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February has seen Xander Chase enter the ‘best 300-word’ novel competition amongst the Authors Networking Group on Facebook. I am so proud to be the winner of the award. For those of you waiting for Xander Chase 2, bear with us, COVID-19 is making [...]

January has been a trial with this new lockdown in the U.K. But the good news is vaccinations are getting out there and hopefully soon we will all be safe. This January has seen me interviewed by the lovely Jodie. Where we talked about how I got into writing, my t [...]

Wow what a December! Xander Chase and the Unicorn Code has made an appearance in the UK’s December Virtual Book Fayre on Facebook, where we met some more UK authors, played bookish games and gave sneaky teasers. We have also been a part of Roses and D [...]

November has seen the second birthday of Xander Chase along with my involvement in this year’s Children In Need’s – children in read. An auction of many authors work sold to the highest bidder to raise money. I am glad to report this has been a grea [...]

October is a time for spooky reads and having fun so why not check out the Children In Needs #childreninread this year and make a bid on a book to help raise some money! Xander Chase is available to bid on as lot number 597 along with titles from J.K. Rowling, Phi [...]

Hello mighty readers, Today’s news is of an awesome interview conducted with none other than Sai Charan Paloju on his popular YouTube blog @SmartCherry so go on over and check it out, you can leave a comment or ask a question of your own. If you enjoy the [...]

Some wonderful news to share with you all is that my debut novel has been awarded a READERS FAVORATE e-rosette by the followers of Instagram’s Magic Book Corner – whoop! Whoop! And a big thank you to all of my readers, friends and followers who nominated [...]

July has brought in invitations to attend and be a part of some wonderful book parties celebrating authors new releases and giving me the chance of Author Takeovers at their book parties on Facebook. One such book party went off with a blast on the 8th with giveaw [...]

This June has been an exciting month so far with my book cover being voted for, in the ‘AllAuthor,’ competition! We have already made it into the top 100 book covers of June so fingers crossed we’ll get into the next round. If you haven’t vote [...]

Wednesday the 27th of May 2020 during lockdown I went LIVE with @OurOwnWrite book fair on twitter for the first time to read an extract from my book. This extract is nothing like the previews available on amazon so before you buy the book check it out quickly while i [...]

I am very happy to confirm my involvement as a participating author in the first ever Social Distancing Book Festival. I have met many authors and readers thanks to this (via internet – stay safe) and watched the interesting panels which can still be found on u [...]

During March I was very busy after having been asked to write an article on a local museum by mainly museums website. It is now a finished and published a piece on the beautiful Hereford Cathedral and it wondrous Mappa Mundi in the UK. Please check it out and see wha [...]

Good day followers This month sees Magic book corners review of my book with a lovely ‘5 dark stars’ rating. Thank you Magic book corner. To read the whole review and check out what she thinks of the characters then check out her website on - http://th [...]

Wow, more February news! This month cover illustrator of my book – Caroline Hollywell sees the launch of her brand new website and freelance illustration business for all illustrative genres from picture books to NA. So give her gallery of work a flick through [...]

As everyone is aware the devastating fires in Australia have caused a lot of damage to habitats and wildlife. So when Ms. Moss a local Herefordian decided to host a fate in aid of raising money for Australias injured animals, I decided to contribute three signed [...]

This book was a treat, wrapped up and presented perfectly. The story is so intriguing from page one, that it’s nearly impossible to put down. The mystery and suspense are played out just right. This book deserves far more attention then it gets. Every single [...]

I would also like to congratulate the winners of my first anniversary giveaway. * Catherine McCARTHY * K’s Mum * BookCushion Xander Chase and the Unicorn Code signed books are on their way to the three of you – enjoy! [...]

Wow, what a busy October! I have been interviewed by Crime Fiction Author Jeff C Fuller on detectivefiles.org and asked about my book and some aspects of my life. If you are interested in keeping in the know check it out or send me a question you may have. Xan [...]

Once a month NINE authors are chosen by @indiauthorcentral to be showcased on their widely celebrated bookshelf and this month Xander Chase and the Unicorn Code is among the other very talented authors featured!!! ‘If you are in need to dive into new worlds [...]

It has been lovely being asked to write an article by the wonderful people of Kiri Books. So when they asked for it to reflect my opinion on something very close to me I chose to write my article on the silent illness CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) please chec [...]

New York Booktuber Christina has broadcasted Xander Chase and the Unicorn Code in her Indi Book Haul on her channel – Ctina Loves 2 Read - so check out her awesome read out and while You are there why not subscribe to her channel. [...]

Book bloggers are a very popular way, along with reviews and other book platforms to find your next fantastical adventure, whatever it might be. So when Xander Chase and the Unicorn Code made it to one of Australia’s young adult book bloggers I was very excited [...]

