C.S. Lewis is best known for his Chronicles of Narnia, with "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", being a perennial childhood favourite. He's buried in a small church graveyard, tucked away in what was probably once a village but has now been swallowed up into the Oxford suburbs. A handy sign points you to... Continue Reading →
I've been waiting to visit this one for ages. North of Oxford, in a busy suburb, is a smallish graveyard called Wolvercote Cemetery. It's an unlikely final resting place for arguably one of the most influential fantasy writers who ever lived but nevertheless this is where you'll find J.R.R. Tolkien, and his wife Edith. There... Continue Reading →
George Orwell is arguably the father of modern dystopian fiction. A lot of terms we use in everyday life (perhaps more frequently than we'd like in recent years) come from his most famous work "Nineteen Eighty-Four". "Big Brother", "Room 101", "Thought Police" all come from his nightmarish vision of what was then the future, now... Continue Reading →
I first encountered Jacek Yerka's work via a blog I frequent and as soon as I did, I knew I'd found something special. I've never studied art so I can't use fancy terms to explain what it means or why I like it, but I do find certain art works and artists inspiring. Needless to... Continue Reading →
I wanted to share a few photos of this exhibition, currently on in the Weston Library, but photography isn't allowed. That's understandable so instead please enjoy these photos of the notebook and badges I bought at the library shop. The exhibition itself isn't big but it's free and packed with artifacts from Tolkiens life and... Continue Reading →
The Ramsay family moved to Coulden Wells dreaming of a quiet country life. But the moment they passed the village boundary, they were doomed to be part of fate. Because Coulden Wells is not the pretty English hideaway it seems. For centuries it has been protected by a coven of witches. And they have misused... Continue Reading →
It's Christmas Eve my friends and you know what that means. Time to start eating and reading! For a limited time only, get "Under this Skin", my original e-book, for the bargain price of 99p! Snuggle up with this fantastical, five-star tale whilst chowing down on (several) mince pies. Offer starts 8am today. The price... Continue Reading →
"Under this Skin" ebook is available on Amazon! The link goes to Amazon UK Kbut it's up on other countries websites too - just search for "Under this Skin". And you can borrow it for free if you're a Kindle Unlimited customer. If you're not sure if it's right for you, check out my blog... Continue Reading →
Any fan of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will know that its eponymous heroine is based on a real person. Alice Liddell was the fourth child in the Liddell family. They were friends with Charles Dodgson AKA Lewis Carroll and it was on a boating trip that he whipped up the tale of Alice and the White... Continue Reading →
I grew up surrounded by fantasy and sci-fi. Maybe that's why it's what I love to write now. Â Bedtime stories were The Hobbit, Wind in the Willows, Roald Dahl. Daytime video viewing was Star Wars, Willow, Labyrinth and all the Disney films. It's still seen as odd if you're into fantasy and happen to be... Continue Reading →
