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Join Alex Philothea and the agents of KHNM on another exciting adventure!
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Alex Philothea thought life would be less complicated now that she was no longer the interim director of KHNM. She was wrong.
The Keepers of the Holy and Noble Maat (KHNM) shield the mortal realm from the lethal chaos of the ancient Egyptian Gods. Under a crushing eviction deadline of midnight, the agency is being driven from its headquarters by ongoing litigation with the Gods. The agents of KHNM race against the clock to pack unstable supernatural artifacts they have guarded for centuries. With nowhere to go and only a menu of bad options to choose from, the agency shelves Alex’s plan to return a primordial book of magic to her ancestors in the lost oasis. If this due date isn’t met, the ancient water lore within will be lost forever—a deadly late fee humanity can’t afford to pay. As chaos swirls around her, an artifact stolen by a formidable immortal adversary sets Alex on a perilous quest.
All the while whispers from the Gods calling for Alex’s death grow louder.
Available October, 15 2020
Book two in the KHNM Series
Join Alex Philothea and the agents of KHNM on another page-turning adventure.
Click here to purchase
Alex Philothea, the newly appointed director of the Keepers of the Holy and Noble Maat, is fighting to save the agency her ancestors have led for over two millennia. Operating in deep cover, KHNM shields the mortal realm against the lethal chaos of the Immortals. As Alex battles the Gods over the agency’s existence, she is in a race against time to contain dangerous magical artifacts. If the Gods succeed in shuttering the agency and these ancient objects fall into unworthy hands, humanity will pay a deadly price.
Deep in the Netherworld, adventurer Jorge Trinculo unearths a primordial book of magic. It exposes one of KHNM’s darkest secrets. For years, the agency has been erasing the memories of his encounters with the Immortals. As his old life floods back, he realizes all that he has lost. In Jorge’s pursuit of revenge, his future becomes entwined with that of a power-hungry magician. A magician who has waited patiently, for centuries, to possess the forbidden book and wield its lethal magic against the mortal realm.
Nancy Pearl Book Award Finalist!
Link to online retailers: books2read.com/u/mlYw8B
Alex Philothea’s quiet life as a research archeologist changes forever when she is tracked down by a secret society, the Keepers of the Holy and Noble Maat.
Alex’s father died years ago during an excavation in the remote Egyptian desert. The circumstances of his death have always been shrouded in mystery. Now the leader of this obscure organization promises to unlock the answers she has been searching for; the only thing she must do is save humankind.
Follow Alex into a world of myth and magic where the lines of reality blur at every turn.
Praise for Daughter of Maat:
“Sandy Esene has written a real page-turner. It’s Dan Brown goes to Egypt with a delightful dash of Harry Potter thrown in. A wonderful read and she’s got the Egyptology right!”—Bob Brier, Author of The Murder of Tutankhamen
“If you like Egyptian Mythology and the excitement of Indiana Jones adventures, this book is for you!”— Pat Remler, Author of Egyptian Mythology A to Z
How I became a willing captive
My ongoing commitment to write every day in 2014
Writers write. Write every day. Advice that I frankly got sick of hearing. Generally, I can be really good at blowing off advice that I deem inapplicable to me. However, when those tiresome words would be bandied about, I would sigh heavily (probably roll my eyes at the person sitting next to me ) and think to myself , “Just because it works for you doesn’t mean it works for everyone. We are all unique; everyone doesn’t fit into a singular creative process.” These reoccurring insights in no way come from a place of superiority — I am well aware that my writing skills are a work in progress and that there are deep oceans of craft that I have yet to even dabble the very tips my toes into.
So one fateful day towards the end of 2013, someone unwitting soul at a workshop or lecture must have uttered those too often used words. I don’t remember the exact moment, but I realized that if I was going to hate on something, I should know what I hate about it. So I committed to writing every day in 2014, to prove myself right, that it was a bunch of bunk. After trying it out, I felt I would have license from my personal experience to express my distain for it. I had visions of mocking the very idea of it as I personally slayed the myth of writing every day. My name will be legend as the great debunker… you get the idea.
