While my characters are fictitious, they carry the hopes, ambitions, and worries of all teens. After teaching for nearly 25 years, my students are all part of the characters. And in a small part, so am I.

Cheryl Carpinello – 4 March 2023

The Back Flap

Ancient Mystery…Mystical Prophecy…Biblical Horsemen…One Epic Task

The Task: Retrieve the Five Feathers of the Phoenix to raise Atlantis so its people can return home.

The Chosen: Cousins Rosa & Jerome embark upon a perilous and personal quest to retrieve the first Feather. Rosa’s special gift, kept far in the Past, will be revealed, and Jerome will discover his.

The Opponents: The Four Deadly Horsemen of the Apocalypse will stop at nothing, not even murder, to possess the Feathers.

Join Rosa & Jerome as they risk all in their search for the First Feather!

About the book

What is the book about?

Feathers of the Phoenix: The Atlantean Horse, book 1, is an adventure thriller set in today’s world, kind of.  When cousins Rosa (Sons of the Sphinx) and Jerome go to visit their grandfather on the Mediterranean island of Telendos, they learn that they are tasked with finding the five Feathers of the Phoenix that Poseidon cast to the wind when he sank the island of Atlantis. If they succeed, the island will rise again, and its people, still here on Earth, will be allowed to go home. But they aren’t the only ones seeking the Feathers. Traveling under the guise of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, these Deadly horsemen, right out of the Bible, seek the Feathers in order to plunder the island of its riches.  And, they will stop at nothing, not even murder, to get the Feathers. The Race is on for the first Feather!

When did you start writing the book?

I actually started with the idea back in 2018. For the longest time, the idea bounced around in my brain while I worked on another project. Then in late 2019, I started in earnest to develop the story and characters.

How long did it take you to write it?

The Atlantean Horse released in Sept. 2022. The entire process took about 2 years.

Where did you get the idea from?

I’ve always been fascinated with the lost island of Atlantis and with Ancient civilizations. And so were my students. I write for Reluctant Readers and the ancient world always held their attention, so the Feathers of the Phoenix appeals to those readers and me!

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Not really. I do all the hard work in my head before ever sitting down to write. The only part that took time was researching the island of Telendos. I enjoyed that.

What came easily?

Writing actually because it’s really my characters who write their story.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

While my characters are fictitious, they carry the hopes, ambitions, and worries of all teens. After teaching for nearly 25 years, my students are all part of the characters. And in a small part, so am I.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Not authors so much as stories. It’s the stories from the ancient writers and also Arthurian Legend that determined what I would write. Year after year, I watched my students who wouldn’t read pick up books and engage in discussions about those stories. These stories resonated with the world they live in today and the situations they find themselves in day after day.

Do you have a target reader?

As I’ve alluded to above, I write for reluctant readers from ages 8/9 – 16/17. It is my hope that my stories will touch them and draw them into the wonderful world of reading.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I always write in my head before I write anything down. This lets my conscious and subconscious work out details and a general overview of the story. My characters are also developed during this process. This is not quick and can take several months for my brain to iron out the story.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

A bit. I write down my sequence of events and a short description of those including the setting for each. From there, I let my characters tell their story.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I re-read what I wrote the session before and make changes at that time. I also try to jot down brief character descriptions (clothing, feelings) at the end of each writing session so I don’t forget the next time. This is the only editing I do except for the suggestions I get back from my editors. Several years ago, I took a class called “Writing Into the Dark” and through that learned to trust that my creative side of my brain knew what it was doing. Instead of spotting to correct grammatical/sentence errors throughout the writing process, I learned to turn off my critical side and just tell the story. It was easy to learn to do this, especially for an English teacher, but it’s worked wonders for me and my writing.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Always, regardless of how I publish. I actually have two. For the initial reading, I have a woman who is a fabulous line editor, and for the final edit, I have a great woman who checks my storyline.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I listen to concerts (Mumford & Sons, Celtic Women, Elton John, and others) or put on movies I’ve seen multiple times. Just something to block out the background noise.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Not anymore.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I wanted more control over my books and the publishing process. I had a small press which had done a couple of my books as ebooks, but didn’t want to do print. With my target audience, print books are a must. I love being an Indie author and an Indie publisher. Along with 12 other authors from Europe and the Middle East, we’ve formed Silver Quill Publishing and now publish under that umbrella.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

First rule of writing Indie: Have your cover professionally done! I didn’t in the beginning, but then I found the most amazing cover designer, Berge Design. All of covers, except my picture books, are now done by Chris, including the early ones.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I usually do ads, blog tours, and interviews. However, for me and my audience, my best marketing is done at craft fairs, school fundraisers, school visits, and conventions. These are where I can interact with my target audience, and I sell a ton of books at these.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Going Indie is not an easy road. Although it is satisfying and fun, being an Indie Author is a lot of hard work, both on the writing and the marketing. And it can be expensive: covers, formatting, editors, marketing. Indie Authors are known for writing and producing some of the best books on the marketplace. Don’t try to skimp. Do your ultimate best in all of the above areas, and you will be rewarded with a first-class finished product and maybe even some followers.

About You

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?

I’m a Colorado native and while I’ll travel anywhere, this is my home.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I love writing for those Reluctant Readers and the others who discover my stories.

I do Medieval Writing and Illumination Poetry Workshops for schools, Girl Scouts, and Homeschoolers, in person or via Zoom. Surprisingly, the poetry workshops are extremely popular with the girls AND the boys! Interested parties can contact me through my website.

I’m also an avid world explorer. Love discovering other ‘worlds’! My husband and I explored the ancient Egyptian world, the land of King Arthur, and the wilds of the north: Iceland. Looking at Greece and Italy next.

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on book 2 of Feathers of the Phoenix: The Norse Star. I’m also mulling over a 4^th book in my Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales for ages 4-8. Originally, I decided that 3 books in the series was all I was going to write, however my brain has been working on more stories. So, there may be another book!

End of Interview:

For more from Cheryl Carpinello you can visit her website or blog as well as follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Get your copy of Feathers of the Phoenix: The Atlantean Horse from Amazon US or Amazon UK.