Meet Cheryl Carpinello, Author of Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend, Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend, The King's Ransom, Sons of the Sphinx, and Tutaankhamen Speaks
BBB: Tell us about yourself.
CC: I’m a retired high school English teacher with a passion for ancient & medieval history. I taught the Legend of King Arthur at the high school for 25 years along with the literature of Ancient Rome & Ancient Greece.
My target audience is reluctant readers, although my readership is broader. As a teacher, I worked with a number of students who didn’t like to read, who hadn’t come across that genre that hooked them to books. Through my teaching, I discovered the key to many of those reluctant readers is through the Arthurian Legend and Medieval Times. All you need to do is look at the movies, TV shows, and video games out there. A new King Arthur movie—King Arthur: Legend of the Sword—will be released 2017. Also, Games of Thrones is a huge draw for older readers and adults.
I also love to travel. Being a retired airline employee—yes, I worked two jobs—gives us the opportunity to see more of the world than most people. So far, we spent 3 weeks in Egypt, 3 week in the UK, 1 week in Iceland, as well as numerous trips to Mexico, Hawaii, and my favorite city Las Vegas!
All of my books are now, or in the process, of being distributed by Bublish, Inc. That was the culmination of 7 years of hard work, writing and promoting my stories. For those who wonder, being a writer is not an overnight success story.
CC: I’m a retired high school English teacher with a passion for ancient & medieval history. I taught the Legend of King Arthur at the high school for 25 years along with the literature of Ancient Rome & Ancient Greece.
My target audience is reluctant readers, although my readership is broader. As a teacher, I worked with a number of students who didn’t like to read, who hadn’t come across that genre that hooked them to books. Through my teaching, I discovered the key to many of those reluctant readers is through the Arthurian Legend and Medieval Times. All you need to do is look at the movies, TV shows, and video games out there. A new King Arthur movie—King Arthur: Legend of the Sword—will be released 2017. Also, Games of Thrones is a huge draw for older readers and adults.
I also love to travel. Being a retired airline employee—yes, I worked two jobs—gives us the opportunity to see more of the world than most people. So far, we spent 3 weeks in Egypt, 3 week in the UK, 1 week in Iceland, as well as numerous trips to Mexico, Hawaii, and my favorite city Las Vegas!
All of my books are now, or in the process, of being distributed by Bublish, Inc. That was the culmination of 7 years of hard work, writing and promoting my stories. For those who wonder, being a writer is not an overnight success story.
BBB: What inspired your trilogy about the Princess Guinevere?
CC: My inspiration for Book One: Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend came from my high school students. They only knew 3 things about her: she married King Arthur, she had an affair with Lancelot, and she caused the downfall of the fabled Camelot. I decided to introduce younger readers to this princess at the age of 12 and give them a more dynamic character than the static one out there.
The only reason there is a Book Two Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend is because of Guinevere’s friend Cedwyn. He is also the impetus behind the third book in the trilogy. I never planned to write another story about Guinevere after completing the first one, but kids can be persistent. Over the years when working on other projects, Cedwyn kept pestering me. He was promised he would get to be a knight and wanted to know when I was going to make that happen. I finally gave in to him.
Consequently, writing book 2 meant that I would also have to write book 3!
CC: My inspiration for Book One: Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend came from my high school students. They only knew 3 things about her: she married King Arthur, she had an affair with Lancelot, and she caused the downfall of the fabled Camelot. I decided to introduce younger readers to this princess at the age of 12 and give them a more dynamic character than the static one out there.
The only reason there is a Book Two Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend is because of Guinevere’s friend Cedwyn. He is also the impetus behind the third book in the trilogy. I never planned to write another story about Guinevere after completing the first one, but kids can be persistent. Over the years when working on other projects, Cedwyn kept pestering me. He was promised he would get to be a knight and wanted to know when I was going to make that happen. I finally gave in to him.
Consequently, writing book 2 meant that I would also have to write book 3!
BBB: Tell us about your main characters.
CC: In Book 2, Guinevere is 15 years old and still a princess. King Arthur is away fighting battles in northern England. She is feisty, eager for adventure, and cares deeply for those around her. However, she tends to jump into situations without thinking thoroughly about her actions and usually finds herself in trouble. She thinks more with her heart than with her head.
