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Grace Blair, Author
In Einstein’s Compass, by Grace Blair and Laren Bright, Albert Einstein receives a compass from his father. What he doesn’t know is that it possesses magical abilities and great power. A dragon monster named Raka, wants it to control people and have power over Atlantis once more. Albert then becomes friends with a boy named Johann. Werner von Wiesel, who has been psychologically manipulated by Raka, kills Johann. Albert and Johann’s spirit must work together to keep the compass safe from the evil and greed of Raka.
This book has beautifully captivating details, the authors were good at explaining the setting and trivial things like architecture or the perception of how a place made the characters feel. The book was beautifully written, and it had a great storyline and concept. The details in the story help the reader get an enthusiastic sense of what is happening. The space/time concepts are superb, and the science fiction elements are great. Additionally, the concept of the compass is creative and original. The writing style has many historical fiction elements (event descriptions, Einstein’s life). The historical fiction elements are beautifully written, especially the details, Einstein’s life, and the accurate science concepts. Readers will get a profound sense of the characters and their actions and personalities.
I would recommend this book for anybody who likes a lot of detail in the books they read and a nice blend of fiction elements. I think fans of A Wrinkle in Time (for its complex world and science fiction elements), and Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation (for its textual organization and historical fiction elements) would enjoy this book.
#Christmas2022 #kindle #audiobook #trending #readers #grandparents #gift #stockingstuffer @bublishme
Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Adventure Buy on Amazon Now
Every once in a while I will be asleep and find myself in a dream. I see people and places that seem real. Often the dreams will be sharing information or give me a warning. I imagined Albert Einstein may have had similar experiences where he met people like Sir Isaac Newton who established the laws of physics and gravity. However, I find the lessons from the dreams get lost if I don’t write down what I saw immediately when I wake up. So am I awake now writing this? Or, am I asleep in a wakeful dream? In Einstein’s Compass Albert also meets Galileo. Einstein’s Compass $.99 Kindle, IBook, paperback now in any of your favorite online bookstores linked to this book bubble.
Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Adventure Buy on Amazon Now
Albert loved to walk. It made his mind fresher, and he would snap his fingers with the fast rhythm of each step. Humming a tune to keep pace with, he breathed in the crisp, fall air. The concern he felt from the letter he had received from Herr von Achen had withdrawn into the recesses of his mind. Before long, Albert found himself in Marienplatz, the heart of Munich.
Young couples and families milled through the streets of the city’s downtown. The crowds gathered to watch the glockenspiel show. Albert gazed up at the towering Gothic clock, with its thirty-two carved figurines. They seemed to touch the sky. Every day at 11:00 a.m., the Glockenspiel chimed. It reenacted the sixteenth-century marriage and celebration of the local duke, Wilhelm V, to Renata of Lorraine. The clock displayed a joust with life-sized knights on horseback, resplendent in their local colors: white and blue for the Bavarians, and red and white for the Lothringian champions. The Bavarian knight won every time. The clock’s dance lasted around 12 minutes, and at the end of the show, a tiny golden bird at the top of the glockenspiel chirped three times.
As the marvelous spectacle came to an end and the people began to walk away, a small, almost hidden door at the clock tower’s base opened soundlessly. The movement caught Albert’s eye, and he frowned. For all the times he’d walked past the clock tower, he’d never noticed a door. Noting that no one else seemed to be paying attention to it, he turned and walked toward the opening.
Gazing into the dark entryway, Albert saw an engraved metal sign: “No Entrance.” But the open door beckoned, and he stepped over the threshold. Once he was inside, the door slowly swung shut. Albert reached out and pulled the gargoyle-shaped wrought iron handle, but the door seemed firmly closed.
He began to struggle with the door, but the tick… tock… tick… tock of the clock’s inner workings caught his attention, and he stopped tugging. What could be inside this magnificent timepiece? He wondered as the possibilities began running around in his mind.
Following the internal beating of the clock tower’s heart, Albert moved toward a spiral staircase. The only light in the hallway came from high above him. Tick… tock… tick… tock.
Albert stepped to the beat of the clock and round and round he rose. Time seemed to stand still as he climbed. He stopped at the top of the steps, then the shining light drew him to a massive, carved wooden door and Albert approached it.
The door was partially open and, peering into the room, Albert’s gaze landed on a large mahogany desk. Then Albert noticed the man seated at the desk. He looked to be around 50 years of age and had soft-looking, silver, shoulder-length hair. He was dressed in a white, long-sleeved peasant shirt and dark-brown leather breeches. Arrayed on the desk in front of him were quill pens with pots of ink, stacks of paper, and on the right corner of the writing table, an apple. The entire back wall of the room was lined with shelves stocked with ancient-looking volumes and several brass candlesticks holding candles that cast a soft glow about the place. In the ceiling of the room was some sort of skylight through which a beam of sunlight streamed.
The man at the desk held a triangular-shaped crystal up to the beam of light, and the refracted light of the polished glass threw a rainbow of colors onto the wall. The man smiled with satisfaction.
Albert saw the rainbow and murmured to himself, “Newton’s theory is that white light is a composite of all the colors of the spectrum.”
The man looked up from the rainbows and smiled at Albert. “Well said, Albert. So glad you made your way in here to visit.”
Albert’s jaw dropped. “How did you…?”
The man held up his hand and smiled. “All in good time, my boy.” He rose from his chair and walked to Albert, holding out his hand. “My name is Isaac. Please, sit down.” Speechless, Albert, managed to make his way to a chair in front of the desk as Isaac returned to his seat.
“I know who you are, Albert,” Isaac said with a kind smile. “You must not concern yourself too deeply with what you are learning now. You have grasped the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Let that be the foundation of your work that is to come.” Isaac picked up the apple on his desk and gently tossed it to Albert. “Gravity, the universe, space, distance, and motion are your future.” Catching the apple, Albert nodded as the ticking of the massive clock pulled at his awareness. Tick… tock… tick… tock…
Tick… tock… Ringgggggggg. The alarm clock next to Albert’s bed screamed at him. Albert sat bolt upright and struggled to reorient himself. Vacillating between the dream and waking reality, Albert let himself fall back onto his pillow. He turned his head to see what time it was. There, on the table next to the alarm clock, sat an apple. “What the…?” Albert groaned.
Albert pulled himself from his bed and began dressing as he considered the implications of what he had dreamed. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Buttoning the last button of his shirt and throwing on his jacket, Albert dashed out of the house. He had to investigate the glockenspiel.
He jumped on his bike and pedaled as fast as he could to the clock tower. The sun met him as it rose in the early morning over the city. He raced to the scene of his dream, thinking, I must be going crazy! He found the center of Munich still asleep. He dismounted and walked to where he’d entered the tower in his dream. There was no door. Albert felt the cold stone with his hands, seeking a crack or a hinge; anything that would reveal the presence of an entryway. He encountered nothing but the rough stone surface. He looked up and found no windows or radiating light other than the sunlight that glistened in the early dawn.
