I can’t believe the Comic con is over. It went so fast! I didn’t have time to explore as Writer’s Block was busy, but we saw all the amazing cosplay. Considering how hot it was over the weekend, there were some brave cosplayers.
In writers Block, top left is fantasy author, C.K Andersson, next is LL. Macrae, in the middle is Royalty Sky and at the bottom, Michael R. Miller.
Forged by Betrayal and Blood made its debut and drew quite a bit of attention, and was very well recieved. Launches on June 1st, 2026.
As was the Reign of Dragons. The foiled hard cover and sprayed edges catch the eye and then you still have 18 stories and all the interior artwork to enjnoy. Someone even said they need two, so they can display the dust jacket and the foiled cover!
If you had tickets, then I hope you enjoyed the day and survived the heat. Hope to see you all again in October.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
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Having met Neil J Hart at many book fairs, I’m delighted to welcome him onto my blog. Let’s find out more about his writing process and his latest book Hope’s Ruin.
Helen: Welcome, Neil. I’m so excited to chat with you today. Tell us about your latest book.
Neil: I’ve just released ‘HOPE’S RUIN’’ the second book in my ‘Scarecrows of Coldharbour Farm’ series. These books are set against the backdrop of a climate disaster that has washed away humanity and sucked the earth dry. Spirits now inhabit scarecrows and mannequins and wickermen who fight for supremacy of the seas and the skies. And among them live the last of humanity, struggling desperately to survive.
‘Hope’s Ruin’ picks up about a year after the events of book one – ‘THE LAST SCARECROW’ – and continues to follow Erin (the last human girl), Raven (a belligerent talking bird), and a host of strange monsters, villains, and scarecrows as the battle to save the ones they love.
‘Hope’s Ruin’ expands the universe we discovered in ‘The Last Scarecrow’. With the oceans now washed away, Erin and Raven meet survivors carving out an existence in a remote township called Hope’s Spark in the Great Wastes and a thriving community who live in caves beneath a vast mountain range. But a new evil is rising, more powerful and deadly than the last. Erin and Raven must risk it all as they travel to the plughole of the world and into the savage skies to uncover a mighty power that can turn the tide and bring balance and peace to the world.
Helen: Your covers are so striking. How do you come up with the ideas?
Neil : I’ve worked as a professional graphic designer for twenty five years so I do all my own covers and artwork. This is a huge advantage as I can craft exactly what I want. This also means I end up making over a hundred designs for each book and takes me weeks and weeks.
The process for ‘Hope Ruin’ followed the same design direction as ‘The Last Scarecrow’. I knew the central character of scarecrow Number Twelve would be a dramatic vision for the cover so I wanted to put her front and centre, surrounded by locations and meteorological references to the story. ‘The Last Scarecrow’ feature Number Twelve stood before a submerged city while storm clouds and stars lingered overhead.
In ‘Hope’s Ruin’ she stands in a vast wasteland. Desiccated cities and mountains rise behind her along with a remote drilling platform, all present in this new story. Number Twelve has also changed a little from the first book. Instead of her red flowing garments she now opts for black, wears a wide-brimmed hat, and her eyes glow red. This signals a major change in our central character, one filled with jeopardy and menace.
Helen: You are the second author I’ve interviewed recently who creates their own covers. You are all such a talented bunch! Who inspired you to start writing?
Neil: I hated books as a child. I’d much rather watch movies and TV shows. But when my Mum brought home copies of Ian Livingstone’s Fighting Fantasy books I was immediately converted. Livingstone’s Choose Your Own Adventure style books didn’t feel like ‘normal’ reading. There weren’t hundreds of pages to go until the end. There were short paragraphs followed by a decision – you turn left, you eat the wild mushrooms, you fight a bloodbeast etc – which all lead to different outcomes that you had some control over. I swiftly advanced to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books and that’s what really sparked my love of writing. I found Terry’s backwards, satirical, humorous approach to fantasy far more digestible than the lengthy tomes of Tolkien et al.
Helen: It is to our benefit that you found a love of reading. Everyone has a different path, I’m so glad you found one that worked for you. What are you working on next? Is there another Scarecrow book?
Neil: I’m currently writing the third and final book in the ‘Scarecrows of Coldharbour Farm’ series. Where the first book was set on water, the second on sand, this one ventures north. This book looks a little longer than the previous two, featuring huge set-pieces, epic battles, desperation, hope, and the most peculiar band of friends the world has ever known. More info on this coming later in 2026 including title name and cover reveal.
Helen: How exiting! Readers watch this space. Let’s chat a little about your writing process. Do you plan your books or are you a pantser?
Neil: I plan. A lot. Usually, after weeks of note taking and long walks, I’ll write a long synopsis of the entire story. Around five thousand words. I’ll then break that into thirty or forty chapters, with two to three scenes in each. Each scene and chapter has a sentence that explains what happens, the emotion tone, character points.
Then I sit and draft the whole book, joining scene to scene, chapter to chapter, taking notes and outlining potential issues or better character arcs as I go. I’ll leave the first draft for a few weeks, outline something new, then come back and read through, consult my notes, change the ending usually, and remove repetition, irrelevance, nonsense, and trim about twenty percent of the words to make it slick and pacey.
I believe nothing is perfect so when the book is ready, when I’ve read it about twenty times and thrown every idea I can at it, it goes to my editor. I know I’ll have new ideas in the future, perhaps better ideas, but if I sat around waiting for those to come along I’d have a dozen never-finished books.
Helen: Although I started as a pantster, the more I’ve written, the more I plan. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. Just to finish, tell us about your favourite book and why you like it so much.
Neil: I have so many favourite books and authors but the one I always reach for when asked this question is His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. It has everything I love in a story: epic adventure, mysterious powers, monumental world-building, unusual friendships, heartbreak, danger, and brilliant villains. What really sets HDM apart from other books with these tropes is Pullman’s use of dæmons. Each character has their own unique mystical ghostly animal or creature (of the opposite gender) that represents their soul / nature. This is used to magnificent effect, allowing readers to understand the nature of each character by what dæmon accompanies them and to showcase the relationships between each character and their dæmon: a window to their hope, dreams, subconscious thoughts, fears, and soul.
About the Author – Neil J. Hart
Neil J Hart has won awards for his haunting YA fantasy novels ‘The Last Scarecrow’ and ’Sadie Madison and the Boy in the Crimson Scarf’ and is working on sequels to both. ‘Harper Hale and the Crystal of Shadows’ was released in May 2025 and is the first book in a new sci-fi mystery adventure saga. Neil also works as a graphic designer and a musician. He fosters for Cats Protection. Relies on coffee. Adores cheese and cucumber sandwiches. And collects Tomb Raider memorabilia.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
It’s time to meet author, Brooke Gillespie-Trout and find out about her writing journey and her book Executive Decisions
Helen: Welcome, Brooke. It’s wonderful to have you on my blog. Congratulations on releasing your book Executive Decisions on May 12th. Tell is about your new release.
