Choose your FREE book

Now that I have a grand total of three books published, I'm feeling generous. From today, I'll be giving away a free ebook with every newsletter sign up. So, if you're a fantasy reader looking for some fresh blood books, you might like to try one of mine.

All my books are now available in Kindle Unlimited

I've been very pleased with the release of my latest book The Raven and the number of reads it has been getting on Kindle Unlimited.  It's no secret that I'm an Indie author, and as I'm still relatively new to the world of publishing, getting more exposure for my books is crucial. So, I've decided to add my other two publications to Kindle Unlimited and see if I can garner as much interest for them.

All of my books are now available to borrow or buy at Amazon.

'The Viscount's Son' has a new cover

I'm excited to announce that my first publication, The Viscount's Son, now has a shiny new cover:

Another cover design by Taire Morrigan.

Self-Published Fiction and the Quest for Quality

Some might suggest it's the elephant in the room over at Amazon, or Smashwords. The self-publishing revolution has liberated thousands of authors from the chains of traditional publishing. But has it also let loose hordes of poor quality books that readers must wade through in order to find the gems? How can authors put quality control measures into their writing-publishing process to ensure that what they offer to the world of readers is truly their best work?

The Raven – Launch AND Free for two days!

Yesterday afternoon I submitted the final copy of The Raven (The Secret Chronicles of Lost Magic) to Amazon. After I pushed that 'publish' button, I did this ...

The Raven – Excerpt #3

I'm getting a bellyful of butterflies as my release date draws near for The Raven – remember, it will officially launch on the 1st, and there will be a 'free' sale at Amazon on the 2nd and 3rd of December.

In the meantime, you can add it to your 'To Be Read' list now over at Goodreads. And, the third and final pre-release excerpt is now available. You can see all three chapters at this link.

I'll be back on the 1st with a glass of champagne ;)

The Raven – Excerpt #2

The Raven will officially launch next month. In the meantime please enjoy the next installment of my three part chapter reveal. Click here to catch Chapter One.

Chapter Two — Yuli

Note — The events in this chapter occur five years after the events in Chapter One.



Yuli scratched his ear. A fly buzzed nearby and he swatted at it.

“Be still and learn,” Izhur hissed. The soragan’s irritation was obvious, even to a boy who was almost five summers old.

“Watch how she breathes, look how she concentrates.” Soragan Izhur’s eyes didn’t move from the girl.

Yuli shifted his weight and tried to do what he was told. He studied the girl. Iluna. She was just four moons younger than Yuli, he’d known her all his short life. They'd shared his mother’s milk as babies because her own mother died giving birth. Yuli’s father sometimes said that Iluna had cursed her mother. He said this to Yuli’s mother and Ugot and some of the other adults when he thought Yuli wasn’t listening. No one liked the girl. No one except for Izhur. Although Yuli’s mother seemed to have a soft spot for her. Yuli didn’t like that. Neither did his father.

The girl stood about five big steps away in a small clearing, as still as a winter’s morning. Although she could have been further. Yuli could only count to five. Iluna could count to ahunred. Yuli didn’t like that either. His father said she was too clever for a girl her age.

Yuli had to squint through the branches of a small birch to watch. She was trying to summon an animal. He didn’t know which animal. He wasn’t listening when they’d discussed it earlier. He wasn’t listening when Izhur explained to them how it was done. Soragan Izhur would have to explain it all over again for Yuli.

But it didn’t look too complicated. All she did was stand in the middle of the forest and look around. He could see her wide nose and mouth. Frog-Face, they called her sometimes. And her messy hair. She always had knots because she didn’t have a mother to untangle them for her. The way she cocked her head on an angle because she was deaf in one ear always made her look like a durg. Not that Yuli had ever seen a durg. They were rare, most of them were exposed as babies or small children. But he’d heard the evenfire stories about them.

Anyway, Iluna looked silly, but he swallowed a giggle. He didn’t want to get into trouble again. Izhur would give him another long lecture and tell his mother, and then his mother would give him a punishment, like make him wash old Aunt Zelda’s under tunics. He hated doing old Aunt Zelda’s under tunics, they were stinky.

Iluna raised her arm and turned her hand so that her palm faced the sky. It all looked easy enough, and boring. Lessons with Soragan Izhur were always boring. He shifted his weight to the other foot and slouched.

“That’s it, slowly now,” Izhur whispered, his eyes still hadn’t moved from the girl.

The fly came back, its buzzing echoed through Yuli’s ear. Maybe she was trying to summon the fly. Yuli giggled.

“Shhh.” Izhur pursed his lips that way he did whenever he disapproved. His narrow eyes would squint, and he'd rub his temple. Izhur was always pursing his lips around Yuli.

Yuli sighed and turned his attention back to Iluna for the third time, and froze. Something moved. On the other side of the clearing. There was something and it was big, for the branches and vines of the forest were moving as though a breeze swayed them one way, then the other. But there was no breeze. The day remained as still as a sleeping doe.

Yuli took a small step back. The forest was dangerous. He’d seen his father’s wounds. Deep scars and gashes lined his arms and chest. His father was the greatest hunter of all the clans, but even he wouldn’t stand still in the face of a wolf or a lion, or a bear! Not without a weapon.

