Chapter 8 - Happy Halloween

I started creating stories long before I could write, dolls and teddy bears acted out scenes from my imagination.  I used to play with Star Wars Figures – I had a rather obsessed older brother, in fact he still is – so I guess as he never grew out of his Star Wars obsession, I never grew out of my obsession with storytelling.  My ability to tell stories and the ways in which I tell them has adapted over the years. 

I was at a lecture given by the author Anne Cleeves recently, she said she realised at an early age her mind worked differently to others and that she’d come to realise that is what made her a writer.  That struck a chord with me, I’ve always been a little different and that applies to how I think to.  Anne Cleeves described it as having a running narrative in her mind, describing everything she saw as though transcribing a novel in her head.  For me it’s like a living a movie running in my head, I’m always a step away from real life as though watching it rather than being part of it.

So, a couple of years ago I published my first novel, having been writing so long I figured it was about time I did something about all the stories in my head rather than waiting for someone else to discover them. 

Which is really the point of this post, while that book wasn’t my starting point; I’ve written several others that remain unpublished it has been part of the evolution of my writing style.  When I was writing it the mythical world was so real in my head you could almost touch it, smell it, and believe in it. 

This book helped me to develop the process I’m describing for The Poppy Garden, the casting element is very similar and I have a dream cast in my head, I have several synopsis worked out, character profiles etc. 

This book has now been in print and e-book since January 2012, so this Halloween I’m giving away free e-books via Amazon. 

There’s also a Pinterest board to follow and the second in the series will be available soon. 






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