To get you in the mood for the witching month of October, and to gently lead you to All Hallow’s Eve, today I am chatting with the author of The Coven’s Son, Preston Allen.
Welcome Preston. To start us off please tell us a little about your book.
Preston: The Coven’s Son is set in a world where all witches’ first born child is a female who siphons magic from her mother during birth, which explains why the word “witch” is so commonly associated with only women. But, Dev’s first child is a male who she named Oak and their coven discovers secrets that were held from the world when researching ways to control Oak’s out of control abilities..
Helen: Oak certainly faces some challenges and I thoroughly enjoyed your unique take on a witches’ coven. I will be posting a book review in due course, so watch this space!
Have you got the writing bug? Are you working on another novel?
Preston: My current WIP is an adult tongue in cheek dark comedy about what happens after you die. Think of the waiting room from Beetlejuice. I poke fun at death while also creating a detailed view of the afterlife without holding back from descriptive, gory details. Although, its release depends on the success of The Coven’s Son!
Helen: I wish you every success with The Coven’s Son as I hope we get to read more of Oak as well as other characters currently bubbling in your imagination. Talking about characters, which character do enjoy writing the most? Heroes or villains?
Preston: I love villains and the ability to make them a bit more over the top than the average person. You get to make them appear the way we all want to express ourselves if our society wasn’t so uptight and judgmental. Writing their visual descriptions and painting a sinister picture in someone’s head just creates a movie scene in the mind of the reader.
Helen: I love all the concoctions the witches make and the descriptions of the still room. Did you have to do a lot of research to come up with the ingredients for the spells?
Preston: A LOT. The Coven’s Son has so much historical accuracy and easter eggs hidden in it. I made sure that no matter what area of the book you want to google, you will most likely find some sort of link to history. I am also planning a trip to NYC for the future to do location research for my next book.
Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash
Helen: You created a complex world of witches with a unique spin. Where did you get the inspiration for your book from?
Preston: I love visiting oddity shops and metaphysical stores. There’s so much visual stimulation to create stories from. Everything around me gives me ideas. In The Coven’s Son, there is a huge section based entirely off the title of an arcade machine I saw while in a gametime, it sparked an idea that had my mind spinning with ideas.
Helen: I can imagine that would be a trove of wonderful prompts. Speaking of prompts, how did you come up with the design for your book cover?
Preston: I woke up from a dead sleep at about 3 a.m. knowing exactly what I wanted the cover to look like. I had to get up and scribble it out so that I didn’t forget. The cover was re-done three times by two different illustrators before I approved the final version. It is a scene directly from the story.
Helen: Thank you so much, Preston, for spending time with us today. We wish you all the best with your book: The Coven’s Son. You can find out more about Preston and where you can purchase his book on his website here.
Today I am chatting with the author of the Vampire of Emberbury series Eva Alton. Eva has published her debut novel Stray Witch and the second novel in the series Witch’s Mirror which recently launched on October 22nd, and you’ll be glad to hear there is a third, Witch’s Masquerade in the works.
Welcome Eva. Tell us more about your novel.
Eva: My first novel, Stray Witch, was published in May 2020. It tells the story of a woman who doesn’t know she is a witch. She is running away from a previous marriage and is offered a job by a clan of old-fashioned vampires who live under a graveyard.
Helen: You describe your characters as clueless and quirky, so I take it that your vampire novels are something a little different to other books out there?
Eva: My books are a mixture of paranormal romance and magical realism. Even though I write about witches, vampires, and magic, my take on the subject differs slightly from most urban fantasy novels. I like to make fun of conventions and traditional vampire lore, exploring what it might mean to be a vampire living in our modern world. I also try to explore deeper issues (such as past mistakes and abusive relationships in my first book) and give my prose a lyrical touch.
Helen: I believe you succeeded. I read Stray Witch and thoroughly enjoyed it. You have a lovely mix of light and quirky, if I may use the term, characters who we can relate to, and yet there is an underlying thread of seriousness as well. (You can find my review of Stray Witch here.)
Which character do enjoy writing the most?
Eva: I love writing Clarence, my vampire main character. He has lived long, travelled the world and, in my opinion, has a very interesting past.
Helen: I think we all love Clarence, and can’t wait to find out more about him. I believe you put him through the wringer in your next novel! Tell us how you first started writing.
Eva: I have been writing since I was a little girl. I used to take part in writing competitions as a child and I won many times, too. That gave me the confidence to keep writing, and to this day it has been one of my favourite things to do!
Photo by Freestocks on Unsplash
Helen: As your setting is the real world with a touch of the paranormal, and a world most of us would recognise do you still need to do research for your novel?