Yuli took another step and a twig snapped.

“Be still, Yuli. Do as you are told,” Izhur looked at him this time with eyebrows that met in a frown. His slender nose paled as he pursed his lips again.

Yuli frowned too. He wanted to run back to his mother. She would wrap him up in her arms and he would be safe. But that wouldn’t please Father. His father wanted him to be brave, like his older brother Anton. Yuli swallowed a lump and returned to watching Iluna.

She had both arms out now and her head held high. It didn’t seem right, her looking like that - like she was important. Her hair was even messier from that angle, and when she lifted her arms you could see holes in her tunic. She didn’t have a mother or a father, so she had no one to mend it for her.

The trees moved again and a deep noise came from the forest. Was it a growl? Yuli felt the corners of his mouth turn downwards and his bottom lip poke out like whenever Anton played one of his nasty jokes. He couldn’t help it. He tried to be brave and make himself still. But then he saw fur, grey, no brown. A wolf? The beast came closer; more rustling. It was too big for a wolf. Another growl sounded, louder this time, deeper, and it was too much for Yuli. He yelped and ran. His little legs pounded the path back to their tree-dwells, his arms circled crazily and he yelled for his mother as he sprinted.

“Yuli, no!” The strained calls of Izhur came from behind, but he didn’t stop, he didn’t look back.

He kept running and screaming “Ma, Ma!” Even when he saw the tree-dwells he didn’t stop. He raced under the old trees to the clan's evenfire, a large smoking pit. A few people sat in small groups preparing vegetables and seed cakes. Yuli spotted his mother and flew into her lap, ignoring the sniggers from Sita and Uncle Graig.

“Yuli? What is it?” Her voice soothed him instantly. She had been peeling pigeon peas for the coming feast, her hands smelled of comfort and love. Her arms embraced him and Yuli closed his eyes. He was safe.

________________________________________

Stay tuned for Chapter Three, or subscribe to my newsletter to get it now!

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'The Borderlands: Journey' — Now available in paperback (read on to win a free copy)

I tend to spend most of my writing time ... writing. Crazy I know. So, jobs like getting around to making my novels available in print take a while to tick off the never-ending 'to do list'.

Finally, I have given myself that swift kick in the rear, and the first book of my 'Borderlands Trilogy' is now available for purchase on Amazon.

The paperback will look good on any bookshelf thanks to cover designer Taire Morrigan.

I always find it a struggle to say what the book is about in one statement, so here's what some of the reviews have said:

"The Borderlands is the first book in a mystery/fantasy series. It is a pleasant mixture of fantasy and magic combined with a coming of age story. The plot contains many twists and turns ending with what the reader would least expect." — Barbara Mojica 

"Borderlands: Journey is the beginning of a great coming of age story and it pretty much has it all, bold characters, wondrous settings and lots of fun twists." — azquim 

"How many of us growing up have had the feeling of not belonging? 'The Borderlands' is a wonderful tale about a girl who didn't fit in--with family or friends--until she discovered the place where she truly belonged." — Ronesa

If you'd like the opportunity to win a free paperback copy of The Borderlands: Journey, simply subscribe to my newsletter before the end of November. The draw is only open to my newsletter readers. The lucky winner will be drawn on the first of December and should receive the prize as a bonus Christmas present!
Good luck :)

Click here to read more about 'The Borderlands' series.

Crossings - Review

Crossings — the latest release from Ashley Capes

Ashley Capes is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. His epic fantasy series The Bone Mask Trilogy is among my favourite fantasy stories of all time (and he's just released the second book in the series — check it out now if you're a fantasy lover in search of a new author to follow). I've read pretty much everything he's published, and his most recent release didn't disappoint.

Crossings is difficult to categorise — it's probably most fitting in the paranormal genre. But essentially, I think I'd classify it as a supernatural mystery with a good dose of thrill.

The story takes place in small town, outback Australia, where eerie pale gums and messmate trees dominate the landscape. Lisa Thomas is our protagonist. On the face of it, she's an ordinary woman, a bit of a battler. She works as a cleaner, struggles with her ageing father suffering with increasing dementia, and volunteers as a wildlife rescue officer. And if all of that wasn't enough for us to feel sympathy for her, she soon learns that her abusive ex-fiancé, Ben is back in town, and for some reason he wants to talk to her.

As a main character, I found Lisa instantly likeable. While she is, on the surface, an 'ordinary' woman, Capes has done a brilliant job investing her with an extraordinary nature, especially with her affinity for animals. In her volunteer work as a wildlife rescue officer, she comes across dead animals (largely car victims) regularly. She keeps a packet of salt with her to conduct a little 'last rites'  ritual that I found particularly endearing.

What makes the story a real page-turner from the very start is the mystery of the strange occurrence of animal corpses appearing without any explanation — many of them at Lisa's house. The suspense is the kind that keeps you from doing things you're supposed to be doing, as you just want to find out what the hell is going on — and that's when you know you're reading a good story.

The way supernatural elements are woven into the story is entirely credible and adds to the tantalising mystery. There is a subtle link to aboriginal dreamtime mythology, which adds an interesting layer to the events.

