Friday, January 11, 2013
Solomon's Throne Blog Tour & Giveaway
The Book
Solomon's Throne
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Synopsis
An impenetrable safe is breached and a secret artifact is stolen. Containing information that
could change the course of the world, its desperate owner sends Gideon Quinn, his head
of security, and Gideon’s wife Rei, an art preservationist, to find it at any cost. What they
discover is a clue to the lost throne of King Solomon, the real object of the theft. They are
thrust out on an adventure that leads them halfway around the world. Following letters left
by a Jesuit in 1681, they must weave through ancient sites along the Portuguese Spice Route,
keeping ahead of a secret militant order that is determined to beat them to Solomon’s Throne.
Filled with fast paced action and having broad appeal, Solomon’s Throne is an ingenious
treasure hunt adventure that sweeps the reader around the globe in a race against time.
The Excerpt
present day story line
The path meandered side to side, made inexplicable turns, and seemed to be leading
nowhere. Gideon had just about given up, thinking it must really be a game trail,
when two small boys appeared on the path, walking in the opposite direction, with
the ubiquitous yellow water jugs on their heads. Smiling shyly, they giggled as the
muRungus passed by.
Bolstered by their appearance, Rei picked up her pace, and in five minutes they were
in a small, four hut village. Old women sat at the doorways, tending small fires topped
with cooking pots. Naked toddlers with beads around their waists played with rocks and
sticks. One very elderly man was napping on a woven reed mat. When the Quinns walked
into the center of the encampment, all but the sleeping man looked up in surprise.
Rei smiled and waved. The women nodded at her, but didn’t rise.
“English?” Rei asked.
The nearest woman shook her head. “Kwete.”
“Is that Swahili?” Gideon asked?
“I don’t think so. The people here are Shona… But I don’t speak Swahili anyway.”
Rei pantomimed driving a car. “Car?” she asked hopefully, although she didn’t see
one, and there were obviously no roads. The woman shook her head again, starting to get
amused.
“Airport?” Rei stuck her arms out and swooped around like a child playing at flying.
The woman burst out laughing, hiding her mouth behind her hand.
“Kwete.”
Several of the toddlers came over to join in the game, and a young girl grabbed
Gideon’s hand and watched solemnly. Rei stopped in front of Gideon and shrugged.
“I’m out of ideas.”
“You’re pretty good at charades, though,” he said.
“Funny. So what do we do now?”
Gideon took off the two backpacks and set them on the ground. “We wait, I guess.
There aren’t any young men or women here now. Someone is bound to come back,
maybe for that food they’re cooking. There must be at least one villager who speaks
English - it’s the official language of the country!”
Rummaging through the pack, he brought out two bottles of water. Immediately they
were swarmed by the children calling, “Chokunwa!” One of the old women had gotten
to her feet and was trying to shush them. Laughing, Gideon handed her one of the bottles
and tried to repeat the word.
“Chokunwa!” he said, and the woman laughed behind her hand again, her eyes
crinkling.
Gideon and Rei rested for an hour on a reed mat given to them by the laughing
woman. It was quiet and pleasant in the shade, and they were exhausted from their
escape, so they dozed and chatted and tried to determine what to do next. Gideon knew
that both Captain McMillan and the taxi driver would be concerned, the captain rather
more than the driver, who would probably just shake his head at the crazy Americans.
They had eluded the Congratio a Achalichus monks for the time being, but they still
had to find a way to their plane, which was almost certainly being watched. Gideon had
checked his phone and Rei’s, but they no longer had a signal. There wasn’t much to do
but wait.
Finally, two young men walked into the village from the opposite direction of the trail
that had led the Quinns there. Both had hoes over their shoulders, and they were talking
and laughing as they came into the common area between the huts. When they spotted the
muRungus they stopped and looked at the old woman, still sitting in the doorway. They
conversed for minute or two, and then approached. Gideon and Rei stood up and nodded
their heads in greeting.
“English?” Rei asked. One of the men nodded.
“Small English, from school.”
“We need to go to Masvingo. To town. Yes?” The young man consulted his friend.
“Masvingo far by walk. One day.” He held up a finger to make sure they understood.
“Does anyone have a car nearby?” Here Rei once again pantomimed driving, and the
men laughed. Then they consulted again.
“Wife she work at hotel. Hotel have car. We go.”
Gideon and Rei both shook their heads, and the men looked confused, not sure if they
had misunderstood the question.
“To town, not to hotel. Another way?” Rei asked hopefully. The men chatted for
several minutes this time, one gesturing back towards the hotel, and the other to the north.
Finally they seemed to reach a decision.
“Hurudza…farmer there.” He pointed to the north. “He have truck, many truck. We
go.” He smiled. This time the Quinns both nodded agreement.
The young man said, “Shumba,” and pointed to himself. “I am Shumba.” Gideon and
Rei introduced themselves, and gathered up their few belongings.
Shumba called to the grandmother in the doorway and said something, accompanied
by arm waving towards the north. The woman smiled, without showing teeth, and waved
at the Quinns.
“Oneka!” she called out.
“We go!” Shumba said happily, enjoying this change of pace.
The Author
Born and raised in Rockledge, Florida, Jennings spent her early years reading anything she could get
her hands on, when she wasn't spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade
for her science fiction stories.
Jennings attended the University of the South and the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in
Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She spent time over
the years doing various kinds of script doctoring, business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but
mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with
her husband, and starting a non-profit to Uganda.
Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn't
stopped since. She's written four novels and a screenplay in less than a year, with more ideas on the
drawing board. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a writer, and two children,
and travels extensively.
Kindle Edition: http://www.amazon.com/Solomons-Throne-ebook/dp/B008NBRYV6/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1351777545&sr=8-3
Print Edition: http://www.amazon.com/Solomons-Throne-Jennings-Wright/dp/0985784016/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1351777545&sr=8-3
Print Edition - CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3937851
My website is www.jenningswright.com
My writing blog is http://jenningswright.wordpress.com
My Twitter is @JenningsWright
My FB author page is www.Facebook.com/JSWwrites
My Independent Author Network page is http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/jennings-wright.html
The Giveaway
US entries only!
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2 comments:
Looks like a very interesting book cant wait to get a copy.
i want to win because i love reading books and i thing solomon's throne looks like a great books i hope i win so i can read and review this wonderful looking book
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