The Warder

What would you sacrifice for the ones you love? In a land of gifts and curses, nothing is as it seems.

Return of the Mantra came to an end, but there remained questions unanswered. How did a King ever become so completely consumed? What is this ancient power that has cast a shadow over the land for so many years?

And so The Warder was born, a story that delves into these mysteries as we revisit the land of Shendi ten years on.

The release date is yet to be finalised by the publisher, but it is coming soon, and I am thrilled to finally be able to share the front cover. Like its predecessor, this has been a labour of love, revisiting my characters ten years on, further developing their personal story arcs, while introducing some new faces, and a new land, into the mix.

Expect another character-driven, fantasy adventure, with themes of wildlife and the environment, animism, magic and dragons, and being true to oneself.

Blurb

The King has been defeated and the spirit of the Mantra has been restored, Suni has been reunited with her father and all is – not quite right.

Wanda and his cousin Luna are living in the valley beyond the mountains: Luna is possessed and dreams of dragons while Wanda, gifted with the ability to communicate with animals, struggles with the curse of Orag. Ntombi blames Wanda for her daughter Luna’s condition.

Meanwhile, in the town by the sea, Suni fears for Wanda, and watches over him using her gift for dreamwalking. Many, including Suni’s father, suffer from a strange affliction and the townspeople are blaming the Mantra.

Then strangers arrive from the sea bringing hope for the town: but in this land of gifts and curses, is anything what it seems to be?

***

I look forward to welcoming The Warder into the world, and will keep you posted on the release date. For those yet to read Return of the Mantra, this is a sequel but it also works well as a standalone. (Though why wouldn’t you want to read Return of the Mantra!)

In the meantime, for me more writing beckons, and Book 3…

Happy Reading!

 

For the Love of Books #5

Following Devon Book Club’s #fantasyfortnight event, my reading list has grown substantially. In turn I’ve been able to share some of my recommendations, including the titles in this blog. I have my local St Thomas library to thank. I’ve always regarded libraries as an essential hub of the community, and in the time of a global pandemic, they came to the fore. Courtesy of the library’s online click and collect service, I’ve been able to get my hands on some really great reads.

Read more →

#fantasyfortnight

Each Monday evening at 8pm I tune into Devon Book Club on Twitter, following the conversation at #devonbookhour. Perhaps less personal than a face-to-face book club, although with members from Devon and beyond, as far as New Zealand, it gives an interesting perspective on all things books. And every so often there are themed events, like #fantasyfortnight beginning next week. Since I am a resident writer and reader of the fantasy genre, I have been asked to co-host, and to prepare an accompanying video introducing the event, some personnel recommendations of mine, and a snippet intro. of my own work.

Click here for the video.

It’s an interesting way to start the year, which was also accompanied by a new book delivery to replenish stocks of Return of the Mantra. I do love the sight of a box of new books.

Happy reading, happy writing, and if Twitter is your thing, feel free to join Devon Book Club for #fantasyfortnight – Worlds Beyond Borders: from folklore and fairytale to demons and dystopia.

For the Love of Books #4

A question often asked of authors, is where does inspiration for the book come from? A collage of life, the past, the future, our experiences, problems solved, problems yet to be solved… Invariably it leads me to think about the difference between lives that inspire books, and books that inspire lives. Perhaps the two categories are interwoven in a cycle of inspiration. In either case, I’m currently reading a book which offers up much needed inspiration for the times we are in: The Tao of Revolution by Chris Taylor.

Read more →

Exeter Lights 2020

For Exeter’s annual Charity Christmas Tree Festival, it’s business as usual. This year sees 30 real Christmas trees decorated by local charities, on display at Princesshay’s Roman Walk to help raise awareness during the festive period. It was a treat to catch a break in the downpours, for a socially distanced meet up with friends, to take in the sights of Exeter’s lights, and admire the handcrafted decorations of the charity trees. A reminder to think of others, and to appreciate what we have.

Read more →

Multidisciplinary Salon 2020

While I write in the fantasy genre, as a painter my work is rooted in the real, or at least, real inspired. Among the landscapes I work in the abstract, a creative expression of an imagined setting, sparked by a thought, a memory, an experience. The majority of the landscapes are African, of which I shared my collection, Perspectives, in a previous blog – click here. I currently have three pieces in my Perspectives collection, Long Walk, Home and At Market, all inspired by snapshots of rural township life in South Africa.

I am soon to complete another three-piece collection, which I will share another time. And as the white-washed walls of home steadily fill, I’m slowly venturing into the realm of exhibits. My first exhibit starts today, and if you like, you can take a look!!

Some time ago, I entered my Perspectives collection to the Menduina Schneider Art Gallery in LA (click here), to apply to have a piece exhibited as part of their online Multidisciplinary Salon 2020. And they accepted, choosing Long Walk, which I was thrilled about, as well as to receive the following review:

‘We’re so happy to showcase your artwork, as it bears great depth into what it really is to be human beyond our self-made borders.’  

See video entry here.

I am honoured to be listed alongside so many wonderful artists, whose work is exciting and bold. I love the international flavour running throughout the whole exhibit, and am excited to watch it live today. @menduinaschneiderartgallery will run the exhibit live on Instagram, at 11am California time. That’s 7pm UK time.

See you there!