Of course, one of the trademarks of Capes' writing is his outstanding skill with imagery, and once again, the frequent poetic descriptions within the prose had me in awe of his writing style.

By the novel's end, all of the disparate and tense-filled threads in Lisa's life seem to converge into a dramatic and suspenseful ending that had me flicking the pages faster.

Any reader with a heartbeat will enjoy this story, and particularly those fans of paranormal, fantasy and mysteries.

Book One of The Bone Mask Trilogy — a must read for epic fantasy fans.

To learn more about Ashley check out his site — www.cityofmasks.com

The Raven - Excerpt #1

The countdown is on for the release of my next fantasy novel, The Raven. It will be available for purchase on Amazon from the 1st December. I'll be releasing three excerpts  — the first three chapters of the novel — over the next three months.

And here's Chapter One. I hope you enjoy :)

Chapter One — Izhur


Izhur stood close to the birthing tree on an outcrop of granite overlooking a forested valley. Mist draped the leafless canopy, clinging to the odd pine tree. The wintry daysun glinted once before descending to its lengthy rest beyond the horizon, and Izhur took a shuddering breath. With the daysun now making its descent to Malfiren, Ilun had begun — that dark time when no moon, star or sun walked the sky for an eightnight. The soragan closed his eyes as his lips murmured an invocation to Ona, the Mother, but the sound of footsteps made him open them again. Lili stood before him, her hands kneading each other into a tight knot.

“What is it, child?” Izhur asked, but he already knew her request.

The young novice's eyes filled with tears. “Amak sent me. She said it’s time.”

Izhur nodded and gestured for the girl to lead him along the short stone path to the birthing tree.

Men were not supposed to be present during childbirth. It was a female rite. Amak, the clan’s medicine woman, and her novice Lili saw to such matters. A man was only allowed if he was a soragan, and only then if something was very, very wrong.

Izhur pursed his lips as he walked the few short steps to the tree. This was his first Ilun as the clan’s soragan. His first birth too. He wished his master was still alive to guide him, to teach him. Twenty summers was too young to be a clan’s soragan. Would he know what to do?

Izhur followed Lili up the carved steps of the giant oak tree, its leaves long gone with the winter frosts. Snow would come soon. The Winter of the Sky was always cold and dark. About ten steps up the trunk a tree-dwell made of bark and mud clung to thick lower boughs the way a hive did. Izhur stepped inside and blinked, adjusting his eyes. Neria lay on the birthing mat, fatigue written on her grey face. Her dark hair clung close; eyes drawn. The bulge of her pregnancy sat low on her abdomen. She had little left.

Amak stood. The medicine woman looked as though she had aged eight winters. The lines around her eyes usually accentuated her smiles, but now they made her appear old and weary. Her tunic was stained and blood dripped from her hands. “The daysun has gone down.” Her voice almost a whisper.

He nodded. “I will do my best.”

Neither of them mentioned Ilun. They were the clan’s knowledge keepers. She the medicine woman, he the soragan. They knew the danger that now lurked for human and spirit alike. Ilun was a dark event that occurred every eight winters - during the Winter of the Sky. With no light to frighten them away, the spirits of Malfiren were free to wreak their terror. The first night of Ilun was no time to be welcoming a new born into Ona’s world. Izhur would have to work hard to repel any dark spirits. No easy task. The demons would detect a new born the way a wolf smells blood.

Neria tried to scream again as another contraction took hold, but her voice rasped like stone on stone. Wolf pelts covered the mud floor of the tree-dwell. Much of Neria’s blood had drenched them and the coppery scent filled the modest space. Izhur knelt by Neria’s head and wiped her sweaty forehead with the palm of his hand. She was cold.

“I will protect you, and your baby,” he said, and Neria’s eyes closed, squeezing out a tear.

His voice had shaken, as had his hands.

“Lili, get some lights, as many as you can,” Izhur instructed, trying to keep panic from his voice. The girl jumped up and tore down the tree. Twilight now rapidly diminished. They would need light to help keep the Malfir away.

Izhur swallowed a hard lump He placed his leather satchel on the floor of the shelter and took out the implements he required for the task ahead, his hands shaking. Two flat stone plates, both the size of his palm, he placed on the floor. He took a small clay pot and opened the stopper. The spicy aroma of olibanum and crushed sage filled his nostrils, contrasting with the thick stench of blood. He poured a generous amount on each of the stone plates, and put them on either side of Neria.

Lili came back with a satchel of oil pots. She held one in her hand, already alight.

“Give it to me,” Izhur said. He lit a taper then held it to the plates. The crushed spices smoldered and spirals of aromatic smoke danced through the shelter. They would help deter the Malfir. Izhur handed the oil pot and the taper to Lili. “Light the others, all of them and place them around the tree-dwell. Try to make a circle.” Lili nodded. Soon a yellow glow lit the mud walls.

Neria cried out again and Amak cooed soothing words as she glanced earnestly at Izhur. He knew the look in her eye, it was a plea for him to do something, to move faster. A distant rumble sounded outside. Thunder. Amak heard it too. Her eyebrow arched in a question. A winter storm on Ilunnight? Omens upon omens.

