'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.

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

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!

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My next book - out soon!

As you can guess I've been spending recent months writing rather than blogging and soon I'll be releasing my second Book.

Why the pic of the cat? Well, aside from my love of those precious little mammals, the book will include a main character who is a cat.

'The Borderlands: Journey' is the first book in a trilogy. It is an urban fantasy that follows the journey of 16 year old Dale as she struggles with the challenges of attending an elite international school while having no friends. No friends except for Gareth, an old homeless man with a love for sailing his little wooden boat.

Dale also has secrets. She can see people's auras and when she was younger she saw magical creatures that she still likes to recreate in her paintings. But were these magical fairies, sprites and gnomes real or the result of an active imagination.

Then there's Rhys. A new boy at school who looks like he just stepped out of an advertisement for designer jeans. Aloof but enigmatic, Rhys soon charms Dale and the whole student population - or at least the 'plastics' lead by super snob Prudence Feathertop.

Want to know more? You can read the official blurb here.  And have a look at a sneaky reveal in a previous post.

'The Borderlands: Journey' is currently in the throws of final edits. It will be released very soon. I hope to add a 'cover reveal' post in the near future.

Blog Hop - The Next Big Thing

I know I've only just released my first publication - 'The Viscount's Son' - but recently I was 'tagged', by Kristen DaRay, to do a blog hop about my current work in progress.  So, for the first time I will reveal my next work.  This is my first Blog Hop, so go easy on me :)

1.  What is the working title of your book?

The Borderlands

2.  Where did the idea for the book come from?

My partner told me about a man he met who has gone through three nasty divorces, and after a number of financial 'settlements' he has found himself with not much left.  He built himself a boat and lives on it, sailing from one town to another.  I thought this was a fascinating story and I kept thinking about what it must be like to live like that.  Sure enough, the kernel of a story formed.

3.  What genre does you book come under?

Probably Urban Fantasy and Young Adult - although it has some strong language, so I think it might be older Young Adult.  It's like a coming of age story too.  I hate trying to classify my stories - I really don't know half the time!

4.  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

If this happened I'd love to do a 'JK Rowling' and choose the actors from a bunch of unknowns.  Dale, the main character would have to be a redheaded 16 year old girl with very fair skin.  Rhys, also 16, would be a very dark and handsome young man.  Gareth - think Santa ;)  And here's a picture of one of my favourite characters - Cat. He's a Scottish wildcat.

5.  What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

After witnessing the murder of the only friend she'd ever had, Dale embarks on a journey to the mysterious and mystical Borderlands.

6.  Will your book be self-published, published by an independent publisher or represented by an agency?

Self-published.

7.  How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Roughly six months. But there's been another six months of redrafting and workshopping.

8.  What other books would you compare your story to within your genre?

Well, there's a few similarities to 'Harry Potter'.  But it also reminds me a little of a childhood favourite, 'My Side of the Mountain'.

9.  Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Aside from the man I mentioned above (question 2) I was inspired by the feeling of not fitting in that many teenagers experience at school.

10.  What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

I always try to add a sense of mystery in my stories and I think I have achieved this with 'The Borderlands'.  I've also incorporated magic and a mystical land.

Thanks for reading.  I hope to release 'The Borderlands' later this year.

I'd like to tag the following authors to undertake the blog hop and tell us all about their current works in progress:

A.K. Fotinos-Hoyer
M.R. Graham
C.J. Jessop
Nessie Strange

In the Shadow of the Mountains – Review

Recently, I sat down to read In the Shadow of the Mountains by MR Graham, and found myself enthralled.  It's always exciting to find an Indie author whose work is of such a high standard.