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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Find me on LibraryThing!

Hey there fellow authors & readers,

I just joined LibraryThing this week, a very cool site for avid readers and writers. If you are also a member, do look me up & connect with me there. Here's the link to my profile:

Rai Aren's LibaryThing profile

I have, of course, added our adventure novel, Secret of the Sands to my profile. If you haven't already read it, I'd be honored if you would check it out :)

In the shadow of the Great Sphinx of Giza, two young archaeologists unearth extremely unusual artifacts over 12,000 years old, but the find is wrong - very wrong. The artifacts shouldn’t be there…they shouldn’t exist at all. The greatest discovery in human history may turn out to be the deadliest…


Happy reading always, my friends!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Secret of the Sands adventure novel is again an Amazon kindle Bestseller!!


I am so honored & thrilled to see our adventure novel, SECRET OF THE SANDS, is once again an Amazon kindle BESTSELLER!! Currently we are #77 for Historical Fiction, which is wonderful!

Thank-you so much to our awesome readers - we love yooooooouuuu!!!!

I included a screen shot of our proud moment :)

Happy reading always & thank-you for your support!!


Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Secret of the Sands Official Press Release

SECRET OF THE SANDS by Rai Aren and Tavius E.
Welcome to Egypt’s hidden past.

In an Egypt before pharaohs and pyramids, a mysterious civilization nearly changed the course of mankind. Now its secrets are about to be unearthed – but is the world ready for the consequences?

Inspired by the best parts of Indiana Jones, The Mummy and National Treasure, Secret of The Sands by co-authors Rai Aren and Tavius E. is a captivating hybrid of science-fiction, historical fiction and mystery. The story covers a time before what is in the history books, giving authors Rai Aren and Tavius E. the freedom to propose explanations for many of ancient Egypt’s unknowns still shrouded in mystery today.

The most unique aspect of Secret of The Sands is the dual intertwined storylines. Questions asked in the present are revealed as the past unfolds, slowly inching towards the stunning revelation. Who was this civilization really and where did they come from? What went wrong? Will they ever return and finish what they started?

Secret of The Sands is, at its heart, a love letter to ancient Egypt. The authors’ life-long fascination with the subject matter brings the story to life with contagious enthusiasm and genuine respect. Rai Aren was a member of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities (SSEA) for many years before and during her foray into writing, and took two (non-credit) courses in Egyptology at the University of Calgary. Archaeology & Anthropology were hands down her two favorite courses in all of her post-secondary education.

Secret of The Sands educates while it entertains, and the work-in-progress sequels will introduce a deeper message and new theories when many aspects of Egypt’s past, our own past and certain mysteries of the universe are tied together.

About The Book:
SECRET OF THE SANDS by Rai Aren and Tavius E.

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: RFS Publications; 1st edition (September 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419675524
• ISBN-13: 978-1419675522

About The Authors:
RAI AREN
Rai loves the stories of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, Indiana Jones (her first kitty cat is named Indiana, Indy for short), and The Matrix (take the red pill!), to name a few. She loves getting lost in these enchanting worlds and studying their underlying philosophies. Ancient Egypt has held a particular fascination for her since childhood. She feels right at home surrounded by Egyptian art and books.

Rai feels that novels have the ability to take us on magic carpet rides, allowing us to escape into fascinating and engaging worlds, where the stories become real to us. Storytelling is an ancient, timeless practice and is an integral part of who we are. For Rai, writing a novel is a similar, but far more intense experience and she is thrilled to be a part of such an honored tradition. She believes that these stories are out there, waiting and wanting to be told - that they travel the universe in search of the door, the conduit, to the soul who is meant to tell their tale. She hopes you enjoy the worlds she & Tavius have opened the doors to…

TAVIUS E.
Tavius E. (pen name) grew up and currently resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He attended Mount Royal College and Athabasca University, majoring in Business and Accounting. Movies such as The Lord of the Rings and The Star Wars trilogies have ignited his imagination. Authors such as David Eddings and Dan Brown have inspired him to write.