Izhur placed his hands on either side of Neria’s head and started the song - a deep incantation, a call to Ona, the Mother. Only She had the power to help them on such a night.

His body rocked and he closed his eyes. He focused on his breathing and the words. ‘Whenever you’re unsure go back to the beginning’. He remembered his master’s advice as he followed it. Breathe. Chant. Breathe. Chant.

Another rumble of thunder echoed. The storm crept closer. An icy breeze whipped through the shelter sending the flames of the oil pots sideways. Neria’s strained scream followed. Izhur opened his eyes and wiped sweat from his forehead, his long hair hung in damp tendrils. Amak scowled and shook her head.

He returned his trembling hands to Neria’s temples and tried again. Breathe. Chant. Breathe.

He felt it before he saw it, that giddy sensation. This was normal. Like a feeling of falling, before his sight opened up to reveal the Otherworld. Its familiar shadowy grey swum before him. Neria’s body pulsed dimly as her light waned. Like an oil pot on its last drop, she was dying. Izhur fought the urge to retract out of the Otherworld; his grief would overpower him if he didn’t control it.

He focussed his mind and looked around. The Otherworld was clear. No shadows lurked. The Malfir were no threat … yet. He turned his attention to the babe. Neria’s womb pulsed a strong golden light, so powerful, it was like trying to look at the daysun.

Izhur wanted to turn away but forced himself to send his sight further down, toward the bright spirit still nestled within Neria’s womb. In the Otherworld, the form of the baby was fluid. The child took no clear shape, and resembled something of a circle of fire. Izhur marveled. Never before had he seen a spirit so bright. It calmed him. Perhaps the Malfir would be frightened.

Izhur had to force the birth. It was the only way. He sent forward his ethereal arm, and saw the luminance of his hand and fingers. He touched the ball of golden light and whispered a chant as he pushed down. Movement and light throbbed and he pushed harder. The glow from the oil pots was visible on this plane, dancing red globes. But another flash struck, to the north. Rapid bolts of blue and white. Lightning.

He pushed again. More movement. Come little one. He pushed harder. Neria’s light faded further, blinking out. Nothing could be done for her now. Izhur had to save the child. He pushed again and an eruption of light threw him back before darkness came.

∞

“The child is cursed. That is as clear as my foot." Ugot spat next to the foot he mentioned. "I can see it. As can you. We know what has to be done.”

There were several nods.

The Circle of Eight sat in the Tree of Knowledge, the oldest oak in the Wolf clan’s winter lands. It stood away from their family shelters, giving them the privacy they needed to make decisions about the clan’s daily existence. Its mud walls weren’t maintained as well as the family tree-dwells, and an icy breeze cut through thick cracks, making everyone shiver. The Eight huddled close, a single oil pot lighting their faces. Old faces mostly, all of them wearing grim expressions.

Flynth, grandmother of thirty healthy children, had glistening round cheeks, wet with tears that wouldn't stop no matter how many times she shook her head. Neria had been a friend to all of them. They met now to decide the fate of the babe who had suckled as her mother’s life force passed away. The storm had been distant then, now it sent its deadly fingers closer. The rumbling of thunder roiled without pause.

Izhur shook his head as he pulled his wolf cloak around him. “This child, she has an extraordinary light.” His voice wavered as he spoke. He wanted to explain more, but a peal of thunder prevented him.

“What kind of soragan are you, Izhur? Even I can see the omens. She is cursed, I tell you.” Ugot spat again as his dark eyes scanned the others, searching for agreement. There was more nodding. Ugot was one of the oldest, and despite his renowned lack of wisdom, this gave him some authority.

“Ugot speaks the truth, Izhur. I am sorry to say it.” Amak shrugged. “How else can we explain the drought, the fires? Even Neria’s death? She was a healthy young woman, her body should have withstood the birth. And what about her father?”

“Osun was careless. Everyone knows not to hunt lions.” With even Amak against him, Izhur felt completely alone.

“Still, he died not long after her conception.” The medicine woman shrugged again, as though apologising.

Izhur massaged his eyes, his body exhausted. The birth had required much energy. Such focus in the plane of the Otherworld was always tiring. He needed rest. Thinking straight was difficult. But he couldn’t deny the omens.

Osun’s death was unnatural. On their return from Agria, they had found their summer lands, usually so abundant with life, burned and barren. The whole forest had suffered drought and fire. And now this - the first night of Ilun, the babe is born and Neria died. Ill-omened indeed. But he had seen her in the Otherworld. He could not forget that light.

Ugot stared at Izhur with a look of smug satisfaction. His protruding brow and narrow eyes made him appear rather stupid.

Izhur ignored him and forced himself to speak. “I have seen her light, I tell you it is strong. She has … power.”

“Then she would make a generous sacrifice, perhaps prevent any further tragedy this Ilun.” It was Zodor who spoke, his voice quiet but strong. At twenty five summers, Zodor was young to be such a respected leader in the Eight, but somehow he was the dominant voice. A fine hunter and father of two healthy sons. He was the unspoken leader. Everyone listened when he talked.

