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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Into the Jaws of the Lion
By N.S. Wikarski
Arkana Archeology Mysteries, Book 5
Publisher: N.S. Wikarski
Release Date: December 14,
2014
Genre:
Prehistoric/Archeological Mystery
Length: 259 Pages
Format: eBook/Print
ISBN: 978-1503272569
ASIN: B00PWZ7C4A
About the book:
This is
the 5th book in a 7 book mystery/thriller/adventure series. It can,
however, be read as a standalone. The
author is providing a summary of the Arkana series for the reader’s convenience.
Where do you hide a
mysterious artifact that has the power to change the course of history? You
scatter clues to its whereabouts across the entire planet. Five objects buried
beneath the rubble of ancient civilizations point to the hiding place of a
mysterious artifact called the Sage Stone. A secret society and a fanatical
religious cult vie against one another in a global treasure hunt to claim the
prize. Only one can win. More importantly, only one can survive.
EXCERPTChapter 1—Knot GoodIn A Foreign Land – Long Past Midnight“Watch out!” The Pythia’s warning came too late.Several dark figures swarmed from behind the boulders lining the trail, jumping Cassie and Griffin. Before the pair knew what was happening, they were body-slammed to the ground.Half a dozen voices were talking at once, demanding answers in a language Cassie didn’t understand. She blinked as half a dozen flashlights pointed their intrusive beams in her face.“What’s going on?” she asked dazedly. “Does anybody here speak English?”More voices joined the hostile chorus. Rough hands reached out to drag her toward some unknown destination. She stumbled up a rock-strewn path and was thrust inside a small tent. Griffin was propelled in after her. Two of their assailants followed and forced them to sit back-to-back against the central tent pole, tethering their hands to the stake with thick hemp rope.Without a word of explanation, their attackers left and shut the tent flap behind them. The voices outside continued to angrily debate some unknown topic.Cassie tried to twist around but couldn’t. “Griffin?” she called anxiously. “Are you alright?” She felt the reassuring pressure of his fingers looping through hers.“I’m fine, all things considered. And you?”“Other than a few bruises, I’m OK too,” she answered.The two of them sat back-to-back in silence for several moments, listening to the bellowing match outside.The Scrivener shrugged philosophically. “On the whole, this night might have gone worse. Whoever they are, at least they didn’t kill us.”“The night’s not over yet,” Cassie remarked ominously.
"There's a 52% chance
that the next Dan Brown will be a woman ... or should we just make that 100%
now?"
--Kindle Nation
Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive from academia. After earning her Ph.D.
from the University of Chicago, she became a computer consultant and then
turned to mystery and historical fiction writing. She is a member of Mystery
Writers of America, the Society Of Midland Authors, and has served as vice
president of Sisters In Crime - Twin Cities and on the programming board of the
Chicago chapter. Her short stories have appeared in Futures Magazine and DIME
Anthology, while her book reviews have been featured in Murder: Past Tense and
Deadly Pleasures.
She has written the Gilded
Age Mystery series set in 1890s Chicago. Titles include The Fall Of White City
(2002) and Shrouded In Thought (2005). The series has received People's Choice
Award nominations for Best First Novel and Best Historical as well as a Lovey
Award for Best Traditional Amateur Sleuth.
She is currently writing the
seven-book Arkana Archaeology Thriller series. Titles include The Granite Key
(2011), The Mountain Mother Cipher (2011), The Dragon’s Wing Enigma (2012),
Riddle Of The Diamond Dove (2013), Into The Jaws Of The Lion (2014), and
Secrets Of The Serpent’s Heart (2015). The seventh and final volume in the
series, The Sage Stone Prophecy is scheduled for publication in December of
2016. All the books have become Amazon bestsellers with an overall average
review rating of 4.5.
Amazon Series Page: http://www.amazon.com/Into-Arkana-Archaeology-Mystery-Series-ebook/dp/B00PWZ7C4A
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/N-S-Wikarski-111546722263900/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/N.-S.-Wikarski/e/B001K8RR5W
A fan of archeology, ancient civilizations, mystery and action adventure books I couldn’t wait to dive into my copy of Into the Jaws of the Lion by N.S. Wikarski. A book in her Arkana Archeological Mystery series, I looked forward to digging into a story with settings all over the world. Filled with colorful characters, lots of physical action and a solid mystery with plenty of twists and turns, this is a story fans of the series will love.A story that begins with action, Into the Jaws of the Lion is quickly paced, and has more than a handful of well - established characters. While I was able to read and enjoy this installment, I do feel that I would have benefited from having read the previous installments first – I just didn’t get a chance to connect with the three main characters as much as I would have liked. I especially would have enjoyed getting to know Cassie better than I did at the start of the story. I found myself having to go back to the beginning to look at the "character diary" at the start. The secondary characters are also well established and the two very different “groups” searching for the artifacts are clearly differentiated and explained. The “villain” of the story, the leader of the Nephilim, is quite vile and easy to dislike right from the moment he appears on the page.I found the historical aspects of the book interesting, well researched and was pleased by the author’s choice of “Minoan” artifacts as the goal. It made a nice change from the Egyptian archeology I’ve mostly focused my reading on and I enjoyed getting to know more about the part of world often referred to as the “first step to European history.” Ms. Wikarski’s voice as an author is easy to follow, entertaining, and her story was well paced.Will the members of the Arkana secret society locate the next artifact they need in order to locate the Sage Stone? Will they be able to keep the young female member of the “Nephilim” they rescued hidden from the nefarious cult? Which group will be the closest to the prize at the end of this installment? You’ll have to read Into the Jaws of the Lion to find out. I enjoyed it and will be going back to start this series at the very beginning by picking up a copy of The Granite Key, the first book in the series.My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Crowns
Thank you for hosting
ReplyDeletethanks for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting and for that enthusiastic review.
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed following the tour for Into the Jaws of the Lion and I can't wait to read it! It sounds like an exciting adventure :). Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteTo Lisa, Rita and Victoria: Thanks for stopping by and offering positive feedback. It's appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHow did you begin writing? Did you intend to become an author, or do you have a specific reason or reasons for writing each book?
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay in responding. I was already writing poetry in grade school so I've always known I wanted to be a writer. The Arkana Series has a definite agenda. It's a way of correcting the historical record and telling "her-story" instead of his-story. Each book coves a different continent and its matriarchal civilizations.
Delete