He enjoys learning about ancient Egypt and archaeology. He sometimes looks up at the stars in the skies and wonder about all the amazing stories that have never been told. As a result, he and his college friend, Rai Aren, are pursuing their shared interests of being successful storytellers.

Contact Information:
For more information, please visit the profile at AllTheseBooks.com
E-mail: rai-tavius@secretofthesands.com; rai.aren@yahoo.com
Website: www.secretofthesands.com
MySpace link: http://www.myspace.com/mysteryscifiauthors
Video Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1GkYZZTM5w
Bristlecone Pine Press: http://www.bcpinepress.com


Written and distributed by:
Marius Menzel for http://AllTheseBooks.com and http://BookHuntersBlog.com
Webmaster@BookHuntersBlog.com
910-625-1372

Sunday, November 1, 2009

New! Secret of the Sands adventure novel trailer #2

I am very proud to show off the brand new video trailer for our adventure novel, Secret of the Sands! I made it myself using a very cool, free tool called Animoto. I hope you like it! The words to the song actually match up incredibly well to specific story points, I'm totally jazzed about it :)

Happy reading always, my friends!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands, adventure novel


"A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion."
-McNally Robinson


"Rai Aren and Tavius E. have crafted a fast-paced, exciting novel overflowing with mystery and intrigue. The tension is constant. The characters fully developed. And the plot gripping. Ancient history and present day relevance are so expertly intertwined, that you might forget you are reading a work of fiction." -- Thomas Phillips, author of The Molech Prophecy


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Awesome new 5-star review of the adventure novel Secret of the Sands!


I was absolutely delighted to come across another 5-star review of our adventure novel, Secret of the Sands. I thought I would share it with you:

reposted from Amazon:

"Can't wait for the Movie
!", October 27, 2009

"Secret of the Sands is a very entertaining and exciting tale of ancient Egypt and modern archeology. The authors succeed in painting the ancient world and its characters in realistic and memorable fashion. Secret of the Sands is a story of adventure, wonder, betrayal, forgiveness, suspense, and action - all the elements that so often can be weaved together into a blockbuster movie. A hope this tale gets the opportunity to reach the big screen - i'll be amongst the first in line to see it! Fans of adventure tales like Indiana Jones will love this book." --P. Martucci

********

If you are interested in buying our mystery novel, here is the link to the trade paperback version:

Purchase Secret of the Sands paperback

and here is the link to our Amazon kindle version:

Purchase Secret of the Sands kindle edition


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Happy reading always, my friends!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands
www.secretofthesands.com

For 12,000 years a dark and deadly secret has been hidden deep below the Great Sphinx of Giza. In present day Egypt, a frightening, yet awe-inspiring story unravels as archaeologists race against time to decipher an ancient truth...

"A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion." -McNally Robinson

"Rai Aren and Tavius E. have crafted a fast-paced, exciting novel overflowing with mystery and intrigue. The tension is constant. The characters fully developed. And the plot gripping. Ancient history and present day relevance are so expertly intertwined, that you might forget you are reading a work of fiction." -- Thomas Phillips, author of The Molech Prophecy

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Secret of the Sands is a kindle BESTSELLER again!!


I am so honored & delighted to see that Secret of the Sands, a mystery novel, is once again an Amazon.com kindle BESTSELLER in the category of Historical Fiction. Currently, we are at #92 on this fabulous list. I included a screenshot :)

Here is the link to the kindle edition of Secret of the Sands:

Secret of the Sands kindle edition

And here is the link to our trade paperback version:

Secret of the Sands paperback version


Thank-you to all of our readers, we greatly value you!!

Happy reading always!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

For 12,000 years a dark and deadly secret has been hidden deep below the Great Sphinx of Giza. In present day Egypt, a frightening, yet awe-inspiring story unravels as archaeologists race against time to decipher an ancient truth...