Eva: I do more research than one would think. The only drawback is that I tend to get lost in my research, when one thing leads to another, and get nothing written. For example, while writing my second book, Witch’s Mirror, I spent vast amounts of time researching life in England in the Georgian era. This included reading novels set in that time, history books, etc. It was really fun, but also very time-consuming.
Helen: I can’t wait to read Witch’s Mirror. Readers it’s available on amazon now, so go and check it out!
Tell us a little about how you work, Eva, when preparing to write are you a planner or a pantser?
Eva: I like to have a clear plan before I start to write. Usually there is a small thing which sparks the idea for a story, but from then on I try to make an outline and stick to it, though I don’t always succeed.
Helen: We’re drawing to close now, and I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. Before you leave, tell us a little about what you are working on now.
Eva: Currently I’m editing the third book in my series, Witch’s Masquerade (expected launch spring/summer 2021). In this book, stray witch Alba must travel to a secluded spot in the Pyrenees and seek for a long-lost spell, which is her only hope of defeating death. But I won’t tell you whose!
The second book in my series, Witch’s Mirror, is coming out around Halloween 2020. In this book Alba travels to Italy to explore her witch roots, but her plans go slightly awry and things start to spiral out of control…
Helen: Thank you so much, Eva, for spending time with us today. We wish you all the best with your new release in October, Witch’s Mirror. You can find out more about Eva and her Vampires of Emberbury series on Eva’s website here.
If you haven’t read any of Eva’s book yet then I recommend you start with the first book in the series Stray Witch. You won’t regret it.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with British fantasy author Cully Mack. Cully has written one novella and four novels in the Voice that Thunders series and she has kindly agreed to tell use a little more about A Vow that Clashes which is due out at the end of October 2020.
Welcome Cully. Tell us more about your latest novel.
Cully: My current book is due for release in October 2020. It is the fourth book in the Voice that Thunders series and is called A Vow That Clashes.
It runs on a parallel time frame to A Fire That Whispers (#3) and focuses on Gabe and two of his close friends. Each of them has made vows. Their challenge is to either keep or break them while saving the people from an Immortal Watcher with his army of giants and hybrid creatures seeking to destroy humanity.
A Vow That Clashes
When a vow demands sacrifice, who will pay the price?
Far behind Gabe is his innocence, destroyed when a Watcher slaughtered his clan. Now considered a chosen one, Gabe strives to understand his magic and his calling. He desires nothing more than to find his sister but is besieged by hybrid abominations intent on extinguishing mortal life, his most of all.
His allies: a cunning thief, an Immortal, and a Fire Wielder stand fast with those seeking sanctuary underground. It’s a trap. The god of deep mines and solver of secrets is coming… A perilous maze of tunnels, their sole hope of escape.
As vows and destiny collide, Gabe faces a devastating choice: abandon the people and his allies or forsake his beloved sister.
The fate of the world rests on his decision, for the Watchers know a greater adversary approaches, a possessor of flesh. The clash between darkness and light has never been more dreadful. You can find out more here.
Helen: It sounds action packed and I can’t wait to read it. I read the first book A Voice that Thunders (you can find my review here) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I must make sure I take the others down off my bookshelf and read them ready for this new release.
Tell us a little about how you first started writing.
Cully: I began writing because my mother joined a creative writing class and I asked if I could go with her. I loved it so much; I quit my job and went back to university to study English Literature and Creative Writing. I haven’t looked back, and what I’ve learned most in my life is to follow your dreams.
I always loved the fantasy genre, and I have a keen interest in mythology. I decided to merge the two and created the Voice that Thunders series. Myth absolutely fascinates me (the older the better- think pre-Egyptian, Greek and Roman). Yes, those titans, gods and beastly monsters were known to older civilizations in Mesopotamia and I feature them in my books.
British Museum
Helen: Yes, there is an ancient Egyptian flavour to the first novel with sacrifices and gifts to the gods. So fantasy is your genre of choice for your novels?
Cully: I write epic fantasy. Think epic battles with Immortals and beasts of all kinds, throw in some elemental magic, huge plot twists, portals and unique worlds, intense romance and an ever-growing amount of characters trying to save their world. If you like character-driven fantasy, you’ll love my books. I warn you now; I don’t go easy on them…
Helen: You have some great characters in your novels, Mirah, Gabe and Nate to name a few. Which characters do you enjoy writing the most?
Cully: Gosh, that’s possibly the hardest question I’ve ever been asked. I love writing cocky, confident males, which is why I have a few of them. Ammo is a skilled at pretty much everything and a complete risk taker. He often makes me laugh with his cocky attitude and flirty banter. Zeev is always out for a laugh, nothing fazes him, and he loves winding up one of the female characters.
