (or both)? Leave me a comment and let me know!!

The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian – One Year Later!!!

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Book One: The Carnelian – One Year Later!

The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian – One Year Later!!

The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian by William L Stuart Cover Year

It seems like yesterday when I embarked on my self-publishing journey with the release of The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian, but it has been one whole year! That’s right, August 12, 2012 The Carnelian went live! I didn’t know what to think or how it would be received, but, with the encouragement of Lana, I put the book out there for public consumption. What a pleasant trip it has been. I have received 11 reviews on Amazon (six 5 Star, four 4 Star, and one 3 Star), and 13 reviews on Goodreads!

Here are some of the comments from Amazon:

This is a great book that can be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages.  – Amazon Reviewer

Thank you for sharing your imagination with us!  – Amazon Reviewer

I can tell you that I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.  

– Amazon Reviewer

Join me in celebrating the first anniversary of The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian! As a way of thanking everyone who has been or will be a part of this wonderful experience, I am offering The Carnelian ebook for $0.99 from August 12 – August 31!! The book is available at the following retailers:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008WV90JQ

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214281
 

Join me as we follow the adventures of Aidan, Maggie, Nana, Beebop, and their elven friends as they travel to the magical world of Celahir and try to restore the balance between good and evil!!

Connect with me:

Let’s connect on social media! I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. Find me and start a conversation.

 

Beebop’s Corvette Convertible (AKA his mid-life crisis)!

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Readers of The Gemstone Chronicles know that Beebop has some very cool toys. He has a ski boat, jet skis, four-wheelers, and a utility vehicle. He drives a truck and Nana has a crossover vehicle. But, Beebop’s Corvette Convertible is his favorite toy in the books! I found this picture on Google and thought I would let everyone see what Beebop loves to drive!!

Beebop's Corvette Convertible
Beebop’s Corvette Convertible

The Corvette!

Now, some facts about the car. There were only about 30,000 Corvettes made in 1973 and of those, only 4,943 were convertibles. 1973 was the last year the rear chrome bumper was available. There were 3 engine options available: the base engine 350 cubic inches (190 hp), L82 version at 350 cubic inches (250 hp), and the 454 cubic inch LS4 (275 hp). The cost for a convertible began at about $5,300!

Beebop’s Corvette is painted Mille Miglia Red and has the L82 engine. Why did Beebop pick this particular car and this particular year? Because it is a beautiful classic automobile that he has admired for years! It is fast, nimble, and incredibly fun to drive.

If, and when, I ever get the chance to own one of these classic convertibles, I will be sure to take advantage of the opportunity. I could see myself, Nana at my side, cruising down to Panama City Beach, Florida with the top down, wind in our hair, enjoying the sunshine! Pair it up with some Rayban Wayfarers (which I happen to own), and we will be ready to roll!

To find out more about Beebop’s 1973 Red Corvette Convertible, read The Gemstone Chronicles! Books 1-3 can be found at the following links and at many fine etailers (like Barnes and Noble and Books A Million) on-line!

Links:

Book One: The Carnelian:

Amazon:

Smashwords:

Barnes and Noble:

Book Two: The Amethyst:

Amazon:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/313213

Barnes and Noble:

Book Three: The Emerald:

Amazon:

Smashwords:

Barnes and Noble:

And, remember, a portion of every book sale goes to my 1973 Red Corvette Convertible fund!!!

What is your favorite classic car? Leave me a comment and let me know!