Beloved Russian fairy tale of a king and a magic bird, recounted in charming prose that will delight readers of all ages. Color and black-and-white images by a master illustrator adorn many of the pages.

"Kenneth Allen brings the reader on a thoroughly convincing ancient Roman adventure. Experience the brutality and hedonism--and witness the miracles of faith and a father's intense love for his child." - Ronlyn Domingue, author of THE MERCY OF THIN AIR "Kenneth Allen creates an ancient Rome so real that you feel the dust between your toes and taste the wine. A truly amazing experience." - Patricia Sprinkle, HOLD UP THE SKY - new novel - coming March 2010. Enter the strange but familiar superstitious Roman world of the first century A.D. where Gaius Petronicus, a small landowner, wins a fourteen year old slave girl Justa, who is dressed as a boy to increase her value, in an arena bet from a local corrupt aristocrat Calitorius Temidis. When Temidis reneges on the bet, Gaius violently forces him to pay. Gaius then returns home to find his house burned, his wife dead and his daughter kidnapped by Temidis's henchmen. With Justa, a Christian convert in tow, Gaius sets off on a quest to find his daughter and exact revenge on the murderers. Gaius is joined by a motley crew of characters he picks up along the way. He buys a ship named the Golden Cockerel, and the group sails across the stormy western Mediterranean. Gods are implored, vows are made and broken, and revenge is eventually served. The Golden Cockerel is a sword-swinging, apocalyptic, and romantic adventure with a touch of the supernatural, involving witches, omens, ancient gods, and the new God coming over the horizon. Kenneth Allen became interested in Roman history when he walked to school under the only standing Roman arch in England as a boy. The English school system in Lincoln UK emphasized the Roman conquest of Britannia and the exploits of Julius Caesar. Thus began an interest in this period. As a college student in Georgia, he took trips to Italy and developed a fascination with the excavations at Rome, Ostia, Pompeii, and the wonderful buried city of Herculaneum. The works of Henry Treece and Sinbad the Sailor all have influenced him. Kenneth majored in English literature in college and took up creative writing at age 45. His work experience is in business and he currently owns a small company. He teaches short story writing in Atlanta, GA., is president emeritus of the Village Writers Group, and lives there with his wife Pamela.

SUMMARY: The old czar promises anything to be free of the threat of his enemies, but is eventually asked to keep his promise.

A lazy, care-free king whose kingdom comes under attack strikes a bargain with a wizard and supernatural bird that promises to warn him of impending danger.