The Splendid And Extraordinary Life Of Beautimus Potamus

"You’re never too old for a great fairy tale." - 5-star reader's review. A funny and quirky fantasy fairy tale for adults complete with mystery, murder, romance! The mystical green planet of Rendaz is home to devout goddess worshiper and university professor, middle-aged Beautimus Potamus—who also happens to be a hippo plagued by hot flashes and poor self-esteem. Beautimus forms an alliance with Samuel S. Goodwings, a younger womanizing, atheist praying mantis. When these two are together, life morphs from the mundane into the fantastic. Our unlikely duo solves mysteries, bring a murderer to justice, and even help end a war while experiencing their own trials, triumphs, and tragedies. Often with humor, their situations and adventures parody Earth culture. During their exploits, the two interact with a host of characters, including a pair of New Age flamingos, an A.D.H.D. afflicted trout, an orangutan detective, and a 310-year-old blue crane High Priestess. All of these creatures are more “human” in surprising ways than the citizens of the blue planet, Earth, we discover was once a Rendazian Colony. Beautimus Potamus’ tongue-in-cheek story is a magical fable-stew made with the ingredients of satire, drama, social commentary, and comedy, with jests, puns and wordplay sprinkled throughout. For good measure, a generous pinch of romantic flavoring is thrown into the pot. Readers' reviews: "Truly a splendid and extraordinary story. It was refreshing to find something so original. Well written, vivid descriptions, great humor and delightful characters." "So often we limit our reading to books by Dan Brown, John Grisham, Nicholas Sparks or Michael Connelly and we [...] miss the gems by new writers that put their heart, soul and dreams on paper to let our imaginations go where theirs have. This is one of those gems." If you liked this book, you should check out Peggy's dystopian tale, Chaco as well! About the author Peggy A. Wheeler is a writer of fantastical fiction. Her debut novel, THE RAVEN'S DAUGHTER is published by Dragon Moon Press in Canada. Peggy studied English and Creative Writing at the U.C.L.A., where she was the only undergraduate chosen to study with Robert Pinsky, former Poet Laureate of the United States. Peggy has led adult poetry and fiction writing critique groups and workshops in both Colorado and California.

Beautimus Potamus —a talking hippo on the mythical planet, Rendaz—is a university professor at Dr. Pimbly’s School of Goodly Educated Adults, a writer, and a maker of oracles. From Rendazian and Earthian archetypical symbols, Beautmus developed her own divination tool, The Anam Glyphs. And, with the assistance of her “Hu Man” co-author on Earth, Peggy A. Wheeler, she has written a book about her oracle. Part fantastical fiction and part “how to,” The Anam Glyphs is a guide to creating and interpreting universal divination stones so that seekers may better define their life’s path, discover answers to pressing questions, and catch a glimpse of their destiny. There are thirty-two glyphs, each with its own distinct symbol. Beautimus and Peggy provide instruction on how to create the stones, cast them, read them, and interpret their meanings. Woven throughout the guide are oft-time humorous anecdotes from Beautimus’ life on Rendaz, and brief commentary from Peggy A. Wheeler. Written as the companion to The Splendid and Extraordinary Life of Beautimus Potamus, The Anam Glyphs can also be used as a standalone piece for those interested in fun oracles and unusual divination tools.

A Murdering Monster and a Myth Come to Life After a police shootout where she killed a man, criminologist Maggie Tall Bear Sloan retires from the force to enjoy peace and quiet in rural California. When sets of young twins are murdered in her town, the local sheriff recruits her to solve the gruesome killings. But to catch a killer, Maggie either accepts her true nature as a “pukkukwerek” —the shapeshifting monster killer of Yurok legend—or more children will die. As the manhunt intensifies and her own family is threatened, Maggie will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Whether she’s awake or asleep dreaming, Maggie is faced with a difficult choice: embrace her heritage—even if it means turning into myth itself—or deny that heritage and lose everything.

When everything you count on for your existence fails, could you survive? Within days of a series of monster solar storms slamming into earth, electrical grids fail and everything in the northern hemisphere with a computer chip ceases functioning. Electricity can’t be completely restored for at least a decade, and the result that everything modern life depends on to function is gone. There is no way to pump gas or water. Cell towers are wiped out, along with satellites. Airplanes and most vehicles will not operate. Communication is practically impossible. People cannot access life-saving prescription drugs or food. Police, fire services, and the military are overwhelmed, and hospitals can’t cope. There’s no one to come to the rescue, and as mass panic ensues, people begin dying. Fear and violence escalate until society collapses. An unlikely hero emerges. Chaco is a well-educated freedom fighter on a death list in El Salvador. Having fled to the United States, he is in hiding by working for a wealthy couple as their handyman and gardener. Following the disaster, he reveals his true identity, and convinces his employers and their neighbors to follow him over brutal mountain passes to a self-sufficient commune nearly 800 miles away. But only a few will survive. Readers' reviews: "So exciting couldn't put down!" "Great adventure into the potential unknown world of the future." "Very entertaining read!" If you liked this book, check out Peggy's fantasy fairy tale, The Splendid and Extraordinary Life of Beautimus Potamus as well! About the Author Peggy A. Wheeler is a writer of fantastical fiction. Her debut novel, THE RAVEN'S DAUGHTER is published by Dragon Moon Press in Canada. Peggy studied English and Creative Writing at the U.C.L.A., where she was the only undergraduate chosen to study with Robert Pinsky, former Poet Laureate of the United States. Peggy has led adult poetry and fiction writing critique groups and workshops in both Colorado and California.

Living after the apocalypse really isn't that hard for most of the survivors. The virus killed all but 1 in 10,000. The few remaining people are left in a world of virtually unlimited resources. Grocery stores overflowing with food and drink. Thousands of empty houses to pick from. But one survivor, a nineteen-year-old girl, requires more than simple food, water and shelter. As a type 1 diabetic her body desperately needs insulin to stay alive. With civilization gone, no one manufactures it anymore. She hoards all the insulin she can find, but every day marches toward the end of her stash of vials. She has a choice. Accept her fate and death, or tackle the almost insurmountable task of extracting and refining the insulin herself. Brilliant scientists struggled to make the first insulin. What hope does a high school dropout have?

They say you can never go home again ... Join us within these pages for all-new stories of heroes whose journeys have ended; whose quests and missions have been won-or lost-as they discover the fate of the people and places they'd left behind. With masterful tales by: Jillian Boehme Chaz Brenchley K.T. Bryski Suzanne Church Elaine Cunningham Fanny Valentine Darling Erin M. Evans Larry C. Kay Derek Künsken Mercedes Lackey K.D. McEntire Robert Neilson Diana Peterfreund Leah Petersen Deborah J.

This illustrated guide compiles over 2,000 collective nouns and brings them to life in stunningly colorful, graphic artwork from the design dynamos at Woop Studios. Chock-full of treasures of the English language, the diversity of terms collected here covers topics from plants and animals (a parade of elephants, an embarrassment of pandas) to people and things (a pomposity of professors, an exultation of fireworks) and range from the familiar (a pride of lions) to the downright obscure (an ooze of amoebas). Pronunciations, definitions, etymologies, and historical anecdotes make this beautiful book an entertaining read, a standout reference, and a visual treat. Language lovers and art appreciators alike will be captivated by this gem, rich in word and image.