Somethin’ to Believe In

By Sarantos

Low Fantasy At Its Best!

"Somethin' to Believe In" marks the exciting beginning of a new fantasy trilogy by Sarantos. Dive into the mysterious world of Phinea's journey, an adventure that promises to be unforgettable for readers.

Phineas Hart lived his whole life on a small island with his parents, sheltered from the outside world. But, as he gets ready to go to University and finally explore the world beyond his home, he finds the world is much bigger than he always thought it was. He finds that there's much more to believe in. With lovable side characters and a relatable protagonist, "Somethin' to Believe In" will keep you hooked from start to end. And, when the secrets are finally exposed, what will that mean for Phineas? What new adventures await next?

Read "Somethin' to Believe In" with your eyes and heart wide open. You'll feel the intrigue guide you as you leave behind this world and glide towards…

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350930337

Sarantos

Who says nerds can't write a bestseller? Sarantos is a Chicago based nerd and retired superhero who always has a story to tell. He is a DIY international award-winning solo music artist, Top 7 iTunes UK Charting Rock, Top 5 iTunes UK Charting Singer-Songwriter, Top 8 iTunes UK Charting Country, #1 iTunes South Africa Charting Folk & Country Artist, #1 iTunes UK Charting Christian, #1 iTunes UK Charting New Age, #2 iTunes UK World, proud nerd, multi-instrumentalist, book author, comic book nut, radio show host, poet and part time spy. His music is a cross between Justin Bieber, Queen, Journey & Ed Sheeran. It's hard to believe but Sarantos doesn't even use a professional studio to make any of his music! He's an alien who landed here to infect the human race and spread the disease of music. 2023 is Year #10 of his journey as he continues to release a new song, lyric video, music video, book chapter and poem every month bringing his music to life! In 9 years, he has released 18 albums with 226 original tracks as well as 9 fiction/fantasy books that parallel the songs! He has had numerous media placements for his songs, instrumentals & cues including several episodes of The Young & the Restless in 2021 and the list grows on and on.

Book preview

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Copyright © 2023 by Sarantos Melogia, LLC

All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the electronic or mechanical scanning, uploading, and sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [e-mail]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Publisher:

Sarantos Melogia, LLC 

7157 W. Howard St

Niles, IL 60714

www.melogia.com

Ordering Information:

For details, contact [e-mail].

First Printed Book Edition November 2023 v1.0

First E-Book Edition November 2023 v1.0

Print ISBN: 9-798-35093-032-0

eBook ISBN: 9-798-35093-033-7

Printed in the United States of America on SFI Certified paper.

Dedication

I want to start off by thanking God without whom nothing is possible.

Next, I want to thank all my family, friends, as well as anyone else I have ever had the privilege of meeting in my short time on this planet. In your own unique way, you have helped me to become the man I am today - both good and bad. So yes, I blame you for all my issues. But I still love you!

To all my readers who have embraced my words and allowed my stories to come to life in your heart and mind, thank you. Your unwavering support and encouragement have fueled my creative spirit. This book is dedicated to each and every one of you.

To my fans, family and to the entire world, I want to reassure you that I will continue this journey until the day I die. Why? Because it makes me happy.

I hope all of your dreams come true too!

Table Of Contents

Somethin’ to Believe In

Introduction

Somethin’ to Believe In

We FAILed until WE didn’t

Another Surgery

I Got NO Money

Baba Mama

SunFLOWER

HAppy Axxidents

CAN’t sleep

Labor Day

No One Promised You A Good Life

i Thought

The End Has Arrived

Introduction

Look at what we’ve done together!

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Before you read my 10th book and start this new trilogy, I want to again thank you for being you, and of course, for being my fan. I have many people to thank - God, my parents, sister and so many family & friends who made this book possible. However, this intro is specifically for you, my diehard fan.

These fictional book pages are a direct reflection of my songs but also a real part of my life. I hope you enjoy diving into them. I want to make everyone on this planet happy hopefully thru my music, lyrics, songs, videos, poems and my books.

Being super busy, I know your most valued commodity is time. So, the fact you are giving up your most valuable asset to me is humbling. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Work has never scared me. I got this from my dad who was the hardest worker I’ve ever known. I always bring him into the conversation because life is short. It’s precious and fleeting. None of us know how much time we have left so please enjoy it. For me, that means working hard to pursue this dream. I’m honored to have you in my life. We are here together at this single moment in time. Thank you for supporting me and my journey. Every single penny that comes in gets poured right back into my art because I’m not doing this to get rich. I just want my songs listened to, my videos watched, and my books read. I hope my art touches you, calms you, motivates you, consoles you, inspires you, as it has done for me. And please share it anywhere you want.

