Guest Post by Jason Phillips - 7 Fantasy Novels That Are Rocking From Decades

There are hundreds of excellent novels written every year covering every genre imaginable and choosing the seven best ones is not an easy task.  However, there are several books which really stand out, stories which have been read many times by different generations and will become a part of history:

           1.    The Lord of the Rings – by J. R. R. Tolkein

The story was originally written over fifty years ago and has attracted a cult following since its inception. More recently it has been portrayed in a film and has attracted a whole new generation of followers. The book follows a young hobbit called Frodo and his perilous quest to destroy a ring of immense power, simply to prevent it from following into the Dark Lord’s hands. The journey across Middle Earth is fraught with danger and is only made possible with the help of a few close friends.

       

           2.     Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – by Lewis Carroll

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is well known today despite having been written one hundred and fifty years ago! The story follows a young girl who is tired of sitting on the river bank with her sister doing nothing.  This leads to an amazing adventure where she both becomes tiny and giant – all whilst attempting to free the topsy-turvy land she has stumbled across from tyranny.  Much of the wording is nonsensical and this is part of its appeal – to all generations.

           3.     The War of The Worlds – by H.G. Wells

This story was first written in 1898 and deals with an alien invasion. The aliens target England and the story is narrated from the point of view of an unnamed person and his younger brother. The War of The Worlds covers the battle between humanity and malevolent extra-terrestrials and the destruction to the English countryside whilst the two brothers attempt to avoid the aliens and return to their families. It is one of the earliest writings on conflict between humans and other life forms and is seen as a cult classic. It has been converted into a film on several occasions and the book has never been out of print.

           4.     Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula is the story that introduced the infamous vampire, Count Dracula to the world. It tells the tale of his attempt to move from Transylvania to England in a bid to find new blood and spread the curse of the undead. His attempts are restricted and he ultimately perishes. The Dracula novel by Bram Stoker is seen as the definition of a modern vampire and the principles applied at the time of writing are still adhered to today.

           5.     A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

A Game of Thrones was originally written in 1996 and was set in a fantasy world known as Westeros where winter’s can last a lifetime and summers just moments. This is the result of a supernatural event. The story is full of characters and each one of them is dealing with their own problems, every character has their own take on what is morally acceptable. It makes for a dark and dangerous world which has an impressive amount of similarity to everyday life. All of these stories are entwined in and around the fate of the Stark family; who are fighting for their survival.

          6.     1984 by George Orwell

The book Ninety Eighty Four was written in 1948 and portrays a future of complete control. Thought police are able to spy upon every person, their conversations and even to watch their every move. All citizens are expected to report those who do not conform to the views of the current political party. The story covers the attempts of its main character, Winston, to bring down the established government by creating a journal which summarizes the truth, including the past which has been rewritten many times. Ultimately the attempt fails and Winston embraces the established regime. Many parallels have been drawn between this novel and the world today!

                 
         7.     The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

This was the first book published under John Wyndham’s own name, the many books written before had been published under a variety of pen names. It was originally written in 1951 although there have been several adaption’s since. It has also been converted into a radio series, TV series and even a film. The story was written at a time when chemicals were first being used in abundance on crops and there were serious concerns over the potential side effects. It covers the convalescence of a biologist who works with triffids; huge, carnivorous plants from which humans can extract oils far superior to those from fish or vegetables. 

Unfortunately the triffids are a result of biological experimentation and the majority of people on earth have been left blinded by the light emitted from the triffids. The story then covers the attempt to reclaim the Earth. The Day of the Triffids is still critically acclaimed today and many of its views on human nature still apply today.

By Jason Phillips and LoveReading.co.uk!

Can the Words of a Psychic Influence your thoughts? Your Choices? Your Destiny?

Everyone has seen a psychic... Right? Maybe as fun or a dare from a friend, or you desperately needed to know what to do after a breakup, or you wanted to connect with a love one that had passed away. Whatever your reason, the words that psychic said somehow seeped into your being; the words are forever etched into your mind. In psychology realms, this is called 'imprinting' and 'Phase Sensitive Learning,' meaning that when you see a psychic, you are vulnerable to their words and ideas.

So what happens if you are in a situation or event you think the psychic has described? Do the words of that psychic change your way of thinking? Alternatively, is it entirely possible that a psychic could actually see the future? This opens a can of worms for the sceptics among us, of which I am not one.  I believe there are good and bad psychics, just like mechanics, hairdressers or tradespeople; there are ones that can actually do what they say and others that will just rob you blind. 