Disappointed, he turned away from the tower, went back to his bicycle, and slowly headed back to his home. As he rode away, the tiny golden bird at the top of the glockenspiel chirped three times.
I’m not sure why other people read and/or write books, but I wrote mine to save my life. I was struggling with what was going on around me and inside me. I was unhappy, and I knew there had to be more; more joy, more happiness, more fulfillment.
Historical fiction, stories of the spiritual heart and spiritual exercises gave me keys where I developed my inner compass that would help me produce more of the experience of life that I was looking for but hadn’t managed to secure.Throughout my adult life, I became a serious student of the spiritual. I found that, often, psychological principles and practices were incomplete, but could be filled out by adding the missing spiritual component. My approach was always to see practical applications for what I uncovered in the mystical. It was through immersing myself in this field of study and experience that I came up with the idea for, Einstein’s Compass. In EC I gave young Albert a few of my transcendant spiritual experiences. #followyour heart
https://www.amazon.com/Einsteins-Compass-Time-Traveler-Adventure-ebook/dp/B07KRMNPZK
There was light. Johann wondered about that. Whatever its origin, a bright vortex of light seemed to be pulling him up. He felt oddly at peace. In fact, he felt terrific. As Johann transcended his body, a veil lifted, and it seemed to him as if he floated in space. He closed his eyes and drifted in his consciousness.
After an indeterminate amount of time, he awoke and found himself laying in a garden. Lush, green lawns with paths of iridescent stone that formed gentle rambling arcs through the greenery surrounded a glistening white building. A river with calm, blue waters flowed past where Johann lay. Sitting up, Johann saw that lush beds of giant purple roses and red-and-white tulips dotted a nearby hillside. On the far side of the building lay a valley where he could see people dressed in white walking. As he stared at the scene, Johann realized their legs were not moving; they were gliding just above the ground toward the building.
Johann’s mind rebelled as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. In confusion, he wondered what had happened and how had he gotten here—and where “here” was. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. Receiving no inspiration, he opened his eyes to see a radiant young woman dressed in white approaching him.
The Light Initiate, Kendra, smiled, inwardly hearing Johann’s questions. “You are safe now, Johann,” she said, reassuring him.
Johann shook his head in disbelief. “Safe? I’ve been run over by a train!” To prove it, he looked down, and his eyes grew wide as he saw his body was whole and well. “What…? How…? Who are you?” Johann tried to stand but stumbled.
With a quick step, Kendra caught Johann’s arm and eased him back to the soft ground. “It’s all right. I know you have a million questions.” Placing her hand on her chest, she said, “My name is Kendra, and I am an agent of God sent to help you.” As Johann’s jaw dropped, Kendra squeezed his arm and sat. “Here, let me see if I can explain this to you.” Johann nodded blankly.
With warmth and caring, Kendra asked, “What is the last thing you remember?”
Johann gazed down and blinked several times, trying to capture his last moments. “I… I was on my bicycle, and the streetcar came along… and, I… fell.” As he said that, awareness hit Johann. “Oh my God! Am I, ah, am I… dead?”
With a compassionate smile, Kendra leaned in and took Johann’s hand. “Well, Johann, you are no longer living as you once did. Your body has been damaged beyond repair. It is, indeed, dead.” Johann gulped as Kendra continued. “But you, my dear friend, are far from dead as people on Earth imagine that state.”
Johann pinched himself. It felt like a pinch always had. “Um, I guess I see what you mean.” He looked around. “Yeah, no one with wings and harps that I can see, heh-heh,” he said, reaching for a joke.
Kendra kissed Johann’s hand. “Excellent, Johann. Some people take a lot longer to accept what has happened to them.”
Relaxing in the love that was the essence of this plane of existence, he asked, “But where am I. What am I?”
“Those are exactly the right questions,” Kendra said encouragingly. “You are in God’s Garden of Remembrance. Some call it Summerland and consider it Heaven. You will see people here whom you know, those who have passed on. You are what some people might call an angel—but not what people traditionally think angels are.”
“But what does that mean, Kendra?”
With another bright smile, she said, “It means that soon you will have a new role in which to serve the people on Earth. And some people very specifically,” she said with a wink.
Johann’s mind was reeling; he shook his head in disbelief. “But if I am dead, why do I have a body?”
Kendra laughed, her eyes sparkling with delight. “You have a body here because you are on the astral plane, which makes you appear as if you have a body. Many realms of beingness exist.
People are aware of the physical realm and can identify it. It is evident: You have a physical body, so you exist on that physical realm. The astral body is a replica of the physical body, but subtler. It is a sheath of energy that most people inhabit immediately after death. When we are alive, the astral body remains attached to the physical body via a stream or ribbon of energy. You can leave the physical body during sleep, coma, meditation, or when you’re in a kind of trance. Sometimes people extend out of the body under the influence of drugs, or as you experienced, in an accident.”
Then Kendra furrowed her brow and asked, “Can you recall what you felt when you left the Earth plane?”
Johann sighed and thought about it. “I was falling. Then I felt lifted in bright, white light.”
He held his hand to his heart and closed his eyes. “Loving filled and surrounded me. It was so beautiful. I was floating. I think I might have fallen asleep. When I opened my eyes, I was here.”
With a gentle smile still radiating from her eyes, Kendra nodded and reached out toward Johann. “Excellent. Sometimes when people are in an accident or experience a violent death, they don’t recognize what happened and stay tied to their physical body. They wander around on Earth, not knowing they need to move on until someone of an elevated consciousness can guide them to their next level.”
“Really?” Johann asked, fascinated.
Kendra nodded solemnly. “Uh-huh. But you didn’t resist, and allowed yourself to follow the love and the Light here,” she said approvingly. “So, are you ready to discover what is in store for you? There is much for me to show you.”
For some reason, Johann was not feeling scared or sad or worried. In fact, he was amazingly calm and relaxed. This Summerland garden seemed somehow almost familiar, and all Johann really felt was… loved.
He reached out, took Kendra’s hand, and rose to his feet. He sensed the rightness of it all. “I’m ready.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” said a man’s voice from behind them.
As they turned, Kendra broke into a great smile. Two men stood there, both radiating peace. A sense of joy filled Johann as Kendra said, “Johann, I would like you to meet—”
Johann gulped, then tears filled his eyes. He fell to his knees, and the taller of the two men reached down and gently lifted him to his feet. “Now, now, Johann. No need for that.”
Johann wiped his eyes and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, uh…” Johann blinked and shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. “You’re, um, Jesus, right?”
The man’s smile radiated from his eyes as he nodded and pointed to his companion. “Mm-hmm. And this is my friend, Moses.”
