As a teenager, I used to wander through nearby fields and woodlands, imagining scenes from Tolkiens' Lord of the Rings. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I discovered the great man spent his formative years just three miles from where I was brought up.

My first job at 16 in Shirley, Birmingham (not Shirely!) was less than a mile from his childhood home in Sarehole Mill. In my lunch break, I would go for a run and unknowingly pass his house. But best of all was the route through Moseley Bog - and after heavy rainfall I discovered how it earned its name :0) The small wood with its moss-covered trees is believed to be the inspiration for the Old Forest on the Shire's borders. To think I might have run along the same paths as he walked! (And not forgetting Frodo, Sam, Merry & Pippin of course.)

Now, as I write the prequel to my Song of Echoes series, I find inspiration in woodlands and fields where I live in North Bedfordshire. Nearby Bedford is not quite the industrial smoking hellhole that Birmingham was in the 1920s (perhaps inspiration for Mordor?), but it does have a nice walk down by the river :0) 

If you're interested, you can walk in Tolkien's footsteps using Ruth Millington's excellent guide to his life in Birmingham here...

​Well, who would want to read a story about a land where it takes only a day or two to cross? Although, I guess that would make for another interesting story if everyone lived on each other's doorsteps :0)

When the basic map was done, I set about thinking about the history and where to start my story. This was harder than I anticipated and spent another month fleshing out an imaginary history, and again, what sort of civilisations and races would be shaped by events.

Then onto the monsters! This was fun. I wanted to avoid dragons and as many as the usual beasts you find in fantasy. They've been done so often, and by writers better than me, so I decided to make up my own. Again, they have a history and a reason to be in my world. And what are their strengths and weaknesses. It's too easy sometimes to have an all-powerful monster that turns up and destroys everything in its path (yes, dragons I'm pointing at you!). So, I wanted my creatures to be more realistic (yes that's a contradiction) and fallible. Scary obviously, but not so powerful they can’t be defeated.

It's taken a little longer than I'd hoped (unfortunately my 'day job' has to take priority), but the third book in my Song of Echoes Epic Fantasy Series comes out tomorrow! The kindle edition is available on 20th, March 2023, and the paperback will be published mid-April.

Sea of Souls is the third installment of the five book series, although as I flesh out the scope of the fourth, it might end up needing six to complete the story!

The feedback from my invaluably beta-readers reading the first draft was encouraging. Then completing the final manuscript took just about two months.

I'm really pleased with the result, if I say so myself. The story is split into 3 POVs as Elodi, Toryn and Nyomae take different paths to fight back against the threat from the north. New characters are introduced (good and bad!) as the plight of the Five Realms enters a dangerous phase.

The artwork is by Kentaro Kanamoto who has done the covers for the previous books in the series. I think it's pretty obvious that I love his work, well who wouldn't?

EXTRACT from Sea of Souls:
Elodi made her way down the rocky path to the pebble beach. She walked out to the shore as the boat grounded. The man climbed out, staggered, then fell into the water. Elodi’s heart went out to him, but she stopped herself from going to his aid. He recovered his footing and took hold of the rope. But the task of pulling the craft onto the beach proved too much. He gave up and dropped the rope. Elodi waited with her hand on her sword. Yet she doubted the poor soul could take many more steps as he slipped and stumbled on the wet stones.

Elodi called out. ‘Stop right there. Please do not take another step.’ The man straightened as best he could, but his wet cloak looked too bulky for his thin body to support. She shuffled a little closer and held out her lamp. ‘You have landed in Mund, Ward of Farrand. I am Lady Harlyn...'

So now it's onto book 4. I don't have a title as yet, but I've almost completed the plot structure and will make a start on the first draft within a week or two. I'm hoping to devote more time to writing and have set myself the target to publish by January 2024... but I won't be holding my breath :0/

You can order Sea of Souls using the button below. Please note, it will be at a special launch offer price of $2.99 / £2.50 until the end of March (a saving of 40%ish)

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!