Tag: A Novel

A Change of Nature

June 23, 2023

Following on from my last post, the theme of nature is still in mind. In the garden, the lavender is growing, the hedgehog is visiting, and stray newts are making random appearances in the grass, despite there being no pond…

With a backdrop of bird’s singing, and the gentle hush of nearby bamboo brushing in a summer breeze, it’s a textured backdrop. Add to this, trips to the beach for some sea air, edged by sienna cliffs of the Jurassic coast, home to nesting birds and basking seals, and more layers of fabric add to the scene.

Sights, sounds, colours, scents and the all-important feels, develop a tangible world. Worldbuilding has been the focus of my novel writing in recent months, that and the courage to attack a re-write with renewed vigour, and a capacity to allow for organic change. The changes were greater than I had first imagined, and the efforts are paying off. The key – layering the world, being true to the world, true to the characters, embodying perspectives and when those perspectives necessarily alter, breathing into the flow and, quite literally, taking flight. There’s a clue there somewhere, though dragons are no secret. Then comes the interesting question of perception, and as I’ve said before, I’m going with my own inventive model of dragon, with explanations rife in a world where magic is its own science.

Subverting expectation is a common theme in my work, often times associated with gender. it’s an interesting concept to combine this with dragons, considering the concept of power, the expectation of power, contrasted with the truth of identity. The answers are coming and I’m excited to see them revealed… after more rewrites. A story is written once, and it is worth taking the time.

For now, a breath of fresh air and some sun… Have a great weekend, everyone…

The Warder

February 5, 2021

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!

York Literature Festival

March 25, 2019

Last week was wonderfully busy, taking the long drive from Exeter to York for this year’s York Literature Festival. It was a fabulous opportunity to take part in a Sci-fi/Fantasy event hosted by the lovely folks of Stairwell Books, joining up with fellow authors for a panel of questions and readings from our array of worlds.

January 20, 2019

I remember the days of tape recorders and cassettes, the horrifying sound of the tape being chewed, and the delicate task of winding it back with a pen. And the excitement of opening a gifted multipack of blank tapes, deciding and sorting an order to record. Gran still called the radio a wireless, and TVs sported three whole channels that could time out, leaving you with trade test transmissions.

October 28, 2018

Last weekend was busy, with a trip to Chester to attend my first FantasyCon. It was amazing, and slightly overwhelming, to meet so many writers and readers of fantasy fiction. I took the plunge and signed up to the programme, including joining a fantasy reading panel. I read from Return of the Mantra, the part where Suni’s life irreversibly changes after she experiences tragedy. She poses as a boy and heads off to the mines in search of her estranged father, but life at the mines isn’t what she anticipates. Survival will depend on keeping her female identity secret, and on courage as she discovers her connection to ancient gifts passed down in bloodlines from the days of the tribes.

June 18, 2018

I often think of writing as tapping into that introverted side of yourself. Time spanning hours, days, months and years are spent alone, with your own head for company, creating worlds, characters, themes and plots that will ultimately blend into your story. And all the while that story sits in the comfort of your carved out niche, told only to you and your nearest and dearest.

April 23, 2018

It is years in the making, this creature called the debut novel; a creature that has lived safely hidden within the walls of my writing room. For long enough it followed the plan I laid out, until it started to take on a life of its own.

March 29, 2018

With the impending publication of ‘Return of the Mantra’ (coming out this spring!!!), I’m in a reflective mood. Seeing the cover for the first time, it really hit home: the novel that has lived in the safety of my writing room is about to walk out into the world.

January 27, 2018

It starts with inspiration; a character, a setting, a theme. After that, pen and paper will suffice. My pen first hit the paper while I was in South Africa, a three year stint in the rainbow nation that followed a year in hot, arid Sudan. Sweeping deserts and lush green bushlands, after such stunning landscapes it wasn’t difficult to find inspiration for a whole new world. The land of Shendi was born, a land that would be the setting for my first novel.