Virginia's Vocation

My name is Robyn Echols. Zina Abbott is the pen I use for my historical novels. I’m a member of Women Writing the West and Western Writers of America. I currently live with my husband in California’s central valley near the “Gateway to Yosemite.”

I love to read, quilt, work with digital images on my photo editing program, and work on my own family history.

I am a blogger. In addition to my own blog, I blog for several group blogs including the Sweet Americana Sweethearts blog, which I started and administer.

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Will Virginia’s chosen vocation fill the empty spaces in her heart?

It is 1858. With both parents dead, Virginia Atwell lives with her older brother, Jefferson, and his family in Booneville, Missouri. Under the pseudonym, V. A. Wellington, she secretly has been submitting articles to a well-respected investigative journal about controversial topics. To her dismay, she learns her family plans to buy new farmland in the wilds of central Kansas Territory, making it almost impossible for her to continue her clandestine article submissions. More importantly, Virginia is terrified of the prospect of living so close to hostile Indian tribes and dying by their hands because they resent white Americans moving onto their traditional buffalo hunting grounds.

Virginia persuades her brothers to give her a share of their parents’ inheritance so she may attend one of the few colleges in Ohio that accepts female students. There, she finds Avery Wilson, one of her professors and fellow boarder at Bettina Calloway’s boarding house, resentful of female students, conceited and annoying, especially after his criticism and resentment directed towards the author, V. A. Wellington, whose articles are published while his submissions are rejected.

Virginia’s publisher insists V. A. Wellington meet with him in person in St. Louis to discuss a new assignment. When her landlady insists she cannot travel alone, Avery, curious about Virginia’s secretive meeting and unable to resist his growing attraction to the irritating but brilliant student, offers to escort her.

Once the editor discovers his star contributor is a woman, he refuses to send her to write about conditions on the Kaw reservation and the proposed treaty the government intends to impose on the natives. Hoping to favorably impress the editor, Avery offers to pose as Virginia’s fiancé in order to accompany and protect her on her assignment. Her heart goes out to the Kaw, but what can fill the empty spaces of her heart?

Virginia’s Vocation is also part of the author’s Atwell Kin series

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Snippet:

His gray eyes that studied her conveyed no warmth. With a sinking feeling, Virginia forced a slight upturn of her lips and nodded a greeting. Until they were formally introduced, it would be impolite for her to initiate a conversation. However, he did not need to speak for her to know he did not welcome her presence.

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Chronicles of the Stone

I am a children’s author, but up until a few years ago, I was a journalist and editor. Something rather unexpected sparked my new career as an author—a family trip to Egypt with my mother and two young nephews. We had a great time and I thought I’d write them a short story as a different kind of souvenir…. Well, one book and a planned book series later, I had changed careers. I have now published Book 3 (The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper) in my MG adventure series Chronicles of the Stone, with many awards for the first book, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, and a few for Book 2, The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, and one already for Book 3! I also teach online novel writing for aspiring authors and I find that very satisfying. Relaxation time finds me enjoying something creative or artistic, music, books, theatre or ballet. I love doing research for my book series. I love animals and have written two animal rescue stories. I have two adorable (naughty) little dogs called Chloe and Pumpkin, and a beautiful black cat called Bertie.

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 A 5000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger. 

Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them.  With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another! 

 This is a must-read for Middle Graders keen on action, adventure, and Arthurian stories! 

Cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair are hot on the trail of the second Stone of Power, one of seven ancient stones lost centuries ago. This stone might be embedded in the hilt of a newly discovered sword that archeologists believe belonged to King Arthur: Excalibur. 

However, their long-standing enemy, Dr. Khalid, is following them as they travel to Scotland to investigate an old castle. Little do they know there is another deadly force, the Eaters of Poison, who have their own mission to complete. Time is running out as the confluence of the planets draws closer. Can Justin and Adam find the second Stone of Power and survive? 

A plane crash! Lost in the Mexican jungle! Will Adam, Justin, and Kim survive long enough to find the Third Stone of Power?

With only a young boy, Tukum, as their guide, the kids make their way through the dense and dangerous jungle to find the lost city of stone gods, where the Stone of Power might be located. River rafting on a crocodile-infested river and evading predators are just part of this hazardous task.