Wow! I’ve got a truly amazing piece of news to share; I’ve been recently chosen as one of the five authors to have an interview with Emily Arora, of Kiri Books, As well as a review from Kamal! If you fancy checking it out please head over to; [...]

Weobley High Schools club of avid book readers in Herefordshire invited me to join them at one of their meetings to talk about my debut novel; Xander Chase and the Unicorn Code. The lovely students there had some wonderful questions and a real thirst for knowl [...]

Generally children / teens and adults like to celebrate this special day of reading by getting dressed up as their favourite book character. Well, this year World Book Day saw a young Xander Chase flying in with the aid of a trampoline! [...]

Fancy a little fun? a c a d o u b l i c o r n q x k b r f e t n c l t l s m r t h d n u s a m s a g a r g o y l e x z s e t t e f t b n y e j e l e h t f h b e l i h h f a n n l w z a a u y l s f x u v s q s c a c t o n t i f a e s b d t g a d p i g i g e w [...]

So as before, villains are an important part of the fantasy novel structure as well as many more genres, as they help our hero’s to mature and provide an achievable goal whilst simultaneously brining the relationship between the reader and the hero closer toget [...]

stormy weather The weather can play a vital role in emphasising the feel, the emotional texture of a scene. For example; if you’re characters are in a haunted house and they step outside into glorious warm sunshine then the mood of the scene kind of am [...]

Fancy a little fun Fantastical creatures to find; Angels Doublicorn Witch Seelie &nb [...]

December is all about traditions for those of us who celebrate Christmas and reading books is one of those traditions for a good amount of the population. In Iceland on Christmas eve, they snuggle down with a gifted book for a tradition called ‘Jolabokaflod& [...]

Let’s play a word game using Onomatopoeia!   <u>First, we need to know what Onomatopoeia is;</u>   Onomatopoeia <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/refer">refers</a>& [...]

2020 has been one hell of a year and many of us are finding life stressful right now so I thought I would share some anxiety grounding tips with you. Grounding comes in steps like the scenes. We have five scenes and so five ways to ground ourselves if we are near [...]

As a crime fiction book, I felt the best way for me to convey my story to people was to do it from multiple characters' viewpoints. So, I have four main characters within the book and here they are three of them with view point teasers for you; Lilly- There’ [...]

Hello and welcome everyone, I really appreciate you tuning in to find out what’s going on! Remember your voice counts – I want to know what you think, you’re questions and anything else you want to share. 😊 So, without any further a due I wo [...]

I thought it might be interesting to ask the illustrator of my cover, Blaze's picture and the name illustrations, I use, a few questions. (Note she is the illustrator only – the text was applied after). Okay, so Caroline- -What did you have to take into c [...]

I am very proud to announce my involvement in Authors Adopt 2020 founded by New York Times Bestselling author Penny Reid. The aim of the project was to provide literature, fiction and non-fiction, for our hard working medical staff worldwide during the covoid-19 [...]

A few of you have been asking why I sign off with the phrase hearts and kisses. Well, here I am to fill you in. It all came about when I was at high school, I used to write adventure and noir stories in the safety of the library (where I sneakily ate my lunch &nda [...]

Below are a series of questions, all you have to do is pick an answer a b or c note it down and see what you have the most of at the end. 1- do you- A/ have a wickedly sharp tongue? B/ prefer to stay quiet (your quite shy)? C/ prefer to be candid no matter [...]

Okay, so there are many forms of stress relief but did you know that writing can be one of them? How can writing help us to expel some of the negativity in our life’s? Keeping a journal can be therapeutic and cleansing for our minds by [...]

Its #summerreading time so fill up you #Kindle stock up on #paperbacks and have the adventure of a lifetime your friends will all envy – without even leaving home. Books are mesmerising objects filled of magical words sewn through the story by the author. [...]

Here’s the BIG question; How do writers make magic real? I find there are a few things that can trick the mind into allowing the fantasy of magic to be relatable and in some such terms, viable. 1 Try to use old language if you intend to write your [...]

Libraries are not what they used to be. Silence is still appreciated or hushed talking but children more now than ever are encouraged to visit them. With their free borrowing system here in the UK (unless you give the book back late) there are well worth going to for [...]

Let’s face it, most of us look for a little romance in our lives and so expect the same of our character friends in books. The way I write, I like to create romance through friendship- as I believe friendship is an essential platform for a relationship to be [...]

Congratulations, you’ve made it into the spirit realm. There’s obviously a little angel in you – but what kind? Answer the game questions and make a note of the letters you choose. Question 1 – Which colour do you prefer? Green B [...]

Now some people do this because they like it and it’s their style – and that’s ok. It’s their style. But for those who do want to understand the ‘show don’t tell’ concept then check out the ordinary sentence below and [...]