Moses nodded. “We have some special training for you in addition to what Kendra will be teaching you.”
“Training? For me? But why?”
Jesus put his arm around Johann’s shoulder. “Well, it has to do with a friend of yours. A boy named Albert Einstein.”
Christmas is for family. However, in 1894, Albert’s parents and sister were far away in Italy. To make matters worse Albert was scheduled to meet with the Academik Committee a week before Christmas to determine his future at school. Lost and alone Albert wanted inspiration. He went to the library to find comfort from his favorite author Kant. When Albert thought his life was over a friend from his childhood walks into the library at the same time. This chapter is a turning point in Albert’s life. Not just with his career. Danger in Albert’s life escalates when Raka discovers Albert has supernatural compass he covets and will do whatever it takes to get it. #GiftaBook Einstein’s Compass $.99 #Kindle
The bracing wind of the late December afternoon gusted outside and intruded into Albert’s thoughts. It was the first Thursday of the winter school break. Hoping to escape his troubles, Albert went to the Bavarian Library near the Gymnasium campus where he sat contemplating his compass. Inspiration was not forthcoming, so he put his treasure in his coat pocket and wandered over to the bookshelves. He searched half-heartedly for one of his favorite philosophers, Kant, and found Critique of Pure Reason. As he pulled the book from the shelf, he heard a familiar voice call his name.
“Albert?”
Albert turned, and his face lit up. “Herr Talmud, it is so good to see you!”
They embraced cordially, Max, a head taller, with a premature touch of gray in his chestnut hair and mustache. Though only in his mid-30s, he had the air of a wise older gentleman.
Max was equally excited to see his young friend. He held Albert at arm’s length and assessed the boy. “You’re growing up nicely, Albert. How have you been? Are you at the Gymnasium getting your diploma?”
At the mention of the Gymnasium, Albert’s body slumped. “Uh, that’s kind of a long story. Say, maybe I can tell you about it over dinner. Can you join me?”
“Of course,” Max responded with a smile, putting an arm around Albert’s shoulders. “I would love to find out what has been going on with one of my favorite people.”
For the first time in a long time, Albert felt himself relax in the company of a friend as the two walked to the coatroom. Moments later, they stepped into the cold evening air and headed down the hill to an alehouse a couple blocks away.
* * *
Not far from the Bavarian Library, Raka surreptitiously peered beneath his cloak and inspected his walking stick. Pressing the ruby eyes set in the dragon’s head, he made sure the steel needle tipped with venom was ready. He knew he could not do harm to the possessor of the Shamir without paying a massive karmic price, but you never knew when it might be a useful tool for coercing someone to do his will. He was hot on the trail of the Shamir and knew it was near at hand. Satisfied that all was in readiness, he reset the needle and continued his way.
Sniffing the air, he found the Shamir scent much stronger than it had been just minutes ago. He quickened his pace, practically salivating at the thought of possessing the stone.
A few blocks from the library, Max and Albert entered the alehouse and found a quiet table. After ordering beer and sauerbraten from the plump, middle-aged waitress, they resumed their conversation.
“Do you remember when I would visit you and your family each Shabbat?” Max asked. “Your parents were so kind to me when I was a struggling medical student.”
Albert nodded, a warm feeling filling him along with the memories of simpler days. “Yes, I remember. I have missed you. It was an exciting time when you were twenty-nine and I only ten, and you brought me books on philosophy and mathematics. I loved the quizzes you made up for me to test how well I’d understood my assignments.”
Max grinned as he chewed a bite of beef and pointed his fork at Albert. “It wasn’t very long before I could no longer follow you.”
Albert beamed at the praise, and the two chatted amiably, recalling the many Shabbat evenings they had spent together.
Outside the alehouse, Raka approached, his pace quickening in anticipation. He took a final sniff and satisfied himself he was at the right place. His thoughts were confirmed when he saw the hoopoe bird perched above the door. The aroma of human food coming from the alehouse did not interest him. Instead, the rat that ran around the corner of the building as he approached made him remember it had been a while since he had eaten.
Raka entered and casually made his way to the table next to the one where Albert and Max were chatting. When the waitress approached, he ordered a beer to justify his presence and settled back, giving no indication that he was listening intently to the boy and the man at the nearby table. Raka wondered which of the two possessed the Shamir.
Though he had found the conversation relaxing and enjoyable, Albert decided it was time to bring up the topic he really wanted to discuss. Taking a bite of his pot roast, Albert became serious. “Max, may I confide in you?”
The smile faded from Max’s face and was replaced by a look of concern. “Of course, you can tell me anything. What is it, Albert? Is something wrong with your parents?”
“No, no, my parents are fine. They are in Italy. I am staying with my aunt and uncle, who live not far from here.” Albert paused and took a long drink of beer as he gathered his thoughts. He was trying to figure out just how to tell his story, but when no inspiration appeared, he just plowed ahead. “It’s just that I feel I am wasting my time at the Gymnasium. I pass my math and science examinations easily because I taught myself the things we’re studying in class years ago.” Albert pulled the Gymnasium Direktor’s letter from his pocket, saying, “But when I ask to be given more advanced work to study, I am met only with anger.” He handed the letter to Max, who frowned as he read it.
Dear Herr Einstein,
You are requested to attend a meeting at 10:00 a.m. on December 15, 1894, at the Office of the Direktor to discuss your future at the Luitpold Gymnasium with the Academik Committee Council. Please be prompt.
Sincerely,
Stefan Braun,
Direktor
Max shook his head as he folded the letter and gave it back to Albert. “I’m not surprised, Albert. I suspected you would have a hard time at the Gymnasium.”
“You did?”
Max nodded. “Yes. You’re right in the middle of a struggle within the school system itself. The schulkrieg, the war over the schools, is a fight between proponents of the classical values associated with education in Latin and Greek and supporters of instruction in modern languages and natural sciences.”
Albert leaned back in his chair, surprised at this revelation. “I had no idea.”
“How could you know?” Max sighed, “But, you see, I struggled too as I went through school to become a doctor.”
“Really?” Albert was taken aback.
“Mmm hmm. Believe it or not, the Luitpold Gymnasium has had a reputation as an enlightened school. All of Germany celebrates its ‘institutes of learning’ because of how prosperous it has become in the last three decades. Germany leads the world in what people are calling the industrial revolution.”
Albert waved his hand as if brushing away Max’s statement. “Institutes of learning? Bah! They are just factories of rote instruction.”
Max did not argue. “Be that as it may, Germany boasts of its schools.” As Albert scowled, Max continued. “But, my friend, I can tell you that there are schools in Switzerland that may be of interest to you. I attended one of them before I went to the University of Munich.”
Albert raised his eyebrows. “Switzerland?”
