Comic-Con San Diego here we come…

Well, okay not this year but next year we hope to be there promoting the Zenobia book series. We understand Comic-Con is for superhero comic book style fans but we feel the Comic-Con fan base has grown beyond that. The Zenobia book series is based on a real historical person and her fight for justice will appeal to all Comic-Con fans. We’re interested in having a booth and advertising during the 2015 Comic-Con International San Diego event. We had planned to visit the 2014 Comic-Con in San Diego to get a better idea if this venture would be worth our time and money. Unfortunately, Comic-Con tickets sold out in record time and we weren’t able to get a hold of any.

“Just Like That, San Diego Comic-Con Sells Out

Within an hour-and-a-half, every available badge to the 2014 event was sold out”

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/LA-COPY-Just-Like-That-San-Diego-Comic-Con-Sells-Out-250471861.html

Another event happening the same week as Comic-Con we were hoping to attend is The Nerd Machine panels in San Diego over at Petco Park.

http://www.thenerdmachine.com/

The lineup of stars that will be at The Nerd Machine panel is going to be incredible. For instance:

A Conversation with Nathan Fillion – Saturday, July 26th @4:15pm. Sunday, July 27 @ 11am.

A Conversation with Joss Whedon – Sunday, July 27th @ 1:15pm.

Joss Whedon’s panel sold out in 20 seconds, so unfortunately we aren’t able to get ticket to go. For some time now we’ve had Joss Whedon in mind as screenwriter and director for the Zenobia movie. Joss Whedon’s talent would enhance the Zenobia project and we believe the Zenobia book series can become an epic TV series or movie. If we were able to attend his panel we’d love to ask Joss how we go about submitting our book for consideration as a possible film project for his company Bellwether Pictures.

Here’s some casting ideas:

Zenobia – Birth of a Legend

Zenobia

(Hannah Lawrence)

Zelina- Zenobia’s mother, wife of Zabbai

(Jennifer Lopez)

Sheik Zabbai- leader of the tribe in Syria-

(Russell Crowe)

Cam- warrior in Syria

(James Purefoy)

Salim- warrior in Syria

(Taylor Lautner)

Shanzar- warrior in Syria

Kellan Lutz

Senator Odenathus- leader in Tadmor, Syria

Ben Affleck

Samuel- bookstore owner in Tadmor, Syria

Wallace Shawn

Zeriah- sword master in Syria

Patrick Stewart

Saladir- desert bandit

Oded Fehr

Dionysius Longinus- professor in Alexandria, Egypt

Zachary Levi

Aurelius- friend of Longinus in Alexandria, Egypt

Shawn Spencer

Alim Hashell- merchant in Alexandria, Egypt

Ian McShane

General Gaius Publius- Roman commander

Sean Bean

 

 Characters from the second book,

Zenobia – Challenging a Legend

Longinus’s friends

Remeliah

(Nathan Fillion)

Ajax

(Tom Hiddleston)

Governor Julius Severus

& his wife Tabira of Alexandria, Egypt

(Lorrisa Julianus and Scott Bovaird ) Picture from Zenobia the Musicalhttps://www.facebook.com/zenobiathemusical

Ahab- Alim Hasshel’s son

(Zach Mcgowan)

Zageeb – mercenary hired by Alim

(Arnold Vosloo)

Pirates in Alexandria, Egypt- Captain Ahmal (Toby Stephens), Caras (Mark Ryan), Gabal (Tom Hopper), Zedras (Luke Arnold)

Hakim –warrior in Alexandria; from Syria

(Orlando Bloom)

Lemuel- warrior in Alexandria; from Syria

(Douglas Booth)

Tyrianna –Nubian; kidnapped into a sex slave trade

(Liya Kebede)

Patricia- kidnapped into sex slave trade

(Minka Kelly)

Seluria and Selaria – twin sisters kidnapped into sex slave trade

(Tamera and Tia Mowry)

Antares- sex slave guard

(Max Minghella)

Nadar- camel trader

(Jeremy Irons)

Julia – wife of Nadar

(Julia Ormond)

Jemel – son of Nadar

(Max Irons)

Now that’s a movie I would love to see.

FIGHT FOR JUSTICE! Zenobia shows us how.

