Rae of Light

  During Lockdown I had to learn a raft of new online skills. One of the many things I discovered was the existence of reader subscriptions services. I guess the main reason this was so new to me, even though it’s been around for a while, is that I’m an avid library user and doubt this will ever change. However, for those not as library-bound as this particular potential Luddite, it seems ideal. How they work is: you pay a monthly subscription fee, much like you do for Netflix or Sky they have 30 day free trials they carry a large selection of e-magazines and books they are compatible on many device platforms including Kobo, Nook and more they are generally available worldwide The main reason I became aware of them is that I attended an online seminar run by the Alliance of Independent Authors on how to spread the reach of my e-books beyond Kindle Unlimited. The speaker mentioned a few names which were unfamiliar to me so I checked them out.   If you’re short on money ...

    Many thanks for all the messages I received from people after my last post. I truly appreciate the support extended by each and every one of you. If I haven’t responded to your email as yet, please bear with me, I will get back to you pronto.   Great News There’s tons of it to pass on. Airbnb have opened up my calendar and I'm booked up until the end of October. This is a great relief to me.   I’ve been loading my books on Draft 2 Digital which means they’re available for all e-readers and not just Kindle. This is long overdue so I’m very glad I finally got that squared away. I’ve also finally gone ‘wide’ for my paperbacks so can approach local independent bookshops and libraries to stock my books.   I’m working on a short book as part of the Deed series. It will be exclusive to members of my mailing list. That should be done by mid October and with my subscribers once I convert it to an epub and mobi doc. I will also provide a pdf if people prefer t...

It is my great pleasure to announce the launch of Memoirs of a Feline Familiar . I merely acted as amanuensis to Jinx Obsidian Bastet (aka Kastaspella’s famous feline Familiar). In this memoir he tells us of the hardships a Familiar has to deal with on a daily basis and spills the beans about the famous and infamous alike. MAILING LIST EXCLUSIVE OFFER ON 22 MARCH the E-book will be completely FREE. Just follow the link below. FREE E-book

The Main Characters Brueberon – A very lonely over-sized dragon in need of a friend. Clarissa Henry – An extreme reader who dreams of worlds other than the one she lives in. Kastaspella – A dastardly witch who detests Clarissa and hopes to make her life even more miserable than it already is. A Book Is Born My intention was never to write a children’s book. Before I started working at Inkhead I actively avoided little children quite simply because I was afraid of them. Okay, terrified is more accurate a description. As a teacher I stuck with teenagers. Despite their erratic qualities I related to them very well. Perhaps I was still a teenager at heart. Ultimately I assumed my writing would focus on teen and adult themes. At the time I was already writing the first in my Sci Fi series and was almost done with the final edit of my debut novel. So I was a little stunned to find myself writing The Lonely Dragon . I’m even more surprised now to find myself producing a ...

When I wrote my debut novel Six Dead Men it was meant to be a stand-alone piece. I was already working on a Sci Fi Novel and had several other ideas floating about for new novels. It also had a very different ending to the current one. My ART at the time (a writing group run by Caroline Natzler) were insistent I change my planned ending. Here was this bunch of hard core writers who demanded the perfect word in exactly the right spot and my realistic ending was proving too traumatising for them. Who could have predicted it? Certainly not me. It took me a while to rethink my ending (an entire summer if I recall correctly) to find a closing which didn’t involve a rewrite of the entire novel. This made the writing process a touch challenging but I believe it produced a better book. However, it also woke the voices of the subsidiary characters who then demanded I write something just for them. It's the reason I now also have Six Degrees , a book of short stories in the ser...

I’m hoping to do my best Henry V imitation and exhort many of you to join my A dvance R eading T eam ( ART ) immediately. A quick Thank You here to my current dream team. You know who you are so I won't embarrass you by naming names. What exactly is an ART? An A dvance R eading T eam is an indie author’s first line of both attack and defense. The war terminology is out in full force now. What I mean by this is that they spot glaring errors and help us authors gain support and enthusiasm which is so crucial when launching a book. What do you get out of it? As a member of my ART you would get: A FREE advance e-copy of any upcoming books The opportunity to name a character in my next book Your name listed in the front matter if you have provided feedback in the review period   What do I get out of it? In return, at the time of the book’s official release, I’ll ask you for an honest review either on Amazon, Goodreads or both. This is because r...

Hello again to the regulars and a very warm welcome to the latest followers. It's a pleasure to have you here. Ever wondered what writers get up to when they’re not writing? Well my passions have always centred round reading and dancing. But I have several others I indulge on occasion. I’ve always loved drawing and painting. I took an Art GCSE and my very first holiday in the UK was a painting one in Scotland. It was the first time I’d ever used any other medium besides pencil and watercolour. And it was liberating. For many years, whenever I went on holiday I’d take a travel set of watercolours and paint postcards for people. I haven’t done that in far too long and am thinking of starting again. I take endless photos though and spend ages deleting and editing till I’m happy they’re worthy to post on Facebook which has been my online photo album for years now. On one trip back to South Africa to visit dad, his girlfriend taught me the rudiments of jewellery mak...

I'm thrilled to announce that Where Rainbows Hide has been included in a mass e-book GIVEAWAY hosted by well known author and pod-caster, Paul Teague . Can you spot my little baby in the fabulous line up above? Get your FREE books here Scifi/Dystopian Giveaway