Max nodded. “The Polytechnic in Zurich, where I studied. And I have an uncle who lives in Zurich. He was instrumental in having me attend the Polytechnic, and I believe he would be willing to assist you as well. It would give you the education I think you are looking for.”
Albert’s face brightened. “That would be wonderful… if it would not be too much trouble, I mean.”
Max touched Albert’s arm, reassuring him, and said, “As far as I’m concerned, you’re family, Albert. I would be glad to help you. No trouble at all. It is the least I can do for people who treated me with such kindness.”
Albert sat back in his chair. For the first time in months, he felt like he could breathe.
Albert and Max went back to reminiscing as they finished their supper together. Feeling a refreshing wind in his sails blowing him in a new direction, Albert was now more than ready to meet the direktor and his lieutenants. When the two finished the last of their beer, Albert prepared to pay the check.
Raka was deep in thought, speculating on what he had heard when he saw the younger man reach into his pocket and pull out his money clip along with a round, brass device. Raka held his breath. There it was, his treasure! He wanted to jump up and grab it but had enough presence of mind to know that was not the way to achieve his objective. In the excitement of seeing the Shamir, Raka’s concentration weakened, and the illusion of his human form began to fade. Scales began to appear on his face. He rubbed his hands over his cheeks quickly, and his soft, human complexion returned. Shaking with anticipation, Raka was overwhelmed by his proximity to the prize he had sought for millennia. As Albert and Max stood up and made their way to the front door, neither noticed the blond gentleman at the table behind them.
Raka waited until Max and Albert had left the alehouse before he tossed a few coins on the table and followed. As he exited the building, he saw Max walking to the left and Albert going right to fetch his bicycle at the library. Raka grinned and moved along the cobblestone street toward Albert, melting into the pitch-black night. Albert rounded the corner of the now-dark library and walked to where he had parked his bike. Lost in thoughts of his future, he was unaware of Raka approaching him from behind. Panting in anticipation, Raka prepared to strike, cosmic law be damned. He readied his weapon by pressing the dragon’s ruby eyes and exposing the toxic steel needle. Just as he began to aim, out of nowhere, the hoopoe bird flew straight into the evil lizard, its pointed bill piercing his left eye. Raka stifled a cry and crouched to the ground in pain as the swift bird flew away.
Pulled from his musing by the muffled sound, Albert looked around. But the night was dark, and he saw neither Raka nor the weapon, which fell from his grasp as the lizard covered his wounded eye. The walking stick tumbled to the cobblestone pavement, and the poisoned needle tip broke with a snap, bouncing onto a squirrel nearby, causing it to chatter angrily. As he was placing his leg over his bicycle, Albert heard the noise and saw the little rodent scurry past him. Because it was so dark, Albert did not believe his eyes as the creature’s fur began to smoke and the animal appeared to disintegrate into a puddle of ooze. Albert shook his head, chiding himself for the way his eyes deceived him. He pulled the collar of his coat tighter around him to protect himself from the cutting wind.
Muttering soundless curses at the hoopoe bird, Raka skulked in the darkness, attempting to tend his wound. Far from fatal for the changeling, it was painful enough to demand his attention. He cursed himself soundly for his over-eagerness and realized what he had nearly done. The price he would have paid, he realized, would have been too high, even for the Shamir. He would not make that mistake again.
Walking in the dark, cold night, Raka vowed to lay a far more foolproof plan. Yes, it would take time. Yes, he would have to be patient. But he would not let the Shamir slip through his clutches again. A plan began to form in his mind—one that involved other humans. Like a precious seed, he would nurture it until it blossomed and bore fruit.
Astride his bicycle, Albert pedaled toward his aunt’s house, his mind filled with thoughts of a much brighter future. Not far behind, the hoopoe flew, ever vigilant, watching for the potential dangers of which Albert was blissfully unaware.
Young Einstein learned through thought experiments he was able to go beyond his mind into joyful wonder. I had to go into my inner world of creativity to write the story of how an innocent young Jewish boy rose in his imagination to change the world. My novel began in 2014, published in 2019 and has won ten book awards. Now I begin a new chapter in my creative imagination with a novella based on the lost continent of Atlantis. Twenty thousand words of where our protagonist Arka and his evil brother Raka will embark on an adventure to initate the first supernatural Shamir Stone into the pryamids of Egypt. A new character Kyre, the high priest in charge of the light and energy crystals and Shamir will show us how the supernatural compass is created and used for the energy source for the pryamids and the world. Raka will do his best to interfere with the light workers. Are you ready to take an adventure to the original place of thought experiments, inspired creativity and spiritual light?
Six male students in their mid-teens dressed in wool suits, starched white shirts, and blue-and-yellow neckties sat two by two in a single row, anxiously awaiting the start of class. Albert had enrolled in Aarau High School after his unsuccessful attempt to enter the Polytechnic. Of course, he had passed the math and science section of the exam with flying colors. Yet the test showed Albert needed more study in languages, biology, literature, political science, and botany. While somewhat disappointed with the test results, he saw it would only take a year at Aarau before he could get to the Polytechnic, and he was okay with that.
The smell of fresh white chalk stimulated Albert’s mind. He focused on the three Hs the headmaster, Professor Winteler, wrote on the blackboard; the principles of teaching the school followed.
Heart – to explore what students want to learn. To develop their moral qualities, such as helping others.
Head – to understand objects, concepts, and experiences.
Hand – to learn the craft of doing good work and develop their physical skills.
Completing his writing with a flourish, the teacher turned to face his class. His brown eyes twinkled, and there was genuine warmth and enthusiasm in his voice as he said, “I have found that people learn more easily accessing their intuition, their inner powers than they do through their minds.”
In the front row, Albert relaxed. For the first time in his school life, the reject from the Gymnasium in Germany felt connected.
The wise professor put down the chalk and rubbed his hands together. He adjusted his spectacles and said, “Our first exercise will be a thought experiment. It will assist us when we want to consider a hypothesis or theory when the purpose is to think through by steps to its consequences. This practice will increase your personal power of thought and imagination. What’s more,” he said with a smile, “by going inward, you begin to trust yourself.”
A sandy-haired student raised his hand, and the professor acknowledged him. “Yes, Gregory, you have a question?”
“I do, sir,” the boy said as he stood.
The professor smiled. “Good. Questions are encouraged. What do you have?”
“In this mind experiment, do we have our eyes open or closed?”
“For the purposes of our first experiment, you will have your eyes closed. Though I am sure sometimes during the day, you find yourself in a daydream where your mind is drifting in space even with your eyes open.” Gregory nodded as the professor continued. “We are going to use a what-if, dreamy kind of imagination to allow you to let go and create possibilities.”
As Gregory sat down, the professor instructed, “Now I want you to remove your jackets, loosen your ties, and sit up straight with your arms and legs uncrossed. Place your hands on your thighs, palms up.”
