Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway: Sol Invictus (The Eye of Ra #2) by Ben Gartner

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Sol Invictus by Ben Gartner. This book tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have an excerpt from the book as well as a great guest post from the author. There's also a tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more content. Enjoy!

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Title: Sol Invictus

Series: The Eye of Ra #2

Author: Ben Gartner

Publisher: Crescent Vista Press

Publication Date: February 2nd 2021

Print Length: 300 pages

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure

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Siblings John and Sarah barely made it home last time, but in their next time traveling adventure the challenge really heats up. Surrounded by clashing cultures on the ancient Roman frontier, they must fulfill their quest to unite the emperor with his enemy, an Alemanni barbarian, or risk being stuck in time forever.

An action-packed fantasy full of sword fights, chariot chases, fearsome wild animals, and high mountain survival. For graduates of the Magic Tree House looking for a thrilling middle grade page-turner, read Sol Invictus, book two of The Eye of Ra series!

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EXCERPT:

John’s whole body shook. His irregular breathing created a feedback loop of anxious nerves. On one side of him, Lucas was now armed. On the other, a squad or regiment or whatever you call it of Roman soldiers pointed spears at them, and they looked very, very serious. John’s worrying spiraled and he couldn’t steady himself and— 

If only he could trace the eye of Ra again. Why on Earth had he thought tracing it would be a good idea in the first place? What was he thinking?!

Then Sarah asked for him to hand it over. Of course! She would save them. She got them out of ancient Egypt. She’d save them again. 

He couldn’t get the leather cord over his head, so Sarah leaned in close and put her finger on the pendant. With the loop still around his neck, their foreheads pressed together. 

“We’re going to get out of here, Johnny,” she whispered. 

“Get up!” the boy standing over him said again. 

Given that he was one of the fighters about to face a lion, John assumed he was a venator and thus wasn’t trying to kill them, or the other people in the ring. They were supposed to work together to overcome the lion, right? In fact, this boy had offered to help them. John examined Sarah’s face—her single pointed look of determination as she traced the eye. Why was she reluctant to accept this boy’s help, to work together? 

Sarah finished tracing the almond eye and moved to the line with the curlicue finish while mumbling to herself in some kind of mantra, “Please work, please work, please work.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ben Gartner is the award-winning author of The Eye of Ra adventure series for middle graders (ages 8-12). His books take readers for a thrilling ride, maybe even teaching them something in the meantime. Ben can be found living and writing near the mountains with his wife and two boys.

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GUEST POST:

- Who or what inspired you to write Sol Invictus?

Sol Invictus is book two in The Eye of Ra series. The first book, The Eye of Ra, came out last year in February 2020 and book two comes out this year February 2, 2021. Available everywhere books are sold, of course!

I start with that background in answer to your question because what inspired me to write Sol Invictus was primarily two things: 1. My kids, and 2. The success and fun of book one.

1. MY KIDS

I have two sons who helped me come up with the overall storyline and characters of book one. It was something we did for fun together while I was in between other writing projects. The more we dug in, the more I realized we had something unique and a book idea we thought would be a lot of fun to read. I then crafted the scenes, read them out loud and heard reactions (or lack thereof!) and tweaked accordingly. Pretty soon we had a whole book and we decided it would be fun to push it out into the world.

2. SUCCESS AND FUN

The Eye of Ra has been read by thousands and thousands of people around the world and it has been a ton of FUN to hear reactions and get fan mail. I love seeing it on public library and school library shelves perhaps most of all. It’s been unreal and a dream come true, no doubt. That made writing the sequel a no-brainer. And book three is in development right now. More will be revealed about the overarching series plot, about the real fate of John and Sarah, and how their actions will literally save the world.

This whole project has been pure joy: Getting to work with my kids and also put something out that total strangers actually enjoy too. That is what inspired me to write Sol Invictus. Can’t wait for the next!

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GIVEAWAY:

Ben Gartner will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. To increase your chance of winning, leave a comment at a different stop on the tour each day. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway