The allure of magic in literature has gripped me since I was a kid, probably due to a very difficult childhood and the unusually precocious scope of my imagination. Escape is prized in such circumstances. The fact that I could illustrate my own little stories as well as I could read adult works helped, too. Majoring in English and History later on only fortified my subsequent desire to blend contemporary and classically appointed styles along with elaborate illustrations to create (hopefully) enduring works of my own. I describe myself as “raised by wolves, saved by stories, and still exploring the universe in my own magical hot air balloon.”
I wrote...
Rowan Blaize and the Hand of Djin Rummy: Enchanted Heritage Chronicles: Book II
The best “portal” to the world of Rowan Blaize! Twenty years have passed since Rowan faced a great magical foe, but the wily warlock is still on-the-run with his mortal foundling, Miranda. What better place to lay low than the charming seaside town of St. Augustine, Florida? The famed Ancient City, however, is already home to voyeuristic ghosts, cocktail-loving vampires, werewolf comedians, and three highly eccentric witches. When a cursed ring crosses paths with a beauty pageant brat, catastrophe is unleashed upon the whole party-town. Can the witches stop bickering long enough to combine their powers and avert disaster?
This is a novel blending enchantment, satire, suspense, and horror in a delectable cauldron's-brew-of-a-tale. Fabulous characters are introduced, elaborate back-stories reveal much about Rowan's past, and tantalizing questions are posed about his future.
The fragrance of exotic spice, dreamy Moroccan evenings rife with jasmine, and whispers of dark magic leap from the pages of this little-known fairy tale classic I latched onto as a kid. A young boy must save his beleaguered household from the mischievous plots of wicked djinn, helped by a kind and marvelously magical desert fox in disguise. This evocative tale is breathtaking for readers of all ages—a fantasy feast for the senses, embellished with illustrations by the great Fritz Eichenberg. A “best-kept secret” treasure that I still read once a year!
" This is a tale of djinns, - of their mischief and their magic in the Moroccan city of Fez." The 14th century city of Fez entertains and informs young listeners through action set in the palace, mosque, and market place in a tale of adventure and delicious danger to the household of Mohammed Ali and his son Mousa.
First published in 1943, this extraordinary story blends the exotic traditions of a Moroccan household with ancient legends of spirits, both good and bad. Who is the mysterious bride with her pet gazelle? When the fountain stops, the orange tree is…
The stark simplicity of this work knocked my socks off when I picked it up years ago. Rarely has a fairy tale struck such a perfect balance between the terrifying and the whimsical, the emotional and the macabre. Neil Gaiman’s masterpiece, in my opinion, rules the literary pantheon due to its ability to make the idea of parallel worlds horrifyingly outlandish yet believable, and for introducing a young heroine as compelling and as memorable as any in the genre.
"Sometimes funny, always creepy, genuinely moving, this marvellous spine-chiller will appeal to readers from nine to ninety." - "Books for Keeps". "I was looking forward to "Coraline", and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was enthralled. This is a marvellously strange and scary book." - Philip Pullman, "Guardian". "If any writer can get the guys to read about the girls, it should be Neil Gaiman. His new novel "Coraline" is a dreamlike adventure. For all its gripping nightmare imagery, this is actually a conventional fairy story with a moral." - "Daily Telegraph". Stephen King once called Neil Gaiman 'a treasure-house…
I was as surprised as anyone when hardcore horror master Clive Barker painted such a magical panorama in this harrowing story suited for almost all ages. In a house haunted by imprisoned spirits and managed by a mysterious man eager to fulfill the dreams of visiting children, young Harvey Swick knows that every marvel comes at a sinister cost, and it’s up to him to rise to the challenge and outwit the forces trying to take him captive. The full impact of Barker’s twisted imagination is on display in this oft-forgotten classic, structured with page-turning verve for fans of contemporary dark fairy-tale adventure.
Not technically a fairy tale, this surrealist classic nevertheless reads as if a haze of magic might as well be wafting the prose directly into the reader’s mind. The story about a passel of spirited children orphaned by a hurricane and kidnapped by bawdy Caribbean pirates remains shocking and yet deliciously lyrical in its cheeky exploration of human nature and childhood resilience. I read it and am reminded of the often frightening fluidity of human behavior under unexpected influences.
On the high seas of the Caribbean, a family of English children is set loose - sent by their parents from their home in Jamaica to receive the civilising effects of England. When their ship is captured by pirates, the thrilling cruise continues as the children transfer their affections from one batch of sailors to another. Innocence is their protection, but as life in the care of pirates reveals its dangers, the events which unfold begin to take on a savagely detached quality.
Who could resist a trio of country witches leaving the comfort of their cottages just because one of them inherits a new job as a fairy godmother and her companions insist upon tagging along to supervise? Off to the big city they fly, unaware of the hilarious and spooky perils that await them along the way… or the powerful enchantress eager to seal their doom when they arrive. I think it’s Terry Pratchett’s best tale from his “witches series,” and the unforgettable excursion by Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick will charm the pumpkins out of readers for a lifetime.
'You can't go around building a better world for people. Only people can build a better world for people. Otherwise, it's just a cage.'
There's power in stories. The Fairy Godmother is good. The servant girl marries the Prince. Everyone lives happily ever after . . . don't they?
The witches Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick are travelling to far-distant Genua to stop a wedding and save a kingdom. But how do you fight a happy-ever-after, especially when it comes with glass slippers and a power-hungry Fairy Godmother who has made Destiny an offer it can't refuse?
In 1662, a man is wrongly executed for signing the death warrant of Charles I. Awaiting execution, he asks to speak with a priest, to whom he declares a curse on the village that betrayed him. The priest responds with a counter-curse, leaving just one option to nullify it.
Over four centuries later, Faith and James move to the country to start a new life and a family. They discover their village lives under the curse uttered by the hanged man. Could their arrival be connected? They fear their choice of new home is no coincidence. Unexplained events hint at threats or warnings to leave. They become convinced the village remains cursed despite their friends’ denials. Who can they trust, and who are potential enemies?
In 1660, a man is wrongly executed for signing the death warrant of Charles I. While awaiting execution, he asks to speak with a priest, to whom he declares a curse on the village that betrayed him. The priest responds with a counter-curse, leaving just one option to nullify it. Over four centuries later, Faith and James move to the country to start a new life and a family. They learn that their village lives under the curse uttered by the hanged man. Could their arrival be connected? Faith and James fear that their choice of a new home is…
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