Author Guest Post with Scott P. Southall & 4 Star Review

Anastasia and Edward Upston are eleven year old twins who are different in almost every way. Despite this they are inseparable and the best of friends. They tackle the highs and lows of sixth grade together whether they are fending off bullies at the elite Blake Academy or examining rare antiquities at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Then: life gets complicated.

Welcome to the January 25th stop on the blog tour for The Order of Time by Scott P. Southall with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts & interviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

Author Guest Post

Ten Things People Don’t Know About You

List by author Scott P. Southall

1. That I’m Managing Director at a global bank. Writing is my side gig
2. I was offered a professional football trial by the Norwich Canaries in England when I was 17
3. I know the words to far too many songs – including country songs
4. I sing without skill or fear
5. I ride horses like I sing
6. I love cooking for my family
7. I drive a 1988 BMW Convertible that I refuse to get rid of
8. I grew up in the suburbs of Washington DC
9. I am the Executive Sponsor for the Pride Network at my bank
10. I’ve written picture books with both my son and daughter

About the Book

The Order of Time
The Order of Time Book One
by Scott P. Southall

Published 21 January 2020
Seaview Press Holdings

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Page Count: 251
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Anastasia and Edward Upston are eleven year old twins who are different in almost every way. Despite this they are inseparable and the best of friends. They tackle the highs and lows of sixth grade together whether they are fending off bullies at the elite Blake Academy or examining rare antiquities at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Then: life gets complicated.

They discover that their friend and mentor, Dr. Gregorian, is part of a secret society called the Order of Time. It turns out that time is not fixed, it’s a fluid continuum where changes to the past can create ripples all the way through to the present. It unwittingly falls to the twins to travel back through time to ancient Egypt where they must overcome deadly assassins, evil high priests and vengeful gods in order to prevent disaster. Together Anastasia and Edward must navigate all obstacles to preserve the past and find their way back home.

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2021 Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Winner – Childrens Mythology/Fairy Tale

“If you’re into secret societies, time-travel, dangerous artifacts, deadly assassins, evil priests, and vengeful gods then I’ve got a story for you…”

“The Order of Time is fast-paced, featuring compelling characters, a great setting, and a cleverly written plot. It is a delightful read for fans of young adult fantasy and time travel.” 5 Stars Reader’s Favorite

“If you are looking for an action packed chapter book for your teen or preteen this is an excellent choice.” childrens_bookshelf

“I could not get enough of this book and the language presented really will speak to young readers and I can not wait to share it with our community.” Meghan S. Librarian NetGalley review

“The Order of Time is a fabulous debut. Totally captivating!” 5 Stars The Burgeoning Bookshelf

Excerpt

“Oh my god!” Anastasia exclaimed as she quickly unclicked the belt bag and let the blood-soaked bag fall to the ground.

She watched in terrified fascination as something writhed inside it. Anastasia kicked the bag away and tried to step backward but ran into the soldier who had pulled her clear of Ammit’s jaws. There was nowhere to go. The canvas bag ripped open and the golden dragon’s head with glowing, green eyes and red pupils emerged. The statue was alive.

The miniature Quetzalcoatl rapidly expanded in front of her eyes until his head engulfed half of the passageway. The god’s golden, serpent body was as thick as an oak tree and coiled behind him. His feathered wings were folded back as they scraped the ceiling. Quetzalcoatl was motionless as he stared directly at Anastasia with glowing, green orbs that were now the size of volleyballs.

She could vaguely hear the shouts from the soldiers directly behind her. Anastasia was completely frozen with fear.

“What in Aten’s name is that?” the general said with a mixture of fear and awe as he slowly reached for his sword.

“It has been many centuries since I have been to this world,” a deep and ancient voice rumbled inside her head.

Quetzalcoatl is inside my head. He’s talking to me directly inside my head.

“You have paid the blood price and summoned me, child. What is your need?” the voice inside her head continued.

She had no idea how to talk to an ancient Aztec god. That kind of thing was much more up Edward’s alley. Anastasia stammered before finding her voice. “Mighty Quetzalcoatl, it is I who have summoned you. There is a demon blocking our way.”

The general stopped drawing his sword halfway when he realized that Anastasia was communicating with the beast.