Last week we shared excerpts from Zenobia - Birth of a Legend. On one of Zenobia's visits to Tadmor, Syria she fights off some bullies who were beating up a young boy. Our post focused on what kids can do in schools to peacefully stand up to bullies. Today we wanted to expand our scope to everyone everywhere. There are many kinds of bullying happening all around the world. What can we do to help those suffering injustices?

I was pleased to find a group at the local college, Arizona State University, who’s trying to make a difference in the lives of those suffering in Syria.

“SOS Freedom is a student-governed, non-profit organization at Arizona State University… looking for students who are interested in making a difference in the lives of the victims of the humanitarian crisis taking place in Syria. Together, we will work towards a brighter future for a free Syria.”  https://orgsync.com/56305/chapter.

Zenobia's home country of Syria is experience many hardships.  Zenobia, a 3^rd century warrior queen challenged Rome for Syria’s freedom. Not all of us can lead large armies to fight off the bullies like Zenobia did but there are plenty of ways we can follow Zenobia’s example and stand up for justice.

Zenobia should've been put to death as a baby but instead her mother saved her life by pretending she was a boy. This experience motivated Zenobia to battle against the injustices of the world. Below is a scene from book two, Zenobia- Challenging a Legend.  http://geodepress.com/to-those-who-fight-for-justice/

Zenobia – Challenging a Legend takes place in ancient Alexandria while Zenobia studies with some of the finest scholars. A couple scholar gentlemen question her about the experience of pretending to be a boy to stay alive and how it has affected her life thus far.

Here's Zenobia's response:

“First, I had to pretend to be something I wasn't. That was oppressive and

it robbed me of a measure of freedom! It restricted my ability to choose. It

still irritates me to recall it, so I usually don’t.

    “Second, though I survived, other baby girls did not. Didn’t they have a

right to grow up, to find what happiness they could in this crazy world? It

offends me that they were denied that opportunity. Truthfully, that

should disgust anyone who cares about justice.”

What will motivate you to act? In the Zenobia series by Russ Wallace we can all learn from Zenobia. She sees something that needs to be changed and she does whatever it takes to correct the wrong. She's courageous and stands up against the injustices of the world.

Zenobia stood up to the bullies of 3rd century Syria

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about bullying. Believe it or not bullying

was an issue even in 3rd century Syria. Here’s a excerpt of Zenobia dealing

with bullies.

Zenobia- Birth of a Legend, chapter sixteen:
 

 Zenobia began to jog back to the spice market. On impulse she decided to take a side street to see more of the city. As she passed a narrow alley, she heard a boy’s voice say, “Just leave me alone!” She turned back and saw three boys who looked to be about fourteen bullying a smaller boy. One of them pushed the weaker boy to the ground. A fire started to burn in her and she walked slowly into the alley.

     One of the attackers saw her and yelled, “Hey, we’ve got company!”

     The three all faced her and a second one addressed her, “I haven’t seen you around here.”

     “I’m not from around her,” she said simply.

     “What do you want?” asked the third one.

     “Justice.”

     The first one laughed derisively, “You must be crazy, girl! I’ll give you the beating of your life!”

     She smiled slightly and said nothing. “She’s got a sword Demeter!” the second boy said.

     Zenobia sized up the situation, noting the narrowness of the alley. The bullies would not be able to surround her. Next she looked at the boy on the ground and asked, “Why are they after you? Did you steal from them?”

     He shook his head. “They told me not to walk in this alley. They hate me because I’m a Jew.” No contradiction came from the three youths…

      “I’m first!” claimed Demeter, and he advanced on Zenobia, rubbing his hands in anticipation. She was as fast as a cat and fifteen seconds later he was on the ground, screaming in pain.

     His two comrades ran at her together… In short order they joined their companion on the paving stones, writhing…

 
Zenobia uses her fist but there are plenty of other ways to stop bullying. We encourage you to resolve
bullying in a more peaceful manner.

Stand Up for Others:

When you see bullying, there are safe things you can do to make it stop.

• Be kind to the kid being bullied. Show them that you care by trying to include them. Talk to them at school, or invite them to do something. Just hanging out with them will help them know they aren’t alone.

• Tell the bully to stop. Not saying anything could make it worse for everyone. The kid who is bullying will think it is OK to keep treating others that way.