"A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion." -McNally Robinson

"Rai Aren and Tavius E. have crafted a fast-paced, exciting novel overflowing with mystery and intrigue. The tension is constant. The characters fully developed. And the plot gripping. Ancient history and present day relevance are so expertly intertwined, that you might forget you are reading a work of fiction." -- Thomas Phillips, author of The Molech Prophecy

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Operation eBook Drop - authors, join in!

Hi fellow readers & authors,

I wanted to pass the word along about a great initiative – Operation eBook Drop. It provides donated eBooks to soldiers serving overseas. I am always inspired to hear about how books can help bring some light into someone’s life. I signed up to donate copies of Secret of the Sands – our title, published by Bristlecone Pine Press, was recently listed in the OmniLit catalogue, which made this possible. Here’s the link to our book there:

Secret of the Sands on OmniLit

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Here is an article about it by Holly Christine in the Pittsburgh Book Examiner. You can find Holly on Twitter: Holly's Twitter page and here is the link to the article, which I have copied in below:

Operation eBook Drop article from Pittsburgh Books Examiner

"Operation eBook Drop is the recent development of Edward C. Patterson, author of eight novels (The Jade Owl, most recently). In the Kindle forums, Patterson came across a US soldier stationed in Iraq. The soldier expressed an interest in downloading Patterson’s work, but couldn’t because Amazon’s Whispernet (the service Amazon uses to send eBook purchases to it’s Kindle counterpart) does not function in Iraq.
The issue sparked an idea in Patterson, a frequent poster and respected member of the Kindle forums. After discovering that Kindle authors expressed an interest in making their work available for free to overseas soldiers, he concocted a plan to use Smashwords, utilizing the site’s coupon feature for free eBooks to soldiers.

Since the conception of Operation eBook Drop only a few days ago, over thirty-five independent authors have offered their work(s) for free to overseas U.S. soldiers. Smashwords quickly responded with Patterson in further developing the project, notifying nearly 1300 authors.

For now, authors interested in participating in the program are encouraged to email Patterson. Works must available through Smashwords with a 100% off coupon code. Soldiers interested in particular works will express their interest through Patterson. Patterson then notifies the author, who will then email the soldier links and coupon codes. Smashwords is currently working on an automated system to further the project development.

For more information or to get involved with the program, visit Smashwords for complete program details."

*******

If you are an author, I hope you will join us in this very worthy effort!

Happy reading, always, wherever you may be…

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands


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For 12,000 years a dark and deadly secret has been hidden deep below the Great Sphinx of Giza. In present day Egypt, a frightening, yet awe-inspiring story unravels as archaeologists race against time to decipher an ancient truth...

"A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion."
-McNally Robinson

"Rai Aren and Tavius E. have crafted a fast-paced, exciting novel overflowing with mystery and intrigue. The tension is constant. The characters fully developed. And the plot gripping. Ancient history and present day relevance are so expertly intertwined, that you might forget you are reading a work of fiction." -- Thomas Phillips, author of The Molech Prophecy


Photobucket


P.S. I thought I would share our video trailer with you:




Created by Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands, with help from her friend Tommy Taylor, author of The Second Virgin Birth.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Attention authors: Cool new book contest!

Hey there fellow authors,

I just came across an exciting new book contest that is open to books published between 2005-2009 in 40 different categories. We are planning to enter Secret of the Sands into the contest & I wanted to pass along the word:

Readers Favorite Award Contest - Enter Today!

Here is some info about the contest, which makes it so appealing:

What Do You Win?
Winners will be chosen in four levels for each Genre Category: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention. Each winner will receive a personalized Award Certificate, a high resolution version of their seal for publication, and a roll of Seal Stickers to affix to current editions of their book.

Readers Favorite announces the results of our competition through a premium press release which is placed into RSS feeds with more than 250,000 subscribers including bloggers, journalists and consumers. The release is also sent to more than 30,000 opt-in journalists and bloggers and will appear on search engines like Yahoo and Google. The release will remain online, indefinitely, continually advertising you and your book. Winners will also be featured on our website.

All entrants receive a complete book review which will be posted on our site and on Amazon. Winners and Finalists will receive juror feedback and evaluation notes of their work. This can be extremely helpful in rewrites or edits, especially for manuscript entries. In addition, jurors will make quotable comments throughout the evaluation which you may use in your marketing.