The students did so and waited for the next direction.
“Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath,” Winteler said. “Inhale, then slowly let go of all the air in your lungs.” He paused for a few seconds. “Again, this time breathe in more slowly.” As the students did this, he paused, then said, “Hold the air inside.” He paused again. “Let go of all the air, slowly. Allow your body to relax. Keep your eyes closed and focus on your breath going in and out. If your mind starts to chatter, just acknowledge that then bring your focus back to your breathing.”
Albert sat with his back straight though he was relaxed, surrendering his mind. Lost in the experience, the dreamer did not even hear what the teacher said next because he found himself enveloped in a warm glow, and he felt like he was rising above the Earth. A motion caught his awareness, and he glanced to the side. Next to him flew a graceful, towering, luminous being with flowing, golden hair. Somehow, Albert sensed it was an angel. The angel’s violet eyes gave the dreamer a loving smile, and Albert surrendered more fully to his experience. Archangel Michael offered Albert his hand, and Albert gently grasped it. The sound of angels singing “Glory to God in the highest” rang out over the universe.
Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Adventure
Have you wondered what it was like to live on the lost continent of Atlantis? My research of Atlantis came from the prophet Edgar Cayce. Atlantis was one of three islands in Posedian. Atlantis had the Atlantean technology of light workers, DNA experiments, reincarnation, time travel and hover crafts. Our planet’s energy source was a Larimar Firestone Crystal the size of twenty foot square room. The Atlantean held secrets of how light and energy transport vehicles and transmit air signals for communication. On Aryan Island were the fallen angels of Atlantis who wanted to control the world with power and force. They formed a military style government with bloody animals sacrifices to scare their population into compliance. The dark angels sought the energy Crystal for control of the world. Read Einstein’s Compass and discover the struggle of darkness vs the light.
Arka was preparing for his morning meditation when he noticed a messenger striding toward him from across the garden. Dressed in black linen trousers and shirt with the Black Sun symbol on each collar, the female soldier from Aryan came to a stop in front of the priest-scientist and stood at rigid attention.
“Sorry to interrupt, sir. General Tora-Fuliar ordered me to deliver this to you immediately.” She extended a paper bearing the seal of the Aryan High Command. Arka thanked the soldier and dismissed her. His eyes widened, as he read the message from his twin brother, Raka, who had been missing for some weeks.
My Dear Brother,
I expect you may wonder what has become of me since my recent disappearance from Atlantis. I assure you; I am fine… no, better than fine. In fact, I am prospering on Aryan in my new position as Supreme High Commander of all Aryan forces.
You might wonder how I could accomplish such a feat considering your low (and inaccurate) opinion of me. Let’s just say that I had a little help from the Draconian DNA. (I presume you know that I had taken it.) With my innate intellect and savvy, I could “convince” the Aryan leadership that I was the man (loosely speaking) for the job. I am so much more than a man now.
Please accept this letter as notice that, under my leadership, the Aryans will assume control of the temples and power crystals of Atlantis. I look forward to our next meeting, where you may kneel at my feet out of respect for my accomplishments and in awe of my power.
Your loving brother,
Raka
Arka’s face went pale. His brother had fallen from God’s grace into the darkness of greed and power. Not only is Atlantis in danger, but the entire planet is also doomed if Raka gets ahold of the Firestone Crystal. As he folded the letter and put it in his tunic pocket, Arka tried to hold back his feeling of fear. Before he could consider next steps, he needed to center himself and align with his higher self. Despite his brother’s revelations, he was eager to prepare for the day. He recently had been made aware through meditation that he would be receiving an exceptional guest today.
* * *
As Albert and Johann clasped hands, Ezekiel uncloaked the Atlas, exposing its Light from the Holy of Holies. He touched the screen of the Crystal Lux Portal. The holographic gateway opened, and the illumination beam pulled their etheric bodies into the vessel.
The silver-haired pilot, focused on manipulating the craft’s holographic controls, motioned for his passengers to sit behind him. Albert was trying to look everywhere at once. Then he heard Johann cleared his throat. “Uh, Albert.”
“Yes. What?”
With a wry look, Johann pointed to their still-clasped hands.
“Oh, right,” Albert laughed, letting go. “But… look at this… whatever it is,” he said, gesturing to the glowing interior of the craft.
“This is an energetic vessel called an Ark, Albert.” Ezekiel completed his course setting for the ship as he spoke. “It is something of a metaphor, actually, and allows us to travel through the constructs of time and space.”
The pickup accomplished, Ezekiel gestured over the control panel, and the golden ship disappeared into another dimension of time.
“But… How?… What?…” Albert tried to formulate a complete question.
Ezekiel held up a hand. “Easy, my friend. Let me try to make sense of things for you.”
“Yes, that might help.” Albert tried to relax
Johann leaned forward to listen. While he had a fair amount of experience being on the inner realms of Light, this travel through time was new to him.
“Okay, let’s see,” Ezekiel said with a serene smile. “First off, my name is Ezekiel. Like Moses, Jesus, Akhenaten, and others, I am what’s called a traveler, or Mystical Traveler. We have a specific role to play in the spiritual evolution of mankind.”
Albert’s eyes widened. “Wait, Ezekiel, as in ‘Ezekiel Saw the Wheel’ Ezekiel?”
Ezekiel’s laugh was friendly. “Yes, that would be me.”
Having now worked with several spiritual masters, Johann was not surprised. Albert was still working on it. “Uh, o-o-o-kay…” he said, trying to process it all.
“You, Herr Einstein,” Ezekiel continued, “also have a part to play in the unfolding evolvement of humanity. That’s why you are here.”
“I think you’ve made a mistake,” Albert interjected. “I’m just a student.”
“Yes, that’s what you’re doing now…well, at least at this moment in your present time and space. But you have a destiny, Albert, and they assign us travelers to assist you in realizing it.”
“Destiny? I’m not so sure I believe in that.”
“Reasonable enough,” Ezekiel responded, “but let me ask you a question. What is consuming you? I know it’s not studying outdated science.”
Albert rolled his eyes. “Of course not. I am working on proving certain theories of light, time…” Albert was suddenly struck by where he was and that he was moving in a dimension other than his own. “…and space,” he concluded haltingly.
Ezekiel smiled as he watched Albert’s realization unfold. “So, do you know why you have such a burning interest in these things?”
Albert could only shake his head, his mind still struggling to grasp the immensity of what he was experiencing.
“Well,” Ezekiel said, “like destiny, this may challenge your scientific beliefs and your typical demands for tangible proof in the material world.”
“Go on,” Albert said.
Ezekiel chuckled again. “Well, suppose—just suppose—that you are getting glimpses into a past life you had.”
