Haven Chronicles Book 3

7th November 20247th November 2024

Say Hello to Haven’s Deceit

Haven's Deceit by Fi Phillips and the words The magic continues in Haven's Deceit

It’s not long until Haven’s Deceit joins the Haven Chronicles family as the third instalment in Steve Haven’s journey into magic. Here’s what to expect:

***

The magic continues…

As Steve Haven and his friends mourn the loss of a companion, they think things can’t get any worse.

But then the gates linking Darkacre to the outside world are sealed shut by the Council. And to make matters worse, Hartley Keg’s magical travelling powers are cruelly taken away, leaving him as trapped as the rest of them.

Steve is determined to find his missing parents, and maybe the mystery of where they have gone will be the key to freeing them and their friends from the Council’s traps.

And so Steve and his friends must embark on their most difficult and perilous journey yet. As they do so, they find themselves drawn into a world much more dangerous than they ever imagined, ending in a place where no-one can be trusted, everyone is controlled, and there can be no secrets.

Will Steve find his parents and the truth behind who he really is?

And who will save him this time, when his friends are powerless, trapped, or both?

***

Haven’s Deceit will be published by Burning Chair on 21st November 2024. It’s already available for pre-order:

E-book

Paperback

In the meantime, you can find out a little bit more about Haven’s Deceit in The Inspiration Behind Book 3 of the Haven Chronicles.

Want a reminder of what happened in the first two books? Read Reintroducing the Haven Chronicles Series.

And if you’d like to win a paperback copy of Haven’s Deceit, enter my competition giveaway by answering the following questions from my previous novels.

Question 1: What is the name of Hartley Keg’s shop in Darkacre? Hint: You can find the answer in Haven Wakes.

Question 2: What are the names of Jem Mott’s robots in Keeltown? Hint: You can find the answer in Magic Bound.

Email your answers to me at fiona@fiphillipswriter.com to be entered into the competition. There’s only one winner so if lots of people get the answers right, I’ll randomly choose one of you to receive a copy of Haven’s Deceit.

The closing date is midnight 20th November 2024. The winner will be announced on 21st November.

This competition is open to readers across the globe. I’ll happily post Haven’s Deceit to the winner, wherever you live, with a couple of goodies too.

***

Preorder your copy of Haven’s Deceit today from Amazon or Burning Chair Publishing.

11th October 202411th October 2024

The inspiration behind book three of the Haven Chronicles

an open book with magical sparkles and a blue light and the words The inspiration behind book 3 of the Haven Chronicles

With the next instalment of my YA futuristic fantasy series about to be launched, I thought it was time to tell you what inspired me to write this third novel. While it’s a continuation of Steve’s adventure in Haven Wakes and Magic Bound, there’s a whole range of other factors that have shaped this book. Let me explain.

Finding Steve’s parents

Since Haven Wakes was published, readers have been asking where Steve’s parents are. I wanted to answer that question in this third novel. The location of Mary and Elijah Haven is instrumental to Steve’s journey in this instalment and the next. More than that, their involvement in the world of magicals and mystical devices is even more revealing of what they’ve been hiding from Steve.

Venice

If you haven’t guessed by now, Venice is one of my favourite cities in the world. It’s unique in its history and atmosphere. I keep returning (four times now) and on each visit, I find something new to adore.

I always wanted to include Venice in this series and finally, in book three, it makes an appearance. But it’s not necessarily the Venice we all know.

More consequences

Magic Bound is shaped by the consequences of what happened at the end of Haven Wakes. This third novel continues to be impacted by those effects. Two of Steve’s friends bear the brunt of these consequences: Hartley Keg and the darkling. But there are other rumblings in the world of magicals too.

Who is Steve Haven?

Without throwing in any spoilers, book three sees Steve learning more about himself. And that’s a discovery that will continue in each book up to the end of the series.

Want a reminder of the books that led to this point? Read The inspiration behind Haven Wakes and The inspiration behind Magic Bound.

P.S. I’ll be revealing the title of book three very soon, along with the book cover and blurb. Watch this space.

20th July 202420th July 2024

Killing my darlings: deleted scene from the third instalment of the Haven Chronicles

purple flowers on a vine and the words Deleted scene: book 3

One devastating element of editing my novels is having to cut scenes out. Don’t get me wrong: this is no Draconian order from my publisher. Instead, it’s a realisation (by me) that removing that scene or character will improve my novel. It happened with Magic Bound where I had to divert my characters to a different destination. Thankfully, that scene and set of characters were a wonderful fit for my third novel. Phew!