Izhur rubbed his temple, not quite believing what Zodor suggested. It had been generations since a human sacrifice in the Wolf clan. His shoulders slumped with the weight of responsibility. Again he wished for his old master. Jakom had been the clan’s Soragan for more summers than most could count. He used to be the dominant voice in this circle - as a soragan's should. His wisdom had kept the clan from falling into danger many times. But Jakom had passed into the Otherworld last winter, and now Zodor seemed to lead the circle and Izhur was the new, untested soragan. The Wolf clan was not the clan Izhur had been born into. He had joined them nine summers ago when Jakom selected him as his novice. He’d always struggled to belong. They didn’t have the same friendly outlook as the people of the Bear, and Zodor had always been cold. But Izhur had to ignore all of that now; he was the soragan.

“Zodor.” Izhur measured his voice and looked down at Zodor’s feet, not daring to reveal the frustration that would be clear in his eyes. “The Wolf hasn’t made a sacrifice for generations. Not since Jakom was a young prentice himself.” He eyed the seven men and women around him. “Many of you were not even born then.”

“Then it is well overdue.” Zodor’s voice remained low and determined. “Even a hunter such as I can read the omens, soragan.”

Izhur rubbed his temple again, trying to order the many thoughts that jostled for attention in his mind. What would Jakom do? How could he perform such a sacrifice of an innocent? And what of her light?

“She could help us. She could become the most powerful soragan our clan has known.” Izhur pressed on. “Perhaps we could sacrifice an animal … a wolf. Like we do in the spring.”

Ugot spat for a third time.

Zodor’s eyes burned. “You have foretold of another to be our next soragan.”

Izhur grimaced. Zodor’s youngest son, Yuli, had a strong light and was born at an auspicious time - during Agria, the festival of Light. It made sense that he could become Izhur’s novice in the future. The gift-born seemed to be rare these days. “Your son bears the power, there’s no doubt of that, Zodor. But this little girl, she …”

“Izhur, must I remind you that she was born on Ilunnight? How is it you, our soragan, can ignore that? If she has power, as you suggest, then we would be wise to use her as a sacrifice. The Malfir will be appeased by such a gift. Do I really need to explain this to a soragan?” Zodor’s face was motionless.

The man reminded Izhur of rock. Strong, silent, still. He would not be moved, and if he couldn’t change Zodor’s mind there was no influencing the others. Izhur agreed with them, he was no soragan. Soragans were respected. Listened to. They were the leaders in all clans but the Wolf. Izhur was too young. He was no Jakom.

"If any of you object, speak." Zodor looked to each of the elders in turn.

"She must be sacrificed." Ugot said.

"I agree." Jarel put a hand through his grey hair.

Flynth shook her head and more tears fell from her rosy cheeks.

Tod simply shrugged his shoulders and looked to the entrance of the tree-dwell. Izhur couldn't help but scowl a little. Tod wouldn't shut up when they discussed seasonal migrations, but he always shrugged off the tough decisions.

"This is a grave decision." Lral's dark eyes looked at Izhur, and he straightened his shoulders a little. This elder he respected above all others in the Eight, indeed the clan, even more than Amak, for Lral was the oldest and the wisest. "And you are right to defend her, Izhur."

Izhur's breath shuddered. He blinked.

"But I am old enough to remember the last human sacrifice." Her eyes glistened as she spoke. "It brought us safety for many summers and winters. We of the Wolf have not known tragedy for a long time." Her old eyes looked down to the oil pot and a single tear landed on the muddy floor of the tree-dwell. "It is time for us to appease the Malfir once more."

Izhur slouched. He had lost.

Zodor stood. “It has been decided. We will sacrifice her tonight. We call on our soragan to do the task.” He nodded at Izhur.

Zodor left, and one by one the others followed. Lightning ripped through the sky as Izhur watched the circle members make their way to their own tree-dwells. Only Amak remained.

She put her warm hand on his. “It is best for the clan, Izhur. We need to feel safe. This is your burden, you are our Soragan now.” She squeezed his hand before rising and following the others out of the shelter.

∞

Izhur trod carefully. There was no moon or nightsun to offer him light, and the faint gleam of starlight had been taken when storm clouds blanketed the sky with their dark ink. Lightning streaked through the black curtain of night and for an instant, Izhur could see his course. The rocky path remained in front of him. He was not yet lost.

The baby in his arms began to cry.

“Shush now,” he whispered. But the crack and roll of thunder drowned the voice of man and babe. With each flash, he increased his pace. He had to get this over with. He had to prove his worth.

A powerful wind rushed from behind, pushing like a giant hand. Izhur's long hair whipped his face and he shivered. A fat drop of rain slammed onto his cheek, quickly followed by another on his moccasin. The dark clouds above released their cargo all at once and the rain drilled down, icy and hard.

Izhur’s foot slipped on the rocky path that lead to the altar. He slowed and held the baby close - her warmth, a strange comfort on his chest. She stopped her mewling and nestled in to the beads that hung around Izhur’s neck - the two threads, one of wood, one of azurite, that marked him as a young soragan.

Izhur patted her back through his thick wolf skin tunic as he walked. But he shouldn’t have. He should have remained cold, distant. How else could he prepare to do the task that had been assigned him? This was to be his first sacrifice. The first night of Ilun was presenting him with all manner of challenges he’d never faced. Even in his time as novice to Jokam, he’d not attended a human sacrifice.