Albert started shaking his head, but Ezekiel continued. “And in that life, you were a scientist working with light, time, and space. Suppose you have been having memories about what you learned in that lifetime.”
“I will need some time to think about that,” Albert declared, rubbing his temple to try to alleviate a headache beginning to pound in his head.
Ezekiel felt only compassion for his new student. “Take all the time you need. I know this challenges your analytical mind. But I think you’re getting a sense that there’s a lot more going on than what the mind can readily grasp. Why don’t you relax for a bit and digest everything?”
It relieved Albert to retreat into his thoughts and consider everything he had heard. After about twenty minutes, the pilot beckoned Albert and Johann over to watch as millennia of time passed on the Crystal Lux Portal.
It struck Albert with a thought as he watched. “If things are as you say, then shouldn’t we be able to move through time instantaneously?”
Ezekiel nodded approvingly. “Excellent, Herr scientist. But remember, this craft is only a metaphor. It would be too distressing to the conscious mind to have things appear simultaneously, so we operate with the constructs that the conscious mind accepts.”
It satisfied Albert for the moment, and Ezekiel announced that they had arrived at their intended destination; Atlantis 10,400 BCE, by his reckoning. Albert watched as the traveler manipulated the holographic controls of their craft and it came to rest in a luxurious botanical garden with flowering trees, a lily pond, and water fountains. As the craft’s port opened, the smell of jasmine greeted Albert’s senses.
Ezekiel remained in the craft as Johann and Albert exited and looked around. For Johann, Atlantis was not all that different from the inner realm school environments where he had been studying. But the scene awed Albert in front of him. In one location, tall Atlanteans walked a labyrinth in devotional reflection. In other areas, people walked and talked as they made their unhurried way to the temples of learning and healing that dotted the landscape. An aura of peace and tranquility pervaded.
They drew their attention to a blond fellow in a short emerald tunic who was sitting in a meditative posture in a grotto near where they were standing. As they watched, the man’s etheric body extended from his physical space and approached them. He waved, saying, “Welcome to Atlantis. My name is Arka.”
Albert scratched his perpetually unruly brown hair and looked up in awe of the Atlantean.
Remembering his assignment, Johann pulled himself together. “Thank you for coming to receive us. My name is Johann, and I am studying with the travelers.” Urging his friend forward, he said, “May I introduce Albert Einstein?”
Arka extended his hand and looked Albert in the eye. When their palms and gaze met, Albert felt a gentle jolt. “Nice to meet you, Arka…. But I feel like I already know you.”
Arka smiled and inclined his head as he guided the boys to a nearby bench. “I understand, Albert. And I need you to listen to what I have to say with an open mind, as best you can.”
Albert shook his head ruefully. “I’m getting that a lot today.” He took in a breath and said, “Just go ahead, and I’ll see how I do.”
Arka launched into his explanation. “Do you accept reincarnation—well, re-embodiment, actually?”
Albert shrugged. “I have heard the concept. I can’t say I believe it.”
“Fair enough. Now then, many people who think of such things believe we are a body that has a soul. But the fact is, we are souls having a human experience. Our souls extend into human bodies throughout time to gain knowledge. Can you, for the time being, accept that?”
Albert looked at Arka and considered the question. “Until today I would have said no. But I feel like the entire foundation of what I believe is being shaken, so, for the moment, let’s say that I will entertain this idea.”
Albert could only nod and retreat into his thoughts to consider what he had heard.
“Okay, good.” Arka rewarded Albert with a smile. “So, here’s the situation: our souls are gaining experience through us while we are alive, and it is gaining experience through you when you are alive.”
Albert blinked as he silently absorbed what Arka had said. “So, you’re saying…”
“Yes, we share this soul. And it is bridging ideas from your past to your awareness in your time.”
Despite Albert’s dazed look, Arka continued. “Before a soul reembodies, a spiritual plan is agreed upon. It includes many things, like which experiences the soul will need to progress, and which parents will be able to provide those experiences.”
Johann, who had been studying these things, knew his friend was having a hard time coming to grips with all this information. He had confidence, though, that Albert would come to see the truth of it all.
“I believe we have brought here you, Albert, to quicken your awareness of the principles of light, space, and time,” Arka finished.
“So,” Albert said, “this is like a class for me, so I can bring the information to my time and then expand on it?”
“Well, yes… and no,” Arka said. “We are discussing all of this in our etheric bodies. I am doing it consciously, but, as I understand it, you are not doing it intentionally. So, what you will learn here will go into your unconscious and subconscious mind, where it will present itself to you from time to time. You will experience it as inspiration or intuition.”
Arka was struck with an idea. “I know all of this is challenging for you, Albert. How about I demonstrate some work we are doing here on Atlantis. Would you like that?”
Albert nodded. “Something tangible would help.”
Arka reached out. “May I see your arm, Albert?”
Albert slowly extended his damaged arm toward the priest-scientist. “It’s pretty badly burned, so please be careful.”
Arka tenderly unwrapped the gauze bandage. “While I work with your etheric body, Albert, the results will filter down to your physical body in your own time.” Arka could now see the large, crusted scab forming on Albert’s scorched arm. It was clear there would be quite a scar. Arka closed his eyes and quietly prayed, “I call forward the Light of God and the Masters of Light and healing.” The priest-scientist was fully relaxed as his love poured forth from within his sacred heart and he held his palm over Albert’s damaged arm. “I ask if it is for the highest good for Albert, that his arm be healed.” Almost immediately, the angry red skin under the scab took on a healthier pink glow. Arka gently touched the crust and saw that it was no longer attached to Albert’s arm. He carefully lifted it to reveal utterly normal skin underneath.
Bewildered, Albert looked up at Arka. “Oh, how did you do that?”
“Love is the healer. I made a request.”
Albert looked at Johann. “Unbelievable!”
“Believe it, Albert.” Johann smiled. “You are enough of a scientist to observe evidence, even when it goes against your beliefs.”
Buy Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Adventure
The song “Hold On Tight To Your Dreams” by ELO has been playing on a loop in my head for the last few days. My first dream for Einstein’s Compass was to publish a hero’s journey that captured your heart. My second goal was to raise awareness of my novel. This week Einstein’s Compass won “ Young Adult Fiction of the 2019 Best Book Awards. This award is one of four book awards in 2019. The Historial Novel Society wrote a rave review. Amazon and Goodreads readers love the story. Now, my dream is Einstein’s Compass being made into a motion picture shown worldwide. A movie would increase book sales and spread the message of how a German boy who received a compass from his father was inspired to follow his #dreams of what is time and light and changed the world.
As Albert secured his bicycle at the side entrance of the Gymnasium and took his books from the basket mounted in front of the handlebars, he wondered what the Benedictine monks thought of a Jewish boy attending their prestigious boarding school.