Brooke: My upcoming release, Executive Decisions, is a contemporary romance that officially kicks off The Hanson Legacy series on May 12th. While it explores the high-stakes world of a powerful billionaire family, the heart of the story actually began with my own real-life job hunt saga. One year, I went on 14 different interviews and began blogging about the process as I went. In one post, I wrote about the realization that I wasn’t just the one being scrutinized. I was interviewing them just as much as they were interviewing me. When that exact line was quoted back to me by a recruiter in my very next interview, the spark for Lauren’s journey was born. In the book, Lauren navigates that same professional fire, but the stakes get much higher when personal attraction enters the boardroom. It’s a story about legacy, professional power plays, and the life-changing executive decisions we make when our hearts and our careers finally collide.
Helen: That is great point about job interviews. It goes both ways. So make sure you interview your prospective employer as well! What were your thoughts behind you cover?
Brooke: I wanted the cover of Executive Decisions to visually represent the collision of two very different worlds. The top half of the cover is a nod to my protagonist, Lauren, and where her journey begins. She’s a blogger who spends her days working out of a local café, so the laptop and the coffee cup represent her world… her independence, her hustle, and the life she’s built for herself. It’s grounded and relatable, and the tagline ‘Love wasn’t in the job description’ hints at the unexpected shift her life is about to take. The bottom half features the glowing Denver skyline, specifically representing the high-end Cherry Creek area where the story is set. This symbolizes the Legacy side of the book… the sprawling, billionaire world of Drew Hanson. I chose this split design to show the contrast between Lauren’s cozy, everyday reality and the glittering, high-stakes atmosphere of the Hanson family. The sweeping script of the title bridges these two worlds, showing that while their backgrounds are worlds apart, their hearts are finding a common ground.
Helen: I love learning about the ideas behind the covers. The split images are so effective. How did you come up with the title?
Brooke: To be honest, I rarely have a title ready when I first start a book. I usually dive into the outlining process and let the characters tell me who they are first. The title for this one actually came to me while I was out taking a walk with my daughter. We were deep in conversation about the plot and the dynamics between Lauren and Drew, and out of nowhere, Executive Decisions just clicked.
That’s usually how it happens for me, the right title tends to find me when I’m away from my desk. For this story, the title felt perfect because it carries a double meaning. On the surface, it reflects the corporate world of the Hanson family and the professional choices Lauren has to make during her interviews. But on a deeper level, it’s about those pivotal, life-altering decisions we make for ourselves… the ones where we stop following a script and start deciding what kind of legacy we want to leave behind in our personal lives.
Helen: I end up dithering over titles. I brainstorm up a few ideas and then can’t decide between them. My newsletter subscribers have been very helpful choosing titles. Why did you choose to write this particular book?
Brooke: I always say that I don’t really ‘think up’ ideas, they find me. I wrote Executive Decisions because it was the one story that started playing like a movie in my head and wouldn’t stop!
It began as a small spark from my own life. Memories of a year where I went on fourteen interviews and blogged about the experience, but then my imagination took over. I started watching Lauren’s journey unfold.
When a story starts to marinate like that, I just have to follow it to see where it goes. I wrote it because I wanted to capture that specific cinematic energy and the mix of a grounded, relatable hustle with the fascinating world of a billionaire family. Once the movie in my head reached the final scene, I knew I had to get it down on paper.
Helen: Yes, I can sympathise. At some point you have to get it out of your head and on paper. When did you first realise you had a passion for writing?
Brooke: My passion for storytelling actually started on the stage. I began acting in community theater at age ten, which eventually led to years of work in local commercials and indie films. One of the most eye-opening moments for me was filming a national commercial for Chevy; seeing the jump from low-budget local sets to a massive, high-budget production gave me a deep appreciation for the machinery of a story.
Whenever I was acting, I found myself getting caught up in the dialogue. I’d start rewriting it in my head, daydreaming about the characters’ lives before the script started and after it ended. I actually attempted my first novel when I was 23, but life kept me busy for a while! I continued to play with stories over the years until everything finally clicked, and I published my first full novel at the age of 42. I think those decades of inhabiting different characters as an actress are exactly what allow me to watch my books like a movie before I write them.
Helen: That’s so great that acting led you naturally into storytelling. Was there anyone who first inspired you to write?
Brooke: My writing journey has been shaped by three icons who each brought something essential to my craft: Nora Roberts, LaVyrle Spencer, and Jackie Collins.
Nora Roberts taught me the power of world-building and dedication, while LaVyrle Spencer showed me the importance of deep, emotional vulnerability. She made me believe the heart of a story is the character’s internal evolution. And then there is Jackie Collins, who brought that unapologetic, high-stakes glamour and pace that keeps you turning pages.
In fact, my Heart & Soul series really showcases that Jackie Collins influence. It’s edgier, a bit bolder, and whenever I sit down to write those characters, my ‘inner Jackie’ absolutely comes out. Between the emotional depth of LaVyrle Spencer, the world-building of Nora Roberts, and the daring edge of Jackie Collins, I like to think my books are a unique blend of all three: grounded heart, high-stakes drama, and a whole lot of fire.
Helen: Who is your protagonist and why did you write her/him?
Brooke: My protagonist is Lauren Lane, a sharp-witted blogger and career-driven woman who isn’t afraid to ask for what she wants. I wrote her because I wanted a character who mirrored the modern, messy reality of the job hunt, and someone who is authentic, relatable, and determined to hold her own.
Helen: If your Main Character could answer, why would they say we should read your book?
Brooke: If you asked Lauren, she’d probably tell you: ‘Read it because you deserve to see what happens when someone decides they’re done being interviewed and starts taking control of their own life.’ She’s the voice for anyone who’s ever sat in a corporate office and thought, ‘There has to be more to the story than this.’
Helen: I think Lauren has the right idea. Executive Decisions is a contemporary romance, is that the genre you write in?
Brooke: I write contemporary romance because I’m drawn to stories where characters grow, overcome obstacles, and ultimately find that connection that makes everything else fall into place. Having spent years as an actress, I’ve always been fascinated by human dynamics, and for me, there is no better space than romance to explore the what ifs of life… like how professional ambition and personal heartstrings collide.
Helen: What is the best thing that has happened to you since you began writing?
Brooke: The best thing, without a doubt, has been the internal shift I experienced once I finally finished my first book at 42. It felt like I unlocked a door that had been waiting for me for decades. Before that, I think I was waiting for inspiration to strike, but once I proved to myself that I could sit down and execute a full story, my creativity didn’t just wake up, it started to overflow.
It’s been an incredible relief, too. Now, whenever I find myself starting to worry about where the next story will come from, I don’t panic anymore. I’ve learned to trust the process. Inspiration has this funny way of showing up right when I need it most, whether it’s during a walk with my daughter or a quiet moment in my day.
