My muse flutters its wings

August 15, 2022

For the first time in what seems like a very real age, I felt my creative muse make its presence known to me, fluttering its wings as it (hopefully) awakens and brings my creativity back to life...

 I have finally decided the narrative voice that will be used to tell the tale of Jonathan Pyewacket. Hopefully, this decision will give the unfurling story a decisive edge and clear the story of unnecessary 'clutters...

Peace and Quiet in the Sunshine...

August 11, 2022

A little peace and quiet sat out in the sunshine. It's been a tough few months health-wise. I am hoping for better things in the future...

Notes for today's work schedule for Avalon

June 22, 2022

A Field in Suffolk

This is probably the most picturesque field I have ever had the village to walk past:

Please click the video below  (it usually requires x2 clicks):

Well, I only gone and did it!

 Well, I only gone and did it! Avalon ~ The Glastonbury Zine is published! And you Glastonbury lovers out there can buy your copy here :)

Gower WW2 Remnants

June 27, 2022

I am already getting enthused with my latest Explore Gower project. I am already compiling a list of map co-ordinates to check on...

Remnants of War

June 26, 2022

I had x4 books planned for publishing in 2022:

* Sweyne's Eye - Swansea City Sunsets

* Solstice

* Avalon - The Glastonbury Zine

* A third book in my series of Gower guides

With the first three books now written, produced and available for sale, I can now introduce the final project I want to be completed and published by the close of this year:

I have a good five months to get this book sorted, so hopefully, I can pull something special together in this next book 🙂

Yours truly among the rubble of a WW2 pill box, Gower

As part of this 5-month project, I will be revamping my old www.explore-gower.co.uk website. This will include bringing my old Gower guidebooks under the umbrella of Explore Gower and I have already redesigned the cover of The Verry Volk and Gower Ghosts to evidence that:

So, as well as keeping an eye on www.pixie-led.co.uk, please remember to keep an eye on www.explore-gower.co.uk as there will be lots happening on there...

Thinking of Glastonbury from the back garden

 June 23, 2022

SOLSTICE

June 15,2022

 Well, it has taken me a few years to get this book written and published but the portmanteau novel is finally out in the wild and available for purchase as either a paperback or an ebook from Amazon. Click here to be taken to the purchase page for this novel.

With this beast finally released, I can give more attention to the projects that remain on my plate for 2022/3, namely Avalon ~ The Glastonbury Zine, a new book on the Gower Peninsula and my next novel - Pyewacket. 

Publication Dates for these projects are:

Avalon - A Glastonbury Zine - August 8,2022

Gower - December 31, 2022

Pyewacket - February 28, 2022

I will release details of the rest of my 2023 projects closer to the time.

But for now, I hope you enjoy Solstice. And don't forget to leave a review on Amazon.

Speak soon,

Chris

Strange Pyewacket

June 08, 2022

I think Pyewacket will be my strangest book of all. It's not folk-horror, not Folk of the Faraway Tree. But both are hinted at strongly in my new creation. I'm hoping to get this story published sometime in the Year New but can not promise anything firm on this just yet...

Suffolk (2)

June 07, 2022

I awoke in the Suffolk Shephard's hut to a beautiful sunny morning and wasted little time cracking on with my writing before the rest of the family awoke. Sat on the steps of the shepherd's hut, surrounded by wildflowers and fields and rabbits and an orchestra of birdsong felt like bliss - pure unadulterated heaven.

Later in the day, when the sun got too hot, I even managed to scratch my pen across a few further pages.  So far, the extraordinary adventures of Jonathan Pyewackett seems to be almost writing itself. 😃 

Suffolk (1)

 June 06, 2022

Had a much-needed getaway this past weekend. I didn't take many pictures as I am still out-of-sorts health-wise. I took the trip with my wife and son to meet up with my daughter (who lives too many miles away on the other side of the country) and her partner. They stayed in the house we had rented- my son on the first floor, my daughter and her partner on the self-contained second floor. My wife and I cwtched up in the nearby shepherd's hut. 