Dressed in a stylish charcoal wool suit, Albert walked toward the front of the building. Mounting the steps, he took off his inky, short-brimmed, felt bowler hat and smoothed back his unruly chestnut hair. He was late. Again. But he didn’t care.
Dwarfed by the tall Doric columns, he kept his eyes on the ground. He didn’t even glance at the long wall scroll with the Bavarian monks’ black-and-gold coat of arms that hung above him. Albert’s pace slowed. I am not looking forward to another day of boredom with these dullards.
At sixteen and standing five feet nine, Albert was not an imposing figure. The mild expression on his face hid the firestorm of rage that brewed in his mind. Day after day, the same thing.
This rote memorizing hurts my brain. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Albert let his thoughts drift to his mother and father. He missed his family.
Melancholy came over him as he remembered their goodbyes in early summer. His parents left him with his aunt and uncle so they could pursue work in Italy. He had loved his life before they went. Now, he was stuck in classes where the boys were studying things that he had mastered years earlier. His guardians, unfortunately, were not as understanding as his parents about Albert’s boredom.
Albert stopped next to a column and leaned against it, remembering his initial discovery of the magic of mathematics. He had been only around twelve when Max Talmud, a family friend and struggling medical student, visited the Einstein’s for Shabbat one Friday and gave Albert a gift that changed his life. It was a mathematics book called Simple Algebra, and it opened new worlds to Albert, who at the time was in Folkenshuler elementary school. Albert mastered the text by himself and would delight in surprising Max with how much he had learned since the previous Shabbat.
For Albert, Simple Algebra was like a prayer book. He remembered his wonderment as the book began stimulating questions in his mind. Each problem became a puzzle to solve. Life was a series of “Xs” he decided, a series of unknowns.
Albert forced himself out of his reverie and reluctantly resumed his walk to class. He entered the classroom and glanced over at his friend, Johann. The teacher, Herr von Achen, was writing on the blackboard, his back to the class. Von Achen was a rigid and disciplined man on whom forty resembled sixty. His eyes were a bleak gray behind gold-rimmed spectacles, and he wore a perpetual frown under his balding head.
“The ‘late’ Herr Einstein,” taunted Werner von Wiesel as Albert made his way to his seat. Werner was his usual obnoxious self. The boys in the class would have laughed at the play on words, but they had heard this phrase numerous times already from Von Wiesel. His entourage did manage a weak guffaw as Albert slid into his seat.
Von Achen turned and frowned. “Enough, Herr von Wiesel,” he said in a halfhearted admonishment. Albert, who often challenged Herr von Achen, was far from the teacher’s favorite student. Additionally, Von Achen didn’t want to antagonize the son of Colonel von Wiesel, one of Munich’s substantial citizens.
With a disapproving glare at Albert, Von Achen began the lesson. “Today, we will discuss the mathematical treatment of astronomy, Newton’s development of celestial mechanics and the laws of gravitation. Does everyone have their textbook?” Several of the boys nodded, taking out their copies of Josef Krist’s Essentials of Natural Science.
Albert raised his hand. “With all due respect, Herr von Achen, what does astronomy have to do with physics?”
Murmurs and grumbles rippled through the classroom. Werner rolled his eyes, moaning, “Not again… Einstein, do you have to do this?”
Albert stood his ground. “My interest is in learning physics. Astronomy is a waste of my time.”
Herr von Achen turned and glared at Albert. “As part of this course, we are covering the five branches of natural science: astronomy, biology, chemistry, the Earth sciences, and physics. You are to learn a broad range of subjects here, not just one or two.”
I have already covered this, Albert thought. He shook his head in resignation.
Herr von Achen challenged Albert. “Herr Einstein, please stand and explain to the class Newton’s theory of celestial mechanics.”
“The law of universal gravitation states that any two bodies in the universe attract each other with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them,” Albert rattled off sitting in his seat.
Herr von Achen’s face reddened. “What are you talking about? Where in your textbook did you see that?” His anger building, the older man, spat, “And when I tell you to stand young man, you will stand!”
Albert threw his hands up and stood beside his chair. “Herr von Achen, I learned Newton’s theory of celestial mechanics several years ago. I read the Peoples Books of Natural Science when I was twelve. All twenty-one volumes.” A collective gasp rippled through the classroom.
Herr von Achen could barely contain his fury. “I don’t care what you read or when.” He grabbed the copy of the textbook from his desk and held it up. “We are working with this textbook and the information in it. So…” he continued as his body quivered and he slammed the book down on his desk with a sharp crack, “you can shut your mouth now and sit down immediately!”
Turning from Albert to the blackboard, Herr von Achen began madly scribbling as he spoke in short staccato bursts of scientific jargon. Albert wished he were anywhere but here. As the other boys feverishly took notes, attempting to keep up with their still enraged teacher, Albert slumped into his chair and pulled his brass compass from his pocket. He found endless fascination studying his prized possession. Pushing on the twelve gemstones like buttons, he tried to turn it on again. How could he get the number 33 to flash the way it had when he first opened the compass?
He was pulled from his dream-like state by the clock striking the hour and marking the end of the class. Albert put away his compass and gathered his books, happy to be heading for the door. Just as he was about to escape, Herr von Achen motioned him over to his desk. Albert approached cautiously. Herr von Achen pointed his right index finger at Albert and through clenched teeth growled, “Just who do you think you are, Herr Einstein?”
Albert took in a deep breath. “What do you want me to say, Herr von Achen?”
With a vein throbbing just above his brow, Von Achen spat out, “You come to class late, sit in the back row with your attention elsewhere, and argue with me whenever you can. Where is your respect?”
“Sorry, sir,” Albert replied, his patience at an end.
Herr von Achen leaned forward across his desk, coming only inches from Albert’s face. “Well then, perhaps you would do better somewhere else.” He pulled an envelope from his inside jacket pocket and smacked it against Albert’s chest. “You are to meet with the Academik Committee in six weeks. The letter explains everything.” He spun around to straighten some papers on his desk. “And, Herr Einstein,” he said with sarcasm, his attention on the papers, “be on time.”
Not knowing what to say, Albert stepped back and stared blankly at the letter in his hand. Albert’s face flushed as the idea of being expelled from school and having his plans shattered took hold. His thoughts raced. His teachers at the Folkenshuler tried to force him to conform. Albert found it suffocating. Suddenly, the whole place felt like it was closing in on him.
Albert bolted from the classroom, ran through the hall and bolted out the front door. The biting, near-winter wind smacked Albert in the face as he burst out of the Gymnasium. Running and out of breath.
He inhaled the cold air into his lungs. Albert tried to calm himself and take stock. He needed to be alone. Slowly Albert calmed down, and rationality returned. He realized he needed his bicycle. Keeping his eyes down to avoid engaging with anyone, made his way back to the side entrance of the Gymnasium. No one paid any attention to Albert as he mounted his bicycle and pedaled away. His heavy wool suit barely kept him warm in the fall chill, but he hardly noticed.