So how do you know a good psychic? This is the million-dollar question and there are many different theories on how to tell. Psychics work with energy; just like when you meet someone you have an instant connection and other times you have an instant dislike, I believe this is the same for psychics. Some get readings stronger than others and some are actually able to delve deeper. From my experiences with psychics, I have found you cannot live your life by their words. I like to think of myself as an intelligent, articulate woman, but over the years, I have found myself falling back to the 'OMG that is what the psychic said!' moment. When I was 21, I was in the process of being divorced and had an almost 2-year-old from that relationship. Like many other women and men that I have spoken to over the years, I searched for answers to find myself at a psychic.

After several different readings from completely different psychics, I found myself following a similar path. Each and every psychic told me to write and I have always written down thoughts and feelings, just to help me process how I was feeling inside; it became my way of letting go. Both John Edward and Lisa Williams told me I had a book inside me that I needed to write, and most have told me about my own green-eyed man. So how do you let go of a man you have never met? He holds a special place in your heart, because every psychic you have ever seen has said he exists, he is real. For me, it was to bring him to life. My book Can't Fight Fate, while entirely fictional, has been written around my own psychic readings and experiences. While some details were changed to suit the story, others were included verbatim.

This brings me back to the question, 'Can the words of a psychic influence your thoughts? Your choices? Your destiny?' For me, the answer is definitely yes. I have numerous times changed my thoughts from the guidance of a psychic, and I must say mostly for the better. What I have also discovered over the years is that if those ideas or words were not originally something I wanted to achieve or something that resonated with me, I would not think twice about them. I also found the psychics opened up possibilities for me I would never have dreamed of by myself. The psychics enabled me to believe in me.

In writing Can't Fight Fate, I was able to enjoy the journey and meet the green-eyed man who I have only ever dreamt of meeting; in my book, he is now alive.

Lisa N. Edwards is a graduate of NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) in Sydney, Australia, after which she was trained at The Film Space. She and her youngest daughter, Darcie, were featured in a series of Coles TV Commercials—‘Feed your Family for $10 with Curtis Stone’ and Coles Home Brand. Lisa’s latest credits include soon-to-be-released Aussie comedy ‘Now Add Honey’ and two Award-Winning Hollywood Short films, 'Riviera' and 'The Road Less Traveled.' A large portion of Lisa's working life was spent as a Talent Agent with VisionsMCP in Melbourne, of which she was the owner and Company Director for 13 years. 

For more information please visit http://www.lisanedwards.com, http://www.cantfightfate.com or on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.  

Can't Fight Fate will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and http://www.lisanedwards.com. 

Guest Post by Spencer Blohm - Ray Bradbury: Still Alive Through The Whispers

ABC's The Whispers has been mesmerizing viewers all summer long. While the first season is almost over now’s as good of a time as any to reflect on the man who made the series possible; Ray Bradbury. Those who haven’t caught up on the series yet but want to, and have a high speed internet connection, can instantly stream all episodes via ABC Go. Obviously if you’re not caught up this article will contain some spoilers.

It’s not commonly known that The Whispers is based on a Bradbury short story called Zero Hour. This only speaks to the timelessness of Bradbury’s work and the themes he examined in it. Of course, Bradbury aficionados know this is far from the first time his work has been adapted by Hollywood, he even worked as a screenwriter for a while, but it does mark one of the most high profile adaptations of his. So, let’s take a look at the series and the work that inspired it.

In 1951, the Red Scare was in full force and Americans were being fed fear propaganda on a regular basis. During this time, Americans became paranoid and suspicious. Rumors spread about the Russians using mind control techniques to turn Americans against their own country. We were a country in fear.

It is this fear the Bradbury tapped into when writing Zero Hour. The story is told from a suburban mother's point of view. Mrs. Morris is a typical 1950s mother and her daughter Mink is a typical child. Her and her friends like to play games and have come up with one called 'Invasion.' The children all play this game with an imaginary friend named Drill. Of course, this is nothing more than child's play, so Mrs. Morris never gives it a second thought. Until the alien invasion actually starts. That is the end of the story. Bradbury never elaborates on the actual invasion. Simply throws it at you and leaves it hanging there.