Helen: I started writing even later than you. I am what you call a late bloomer, but once I started writing, I couldn’t stop. I can’t imagine ever stopping. I love creating new characters and new worlds. I know this is a tough question, but who is your favourite character from your book?
Brooke: It’s honestly like choosing a favorite child, it feels impossible! I have a soft spot for at least one character in every book I’ve written. But if I have to pick one from Executive Decisions, it has to be my protagonist, Lauren Lane.
I love her spirit. She’s incredibly smart and has that grit that comes from real-world experience, but my favorite thing about her is how she handles herself when she’s pushed into a corner. She has this sharp, sassy wit that comes out the moment she feels threatened or challenged. I genuinely admire her strength, and writing her dialogue was some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time. She’s the kind of woman who refuses to be anything less than herself, no matter who is sitting across the desk from her.
Helen: Moving on to your writing process. Do you listen to music when you write?
Brooke: That’s a hard no from me! I find music to be a major distraction. Honestly, the movie playing in my head is loud enough on its own. I have enough voices to manage without adding a soundtrack to the mix! When I’m deep into a scene, the dialogue and the emotions between my characters are constantly running, and I need total quiet to hear them clearly. For me, the silence is where the story happens.
Helen: Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome the fear and the little doubting voice in your head to keep writing?
Brooke: I think every writer deals with two things: actual writer’s block and the occasional lack of motivation. When I’m really struggling, I don’t try to force it. Instead, I set a timer for 15 minutes and I write with my eyes closed.
By removing the visual of the screen, I’m not distracted by the words already on the page or the temptation to backspace and edit. It allows me to truly see the movie playing in my head and get the story out unfiltered. Because I’m a fast typist… hitting over 75 words per minute… I can get a surprising amount of story down in those 15 minutes. Of course, this method does lead to some pretty amusing typos that I have to clean up later, but 99% of the time, that quick burst of blind writing is exactly what I need to push through the block and find my momentum again.
Helen: You are so lucky that you can touch type. I wouldn’t understand a word I typed, if I closed my eyes! What is the most useful piece of writing advice you’ve received, and by whom?
Brooke: I’m a big believer in the power of quotes to keep me focused, especially when the creative process gets a little overwhelming. There are three that I live by, and they’ve truly shaped how I approach my desk every day. The first is, ‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’ It’s so easy to look at other authors’ timelines or success stories and lose sight of your own path. Remembering that my journey is mine alone keeps me present and grateful.
The second, ‘You can edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank one,’ is my ultimate cure for writer’s block. It gives me the freedom to be imperfect. It reminds me that the goal of a first draft isn’t to be brilliant; it’s just to exist so that I have something to work with. And finally, ‘Trust the process.’ This one is my North Star. Writing isn’t linear. Some days the movie in my head is playing in high definition, and other days it’s static. They aren’t just quotes to me; they’re the tools that keep me writing.
Helen: That is some great advice. When you have time to read, do you have a favourite book?
Brooke: My favorite book of all time is Twice Loved by LaVyrle Spencer. I first picked it up when I was 15, and I’ve re-read it at least a dozen times since then. What’s so fascinating about reading it over the years is how my perspective shifts. The more I grow and experience life, the more I understand the characters’ choices and the nuance in how they handle their situation.
It’s actually quite funny because a love triangle is usually my least favorite trope, but LaVyrle Spencer handles Twice Loved with such incredible depth and heart that it somehow became my favorite book. It taught me that it’s not just the trope that matters, it’s how you write the characters caught inside it. It’s a masterclass in emotional storytelling, and it’s a book I’ll keep coming back to for the rest of my life.
Helen: We’ve nearly reached the end of the interview. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. Is there any advice you’d give new writers?
Brooke: My biggest piece of advice is simple but hard to do: Write for yourself. When you start worrying about whether a certain type of reader will like your story, you lose your voice. I love the phrase, ‘Dance like no one is watching,’ but for writers, I prefer to say, ‘Write like no one is reading.’ If you try to censor yourself while you’re creating, you’re never going to get to the truth of the story. Pour your heart out onto the page first. Be messy, be vulnerable, and be honest. You can always edit, revise, or refine those words later, but you can’t fix what isn’t there. When you stop writing to please an audience and start writing to satisfy your own curiosity, that’s when your unique voice finally comes through.
Helen: More great advice. Thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been great chatting with you and learning about your book. Good luck with your launch. Is there anything else you’d like to add to close us out?
Brooke: You know, looking back, the most unexpected part of this journey has been realizing that everything I’ve done… the acting, the commercials, the 14-interview year, and even the daily walks with my daughter… was just research for the books I’m writing now. I used to think my path was a bit winding, but it’s all fed into the stories. Whether I’m watching a scene play out in my head or just trying to navigate the messy, wonderful chaos of daily life, I’ve learned to trust that no experience is ever wasted. If you’re a reader or an aspiring writer, just keep living your life, keep your eyes open, and don’t worry if your path doesn’t look like everyone else’s. The story is in the living
About the Author – Brooke Gillespie-Trout
Brooke Gillespie-Trout is a contemporary romance author known for weaving together the drama of the stage with the irresistible pull of a “bad boy” charm. Drawing on her extensive background in theater and a life lived across the United States, Brooke crafts high-stakes adventures and deeply emotional love stories that keep readers turning pages.
With a dozen titles published, including the Heart & Soul series, the Portland, Maine trilogy, and the fan-favorite The Art of Zen, Brooke has established herself as a versatile voice in modern romance. Her stories are celebrated for their relatable characters, dramatic flair, and unforgettable “happily ever afters.”
Now residing in the Las Vegas area, Brooke continues to explore new adventures in print. Her latest work, Executive Decisions, marks the beginning of the Hanson Legacy series, a high-octane dive into billionaire romance and family secrets.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
Have a booklover in the family? Eager to find a new book to read? Signed by the author?
I will have some early release copies of my next book, Forged by Betrayal and Blood, which launches on June 1st, 2026. Get a hardback copy early. And while stocks last you can get a show book box including a cover artwork postcard and book mark
I’ll also have my last release, Sentinals Origins Part Two, in paperback, and you can get the Sentinals Origins duology with a matching Leyandrii scented Waxmelt for free while stocks last.
Do your booklovers love dragons? Then I will have a limited number of the most amazing fantasy anthology with foiled cover, sprayed edges, beautiful artwork and 18 dragon-themed stories. The ideal present for your bookdragon hoarder!
Come and meet the indie authors, all with tales to share and books to talk about. Everyone welcome.
Already bought my book and want it signed? Then I’m happy to sign your book for you.
If there is a specific book you want, then please preorder for collection at the show, so I make sure I bring enough copies and can reserve one for you, as now I have 15 books, I am limited by the number of books I can fit in my car!
Hope to see you there.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator
It’s time to meet author, Ligia de Wit and find out about her writing journey and her book Seven Hundred Beachfront.
Helen: Welcome, Saffron. It’s wonderful to have you on my blog. I’m looking forward to hearing more about what you’ve been working on since we last spoke. Tell is about your latest book.