So as my post-publisher-feedback edited draft of book three sits in the hands of Burning Chair, I think it’s time to share one of my deleted scenes. Pearl Meadow appears in my short story, The Hidden Knowing, which subscribers to my newsletter receive for free. While we don’t meet her in this extract, we do come across her garden inhabitants. Read on to find out more.

The Vine

“A word of warning,” said Hartley as they stopped outside a woven-willow gateway that was interspersed with slim green leaves.

“What shouldn’t I say?” said Steve. “Or do? Will they zap me or try to sacrifice me?”

“No, no, none of that. Pearl Meadow is the kindest person I know. She’ll take no nonsense, mind you, and she absolutely speaks her mind. There’s no doubt about that. But she’s a wonderful woman. No, what I wanted to warn you about is the vine.”

“The vine?” said Steve. “You mean a plant?”

“Spot on. The vine is, well, rather particular about whom it speaks to.”

“A talking plant?”

“On occasion,” said Hartley. “Although it would be more accurate to say, ‘a singing plant’. Anyway, if it doesn’t like you, it can be a tad snappy.” He moved the fingers and thumb of one hand like a crab claw. “Best keep your distance until it’s made up its mind.”

That’s a new one, thought Steve, not fully convinced that his friend wasn’t Joking.

Hartley pushed the willow gate open and before Steve had a chance to see what lay beyond, a squealing, mewling alarm filled the air.

“Only me, only me,” said Hartley as he rushed into the backyard. “No need for that fuss.” The alarm dropped to a dry rattle as Hartley beckoned Steve to follow him.

Pearl Meadow’s yard was less of a yard and more of a field. On either side of a gravel path, lush, ankle-brushing grass was dotted with buttercups and bluebells. Where brick walls should have marked either side of the space and the back of the house, intertwining vines, roses, and hanging baskets that overflowed with more floral abundance travelled from the grass to the level of the first floor windows.

The flowers of the vines, ranging from purple to the brightest blue, nodded and gaped their petals open and shut. Even though they had no visible eyes, Steve got the distinct impression that each flower was watching him.

The vine has been in my head since I first came up with the storyline for the Haven Chronicles, so you may well see it appear in future short stories, or maybe book five?

16th May 202416th May 2024

A catch up in May

It’s been over a year since I’ve written a catch up post, so I thought it was time to do another. So grab a cup of what you fancy and find a comfy seat. Here’s what’s been happening in the life of Fi.

Book 3 of the Haven Chronicles

The second instalment of the Haven Chronicles, Magic Bound, was released in 2022. Since then I’ve been planning and writing the third novel. A couple of months ago, I emailed off the first draft to Burning Chair. I always find this stage rather nerve-fraying, but thankfully they loved it. Phew!

Right now, I’m editing that version. Nothing major. Just a tweak here and a jiggle around there. The target is to finish those edits by the middle of June and have it back in the hands of Burning Chair for the next stage. Wish me luck.

Books 4 and 5

While I waited for Burning Chair to get back to me, I got on with planning book 4. I made my characters suffer plenty in book 3, but book 4 takes that to the next level and over the horizon. More travels, more peril, and much more heartbreak.

Book 5 will be the last instalment of the Haven Chronicles. I’ve always known how I want to end the series so large chunks of the final book are already planned out. It’s going to be an emotional one, both for the characters and me, but I feel that it’s a fitting and deserved end(?) to Steve’s journey.

Something completely different

Once I’d finished planning out book 4 and was waiting to hear back from Burning Chair, I started on a fresh writing project. It’s a fantasy novel, this time for grown-ups, and the first of two. I already know what I want to call it but I’m not going to share that just yet.

There are links in the novel to a couple of characters who appear in the Haven Chronicles, but other than that it’s a story of its own. What can you expect? Well, there’s:

an almost new main character (you met her once in the Haven Chronicles)
a brand new, powerful villain unlike anything I’ve written about before
an old hotel in a wild, rural setting
family ties and romantic challenges
long hidden secrets laid bare

Short stories

Or rather two collections of short stories. I’ve already written two short stories set in the same world as my novels, and plenty more fantasy short tales too. The plan is to create two collections: one of stories that relate to the Haven Chronicles, and another of fantasy stories that don’t tie into the series.

