I’ve been an avid reader of Fantasy novels for a long time. When I was eleven or so, my parents were in the middle of a divorce and we moved in with my step dad and his family. It was my step dad, Keith, who first introduced me to The Lord of the Rings. From there I found the Belgariad by David Eddings in the school library and I think I read all five books in a week.

After that I consumed pretty much anything I could get my hands on. Ursula Le Guin, Raymond E Feist, Tad Williams, Melanie Rawn, Margeret Weiss, Tracey Hickman and Terry Pratchett.  It was Sir Terry Pratchett who stuck with me longest; even when I broadened my horizons to literature and other genres I would still read any Discworld novel that was published. I loved the world that he developed, how you could see that it was a living ecosystem that he discovered over time, but it all worked together. And I loved the way that he discussed real world issues, current or historical, in a way that made sense in a fantasy setting.

But what does any of this have to do with the political environment today and a certain Mr Trump I hear you ask? Well 2016 was a very strange year. Brexit in my home country of the UK. A poisonous presidential campaign in the US. And the conversations that were occurring were not about what I thought made either country great. None of it made any sense (and I’m not even going to talk about how 2017 may be even more surreal).

And one day I was thinking about how democracy is crazy sometimes. I mean, crazy is almost part of the word democracy. It occurred to me that if a certain Mr Pratchett was still around then I could imagine a new Ankh Morpork story about the election for a new patrician and little demons would be the voting booth. Demon. Crazy. Democrazy – democracy (I know, I know, it’s probably only me that sees this but it’s the way my brain works). It took me five months to realize the obvious. If I wanted this story then I’d better write it, and not trying to copy the good knight, but in my own style.

And that’s what leads me to Kingshold. My debut novel which will be published in early 2018. The Demoncrazy title has long since disappeared (it is still a chapter title though) but the concept is in there. What would happen when the archetypal ancient wizard who protects your typical good-guy kingdom decides he’s had enough when the rulers he puts on the throne inevitably turn rotten? What would happen in a great medieval city when democracy of any nature is introduced to choose a new ruler? It’s those two questions that drove this work, that and the hope in my heart that people when brought together by common cause can make the world a better place.

There is a great evil in this world I have created, but there are also many petty little evils, and it’s difficult to know which is worst. There aren’t any children destined for greatness. This is all about adults making their way in lives and trying to take advantage of a new opportunity to turn their lives around while dealing with the baggage that we all accumulate as we go. And it’s a rollicking good read. Intrigue, assassins, magic, demons, rooftop chases, duels, pirates, underground cities, monsters. Phew! All the things you might enjoy in epic fantasy, except it all takes place in just one month and in one city.

One city and one world that I can control. Where I can at least start to have things make sense again.

If you’re interested in this, please sign up for my newsletter and in January I’ll send you the first three chapters.