The Quest for a Hidden Village
My novel, Another Life, is centred on a quest by the main protagonist, Oliver, to find a woman who waved to him from a window of a village cottage thirty years ago. Oliver begins with no motive, other than to understand a moment from his past when he glimpsed the prospect of happiness in an […]
The Dobunni: The Tribe of Witches
As part of the scene-setting for Another Life, Oliver visits a small printing press in the Cotswolds. He is attracted to book on display, bearing the title ‘An Illustrated Account of the Old Religion, its Beliefs and Practices, by a Believer'. The owners of the press relate how they were visited by a stranger who […]
Another Life, Magazine Article
Delighted to see the article on my new novel, Another Life, on p37 of the Village Emporium magazine, Blackwater edition, summer 2020. https://online.fliphtml5.com/ibssq/yvju/#p=1
The Garden
Of the Of the plotting and structural challenges in writing my novel, Another Life, the chapter ‘The Garden’ was one of the most demanding. It provides an overview of the life of the main character, Oliver, and suggests that not everything is as it seems and that his visit is expected. Oliver stops at the […]
The Use of Music to Convey Mood and Emotion
Music is often used by authors as an indicator of mood and emotion. To do so effectively, they must decide how much detail to provide to convey their message so that the reader does not necessarily need to be familiar with the piece. One of the allusions to death in my new novel, Another Life, […]
The Grim Reaper Is All Around Us
Death plays an important part in my novel, Another Life. There are physical deaths, many in unexpected circumstances. The symbolism of death is ever-present, sending signals and warnings to the characters. In one example, the main protagonist, Oliver, is driving along a country lane in the late afternoon sun. He notices a farmer, or agricultural […]
Some Books Used in the Research for Another Life
Here are just a few of the books used as reference and inspirational material in the writing of my new novel, Another Life.Peter Ackroyd’s Albion, subtitled ‘the origins of the English imagination’ is nostalgic in its celebration of the historic ability to assimilate foreign influences in an inclusive, eclectic way.Engraved Gardens, illustrated by four leading […]
Solomon's Knot
Several people have asked me about the significance of the cover image of Another Life, in particular, the design that encloses the image of the Green Man. The main protagonist, Oliver, decides to seek a woman he saw, fleetingly, thirty years ago, a woman whom he will encounter in various guises in the present time. […]