The first collection will be a companion book to the Haven Chronicles that reveals more about many of the side characters, their back stories, and adventures.

Who knows what will make it into the second? I’ve lots of tales to choose from. The title of the collection? It has to be Magical Possibilities.

28th March 202428th March 2024

Do you need to read the Haven Chronicles in order?

Quite a lot of readers have asked me this question, so I thought I’d answer it here on my blog. Just in case you’re new to my writing, the Haven Chronicles series is made up (so far) of two books, Haven Wakes and Magic Bound. The third book is currently with my publisher, Burning Chair. There’ll be two more books in the series after that.

I think the reason that many fiction series can be dipped into wherever you want is that they’re so well known by the reading public, from the characters, to the world where the story takes place, and the overall feel of the books. There’s an element of familiarity that bridges any gaps lost by not reading earlier books in the series.

When it comes to the Haven Chronicles though, I think the greatest reading experience will be gained by starting at book one, Haven Wakes. Here’s why:

Getting to know the characters

In Haven Wakes, the characters are new to the reader and to each other. We get a first impression of them all. For instance, the first time you see Hartley Keg, he’s dressed in an apron and offering breakfast to Steve. That initial impression (if I’ve done my job right) is of someone who is easy to get along with, welcoming, a little comical, and nearly always thinking about food. The reader gets to know Hartley and the other characters as Steve does. And of course, we get to know Steve too.

By the end of Haven Wakes, we know the characters a little better, and we’ve seen a subtle change in Steve too. We know what he’s capable of and how he may act in the future.

In Magic Bound, we learn more about the characters’ back stories, see their interactions evolve, and watch them grow and develop with each new challenge they face. The Steve we know by the end of Magic Bound is more confident, braver, and more decisive than the boy we first meet in Haven Wakes.

World building

Haven Wakes provides a snapshot of Steve’s high-tech world – where most people own a robot (or two) – and the hidden magical underbelly that Steve discovers. We get the chance to run around the city of Caercester and delve into the magical community of Darkacre.

In Magic Bound, that knowledge is the starting point for an adventure that takes Steve and his friends beyond the city limits. We also learn more about the magical community and their history.

In the third novel, our characters venture even further and discover so much more.

Haven Wakes provides the foundation of your understanding of the world, rules, and culture of the Haven Chronicles.

Story arcs

Each novel in the Haven Chronicles has its own individual story, but there’s also an overarching storyline that runs throughout the series. While dipping into the Haven Chronicles at any point will provide you with a treat of an (individual) adventure, you may miss out on the storyline of the entire series. Each novel provides a basis for the next novel and a step further along the overall story arc.

Breadcrumbs

When I say ‘breadcrumbs’, I mean clues. I know how the series will end. There’ll be a massive reveal in the final novel and so far, I’ve scattered a number of breadcrumbs through Haven Wakes, Magic Bound, and book three. There’ll be more in book four too.

So if you jump in at books two or three, you might miss some of those lovely breadcrumbs and the chance to carry out a little deduction.

***

You are, dear reader, free to read the Haven Chronicles in whatever order you like but I hope I’ve proved my point that starting at Haven Wakes is a good idea before moving on to the second book and beyond.

22nd January 202422nd January 2024

Fi Phillips: the story so far

It’s my first blog post of the new year, so I thought it was time to have a catch-up and reintroduce myself and my books.

My name is Fi Phillips. I’m a fantasy author, freelance copywriter, wife and mum, and slave to a dog called Bailey. I live in North Wales, just over the border from Chester. My novels, Haven Wakes and Magic Bound, were released by Burning Chair Publishing in 2019 and 2022.

Want to know more about my novels?

Haven Wakes blurb

When his uncle dies, Steve Haven finds himself the guardian of a strange artefact known only as the Reactor. But there are people out there who want the Reactor: dangerous and powerful people, who will stop at nothing to get it.

Steve is dragged into a race against time to save two worlds from an evil he could never have imagined and, in doing so, is forced to rely on people who, just a few days before, he would never have believed could exist.

Magic Bound blurb

The magic returns.

When Hartley Keg and Blessing go missing, Steve Haven once again finds himself plunged back into a hidden world of magic. Teaming up with the darkling, he finds himself on the run from the Council and their enforcers, the Hidden, as he seeks to keep safe those that he holds most dear.

Things are complicated further when a new player emerges: Parity, who are far too keen in the Haven Corporation, and the magical device which nearly led to its destruction.

