Sunday, November 24, 2013

It's Time!!! Guiamo Chronicles on Tour


On Tour with Prism Book Tours...

The Chronicles of Giamo Durmius Stolo by Marshall Best

    We're excited to be working with Prism Book Tours over the next few weeks as we explore The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo in more detail.  We look forward to discussing many elements of the adventure with you, the readers.  Below is just a taste of what we will cover.


New Reviews
History, Myths and Legends of the Story
Lessons in Ancient Languages
A Character Study of Guiamo
Sight Seeing Tour of Places in Guiamo Chronicles
Discussion About the Ancient gods
Question and Answer Time with the Author
Giveaways, Giveaways, Giveaways
Special Discounts on Print Copies for Christmas!


Check In Each Day to See What's Happening!



The Legendary Tour

This tour goes back to the age of legends. The author has taken a deep dive into rich history, bringing his love of fantasy with him. The result?
"Guiamo by Marshall Best is an outstanding historical novel of life and times in the ancient Roman era." 
"There were times I had to remind myself this was fiction. It was easy to follow the story and keep up with each new twist and turn. I really had trouble putting this book down." 
 Larry B. Gray
Follow the Chronicles of Guiamo as they unfold on the tour!

11/25: Launch
11/29: Mel's Shelves 
12/1: Life as Leels 
12/4: Bookworm Lisa 


Special Tour Price!!!
$3 off each book through Createspace.
(Click on the cover to take you there.)
Guiamo (The Chronicles of G... Cumoro (The Chronicles of G... Morlanos (The Chronicles of... Inis Emain Ablach (The Chro...
Use coupon code: GS9D2K7C 


About the Series

Combining legitimate legends with actual historical events, Marshall Best weaves an epic story that portrays the ancient world as it might have been, a world which the ancient historians recorded as fact; a time when gods ruled the earth and strange creatures dominated the land. It is the era of civilized conquerors exploring distant and primitive new lands. Scant recordings left to us today only touch on the fringe of the fantastic and brutal reality that existed in those distant lands of the west. Into this age, young Guiamo enters the world stage as the great game-changer, and by his hand the gods and beasts become destined to disappear into myth and legend.

A ring of great power....not from Mordor

As the lighting blazed in a dancing, arcing column to the sky, a voice deep and powerful as thunder said, “My son, today my powers are bestowed upon you.”

One of the most vivid scenes in Guiamo is where the god Lugus bestows special powers upon him.....as you read it you can almost see the scene as it would play out in a movie....the excerpt is below. This scene finds Guiamo with his druid teacher Susama.
     Guiamo brought Susama to the sacred grove atop the high hill near Gobedbiacum. Guiamo noticed that while the cold weather carried a wind, it was not strong enough to move the limbs of the trees which swayed dramatically along their way.
     Susama noticed the activity of the trees, too, and observed, “Lugus eagerly awaits your arrival.” They trudged along watching the branches moving energetically around them. Guiamo pointed out that the trees a short distance farther were nearly still.
     Susama asked, “Durmi, did you bring the unformed gold?”
     He reached into his bulla praetexta pouch and pulled out a lump of gold...
Read the rest of the excerpt here.

The Chronicles:

Guiamo (The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo, #1)Guiamo

In 60 B.C., ten-year-old Guiamo Durmius Stolo, an exceptionally gifted Roman orphan, is abandoned in Gaul . Left to fend for himself, Guiamo is set onto a path of legend. Recognized by the gods as having world-changing talents, he is given a weapon that changes his destiny and the world’s forever. 
Ebeth says, "In telling this story, Best is able to richly lay out the history of the land and the people - and he does so without confusing the reader. That is a gift and a talent."



Cumoro (The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo, #2)

Guiamo Durmius Stolo sails in 55 B.C. with Rome’s 7th Legion as Julius Caesar invades Britain. But Caesar has not before encountered the Fomori, a dominion of wicked creatures which wage war against the human inhabitants and dominate much of Britain. Armed with his god-made spear, Guiamo joins with the tribal kings against their Fomori foe when Caesar departs. 
"Just finished Book 2. Any writer who wants to write about epic battles, should read the battle against the orcs. A great example of swordplay and magic combined!"  - Mary Woldering




Having destroyed the Fomori in Britain , Guiamo Durmius Stolo decides in 51 B.C. to bring the Cruthin people, once slaves to the Fomori, to Ireland , but encounters the Fomori who reside there as well. Guiamo discovers that the gods venerated by the Druids are unworthy. The gods are displeased with him and begin to work against him.
The third book in an excellent series and again the authors understanding and research into the myths and legends add excitement and interest to the story. 
The writer totally enthralls and absorbs the reader into a time gone by and again you feel you are there fighting and wanting to warn Morlanos of the danger he is facing. 
Anyone who is interested in legends and has an vivid imagination and believes strange creatures and magic (or the belief that wizards/witches existed) governed the thoughts of the people and their lifestyles will find this an excellent read.beckvalleybooks 

In 50 B.C. Guiamo Durmius Stolo finds himself victor over the detested Fomori whose leader, Cichol, is slain and those few who survived are scattered. Guiamo explores the secret places where Cichol kept his most important secrets and discovers there the treasures of Cichol's master, the goddess Domnu.
The author springs yet more surprises and again shows expert research and intense historic knowledge.beckvalleybooks 
Goodreads * Creatspace * Smashwords



The Author:

Marshall BestMarshall Best is an avid reader, father of six and business owner. In the past several years he has found his love of writing as well. What began as a desire to write a story for his children has evolved into a nine book series.

