Rae of Light

As I plug my way through my Palindrome [WIP] edit before its release at the end of July, I’m working hard at channelling my central character. This is not that simple considering he’s a 13 year old boy, highly intelligent and fairly reserved too. He reads books some older people would find challenging, has an antiquated vocabulary and spends far too much time on his own or with adults. Oh, and let’s not forget his parents are Scottish (dad) and Romany (mum) so he’s bound to have a Janus complex. If this isn't already a psychological condition then I think it certainly should be.
I’ve been struggling to establish his voice for some time now and repeatedly write him in too formal a manner. It’s all about striking the right balance to ensure he’s believable and intriguing enough so readers get invested in what happens to him and those he is closest to. I’m having a hard time of it. The delete button is getting a pounding while my mind whirls with a flurry of ideas which seem fantastic…

#Review: HAGSTONE by Helena Rookwood



A 4 star read
I liked how I was immediately thrown into the action with the central character, Madeleine. The world she and her family inhabit is well described and I was able to picture its various elements very well. This is a bonus for someone like me who has trouble with geography in general. The place descriptions allowed me to create a world picture of where I was and feel that I inhabited this place with the characters.
The main tension is set up by an unusual cast of characters, including Madeleine’s young daughter and her mother-in-law who exhibits witch-like traits. Add to this Madeleine’s secrets about her past and the growing tension between herself and her husband and you get an intriguing set of circumstances.
The book is essential a quest novel. At the beginning we learn that Madeleine’s quest has been curtailed. As her daughter has grown from baby to toddler and nears teen hood, Madeleine’s desire to resume her quest has been quelled. B…