Told through the guise of a science fiction story, Zero Hour seemed to really be honed into our collective psyche of the time. When your neighbor can be a secret Communist spy being controlled through mind control, it can be easy to get caught up and ignore what is right in front of you.

The Whispers follows the same general premise, but with expanded ideas and themes. Instead of Mrs. Morris, we have an FBI agent and mother who has been tracking this strange trend across the country. The children are still playing 'Invasion' with their friend Drill, but no more is this just a local incident. This adds a sense of urgency that is not present in the source material.

The biggest change may be the alien invasion itself. Where Bradbury ends, The Whispers may continue. It would seem odd to simply stop at the invasion in today's monster driven world, and knowing that Steven Spielberg is involved lends to the theory that the show will continue past the invasion point.

One thing that is kept from the original tale is the collective fear we all feel. Today, our monsters don’t come in the form of foreign armies or mind control techniques. Our collective fear comes from the acts of terrorism and violence taking place all over the world, and as evidenced by recent events, young people may be influenced by them and the dark forces behind them. Producer Zack Estrin wanted to focus on that out of control feeling parents have in regards to their children and the internet, saying he wanted the series to pose the question “What if someone is influencing your child and it’s not you”. Due to the almost rampant shootings and home grown terrorists attacking common civilians around the world, the fact that at any time, a mass killing could happen keeps many people locked in a state of fear similar to the Red Scare. We are still wondering about our neighbor and what he is doing behind closed doors.

Ray Bradbury knew that these kind of actions from other humans was far scarier than any monster he could ever dream up. This is why his science fiction stories often dealt less with science and more with the human psyche. The darkness each man possesses inside him is the scariest thing Bradbury had ever seen, and that is what he wrote about. While not a scene for scene filming of the Ray Bradbury classic, The Whispers is shaping up to be just as suspenseful and relevant as Zero Hour was in 1951.

The Whispers is currently airing on ABC with the first season set to wrap up on August 31. The series stars Lily Rabe, Barry Sloane, and Milo Ventimiglia.

Spencer Blohm is a freelance entertainment, culture, and lifestyle blogger. He lives and works in Chicago. When not working he can be found camped out in his apartment watching the latest films and newest television shows.

Guest Post by Graham J. Wood - Zein: The Homecoming.

Even in my early life, I was captivated by different worlds and events you could not explain. 

When I decided to write my Zein trilogy starting with Zein: The Prophecy, and recently Zein: The Homecoming about an alien race that lives in the skies above us, I just let my imagination run riot. It is hard to explain how liberating this is. Almost no boundaries. The constraints I imposed on myself were mainly to bring an element of reality to the extraordinary new world that was flowing from my fingers on the keyboard. It is therefore little surprise that some of the main characters are ‘normal’ people who you would not expect to be the driving force against the evil facing us.

My job negotiating contracts across the world brings me in contact with numerous cultures and behaviours and provides a richness, I hope, to the character development. It also means that the love I have of watching peoples characteristics, the hidden (they think) nervousness, the passion and determination helps me develop the interplay between my characters, not only female to male but to how all individuals relate to each other. My anti-hero, Tyson who is always fighting his internal battles with the fate of his friends usually resting in his hands is a case in hand.

All I can promise you is when you read my stories the pace is unrelenting, the characters come to live in front of your eyes and the battle between good and evil is never an easy one. 

Follow the exploits of a small band of humans and persecuted aliens, the latter very much like us but who have a strange array of magics, who fight back against incredible odds. Enjoy…

Bio:

Graham Wood was born and raised in Manchester, England and today lives in Timperley, Altrincham, England. He works freelance, coordinating large global outsourcing contracts. 

Zein: The Homecoming 

By Graham J. Wood

PRESS RELEASE:

The second novel in epic sci-fi trilogy in which a lost planet’s hope and the lives of many rests on the actions of the brave few who faced and beat adversity on Earth, not knowing a secretive evil sect undermines all.