As he walked, he thought back on the meeting with the Eight and grimaced. Zodor and his bespurned influence. The man was a skilled hunter. No one could doubt that, but he knew nothing about the Benevolent Ones. He knew nothing of the Otherworld, and he knew even less about the Malfir. This sacrifice was wrong. Even a soragan prentice could see that. Still, Izhur would have his own small influence. The corners of his mouth twitched.

Izhur had made a decision, back in his tree-dwell while he hastily prepared. He would not sacrifice this innocent to the Malfir. It would offer the demons too much, and he couldn’t bear the thought of them tearing apart her spirit, consuming all the power of her light, only to make them stronger. No. He would give her back to the Otherworld. To Ona.

Jokam had taught him the ritual, of course. And Izhur had prepared the implements back in his tree-dwell. But now it was raining. How was he supposed to keep the oil pot alight?

Nevermind that. Just get to the altar.

Again he quickened his step, and again the lightning blazed. Closer. A clap of thunder roared and seemed to shift the rock beneath his feet. The wind whipped his hair into his eyes and his foot hit a large glossy protuberance. Izhur fell, twisted and landed on his back, cushioning the babe’s fall.

“Great Mother,” he whispered. Lightning flashed and he glimpsed the rain like fine darts pelting toward him from a black void.

He lay on his back a little longer and the baby nestled once more. Her warmth halted his shivering. He had to get up, keep moving.

He stood and adjusted his satchel. The babe moaned. With soft words, he soothed her and returned to the rocky path, limping.

The altar stood in the centre of a large chasm. Made of hard rock, it had been carved out of the granite many winters past by long dead ancestors. A flash of lightning revealed its stature and the gruesome faces that had been carved into its side - two headed beasts with the maws of lions, the eyes of snakes and the ears of bats - silent guardians. Iridescent lines etched into its surface shone blue with each flash of light. The winter altar was a dark, grim place, so different to the altars in their spring and summer lands. It was, after all, a place where they normally sacrificed to the Malfir. An animal every winter was given over; it was the only ritual that Izhur hated. Usually small animals were sacrificed, sometimes a larger beast like a deer or wolf - especially during Ilun. Izhur had never seen a child bled. It happened. He knew it. But to see it … to do it.

He sucked his cheeks and stepped forward, hoping he could send her to the Benevolent Ones rather than to the clutches of the Malfir. Usually, such a sacrifice required the presence of the clan, to offer their support and energy to the soragan. But the Eight had charged him with sacrificing the child to the Malfir, and this was a task performed by the soragan alone, lest evil spirits contaminate clan members. The Eight would remain ignorant to Izhur's plan. As long as they knew she was dead, they'd have no knowledge of which realm she'd been given over to. Izhur swallowed. He would have to draw on the energy of nature.

Wind circled the chasm in frenzied chaos, sending rain sideways. It stung Izhur's bare cheeks and he wished for the warmth of his rabbit-skin hood. He stepped carefully lest he fall again. The altar seemed too large for the baby. Its slick surface gleamed briefly with each flash of light. Izhur laid Neria and Osun's daughter on the center and tightened the swaddling clothes, a vain attempt to keep her dry, warm. He fumbled with the satchel, removing the necessary items: an oak root, a vial of sacred water, the oil pot, and a knife made from bronze magic. Its orange sheen glinted with each lightning strike. Before, back in his tree-dwell, Izhur had sharpened and polished it.

He bent to sink his fingers into the rocky soil and clench a palmful of mud which he put on the altar at the baby’s feet. He placed the oil pot near her head, the oak root to her right and the vial of water on her left.

The rain teemed. Small puddles pooled on the surface of the altar. Izhur’s wolf-fur cloak hung heavily on his narrow shoulders, saturated. It tugged with each gust of wind, and he gripped the altar to keep balance. He clenched his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering. Lighting the oil pot would be impossible. Even if he succeeded, the rain would drench the flame in an instant.

A thick branch of lightning sparked the rock somewhere up above, and the thunder echoed round the chasm. The baby screamed. Izhur looked up. Angry sparks of light blinked into a dark infinity revealing purple, blue and charcoal mountains of cloud. The sky roiled.

A dark creature, bird or bat, flapped its wings and flew up amongst the clouds and lightning. Its screech echoed around the chasm. Izhur frowned hoping it wasn't another omen.

The lightning would have to do as a replacement for the flame, but he kept the oil pot in its position. Next, he took the knife, his hand shaking. He tested the blade and sucked in a breath when he pricked his skin. A single red steak ran down his hand, mingling with the rain.

The baby screamed, still. Her swaddles had loosened and one little arm waved at him. Izhur closed his eyes and started the chant. “Ona, Goda, Imbrit, Atoll, Mittha, Utun, Tonat, Shephet.” Repeating the names of the Benevolent Ones, beckoning them to hear him and accept his sacrifice.

It happened quickly this time. His surprise nearly sent him straight back, but Izhur steadied his mind as he looked through the plane of the Otherworld. All around him the pale silver streaks of rain fell in odd directions. When he looked to the altar, the golden light of the infant burned.