Of course, their old adversary Dr. Khalid is close behind as the kids press on. But he is not the worst of their problems. This time Adam will clash with a terrible enemy who adopts the persona of an evil Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca, and is keen to revive the ancient tradition of human sacrifice.  Will they emerge alive from the jungle? Will Dr. Khalid find the third Stone of Power before they do?

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Snippet From Book 2:

He heard a faint howling noise in the distance. Wolves? Adam froze with fear. He desperately tried to remember whether there had still been wolves in England during the Dark Ages. There must have been because there was no other sound quite like the howl of a wolf. The hairs on his arms rose as he heard the howl again. Although he pinched himself to wake up, it was no good; he remained in the dream. At the sound of distant hoof beats, he almost ducked behind a large tree trunk. There was no time to hide because suddenly the drumming hooves were all around him. Then came the faint melancholy wail of a battle horn, and the tinny sound of chinking metal. He could hear the crisp snap-snap of fluttering pennants, and when he turned, he glimpsed banners waving among the trees. The surge of spectral riders halted and one man, seated on a white horse, appeared at the head of the cavalcade.

The eerie figure came closer, the horse lifting its feet carefully, clip-clopping right up to the trembling boy. The horse was huge, its trappings gleaming with pinpoints of metal rosettes, its long tail and mane hanging like ghostly cobwebs in the pale moonlight. The beast snorted and stamped restlessly. Adam saw the burnished glint of a helmet with a dragon-shaped crest topped by a red plume. Although the cheek pieces of the helmet obscured the man’s features, the shadowy figure was looking right at him. A red cloak swirled around the warrior’s body and, as the fabric swung aside, Adam saw the gleam of chain mail and the dark shape of a breastplate on the man’s chest. The warrior’s armor seemed more Roman than he expected. A banner flapped from the spear of a man behind the warrior: a red dragon on a white background. The warrior raised one arm, and a roar erupted as the sounds of cheering burst from what seemed to be thousands of throats. Although Adam heard strange words in another language, somehow, he understood what the voices said.

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Mrs Murray's Hidden Treasure

An avid gardener, artist, musician and writer, Emily-Jane Hills Orford has fond memories and lots of stories that evolved from a childhood growing up in a haunted Victorian mansion. Told she had a ‘vivid imagination’, the author used this talent to create stories in her head to pass tedious hours while sick, waiting in a doctor’s office, listening to a teacher drone on about something she already knew, or enduring the long, stuffy family car rides. The author lived her stories in her head, allowing her imagination to lead her into a different world, one of her own making. 

As the author grew up, these stories, imaginings and fantasies took to the written form and, over the years, she developed a reputation for telling a good story. Emily-Jane can now boast that she is an award-winning author of several books, including Mrs. Murray’s Ghost (Telltale Publishing 2018), Queen Mary’s Daughter (Clean Reads 2018), Gerlinda (CFA 2016) which received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, To Be a Duke (CFA 2014) which was named Finalist and Silver Medalist in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received an Honorable Mention in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards and several other books. A retired teacher of music and creative writing, she writes about the extra-ordinary in life and the fantasies of dreams combined with memories. 

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There is a hidden treasure in the grand old mansion on Piccadilly Street, in a place called London, but not the real London of English fame. There’s also a lot of mystery and a murder that’s been unsolved for decades. But it’s the treasure that captures Mary’s interest.

Mary lives in this house along with her family, her Brownie friends and a ghost. When the ghost reveals her secret about the hidden treasure, there’s no stopping Mary, her Brownie friends, or her enemies to searching for this treasure. 

Why the intrigue? Apparently there’s a little bit of magic connected with this treasure. And so the adventure begins. 

Who will find the treasure first?

  
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Snippet:

But this treasure alluded her. She knew it was here, in this house, somewhere. The question was, where? And Mrs. Murray wasn’t being any help. Not one bit.

Mary let out a deeply pent up sigh. “You must remember something! When was the last time you held the jewellery in your hands? Did you ever wear the ring? Or the necklace? Or both?”