After the climactic Battle of the Southern Palace in Book 1 of the Zein series, the humans have begun to accept the Zeinonian race into their lives and a calm has fallen over the world. Kabel, the alien prince, is made Lord Chancellor and his people begin to apply their advanced technology and knowledge on advancing Earth’s farming, medicine and mining, the latter required to build up major stocks of the powerful raw material, zinithium. Leaving the integration of the two different cultures to others, Kabel leads a joint Human and Zeinonian Expeditionary Force to search for his people’s home planet, Zein. His companions include his half-brother, Tyson, who is increasingly struggling to contain the magics conflicting with his human DNA. Reaching Zein, they find the survivors are attempting to wipe out an indigent but ferocious animal race, the Pod. Kabel and the Expeditionary Force find themselves caught in the combat as the Pod fight back, leading to Tyson’s capture by the animals. Zylar, Kabel’s uncle, is back and building his zombie army on a nearby planet where Tyson’s mother and Kabel’s sister are imprisoned. Kabel and Tyson will use all of their strength to try to defeat the Pod and do battle with Zylar again.

Back on Earth, the Cabal, led by a shadowy figure called the Speaker, have already begun plotting to turn the humans against the Zeinonians once again. Driven by greed and a hatred for the aliens, the group infiltrates the United Nations and stages a vote for martial law to quell riots on Earth, placing the Zeinonians under curfew and jeopardizing the short-lived peace in the process.

Zein: The Homecoming is the second chapter in author Graham Wood’s fast-paced sci-fi trilogy charting an epic battle between good and evil, continuing its exploration of the themes of friendship, optimism and adversity that will resonate with audiences young and old alike. Wood was inspired to fulfill a dream held since he was 15 of being a novelist and write the Zein trilogy after his daughter, Becky, underwent open-heart surgery at only 14. It was at her bedside as she recovered that he began formulating the story in order to take his mind off her suffering. Book 1 sales have raised $3,000 for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House after they were instrumental in helping Wood’s family. Further donations will be forthcoming.

Website: http://www.grahamjwood.com/

Twitter:  ZeintheBook

Purchase: Zein: The Homecoming.

Guest Post - Jason Sizemore The Horror of Running a Small Press

All across the world, there exists a small segment of the population who enjoy the metaphorical self-flagellation known as running a small press.

I am one of those individuals, and I wrote a book about it.

For Exposure: The Life and Times of a Small Press Publisher is the mostly true story of how Apex Publications came to be, why it exists, and the odd personal spectacles I’ve endured that makes its continued existence a never-ending miracle. I’m told it is quite humorous. Yet, I fail to see the humor of stumbling into a large orgy overseen by a sweet little grandmother offering visitors a bite of honey baked ham.

Because many of the tales in For Exposure are so outlandish, I was afraid people wouldn’t believe them and asked numerous others to provide ‘rebuttals’ to my accounts.

After reading For Exposure, one would think that I’d shared all of the bizarre experiences I’ve had as a publisher. Sadly, this isn’t so. There are other tales. Many, many other tales. One such tale I will share exclusively with Midnytereader.com. I apologize upfront if this incident crosses the line of good taste. I also apologize that I do not have a witness who can write a rebuttal to confirm or expose the veracity of what I’m about to describe. Rest assured, good readers, I tell you only the truth.

Being the owner and managing editor of Apex Publications means I travel to many different events and conventions. I live in Lexington, KY, so when The Scarefest horror show landed in town on a permanent basis, I was quite pleased. For once, I wouldn’t have to drive hours and hours to get to an event nor would I have the expense of room and board. I bought space in the vendor hall and offered a fine Apex selection of horror and dark fantasy books.

At the time, Apex had a new senior editor named Janet Harriett. She drove from northern Ohio to help me run our table. As it turns out, we were placed next to an elderly gentleman who sold imported DVDs of all spices and varieties. I had noticed some…interesting items on the shelf adjacent to our two spaces…namely hardcore manga films. Nothing you won’t see at any media vendor hall, so while I noted them, I wasn’t concerned. What I hadn’t counted on was the elderly gentleman having a 45 minute conversation with a large, sweaty guy in a ripped white t-shirt and dirty red sweatpants about the most extreme manga porn scenes they’d ever seen. My poor, green senior editor heard things nobody should have to hear.

Fortunately for me, I hadn’t heard any of it. I was off taking a late lunch. After gorging myself on greasy fries and a burger at the food court, I took a shortcut back to the Scarefest vendor hall. This meant crossing through another event space.

In my haste, I failed to notice that the other event was the annual gun and knife show held here in Lexington. Masses of men and women armed to the teeth walked up and down the rows of tables displaying weapons for sale. I found it all quite disconcerting.