I think most of all I love writing Tur. He is complex, comes across as aloof at first, but he is one hell of a man as his story develops. Nothing and no one will move him from what he believes in and my god, I really test him. Confidence oozes out of him in droves.
Heroes or villains? Love them both. Love villains who turns good the most.
Helen: With such a rich world, how much research did you have to do before writing your novels?
Cully: I research tons. I’m very interested in mythological texts from Ancient Mesopotamia where many feature gods and mythical beings. Mesopotamia was the birthplace of civilisation and many peoples lived side by side. Depending on the culture, some saw the gods as a positive thing, others negative. It makes for great conflict when you can reimagine gods, hybrids and giants interacting with humanity.
In the Voice that Thunders series, I’ve tried to capture an essence of their cultures, what it was like thousand of years ago, and set it in a framework loosely based on some of their customs and beliefs. My series is filled with ancient myth, the kind that is buried in soul waiting to be reawakened.
Because my work is influenced by Mesopotamia, I also research quite a bit of geography, landscape, flora, fauna and wildlife etc. to create a vivid world.
I also research people, behaviour and psychology. For example, one of my antagonists is a complete narcissist. I did a lot of research to get a sense of how he thought, how he might speak and behave.
Helen: And I think it paid off. When reading your novels, your world building paints vivid pictures, colourful and rich. It’s almost like it is another character. Being such a stickler for research I imagine the way you write is very planned. Do you have an outline that you stick to?
Cully: For The Voice That Thunders, I used the Hero’s Journey as a guide for my two sibling protagonists. I kind of had it in the back of my mind when writing. So, yes there is a loose structure, e.g. inciting incident, meeting the mentor, call to action, refusal of the call and so on. Although the order of these differs for each character.
But otherwise, I’m a total Panster! I’m a discovery writer. I tend to know certain plot points, for example, I knew Mirah needed to reach Hermonial because I wanted to write a character who was close to my antagonist.
My start point was her on the ship, so I just started to write her journey and added conflict along the way. I love how characters grow and overcome the challenges they face. Being a discovery writer, my characters often surprise me and lead me into territory I wasn’t expecting to go.
Most of my twists come from writing myself into a hole and then figuring out how to fix it. There are quite a few big ones in my books which my mind would never have imagined if I’d sat down and tried to think it up. Some people might think this tactic is insane, but for me, it keeps my writing fresh. I remember my English Professor saying; I love how your writing is so unpredictable, how do you do it? I answered, it’s because I have no clue what’s going to happen until I write the words on the page.
Helen: I try and plan a basic outline, but then the story takes over and goes in directions I never originally intended. When it comes down to the nitty gritty of writing which do you prefer writing or editing?
Cully: I love both aspects. I love being creative and getting ideas down on the page, but I also enjoy perfecting it in redrafts. My editing process has changed over the course of my books. I don’t edit as I go anymore. I used to edit at the end of each chapter. Now, I leave gaps if I need to spend time researching and go back and fill this in on redrafts.
Helen: I must admit I enjoy editing more than I thought. The story really begins to shine when you polish your phrasing. Every time I edit I learn something new. What advice would you give new writers?
Cully: Don’t quit! It’s really hard sometimes. Writing can be isolating, and sometimes you wonder if anyone even reads/enjoys your work. Reviews help a lot. A well-timed review has saved my sanity more than once when I’ve been second guessing myself.
Hold on to your dreams! Believe in yourself and stay true to your vision. So much will come your way and try to shake you, hold on. Quitters never make it.
If I was to start over, I’d start with a shorter book, a stand-a-lone or a prequel and get myself known a little before plunging right into everything.
Helen: Great advice! We’re drawing to close now, and I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. Tell us a little about how you work. Do you listen to music as you write, or do you prefer silence?
Cully: I listen to epic score music. Artists like Two Steps from Hell and Epic Score. I find the music very intense and emotional without distracting lyrics
Helen: and just to finish tell us about what you like to read. What is your favourite book?
Cully: I love Empire of Storms by S J Maas. It’s not the best for writing style or technique, but I love the characters she creates and the plot. The way Maas balances them both and draws you into the world through tense conflict and romance, is why I love this book.
Helen: Thank you so much, Cully, for spending time with us today. We wish you all the best with your new release in October, A Vow that Clashes. You can find out more about Cully and her Voice that Thunders series here:
So here is the big reveal! Would you stop and take a look inside? I hope so, let me know what you think via the contact page.