Saffron: My most recently published book is Dripping Poison, book 3 in the Beyond The Veil Detectives series. It’s December 1929, and four young private investigators have been summoned by a dead man to a remote manor in the heart of the snow-blanketed English countryside. Before dinner, they’re forced to attend a seance that isn’t all it seems…And after dinner, someone is dead. Snowed in with a killer, the sleuths must now not only solve the mystery that brought them to Wilmott Manor, but they must now catch whoever is murdering his family one by one.
Helen: I love your characters, so I am sure this is amazing. What were your thoughts behind you cover?
Saffron: So, I design all my covers myself (art classes finally coming in handy!) and I can probably go into far more detail than you could ever actually want. But essentially, I keep the same format across the covers for the series – the dark Art Deco-patterned background, the central image, the fonts and overall layout – to keep the covers cohesive. Then, I change the image (in this case, a rose) to something relevant to the story, and pick a bright contrasting accent colour. If I can squeeze a skull or a bloodstain or something similarly macabre in there too, so much the better! Anything to indicate it’s a murder mystery when someone is scrolling by.
Helen: You are so clever designing the covers yourself. How did you come up with the title?
Saffron: Dripping Poison is a book that was written for a title. Basically, I thought it sounded like a book title I’d pick up, and wrote something to fit!
Helen: It certainly sounds deadly! And suits your series. What made you write this particular book?
Saffron: Though the book could’ve gone in various directions, a major and perhaps unexpected theme is faking paranormal activity. Which wasn’t something I planned specifically for this book, but a few years ago, the local reader/writer group I’m part of asked me to write a murder mystery evening for our Christmas party. Me being me, I couldn’t resist putting ghosts in it – but I didn’t want it to relate to my books, so I created a fake seance (and slightly unnerved some of my fellow players because I didn’t write a script, just handed out character sheets and instructions to have fun improvising, and maaaaaybe accidentally-on-purpose didn’t tell everyone about the “ghosts” thing. Sorry, guys!) However, I loved the idea of dropping a real psychic medium (like my character, Lucas Rathbone) into a totally fake séance with lots of “paranormal” activity, and seeing what happened, so I found a place for it in Dripping Poison.
Helen: I always feel so sorry for Lucas. You are always dropping him into difficult situations! When did you first realise you had a passion for writing?
Saffron: Oh, gosh, I didn’t really. I sort of fell into it by accident. I basically thought of a story I wanted to read and wrote it, then wrote nothing for a couple of years until I thought of another story I wanted to read. Now I just keep on doing that, though I’m slightly more proactive about finding the stories nowadays!
Helen: Nice, that’s a very relaxed process. No pressure is good! Which element of the writing process do you find most challenging and why?
Saffron: Usually I’d say editing, but currently, I have an outline that’s refusing to be finished. I know what happens at the end of the book. I know whodunit, whydunnit, howdunnit, and all the red herrings and twists we’ll come across on the way to solving the murders. But the exact order of things is refusing to be pinned down.
Helen: Timelines can be the most challenging. The order in which things happen is really important and frustrating to get right! Talking about timelines, who first inspired you to write?
Um… whoever wrote the three or four really awful mysteries I read back-to-back before I decided enough was enough and I should write my own book?! Partially because I didn’t think it was altogether fair to criticise people’s efforts in something I’d never done, but mostly because I figured I couldn’t do any worse! I wouldn’t name and shame them, though, even if I could remember the books.
Helen: What a great reason to start writing. I’m so glad you did! Tell us about the genre write and why you chose it.
Saffron: I write historical murder mysteries with a paranormal twist. Or, paranormal mysteries set in the past, if you prefer. It’s been several years, and a dozen published books, and I still don’t know how best to describe them!
I grew up watching TV programs like Poirot, Midsomer Murders, and Jonathan Creek, so I guess murder mysteries are something I’m familiar with and felt like a natural fit. I’m also a bit of a history nerd, so again, it just felt natural to set my books in the past! Plus, the 1920s are a classic era for the kind of books I wanted to write.
As for having a psychic sleuth, I’ve been interested in the paranormal since I was a kid, and having a detective who could speak to the murder victims seemed interesting to me!
Helen: What is the best thing that has happened to you since you began writing?
Saffron: Finding a community of writers, especially on Instagram. Right from the start, they’ve been so welcoming, so generous, so supportive, and so all-round lovely. I’ve made real friendships, found help when I’ve needed it (and given help in return, which is truly an honour), and people who truly get how wonderful, frustrating, joyous, heart-wrenching, and magnificently challenging writing and publishing is.
Helen: The support of the writing community is so important to new writers, and the contined support is inspiring. What is one of the most useful resources you use when writing?
Saffron: I draft in an online writing program called 4 The Words, which has gamified writing sprints into an RPG where you battle monsters by writing a certain amount of words in a set time. Very useful for keeping scatterbrained people like me focused!
Helen: That sounds like so much fun and a great way to get words down on paper!! What a great resource to help people focus. How do you get the ideas for a new book?
Saffron: Generally, by stumbling across something interesting and idly wondering how it could be used to kill someone! I then figure out who would use something like that, who they would kill, why they’d kill that person in particular, and why the ghost wouldn’t just tell Lucas who killed them.
Helen: You always make it so difficult for Lucas. Lol! What are you doing to him next? Tell us about your current WIP.
Saffron: Hanged By Silk is the fourth book in the Beyond The Veil Detectives series, and much like the last one, is being written because I thought it was a good title for a book! (In case you’re wondering, apparently the English aristocracy could, if sentenced to hang, request a rope made from silk. This has no bearing on the story, though!)
It’s taking place in London just before Christmas 1929, and my team of four private investigators have split up to investigate two very different cases: one, the trade in fake antiquities, and the other, the murder of a young woman at a ritzy teetotal club.
Lucas, as the psychic medium on the team, thinks he ought to drop the antiquities case that’s boring him to tears and switch to the murder – but his wife and their friend Tommy want to prove their sleuthing prowess without supernatural help. So, Lucas is stuck on the deadly dull case with Tommy’s husband, Noah, and fretting about the woman he loves confronting dangerous killers, when…
When he steps into a junk shop and is overwhelmed with a feeling of dread, like something evil lurks in the shadows, watching him with curiosity, wondering what he is and how it can use him. He’s felt this once before, right at the start of the book, when a witch helping him understand his hated “Gift” hands him a necromancer’s notebook, and it makes his skin crawl.
Unwilling to let things that feel like… that stay out in the world where anyone could find them, Lucas and Noah start trying to find these objects. But when their investigation leads them back to the murder their spouses are untangling, perhaps it’s better the two groups join forces after all…
Helen: I know Lucas is your protagonist. Why did you write her/him?