As I crossed the crowded hall I bumped into a large man with General Burnside facial hair. Across the shoulder of his camo jacket he carried a scoped rifle. A holster held a sidearm. He glared me down.I mumbled an apology and made to move on. His big meaty hand gripped my arm and stopped me.  “You best watch where you’re going, peckerwood.”

Peckerwood. That’s the word he used. I can’t recall having heard it since high school.  I’m not a coward (mostly) nor am I stupid (mostly). This beast of a man armed with a rifle and pistol was threatening me. This time, my flight instinct had turned me yellow. “You’re right,” I said. “Sorry.”

Someone associated with the gun and knife show appeared. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Lloyd, this boy bothering you?”

“Bothering him?” I said. I’m not armed and a good four inches shorter than the man holding me in place.

The gun show volunteer nodded. “Something’s got Lloyd all bothered.”

Lloyd let go of my arm. “It’s fine, Charley. I’m done wit’em.” With that, the beast lumbered away. But Charley wasn’t done with me.

“How did you get in here? You don’t have a badge,” he said.

I stupidly looked down at my Scarefest badge.

“That one doesn’t grant you entrance to our show. I’m going have to escort you out of the building.”

Despite my objections, two armed men walked me to the far back of the convention center, shoved me out a door that had no handle on the outside. I imagined this was what it felt like, to some degree, of being marched to your death by the Mafia. Fortunately, the two men did not follow me out. I was left to walk all the way back around the convention center and back to my table in the Scarefest vendor hall.

On my arrival, Janet looked two shades of green. I asked her what was wrong. She looked at me, pointed out how pale I was, and asked me what was wrong.

So we shared our experiences.

The greatest dangers you’ll face when running a small press doesn’t always come from authors, editors, distributors, and crooked vendors. You never know the oddities you’ll encounter when you leave your writer’s cave and venture out into the big scary world.

Despite the occasional problem, I love running Apex Publications. I could share many happy adventures from my publishing years, but why not check out For Exposure: The Life and Times of a Small Press Publisher and have them in a nicely formatted, fancy book edition?

For Exposure product page: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1937009300/

Born the son of an unemployed coal miner in a tiny Kentucky Appalachian villa named Big Creek (population 400), Jason fought his way out of the hills to the big city of Lexington. He attended Transylvania University (a real school with its own vampire legend) and received a degree in computer science. Since 2005, he has owned and operated Apex Publications. He is the editor of five anthologies, author of Irredeemable, a three-time Hugo Award loser, an occasional writer, who can usually be found wandering the halls of hotel conventions seeking friends and free food. Visit him online at http://www.jason-sizemore.com.

The Walls Around Us.

Title/Author:  The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma.

Genre: YA, Mystery.

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers.

Source: Purchased.

Synopsis:  On the outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.

On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom.

Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries…
What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one? ~Goodreads.com

Midnyte Musings: Sometimes a book comes along that makes you so grateful that you found it.  So happy to be a reader.  So appreciative of the written word.  The Walls Around Us is one of those books for me.  It is a gem.  A YA that is part contemporary, part mystery, part supernatural and all combined beautifully.  

 

The story and the writing is haunting and lovely and the characters are compelling.  The story is a puzzle and I loved figuring it out.  Although I saw a main plot point coming, I wasn't sure how I was going to get there and what the final outcome of it would be.  This book was so intriguing I read it in a matter of days.  There is nothing rushed in this book and every phrase is purposeful and important.  Sometimes I had to re-read passages and paragraphs because I knew there was hidden meaning to be found and I didn't want to miss it.  It was like looking into a cloudy pool of water waiting for it to clear.

Although this was told in three different pov's, it was not confusing at all and I needed all three of the main characters, Violet, Amber and Orianna, to tell the story so it made sense.  The way their paths intertwine reminds me a of a drawing starting in different places.   It isn't till the end of the story (when the drawing is finished) that you get to see the whole picture.  I loved getting to know them and their motivation.  I was intrigued and looking into their psyches and souls was thrilling.  There is so much meaning in each chapter and even seemingly unrelated occurrences come into play later.

I loved that the supernatural elements of this story were not in your face, but more a subtle and gentle push that makes you question what is reality and what is not.  The emotion and events in this story are deep, dark and troubling yet if you are squeamish or don't usually like dark fiction, The Walls Around Us is handled in such a way that the darkness is beautiful.