The weekend away was lovely, the peace and quiet of the Suffolk countryside providing medicine for the soul. Here are some pics from the trip. And yes, I did find time to do some writing on my next novel, Pyewacket. It was lovely writing by fire and candlelight.

'Tis done.

May 31, 2022

Solstice is complete :)

How do I feel when I complete the writing of a novel? 

Well, this particular book has taken me nearly 3 years to write and, much like the completion of my previous 5 novels, the feeling is of a complete sense of unburdening. Plus, of course, a growing sense of excitement as I can concentrate on fresher ideas :)

x2 Cover Art

 With the publication dates of both Solstice and Avalon getting close, I thought it was time that I designed some book covers. And here they are - the front cover of Solstice and the full jacket layout for Avalon. I hope you like them :)

Taking her seat

Yes, she does have her own seat at the writing desk lol:

Taking a breather

May 29, 2022

There is nothing like reading a good book in the sunshine, surround by Nature's bounty. Such moments are priceless and, sometimes, beyond words.

Solstice - The Final Draft Begins...

May 26, 2022

x2 second drafts completed

May 25, 2022

 I have been very busy this week writing and am now happy to report that the second draft of both Avalon, my book exploring Glastonbury, and my novel Solstice has now been completed. Now it's time for the third and final drafts of these docs, which in these instances is just proofreading, grammatical tidying up and typesetting the documents for publication. What a good start to this cold and drizzly Wednesday morning 🙂

More Project Juggling

May 22. 2020 

 Okay, so time-wise, I am nearly a quarter of the way through this Avalon zine project. Having taken a week off to crack on with another project I am working on (Solstice), I thought it was time that I had better crack on with Avalon:

Solstice Amendments (2)

May 19, 2022

Solstice Amendments

May 17, 2022

Return to Solstice

May 13, 2022

I am happy to report that the first draft of Avalon ~ the Glastonbury Zine has now been completed :) Next up for me now is to proofread the articles and edit the photography and carry out a little in-page design. I am going to take a rest for the next couple of days though to enjoy the weekend. Catch you all on the other side... :o)

Juggling Projects

May 12, 2022

 I've been cracking on with the Avalon project at a fair pace. But after the first draft of it has been done,  I will have to ease back on its progress to concentrate on the second draft of Solstice. Oh, and that Gower book I had to put on hold because of illness wrecking my creativity, well, my mind has finally returned to this delayed project. The book won't be as first envisioned, but… Well, I'll speak further on this matter soon...

Apple

My homage to Paul Caponigro's excellent Galaxy Apple photograph.

 'Twas a tasty fruit too :)

Solstice Denouement - Draft 2

May 9, 2022

Glastonbury Zine (Day 8)

May 8, 2022

Would you like to see the cover for the inaugural is of Avalon ~ The Glastonbury Zine? Well here is how it is looking so far. Remember, you have less than 92 days to wait to get a physical copy of the publication in your hands. And if you have content you would like to see printed in Issue 2 of Avalon, get in contact.

My outside office :)

May 7, 2022

The Glastonbury Zine (Day 6/100)

May 6, 2022

Worked all day. I have about half of the first article written about the night I spent on Wearyall Hill. All the photos for that feature are ready to go. I have also sorted the images for the photo essay that follows immediately from that first article in the upcoming first issue of Avalon - The Glastonbury Zine

Please find a few images from the zine below:

Avalon ~ The Glastonbury Zine (Day 5)

May 5, 2022

Day 5 of my 100 Day Challenge to get a Glastonbury zine up and running sees a new Facebook Page up and running. Feel free to like and follow this page. And if you have any writing, photography or art you would like to share on the page or in the zine itself, please get in touch...

I also sorted all the images for the first article that will feature in the zine, and worked out how to follow this first article with a photo essay...