What follows is a race against time through a series of worlds, each more fantastical and dangerous than the last, as Steve and his friends try to keep one step ahead of their pursuers.

Haven Wakes and Magic Bound by Fi Phillips on an abstract magical background

Book 3 of the Haven Chronicles

Last year was all about finishing the first draft of the third book in my futuristic fantasy series. I achieved that goal just before the end of 2023. On New Year’s day, I took up the reins again and began the first round of edits. I’m twelve chapters in so far.

The plan is to finish editing the first draft by the end of February at the latest, and then send it off to my publisher. Fingers crossed.

After that, I’ll be planning out book 4 in the series.

What else?

To date, I’ve written a short story and a novelette set in the same world as my novels. ‘The Hidden Knowing’ is available for free to new subscribers to my author newsletter. ‘A Shadow Falls in Darkacre’ was a Christmas subscriber freebie in 2022 and 2023. I immensely enjoyed investigating side characters and plotlines in both tales, so I’d like to create more short stories centred around the magical community of Darkacre. The plan is to eventually publish them all in a collection of Darkacre tales.

You can also find my writing in two anthologies: 2020 Together and 2021 Still Together. Both raise money for the NHS charities.

So that’s me, Fi, and my writing so far. And if you’d like to find out how I became a writer, hop on over to my About page.

24th August 202315th November 2023

The rewards of writing a fiction series

I’ve blogged before about the challenges of writing book two and those challenges haven’t diminished as I work on the third book of the Haven Chronicles. What I haven’t written about is the rewards of writing a fiction series.

Writing a series isn’t easy, but it can be incredibly satisfying. It’s certainly given me a sense of accomplishment, but it’s also helped me to grow as a writer.

So in this blog post, I want to share with you some of the rewards that I’ve enjoyed while writing my series. These aren’t the only rewards, of course, but they are some of the most important ones for me.

Exploring the world of the Haven Chronicles

When I wrote Haven Wakes, I fell in love with both the futuristic and magical aspects of Caercester and Darkacre. In Magic Bound, I got the chance to extend that world beyond the city limits and dive deeper into the magical culture.

Building a world that has elements of both fantasy and sci fi is an absolute joy. I have the chance to play with robots and technology that is being developed in our world right now or is only theorised about at the moment. I can also indulge my love of all things folklore and magic, including characters from the mythological tales I devoured as a child.

Writing a series allows me to wend my way through that world, further and further afield with each book, and explore the intricacies of both the magical and workaday** cultures. With each new instalment, I can return there and share those locations with my readers.

Revisiting the characters of the Haven Chronicles

It’s not only the world of the Haven Chronicles that I can revisit; there’s the characters too. Writing a series allows me to follow the journeys of Steve, Hartley, Blessing, and the darkling, plus some well-loved side characters like James and Frobisher too. With each new book, I can explore their development, their relationships with each other, and how their views of the world change over time.

What’s more, I can create companion stories that feature those characters too. Hartley Keg and Frobisher turn up in my short stories, The Hidden Knowing and A Shadow Falls in Darkacre. And I’ve plans to write a novel about Hartley’s adventures long before he meets Steve in Haven Wakes.

Serving the readers of the Haven Chronicles

Before my novels were published, I always worried about how they’d be received. Would readers like them and want more? Or would they post horrendous 1* reviews and my books die a literary death? Thankfully, the feedback I’ve received from beta and ARC readers, bloggers, and book reviewers has been encouraging.

And instead of simply accepting the praise, I’ve done my best to listen to what readers want to see in future books too. More action. More future tech. The most common question from readers has been ‘where are Steve’s parents?’. I’ll answer that in the third book in the series.

Challenging myself as a writer

Writing a series has meant continuing an overarching storyline and making sure that my characters are consistent but also develop with each new adventure. It’s also meant:

planning ahead for the entire series, not just one novel
learning how to keep my characters acting like themselves but changing over time too
planting seeds that will reach fruition in future books
keeping the plot of each novel relevant to the overall story arc of the series
making each book bigger than the one before
keeping track of what’s happened in previous books so I don’t make continuity mistakes

It’s a completely different skillset to writing one stand-alone story but it’s a challenge I’m enjoying immensely.

Writing a series has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life as a writer. I’ve loved exploring the world and the characters of the Haven Chronicles, serving my readers and listening to their feedback, and challenging myself to grow and improve as a writer. I can’t wait to share the third book in the series with you.