Marshall has done extensive research into the history behind the legends, people and places of England, Scotland and Ireland involved in his books. He loves being able to weave real people and legends into his stories making them come alive. He is definitely a writer that tends to the details often mapping out timetables, calendars, geneologies, etc. that pertain to his book to ensure that it is as realistic as possible. 


Marshall also enjoys putting real life issues into his books, delving into a bit of philosophy while entertaining with orcs, dragons, magic and battles. He is someone who loves a grand adventure but makes sure it's not a shallow one.



Tour-Wide Giveaway:

-One print set signed by author – world wide giveaway
-One complete e-book set – codes provided via smashwords
-Two winners: e-book of Cumoro and a $5 Amazon gift card each
-Two winners: e-book of Morlanos and a $5 Amazon gift card each
-Two winners: e-book of Inis Emain Ablach and a $5 Amazon gift card each
Ends 12/20. Please see restrictions on Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, November 18, 2013

Venturing Into the Writing and Publishing World? You Need to Read This!

     Nearly a year ago when I began helping to market the Guiamo Chronicles,  I started with a crash course on blogging and Twitter.  Facebook I pretty well understood.  Twitter was a foreign land and blogging looked fun but confusing.  As I stumbled along I met many people glad to lend a helping hand.  I also ran across many articles that helped me tremendously.  Things that seem second nature once you've been on Twitter for awhile can be very baffling to start.  Lists are wonderful tool, for example, but I had no idea how to use them.
     Most sites such as Twitter, Hootesuite, and Blogger have tutorials, but let's face it, most of us don't take the time to read them.  It's on our to do list that never really gets done.  Time is a precious commodity, especially in my case as a mother of six children trying to help her husband.  Because of this, the kind people who passed along their knowledge made a huge difference.  I'm still learning but I've come  along way.
     As a way to say thanks to those whose help made a difference, I wanted to pass along their posts that helped me on my journey.  Below you will find articles on everything from Twitter etiquette (and yes, I made some mistakes) to using YouTube to your advantage as a writer. I hope it will encourage and help others who may feel a bit lost as I did.  

Articles Discussing Publishing & Writing Related Issues


Articles Giving  Information on Twitter Basics


Articles Regarding Reviews - How, How Not To and Where to Find Reviewers



Articles Regarding Blog Tours & Blogs/Websites




     Do you remember when you first started using Twitter or blogging?  Do you have a funny story or something that has helped you to pass along?  If so, we'd love to hear it.  Please take a few minutes to leave a comment below.  Twitter is a wonderful community.  I hope you enjoy your stay!

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Wading Through the Sea of Books



      For those who love to read, there is always a quest to find that next great book. No one wants to
waste their time on a book not worth reading. In the process of trying to announce the Guiamo Chronicles series to the world, we have found many places that love to assist readers in finding bargains and discovering books in their preferred genres. Below are just a few places you may want to look into. Some will send you daily e-mails with suggestions of books for you to read. Others are just places where you can find many authors and their work. If you're constantly on the look out for a good book, why not give some of these places a try? The first one below is The Fussy Librarian. If you want to see Guiamo in their listing of suggestions....tomorrow it will be featured. If you join today, you'll receive the e-mail tomorrow.




The Fussy Librarian
When you sign up for The Fussy Librarian, you choose from 40 genres and indicate preferences about content and then the computers work their magic. It's a great way to find out about authors you may not have heard of before.

Indie Book Bargains (UK)
Similar to the Fussy Librarian, Indie Book Bargains will send you regular e-mails with suggestions of books at a discounted price.  In order to be listed, you have to have several good reviews on Amazon UK.  Indie Book Bargains also has a list of books that authors have offered free to reviewers.  A great way to discover a new read.

Self Publishers Showcase
Founded by an avid reader as a way to support some of his favorite authors, Self Publisher's Showcase has several authors in each genre to choose from.  They feature author interviews as well as reviews.  You can read more about them in our post, A New Meeting Place for Readers and Writers

Indie Author Land
This site was also founded by a couple who are voracious readers as a way to help authors but also selfishly as they say, to help them find their next book.  You can search for books by genre and read author interviews.



We hope you will join us for The Guiamo Legendary Tour coming up November 25 - December 13.
Be looking for a post of the schedule.  We'll have interesting articles regarding the history behind the novels as well as giveaways and possibly a chance to chat with the author himself!

Look tomorrow for a post that will be helpful for writers with links to many helpful articles I've run across over the last year.

Have a great day and happy reading!