Song of The Elves

I've just spent a fantastic four days in the Lake District, and I'm pleased to report its beauty remains unrivalled. The snow crested peaks of the Langdales and Crinckle Crags provided an alluring sight from the restaurant of our hotel, drawing us out in to the minus temperatures to explore old haunts and find new corners of beauty. Like many authors before me, the Lake District has provided inspiration for my writing, most obviously in the varying landscapes of the Summerlands, but more importantly in the mood of the novel. In creating the welcoming feel of the beginning of A Shadow Falls I am reminded of the roaring fires of cosy pubs such as the Kings Arms in Hawkshead; in the later flight through the forest of Kirik at the end of Sins of the Father I am reminded of dramatically beautiful places such as Sherrifs Wood above Bowness and the difficult woodland at the base of Red Pike. Going back to the Lakes this week has reaffirmed the image I have for the Summerlands, and provided inspiration for chapters not yet written.

Long live the elves!

I am currently nearing the end of the fourth (and hopefully final) draft of Summerlands.  The first part of the book, newly titled A Shadow Falls, will be made available as a free download from this website.  It's approximately 100,000 words in length and I'm much happier with this edit than the original version.  As a result, work on my second project The Mirror of His Soul has ground to a halt.  I'm looking forward to launching back in to that project as the dark nights draw in, and have set myself the target of Easter for completion of this stand alone novel.

Up the elves!

Check out the latest tale from the Summerlands.  Prince Nemar is one of my favourite members of the supporting cast of the first three books.  His influence in the Song of the Elves grows as the saga progresses.  He has an important part to play in saving the world, and a date with destiny that cannot be denied.  Inspiration for his character came from the old swash buckling movies -  Michael York in the Three Muskateers, Banderas in Zorro, Heston in the Crimson Pirate.  His early life is full of colour, and perhaps one day his full story will be told.  Let me know what you think of the story of how his famous blade came by its name.

Up the elves!

I was lucky enough to have lunch with Keith Gray on Tuesday of this week.  Keith is the author of a number of succesful children's books and also does great work encouraging young people to write.  I was able to bend Keith's ear for an hour on the pitfalls of getting published and I am grateful for the top tips and encouragement I received over our capuccinos.   The most exciting part of the day for me was getting to see how another author works.  Best wishes with your new novel Keith!

Check out the two new additions to the website - The Sundering tells of the arrival of the elves in Rhoderica.  Last Battle relates the momentous victory of a unique alliance of elves and humans against the savage Southren.  These tales are of great significance to the events of A Shadow Falls, part one of The Summerlands, being the first cycle of SOTE.

Let me know what you think.  I'll soon be posting your comments on this site.