ETA on updated award-winning mystery novel Secret of the Sands

I just wanted to give folks an update on the ETA of the new version of Secret of the Sands, the Readers Favorite 2009 "Fiction-Mystery" silver medalist. The proof copy is scheduled to arrive this Monday, Mar.8th, 2010. It should only take me a day to review it, then if all is well, it will be approved for publication. Hopefully it will be back on the market by the end of next week. I will post updates as I get them!

In the meantime, our kindle edition remains on the market through our publisher, Maine Desk, LLC - that version won't be changing. If you are an eBook reader, do check out our ancient Egypt book and find out what has been hidden deep below the Great Sphinx of Giza for 12,000 years...

Happy reading, my friends!

Rai Aren, co-author of the award-winning mystery novel SECRET OF THE SANDS

Secret of the Sands is getting polished!

I just wanted to let you all know that our award-winning mystery novel Secret of the Sands is undergoing a little polishing. With the recent silver medal we won in the ReadersFavorite.com book contest, now seemed like the perfect time to polish & shine our baby! The new cover will include the image of our silver medal & have new wording on it. Here's what it will look like:




I think it looks fantastic with the medal on the front cover. We are very, very proud to have won the silver medal for "Fiction-Mystery" and we want to showcase that achievement

In addition to the change to the front cover, I have also done a little updating to the interior. Those changes include adding blurbs & excerpts from great reviews we have received along the way, an update to our author bio at the back of the book, the fixing of the handful of typos that gremlins must have inserted into the book when we weren't looking ;) and the mention of our bronze medal award for the sequel, Destiny of the Sands - also from ReadersFavorite.com in the "Fiction-Mystery" category (which can also be found at the back of the book). We are thrilled to bits to have won two medals! I have also included our new tagline for the sequel on that page:

Some secrets cannot remain hidden, some cannot be forgiven...

Those words perfectly capture the story of both books, if you've already read Secret of the Sands, you will know what I am talking about!

I will let you all know when the book will be available again - it will temporarily be taken off the market (but still available through resellers), while these changes are being made, but it should hopefully not take any longer than a week or so...

If anyone would like to personally be notified of when the updated book is available, feel free to e-mail me at:

rai-tavius@secretofthesands.com

I am looking very forward to our newly polished adventure novel Secret of the Sands being shined up & ready for the world! Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Rai Aren, co-author of the award-winning mystery novel SECRET OF THE SANDS

"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

Rai Aren

Author

Secret of the Sands

Read Now - http://bit.ly/15WZUp

Twitter - @raiaren

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.

We are now award-winning authors!

I am extremely pleased to announce that we have won two medals in the category of “Fiction-Mystery” in the Readers Favorite 2009 book contest: a silver medal for our mystery novel Secret of the Sands and a bronze medal for its upcoming sequel, Destiny of the Sands (coming in 2010!). How cool is that?!?! This is truly an honor for us and I am thrilled to say that we are now award-winning authors! Here is the link to the announcement:

2009 Readers Favorite Winners



It is immensely gratifying to receive this praise and to know that our stories resonate with readers and reviewers alike. It really is a dream come true… ☺

I just had to show off our super cool Certificates of Award:






I would also like to share the judge’s comments we received on each book:

SECRET OF THE SANDS

Authors Rai Aren and Travius E. bring the ancient past to life. Secret of The Sands is a fast paced adventure reminding me of The Indiana Jones Series. The authors successfully weave the past and present together playing out two stories at once. In the past, we watch the story of King Traeus and Queen Axiana unfolds. There is strife in Traeus’’ kingdom. He builds a secret chamber under the Sphinx to hide a powerful machine that he hopes will help his people.
In the present Archeology students, Mitch and Alex discover a box hidden in a secret chamber under the Sphinx. The box contains two scrolls and a metal unknown to humankind but predating the iron age. They more they learn the more they question.
This is my kind of book. Please, please make a continuing series and a movie! The authors are extremely talented. I cannot praise this book enough. Fast paced, page turner, character development, fascinating plot…….what more could I ask for. – ReadersFavorite.com


DESTINY OF THE SANDS:

Destiny of the Sands is the second book in this series. The first book was Secret of The Sands. The story continues in 1941. The war continues and the mysterious box resurfaces. Mitch and Alex must return to once more study the strange alloy. The past and the future intertwine to create an adventure that the reader will not want to end. Danger lurks around every corner as the Nazis fight for world dominance.
(The authors) allow reader to observe life in ancient Egypt and during WWI. There descriptions are fascinating. The characters are realistic. I was very partial to the ancient Egypt scenes. While the stories are parallel for me the past was almost hypnotic. I wanted to experience more. I hope there is another book in this series. – ReadersFavorite.com



Happy reading always my friends!

Rai Aren, co-author of the mystery novel Secret of the Sands
Destiny of the Sands to be released in 2010
www.secretofthesands.com

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!

Rai Aren

Author

Secret of the Sands

Read Now - http://bit.ly/15WZUp

Twitter - @raiaren

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!!

Rai Aren

Author

Secret of the Sands

Read Now - http://bit.ly/15WZUp

Twitter - @raiaren

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

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