Cover by Jeff Brown of jeffbrowngraphics.com
From a rough sketch, which my cover designer, Jeff mocked up in front of my eyes as we chatted on a video conference call, (see left), to more formalised 80% done (see below right) to the finished article (above!)
Jeff has created a beautiful work of art as well as a book cover, and I can’t wait to see it as a poster.
So a big thank you to Jeff from Jeff Brown Graphics (www.jeffbrowngraphics.com) for designing such a beautiful cover; from the Lady and the Moon symbol to the grand panoramic scene (see at bottom of post) as Jerrol and his Sentinals ride through an encroaching storm to attempt to rescue the King of Vespiri.
With the advent of online bookstores and eReaders, the cover must be eye-catching as a thumbnail image, which means the main image must be more prominent, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be artistic.
The cover is one of the most important aspects of a novel, it is what catches the readers eye in the first place, to take note and stop and browse, and hopefully, to pick up out of the choice of many, and then the first few lines of the book catch your attention and draw you in.
Want to know what’s inside Sentinals Awaken? – Sneak peek!
Chapter 1 Lady’s Temple Gardens, Old Vespers The sword missed his nose by an inch, if that. A momentary relief as solid steel thunked into the ground and Jerrol jerked back like a snake about to strike and then slithered away, inhaling the scent of soggy grass, dirt and roses. Roses?
His brow wrinkled in confusion as he scuttled away and regained his feet. Backing towards the tall Sentinal tree arching over the Lady’s temple, he strained to see his assailants. He leaned against the trunk as he scanned the gardens. He would have to apologise later; staying alive was more important than the sanctity of the temple gardens.
There were three guards, large and brutal: Chancellor’s men eager to deliver him up more dead than alive. The complaint of him snooping around the Chancellor’s business would be enough to get him placed on report, if not demoted. He wasn’t supposed to be near Chancellor Isseran, let alone following him.
Gritting his teeth, Jerrol considered his options. He couldn’t kill them, not on the Lady’s soil, yet he couldn’t let them report back, either. The satin-smooth bark of the tree beneath his fingers warmed for a moment as he hesitated. The image of a tall, black-haired man stood before him. This apparition wore a silvery green high-necked uniform that glimmered in the swirling mist. He was striking to look at, unnaturally pale, with distinctive features and straight, black eyebrows over silver eyes that gleamed in the dim light.
Jerrol gaped at him, unable to stop staring. It wasn’t possible. Lady help him, it wasn’t possible, was it? He recoiled as the man spoke, taking a step back.
“Captain? Is it time?” the man asked, his silver eyes burning bright.
He was young – younger than he was, Jerrol thought. Yet his expression was grave. There was a sense of a burden understood and accepted; of experience over youth. He had a sword strapped to his hip and a bow across his back, and he looked like he knew how to use them.
Jerrol frowned. “Time?” he asked, and the image faded.
Sentinals Awaken, is set in the word of Remargaren, a world where magic was banished by the deity Leyandrii over three thousand years ago along with the malevolent Ascendants. Jerrol Haven, a Captain of the King’s Rangers discovers treason at the highest level and although the ailing King tries to help him, the Crown Prince sentences Jerrol to death. Jerrol must escape, discover why magic is returning to his world and discover the source of an insidious disease spreading through the Watches. After accidentally awakening a Lady’s Sentinal he needs to discover how to awaken more Sentinals and rescue the King – but even then, his troubles are only just beginning.
I hope the cover and opening excerpt tempt you to order Sentinals Awaken when it launches in the autumn and you enjoy reading the book. Please ensure you leave a review when you do, reviews drive visibility and keep an independent author like me writing!
Sign up to my newsletter below, to find out first when Sentinals Awaken will be available for order! And to gain access to the bonus content on the members only corner when it goes live.
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But what if there was no wood, or wood pulp, or grasses and other natural vegetation? Our lives would be very different without paper; and by extension, without the creation of books, we would lose that wonderful feeling of holding knowledge or experiencing escapism into every subject under the sun.
I recently responded to a Defra Tree consultation on the English Tree Strategy, and I was shocked to realise that fewer than 10% of our English native woodland is considered to be in good condition for nature. That means it can’t support the creatures that live in it. Not only are we not investing in planting more trees, but we’re also not even looking after what is left.
How sad is that?
Isn’t it funny how we all take everything for granted? Even though we know trees are vital to sustaining our environment, to help clean the air we breathe, to synthesise the colour into our world, we still don’t protect them. We don’t plant enough new trees. No one takes responsibility.