Saffron: Lucas Rathbone arrived, unbidden and unnamed, in my head somewhere around the end of 2018, then spent six months nagging me to write his story. I do it mostly to shut him up, to be honest. No, I jest. Well, not entirely – the nagging really happened – however, I really just loved the idea of a psychic sleuth, particularly one who didn’t embrace their “Gift” but used it anyway, because it’s the right thing to do.
Helen: If Lucas could answer, why would he say we should read your book?
Saffron: “For the love of God, please don’t read it. I hate the attention, and Saffron only ever writes about the worst, most difficult parts of my life. She’s not as funny as she thinks she is, either.”
I’m so grateful for his help…
Helen: You guys have this love-hate relationship. It’s so funny to watch. Moving on to the business of writing. What is the most useful piece of writing advice you’ve received, and by whom?
Saffron: My friend, DP Haka, told me to make a cup of coffee and imagine sitting down with my character and talking to them as if they were someone I was meeting for the first time.
I fear this may have led Lucas to think he ought to be treated as an equal partner in this whole writing malarkey. However, as a comment I frequently get about Lucas is that he feels like an old friend, perhaps that’s a deal I can live with.
Helen: Every writer experiences self-doubt. How do you overcome the fear and the little doubting voice in your head to keep writing?
Saffron: So. The long answer is:
I’ve always been “arty”, and through school, college, and university, took whatever creative courses seemed fun. And anyone who says the creative arts are a “soft option” has clearly never been on one of these courses (at least, not with the lecturers I got), because every damn week you pour your heart and soul into something, only for someone to critique the living daylights out of it – sometimes in front of your peers – then tell you to go away and do it again for next week.
At which point, they’ll tear that apart, too. But if you want to pass your course – and I’m too stubborn to give in when I probably should – you must do it. If this sounds rough, it is. It destroys any confidence you ever had, but you have two options: either stay destroyed, or pick up your shattered ego and reform it into something new, preferably retrieving whatever gold may have been buried in the “constructive” criticism you’ve just endured.
It might take a lot of time and effort, it’ll never return to how it was before, and it’ll crack again with every harsh word you get about your work, but if you don’t pick yourself up again, that little creative spark, the thing that drove you to make something in the first place, will die forever. And whoever said you weren’t good enough will be right.
So, for me, that little voice in my head got bricked up behind the pieces of my broken heart a long, long time ago, and I can barely hear it any more. If I do, I tell it it’s wrong, because I win. They don’t.
The short answer is spite.
Helen: As a writer you have to accept that not everyone will like your work. It’s those that love it that you need to listen to. My reader’s support is what keeps me writing more. Let’s chat about your writing proocess. How do you fit your writing into your everyday life?
Saffron: I’m very lucky that I generally have a chunk of time every day to write in, so fitting it in isn’t much of a problem (having no kids, no social life, and no TV helps a lot!). But when I am too busy to get to the laptop and write for a decent amount of time, I have a Bluetooth keyboard that links to my phone. I can get set up to write in seconds, can put everything away again almost instantly, and write wherever I am.
Helen: Do you listen to music when you write, if so, what do you listen to and why?
Saffron: I listen to the soundtrack from the Monster Hunter World game, because it’s mostly epic orchestral music without lyrics. I’m also very familiar with it all, so it helps me block out the world/keeps my brain busy without being distractingly new!
Helen: As you write a period novel, how much research do you do for each book?
Saffron: As much as needs doing! Sometimes, if I’m pretty familiar with everything involved, it’s barely any – just a few things here and there to check I’ve remembered correctly. But other times, when I’ve had an idea and don’t reeeeally know how to implement it, research can take three times as long as writing. Usually, it’s somewhere in between.
Helen: Are you a pantser or a planner? Do you write free form, or do you have a framework you stick to?
Saffron: Kinda both. I do a lot of brainstorming for my books, and then once I think I know what’s going to happen, I’ll pants the outline. In fact, I usually pants it several times, getting in a horrible tangle along the way. However, I figure that, going back to the Terry Pratchett quote earlier, this is a quicker way of telling myself the story than trying to get the entire thing out of my head in something resembling a book. It’s also much quicker to add something to an outline than it is to a full draft. I’ve done that before, and these things have a habit of having knock-on effects throughout the book.
Once I’m happy with an outline, I’ll tidy it up into bullet points for each scene, which I stick pretty closely to.
Helen: Do you ever encounter writer’s block? If you do, what do you do to overcome it?
Saffron: Take a break. For me, it generally means something in a scene isn’t working, and I need to step back and do something else for a while. The problem usually works itself out whilst I’m not thinking about it, or I come back with a fresh set of eyes that can see where the issue is.
Helen: I agree, sometimes it’s better to just let the back brain noodle on it for a while, and then when you go to sleep, the answer comes to you. Or it does for me. Who is your favourite character from your book?
Saffron: Ooh, tough question! I love them all, but Tommy has the most interesting backstory, and honestly, he throws the most curveballs, as you’ll see later. Keeps things interesting… even if I sometimes wish he’d just finish a scene the way I planned it!
Helen: I think Tommy grew on everyone. If you didn’t write mystery then which genre would you like to try and write in next?
Saffron: Funny story, I nearly didn’t write mystery at all!
Before I started writing Lucas and co, I kicked around a couple of other ideas. One was a kid’s mystery series, another was a near-future sci-fi, but the one I actually started writing was a time travel alt-history set in WW2 Germany.
But there was too much research I didn’t want to do. Sci-fi isn’t a genre I’m super familiar with, certainly not the time travel subgenre, but I know the fanbase love their details to be precise. Similarly, WW2 German isn’t a period of history I know much about (I hate military history of any kind, but particularly the World Wars) but I can’t fudge details because there are plenty of people out there who love all that stuff and know every single tiny thing about the war.
Unfortunately, the story doesn’t work without time-travelling Nazis, so I ditched that and invented a cute village in 1920s England instead, so no one could tell me I’d got something wrong about a real place.
Then my characters ended up in London, but we won’t talk about that.
Helen: I’m so glad you ended up in the twenties! It would have been a great shame to have never met Lucas and the crew. Most authors read a lot. Do you have a favourite book? Tell us why you like it so much?
Saffron: Oh, this is a tough one. Currently, it’s probably – and please don’t take this as a recommendation to read it, because it isn’t – Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh.
I actually picked it up as research and without knowing much about it, other than it was a (probably) semi-biographical book set in 1920s England with a bisexual male main character who has a same-sex relationship.
My character Tommy is a bisexual man living in 1920s England who is in a same-sex relationship, so I thought – brilliant. This is literally perfect for retroactively researching something I never planned for, because Tommy kinda neglected to mention he likes boys when he crash-landed in my first book, then took one look at Noah in book 6 and went “that one”, despite me having invented a nice girl for him to marry instead. This is what I meant earlier about curveballs, and this isn’t even the curviest one he’s thrown me.