Finally, on the edge of campus, he took one hand off the handlebars to wipe the tears from his eyes. Albert pedaled fast to Gasteig Park and the bridge at the end of the Prinzregentenstrasse. He slowed before a bench in the formal gardens and set his bicycle on the brittle, brown grass.
Sitting back, like a lost soul Albert closed his eyes. He felt crushed and out of control and just wanted to scream out his anger with Herr von Achen. He gazed across the terraces where the bare branches of tall birch and maples trees quivered in the wind. Rising above in the axis of the Prinzregentenstrasse was the Angel of Peace, a statue of the ancient Greek goddess of victory, Athena Nike. Albert stared at the towering, golden figure. “My only god is mathematics,” he declared out loud. The sun began to set, and Albert shivered in the chill air. I need to be somewhere where I can think. He didn’t want to discuss this with Johann, and his aunt and uncle would be of no assistance. Then he realized he had the perfect place.
It was fully dark by the time Albert found himself riding past candlelit houses of middle-class families. A short time later, he arrived at his destination. Quietly Albert walked his bike to the back of the house and left it under a small canopy made for the family vehicles. He opened the back door and entered a quiet house. He was alone. Since his parents had taken his younger sister, Mara, to Italy, he had the family home all to himself.
He turned on the hall light and climbed the stairs two at a time. He opened the door to find his bed, dresser, and armoire had accumulated only a light coat of dust since he’d left them in the summer. Just being back in the familiar room helped to calm him. Taking a deep breath, Albert reached under the bed and pulled out his violin case. He opened it and carefully picked up his friend, Violina. Albert stood in the middle of the living room, closed his eyes and remembered playing the Mozart lullaby “I See the Moon” with his mother accompanying him on the piano. Profoundly missing his family, he began to play the favorite tune on his violin. As the sweet notes emerged from Violina, Albert started walking, then gently waltzing, around the room. He could almost hear his mother singing the melody and laughing. The folksy love song lifted his heart. Lost in his dreams, Albert let the song fill him.
Bowing the last strains of the beautiful melody, Albert found the memory of his ordeal with Herr von Achen intruding into his awareness. The warm Violina still in his hands, he opened his eyes to a dimly lit bedroom, abandoned. He sighed and settled Violina into her case. Feeling forlorn, Albert collapsed onto his bed fully clothed and fell into a deep sleep. Tomorrow would be a new day.
The biggest misconception about being a successful published author is that when you finish your precious manuscript an agent will magically appear, sign you to a large publishing house and the money will roll in. All you have to do is write something.
The truth is writing is hard work. I spent more than forty years in various business industries in marketing and business development creating public images. I won the Dallas Business Journal Award in 2000 Retail for a shopping center in Dallas, Texas The Centre at Preston Ridge.
Writing a book can’t be that hard or so I thought.
I began my author journey after 9/11. I had just won the Dallas Business Journal Award when I was laid off. It took me two years to write eighty-eight pages, “A Dream is a Wish the Heart Makes”. I wrote and tore up many times before I felt ready to publish.
Excited with my new baby no agent came forward, no big publishing house came knocking on my door. I was told you have to have an established audience of thousands before an agent or publishing house will even talk to you.
Instead, I self-published. In 2004, the concept of being an indie author was unthinkable. When an agent heard you were an indie author they said you were a heretic and should be banned from the publishing world. Self-publishing was a new concept on Amazon. The self-publishing company I spent my hard earned dollars with did not follow through on their promises. Over the time of my contract, I lost a great deal of money and would years later assist a list of indie authors like me to sue them. Under several different publishing names, the company still exists making promises they cannot deliver.
The writing was still calling me to express myself. I wrote a series of self-help books that are based on forty years of my life where I explained how to use spiritual practices to change a life from fear to fun. In 2014, I rewrote my Dream book now called, “Do You Have a Dream 5 Keys to Realize Your Dream” which is available as an audiobook in my voice, an eBook and a workbook all available in bookstores and online. I won the 2016 bronze Spiritual and Inspirational Global Ebook Award, 2017 Texas Non-Fiction in Spiritual and Inspirational Award, 2017 Best Books Finalist Award. Still, no publishing house or agent has come calling.
While writing my non-fiction books I began the journey of writing fiction. If I thought writing a self-help book was hard, making up stories to entertain was three times as hard. Storytelling has a lot of rules that I am continually learning.
In 2014 after a trip to Jerusalem, Israel I chose to write an alternate history of Albert Einstein, “Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Novel”. Again, using my many years of exploring mystical teachings I wondered what if Einstein met spiritual beings who assisted him with his miracle theory? After four years of research and empty white pages on my computer, my novel has a completed first draft. God willing the book will be out by the end of 2018.
Now that my novel is in the hands of an editor, I spend my days on social media marketing my books. It is a full-time job. I spend as much time on my books as I would have to work for a company. Now the company is me, Modern Mystic Media.
There are millions of books on Amazon. Finding the right audience in the sea of good books and famous authors so people will find me and my baby is a hard work. Yet I am determined to have my work read. I love writing and connecting people with ideas that entertain, that make them think and maybe learn something.
When I write a press release of my new books or awards and send it to local and national media, most ignore me because I am self-published. You have to be with a well-known publisher for newspapers and media to pay attention.
The hallowed halls into a publishing contract are so slim there are many so-called experts that want to sell you software, textbooks, THE shortcut to publishing success. I have taken many seminars over the years in writing and publishing to where I think I can spot a scheme. Still, I have to monitor the impulse to buy that one thing that promises to sell more books.
In the future, you will see a lot of me everywhere. And, no agent or publishing company is helping with a big check or has opened doors. I show up every day and do what it takes to make my work visible.
Check out my books go to www.ModernMysticMedia.com. And, you can find me on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo in bookstores and online.
Sign-up to read a pre-launch copy of “Einstein’s Compass a YA Time Traveler Novel”, go to www.GraceBlairAuthor.com if you signup and read it, please review the book. The only way indie authors like me sell books is if readers will write reviews then Amazon and its algorithms will push my ratings to rise to the top of the charts. Finding one reader and one fan at a time may someday accumulate into thousands.
If you want to write books do it because you love it. However, you may spend more money than you make. Know its hard work and no one is going to chase you down to make you famous. You will be alone in your journey. You have to put the seat of the pants and the seat of the chair, staring at a blank page and find the story inside your creativity that will make the reader turn the page to find out what happens next. Then be responsible for publishing and marketing.
“The #writer must let his fingers run out the story of his #characters, who, being only human and full of strange dreams and obsessions, are only too glad to run.”
Ray Bradbury, The Zen of #Writing