So now on day 356 of continuous writing, I wholeheartedly embrace and know that…It works. It really truly absolutely works.
What I have gained by writing every day this year:
- My writing has improved greatly.
- Writing comes more easily. Writers block has not darkened my door.
- I am more engaged and connected with the novel I am writing. I have had some wonderful story breakthroughs and awesome moments of surprise where my story and characters went to places I never thought they would.
- I have “completed” my novel first. It is done, but not finished. I’ve got some more drafts to go — but Dammit— I have written a novel from beginning to end and all the fun parts in-between.
This habit that at first was a pain to try and fit into my daily life now feels like a permanent and cherished fixture.
There are three things that I think are crucial for success in this endeavor:
- Carve out time in your already busy schedule. I work full time and during 2014 I was completing the last two quarters of a writing intensive. I brought my laptop to work and wrote during my lunch. All I needed was to find a couple of reliable hideouts where I could be left to my own imaginative devices. It may sound overwhelming to work during your break time, but I found that working in my made-up world was actually a nice break from the realities and stresses of my job.
- Allow yourself some flexibility. As the year progressed and my streak grew ever longer, it became a fun challenge to make sure my writing chain stayed unbroken. There were probably ten maybe twelve instances throughout the year where I “punched the clock,” in which I would open up my novel and write for a short bit. I blogged about this in an earlier post August when my mother was visiting. In that case I made a mad dash to get words in by midnight – and did. Other days I had a particularly hard day at work or had social obligations. But I still managed to get the needed words in.
- Allow for creative freedom and choice. Writing every day includes all aspects of writing. If you do not feel up to drafting a scene, do a free-write about a character or story element, do some research and imbed what you find into your story, edit previous drafts. Any and all of these things will move your story forward and keep your streak going.
I personally do not believe in New Year resolutions. To me they have become such an ongoing joke that people say them in the context of “you know this will only last for about ten days” and smile at each other knowingly. This was not a New Year resolution; it was a commitment by me that happened to begin on New Year ’s Day. It is a distinction that pleases me. New Year is one of my favorite holidays. It is a wonderful time to reflect on our past and gaze forward and contemplate future growth. It is a perfect time to try something new, like trying to debunk a hoary old writing cliché.
Give it whirl in the coming year. What do you have to lose?
Day 5 continued – Kom Ombo
As I sat on our private balcony above the paddle wheel and watched the sun dip down below the sand colored cliffs, I thought about how beautiful the sunsets were here. I was feeling a little sentimental as this night would be our last sailing sunset on the S.S. Karim. From tomorrow on we will be moored at Luxor for the remainder of our journey on the amazing vessel.
I truly loved being on this boat as it slowly chugged down the Nile making that funny oompa sound Rob and I had grown so fond of. It took us less time heading north back to Luxor as we would be sailing with the current.
In the afternoon we went to Kom Ombo temple. It was amazing! We practically had the place to ourselves. Far Horizons really knows how to schedule their site visits to maximize the visitor experience. I remember the first time we traveled with Bob and Pat we also stopped at this site. As Bob was giving a talk about the i5, some tourists from another group recognized him as Mr. Mummy and were completely star-struck. He is so personable and down to earth and unassuming. However, from my prospective, traveling with him and Pat felt like hanging out with Egyptological rock stars. It was a truly awesome experience.
After leaving the temple I bought some items from the hawkers. We were having a fancy dress party that night on the boat so I bought a turquoise galabeya, a plastique Nefertiti collar style necklace, and some dangly earrings. I also picked up a couple of crowns with ureases for our nieces.
I did not enjoy the bargaining aspect of buying things in Egypt. Some people get a kick out of it. I just found it annoying. Luckily Pat was there to help me. She is a haggle master. Without her help, I would have just gotten frustrated and not bought anything.
As I wrote this entry we passed by Hormheb’s Temple and the stone quarry we visited the other day. The sites were lit with upturned spot lights illuminating them beautifully as we slowly passed by.
Although I was saddened at the fact that we had only three more nights on the boat, I was excited we were heading towards Karnak Temple. Next to Abydos, it is one of my favorite places to visit in Egypt.