Incidentally, I expected the same-sex romance in Brideshead Revisited to be more “read between the lines,” but nope. It was obvious Charles and Sebastian were a couple. What’s even more interesting is other characters clearly knew about their relationship too, but often seemed accepting of it. Totally unexpected, especially as the book was first published in 1945, a couple of decades before homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK. Anyway, I went into it expecting something fluffy and light-hearted about the upper classes. Kinda like Jeeves and Wooster, but a romance instead of a comedy. And for a good chunk of the book, it was charming, heart-warming romance, albeit with a dark undercurrent.
However, the reason I DON’T recommend Brideshead Revisited to just anyone is because it lures you in with this darling romance between two sweet young men, and – spoiler alert – then utterly destroys their lives. It’s beautifully written, completely compelling, bold, brave, unexpected, and absolutely something that SHOULD be read, but it’s still bleaker than a Bronte novel read in a leaky bus stop on a grey day in November when you’ve stepped in a puddle with leaky shoes.
Not something to be read if you’re feeling down, basically. And I think it’s important to point this out, because it completely floored me, and it’s fantastically written. But how I wish I’d known what I was getting myself into… Oh, heavy Catholic themes too, so if that’s a trigger for anyone, give this a wide berth. Anyway. My favourite book was heavier than I expected, and I loved it.
Helen: What are some of the books you read recently that you would recommend to others?
Saffron: I’ve just finished Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett, and had forgotten just how good it was.
I seem to be into re-reading at the moment, actually, as I’ve just re-read The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie, which again, very good. I’m a huge fan of the Jeeves and Wooster books, so always recommend those.
Not such recent reads, but Love Habit by TL Clark was one of my favourites from last year, and Raven Song by Jennifer Brasington-Crowley is excellent, and When We Were Out Of The Ordinary by Elen Chase is gorgeous. Having always said I hate romances, it’s quite surprising to find myself recommending three of them!
Helen: It’s been a pleasure chatting with you, Saffron. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. Just to close us out, what advice would you give new writers?
Saffron: Just do it. Don’t think too hard about it, don’t second-guess yourself, and don’t, whatever you do, edit as you go. Get everything out of your head, then come back to fix it later.
You’ll think it’s absolutely awful and want to consign it to the bin immediately – but remember every book you love has been edited a dozen times or more, and didn’t go to print the second the author wrote “the end.”
Your favourite author also looked at something resembling word salad, probably cried a bit, and then rolled up their sleeves to form the clay they’d just created into a beautiful object they were proud of.
There’s a quote from Terry Pratchett that says “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story,” and it really is. Once you know the story, you can refine it into something actually readable, but you can never get to that point unless you get that first draft out of your head.
About the Author – Saffron Amatti
Saffron Amatti is the author of the Lucas Rathbone Mysteries, a series of historical cozy mysteries with a ghostly twist set in 1920s England. She lives in a rather pretty village in Derbyshire, UK, where she spends an unhealthy amount of time thinking about how to kill people and (almost) get away with it. This is almost entirely in relation to her writing, but she keeps her family on their toes by throwing a little doubt in occasionally.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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I was invited to be on The Wandering Scribe podcast by host Gabriel Garcia, a historical fantasy author who supports Indie authors, to talk about my author journey, my books, how AI impacts writers and much more! There were some tough questions! Check out the interview to find out how I answered!
We talked about my author journey, my books, how AI impact writers, when did I first see myself as an author? questions from the the audience. Advice for aspiring writers and much more!
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
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By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator
It’s time to meet author, Ligia de Wit and find out about her writing journey and her book Seven Hundred Beachfront.
Helen: Welcome, Ligia. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m really intersted to hear about your book, Seven Hundred Beachfront.
Ligia: Seven Hundred Beachfront is a contemporary magical realism story set on the beach. Because we all need some beach in our lives, don’t we? It follows a young woman who’s used to being alone and doing everything by herself. She believes she doesn’t need anyone, so she pushes people away. But life has a funny way of placing the right people in your path, even if they come in unexpected forms: a five-year-old kid, a grumpy neighbor, and a sentient house who is even grumpier. So, three grumpy souls and one beam of sunshine. At its core, the story is about abandonment. About forgiving those who don’t deserve it. About letting go of pain—the kind that lingers right behind you, even when you pretend not to see it. It’s also about love. Not just romantic love (though that’s there), but brotherly love and self-love. About giving yourself permission to face that darkness and decide enough is enough. To tell yourself you are worthy of love. And yes, there’s grumpiness. And laughter. And moments of levity that stretch like a tarp over heavier things. Because sometimes, that’s just how life works.
Helen: You had me at Sentinent house. I love inanimate objects having an opinion. What were your thoughts behind you cover?
Ligia: Setting can be a strong part of a story. In Seven Hundred Beachfront, it is the story. Most of it takes place inside a dilapidated house, so the house is integral to everything. Did I mention the house is sentient? It even has a name. I always knew I wanted the yellow house right at the front. It’s stormy because it reflects the pain and hardship. There are seagulls to echo the sound of the beach. And of course, a touch of green lightning—something that’s part of the story and hints at the magical realism woven throughout.
Helen: There is always more than meets the idea behind book cover designs. I love the attention to detail you had when designing this cover. What made you writte this particular book?
Ligia: This might be my most personal book, one that reflects part of the hurt I carried growing up. Bev, the FMC, embodies that in many ways. But it also offers hope. That no matter how dark your life might feel, no matter that some things may never be fixed, you can still make magic happen in your own life. I wrote this when I was just starting to write again after a 20+ year hiatus, at a time when I didn’t think I was good enough. And because of that, I wrote this story non-stop.
Helen: I’m glad you found your way backing to writing. For me it is a passion, I just love writing. Do you listen to music when you write, if so, what do you listen to and why?
Ligia: Music has always been part of my life, so yes—I listen to it when I write. But it’s a complement, a minor character, not the main one. It has to blend with my mood as I work. I usually go for a chill playlist, something that stays in the background and lets the story take center stage. Right now, as I’m working on a very important part of my WIP, I’ve been listening to Ludovico Einaudi.
Helen: I love Einaudi! I listen to a lot of classical music when I write. How do you get the ideas for a new book?
Ligia: Great question! I pull them from the air, mold them with sand, and infuse them with a little pixie dust—and voilà, a book. Okay, kidding… but not really. It can feel that way. I get inspired by movies or books that move me deeply, and my brain immediately starts chanting what if… That’s usually where it begins but it’s only a small piece of it. I dream stories while I’m awake. They come to me (hence the “pulling them from the air”), and I shape them until I have no choice but to pour them onto the keyboard. The real spark happens then. I usually don’t have much at the start, but as I write, the scenes unfold, the characters come alive with vivid clarity: their struggles, their passions…And I get so excited I can’t stop typing. It’s beautiful.
Helen: I think ‘what if’ are two of the most important words for writers. If we didn’t ask these questions our stories would never happen. What are you working on now?