Her blinding light. He couldn’t help but marvel at its strength. At its centre, a red core gave way to gold circular rays pulsing outward toward him. So much power. What were they giving up?

He steadied himself. He had to do this. He had to show them he was a soragan. Their soragan.

Izhur forced his hand forward. It clutched the knife, a black shadow, that moved shakily with the tremor of his hand. His lips mouthed the chant “… earth, water, fire …” and his voice carried, filling the chasm. He drew from the power of nature, gaining energy from the trees, the rain, even the rock, until his voice boomed, matching that of the thunderous storm. A deep thrill ran through his being like an euphoric wave. He'd never felt so much power before. It would have been all to easy to give in to the rush, to pass over fully, but he focused and calmed.

“Take this child into your bosom.” His words echoed. His arm lifted and braced just above the babe's heart. “She is our gift to you.”

The world paused, like something had been registered, and then it started again.

Izhur's arm shot downward.

One blue streak darted through the Otherworld and struck Izhur’s hand. The knife flew. Izhur was thrown backwards and smacked the side of the chasm. The crack of thunder deafened and his mind snapped back from the Otherworld.

He opened his eyes, and the pain in his back forced them shut for a heart beat. He looked to his hand. There was no mark, no burn, but the lightning had snatched the knife.

What about the babe? She was silent. Had he struck her?

Gradually, he stood. The rain drilled harder. A streak of fire ran down his spine, but he sucked his breath and took a small shuffling step toward the altar.

Lightning came and went and he saw the small bundle on the altar where he had left it. He shuffled closer, one foot in front of the other until he stood above her. Her little hand still waved at him, and for the first time that night, Izhur smiled.

He scooped her up and laughed and let his tears mix with rain.

“It’s a sign, little one. A sign!”

He didn’t bother with the oil pot or the vial of sacred water. He left his satchel exactly where it sat on the ground. He braced the child to his chest and ran, ignoring the screaming pain in his back. His feet slid on the rocks, but the lightning lit his way. He was the soragan. They had to listen to him. They must listen, for Ona had surely spoken this night.

The tree-dwells stood as he had left them. Though the rain now made them glisten with each lightning strike and the large boughs swayed in the wind. The hearth fires burned low, but were still visible through the small cutouts of the shelters. He went to one at the center, the most privileged - Zordor’s tree-dwell, set high in an elm.

Izhur stood at the foot of the tree and filling his lungs, yelled into the pelting rain. “She is no sacrifice! She is no sacrifice!”

His voice screamed in the night. The clan came out of their shelters. Some stood at the entrance to their tree-dwells, others descended slowly and lingered on the ground with a square of hide held above their heads.

“She is not to be sacrificed.” Izhur pumped a fist in the air, his voice rasping.

“What is the meaning of this, you fool?” It was Zodor. The great hunter didn’t bother with a cloak to protect him from the icy rain. He marched toward Izhur and stood over him in nothing but a short tunic. Zodor's unbound hair whipped around him and his muscles, like carved flint, gleamed in the flashes of lightning that still flicked through the night.

Izhur’s eyes filled with fire as he stared up at Zodor. “I tell you, she is not a sacrifice, she is a gift from Ona herself.”

“Madness.” Zodor’s voice boomed. His eyes burned with anger. “The Eight decided.”

“The Eight was wrong, I am the soragan …”

“You are mad.”

“I’ve seen her light.”

“You’ve seen her evil.”

A pause stalled them. They stood opposite each other, breathing hard.

“Give her to me.” Zodor held out his hands.

“No.”

“Give her to me.” The hunter grasped for her, but Izhur stepped back. Zodor lifted a fist and struck.

But Izhur struck too and a blue light sparked within his hand. It shot out like a spear of fire and hit Zodor full on the chest. The big hunter was picked up and thrown back.

Clan members gasped and two of the men ran over to kneel by Zodor who now lay limp on the wet ground. One by one, the small crowd turned to look at their soragan.

Izhur took the moment. His vision swirled as though he trod the fine edge between this world and the Other. “I am soragan here. I say again - I have seen her light, she is no sacrifice.” His voice echoed through the night, and boomed louder than any thunder.


And the clan bowed their heads.

__________________________________________

Stay tuned for chapter two, or join my mailing list to get it now!

The Raven - Cover Reveal

I've been looking forward to sharing the cover art for my next release The Raven. And here it is ...

I need to say a big thank you to the cover designer, Taire Morrigan who has once again brought the story to life with beautiful visuals. 

The Raven is the first story from a collection called 'The Secret Chronicles of Lost Magic'. It's a fantasy novel set in a prehistoric-nomadic world. 

Here's the blurb - 

It is the darkest time in winter, when suns, moons, and stars, all wane from the sky. In the Wolf clan, a baby is born with a powerful Gift, but dangerous omens brand her an Outcast, and the Elders name her Iluna.

Orphaned since birth, Iluna struggles to find her place in the proud and distrustful Wolf clan, but as her powers bloom, she discovers a mysterious friend.

Dark magic, war, and treachery soon jeopardize the life of every clan member; many suspect Iluna and her Gift.

Is this Outcast girl to blame, or is she salvation?

I'll be posting the first chapter next month, if you'd like to read it sooner you can subscribe to my monthly newsletter to have it delivered to your mailbox.