Cedwyn, her childhood friend, tends to follow Guinevere’s lead if somewhat hesitant at times. He enjoys their adventures as much as she does. He is fiercely loyal to Guinevere. She has promised to take him with her as her squire when she marries King Arthur. Cedwyn’s dream is to become a knight of King Arthur’s and serve Guinevere. In “At the Dawn of Legend” the subtitle of the book is “Cedwyn’s Story.” He is granted his dream of knighthood, but in no way that he ever imagined.
CC: In Book 2, Guinevere is 15 years old and still a princess. King Arthur is away fighting battles in northern England. She is feisty, eager for adventure, and cares deeply for those around her. However, she tends to jump into situations without thinking thoroughly about her actions and usually finds herself in trouble. She thinks more with her heart than with her head.
Cedwyn, her childhood friend, tends to follow Guinevere’s lead if somewhat hesitant at times. He enjoys their adventures as much as she does. He is fiercely loyal to Guinevere. She has promised to take him with her as her squire when she marries King Arthur. Cedwyn’s dream is to become a knight of King Arthur’s and serve Guinevere. In “At the Dawn of Legend” the subtitle of the book is “Cedwyn’s Story.” He is granted his dream of knighthood, but in no way that he ever imagined.
BBB: What other books have you written?
CC: My Arthurian Legend books:
Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend (book 1-re-released March 2017) is the story of the Princess Guinevere at age 12 and her friend Cedwyn. https://www.amazon.com/Guinevere-Legend-Legends-Reluctant-Readers/dp/1946229415
Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend (book 2-to be released in May 2017) continues the adventures of Guinevere and Cedwyn, but it soon becomes a battle of life and death for the two.
The King’s Ransom (book 1 of Young Knights of the Round Table) 3 friends take the Knights’ vow to clear their mentor of theft and murder charges or to die trying. https://www.amazon.com/Young-Knights-Round-Table-Reluctant/dp/0997487577.
CC: My Arthurian Legend books:
Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend (book 1-re-released March 2017) is the story of the Princess Guinevere at age 12 and her friend Cedwyn. https://www.amazon.com/Guinevere-Legend-Legends-Reluctant-Readers/dp/1946229415
Guinevere: At the Dawn of Legend (book 2-to be released in May 2017) continues the adventures of Guinevere and Cedwyn, but it soon becomes a battle of life and death for the two.
The King’s Ransom (book 1 of Young Knights of the Round Table) 3 friends take the Knights’ vow to clear their mentor of theft and murder charges or to die trying. https://www.amazon.com/Young-Knights-Round-Table-Reluctant/dp/0997487577.
My Ancient World books:
Tutankhamen Speaks where King Tut talks from the grave to tell about his life and answer a persistently asked question. https://www.amazon.com/Tutankhamen-Speaks-Cheryl-
Carpinello-ebook/dp/B00E18KH46
Sons of the Sphinx is a time travel adventure back to 1330 BC Egypt with the ghost of King Tut https://www.amazon.com/Sons-Sphinx-Cheryl-Carpinello-ebook/dp/B00MVGC96Y.
Study Guides are available for all my books. Links to these are on my blog Carpinello’s Writing Pages.
BBB: What do you think readers will find most appealing about your book?
CC: What makes my books appealing to the Middle Grade readers/YA (ages 10-16) are not only the adventures back in history, but also the journeys of my characters to find who they are and what their place is in their world.
Tutankhamen Speaks where King Tut talks from the grave to tell about his life and answer a persistently asked question. https://www.amazon.com/Tutankhamen-Speaks-Cheryl-
Carpinello-ebook/dp/B00E18KH46
Sons of the Sphinx is a time travel adventure back to 1330 BC Egypt with the ghost of King Tut https://www.amazon.com/Sons-Sphinx-Cheryl-Carpinello-ebook/dp/B00MVGC96Y.
Study Guides are available for all my books. Links to these are on my blog Carpinello’s Writing Pages.
BBB: What do you think readers will find most appealing about your book?
CC: What makes my books appealing to the Middle Grade readers/YA (ages 10-16) are not only the adventures back in history, but also the journeys of my characters to find who they are and what their place is in their world.
Also, in my stories about Guinevere and Cedwyn, readers understand how good intentions sometimes lead to not-so-good situations. They’ve been there! And, they are there when Guinevere and Cedwyn make decisions that don’t turn like they imagined. Without realizing it, reading how Guinevere and Cedwyn handle themselves in times like these helps readers when they come face-to-face with similar situations.
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
CC: Website: Cheryl Carpinello
Blog: Beyond Today Educator
The Quest Books
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
CC: Website: Cheryl Carpinello
Blog: Beyond Today Educator
The Quest Books