SPOILER: The only issue I had is that I wished there were just a few more hints to Violet's personality.  But maybe that is the author's intention of a big reveal.  

This is a book that made me say "Wow!" Beautifully written, mysterious.

Guest Post by Stephen Childs - Setting in nineteenth century Western Australia.

Setting a novel based in Western Australia during the late nineteenth century was an easy decision for me. Spending time investigating my own family history had fostered an intrigue for all things Victorian. 

The difficulties of life in those days, combined with simple technologies and lower expectations from life, provide a fabulous background within which to progress a character.

The pioneering spirit of those who had put everything on the line to start afresh in the new land of Australia is legendary. However, as the century progressed, English societal expectations began to creep into Australian life. Doing things the ‘proper’ way began to influence decisions and hold up many a bold venture. 

It is into this confused culture that I sent the character, Abigail. 

As a refined young English girl, she appears to be the perfect subject for a tale of struggle between brash pioneering spirit and Victorian etiquette. But I intended for Abigail to go further. 

To achieve this, I endowed her with a knowledge of the era’s emerging technology and an enquiring scientific mind. This allows her to progress from the expected, and provides her room to grow. 

After that, all that was needed was motivation for her to utilise her knowledge. 

A murder, a missing witness, and deep feelings of injustice provide the perfect opportunity.

Her journey not only takes her across a vast land, but also takes her beyond herself, revealing qualities of strength she didn’t know she possessed.

With her father stabbed to death, her brother caught with the bloody murder weapon, and her stepmother suspiciously missing, 18-year-old Abigail Sergeant is forced into a dangerous cross country adventure to uncover the truth and bring the real killer to justice. 

Traveling from England to Australia in the late nineteenth-century, Abigail and her naive younger brother hope that reuniting with their father — and his new wife — will offer them security. What awaits them on the shores of the Swan River dashes any prospects of a blissful life. Discovering her father murdered and her brother seemingly caught red handed, Abigail’s life is thrown into turmoil. The police are convinced of Bertrand’s guilt, but Abigail is determined to prove his innocence, no matter whatever it takes. The only thing that the now insensible Bertrand will say about the murder is that their stepmother, Frances, knows what really happened. Frances, however, has fled south to Albany, a port from which she plans to board a ship bound for New Zealand. With time running out, Abigail persuades the police to let her follow Frances, but only if she is chaperoned by the reluctant Constable Ridley Dunning. Embarking on a heroic train journey across Western Australia, Abigail faces deception, kidnap, sabotage and arson, forcing her to draw on a resolve she didn’t know she possessed. But will that be enough to save her brother from injustice?

Dueling with the hardships and social inequalities of the Victorian era, Abigail Sergeant is a strong and independent young protagonist who surprises her acquaintances with her determination and unusual abilities. Forward-thinking, her views often juxtapose awkwardly with the Victorian ideal of womanhood; her brilliance with machinery and her passion for technology and science, prove that mental and physical strength need not preclude finesse, and that family and love can become powerful, inspirational tools.

Author Stephen Childs captures the landscape of his adopted Western Australian homeland in skillful and vivid detail. The region’s culture and its epic terrain has always held a certain fascination for Childs, and soon after moving there he began researching the story of how the Swan River colony originated as a commercial enterprise, and what early settlers had to endure to survive. The history and extraordinary stories  sparked the premise behind his assured debut novel, On Track for Murder. A beguiling blend of romance, mystery and a desperate race against time, On Track for Murder will entertain fans of Agatha Christie and P. D. James with its plot twists and turns, leaving them guessing — and gasping — until the very last page.

About the author: Born in Ealing, West London, Stephen Childs immigrated with his family to New Zealand in the 1970s. He has enjoyed a long career in the film and television industry. After a serious health scare in 2005, Childs’ view of life changed. He briefly went into politics as a parliamentary candidate in the national elections, standing against the now New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key. The drive to pursue new challenges prompted Childs to relocate to Western Australia, where he now lives in Joondalup, north of Perth, with his family and two cats. In his spare time, Childs enjoys exploring the great Australian outdoors and studying genealogy. On Track for Murder by Stephen Childs (published by Clink Street, available September 1st, RRP $12.00 paperback, RRP $7.50 ebook) is available online from retailers including Amazon.com and can be ordered from all good bookstores. 

Visit Stephen’s website: http://stenichi.com/about/