Ligia: Redemption of Faete is book four—and the final installment—in my Bradaís Pledge series. It’s a contemporary-to–second-world adventure filled with danger, immortal pirates (definitely not your typical ones), fae mentors shaped more in the Tolkien vein, and a human who begins the series naïve and a bit immature (lovely so—I’m in my 50s and still immature in some areas, so I wanted to represent that!). What I love most about this series is how both main characters grow—the immortal pirate and the young seer—and how the stakes rise with each book. This final installment is intense. It’s the end, after all. There’s found family, love lost (and found again; this is a HEA series), dragons meddling, and powerful gods trying to destroy their reality. It’s absolute chaos. Wonderful chaos.I’m currently in the middle of a major revision after receiving developmental edits, and it’s been so exciting to create new scenes and find even more ways for my heroes to complicate their lives.
Helen: Oh that sounds wonderful, chaos and dragons, what more can you ask for? Tell us a little about the protagonist in your story.
Ligia: This is a dual-POV series. I first wrote it from Ryanne’s perspective. Unlike many heroines, she starts with no real power—just some silly visions. At the beginning of book one, she’s a bit absorbed in her own world and hasn’t quite realized what it means to have a fae mentor and a brave pixie as her guardian. I wrote her because she—and the pixie—came to me one Sunday morning at 6 a.m. and demanded I write her story. I swear it’s true. I relented at 7 a.m. and wrote her first chapter, where she told me everything. I fell in love with her silliness (I’m pretty goofy too) and her personality. Then came Titus—a bloodthirsty pirate who can’t find peace because he’s controlled by his creator. Oh man, do I love Titus. It’s been an absolute pleasure to be in his head and watch his growth, especially in this last book. Why did I write him? In my first draft, he went out for coffee while Ryanne was trying to avoid the pixie—and drink far too much coffee (he’s addicted). I saw him there—worried, determined—and I knew I needed to understand him better. His story flowed from my fingers so easily.
Helen: What is the best thing that has happened to you since you began writing?
Ligia: Readers. Hands down. When I first started writing, I did it simply because I couldn’t stop (I have several drafts from that time that will never see the light of day as proof!). I loved creating stories, building worlds, and bringing characters to life. But then those characters made their way out into the world. Readers found them—and fell in love with them and their stories. And honestly, that’s more than enough reason to keep going.
Helen: I’m glad enthusiatic readers found your books. Thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been great learning more about your books. Most authors are also great readers. Just to close us out do you have any book recommendations for us?
Ligia: Reading is part of the writing life. Honestly, like most people, it’s been part of mine since I was seven years old. I can’t imagine a life without reading (please tell me heaven has a library… I need that). For epic fantasy, I’d recommend Khyven the Unkillable by Todd Fahnestock. It’s book one in a five-book series, and I recently finished the final installment—which is actually influencing the writing of my own last book. For a debut author—also epic fantasy, with wolves (not fantasy romance, very important!)—A Bird Among Wolves by Tracy Leonard Nakatani. Amazing. And for fantasy romance: Soulfire Blue by Jesse Sprague. It’s currently on Kickstarter as a gorgeous special edition, with art illustrated by the author herself.
Helen: Oh these sound really interesting. More for the TBR pile! Thank you for sharing.
About the Author – Ligia de Wit
Ligia de Wit writes fantasy romance adventures with heart, humor, and just the right dose of magic. A lifelong romantic with a soft spot for fairy tales and found family tropes, Ligia writes characters who are strong in more than just a physical sense. Her characters face fears, fight for themselves, and find love in the most unexpected places.
When she’s not writing (or rewriting) her imaginary worlds, she works for a global distribution company and dreams up stories during lunch breaks. You’ll often find her with her nose in a book, exploring a new city, hiking through forests, or acting like a total goof at theme parks. She’s a proud kid at heart—and owns it.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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Starts: Monday May 4th, 2026 at Midnight GMT Closes: Sunday May 31st, 2026 11.45pm GMT Winner announced June 1st, 2026 Open Internationally, One winner, Over 18 only. No cash alternative.
Join me as I celebrate the forthcoming launch of Forged By Betrayal and Blood with many of my friends in the writing community. Thank you to these generous authors for donating their books to the grand prize. Enter the launch giveaway by following the authors on social media or by signing up to their newsletter. The more authors you follow, the more entries you recieve.
One randomly drawn reader will win a signed print copy of Forged by Betrayal and Blood, three more fantasy paperbacks and 10 fantasy ebooks. That’s fourteen books in total for one lucky winner!
Vael Tor Arne, commonly known as the Butcher of Leif, has spent the last ten years roaming the wilds of Surosha. Disgraced and outcast, he is not welcome anywhere, not even in his own home.
Never managing to rise above the rank of lieutenant in the Emperor’s army, Vael does his best to protect his men against the taint that follows him. Should the opportunity ever arise, he would gladly kill Emperor Talon Shaleri the Deranged, the man who ruined his life.
The Celestial Throne lacks its dragon, its protector, and the empire is suffering as the new emperor struggles to retain control. The emperor is weak, in power and in health. He needs to right a wrong, now he has the power to do so, before he can focus on saving his empire. But righting that wrong may not be so simple, and the man he needs to forgive him is the one man who hates him.
Dogged by persistent Farsolian warriors, who can’t decide if they want to capture or kill them, Vael and his men battle to survive. With no hope of help, Vael must avoid the war bands and the emperor’s generals long enough to choose a side. Will the Farsolian uprising be his salvation or will the Emperor finally sign his death warrant?
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and also Sentinals Discovery, the first few chapters of Sentinals Awaken from Birlerion’s POV and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator
It’s time to meet YA Fantasy author, Suzanne Furness and find out about her books.
Helen: Welcome, Suzanne. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Tell us about your latest book.
Suzanne: Storm of Clocks is a middle grade fantasy set on the stunning North Cornish Coast around Tintagel Castle.
It is perfect for readers of 8 and upwards. I know of at least one 96-year-old lady who loved it!
Eleven-year-old Livvy’s life is torn apart the night her dad dies in an accident and her brother stops talking. A tiny piskie with BIG secrets bursts into her world warning a storm will cause massive destruction to her town. However, the storm could reverse an ancient curse that will herald the return of giants. Livvy must follow her new piskie friend, Patsy, into a hidden world of folklore and legend to discover dangerous creatures lurking in the bushes and magical birds that soar overhead. It’s a story of loss, friendship and hope.
The clocks are ticking . . . The skies are darkening . . . The storm is approaching . . .
Storm of Clocks was short listed in 2025 for the Holyer an Gof Award. An annual award for the best books promoting Cornwall, set in Cornwall or written in the Cornish language.
Helen: Such a beautiful coastline. With all the myths and legends in Cornwall, I bet you had great fun writing this book. What were your thoughts behind you cover?