“Oh yes!” Mrs. Murray beamed, if a ghost could beam through its shimmering effervescence. Even her eyes glistened, sparkled really, as the memories started to wash over her. “I wore it as a teenager. Only briefly. My grandmother gave it to me when I turned sixteen. She said it was very special, full of magic. I didn’t believe her then. I didn’t believe in magic. You see, I hadn’t met Brunny and Pelly yet. They were connected to my grandmother until she died, which was only days after she gave me the jewels. Very sad. She was so strong and healthy. It was as if some horrible curse took her away. That’s what Brunny said when he first appeared to me. Both my grandmother and Brunny insisted I take special care of the jewels. And certainly not wear them around for the world to see. Such a shame, really. They are beautiful. Were beautiful. Are beautiful. I don’t know which, past or present. Do they even still exist? I don’t remember the last time I saw the necklace. It must have been before I left Scotland. Perhaps it is still there. Perhaps I misplaced it. I don’t really know. But the ring is here. Somewhere. If it still exists.”

“Oh, it exists all right.” Mary dropped her legs over the side of the bed. “Maybe if we wander the house together, you might remember and I might sense something.”

“What if we wake your family?”

“I’ll pretend I’m sleepwalking,” Mary chuckled softly. “I do that enough anyway. They’ll believe it. Besides. Everyone’s exhausted. They’re out for the night. Like Dad will say in the morning, sleeping like a log.”

“If you insist.”

“I do.”

“Where are the Brownies? I hope Elizabeth hasn’t poisoned them again.”

“In which case, we shall be extra vigilant as she may be watching our every move.” Mary didn’t say it out loud, but she had decided it might be best to just sense a location of the treasure and then go looking for it in daylight, at a time when she was sure Elizabeth wasn’t snooping.

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Stars on Ruby Mountain

Wendy C. Jorgensen grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and began writing in second grade, furiously recording her hopes and dreams in a denim-covered diary. Besides hanging out at the library, she loved soaking up the rays—while reading a book, of course. During her sophomore year of high school, Wendy’s family moved to Carson City, Nevada, and she thought her life had ended. The desert, sagebrush, and cowboys were a far cry from the ocean, palm trees, and surfers of Florida. Fortunately, within six months, the family relocated to Lake Tahoe, and her outlook improved dramatically.

Wendy started college at the University of Colorado in Boulder, followed by a year at the University of Nevada in Reno and two years at Brigham Young University, where she worked as a reporter and copy editor for The Daily Universe. A decision to take a short break from school turned into a twelve-year college hiatus in Lake Tahoe. After a two-year stint in the civil engineering program at California State University in Sacramento, Wendy returned to Colorado and graduated from CU with a degree in English Writing. It was a long, but valuable, educational journey.

After twenty years in Colorado, Wendy recently moved back to Northern Nevada, close enough to Lake Tahoe to enjoy the beautiful scenery but far enough away to escape the heavy winters. She lives with a wonderful husband and a golden retriever who’s often mistaken for a sloth. Her two brainy and creative sons make her want to be smarter. Wendy hopes someday to journey to the stars.

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A teenage girl recovers in a Sacramento hospital, the sole survivor of a terrible accident that killed her parents—parents she can’t remember. All she knows for sure is she’s in danger. For the girl, known only as Angie, staying put is not an option.

After saving a friend from a vicious attack reveals she’s no ordinary human, Angie races to find a safe place. A chance encounter with the intriguing Michael Winter leads her over the Sierras to Lake Tahoe, where she’s nearly abducted. As she escapes to Colorado, she struggles to unravel who she is and where she came from; instead the mystery of her identity deepens.

Her only hope is to find the truth before it’s too late.

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Five Fun Facts about Stars on Ruby Mountain

1.        The idea for this story originated in 2015 as Wendy and her husband drove by the turnoff to the Ruby Mountains near Elko, Nevada. They were driving a U-Haul as part of a move from Denver to Reno. Wendy had been pondering the storyline for the sequel to Scattering Stars, and the area seemed like a perfect place for aliens to hide out.

2.        Wendy has always been fascinated by stories about people with amnesia, so it’s not surprising she decided to write one. The combination of amnesia and aliens was too tempting to pass up.