A place to write

Where are the best places to write? In On Writing, Stephen King states that above all else "your writing room should be private, a place where you go to dream." But many writers have espoused the very public notion of writing in cafes. JK Rowling famously stated in an interview:

"It’s no secret that the best place to write, in my opinion, is in a café. You don’t have to make your own coffee, you don’t have to feel like you’re in solitary confinement and if you have writers block, you can get up and walk to the next café while giving your batteries time to recharge and brain time to think. The best writing café is crowded enough to where you blend in, but not too crowded that you have to share a table with someone else."

Writing in a cafe - a popular choice for many writers.

 I've wondered about the cafe idea, but I've yet to try it. The idea of an endless supply of earl grey is very tempting. I guess the most important thing for me is that I have peace and quiet - which actually means no one wants to talk to me.

So, this is where I currently write.

My current writing place - in front of the fire.

I sit on the couch. The dog usually curls up on her rug, while the cat nestles in her basket. The fire warms me in winter. I get up every now and then to make another cuppa. And it seems to work. Except when there are people around. Then it never works!

Our house is very small, so when we've got a house full of people it's impossible to hide away somewhere when I need to write. So I have a little dream I'd like to share ...

I want to build my own writing space (or more accurately, coerce my partner, Peter, to build it). We live on a small farm so we've got the room.

Whilst getting ideas (procrastinating) for the perfect writing space, I stumbled across this little gem of a blog that has some great pics of the writing rooms of some very famous authors. I've included some of my favorites here:

Edward Albee works on his next masterpiece.

Edward Albee is one of my favourite playwrights, and he wrote one of my favourite plays, 'The American Dream'. I love his old style writing desk and chair. 

Virginia Woolf had a room of her own.

Virginia Woolf had a writing hut in her garden, which is exactly what I want!

Edna's poetic hideaway.

Poet Edna St Vincent Millay had a writer's hut in the forest - even closer to what I want.

Neil Gaiman's source of inspiration?

Neil Gaiman's woodland writing gazebo is almost a perfect match for my little dream.

I've made a board on pinterest to help me dream up my what I want. I think a blend of the following two might be perfect:

Will my dream become a reality? One day I hope to write all about it in a future post :)

The Borderlands: Journey - Now on Wattpad

Today I started posting the first book of my Contemporary Fantasy series The Borderlands: Journey on Wattpad. Now you can read it for free!


I'll be posting a new chapter every week (Saturday mornings in Australia and NZ, Friday nights in US and Canada, and the middle of the night in UK). At the end of the Journey the second book will be ready for publication.

Click here to read more about The Borderlands.

The Borderlands: Journey is available for purchase at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords.

How do you get inspiration?

This is a purely self-indulgent post — an excuse really, for me to post some pics. The best way I seem to get inspiration for my writing is by going on a long walk with my dog Roxy.

Review - 'A Whisper of Leaves'

A Whisper of Leaves by Ashley Capes is a beautiful, mysterious ghost story that will take you on an intriguing escape. I enjoyed it so much I'm giving away three (ebook) copies of this book to my mailing list subscribers - winners will be drawn end of July (more information below).

Riko is an ESL teacher on a working visa in Japan, and in a spot of bother. There's been some allegations that she's been 'inappropriate' with one of her students, and deportment out of the country threatens. When her good friend invites her to go hiking in the beautiful forests of Mt Fuji, Riko is glad to get her mind off work and her troubles. But in the forest, one should never leave the path. And when Riko inevitably does she finds a half buried treasure - an old mysterious journal.

Riko cannot keep her nose out of the journal. She translates parts of it into English; beautiful, and often dark, poetical passages add another level of mystery.

black clouds

brooding

was I ever a bird?

Just as she is drawn to the journal, Riko is drawn back to the forest, and suddenly her life becomes haunted by an unseen presence. Unknowingly, Riko's quest to find out more about the journal's origin puts her life in danger.

There are so many things I enjoyed about this book. The mystery builds and makes it quite a page turner by the end. I loved the supernatural element, told so convincingly, it almost seems like an actual Japanese folklore at times. Riko is immediately likable. And what I loved most is the imagery of Mt Fuji and those beautiful yet eerie forests. Ashley Capes is a poet and his power to evoke strong visual imagery is a wonderful element in this story.

The grass was cut close; the water's edge a brilliant deep blue. Across the lake, clear of snow, loomed Mt Fuji — a dark purple giant. Almost glorious, the way it hugged the sky lines, seemingly unconcerned with everything below it.  Even its reflection in the silken surface of the lake was proud.

Whether you're a lover of poetic language or not, the visual descriptions in this story will have you fully immersed in the landscape and the mystery.

Fans of paranormal mysteries and ghost stories will love this book. Readers will also enjoy the beautiful Japanese setting and 'mythology'. I fully recommend A Whisper of Leaves to anyone who likes a good story.

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If you'd like to enter a draw to win a free copy of A Whisper of Leaves all you have to do is sign up to my mailing list. I'm giving away three copies, and all my list subscribers can enter. The winners will be drawn at the end of July. Good luck!

Subscribe to my mailing list and you could win a free copy of 'A Whisper of Leaves'

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