Quetzalcoatl remained motionless. “What is your need? Ask quickly, child, before I grow weary of this, as I am forever hungry,” the voice echoed with impatience.

My Review

My Rating: 4 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads

I was granted complimentary access to The Order of Time by Scott P. Southall as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Goddess Fish Promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

An interesting middle grade novel steeped in Ancient Egyptian history and mythology and a sense of adventure, The Order of Time is the start of a series wherein academically gifted and curious twins Anastasia and Edward Upston have stumbled into involvement with an organization of time-travelling protectors of history. For this adventure they’re going to Ancient Egypt, a decade and change before the pharoahship of the famous Tutankhamun, to ensure that his reign does indeed come to pass.

I had so much fun reading this book! I really enjoyed all of the history and art, my two real loves, and the childlike enthusiasm these 11-year-old protagonists bring to it all. Some of the dialogue and other interactions are a bit on the nose in terms of exposition, but such is to be expected in literature meant for younger readers, so I can forgive it.

I have two main critiques. First, the kids get to a point where they have to decide whether or not to reveal the truth of who they are and when, not where, they’re from to the new friends they’ve made in the past …and no realistic consequences come of it. (view spoiler) Second, I’d like more explanation on how this time travel stuff is supposed to work. Agents in the present have 24 hours from detecting a possible changed in the past to correct it before the change becomes permanent, but the twins are in the past for more than 24 hours fixing the problem. How does that work out?

All in all this was a great adventure and I’m glad to see there is a sequel! This is exactly the sort of series I would have devoured as a middle grade reader.

Book Two!

The Order of Time and Odin’s Door
The Order of Time Book Two
by Scott P. Southall

Published 18 October 2021
Seaview Press Holdings

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Page Count: 278
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

The orange light of the setting sun bathed the snow-covered fields as the fiery globe began to dip below the horizon. It was strange that something so beautiful could signal the arrival of something so evil. One thing twelve-year-old twins Anastasia and Edward Upston knew for sure was that when mortals were caught between two bickering gods nothing good would come of it. Surviving the Viking Age may be the hardest thing they ever do, if they can…

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Excerpt

“Um, Anastasia, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?” Edward asked as he grabbed his formerly sane sister by the elbow and led her away from Erik. “What in the heck are you thinking? Help them kill the dragon?”

“I said we’d help Erik try to convince Soren to leave first. We’ll only help them kill the dragon if Soren won’t listen,” his twin explained, as if it should all make sense now.

“Have you lost your mind?” Edward snapped.

“It’s a really simple plan. Don’t overthink it,” Anastasia said, looking at him like he was the one who was crazy.

“Ahem,” they heard Erik interrupt from behind them.

“I’m sorry, but we’re a little busy here at the moment,” Edward called over his shoulder at the red-haired Viking with the big sword.

“While you’re talking to the slow one, I am going to find the Jarl. He’s also fixated on getting killed by Nidhogg. Perhaps you’ll have better luck talking some sense into her,” Erik said, shaking his head dismissively.

Edward watched the big Viking follow Soren’s footprints until he disappeared into the underbrush before turning back to Anastasia. “We’re supposed to be in Strasbourg earning our entrance into the academy. We don’t even know why we’re here and you’re talking about killing dragons,” Edward whispered harshly just in case Erik was still in earshot.

“I know we’re not supposed to be here but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help someone who needs our help,” his twin whispered back, her posture stiffening.

“You know we can’t risk changing what happens here. How many times has Dr. G told us that the ripples from any change in the past can completely change the future? That red-haired dude is Erik the Red, the man who colonizes Greenland. His son Leif Erikson was the first European to sight North America: five hundred years before Christopher Columbus. Assuming we could help kill this dragon, just imagine what changing the past related to that guy might do. Dollar bills could say In Odin we trust and we might not even exist!” Edward was no longer whispering as he threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

About the Author

Scott is an American author and banking executive who lives in Sydney, Australia. He grew up in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and attended Georgetown University. While he loves his job as a global banker, his true passion is making up stories with his children. His debut novel, The Order of Time, reached #1 in its category on Amazon and was the 2021 Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Children’s – Mythology/Fairy Tale genre.

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