When I was a child, our garden had a rowan tree, lilac tree, oak and beech and a massive horse chestnut. I would stand beneath and look up into the branches, much as I imagine a Sentinal tree would hover protectively over us. I wonder how many of those survive today? Not many, I’m sure. And how many children today would know the difference between all of them? It is our responsibility to ensure these trees are accessible for all, in natural spaces, of which many could easily sustain trees.
DEFRA Tree Strategy consultation for England
Have your say and respond to the Defra Tree Strategy Consultation for England.
Protect our woods, invest in regeneration and plant more trees. Help sustain the tree nurseries. Ensure we can continue to hold a book in our hands in the future, in a world full of magical creatures breathing clean air.
Here we are halfway through July, wondering where summer has gone, and I’m listening to Sia’s album, This is Acting, as I edit Book three: Sentinals Justice. I’ve mowed the lawn, procrastinated on twitter and am now knuckling down to work, by writing this blog!
As Sia sings, I’m alive, I think I feel most alive as I delve into the world of Remargaren and embrace my characters, who are no doubt thankful to still be alive, or maybe not. I can see Birlerion’s indignant face as I write, he is not happy with me and nor is Jerrol. Authors do put their favourite characters through the wringer at times, all in the name of tension and conflict.
As I edit, I can’t help but get drawn back into the story. I can see why we need independent editors to keep us on the straight and narrow because I write the type of fantasy I enjoy reading. I must admit, when I return to a piece of work, I’ve forgotten elements of what I wrote, and I get lost in the story again and forget I’m supposed to be editing.
Book One, Sentinals Awaken, is progressing. It’s gone back to the copy editor for final review. The map of Vespiri is in progress, the book cover should come in any day soon. I keep checking my email, but it hasn’t arrived yet! Then its formatting and ISBN numbers and working my way through the publishing process. It’s surprising how long everything takes, but fingers crossed I’ll be launching in October 2020.
I’ve also found time to read. I have started to post book reviews, predominantly fantasy as that is my favourite genre, if you’re interested in finding other books to read, check out my first Book review on Cully Mack’s Voice of Thunder. You can find it here.
Thanks again for joining me on my journey, and I look forward to sharing my debut novel soon!
Sentinals Awaken is the first book in my Sentinals series set in the world of Remargaren.
I invested in a Market Editor to make sure my story was on point and made sense! And was surprised to find out that my weakness was grammar! Sentence structure and use of commas. So back to the grammar drawing board to relearn the grammar rules and how to avoid the dreaded comma splice! And hello semicolon. I’ve never used semicolons, and was interested to see that the eye does run over it more than a full stop, which if used too often I think can make sentences choppy. (Unless you want choppy of course!)
The good news was that she loved the story, found the plot original and the characters engaging. And learning grammar is probable simpler than rewriting the story or having to address plot holes or flat characters! I am sure there will many who disagree.
I addressed the issues the editor raised and relearnt my grammar (and groaned over the comma rules), and had a discussion about Point of View (POV) and how to bring out a character’s inner thoughts. I then developed one of my Sentinal characters a bit more as I had deliberately down-played him as he was threatening to take over, and he was obviously down-played too much! I have written a book just for him so he doesn’t get too downhearted and that led to me writing his backstory which became the prequel as it was such fun discovering where the Sentinals came from to begin with.
Next step is to get a few beta readers to do a final sanity check and then to find a copy editor/proofreader to check the final version, and then it will be on to formatting and cover design as dip my toe into the world of self-publishing.
The first step is always the hardest, as is the first word on the page. But once you get going, they don’t stop.
Join me, Helen Garraway, on my journey to get published, or self-published if that ends up being the best way to go.
I’ve spent the last four years writing fantasy novels, and now it’s time to do something with them. This is because I have more ideas tumbling, and I’d like to share them. Hopefully, my future readers will enjoy my characters and world-building as much as I do.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Welcome to the world of Remargaren.
I first started writing when there was that ‘perfect storm’ of a moment when my mother passed away, and my daughter graduated from university and left the nest to travel the world. Suddenly I had an empty house and time on my hands, and ideas started bubbling, and I had to get them on paper.
I’ve always been an avid reader. I got that from my mum. We were both bookworms, and she was one who would watch the telly, read a book and knit at the same time, quite astonishing. I can’t do the knitting bit!
But I have drafted quite a few books and need to do something with them. I want to see them in print and to share my wonderful world.
Now. I’m new to creating websites and blogging, so don’t expect to get inundated with posts, you’ll probably be lucky to get one a month unless something EXCITING happens!
Thank you for joining me. I hope you subscribe and enjoy my writing when it finally gets out there.
Helen Garraway 