Join my exclusive fan email list on my website to get all the inside info first. I promise to only send one email a month. I will do everything I can to make my email something you look forward to opening every month.

I am not a man who speaks many words. I listen a lot. I let others talk most of the time. Now, though, my heart feels the need to once again thank you for your love and support.  You are making my dream a reality. Without you, none of this would be possible.

Because of you, I’m never going to stop.

Sarantos

Chicago, IL 2023

~ Something to Believe In ~

CHAPTER 1

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His thoughts were like puzzle pieces, scattered across the landscape of his mind, as he attempted to assemble the mosaic of his father’s teachings. Trying to remember his father’s exact words, Phineas ventured into the forest once more. He’d been there plenty of times and, each time, played a game all by himself. He often let his imagination run wild, inventing worlds that weren’t really there. In his mind, Phineas had chased small, stinky trolls through the woods, played hide and seek with naked nymphs at the glassy pond, and slept under weathered trees whose spirits talked back to him in the dark, telling him stories of what used to be.

No more, he whispered as he followed a lightly marked trail that his own feet had made through the years. It was a part of the woods where vegetation no longer grew as it used to, a thin strip of dirt, as thin as Phineas himself was.

He was a wisp of a boy, as delicate as the morning mist that vanishes at the touch of sunlight. And even though he was almost an adult now, and no longer a kid, he was still very slim. Only that now, he was so tall that he’d grown about a head taller than his own mom. And well, those fantasies and fairytales had to be left behind, along with all those clothes that no longer fit him.

Life’s an open road, every day a new adventure, his father always chorused. Phineas had tried to live by that mantra, even if his life felt like a nightmare sometimes. Even if he felt so lonely that during his entire childhood, his mind conjured up imaginary friends and creatures to keep him company.

But I’m an adult now, so I’m not doing that anymore, he said aloud. I will not imagine things that aren’t there, and I’ll concentrate my efforts on getting a scholarship to a good university.

Phineas kneeled on the mulch and picked a couple of mushrooms from the ground, putting them in a hand-woven basket his mother made when he was five years old. Foraging was something his mother had taught him. It was a very handy skill to have when one lived in the middle of nowhere—literally.

Nested in the wild with a forest behind it, the Hart farm was an enormous expanse of countryside where they raised cattle to the south. The sea crashed at their doorstep. It was a fantastical land, a place most people probably only dreamed of. The sun rose on top of the piercing blue water every morning, its light bathing the windows of the house and warming the kitchen floor. And every afternoon, the sun hid behind the tall trees of the forest, dressing the house with eerie shadows that, as a kid, Phineas had named demons.

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Now, being almost nineteen and still living at home, Phineas dreamed daily of everything—everything but what he already had. His thoughts were like fireflies, illuminating the darkness with flickers of dreams, dancing in the depths of his consciousness. He wanted to go to America, where there were as many Universities as anywhere else in the world. Or maybe to Europe, to a University in the middle of Scotland or maybe even England? He had so many dreams of traveling to a world he knew nothing about, to meet new people, people that weren’t his parents. There was nothing wrong with Monika and Paul, but he daydreamed of so much more. Living nineteen years with the same two people would take a toll on anyone, or so he told himself.

It’s not that much to ask for, right? Phineas wondered, gathering a few more mushrooms he knew were safe for consumption before turning around and heading back to the house. I already stayed here a year more than I had to. Mom and Dad promised that if I stayed one more year to help with the farm while Dad’s knee got better, then we could discuss plans for University. I mean, it’s not like I don’t already have a thousand ideas and plans…

As Phineas kept talking, no one replied. The forest was quiet around him, with just a few birds chirping here and there. The hush of the forest enveloped him like a soft embrace, as if the ancient trees were holding their breath in his presence.

Dad constantly says life is an adventure, and well… I already know what I want my next adventure to be. Why can’t they just say yes and let me be?

Huffing a sight, Phineas got to the edge of the forest and looked backward, almost as if hopeful that the answer hid back there in the woods. Then, squaring his shoulders, he headed back into the farmhouse, entering through the tiny kitchen door where he was immediately greeted by the smell of fresh strawberry jam being stirred on the stove.

His mother, Monika, greeted him from the stove. How was the gathering, my boy? She was a short and plump woman with tight curly hair that was a shade