** a term used to describe non magical people in my novels

14th June 202315th November 2023

Lost down a rabbit hole: What I researched for Book 3 of the Haven Chronicles

I’m one of those authors who likes to prepare as much as possible before I begin to work on a new novel. One aspect of that preparation is plenty of research. You might think that because I write fantasy stories, the whole concept will be born from my imagination but I’m a firm believer in the value of grounding a story – even a fantasy story – in reality and possibilities that are believable to the reader.

Before I started on the third book in my YA futuristic fantasy series, I spent a lot of time on research so that I wouldn’t have to stop mid-way through to find out what was scientifically possible or historically correct. Here’s what I researched.

Haven Wakes and Magic Bound

Yes, I know I wrote both books, but over time the edges of your creations begin to blur. So I needed to check certain facts from the first two books to make sure I got it right in book three. Facts like:

what the travelling door in Hartley’s kitchen looks like
the layout of Darkacre
the entrance to the magical council controlled area, the Confluence (including golems)
Kiri Ema’s and the dancer Mariana’s appearances

and much much more.

Flying cities

Magic Bound was predominantly set in the magical portion of Steve’s world so I wanted to feature much more of the workaday (non-magical and futuristic) portion in book three. One expression of that high tech culture is a flying city. Research unearthed several possibilities:

aerostatic lift, involving lighter-than-air gases to provide buoyancy and lift
aerodynamic lift, with aerodynamic features that generate lift
anti-gravity, using technology that manipulates gravitational forces
tethered aerostat, a lighter-than-air structure anchored to the ground
static lift structure, generating enough buoyancy to keep the city afloat without a tether

It’s all very exciting and the technology I’ve chosen has definitely influenced the design of the city. And no, I’m not telling you what it’s called yet – you’ll have to wait and see.

Ostriches pulling carriages

Yes, that’s a real thing – look. I can’t include an image in this blog post for copyright reasons, but there are so many vintage images of ostriches pulling carts, traps, and carriages out there.

Now, there are no ostriches pulling a carriage in book three but there is something similar to an ostrich. That’s as much as I’m going to say. Again, read book three.

Cruise ships

Fi Phillips standing in a Norwegian setting with the cruise ship Iona in the background

This was a lovely topic to return to after my cruise of the Norwegian fjords last year, but I was especially interested in vintage cruise ships like Queen Mary 1 and 2, the RMS Aquitania, and yes, even the Titanic. It was the sumptuous interiors that piqued my interest.

Venice

I’ve been promising to feature Venice in my novels since I finished writing Haven Wakes and it finally makes an appearance in book three. This was one of my favourite research topics to dive into.

I’ve visited Venice several times and it’s a city that I still find fascinating and mysterious, so I’m taking Steve and co there this time round. Having said that, it may not quite be the Venice we all know.

So yes, those were the rabbit holes that I disappeared into last year. I have to say that I loved researching all of these topics. In fact, I probably spent way too much time down these rabbit holes because, well, shiny things and all that. Once book three is finished, I’ll be straight into research for book four and I already know that’ll include… Hang on. That’s a completely different blog post.

26th April 202326th April 2023

A catch up in April

It’s been a while since I wrote a catch-up blog, so I thought April was the ideal month to let you know what’s been going on in the Life of Fi. 2023 has been hectic so far – generally in a good way – but that hasn’t stopped me from working on my novel or taking on new creative challenges.

Writing book 3 (and 4)

I began writing the third book in my YA futuristic fantasy series last year. I mapped the whole book out before I made a start and even back then, it did seem a lot to fit into 300 odd pages. Having written a generous portion of book three, I now realise that what I’d mapped out was not one book, but two. My challenge now is to decide where I can satisfactorily end book three (with a big, exciting finish) and begin book four.

What this means for you as a reader of course, is that there should be less time between the release of the two books. Hopefully.

Book 5 of the Haven Chronicles

Since I finished writing Haven Wakes, I’ve known exactly how I wanted to end the series. Clues have been dropped in books one and two and there’ll be more clues in books three and four. Book five will be the end of one journey but will leave plenty of doors open for more adventures elsewhere. Sorry to sound vague and mysterious but, you know, spoilers.

Creative Fi

2022 was a brilliant year in so many ways, but it was also a year that demanded I spend a lot of time at my desk, head down writing and planning in an attempt to keep ahead of my schedule as a copywriter and an author. There was little time for side projects. So I decided that this year would be all about new creative outlets that are fun.