If you are being bullied, tell them to stop and make it clear that you don’t appreciate it. If you don’t feel comfortable in saying something get an adult involved.

   

More information can be found at:  http://www.stopbullying.gov & http://nobullying.com/

Be a hero like ZENOBIA

How would Zenobia correct the injustices of today?

You know how in Braveheart William Wallace yells out "FREEDOM" to inspire the troops? 

I feel like yelling out "ZENOBIA" when I help others face injustices. 

Here's a video clip of Channel 12 News Call to Action about a recent injustice.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumer/call%2012%20for%20action/2014/05/03/concert-food-workers-want-due-pay/8673491/

Russ Wallace’s novel will not only entertain and educates you, but Zenobia’s story will motivate you into action.

Zenobia – Birth of a Legend, the first book in the series

is available to read now.

Book two, Zenobia – Challenging a Legend is coming soon!

Book two is the continued saga of Zenobia, a 3rd century Syrian girl trained as both a warrior and a scholar. Torn between the two paths, when an enemy plots to kidnap her into his sex-slave trade, he forces her choice. Unknowingly, he triggers her latent abilities that will turn her into the deadliest woman on earth.

Lets all be like Zenobia and stand for justice.

Humor, Poetry, Garden, Stress Awareness, Earth Day, and Arbor Day. What do they all have in common? Author of Zenobia - Birth of a Legend, Russ Wallace.

All month we focused on author Russ Wallace. We shared his hobbies and interests which went perfectly with the month of April. Here are some highlights: 

http://geodepress.com/humor-poetry-month-and-author-interview-with-russ-wallace/

Humor Month

 Keep looking you’ll get it

Poetry Month- 

Here's a limerick (we hear Russ enjoy’s them).  

http://geodepress.com/stress-awareness-and-garden-month-now-that-your-taxes-are-done-time-to-de-stress-your-life/

Garden Month - 

Grab a Shovel and Some Seeds

Health.com reported on a Netherlands study, suggesting that gardening can help to lower cortisol levels and boost mood among people who had just finished a stressful task. That’s because doing something that requires “involuntary attention” — like sitting back and enjoying nature — helps to replenish ourselves, Health.com reported.

Visit  http://www.nationalgardenmonth.org/

Ways you can participate in Garden month:

• Visit your local farmers’ market.

• Green up your street or a local park by picking up trash.

• Celebrate other important “green” holidays: Earth Day (April 22) and National Arbor Day (April 26).

• Share your garden’s bounty with a neighbor.

• Have fun doing a gardening project with a child. Click here for some ideas.

• Deliver houseplants or flowers to a nursing home or children’s hospital.

Stress Awareness Month-

Eat Some Chocolate

Dark chocolate doesn’t only have health benefits for the heart — eating it can also help to lower stress.

LiveScience reported on a study illustrating that eating 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate a day for a two-week period is linked with decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. That study was published in 2009 in the journal Proteome Research.

http://geodepress.com/earth-day-and-arbor-day-how-are-you-going-to-save-the-earth/

Earth Day - 

NASA had everybody on Earth help create the new image of the planet composed entirely of selfies taken during Earth Day on April 22. http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/globalselfie/#.U1QkY_ldWpB

 

Here’s my #GlobalSelfie

Arbor Day -

Tree-hugging facts:

• Trees produce nearly 260 pounds of oxygen per tree each year

• Trees remove up to 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide each year per acre of trees

• Trees can make buildings up to 20 degrees cooler in the summer

My hope is not only for you to get to know the Author of Zenobia – Birth of a Legend a little bit better but also to help you refocus your life on what’s important. Remember it’s the little changes that make all the difference.  

Author Russ Wallace of Zenobia – Birth of a Legend and Zenobia – Challenging a Legend is on our spotlight this month.

Outside of writing an epic historical novel, Russ Wallace has many other interests and hobbies. Reading is one of them. He reads all kinds of genres. He loves to read and study the bible.

One thing people may not know about him — since the Zenobia series is adventurous historical drama — Russ loves humor. You might even consider him an amateur stand-up comedian. Whenever opportunity allows he loves to share this talent. Russ’s wife Ruth says when they are on a cruise, which they are world travelers, Russ enjoys doing his stand-up comedy gig at the talent night.

Russ’s day job for most of his life was designing and building houses. The designing part especially has helped with developing his creativity skill.