Today I celebrate my 200th consecutive day of writing!
On New Year’s Eve, I committed to writing every day this year and have stuck to it! YAY me!
Normally I am pretty good at ignoring advice given if I don’t think it pertains to me. However, each time I went to a writer’s workshop or lecture on writing, the speaker more often than not would break out with that oh-so-annoying mantra, you must write every day. Writers Write. I got so tired of hearing it. I decided if I was going to completely dismiss something, I should at least know the reasons why, hence my commitment to writing every day in 2014.
Now, today on the 200th day of continuous writing I am A COMPLETE AND UTTER CONVERT. Not only do I feel more connected with my novel Daughter of Maat as I touch it every day, but I have also had some amazing breakthroughs and the writing seems to come more easily. I know that this personal commitment has made me a better writer in so many ways.
There have been a few days when, due to life getting in the way, I would “punch the clock,” allowing myself to write for a short burst of time. (Like when my mom was visiting from out of state.) However, the for bulk of those 200 days I’ve written from a minimum 30 minutes up to 6 hours.
Once you make the habit, you find ways to make it work. While my mom was visiting we went on a day trip to Bainbridge Island to see an outdoor production of Twelfe Night at Bloedel Reserve. (The reserve is TOTALLY worth checking out if you are ever on Bainbridge Island.) We headed home in the late evening. By the time our ferry landed in Seattle traffic was all jammed up because the Seafair Torchlight parade was wrapping up. When I got home it was 11:30 p.m., my day was almost over and no writing had commenced. I grabbed my laptop, wished my mother a quick good night and wrote the day out.
Whew! That was a close call, almost broke my streak. But one thing I have discovered over these 200 days is where there is a will there is a way.
Day 5 – Birding Excursion & Tour of S.S. Karim
The birding excursion was something I signed up for, but was not convinced about. First you had to get up before the crack-of-dawn (which, as previously stated, is never a first choice for yours truly) and secondly, although I love nature, I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a birder. But it was awesome! It completely blew my mind.
We traveled by small boat with a metal canopy into thick marshland with rocky outcroppings. The birds were so close as we drifted by it almost seemed like they were clockwork creations on some crazy-perfect Disney ride. Every turn we made through this grassy maze revealed a sight more exotic and beautiful than the last. We even sighted a Blue Kingfisher; apparently they bring great fortune to those who are lucky enough to spy them.
Before heading off to the Ptolemaic temple of Kom Ombo we had a delightful hieroglyph lesson on the main deck with our favorite professor, Bob Brier. In this lesson we learned how to put sentences together in this ancient script. I think it would be amazing someday to learn enough of this ancient language to go into a temple or tomb and be able to decipher what was written all those centuries ago.
After we completed our lesson and we were chugging down the Nile toward Kom Ombo, the S.S. Karim staff gave us an amazing tour of the boat’s bridge and engine room.
Day 5 on to Kom Ombo to be continued…
2014 PNWA Conference
Last week I attended the 2014 Pacific Northwest Writers Association conference in Seattle. (Sea-Tac to be exact.) It was a wonderful experience.
All the attendees and vendors were friendly and welcoming. It was so amazing to feel a part of such a supportive and amazing writers community. Not only did I run into some old friends, classmates and writers group members, but I also had some incredible conversations with new friends. PNWA did it again, kudos to Pam Binder and the entire organization!
My session highlights were:
Scott Driscoll – The Arc of the Scene: A Beat by Beat Analysis of How Scenes Work. This session was a wonderfully deep look into how scenes work. Scott is a Seattle based writing instructor and author. His recently published novel is titled Better You Go Home.
Jason Black – Steering Your Story Where You Want it to Go. Jason has an amazing way of breaking down complex topics into easy to understand language. Jason is a Seattle area developmental editor.
Elena Hartwell – Write Dialogue Like a Playwright. An extremely insightful and fresh look at dialog. Elena is a Seattle based playwright who takes on developmental editing projects.
Robert Dugoni – Creating and Maintaining Tension and Suspense and Today|Write. Two exceptional talks on craft and writing. Today|Write was extremely inspirational. Robert is a critically acclaimed New York Times best-selling author of the David Sloane series.