As many people will attest Death is a scary subject. But more than that it is a questionable point in every living things life. An inevitability that causes much debate about what lies after. In essence allowing our imaginations free will to form the mos [...]

Hi Everyone, so I get the whole isolation thing is starting to get to everyone, so why not share our TBR lists and what we love about the books were reading? So I am one of those people who reads a genra depending on my mood so I have a wide range of books in my T [...]

House editing is what publishers do to your manuscript when you sign a contract with them for your book. It is a process of intense editing of paragraphs, spellings, title pages, chapter numbers and so much more. Part of this process includes styling. Now, styling [...]

In celebration of – encouraging a young writer’s day I thought we should play a game. I challenge you to find three words in the word search below and then make a paragraph out of them. Example – Sam was bashful that night. But why? Could it ha [...]

In this time of darkness for the world, during the mist of this pandemic virus, I wish to share with you the candle of hope. To get started I thought I would share a famous quote; Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot dri [...]

Okay, so everyone does it at one point in time or another and then others of us do it purposely to test our imaginative minds. But how do we really get out of it? How do we stop? I will begin by writing myself into a corner. [...]

Welcome everyone this blog is focused on Realm Hopping and how to achieve it (in fantasy J ). First, we have to ask ourselves how we are going to hop realms. Is there a portal? A secret gateway, a magician who spells you maybe. There is always a way, a way you [...]

The grey days of January brought me to award winning Crickhowell, where I was met with sunny smiles from literature fans and local holistic shop owner. [...]

If your feeling grey this January I have the perfect blog fix for you... [...]

Okay, so today in order to shake away some of those January blues I am going to answer some of the questions sent to me via my social media network. If your not following, follow now on; Facebook – Author Carrie Weston Twitter – @AuthorWeston I [...]

Hi everyone, so today Blaze is going to tell us a bit about her childhood – before her identity was uncovered by the herd, as a Doublicorn. So Blaze what do you remember of your childhood? My family obviously. (Snarls a little) My home, realm. Normal boring [...]

Ok so first – what’s an acronym? An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the first letters of a/ multiple words that is actually said like a word in its own context – CSI for example. So I though today I would share some of the writing and r [...]

A cover has to reflect your novel. But not tell its conclusion. There's no point in reading the book otherwise. Think about what you want but don’t be too specific for all artists have their own style and they will all see something different to you. Think a [...]

‘He stood in his full glory, stretching his wingspan and willing himself to cry-’ – Xander Chase and the Unicorn Code (chapter 22, page 142) - Xander played the classic angel weeping This particular scene was derived from a phenomenon [...]

The purpose of a name can express a belonging too or show an existence or a social standing. A name is a very powerful thing. It grows with us as we age as we are often given nicknames which indicates close relationship with our peers and family. Most of us short [...]

Hi everyone, so it’s time to talk about mythical creatures. Unicorns are known widely in myth as pure creatures that can do no wrong. But how realistic is that really? Everything has a dark side and so I gave my unicorns the Yin’ to their Yang&rsqu [...]

Do you have a lucky charm you can place in your sacred space? A few words of inspiration? A quote from your favourite book or a compelling illustration? Anything that makes you happy belongs in your life so that you can draw inspiration from it. Why not create [...]

Everyone knows you can write practically anywhere, whether it be on a laptop, i-pad, tablet or just classic paper. But by creating a space that is solely for writing you are creating a pivot in your mind that says ‘when I am in this space I can write’. [...]

Knowing your character. Many character structure sheets can be found on the internet with things such as age/race/features. But personally, I like to create my own fact file sheets on my characters so as to include specific words structures such as; Xander wou [...]

As you can see from my earlier blog ‘ Talula’s interview’. All characters need an essence for the reader to bond with. Something that makes them more than just words on a page. This comes in two ways; • Learning your VOICE • Knowing y [...]

Hello and welcome. Today we are talking to Talula. Hi, I am here today to talk to you about my profession as a coroner. Yes that’s right – (I but in) – so tell us what made you want to be a coroner? Right, as I was saying – I deci [...]

Okay, so today we are going to explore the puzzles or crime and how a detective can solve them. Most people know that detectives carry notebooks and pens to take statements from witnesses and notes about the crime scene as well as any evidential weapons. But th [...]

Hi everyone, so blue moons and magic, what’s next? Character of course!!! Well first things first – I had to start thinking about what kind of a character can cause a blue moon? Well this is where I had to get my thinking cap on and research some m [...]

Hi everyone, so I bet you’ve been wondering what came first – the chicken or the – No, the character or the concept? Well in my case I stumbled (as I often do ) across a rare phenomenon that sparked my interest – the blue moon. It tu [...]

Hi everyone, a big shout out to all of you who are reading this – thanks!!! As you already know Xander Chase and the Unicorn Code is my debut novel – just to point out, that I am a complete novice at this blogging stuff. I would like to take this c [...]

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