It’s been almost a year since my last blog post. So long, in fact, I almost forgot how to access the dashboard! There have been a number of reasons for my absence, some sad, some glad, but here I am, back to throw some more words into the ether.

My absence here doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing, though. Quite the opposite, in fact. I have stories in two current anthologies, A Quaint and Curious Volume of Gothic Tales, via Brigid’s Gate Press, and The Rebel Diaries, via Sacha Black. I’ve also written one book which is about to go out on query, and reworked another which is almost ready for subs. However, the season for editing is done and now I’m returning to the mists and forests of Ambeth once more, to write the final instalment of The Ambeth Chronicles.

It’s a bittersweet feeling to finish the series. Oak and Mist was the first book I ever wrote for myself. I spent years writing words for other people, but the world of Ambeth was the first I inhabited as a writer, and I have so much love for it. Oak and Mist is not perfect, but every time I re-read it, as I do whenever I write the next instalment, I’m struck again by how much truth there is in the story, how much of me is on the page, and how much I love it. The series is not just the story of a girl, a quest and a gate between worlds, but also the story of me as a writer. The tale runs true between each book, the threads all tying together, but my style of prose changes, subtly. It’s a record of my work of which I’m proud.

Does it sound as though I’m blowing my own trumpet? Well, I am. And why not? I’ve spent a lot of years writing, honing my craft, submitting and absorbing the blows of rejection while pushing forward, not letting go of my creative vision. There has been joy, as well, with good reviews, fan art and readers contacting me, selling short stories and winning competitions. But mainly, the joy of the story, of plunging into another world for a little while, and bringing my characters’ experiences back to the page.

The Ambeth Chronicles may be close to ending, but I don’t think it’s the last time I’ll walk the pathway through the meadow, cross over through the gate between the worlds. There are other stories for me to explore, two more books I’m rather excited about taking shape on the page. But you never forget your first love, and so it is for me and Ambeth. May the journey continue…

You can pick up the e-book of Oak and Mist, the first book in The Ambeth Chronicles, for just 99c/99p on Amazon. Get your copy, and start your journey to Ambeth today…

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