********

It sounds very exciting! You can click on the link above or the banner below to find out more info & enter the contest.

Good luck to any & all who enter!!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

Secret of the Sands again made the Amazon Kindle Bestseller List!!


Hello fellow readers!

I just wanted to share our good news with you - this past week, Secret of the Sands appeared on the Amazon Kindle Bestseller list for Historical Fiction. Thank-you to all of you wonderful readers out there who are giving our mystery tale about ancient Egypt a try...

May you have life, health & prosperity, like Ra, forever…
- Egyptian prayer


Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands
www.secretofthesands.com

"A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion." -McNally Robinson


Secret of the Sands trade paperback on Amazon.com

Secret of the Sands kindle edition


"Rai Aren and Tavius E. have crafted a fast-paced, exciting novel overflowing with mystery and intrigue. The tension is constant. The characters fully developed. And the plot gripping. Ancient history and present day relevance are so expertly intertwined, that you might forget you are reading a work of fiction." -- Thomas Phillips, author of The Molech Prophecy

Saturday, August 29, 2009

"Behind the Books" Interview with Rai & Tavius


We are honored to have been interviewed by author Kathy-Diane Leveille for her blog, "Behind the Books". We hope you'll stop by, have a read, leave a comment, and also check out all of the other interesting features on her blog. Here is the link:

Behind the Books interview with Rai & Tavius

Happy reading always!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Secret of the Sands has been picked up by a publisher for foreign translation rights!!


GREAT NEWS - a publisher in Turkey has offered us a publishing deal for translation rights to Secret of the Sands!! I can't wait to see the book in a new language! The first print run has already been booked. I'll share details as I get them :)

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

We're on the cover of a magazine!


So cool to be on the cover of a magazine!! My co-author & I were interviewed as the featured authors in Cold Coffee Magazine, and Secret of the Sands is the featured novel. This issue of the magazine was given an Egyptian look on the front cover & back & there are some great Egyptian images inside as well accompanying our interview. The magazine also includes many other interesting features such as an article on writing historical fiction, poetry, short stories, and marketing tips.

I hope you'll check it out :)

Happy reading always, my friends!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

NEW!! Cover for upcoming sequel to Secret of the Sands


I am very proud to unveil our gorgeous new cover & cool tagline for the Secret of the Sands sequel:

Some secrets cannot remain hidden, and some cannot be forgiven…


Our cover artist is the very talented Gary Val Tenuta, author of The Ezekiel Code, a great read!

The story is currently underway, our tentative publication date for Destiny of the Sands is 2010.


A JOURNEY BEGUN...

Must now be completed. A reckoning is upon those whose fates are inextricably linked to the mysterious sands of Ancient Egypt.

THE SECRET ONCE BURIED...

Is now hunted by those powerful and corruptible enough to chart a new, terrifying, and ultimately deadly course in human history…

SORROW AND FEAR...

Cannot stand in the way of those who will defend the ways of peace and defy those who are determined to take everything from them…

AN ANCIENT PROPHECY...

Will finally reveal itself, and the startling truths which it holds. The guardians must now trust in those who by destiny were chosen to tell the sacred truth…or destroy all traces of it forever…

Monday, March 2, 2009

Secret of the Sands is part of the World Public Library :)


We are proud to have Secret of the Sands listed in the World Public Library, through the Shadow Forest Authors. I am a big believer in the importance of literacy and the vital role that reading plays in our lives :)

Here's the link to our listing in the World Public Library:

Secret of the Sands listing in the World Public Library


This is one of my favorite quotes relating to the importance of books in our lives:


"When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young."

— Maya Angelou


By the way, as I now have a few blogs to maintain in addition to my brand new Twitter page, most of my blogging will be done in the following places:

MySpace:

Rai's MySpace page

Goodreads:

Rai's Goodreads profile

Amazon.com profile:

Rai's Amazon.com profile

Thanks!

Rai