Not only is Russ planning a seven book series for Zenobia, he has another historical fiction series on the back burner, and plans to write a diet book to share his knowledge of health and fitness. A lot more to come from Russ. 

Russ enjoys sharing a good Limerick (Poetic Verse Form) with others.

Russ is a great gardener and landscaper- wherever he lives you are sure to find lots of trees, plants, and flowers all around.

April is National Humor Month; Lawn and Garden Month; National Poetry Month; and Stress Awareness Month. All those things seem a perfect way to focus on what Russ enjoys. 

April 2014 is National Humor Month!

You know what they say, “Laughter is the best medicine.” 

Did you know that adults laugh about 15 times a day while children laugh hundreds of times a day?

There is strong evidence that laughter can actually improve health and help fight disease. Studies show that laughter could be the simplest and surest way to reduce stress and improve physical and mental health. Josh Billings, a researcher from the late 1800s, may have said it best – “There ain’t much fun in medicine, but there’s a heck of a lot of medicine in fun.” 

See Article at: http://sciencemadefun.net/blog/national-humor-month-the-science-of-laughter/

The fact is that laughter itself changes us physiologically. Like exercise or waving your arms around, it boosts the heart rate and increases blood flow, so we breathe faster and more oxygen is delivered to the body’s tissues. Our facial muscles stretch and we actually burn calories when we’re laughing. In fact, the mere act of smiling can alter your mood almost immediately.

Laughter Reduces Stress: When stressed, we produce a hormone called cortisol. Laughter can significantly reduce cortisol levels.

Laughter Can Reduce Pain: Laughter causes us to produce endorphins, which are natural, pain-killing hormones.

Laughter Strengthens the Immune System: A hearty laugh decreases stress hormones and increases production of T-cells, immune proteins and infection-fighting antibodies.

Laughter Helps the Heart: When we laugh we increase blood flow and the function of blood vessels, which can help prevent cardiovascular problems.

Laughter Relaxes the Whole Body: One good belly laugh can relieve physical tension and relax your muscles for up to 45 minutes.

Laughter Helps You Recharge: By reducing stress levels and increasing your energy, laughter can help you focus and achieve more.

Full article found at – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/national-humor-month-laug_n_1441488.html

HUMOUR FOR LEXOPHILES (Lovers of Words)

• I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger; Then it hit me.

• 
  

• To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

• 
  

• When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.

• 
  

• A will is a dead giveaway.

• 
  

• Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

• 
  

• A backward poet writes inverse.

• In a democracy it’s your vote that counts; in feudalism, it’s your Count that votes.

• 
  

• With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

• 
  

• When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

• 
  

• You are stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it.

• 
  

• A boiled egg is hard to beat.

• 
  

• He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

• 
  

• When you’ve seen one shopping center you’ve seen a mall.

• 
  

• Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.

• 
  

• Acupuncture: a jab well done.

• 
  

For more funny lexophiles go to: http://www.humormonth.com/index.html   

Check back all month as we focus on humor
More information can be found at:

Founder: http://www.larrywilde.com/month.htm  Website: http://www.humormonth.com/index.html

Zenobia is the most powerful woman you've never heard of.

 

It’s time to change that-

Zenobia is incredibly beautiful like her ancestor

Cleopatra, in book two Zenobia – Challenging a Legend,

she will use seduction to bring

revenge upon her enemies.

Zenobia is highly intelligent, well educated and speaks

five languages. 

•  

Zenobia carries the greatest female military mind in

history. She’ll eventually come into control of the

second most powerful army in the world. 

  

In book two, Zenobia – Challenging a Legend,

 Zenobia learns about a slave trade organization

kidnapping young innocent ladies and Zenobia is

compelled to take action and turns her warrior skills

into piracy.  

Zenobia’s love for justice will bring her into conflict

with the strongest empire on earth, she will set her

sights on the greatest conquest of all – Rome.  

Picture from Zenobia the Musical (copyright Photography by Michelle Ho)

For more information see: https://www.facebook.com/zenobiathemusical

 

We appreciate your support and hope you will continue to enjoy Zenobia’s story as it unfolds.

To view the full article about the history of female superheroes please check out our website at: http://geodepress.com/female-superheroes-and-why-zenobia-will-make-a-great-one/