3.        Part of the story is set in Truckee and Lake Tahoe, where Wendy lived for seventeen years. She rafted the Truckee River almost every summer, explored the pristine surroundings of Emerald Bay, and hung out on the beaches at Lake Tahoe more times than she can count.

4.        The main character, Angie, has a unique swear word—kaja! The word popped into Wendy’s head, seemingly out of nowhere. After the book was finished, she happened upon a cake recipe she’d pulled from a magazine a couple of years ago. A woman named Chandra had submitted her mom’s recipe: “Kaja’s Pistachio Cake.” Everything we experience lurks in our memory banks waiting to emerge. BTW—the cake is awesome!

5.        As Stars on Ruby Mountain was nearly complete, Wendy watched a Hallmark movie called Falling for Vermont. The movie is about a YA science fiction author, whose book/series about a girl with special powers has just been made into a movie. As the author becomes famous, her life spirals out of control. The character’s name is Angela (or Angie as some called her), she has a car crash, loses her memory, and rediscovers who she really is. Coincidence?

Five Fun Facts about Wendy C. Jorgensen

1.        The abandoned dog in Stars on Ruby Mountain is named Truckee. A dog is featured as a character in every story Wendy writes because dogs rule! But cats are nice too.

2.        Wendy fulfilled one of her bucket list items in July of 2017 when she attended the Roswell, New Mexico UFO Festival. She expected to find a huge costume party, but instead, she encountered lots of people who sincerely believe aliens have visited Earth—particularly during the Roswell Crash of 1947. 

3.        Another one of Wendy’s bucket list items is to visit Scotland and search for Nessie—the Loch Ness Monster. As a child, she filled a scrapbook with every article she could find about the elusive creature. Who know what the future may bring?

4.        Wendy’s mother had thirteen children, who were raised by seven different families. As far as she knows, none of them would be willing to help her search for the Loch Ness Monster. 

5.        While she lived in Lake Tahoe, Wendy worked as a casino blackjack dealer for ten years. The best part of the job was meeting people and learning their stories.

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Mrs Murray's Hidden Treasure

There is a hidden treasure in the grand old mansion on Piccadilly Street, in a place called London, but not the real London of English fame. There’s also a lot of mystery and a murder that’s been unsolved for decades. But it’s the treasure that captures Mary’s interest. 

Mary lives in this house along with her family, her Brownie friends and a ghost. When the ghost reveals her secret about the hidden treasure, there’s no stopping Mary, her Brownie friends, or her enemies from searching for this treasure. 

Why the intrigue? Apparently there’s a little bit of magic connected to this treasure. And so the adventure begins. Who will find the treasure first?

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Emily-Jane Hills Orford is an award-winning author of several books, including Gerlinda (CFA 2016) which received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, To Be a Duke (CFA 2014) which was named Finalist and Silver Medalist in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received an Honorable Mention in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. She writes about the extra-ordinary in life and her books, short stories, and articles are receiving considerable attention. For more information on the author, check out her website at: http://emilyjanebooks.ca

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Excerpt #1

Once the house settled down for the night, Mrs. Murray, the resident ghost, was out on her nocturnal prowl. Satisfied that the house was safe and secure for the night, after all the musical vibrations that shook the rafters earlier, she took her place at the end of Mary’s bed and waited patiently for the girl to stir from her sleep and take note of her presence.

            “What?” Mary groaned, pulling her eyes open as she emerged from a deep sleep. “What now?”

            “We need to talk.” The wispy figure of what was once a very distinguished looking lady, sat down at the end of Mary’s bed and looked the girl firmly in the eye.

            “Now?” Mary groaned. “It’s the middle of the night. What time is it?”

            “What difference does it make? Sit up and let’s talk.” The ghost was not going to take ‘no’ for an answer. And, it would appear, feigning sleep would not send her away either. So, Mary pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes again, hoping to eradicate the sleep that threatened to make them close.

            “Where are the others? Where’s Brunny?” she asked.

            “Asleep in their little space. And it’s not a natural sleep either. They’re all in the deepest of sleeps, all except Elizabeth, who slipped out of the house a few hours ago, just after the lights went out and your family snuggled in for the night.” Mrs. Murray slid a little closer to Mary. “She’s still not right, that Elizabeth. She’s good and well shackled by that witch.”

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