What a week

Well apart from the UK’s comings and going on the political stage, I have had a very industrious week!
Nearly finished the third book in the series of Joshua Appleby and Sigrid’s lantern. Thinking how awful it is to say goodbye to one of the characters. But the story has to be true to its self. As the nights draw in it gives an atmospheric feeling in the room I write in. Those dark shadows are spooky! I think of Joshua and his new found power (yes, he has discovered a new power, is it good or a bane?), Milly has a romance within the darkness, but will it last or lead to sorrow? Will Sophia be able to battle darkness and keep to the law of Dark Magic? Not forgetting the magical creatures. Will the white wolf Sylvester Blueksky be able to recover from an ancient law he had to upkeep at the cost of his friendship. How will Prudence and Gertie react to the newcomers? Its a melting pot with an thrilling ride to the ending. Hope to release this book early next year so look out for the date. Closing the curtains now and lighting to fire to get the last few chapters done.

Weekend Signing during the Flying Monk Arts Trail

Really excited to be signing book 2 during the Flying Monk Arts Trail. Come along and visit me, you can buy a signed copy of the second book and see my artwork. Would be great to meet my fans again. Look forward to meeting you. I will have two friends here too, Carly Batten who is selling her pyrography boxes and Emma Cockburn of witches valley who is a master at making herbal soaps and natural products. The trail map can be found www.flyingmonkartstrail.co.uk

See you this weekend 24th & 25th September at Greyfox House, Easton Grey, Malmesbury, SN16 0PW.

Malmesbury Witches

Evesham Medieval and witches

Signing books and meeting lots of fantastic fans was great during my visit to Evesham Medieval festival. It made me think about the first chapter of the next book in the Joshua Appleby series. Joshua and Milly are descended from a long line of ancestors with powerful Earth Magic. For the last few months I have been thinking if I should write a book on part of this history or instead have a prelude as way of an introduction to the families power. It maybe that I do both! The first chapter is a bit of history where the family come from, namely Malemsebury. In 1672 Malmesbury had its own witch trials. The trials took place in Salisbury and were the forerunner of the Salem which trials. So mixing history with the Appleby story seems a great idea.

Exciting news!

Its been a whirl wind few weeks.

Joshua Appleby and the ruby dragon is finished! Really excited as the reviews have been great. Lots of magic and adventure, some red herrings along the way!

Its been an amazing experience working with artist Claire Baker. She has designed the cover for the second book in the series. Really stunning design. On top of that, she had redesigned the first book, Joshua Appleby and the flaming sword.

Joshua Appleby and the ruby dragon is released on the 4th of March 2022. You will be able to get your copy from this website.

Watch this space for news on deals for the bood!

New Review by Author Sue Loh

This is a fantasy adventure set in a small town in 1960s England. It’s a magical adventure, as well as a portrayal of life in England at that time. In this world, magic talents exist but are rare, and are kept hidden to protect magic-users. Joshua and his family are dealing with the fact that he is developing the ability to use earth magic. Meanwhile, they’re involved in helping the church put a historical sword on display, and trying to stop a dark adversary from stealing it. Each magic-user is assigned a magical animal companion, invisible to non magic-users, to accompany them through their magical training and life. Joshua is paired with Prudence, a clumsy hare with a big heart, while they both receive oversight from Sylvester Bluesky, the wise old magical wolf who’s paired with Joshua’s mother.
This book has a good plot and a good set of characters.
That said, I liked the peaceful tone of the story, as well as its placement in a less technological but still accessible period. It also sets up a world with a lot more adventure to come. The magic use is not heavy-handed, so it blends very well into a world that’s unaware of magic-users. Which, of course, sets it up to suggest that magic could exist in our world today! This is a good book for anyone who loves magical adventures.

Dreams a world of their own

Joshua Appleby’s dreams are part of his entrance into the world of magic. Dreams have always had a fascination for me. Why do we dream what we dream? Why do we have nightmares? Why do we remember some dreams yet not others? Here is a video introduction about Joshua Appleby’s dreams.