Suzanne: I simply LOVE this cover. Big thanks to my fabulous illustrator, Alexandra Fowler. Alex and I were able to meet up and discuss my vision as she lives very close to me in Cornwall. I wanted to have Livvy and Patsy (the piskie) standing on the cliff top as the storm began. The lighthouse was Alex’s idea as we thought it would add a highlight. I think it works really well with the waves crashing over it. I then suggested the lightning streaks which Alex was able to incorporate into the title. The frame of the cover is a tree which features in the story (no spoilers here you will have to read the book!). Alex has cleverly hidden other clues to things in the story amongst the tree and other plants. Look closely for a pocket watch, a book, and the birds. Flip the book over to find a deer and a pair of eyes lurking in the bushes!
Helen: There so much detail in your cover, I love learning what all the images mean! I assume Livvy is on the cover, tell us more about her.
Suzanne: The main protagonist is an eleven-year-old girl called, Livvy. Short for Olivia. We learn she lost her father in a car accident which resulted in her younger brother, Ed stopping talking. Obviously a very tricky time for Livvy. The story is set several months after the accident as Livvy is learning to manage some of her feelings. Then she finds Patsy Scribble a Cornish Piskie in the compost heap and her life changes again. Livvy grows through the story and starts to see that her life can move forward but she can still keep a piece of her dad in her heart. This might seem a sad story but in fact it is uplifting and contains lots of hope. It’s an adventure that changes her forever.
I experienced the loss of my dad at a young age too. Different circumstances but the feelings and heartbreak were the same. I hope some of that first-hand knowledge comes through in the story. I started writing Livvy’s story shortly after my mum died after a long illness 13 years ago. I think it was cathartic in many ways. The image of meeting a piskie at the bottom of the garden was very strong and the story grew from there. It’s been through lots of editing and rewrites to get it to where it is.
Helen: I also found writing cathartic. I started writing after my mum passed away. Much later in life, but the time was obviously right. My greatest regret is that she never got to read any of my books. Is Livvy your favourite character or is there anyone else you found interesting to write?
Suzanne: Hmm, this is an interesting question because as I have explained above, Livvy is a special character to me. However, I love the feisty piskie, Patsy Scribble. She is definitely not a stereotypical piskie. (In case anyone was wondering a piskie is a Cornish word for a type of pixie.) She comes out with some funny sayings and quite often is a little rude about humans and their world.
There are also three birds in the story. One is the very clever and slightly superior Cornish Chough called Merlin. (Yes, it is an Arthurian reference). He was fun to write too. He doesn’t speak as such but he I tried to portray his character through his behaviour and actions.
Helen: Your characters sound like fun. When did you realise you had a passion for writing?
Suzanne: I think it’s always been there but maybe I didn’t fully understand it till a lot later on. As a teenager I wrote lots of poetry, which was one of the ways I tried to cope with the loss of my dad and other life events. It was years later that I actually started to think about writing a story. My first attempts were short stories for adults. I entered a few into competitions. One even got published in an anthology. I then tried writing an adult novel. Looking back, I can fully see it wasn’t great but I learnt a lot from those 80K words! I moved onto writing for children shortly after that. I have worked with children for many years as well as bringing up two of my own so it seemed a natural progression for me.
Helen: I think the more you write, the more you practice, the better you get! If you don’t write then there’s nothing to edit or improve. When writing, do you plan in advance or make it up as you go?
Suzanne: I have to admit I am a pantser through and through! It’s a slightly strange concept for me as in most areas of my life I plan things carefully and I am not a person who enjoys chaos or just going with the flow. Perhaps that’s exactly why I have to let my creative juices do their own thing when writing. I usually start either with a line of writing or a character name and go from there. I might do mind maps and character description cards as I get into the story a bit but other than that it’s just open the laptop and see what happens! Not the most efficient way as it means lots of editing and rewriting but so far it has worked for me.
Helen: I think what works for you is best. Do you find you need to do much research for your books?
Suzanne: Ah, well this is where I might spend a bit of planning time and like many writers, sometimes I find myself down the proverbial rabbit hole of research! But I do enjoy that side of things. With Storm of Clocks I researched Cornish folklore in depth and decided which aspects I could incorporate into the story. Quite often the research helped move the story forward when I got a bit stuck. It was fun to see how lots of things entwined. It’s such a big part of this story I have added a glossary at the back to explain a few things a little more. I have sprinkled the story with a few Cornish words and phrases too which all add to the feel of the book.
Helen: Writers tend to end up knowing so much trivia! What else are you working on?
Suzanne: I have a fun and slightly quirky story about a young boy, Jack Potts, who finds a door at the back of his shed which leads to a world known as Underbed Storage! A place where rubbish is treasure and nothing is wasted. He meets a clumsy dragon, a sort of wizard and some rather strange robots. It’s a very different story to Storm of Clocks but The Accidental Adventures of Jack Potts is a fun adventure for readers 7 plus. It’s got lots of fun illustrations too so is ideal for the more reluctant reader or new to chapter book readers. Check out Ink Bookshop or Amazon
I am hoping to be able to share news very soon about a new middle grade story that will hopefully be published later this year. Watch this space or follow my socials for the latest information on that exciting project.
Helen: Thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been great learning more about your books. Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Suzanne: My website is here and I’m always happy to chat so give me a follow or get in touch. I can sell signed books direct and will include bookmarks and stickers so if that is something you would be interested in just get in touch to arrange.
About the Author – Suzanne Furness
Suzanne lives in Cornwall with her husband and a cat with a moustache! She can often be found walking the coastal footpath on the lookout for pirate ships and lost mermaids or exploring woodlands and moors on the hunt for fae. Sadly, she hasn’t found a piskie at the bottom of the garden but she will never stop looking.
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If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
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Do you love audiobooks? Then the first five books of the Sentinal series are now in audio! You can find them on a platform of your choice.
Senitnals Banished is now on Audible, Amazon and Apple, and will be on other platforms shortly.
Narrated by the wonderful Matt Coles, it’s time to immerse yourself in the world of Remargaren one more time.
Artwork design by Jeff Brown
Book Description
Sentinal Birlerion has watched from the shadows for so long he doesn’t know how to stop. Always there when the Lady’s Captain needed him. He did what was necessary to keep those he loved from harm.
When the king banishes the Lady’s Captain, Jerrol Haven, from Vespiri and disbands the Sentinal guard, the Sentinals are at a loss, some bitter, some eager to retire, all angry at the king’s decision.
Birlerion moves to Old Vespers to watch over Jerrol’s daughter as she begins her journey to become a King’s Ranger.
Old Vespers is in turmoil, the king unpredictable, and the Sentinals are unwelcome. Unexplained deaths are occurring, and bodies begin to appear in the city streets. As Birlerion continues his search for the place he can call home, he has to step out of the shadows as he is drawn into a tangled web of deceit and lies. He must hunt down those responsible and clear the Sentinals name before anyone else goes missing.
Sentinals Banished is the fifth book in the saga of Remargaren, a vibrant, ancient world of high fantasy suffused with magic and adventure.
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring (Sentinal series) and also Oathsworn (SoulMist series) and to follow Helen’s writing journey and be notified when her next books are published.
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Helen Garraway 