The once-great city of Gastar stands in ruins following centuries of war by undead monsters driven by an evil temple. Victory cost the people of the knowledge to defeat another enemy, Zermon, ruler of hell, who seeks to extend his realm by annihilation of the few people left. With the help of a sympathetic ancient dragon, volunteer fighters from the past war, and the arrival of a teen assassin named Shevata who is known to Zermon, they combine efforts for the existence of the people of Gastar.
I always ignored the desire to write, thinking it wasn’t a valid career but can’t ignore it anymore. I have had several factual articles published and this has given me the confidence to publish some of my fiction.
<p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Comment from Charlotte Castle, author of ‘Simon's Choice’: </span></strong><em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Just the kind of book I enjoy. A subtlety of touch is required with this subject matter but Emily's predicament does not seem forced, clumsy or even sordid.</span></em><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></strong></p><p></p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></p><p> </p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Comment from Ian Cook, author of ‘Neferatu and the Red Queen’: </span></strong><em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">This is a very keen observation on a part of today's society that seems very bleak and brutal somehow. Yet there is great humanity in this story ... for me, it brings to mind films like 'Trainspotting' and the '60s 'kitchen sink' dramas.</span></em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></p><p></p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></p><p> </p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Comment from Missy Fleming, author of ‘Mark of Eternity’: </span></strong><em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">A lot of stories come out about college teachers and students and you take us into that relationship showing us what it's really like.</span></em></p><p></p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></em></p><p> </p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Comment from Carl Ashmore, author of ‘The Time Hunters’: </span></strong><em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">I'm a college lecturer so you are writing about a world of such familiarity to me. However, the main focus of your novel is such a difficult one and you handle the material with a true deftness of touch. There is a fluidity to your prose and I found this incredibly accessible.</span></em><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></strong></p><p></p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></em></p><p> </p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Comment from Amy J. Bates, author of ‘Love Match’: </span></strong></p><p></p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">I read it all the way through in one sitting. I couldn't put it down!</span></em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"> <br /></span><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Comment from Alexie Aaron, author of ‘The Hauntings of Cold Creek Hollow’ and ‘Decomposing’:</span></strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"> <em>I am awed by the characterization in this first act. There were so many emotions that Emily went through but all were real, seamless and in character. I challenge anyone to read this and not be impressed by how the author has taken her main character through such a maze of emotions.</em></span></p><p></p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></p><p> </p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Comment by Sly, author of ‘Stonefish’:</span></strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"> <em>This is a sensitively written exploration of what happens when a lonely and naive young woman becomes emotionally entangled with one of her students ... a stupid thing to do, but human.</em></span></p><p></p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></p><p> </p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Comment from Margaret Callow, author of ‘Strange Boy’ and ‘The Spirit of the Butterfly’: </span></strong><em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">You’ve created visual strength and lots of atmosphere. Emily's pathos is obvious and you portray her so well. Sad, lonely and longing for what she feels she's been cheated of. The young buck, Jamie is crafted well too. </span></em><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></p><p></p> <p style="line-height:150%;margin:0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:150%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span></p><p> </p><strong><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">Comment from KJ Kron, author of ‘Saint Peter Killed God’: </span></strong><em><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb">There is something that you pull off here - you make me sympathetic toward your narrator while at the same time I couldn't help but want to slap her for being stupid.</span></em><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" lang="en-gb" xml:lang="en-gb"></span>