If you ever have the opportunity to go to a workshop or session by any of these amazing and talented speakers … DO IT — you will not be disappointed!
S.S. Karim – Day 4 – St. Simon’s Monastery and Elephantine Island
Today we woke up very early to ride camels to St Simon’s Monastery. The camel ride was a little daunting at first, but once you got used to the erratic movement, the experience was quite fun. I enjoyed plodding along at an ambling camel’s pace to take in the surrounding desert. As I looked out in to the vast expanse of gold sand and blue sky it made me think about this harsh environment and how easily it could kill, if someone was stranded or unprepared.
My camel’s name was Saudi and Rob’s was Mickey Mouse. Saudi apparently thought he was the most important camel in the group as he was constantly pushing and cutting the others off. He must have had a lot of fleas or just plain itchy skin as he would constantly fling his head back in an attempt to bite his own neck. Not only was the sight of his yellow and fairly large teeth off-putting, but the violent movement threatened to throw me off onto the hot and rocky ground.
I had mixed feelings about Saudi.
When we arrived at the monastery, a personal guide showed us around the site. He did not speak much English, but he overcame this by acting out creative pantomimes to illustrate the activities that would take place in that section of the building. It was amazing the amount of humor he could convey to us all without words. He had us all in stitches.
We headed back to the boat for lunch, and then on to our next destination which was a tour of Elephantine Island where the project director for the German team gave us a personal tour of the site.
After our amazing tour of Elephantine Island, we sailed back to the S.S. Karim on a felucca, where there were many opportunities to buy jewelry. I purchased numerous necklaces to take home as gifts.
Tonight Dieter, the Director of the German team, is going to join us all for dinner. That should prove to be fun. He seems to have an abundance of interesting stories.
What a jam-packed day! There was talk of watching another mummy movie after dinner, but I just don’t know if I have it in me. Tomorrow will be an early start. We are scheduled to embark on a break of dawn Nile birding excursion.
S.S. Karim Day 3 – Cruising Down the Nile and Hormheb’s Temple
As we departed from Edfu, I was awoken by the sound of the paddle wheel. Since I was wide awake, I figured I might as well make it official and watch the sunrise from our balcony. Our lovely little suite was located in the aft section of the boat just above the paddle wheel. Over the course of the trip, Rob and I had become quite attached to the sound it made.
I sat for quite some time and watched the darkness fade into a soft light as the mist that clung to the Nile slowly evaporated. Once again I witnessed the enchanting dance of the marsh birds as they darted in and out of the rushes.
Bob’s documentary was quite interesting to watch last night. We all gathered in the grand salon of the boat for its screening. The rear of the room was equipped with quite a sizable pull down screen. In the documentary, National Geographic followed Bob and Architect Jean-Pierre Houdin as they set out to solve the mystery of how the Great Pyramid was built. Afterward we had a lively discussion. What an amazing experience to have Bob right there among us to answer all of our burning questions. Now, that’s something you don’t get to do everyday. What fun!
Eventually we made our way to the day’s destination, Hormheb’s temple. It was interesting to see the process it took for the crew to lash down the paddle boat to shore. It was quite an undertaking. While the crew were busy tethering us to shore, I ran around the deck trying to digitally capture of all the desert delights surrounding me.
After exploring Homrheb’s temple at Silsila, we hiked up past shrines and temples the quarry workers cut into the rocky hillside. The sandstone cliffs of this area were harvested to build many of the magnificent temples of the 18th Dynasty. We stood in the shade with rapt attention as Bob gave an excellent talk about ancient quarrying techniques.
Upon returning to the boat, it was time for lunch and then our first hieroglyph lesson on the covered main deck of the boat. So far this trip has had a lovely balance of busy and rest.
Later that night we returned to the salon to watch Boris Karloff’s The Mummy. What a treat! To watch this classic with a happy group surrounded by the delightful ambiance of antiquity in the well-appointed salon, sipping an evening cocktail as this stunning vintage boat chugs on down the Nile.