First, I came across a flash fiction write-athon on Twitter called #7DayTale. Write a story in seven tweets, one each day for a week, on a provided theme. It’s a monthly event that I discovered thanks to the wonderful poet and author Lily Lawson.

The second new creative outlet for 2023 is my craft business. I used to make semi-precious jewellery for a living and while I gave that up several years ago, I’ve always wanted to return to working with beads and charms. As I’m an author and all about books, you probably won’t be surprised to discover that I’ve started a business making bookmarks. It’s called Bookmarks and Charms by Fi.

Finally, I’ve returned to a platform I first discovered about a decade ago – Tumblr. I’m not sure exactly how I’m going to use my new author account – Magical Possibilities – but it’ll probably include:

work in progress news and snippets
requests for beta and ARC readers
book reviews (not my books)
flash fiction and small stones
book cover reveals
news from other speculative fiction authors and my publisher
thoughts and musings
photos from the Life of Fi

If you’re a Tumblr user, then I’d love to connect over there.

Final Words

I’ll finish this catch up with a snippet from my work in practice, book three of the Haven Chronicles. This scene happens in Darkacre just when Steve desperately needs to be cheered up.

***

“It really smells rounds here.” Steve covered his nose as a sweet, pungent stink wafted through the air. “What is that?”

“It’s not me,” said James. “I’ve washed today. Maybe Widow Wefan has been using goat manure on her garden plot again.”

There was a ‘ping’ and a scrabbling of claws as a squirrel materialised in the air in front of Steve’s face and then dropped to the cobbled road.

“Squirrel mail,” said Steve.

“Blimey,” said James.

With a chirp, the squirrel ran up Steve’s trouser leg, circled his torso, and came to rest on his shoulder. With a flourish, the squirrel pulled a note out of the air and gave a quick bark.

“I think it’s for you,” said James with a grin.

***

4th January 202315th November 2023

What you can expect from me in 2023

Sh! I’m still on festive break officially but I thought I’d take advantage of the lull before I return to my desk to say ‘hi’. 2022 was a good, if exhausting year. I saw my latest novel published, got a wonderful new cover and relaunch for my debut novel, and even went off on a Norwegian fjord cruise with my other half.

2023, however, is a clean page that I’m keen to get scribbling on. Just in case you wanted to know, here’s what you can expect from me over the next twelve months.

Writing Book 3 of the Haven Chronicles

Last year, I started to write the third book in my YA futuristic fantasy series and there’ll be more of that in 2023. One question that many of my readers and reviewers have asked after reading Haven Wakes and Magic Bound is, ‘where are Steve’s parents?’. That question will finally be answered in book 3.

There’ll be new places to go, old and new foes to outsmart, and plenty more revelations about Steve and his family.

The festive break brought a new epiphany about the path of this series but that’s something to share once book 3 is published.

Social Media for Authors

My book of social media advice for authors remains in the hands of Burning Chair. Fingers crossed, it will be published this year.

In the meantime, if you’re an author looking for social media advice, head on over to my copywriter blog.

Subscriber treats

In December, subscribers to my Author News received the links and passwords to my fantasy novella, A Shadow Falls in Darkacre. The plan is to release at least one short story or novella in 2023 too.

By the way, if you’re not subscribed yet, you can sign up here. New subscribers receive a free short story set in the same world as my novels.

Book reviews

Writers are readers too and I’ll be attacking my to-be-read pile with the usual enthusiasm. I didn’t read as many books last year as I’d have liked to (only nine) so fingers crossed, I can do better this year. The target is twelve.

Here’s a taste of the first nine books I’ll be reading.

book covers of Prisoner of Paradise by Rob Samborn, Babes in the Woods by Mark Stay, Ghosts: Being the experiences of Flaxman Low, Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman, Exiles by Daniel Blythe, The Shepherds Crown by Terry Pratchett, Blackbirch 1 by K M Allan, Master and Apprentice by Susan Mansbridge, All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

As usual, you can find all of my book reviews over on Instagram.

My search for a literary agent

With two novels published and a third in the works, I feel that it’s time to find a literary agent. In 2023, I’ll be sending out submissions to UK literary agents who are interested in YA fantasy. I don’t have much more to say about that other than, wish me luck.

And that’s it – my authorly plan for 2023. Fingers crossed.